Sarah Kundi - An Appreciation

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Readers of this blog will know that I have a particularly high regard for Sarah Kundi.  Although I must have seen her several times when she was with Northern Ballet she first came to my notice through the YouTube video of Depouillage in which she danced with Jade Hale-Christofi.  It was that film that led me to Ballet Black (see Ballet Black's Appeal 12 March 2013).  When I saw her dance for the first time in  "Dopamine (you make my levels go silly)" and War Letters at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre on Saturday 18 May 2013 I was bowled over (see Why Ballet Black is Special 20 May 2013).

When Ballet Black came to Leeds 6 months later, Sarah Kundi had left the company.  As I said in Ballet Black is Still Special on 7 Nov 2013, I enjoyed Ballet Black's performance in Leeds at least as much as their show in Tottenham but I did miss Sarah Kundi.   I did not have long to wait because I found out that she had joined MurleyDance which performed in Leeds on 1 Dec 2013 (see MurleyDance Triple Bill 2 Dec 2013).

Sarah Kundi did not stay long with MurleyDance and there were reports that she had been offered work with Victor Ulate in Spain (see ByeBye and All the Best 10 June 2014).  Happily, English National Ballet offered her an appointment while she was dancing in Romeo and Juliet in the Round (see Saved for the Nation 17 July 2914).  She remained with that company for the rest of her career picking up the emerging dancer award and triumphing as Lady Capulet (see Congratulations to Sarah Kundi on 20 June 2018) and Hortensia in Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella (see Cinders in the Round  13 June 2019).

She announced her retirement on Facebook at the end of English National Ballet's latest season in the Royal Albert Hall and I shall miss her greatly.   She was blessed with an expressive countenance that made her a remarkable actor as well as a fine dancer and a physique that gave her an aetherial appearance on stage. Those are qualities that not all principals possess and it is why there were many times that I enquired whether she was in the cast before looking up the leading artists.

Although it is unlikely that we shall ever see her on stage again, Sarah Kundi is not lost to dance.  I was delighted to see the Royal Ballet School's announcement that she has joined its staff. There she will pass on her skills, knowledge and experience to promising students.   I have had the good fortune to meet her at the stage doors of the Palace Theatre in Manchester and the Albert Hall as well as interview her over Zoom for the Stage Door.   I can report that she is as graceful and charming to her fans as she is magnificent on the stage.

I have to thank her for the many years of pleasure that she has given me and no doubt countless other balletgoers and wish her well in her new career as a teacher.

Ballet School Outings

Here are just a few trips I would love to take if I lived in London and didn't have to work for a living. Here are three great opportunities to see how dancers are trained. A year ago I spent the whole day watching Yoko Ichino and other teachers at Northern Ballet's Open Day in Leeds and was thrilled and fascinated.

Royal Ballet School
The Ballet Association, a group that aims to give active support to the Royal Ballet Companies and to promote interest in all aspects of their work, has arranged a visit to the Royal Ballet Upper School on 29 April 2015. According to Audrey Allen of the London Ballet Circle, there are still a few places on the tour.  Visitors may watch the following classes:

• First Year Ladies: 09:00 - 10:15
• Second Year Boys: 10:45 - 12:30
• Third Year Pas de Deux:  13:15 - 14:15.

Applications for tickets should be made to David Bain of 23 Capstan Square, Stewart Street, London, E14 3EU. The cost is £12.50 to members of the London Ballet Circle and £20 for their guests.

Tring Park 

This is where Ruth Brill trained.  A full day visit to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts  on 13 May 2015 from 10:00 to 17:00 with opportunities to meet  Rachel Rist, Director of Dance, and to see the morning and afternoon classes. Applications for tickets should be made to Audrey Allen of the London Ballet Circle at 8 Goldsmith Road, London, N11 3JP, Tel: 020 8361 2872. The cost to members of the London Ballet Circle is £12.50.

Central School of Ballet

If I could got to just one of these schools this is the one I would choose.  Founded by Christopher Gable the Central School of Ballet is where Sarah Kundi, Rachael Gillespie, Hannah Bateman, Chris Marney, Kenneth Tindall, Paul Chantry and many more of my favourite dancers and choreographers trained. Cassa Pancho,founder and artistic director of Ballet Black has recently been made a patron of the School. The visit will take place on 19 May 2015 but precise timings have still to be arranged, Applications for tickets should be made to Audrey Allen of the London Ballet Circle at the above address. Again, the cost to London Ballet Circle members is £12.50.

