Quiz Answer

Three people correctly identified the photo of this beautifully crafted object - they were my blogging friends Gina, Janneke and Helen.  The resounding endorsement of approval from any audience at a ballet would surely applaud you all with calls of "bravo, bravo"

The clues were a Russian Orthodox Church, a Russian Orthodox Cross, purple pansy pottery cemetery memorials, 1996 was the year that the object was completed

"As long as my ballets are danced, I will live"

In accordance with his last wishes, Rudolf Nureyev, who died in Paris on 6th January 1993, was buried in the Russian cemetery at Sainte-Geneviève-des-bois.

I am pleased that in 1982 I had the opportunity to see Nureyev dance in his own highly acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet at the London Coliseum.  I can picture him now as Romeo dancing to Prokofiev's haunting music. The striking and memorable costumes worn by the London Festival Ballet chorus along with the stage set were all designed by Ezio Frigerio who was also the designer of Rudolf's resplendent tomb. This dazzling mosaic memorial resembles one of the oriental kilim rugs that Nureyev collected and loved so much.

 The Russian cemetery at Sainte-Geneviève-des-bois, near Paris, is far larger than I had imagined it would be. It houses many interesting and notable memorials and tombs of White Russians who arrived in Paris following the Bolshevik Revolution. I shall return to the cemetery again in another post.

The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Last night we saw Romeo and Juliet danced to the haunting and magical music of Sergey Prokofiev. Juliet was danced by principal ballerina Lauren Cuthbertson, who was exquisite. Not only is she a beautiful dancer but also a very fine actress, bringing the part totally to life. Romeo was danced by the handsome Italian, Frederico Bonelli, and an equally beautiful and compelling dancer - they were the perfect pairing. The performance featured two of the company's most established dancers in this heart-breaking production by Kenneth Macmillan which has been wowing audiences for more than 40 years.

courtesy Royal Ballet

Lauren Cuthbertson and Frederico Bonelli

I now have to admit that we were not sitting in the Royal Opera House, but watching it from our local cinema. It was beamed live all around the world to 50 countries and 500 different locations.

If you like the ballet or opera, and have not been to one of these live performances then I would urge you to give it a try. You can watch operas from the Metropolitan, which are screened in the evenings here, but are matinée performances in New York.  You are totally absorbed into the atmosphere of the Opera Houses, you can see behind the scenes during the intervals, and have a grandstand view. In fact you can see more than the people who have paid £200 per ticket for their seats. During the intervals, the audience get out their picnic hampers to eat tasty nimbles with a glass of wine, and stand around chatting. Not the normal popcorn and coke affair.

Last night was full of reminiscences for me. It is exactly 30 years ago that I saw the great Nureuyev dancing the same role. By that stage Dame Margot Fonteyn had finished dancing the part of Juliet and took the role of Juliet's mother, a non dancing part.
I have just found my programme from 1982, and Dress Circle tickets cost me £13.50 which I thought was a fortune then. We have just paid more than that at the cinema.

Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn dancing together

via wikipedia

Nureyev's incredible tomb at the Russian Cemetery in Sainte-Geneviève-des Bois just outside Paris. It represents a draped kilim over a wanderers trunk, someone that is rootless, which is what he was. It was done in mosaic by Ezio Frigerio who designed sets for several ballets.