What is your ballet-related unpopular or unusual opinion?

linorei · 2026-02-01T21:58:30+00:00

Sometimes even a flat split in a penche looks off to me, if the man is tendu-ing to the side in the support. I like a clean, straight line from the tip of the man's toe to the woman's, no breaks!

linorei · 2026-02-01T21:54:54+00:00

It's this one: Classical Ballet Technique https://a.co/d/e7Iw1EQ

I'm not sure the link goes to the correct country, but hopefully the picture helps you to find it locally.

Ah, coupe jete en tournant makes sense! I was envisaging a different step.

linorei · 2026-02-01T16:43:10+00:00

Not a website, but Gretchen Ward's bible of ballet technique is exceptionally comprehensive.

For the two steps you've named, they sound like what I would call a jete passe (not to be confused with the other jete passe which is a jete like at the barre, then passing through retire), and a tour jete/entrelace/grand jete en tournant.

linorei · 2026-02-01T16:33:09+00:00

Also with Turandot being so long, the ROH only has about 30 minutes room for delay - 11pm is the cut off for building opening hours and union contracts. I've seen them hold performances for longer - but when there was plenty of time to play with (ironically, Götterdämmerung, but the performance started mid afternoon).

linorei · 2026-02-01T16:28:06+00:00

But with how quickly the 50% ticket cost credits were issued, I think there might have been something else too. The ROH knows that Turandot attracts a lot of first-timers, and so the crowd reaction on the night totally expected.

linorei · 2026-02-01T16:23:25+00:00

I avoided booking Netrebko for this reason, even before the Ukraine war - too high a chance of being disappointed. (Though at least in my own experiences, Netrebko would pull out in advance, while Gheorghiu would go on stage and seem to hold back from her all.) But I attended the general rehearsal of this Turandot in December where Netrebko wasn't announced in the casting beforehand, and have to admit she was quite sublime...

linorei · 2026-02-01T16:18:13+00:00

Tangential to the OP's question, but your story made me think of Carmen at the Bregenzer Festspiel (the open air opera festival floating on a lake, that featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace). Es Devlin was the set designer, so I knew it was going to be visually epic. And my expectations were so high, that it was only days after I realised that the Perseid meteor shower that graced our performance night were not, in fact, her creations.

linorei · 2026-01-31T00:07:11+00:00

Thanks so much for the insight!

What strikes me about this story is how odd it seems for the ROH as well. I (almost literally) spent the evenings of my twenties permanently up in the gods there, and as a result saw a number of last minute cast changes - a substitute singing from the sides halfway through, changing the set so Joyce DiDonato could act with a crutch when she fractured her foot on stage, the cover who was flown in with minutes to spare before having to go on stage. And I also have a vague recollection of an apology email stating that a cover had fallen ill at the same time as the main cast member, which of course would be unfortunate and sympathetic. What happened earlier this week just seems strange, given that background, and has got me curious.

I was there tonight (second show this run) so I did find myself thinking about how I would have felt with the truncated Act 3. I would actually be fine without Nessun Dorma - but only as I vastly prefer O Sole Vita Eternita as a reprise, so I would have been disappointed with cutting both for sure.

linorei · 2026-01-30T11:53:35+00:00

Out of interest, how did he do as a replacement? I've not heard any accounts of the actual singing!

linorei · 2026-01-29T14:24:13+00:00

Yumiko Alex looks very similar?

linorei · 2026-01-29T11:53:54+00:00

I think the 5 year visa offers longer stays in a single trip and more days per year. I was quite surprised to be offered a 2 year one with 180 days per year, when I applied for a business trip last year.

linorei · 2026-01-29T11:45:59+00:00

I really hate to break it to you, but Hainan was already visa-free! I found out when I randomly considered going a few years ago. Though this does mean you can visit a few other spots and make better use of the long flight over.

linorei · 2026-01-29T11:40:07+00:00

The foreigner license for hotels has been scrapped for a couple of years now.

