I shall leave the blog up for a while so that the dancers can have a look at the videos Daria made of each week, I shall be posting up photos from proper photographers, as opposed to me and Sabina our ten year old, in the next few weeks and shall let all the dancers know when I do that. Thanks to everyone who read this occaisionally and especially thank you to all the hard working and dedicated dancers and teachers/ artistes who made this another unforgettable year in Prague for us all.   IAN XXXXX

AMBER HUNT PHOTO GALLERY

SATURDAY 13th AUGUST (Last Day)

Well here we are on our last day. The two weeks as usual has shot by, one year of organising and then it’s suddenly all over and we  have to start again straight away. Booking the National Theatre studios, to coincide with their holidays, and also our availability. We are supposed to be performing Swan Lake at the Coliseum in London next summer at the same time as the course and also Chris will be in New Zealand until August. So next year will take some careful planning. Still it will of course come together in time for Xmas when the brochure and adverts have to be ready to catch the press and printing deadlines.

This morning Daria Klimentová will be giving class in the lower Studio 1 (her classes are always packed more than they should be), Christopher Hampson will be in Studio 3 and Charles Mudry in Studio 2.

Once again after the break Isabelle Ciaravola will be taking the girls solo work (she was talking last night about adding in the Bayadere section from Corsaire for them) in Studio 1 , and Laurent Novis will be with the boys in Studio 2. There will be and extra energy in the air today, there always is for the last day.

T-shirt sales are brisk today, all wanting a souvenir of their time here with us. Even Isabelle Ciaravola is in the queue. She has been wandering around filming the classes for her memories.

FRIDAY 12th AUGUST

Isabelle Ciaravola was very funny last night and kept us all enthralled for a long session. We showed quite a lot of her dancing, Proust, La Dame, Onegin etc etc. She talked about her injuries and the importance when you are young to remember to rest to give the body time to catch up. She is very expressive with her arms and nearly knocked me off the chair a couple of times, trying to explain something in a fantastic form of English that was somehow very easy to understand. She is a lovely, slightly off the wall, person and the girls adore her. I am looking forward to our supper tonight.

I have now printed off the boarding passes for seven Italians flying with WizzAir and have restocked the water, just time for a cup of tea before the corps arrives. This morning Daria Klimentová will be giving class in Studio 1 (you can feel the girls getting excited about that), Charles Mudry in Studio 2 and Christopher Hampson is giving an intensive class in Studio 3.

After the break girls solo in Studio 1 with Isabelle Ciaravola, and boys with Laurent Novis in Studio 2. This afternoon Christopher Hampson will be setting his Sinfonietta Giacosa in Studio 2 whilst Laurent and Daria will be PDD’ing in Studio 1.

So I have been trying to find printer labels. Jonathan Still is trying, sensibly, to rationalise the mess on the floor that is our, quite extensive and growing, music library of what the teahcers have taught over the years. This simple task has been thwarted by any shop being able to stock anything at all to do with printer paper etc, apart from Tesco’s (called “My Narodni” now) on Narodni Trida having one packet of 80 labels for A4 printers with 4 on a page. Large labels indeed, more like signs.

THURSDAY 11th AUGUST

A quiet night for me last night, no panic phone calls. Chris did the interview with Laurent Novis whilst Daria and I took our daughter to pick up her friend for a sleep-over at our place, and we managed to get to Globus supermarket, before it closed at 8, for a fridge re-stock. This morning Chris has gone for an 18 mile run (29 K) as he is preparing for the Cape Town Marathon in September, I saw Charles Mudry going out for a walk at 07.30 as I arrived, the cleaners told me that one of the many toilets here is not working so I have made a sign for the door, I have re-stocked the teachers biscuit box (Jaffa cakes and Milka Moo’s seem the most popular) and have just finished a long list of dancers who have to come to see me for instructions and fare for the return to the airport on Sunday. Under my name to your right are the said instructions but I like to speak to them all individually to make sure they understand them; dancers minds are not always on practical issues.