As you can see there are lots of benefits of joining the Ballet Association and London Ballet Circle and you can join the London Ballet Circle online. I am not yet a member of the Ballet Association but as a longstanding admirer of both the London and Birmingham Royal Ballet companies I intend to apply for membership straight away.

Ed Watson: more than just an outstanding dancer - a really good bloke

Ed Watson signing a calendar after his talk

Photo Jane Lambert

(c) 2015 Jane Elizabeth Lambert, all rights reserved

On Tuesday evening I listened to Edward Watson in conversation at Danceworks. He is a principal of the Royal Ballet and ipso facto an outstanding dancer but he across across as a very likeable young man. He showed a sense of humour. He answered questions directly and thoroughly. He rewarded his fans (of which I am one) by signing their autograph books and calendars, posing for photos or (as in my case) shaking hands.

Watson explained that he started dancing to keep his sister company. Their studio was what his interviewer called a "rinky dink school in Bromley". From there he progressed to the Royal Ballet Associates though not without setbacks for he failed his RAD Grade 1. However, that did not prevent his progressing to White Lodge. His talent was recognized and anyway the school wanted more boys.

White Lodge is a boarding school and he was not particularly happy there for his first two years. His teachers included Pauline Wadsworth, Linda Goss and the late Anatoly Grigoriev who taught him "the heavy stuff". Watson said that nothing came easy to him and that it took some time to "grow into his body". Ballet wasn't a vocation in the early years - just something that he liked to do. From White Lodge he progressed to the Upper School and from there to the Royal Ballet. On being asked what his parents thought about his training he replied that he did not believe that they gave any thought to it at all. He was one of 4 and his parents encouraged all their children to pursue whatever career they wanted.

Watson's first solo role was in Kenneth MacMillan's The Judas Tree just before the Royal Opera House closed for refurbishment. That was a strange time for the Royal Ballet as it performed at different venues throughout London. It was around that time that he was given his first principal role in My Brother My Sisters, another MacMillan ballet.  It was also approximately when he started to work with Wayne McGregor who had been introduced to the Royal Ballet through Deborah Bull's Artists Development Initiative. Shortly afterwards Watson was promoted to soloist.

At this point the interviewer observed that "people don't realize how technical you have to be to Romeo, Manon etcetera." Watson replied that it was not that he was not classical it was just that he did not do classical. He could not, for example, imagine himself dancing in Swan Lake.  The interviewer noted that some of the music to which Watson dances is difficult. Watson explained that he recognized sound adding "something settles to sound" and though it might sound weird it was an "atmospheric thing". He gave The Rite of Spring as an example where things look as they sound.   Watson's big moment came when he was cast as Romeo. As it is a physically demanding role he hired Hugh Craig as a personal trainer to increase his strength and stamina.

In 2011 Watson danced in Arthur Pita's "The Metamorphosis" which is based on a work by Kafka. Pita spend a week reading Kafka in order to discover the characters.

Watson was asked about the choreographers he has worked or will be working with. He mentioned Wayne McGreogor, Wendy Whelan, Arlene Philips, Arthur Pita and Christopher Wheeldon. He has engagements at The Linbury and in New York City.

At that point questions were invited from the floor.

A gentleman asked Watson to describe his daily routine. He replied that a typical day might consist of class for 10:30 to 12:00, rehearsals from 12:00 to 17:30 and then perhaps a show. However, his routine did vary. Sometimes he would do pilates, for example.

I asked him how he felt when manipulating his face and body in all the shapes depicting jealousy in Act I of The Winters Tale. "Not easy at first" was the reply but he eventually got used to them.

Another gentleman said that he had been told by Watson's teacher that he was the most outstanding choreographer of his year. "Not true" was the reply. Everybody had to study choreography at the Royal Ballet School but he had no ambitions in choreography.

He was asked how he prepared for a role. He replied that he did a lot of work when he was asked to dance Mayerling.  He travelled to Vienna and visited the graves. He read voraciously and watched every performance he could.

He had been described as a "dance actor". He disavowed the description. "Straight acting is difficult" he said. "I'm a dancer and not an actor." Someone suggested he might train for the stage. He agreed that was a possibility.