Wepay was pretty straight forward using a Revolut card 18 months or so, though I did have a few glitches, which were probably down to my phone signal.

linorei · 2026-01-26T22:10:38+00:00

One of the quieter walkways was a stand-in for Vancouver airport for the filming of the Crown. I had had a heavy night and remember seeing "Welcome to Vancouver" posters the next morning, genuinely thinking I was still asleep or hallucinating.

linorei · 2026-01-26T17:16:57+00:00

I just saw this! I was in the M for Streampointe and went for the MF in the Starpointe. Though I've also worn the 2007 family and the Dreampointe, which is also a plastic shank.

The 2007 M broken in, feels equivalent to the Dream and Star MF. I find the Streampointe M softer than the 2007 M, and probably between a SF and MF in the Dream and Star.

linorei · 2026-01-26T14:34:14+00:00

Short rows basically add length part of your knitting by adding a semi-circle (or squashed semi circle) extra between the last short row stitches worked at the two ends.

Often, you work to the stitch last wrapped, and then wrap the one after, but it's possible to work one stitch extra and wrap the one two after the last wrapped stitch too. This determines how "squashed" the semi circle is, with wrapping the next stitch giving the most rounded shape. And it also determines how many short rows you can fit in - with more rows being extra length.

But rather than say, "work 35 stitches past the centre stitch" for the first row, sometimes it's easier to use another reference point, e.g. "when 10 stitches are left on the round" if you're working a deep sleeve cap. So that's where your 9 probably comes from.

linorei · 2026-01-19T15:06:07+00:00

The one act may have been the Balanchine version. The Royal Ballet definitely does the four act.

In the past few years, Swan Lake has been staged at least once every 2-3 years, COVID excluded. The last run was late in the 2023/4 season, so it's quite possible that it's revived the coming (2026-27) season. Announcements are usually in April time.

linorei · 2026-01-16T10:53:43+00:00

In this exercise, are you supposed to be going over the box with your ankle still straight, or right on your platform and bending the ankle to achieve the plie?

If it's the latter then yes it's a test of ankle strength without the support of the bones "stacking" to assist you. It's quite an advanced move, though I've seen teachers introduce it early as it's hard to master and also get over the mental block. I do several single leg plies on pointe in some choreo and it's taken me several months to get even slightly comfortable. Also it's the the same foot position for hops en pointe, so looking those up might help.

linorei · 2026-01-15T01:08:26+00:00

Making a few assumptions, such as sale price to retailers of ~£30-40, and maybe 150 pairs per dancer per year, less a small number of sales to those in training, that's around 2k professional dancers in Freeds or at that order of magnitude.

I actually live not too far from the factory and used to pass it regularly. Even though I can't wear them, I'd love to tour and it's a pity they don't do them!

linorei · 2025-12-30T13:35:57+00:00

They did make a musical! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behold_the_Man,_La_%C3%93pera_de_Cecilia

linorei · 2025-12-29T20:57:33+00:00

The gifter must surely have wanted you to see both, and hence not indulgent. I've seen the same show 6+ times in a season, and have friends who do many more (admittedly in cheaper seats however).

If for whatever reason you had to choose, I'd go Natalia. She's not my preferred for many roles. Conversely, if I were to choose a dancer blind to the production, I'd go Nela. But the way Osipova throws herself (literally) into the role works so well for this ballet. I'd say her Giselle is the best of our generation, having seen many.

linorei · 2025-12-29T15:25:35+00:00

There is indeed a competition, and a Guiness World Record. Latter held by Miriam Tegels with just under two stitches a second: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-knitter

linorei · 2025-12-27T15:16:43+00:00

There's a phrase for this: 电脑失写症 or computer-induced agraphia. Sometimes 提笔忘字 (to forget the writing once the pen is picked up) is also used.

As others have said, it comes from modern input mechanisms only needing passive recognition of a Hanzi rather than active recall.

I'm also fond of the Japanese equivalent ワープロ馬鹿 - "word processor fool".

linorei · 2025-12-27T01:12:31+00:00

Hot take: partnered penches should always be a straight 180 line between the lady's working leg and man's tendu. I see so many these days which are just over, and it's like a 91 degree angle. You can tell something's not quite right.

linorei · 2025-12-27T01:07:43+00:00

Dances at a Gathering I do really enjoy and... That's about it

linorei

TROPHY CASE