Managed to spend an hour with our daughter last night for the first time in a week. Played darts with her and then we had spaghetti bolognaise from the local Italian.

This morning is another sunny warm day, Jiri Cumperlik our Physiotherapist/Medical Officer was in bright and early at 8 with me. some girls wanted to see him today and are coming in early themselves to see him. he is without a doubt one of the best in Europe. He teaches all over the world and we are very priviledged to have him with us, he also only charges 20 euro a session to the dancers as a favour to us. Remarkable really, such a nice man.

Class this morning is with Marc Ribaud in the Upper studio (Daria Klimentova and Vadim Muntagirov are also taking that class)  and Larissa Ponomarenko downstairs    and finally Christopher Hampson with the intensive class in Studio 3. .

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 I think I have taken a few too many photos now. But I am sure you will find your son or daughter somewhere amongst this lot, if not I shall try again tomorrow. This afternoon is Pas De deux with Daria and Tamas and contemporary with Jan Kodet. Please see below the photos from the pas de deux.

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Tonight we interview Tamas Solymosi and we will be sure to get a full house, he is very popular with everyone, a genuine Hungarian handsome charmer and bon viveur.

So we all went along to the Art Gallery for the opening night of Daria’s photo exhibition last night after Larissa Ponomarenkos interview and video show. Another packed house for Larissa and lots of questions from the dancers. Great fun.

 The gallery is tiny and so most of us were in the street outside. Larissa Ponomarenkos husband, Viktor, has his father visiting from the Ukraine to Prague as well, he speaks perfect Czech as he was an interpreter in the Soviet Union and has many friends in Prague. He seems to be having a great time. There were camera crews from Czech TV and lots of press photographers and reporters cramming into the small space, so we just stood outside and watched through the large glass windows the owner mouth some speech while Daria looked most embarassed at all the attention, then when we saw the flowers come out to be given to her and the applause,  we sneaked in and grabbed a glass of champagne. We then discreetly disappeared at the earliest opportunity. Christopher Hampson went off with Jonathan Still (our Director of Music), Marc Ribaud and Tamas Solymosi for something to eat at Kolkovna Olympia, a lovely zinc topped restaurant and bar just over the river. Daria and I actually got home about 9 which was early for us.

Vadim Muntagirov arrives from London today to rehearse with Daria, as not only do they have the opening night of Cindrella at the London Coliseum coming up but also Sky TV are going to film them next week in 3D dancing the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake. As you can imagine it is a bit hectic at the moment. The filming means they fly back to London on Monday night, film all day Tuesday then fly back to Prague for 10am Wednesday for Daria to be in time to teach girls solo class, and then carry on rehearsing Cinderella with Vadim.

For us this morning will be general class with Marc Ribaud, Christopher Hampson and Larissa Ponomarenko.

OK Vadim arrived safely, and now Tamas Solymosi is giving boys solo and Larissa is downstairs in the large lower studio coaching solo work.

Finally found a moment to buy a cheap camera (forgot mine of course, don’t ask) and will now be able to put up some photos for you.

This afternoon was Jan Kodet in the upper studio with a contemporary class,   and Daria Klimentova and Tamas Solymosi with pas de deux downstairs.

Tonights interview and video show is with Marc Ribaud, the Artistic Director of Royal Swedish Ballet and a lovely man.

Christopher Hampson will be interviewing him as I have a man coming round at home about a new front door. Here is the gallery of the afternoon, see you tomorrow.

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Last nights reception went well after a slight panic from DARIA and I that we may have forgotten to order the catering. The waiting staff turned up on time but no catering. Luckily ten minutes later their van pulled into the courtyard.
We got home about ten and then the phone calls started.
Two Brazilian boys decided that they wanted to stay in our hostel with the other dancers and could I arrange it.
The two Spanish girls who missed their flight on Sunday arrived and called to let me know (very good).
One boy had locked his keys in his room and needed to get hold of his roommates but didn’t have there number, and finally at 11.15 the owner of a restaurant called to say a girl had left her bag, money and phone there and she could get it tomorrow when they opened at 11. So I called her roommate to tell her.

Classes have now started (10.00). Marc Ribaud in Upper Studio 2, Christopher Hampson in Lower Studio 1 and Tamas Solymosi in Upper Studio 3 with a small group for an intensive class. After general class there is Boys or Girls solo with Tamas Solymosi and Larissa Ponomarenko respectively, then lunch.

The canteen was so busy yesterday that half way through the session they had to send out for more food from the supermarket to try and cope. I think we took them a bit by suprise with the amount working dancers can actually eat.

Larissa is a wonderful intelligent dancer who manges to explain every little movement for Odette, the girls will be very lucky to have been coached by her if ever they get the chance to dance Odette. Tamas is loved by the boys, a big man making them work very hard.

This afternoon it is Contemporary with Jan Kodet or Pas De Deux with Daria Klimentova and Tamas Solymosi.

Tonight we have the Opening night of an Exhibition of Daria’s Photographs at an Art Gallery around the corner and they have invited all the dancers to come along for a quick drink. it should be fun. 

So it’s started…. 

Yesterday at the airport from 06.00 till 00.00. First one in from Athens last in from Frankfurt. Only lost two Spanish boys, and then only for four hours. Two (again Spanish) girls missed their flight and will be arriving tomorrow night, after frantic efforts from their mother, and one boy from Puerto Rico missed his flight and is supposed to turn up today at some point but has not made it yet.

Apart from the usual delays (the rule is that the later in the day your flight the more certain you are to be delayed) and apparently a woman who had a panic attack and had to be evicted on a flight from London (before they took off thank goodness), it all went very smoothly. the thing that does make me wonder though is , why do dancers put down their home phone number on their application forms. When you have lost your luggage, or are delayed by three hours in a foreign country, me having your home phone number to try to help you is not really going to help.

Christopher Hampson and Jonathan Still did their usual meeting and greeting of dancers and Teachers at the hostel and Studios.

This is the walk from the Hostel to the Studios

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First day, before the first class, we always chat to all the dancers in the upper Kylian Studio. We tell them about the schedule and how to read our complicated groups board, the masseur and Physio etc etc. We also tell them to take it easy if they have been on holiday as we are Masterclasses and very difficult. Of course we still get the odd injury on the first day as boys will be boys.

There are three general classes followed by either girls or boys solo (depending which you are) and then after lunch it is either Pas De Deux or Contemporary. Tonight of course we have a First Night reception in the upper Studio 3. I shall try to post photos tomorrow.

Arrivals hall Terminal 1

Terminal 1 on right and 2 on left

All 60 arrived safely between 06.00 and 23.00 on the Sunday. And 09.00 and 16.00 on the Saturday. Amazed we still have a 100% record of never missing a dancer after 7 years.