Someone asked whether there was a role he still wanted to dance. "Not really" he replied. He had danced just about every role he had wanted to perform.

Another asked about personal setbacks. He mentioned injuring himself in The Song of the Earth and falling flat on his face in Giselle.

He was asked whether there were any dancers who had inspired him when he was young. He replied that he had never seen a ballet before he joined the Royal Ballet School.  He was impressed by Anthony Dowell and Wayne Eagling. The interviewer interjected that the role of male dancers had evolved tremendously over the years. Watson agreed adding that they can now be anything.  Young dancers nowadays are much less patient than his generation had been. They had a lot of enthusiasm and energy which was on balance a good thing.

The interviewer asked what he hopes to do when he retires from full time dancing. He had no plans beyond staying in the profession. Coaching was one possibility. Being a ballet master was another.

He was asked whether he got on well with the other principals and to the surprise of at least some of the audience he said he did. He shared a dressing room with Thiago Soares but it was rare for them to use it at the same time.

On being asked whether he wanted to say anything at the end of the interview he simply thanked everybody for coming,

Lesley Osman proposed a vote of thanks and we all clapped enthusiastically.

Almost everyone in the audience formed a queue to shake his hand. He had a kind word for each of us. Some of his fans asked him to sign autograph albums. Others asked him to pose for photos. He accepted the adulation with enormous grace. I thought to myself as I started my long drive back to Yorkshire: "what a really good bloke,"

Remember the coster? Well 'e aint got no ballet school no more.

You remember "Wouldn't it be loverly", the conversation between the coster and the porter about adult ballet classes at Covent Garden? And his excitement in "The Coster gets his Answer" when the geezer in charge told him he could join his class.

Poor bloke! He's feeling a bit deflated right now because he has just discovered this email in his spam filter:

"Dear Adult Ballet Participant,

We hope you have been enjoying The Royal Ballet School adult ballet classes on Wednesday evenings. This has been a new initiative for 2014 which we have run in various formats over the last three terms and this trial period will conclude at the end of the autumn term.

Following extensive consultation, we regret to inform you that, in order to re-evaluate provision, the School has decided not to continue with adult ballet classes from January 2015. Therefore the last adult ballet class will be Wednesday 17th December 2014.

All classes are now fully booked meaning that online booking for the remaining classes this term is no longer available. If you are on the waiting list and a place in class becomes available, you will be contacted in good time.

The decision to suspend the adult ballet classes has not been made lightly; you will appreciate there are some significant considerations for the School including cost implications and child protection issues. Meanwhile, we suggest you research the following organisations, all of whom run established adult ballet classes:

The Place, 17, Dukes Road, London WC1H 9PY
http://www.theplace.org.uk/dance-adults

Trinity Laban, Creekside, London SE8 3DZ Tel: 020 8305 9400 http://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/schools-and-community/adults

Central School of Ballet, 10 Herbal Hill, Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5EG Tel: 0207 837 6332  http://www.centralschoolofballet.co.uk/aeccourseoutline.php

Rambert, 99 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP Tel: 020 8630 0600  http://www.rambert.org.uk/learning_participation/rambert_classes/adults

English National Ballet, 39 Jay Mews, London SW7 2ES  http://www.ballet.org.uk/classes/

Thank you for your understanding in this matter and we hope you continue to enjoy taking adult ballet classes. Thank you also for your interest in The Royal Ballet School. If you would like updates concerning The Royal Ballet School and priority booking for events and open days, we recommend you consider joining our Friends.
http://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/the-school/friends/

Warmest wishes,

The Adult Ballet Team"

Never mind!  It was good while it lasted!  He learned a thing or two.  He's going to check out the classes that the Royal Ballet School suggested.  He has also heard of the RAD's syllabus and non-syllabus classes for adults, Pineapple, and the londondance.com website.

He's also had a butcher's at the Danceworks newsletter which has lots of deals. He's hinted to the missus that he wouldn't say no to a Danceworks gift card. And he knows where he can go to work off the turkey and Christmas pud over the Christmas holidays.

So he's spoilt for choice, isn't he.

Congratulations Class of 2014!