This morning we have Christopher Hampson for general class in Studio 1, Charles Mudry in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in Studio 3. This is Vaclav Janecek’s last class with us this year and, as ususal, he has done a fantastic job at warming them all up before a day of hard work on solos etc. Laurent Novis then takes the boys in Studio 2 and Isabelle Ciaravola the girls in Studio 1. I shall be interviewing Isabelle for the dancers tonight after the days work. This will also be our last interview this year as we like to give them an evening off for the last Friday, which also gives us the opportunity to take all the teachers out for supper.

This afternoon is also Vaclav Kunes’s last day with us, he has proved very popular with his own unique style. He is now off to Japan to visit his wife’s family. Downstairs in Studio 1 Daria Klimentová and Laurent Novis are taking the pas de deux class, watched today by the people that run the Hostel we use.

WEDNESDAY 10th AUGUST

Last night Amber Hunt, the dance photographer and dancer, sent me a link to all the photos she took of the Masterclasses last week. CLICK HERE to go to them.

The talk with Vaclav Kunes proved very popular last night, we showed more film than we originally intended to and there were quite a few questions. He is a lovely man who is a dancer who lives and breathes dance, and it comes across in his humanity.

This mornings class will be Christopher Hampson in Studio 1, Charles Mudry in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in Studio 3. Isabelle Ciaravola will be taking girls solo in studio 1 from 12.00 (her fiance leaves and her sister arrives today) and Laurent Novis will take the boys solo work in Studio 2.

We have a Czech film crew wandering around today, this is part of their ongoing ten year documentary about Daria. They are filming Isabelle Ciaravola at the moment in Studio 1.

This afternoon Vaclav Kunes is in Studio 2 and Daria and Laurent in Studio 1. The hot water and electricity went out in Laurents flat earlier so he had to wake up to a cold shower.

The topic of conversation of course is the trouble back in London these last few nights, and the anger at it all.

This evening Christopher Hampson will interview Laurent Novis for the dancers, and show some private comedy of errors from the Paris Opera.

TUESDAY 9th AUGUST

Last nights interview with Christopher Hampson went on for ages, they had a lot of questions for the first time this year, and we showed a little bit of his Rite of Spring that he did for Atlanta Ballet, a short bit of the piece he did for the Paris Opera School graduation tour and an extract from Double Concerto featuring Daria and Jan-Erik.

Class this morning is Christopher Hampson in Studio 1, Charles Mudry in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in Studio 3.

After general class girls solo starts at 12.00 in Studio 1 and boys solo in Studio 2. Isabelle Ciaravola has started this week with La Cigarette solo from Suite en Blanc and will move onto a different one tomorrow I believe. Laurent Novis starts his solo class with technique work and then works on Suite en Blanc a little bit as well as Paquita.

So this afternoon Vaclav Kunes has the second group for the first time and downstairs in Studio 1 Daria and Laurent the other group for the first time. Tonight I will be talking with Vaclav Kunes and showing some film of his work.

MONDAY 8th AUGUST

In at 07.00 to get ready for class this morning. I have to be at the hostel at 08.30 to meet the new girl who drove from Munich and one new boy who flew in last night. All the other new ones have either been before or are joining friends already on the course. Housekeeping here in the studios did not do too well last night. Isabelle Ciaravola had no towels and Laurent Novis was missing sheets, Christopher Hampson managed to conjure up everything they all needed by juggling what everyone else had between them. There will be a resigned phone call this morning.

Todays general class will be Christopher Hampson in Studio 1, Charles Mudry in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in Studio 3. Girls solo at 12.00 is with Isabelle Ciaravola (Etoile Paris Opera) and boys will be with Laurent Novis (former star dancer and now Ballet Master with Paris Opera). This afternoon Contemporary will be with Vaclav Kunes (NDT, 420People) a wonderful man whom they will adore and Pas De Deux with Daria Klimentová and Laurent Novis (they will be setting Grand Pas Classique).

