My sister and I went to Liverpool last night to see a revival of Mary Skeaping’s 1971 version of Giselle
It was magical
The willi ghosts, as usual stole the show with their ensemble centre piece of synchronised hopping but this version had the spectres acting as attacking ghouls circling the huntsmen at terrifying speed and menace
I loved it The National Ballet is on great form
I think as a piece of pure theatre the entrance of the willi ghosts cannot be beaten
I cry everytime
Hopping? Finally, a ballet move I can do!
ReplyDeleteWe saw a rather inferior ballet troupe perform Giselle in Llandudno once and with every hop there came a BANG as the slightly heavy ballerinas crossed the stage
DeleteI'm now picturing Dawn French doing ballet with Darcy Bussell in the Vicar of Dibley. xx
DeleteI was thinking hopping en point, on toes, on ONE foot, in unison, looked excruciating. Not an easy movement at all. [says I who flunked out of adult ballet for beginners]. Awe inspiring.
DeleteDebra, now that gave me a giggle.
ReplyDeleteof course, looking at it, I see that they are hopping on one foot. I have to sit down to put on my socks.
DeleteI cant put on socks
DeleteWhat a brilliant treat for both you and your sister!! You'll each float for ages when you remember the magic!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
I’ve got the philharmonic on Saturday
DeleteMagical! How beautiful that is.
ReplyDeleteStunning, I will never forget those willis
DeleteIt's wonderful that you have such magical moments and that you can share them with your sister.
ReplyDeleteFeeds the soul.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great antidote to a stressful day. xx
ReplyDeleteThe Willis make your heart ache
DeleteHow wonderful.
ReplyDelete😍🧚🏼🧚🏻♀️
DeleteMesmerising.
ReplyDeleteLove ballet, thanks for the clip, wish I was there with you. Gigi
ReplyDeleteThe only version of Giselle I've enjoyed was set in a Nazi death camp. The Willis were all people who had just been gassed. Definitely no hopping but very disturbing - Bel Ami
ReplyDeleteOh dear god no
DeleteThe ballet gets me every time. The sheer number of humans working in perfect coordination stuns me to my core. Not just the dancers--but, of course, they are mesmerizing. But the orchestra, the lightning crew, the stage hands, the whole lot of them all with the singular purpose of entertaining the audience. There's always a point when it seems the entire audience is breathing in unison. Gobsmacks me every single time.
ReplyDeleteGo smacks me too
DeleteI love it. I could never move like that, I was always to clumsy. I would love to find a movement class for old chubby people who are unsure of their balance, taught by someone who understands that the goal is not to thrill the audience, but to move and stretch and feel the body move. I bet the room would be full.
ReplyDeleteI too am cack handed…I love ballet because it isn’t
DeleteI can't imagine the number of hours it must take to get it so perfectly coordinated. Glad you enjoyed your night out, John.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who didn't know, Pat's (weaver) funeral was held at 2pm today.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone from the blog community attend Pat's funeral? Can you share?
DeleteIt wasn’t a funeral ANON It was a celebration of a life
DeleteI beg your pardon. Won't comment again.
DeleteI was just correcting you , pat refused to have a funeral
DeleteI went to the celebration of Pat’s life. Pat had organised everything beautifully as you would expect. We heard about Pat’s early years and her travels around the World with her first and second husband. Her son read out one of Pat’s blogs from the Millenium, she wrote of her plans for the future years. Several people spoke of their time with Pat and how she enriched so many lives locally, and around the world with her blog. It was definitely a celebration but obviously, she will be missed by many.
DeleteThank you, Gilly. I would have loved to have been there, but for an ocean in the way.
DeleteHugs!
Thank you, Gillian I thought of her and hoped it was beautiful.
DeleteThat’s lovely Gilly
DeleteThank you so much for sharing the day xx
Many thanks Gillian. What a void I feel in blog land. Jackie in Georgia USA
DeleteThank you Gilly.
DeleteThankyou Gilly, I appreciate that. Kath x
DeleteJOHN - the definition of the term "funeral" is also "a celebration of life".
DeleteSome people don't want what is termed a standard funeral but a celebration of life is still part of that definition.
An evening with Janet enjoying ballet sounds enjoyable. A nice diversion after a busy week.
ReplyDeletemy mother thought i should learn ballet ...i was small dumpy and without an ounce of grace , my highest achievment was playing a tree in a xmas production
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of anyone that can perform any dance. Also congratulations on sorting out the mortgage. - Jackie
ReplyDeleteThat looks amazing. I'm loving watching ballets at the moment. I am going to HAVE to see The Nutcracker yet again this year. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo beautifull to watch at!
ReplyDeleteI always loved ballet [films, TV] til I saw a performance live in person at a famous NYC venue, maybe Lincoln Center? And the loud galumphing foot thuds of the dancers was dreadful, almost comic. Even the music couldn't begin to drown out the noise.
ReplyDelete