It's that time of year again when keen and hungry young dancers graduate from their chosen conservatoires and vocational training schools! After 3 plus years of hard work and dedication, the graduation is not just a celebration of work achieved it is also a celebration of hope that these young artists and dancers will keep the flame of dance burning bright in the world! Terpsichore writers extend our warmest congratulations to the dancers who have graduated from their respective training courses this summer!!

Two of the UK's top ballet training schools - The Royal Ballet School and English National Ballet School - have just released their lists of graduate destinations. I'm currently trying to source the same information from Northern School of Contemporary Dance, however from the newsfeeds of my friends who performed in and watched the BA Hons graduation performance in Leeds last night it's safe to assume that a very talented and artistic new generation of contemporary dancers have been developed.

Destination companies for some of the RBS graduates include Covent Garden HQ, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and National Romanian Ballet. The list of ENB's graduate destinations is similarly diverse and includes Scottish Ballet, Ballet Bejart Lausanne and Mystic Ballet. 3 of ENB's grads will be joining our very own Northern Ballet: Gavin McCaig, Luke Francis and Isabelle Clough (who will be joining as a Company Apprentice). Needless to say both Jane and I will be keeping a very close eye on their progress and developments over the coming season!

And by the looks of McCaig's Dissertation choreography, we may even have a budding Kenneth Tindall on our hands

Elaine McDonald in her own Words

Spurred by this video from yesterday's New York Times  I have begun to de-clutter my library. Books are such beautiful things that I hate to throw them out even when they are hopelessly out of date. As I tweeted yesterday throwing out my Terrell on the Patents Act 1949, my Kerly on the Trade Marks Act 1938 and my Copinger on the Copyright Act 1956 feels like a betrayal. A bit like putting one's grandmother into a retirement home. But then the video from New York is a terrible reminder of the alternative. So I held my nose and got on with the job.

But then I came across this treasure: "The World of Ballet" edited by Anne Geraghty which was published by Collins in 1970. It is an anthology of articles with contributions from Arnold Heskell, Clement Crisp, Rudolf Nureyev and many others. I would have bought it from the Ballet Bookshop in Cecil Court which has sadly disappeared.

The reason I would have bought it is that it contains a chapter by Elaine McDonald entitled "A Dancer's Life". As I mentioned in my articles on Peter Darrell on 9 March 2014 and Scottish Ballet 20 Dec 2013 McDonald was Darrell's ballerina. Indeed, as Lord Brown acknowledged in McDonald, R (on the application of) v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea [2011] PTSR 1266, (2011) 14 CCL Rep 341, [2011] UKSC 33, [2011] 4 All ER 881, (2011) 121 BMLR 164 she became the prima ballerina of Scottish Ballet. That was the first company that I got to know and McDonald was the first ballerina that I admired and in a way loved. And indeed still do.

McDonald came from Scarborough and had her first ballet lessons in the Queen of Watering Places. When she was 11 she won a competition organized by the Royal Academy of Dance (of which I became a Friend this morning) and Girl (a magazine for girls that was published between 1951 and 1964) for a ballet scholarship in Leeds. No doubt encouraged by this win she decided to make her career in ballet. She auditioned for and was accepted by the Royal Ballet School which would then have been in Baron's Court, just opposite the Cromwell Road from my old school. The Royal Ballet School's premises had enormous plate glass windows that stretched the full height of the front elevation. We tried so hard to hit a cricket ball through those windows - a feat that would have required the strength and prowess of Colin Cowdrey or Ken Barrington as the ball would have had to clear not only the boundary but a 9 foot terra cotta wall and a 6 lane dual carriageway to hit those windows.  It was never accomplished in the 5 years I was there and now both schools have moved - we to Barnes and the Royal Ballet School to Floral Street.

Returning to McDonald's story, her first appearance on the stage was in a pantomime produced by Cyril Fletcher where she and other girls danced puppets, children, flowers and princesses. Not long afterwards she auditioned for the London Ballet under Walter Gore, One of her first performances was as a member of the hunting party in Giselle and she tells how the long, heavy, velvet dress eased her into her role. She describes how she prepared for that first role, how she adjusted her hair and applied her make-up, how the performance seemed to go well - until she received a note from the ballet master on how her dancing could improve. After Giselle she danced the Prelude in Les Sylphides. Regrettably the company fell into difficulties and had to be disbanded.

After a spell at the Palladium she joined the Western Theatre Ballet. She wrote

"I did not know much about the company, but I had heard and read that it was young, vital and very forward -looking."