We love having our friends come to teach, it is so nice to see them and we do have a lot of fun. Laurent Novis we have known for 20 years and he has not changed at all, and Isabelle Ciaravola often is in the same galas as Daria so they become friends quite a while ago sharing changing rooms in exotic place like Taiwan. Finally the softly spoken Charles Mudry, who gives one of Daria’s favourite classes, and such a gentle, caring and giving man.

Tonight we interview Christopher Hampson for the dancers and show some film of his choreography from companies such as Atlanta Ballet, Royal New Zealand  and English National Ballet.

SUNDAY 7th AUGUST

Very odd. Had a transaction with paypal that I did not make so am now in dispute with them. Why do we have to be in dispute with a company over something we did not do, when obviously it is their security that is not very good. Ah!!  The joys of the internet when it concerns money.

Everyone arrived on time and is now happily at the hostel, or at the studios if they are a teacher. Here is a video by Daria of the first week’s classes.

 

SATURDAY 6th AUGUST

Unbelievably a whole week has passed us by, and it is time to say goodbye to some and hello to others. Our teachers leaving this week are Anna-Marie Holmes, Jan-Erik Wikstrom, Mark Baldwin and Anna Polikarpova, and our new teachers arriving are Isabelle Ciaravola (Etoile Paris Opera), Laurent Novis (Ballet Master Paris Opera), Charles Mudry (International Coach) and Vaclav Kunes (former NDT dancer and now has his own company “420People”). Not such a busy Sunday as usual, most of our dancers are staying for the complete course of two weeks. This is a view from two minutes outside the studios:

This morning will be Christopher Hampson in Studio 1, Anna-Marie Holmes in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in Studio 3 for general class. There are no cleaners on a Saturday and no canteen, so I have to get in even earlier to clean the place before the dancers arrive. After pas de deux last night (last with Jan-Erik for groups A & B) there were lots of photos being taken with Daria and Jan-Erik for about half an hour. Janis only just had time for a shower before his interview with Christopher Hampson in Studio 2.

This afternoon Daria and Jan-Erik will be taking pas de deux (the dancers love it when they demonstrate how to do it) in Studio 1 and Christopher Hampson is taking Rep in Studio 2. Tonight we will show some film of Daria dancing and then give away some prizes.

After her class Anna-Marie Holmes disappeared which was a bit worrying as we had a taxi booked for her for 13.30 and need to get her to sign some T shirts for the give away later. She finally appeared having been out for coffee with one of the dancers from Canada who she knew, a young dancer who is now in Birmingham Royal Ballet in the UK. So Ann-Marie is now winging her way to Uraguay to join Julio Bocca to stage La Corsaire.

Anna Polikarpova has chosen two girls from her solo class to give our Gaynor Minden Goodie Bag award to which we shall do tonight. Her and her husband Ivan Urban will be driving back to Hamburg tomorrow with their 18 month old son, they are lovely people and the girls loved her solo class.

FRIDAY 5th AUGUST

As I expected, huge disappointment that I could only increase the numbers for the gala to 35, however I got all the ones that wanted to go and who were not allocated a ticket to turn up in the foyer of the National Theatre anyway, and we managed to squeeze them all into the gods even without tickets and nobody had to pay.

Before we went from the studios to the Theatre we interviewed Anna-Marie Holmes who has had a remarkable life. From musical theatre to being the first North American to guest with the Kirov and also study under Pushkin, to starting a hamburger joint in Shepherds Bush in the 60′s or a shoe factory in Tennessee she has also tried most things. She was Artistic Director of Boston Ballet and staged an Emmy Award winning version of Corsaire for ABT. She constantly travels around the world staging productions or teaching and on Saturday leaves us to go directly to Uraguay where she is to stage Corsaire for Julio Bocca who is now Artistic Director of the National Ballet there in Montivideo.  We managed to find a piece of film of her dancing from 1972 which is of her and her ex-husband filmed in slow motion dancing a pas de deux to Albinonis’ Adagio, a beautiful piece of film, we also showed an extract from her staging of Corsaire for ABT.

During pas de deux last night the heavens opened for 10 minutes and washed Prague clean instantly. It was amazing to watch all the downpipes and gutters not cope at all with such a deluge, but it all disappeared very quickly.

This morning we have Christopher Hampson in Studio 1, Anna-Marie Holmes in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in 3. In the meantime here are one or two pictures of the studios.  

This afternoon Christopher Hampson is teaching Rep instead of Modern with Mark Baldwin, he is teaching 5 Tangos. Downstairs is Swan Lake with Daria Klimentová and Jan-Erik.

Tonight Christopher Hampson is interviewing Jan-Erik Wikstrom. There is a lot of Jan-Erik dancing available so it should entertain them nicely.

THURSDAY 4th AUGUST

A bit cooler today. There is a dance gala on at the National Theatre tonight. The organisers phoned up to say that their sponsors wanted to give us 10 tickets for it. I mentioned this to a couple of dancers and was immediately inundated by a posse wanting to get their name down. So I phoned the organisers back and managed to get them to increase the number to 25. So this morning I will have the difficult task of working out how to get another 15 dancers to go along without upsetting the other 80. Great, there is always a catch isn’t there?

Todays class is Anna Polikarpova in Studio 1, Anna-Marie Holmes in Studio 2 and Christopher Hampson in 3. Just had a nice email from Marc Ribaud our teacher from last year saying he has been reading the blog, so apart from my sister and her husband I have at least one reader then. Thank you.

As I expected there is huge disappointment about not getting on the list for the gala tonight. I have phoned the promoters and they will get back to me as to whether the dancers can buy any tickets, but we think it is sold out now.

Daria and Jan-Erik are now downstairs with the pas de deux and Mark Baldwin (such a lovely man) is taking the modern upstairs. I have a taxi booked for him at 17.00 to get him to the airport as he has to get back to London for work at the Rambert Dance company, of which of course he is the Director.

 

WEDNESDAY 3rd AUGUST

Last night one of the girls gave the wrong time of finishing to her parents, so they were waiting outside whilst we were chatting with Anna Polikarpova and the studios of course look as if we have all gone home except for security when we are all in the upper studio not making much noise. So all three of us (Daria, Chris and myself) got a phone call thinking she was lost. I had left my phone in the office during the interview and Chris was out running, so luckily Daria, who was waiting for Vadim Muntagirov to arrive, actually answered her phone (which is unusual in itself) and let them know she was perfectly safe and still in the studios with her friends.

This morning so far I have one boy phone in with a cold (why don’t people have a cold any more, only flu?), so he is going to stay at the hostel for the day, I have offered a doctor and to get him some tablets but he seems happy to just rest it out. It is funny how the third day is always much more subdued, everyone has done one of all the types of Masterclasses and has learnt the way to the hostel, or where they are staying etc, and is starting to feel more at home. The studios of the National Theatre Ballet Company, that we are very lucky to use, are beautiful . Petr Zuska, the Artistic Director of the company here in Prague, popped in yesterday and told us he is going to have a much bigger company from next year as they are merging the State Opera Company with the National  Theatre Company. The company will be 80 strong and he is talking about building another large studio opposite where studio 1 now is, and also a full on rehabilitation complex off the courtyard at the back. This would be very nice for all of us.

Here are some photos of before the dancers arrive:

    The studios were once a monastery and the upper studio 2 (The Kylian Studio) was the main dining hall for the monks.

So todays class is: Anna Polikarpova in Studio 1, Anna-Marie Holmes in Studio 2 and Christopher Hampson in Studio 3. Daria Klimentová and Vadim Muntagirov are taking Anna-Marie Holmes’s class today. Also we have a dancer from Stuttgart Ballet Company who is here on holiday and is in taking class to stay fit.