She added

"When I joined the Western Theatre Ballet it was considered one of the most modern companies in Britain, Not because the basic steps were different - we sill use the steps I have known since I was a child. But because the stories which some of our ballets tell are stories of everyday life. Our repertoire is very varied. It includes La Ventana, one of the very first classical ballets to be performed, Mods and Rockers '63 danced to the music of The Beatles, with such tunes as "She Loves You".

At the time she wrote that chapter Elaine McDonald was a soloist with the company. Her first principal role was in Beauty and the Beast which Darrell choreographed to a specially commissioned score by Thea Musgrave. She refers to that work in the last paragraph of that chapter. I saw that work shortly after it had been premièred in London at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh.

There are some lovely photos of McDonald as a little girl in one of her first stage appearances, another of her wearing a tutu in arabesque at age 9 and yet another with Kenn Wells and Peter Cazalet in Ephemeron. Cazalet, incidentally, was a talented cartoonist and the book contains lots of his drawings some of which are very funny indeed.

As I said in my article on Darrell it was good to see McDonald again and particularly good to see her smile. She has not been well and she and I are nearly 45 years older than we were when she wrote that chapter and I bought that book but when she smiled on television I saw only that powerful yet dainty young dancer who captivated audiences all those years ago.

Further Reading

Feb 2000  Elaine McDonald Feb 2000 Legend Ballet Magazine

The Coster gets his Answer - the Royal Ballet School's Open Classes

Covent Garden   Source Wikipedia

Do you remember the conversation between the coster and the porter about the new open ballet classes at the Royal Ballet School?  The coster got really excited about those classes but he doubted that they were the likes of him or even  me:

"Cor! Wouldn't it be great to do one of them classes. Always fancied lifting a ballerina. But I suppose you've got to be Carlos Acosta or Lauren Cuthbertson to get in there. They do say you need "previous experience" after all. What do you reckon that means?"

The porter couldn't help him so he had a little word with me and I sent a little email on his (and indeed my) behalf. Here is what I asked:

"I would love to take Paul Lewis's classes but I am uncertain as to what is meant by the phrase "some previous experience of ballet." To be more precise I would like to know whether my "previous experience" comes anywhere near Mr Lewis's required entry standard.

I never studied ballet as a child but I did take some classes when I was an undergraduate at St Andrews between 1970 and 1972. I took up ballet again last year and spent one day a week in a mixed age, mixed ability class in Huddersfield. These classes were supplemented by Northern Ballet's weekly classes for students aged over 55. I am very keen and I work hard but I am rather elderly (65 tomorrow) and I am certainly not as strong as I used to be. I wobble like a jelly in arabesque and I cannot always get pirouettes from 4th or pose pirouettes right though I try. I live in the Yorkshire but I work in London could contrive to be in London every Wednesday except the 19 if I were good enough and if there were space on the course."

Here is the School's reply:

"Thank you for your enquiry about our Adult Ballet Open Class. We hope the information below answers your questions and look forward to seeing you in class.

Description of the class: this is an inspiring recreational class, accompanied by a musician, set at a General level for adults with some previous experience of ballet. Paul works hard to ensure that participants of all abilities enjoy and benefit from the class.

Day and time: Wednesdays, 7.00 – 8.30 pm.

Venue: Upper School, 46 Floral Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DA. Doors open from 6.30 pm.

This term’s dates: Wednesday 12 February – Wednesday 2 April (including half term – Weds 19 February). Easter holiday: Weds 9 & 16 April

Teacher: Paul Lewis, RBS 1st Year Boys’ teacher.

Cost: £10 per class, payable to the teacher on the evening (this will be payable via our website soon, but not yet). This is currently a drop-in class with a maximum of 30 in the class. This is a new initiative and we thank you for your patience while we set up online booking. Until then, please call our Enquiries team on 0207 836 8899 on Wednesdays after 11 am to book your place for the evening class."

Now the words "Paul works hard to ensure that participants of all abilities enjoy and benefit from the class" seem very hopeful and suggest that they would let me in and that I could learn something but I have been warned by some knowledgeable folks on BalletcoForum not to get my hopes raised.

Post Script

There is an interesting account of what happened at Paul Lewis's class of the 19 Feb 2014 by Michelle Richer in the "Doing Dance" thread of the BalletcoForum.