After class is now solo work time. Anna Polikarpove coaching Sleeping Beauty and Paquita and Jan-Erik Wikstrom coaching the boys in solos from Sylvia and I can’t remember what else, i’ll get back to you.(Solo from Esmeralda) In the meantime Anna-Marie Holmes is getting a massage from Jan Dlabal, the National Theatre masseuse, now that she has finished for the day and our medical officer/physio is taking Vadim Muntigirov up to the hospital for a check up as he is not feeling very well, and we thought it best to check him out now rather than something becoming a problem whilst he and Daria are guesting in Cape Town in two weeks time.

Hotter today, so we are getting through the water very fast. This afternoon groups A & B are back into pas de deux and C & D are with Mark Baldwin in modern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So tonight Christopher Hampson interviews Mark Baldwin and shows so of his work on film. I am off home to take some friends and my daughter to Aquapalace for an evening of water fun, I hope.

 

TUESDAY 2nd AUGUST

Last nights party was very pleasant. No speeches, just dancers and teachers mingling and getting to know each other. The man who runs the hostel we use came along to see what we were about, after 9 years of dealing with us over the internet and telephone without ever having met any of us. He and his girlfriend (a physiopherapist) were very nice and he now gets how hard dancers have to work.

This morning class will be Christopher Hampson in Studio 1, Anna-Marie Holmes in Studio 2 and Vaclav Janecek in Studio 3. After class and a half hour break it is time for solo work with Anna Polikarpova in Studio 1 for the girls and Jan-Erik Wikstrom in Studio 2 for the boys. After the pas de deux last night (Black Swan with Daria Klimentová and Jan-Erik Wikstrom) the applause went on for an embarrassing amount of time, and then there was a queue to shake their hands and thank them, and they have two more sessions still to go yet this week with that group. It is lovely to see the next generation appreciate so much what we try to do for them. I have been a little busy this afternoon trying to help out an American girl who was supposed to be doing a summer course somewhere in Ostrava but the organisers have cancelled the course and have not given her the money back. We are trying to fit her in so that at least the flight is not wasted.

Tonight I will interview Anna Polikarpova for the dancers and show some video of her dancing. She is here with her husband (the Principal dancer Ivan Urban of Hamburg ballet) and their son of 18 months. Anna has been teaching a solo from Sleeping Beauty. They drove over from Hamburg very smoothly until they got to  about a kilometre from the studios, and then got completely lost for about an hour because of the tram line replacement works going on. The studios are still easy to walk to but driving is a nightmare. Christopher Hampson ended up running a mile (he does marathons don’t you know!!) to where they were parked and then drove in with them just around the corner. Big relief all around.

 

 

SUNDAY 31ST JULY AND MONDAY 1ST AUGUST

Hello and here we go again, for the ninth year now.

Sunday went unbelievably well, with only one bag lost, only minor delays and one cancellation from Paris (but it was OK because he caught another flight two hours later). It all started at 06.00 and finished at 23.00.

This year we have Anna Polikarpova giving girls solo class for the first week, and Jan-Erik Wikstrom the boys solo.

The day started as usual with me meeting all the dancers staying at the hostel and walking them back to the studios. It is a beautiful walk past some very special scenery (see photos above), with lots of little turns down little back alleys. The dancers take a couple of days to learn the way but there are always ones who have been before to help out.

General class today was given by Anna-Marie Holmes in the Kylian Studio, Christopher Hampson in the Lower Studio 1 and Vaclav Janecek in the smaller Studio 3.

This afternoon Mark Baldwin (Artistic Director Rambert Dance Company) is giving the modern class for two of the groups in the upper studio, and Daria Klimentová and Jan-Erik Witstrom have decided to teach the Black Swan pas de deux for the other two groups, the dancers were very excited about this. Daria has to fly to Cape town two days after the course to guest with Capac Ballet in Swan Lake so this is also good practice for her.

Party time tonight, the caterers have delivered the drinks and very nice little savoury and sweet fancies. For the first time we have let our daughter stay with us today to help with the party. She is going to serve the food with the waitresses.