"Wouldn't it be loverly" - Royal Ballet School Open Classes

Porter This song is set in Covent Garden a tomato's throw from 46 Floral Street.  

Coster That's the Royal Ballet School, in'it?  So.......

Porter The most famous ballet school in the country if not the world

Coster So ..............

Porter Where some of the finest dancers in the world have trained.

Coster So?  'Aven't got all day.

Porter And some of the world's best teachers teach.

Coster S'pose so.

Porter And now it's open to the public.

Coster Cor blimey! Stone the crows!  You mean anyone can take a class there?

Porter That's what it says on the website. New Adult Open Ballet Class: "inspiring recreational classes with piano accompaniment aimed at people with some previous experience of ballet."

Coster  Who's the geezer what's teaching this course?

Porter   Paul Lewis.

Coster Didn't 'e use to dance with Northern Ballet Theatre? Down in M-a-a-a-a-n-chesta?

Porter  Yeah 'cept it's in Leeds and calls itself Northern Ballet nowadays.

Coster   Where's Leeds?

Porter   Dunno. Somewhere near Bradford I've 'eard.  Manchester way. North of Birmingham.

Coster When do these classes run?

Porter  Wednesdays between 12 Feb and 2 April between 19:00 and 18:30.

Coster And 'ow much do they charge? 

Porter  £10 per class.  Less than a round of drinks in the Nag's 'Ead.  And you don't get cirrhosis of the liver. neither.

Coster  Is that some kind of dance move?  A bit like a tour en l'air on steroids.

Porter   Err  not exactly. 

Coster Cor! Wouldn't it be great to do one of them classes.  Always fancied lifting a ballerina.  But I suppose you've got to be Carlos Acosta or Lauren Cuthbertson to get in there. They do say you need "previous experience" after all.   What do you reckon that means?

Porter Dunno, But you can always give 'em a bell on  0207 836 8899 or email 'em on access@royalballetschool.co.uk.

Coster  Probably not for the likes of us or 'er what's written this dialogue. What's er name?  Terps something or other,

Porter  Probably. But we can still dream can't we.

Coster  Wouldn't it be loverly though.

Porter Loverly!

Le jour de gloire est arrive - Dame Antoinette Sibley with Clement Crisp at the Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School     Source Wikipedia

I have said elsewhere how much I admire Dame Antoinette Sibley in "Ballerina" on 1 July 2013 and I announced Ivy House Music and Dance's afternoon with her and Clement Crisp in "Sibley" on 17 Dec 2013. Yesterday the great day came and here is what happened.

The event took place in the theatre of the Royal Ballet School in Floral Street. This was the first time I had entered that building and indeed it is only the second ballet school I have ever seen, the other being the Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds. There were photographs, drawings and other exhibits on the walls which I stopped to regard on the way in and out. They included the designs for The Birds, a ballet performed in 1942, the School's coat of arms and lots of photos of all the great names that had been associated with the school. It felt strangely like my old school save that instead of dancers and choreographers our exhibits were of generals, judges, bishops leavened with the a few poets, musicians and actors. These exhibits reminded me that English ballet is part of a living tradition linked through Dame Ninette de Valois and Sir Fred Ashton to Dighialev's Ballet Russes and through then to Petipa, This was a theme that a gentleman who spoke on behalf of the London Jewish Cultural Centre picked up when he proposed a vote of thanks and Dame Antoinette and Clement Crisp referred to it several times in their discussion,

After tea and biscuits we were ushered into a theatre near with barres which presumably also serves as a rehearsal studio. The theatre was packed but I managed to find a seat in the second row.  Before Dame Antoinette and Clement Crisp entered we were treated to the pas de deux from Act III of The Sleeping Beauty by Hikaru Kobayashi whom I had last seen dance Myrtha in Giselle on 18 January 2013 and Federico Bonelli. I don't think I had ever been so close to such beautiful creatures even in the stalls as there has always been the orchestra between us. Experiencing that proximity and intimacy alone justified the 200 mile trek form Yorkshire but there was far greater delights than that to come.

After the dancers left the stage a screen unfolded, two chairs were produced and Dame Antoinette and Clement Crisp were introduced. Dame Antoinette wore trousers with a tailored jacket and black shores and bag. She was as beautiful as I had remembered her on the stage, The years simply rolled away to 1970 when I first saw her. Clement Crisp was elegant too in his manner as much as his dress. Urbane and generous, Dame Antoinette called him our greatest ballet critic as indeed he is.

The conversation began with a joke. Sibley's first great role had been as Swanhilde in Coppélia but a misprint in the billing had cast her as Swan Hitler instead. I wondered about the tactfulness of that reference before a predominately Jewish audience as some of them were old enough to have lived through the Holocaust but nobody seemed to mind. The conversation passed on to Dame Antoinette's first appearances on stage which began when she was still at school. The first time she came to the attention of the press when they followed her to her home in Kent where she sometimes worked in her parents' restaurant. Her first tour to South Africa. Learning ballerina's roles in a matter of days before appearing on stage. Cranko's choosing her to dance in Harlequin.  

The first clip we were shown was of Sibley dancing Dorabella in The Enigma Variations a lovely ballet which may well have been the first time I saw Sibley. Dorabella is Dora Penny and Elgar himself described the movement as follows in his notes:

"'The movement suggests a dance-like lightness.' An intimate portrait of a gay but pensive girl with an endearing hesitation in her speech."

Well that was Sibley and Ashton brilliantly translated it into movement with short steps on pointe representing a slight stammer. Seeing that footage again after all those years literally brought tears to my eyes, and still more flowed  after Crisp revealed that Ashton had nicknamed Sibley Dorabella.

The conversation moved on to Sibley's other great roles in Manon, Cinderella, Thaïs and of course The Dream which was the first ballet Ashton had created for her and Anthony Dowell.  Dame Antoinette said that she had been concerned that she had been chosen by all the other choreographers of the day but not by Ashton and she wondered whether there was a reason for that. However, one day a notice appeared calling her and Dowell to learn the part for a new ballet based on Midsummer Night's Dream. She thought she would be one of the lovers but in fact she was to be Titania. She spoke about how Ashton always prodded her with his finger because he remembered Pavlova and he wanted his dancers to move like her. But he never prodded Sir Anthony.

She discussed how other dancers have to get used to each other in a pas de duex. Often a ballerina has to ask her partner to make adjustments to accommodate her centre but with Sir Anthony it was natural like hand in glove. She had been Sir Anthony's first partner and he had thought it was always like that until he found the contrary when partnering other ballerinas.

She talked about her relationship with Sir Kenneth MacMillan and how he had announced his intention of creating a ballet for her by leaving a book for her in her dressing room and Dame Antoinette produced that book and read from Sir Kenneth's note in the cover. She spoke of the difficulties of preparing for that role as the time she had set aside was interrupted by illness and a trip to Australia.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned the tradition of ballet. Crisp described Sibley as a "repository" - which set her giggling - of knowledge. She had known so many of the greats and indeed she had been taught by two of them. The great English ballerina Pamela May who taught at the School while appearing regularly at Covent Garden and Tamara Karsavina whom Sibley adored. Karsavina once invited the young Sibley to her home and she cooked a steak for her. Sibley chose a steak because she thought it might be easy - something you just place under a grill - but Karsavina took the same trouble over that steak as she did with everything else. 

As Sibley spoke about her teachers I realized that every teacher represents to his or students every dancer, choreographer and teacher who has gone before. Sibley loved her teachers and I can relate to that because I love every one of mine. Those who have gently corrected my wobbling arabesques and feeble turns. I texted one of them yesterday after the talk from a restaurant where I ordered - guess what - a steak. 

"Oh super jealousy" she replied.

"Don't be jealous" I responded "You are also part of the tradition. You live it, I just see it. And you pass on your gift to others."

"Awwwww Thanku xxxx" 

"When I go to class you or Annemarie represent every dancer, choreographer and teacher who ever lived". 

"Aw Jane! I won't be able to leave the room soon" 

"I am only  paraphrasing Sibley. She should know. Through you I am linked to your teacher who is probably linked to someone at Ballet Russes who is linked to Petipa."

"xxxxx wise woman!"

As indeed Dame Antoinette is. I learned so much from her yesterday for which I shall always be grateful.

As if this was not treat enough I got the chance through the wonderful BalletcoForum and twitter to buy a ticket for the Gala for Ghana but that will be the subject of my next post. I have to teach some law to graduate students before I can turn to that.