Trina - in answer to your question about Antoinette Sibley.<P>She is now Dame Antoinette Sibley DBE and has been President of The Royal Academy of Dancing (now Dance) since shortly after Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias DBE (her predecessor) died.

<B>Dance of the retiring swan</B> <P>French and Saunders got some laughs. But real fans wept. <P>by Judith Mackrell in The Guardian<P>Ms Mackrell echoes earlier comments about the lack of enthusisam from the audience. Kevin's comment about corporate entertaining goes a long way to explain why comediennes French and suanders got a bigger hand than some of the exceptional dance on display.<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>For most of his 58 years, Sir Anthony Dowell has lived with The Royal Ballet. From the time he was a young boy attending the Ballet's school (and wishing he was at home playing with his model theatre), through the two decades during which he was its top male dancer, to his final 15 years as its director, he and the company have been inseparable.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4192962,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More...</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited May 26, 2001).]

Maybe, but French and Saunders ARE irresistible, and maybe Jennifer Saunders brought ballet to many people who haven't a clue about the art with her Tv special 'Jennifer Saunders at the Barre'. With a very interesting interview with Lynn Seymour, in her gorgeous home(!).<P>Also, Darcey Bussell appeared in The Vicar of Dibley. It all helps to generate new interest, which is needed these days.<BR>

Three of my friends and acquaintances attended the Gala. None of them has been to the ballet in at least five years and when I have offered to get them tickets for things in the past, they have said things along the lines of...no, don't waste the ticket on me - not that interested in ballet, thanks. And that is how it will remain for them. The galas will stick in their minds for the pomp and circumstance and the chance to dress up to go somewhere special and exclusive. It would have been better to have a night for everyone and a night for the faithfuls, I suspect, so that everyone feels part of something special and exclusive. Sir A saying goodbye should not have been confused with a big money making event but then the ROH absorbs money like no other and has to exploit every situation, I guess. Galas are never for those truly interested, just as Ascot is not for serious race-goers and Henley is not for sports enthusiasts. Alas.

To be honest the T.V companies should have been at the gala in droves , i mean it's not as if this is ever likely to happen again. Sir Anthony is the greatest dancer the Royal Ballet has ever produced or is ever likely to!!<BR>Stuart are you a member of The Ballet Association ?? i have just joined apparantely Sir Anthony is the patron , with David Drew and Bintley ( can't remember his first name ) as presidents..from the leaflets i have top dancer ( including Dowell ) do talks etc....<BR>For the rest of you who are not in the UK you could subscribe to " Dance Now " , its published 4 times a year and the July issue will have a detailed interview with Sir Anthony.....failing that get the July issue of " Dancing Times " it is covering the gala in that issue ..which is great for all of us that couldn't be there.<BR>One last word ..if you are desperate for a momento , there are programmes from " A Knight at the Ballet " available at the Royal Opera House shop price £10 ..not sure of p&p.

Yes, I am a member of the Ballet Association, sugar plum, but don't get along as often as i would like. They do manage to get excellent speakers. I sometimes think it would be nice to hear more from ENB and the other ballet companies.<P>The audience are devoted to classical ballet. Not sure how well Ashley Page would be received there - he might have to wear shin pads to be on the safe side.

The gala was simply glorious. Soupirs reduced me to a wreck. Anthonys narration was a joy. Viviana was amazing (prima of the night) and must be brought back home more often. Cope was magnificently in command. Kumakawa unbeleivably self-effacing. Rojo and Acosta dynamite. I could go on.... I too had a reply from Tony Hall suggesting he is looking into galas - but too late to properly record such a superb occasion. It was so beautifully constructed that it could be repeated, even if some of the cast had to be changed. The Summer Season will show some of the Diverts and maybe Soupirs might be added. It was a shame that two performances weren't scheduled up front, as the overemphasised Warburg presence was quite wrong for this occasion. Maybe August 4 will now be the best farewell date for balletomanes?

Hi Michael! Many thanks for sharing this amazing experience with us. I was pleased to hear that there were returns on sale on the day. Did you notice whether all the standing places were occupied by the helpers?<P>

I have a question: where was Guillem during the performance? Was she in the audience? Did she make any stage presence?

Stuart - I was in the amphi (courtesy of a friend, as I lost out in the ballot) so I didn't see the standees. I think they only sold returns as Princess Margaret didn't come and the gala was security downgraded. Guillem is still injured as far as I know, and wasn't there. I guess she would have done Manon, and this is why Viviana had two full items. Irek was apparently opening his new Swan Lake in Warsaw - but he, unlike Guillem, didn't have a message in the programme. Hopefully they will have some programmes for sale in the shop or to Friends, as it is a beautifully produced tribute. Small compensation for the lack of broadcast.

Does anyone have any recent photos of Sir Anthony that they could post? I only have pictures from many years ago...he REALLy did have those smoldering, matinee idol looks, yes? <p>[This message has been edited by trina (edited May 27, 2001).]

<B>This knight was made for dancing</B><P>By Louise Levene in The Sunday Telegraph<P>The clever Jane Simpson on ballet.co.uk has found a way of finding dance reviews from the Sunday Telegraph, which has been a closed book (or newspaper) to date. Well done Jane!<P>Louise Levene is a 'lively' reviewer - she throws in the odd 'But stuff that...' and words like 'uglified'. I think I'll stick to Judith Mackrell and Donald Hutera as my gurus. <P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Sir Anthony Dowell retires as Director of the Royal Ballet at the end of this season and the programming for the last year has been a long goodbye, packed with old Dowell vehicles. On Wednesday, A Knight at the Ballet paid tribute to his career in a gala that raised an impressive £700,000 for the Royal Opera House Trust and the Royal Ballet School, which plans to move to shiny new premises in Covent Garden.<P>Dowell was one of the finest British classical dancers of his generation. His perfect proportions, noble good looks and seemingly effortless technique made him an ideal instrument for both Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. He was adored by fans and critics alike for his fluid virtuosity and for the perfection of his partnership with Antoinette Sibley.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.dknet.co.uk/telegraph/2001/05/27/arts/this_32.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More...</B></A><P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited May 28, 2001).]

I was fortunate to have seen Anthony Dowell a few times, but there is one time I remember in particular.<P>He came here to San Diego to dance Albrecht in Giselle. The venue was an outdoor bowl at San Diego State University (about a mile from my house). As I remember it, twas in the early 1970's (I have donated my old programs to the university library so I can't check), so he was of course already a major dancer. <P>I believe it was for only one performance - maybe two - and the Giselle was Deborah Hadley. She was a locally trained dancer - quite, quite beautiful. I had seen her dance when she was only 16 - and at the time of this Giselle performance she might have been 18 or so. <P> I am sure it was her biggest role. Up until then, as I remember it, she had only done portions of Swan Lake pas de deux, in a store front studio. But she was lovely. Eventually she went on to success at Pacific Northwest Ballet.<P>Hadley's sister, Tamara, was also a prima with Pennsylvania Ballet. I was in class with Deborah Hadley many, many times. My teacher, Wayne Davis, danced Hillarion. <P> What really impressed me, beyond the beauty of Anthony Dowell's dancing, was that he would travel and dance with such a young, and at that time unheard of dancer, as Ms. Hadley was at that time. He gave fully of himself - there was no holding back on his part. It was a lovely summer evening when he and Deborah spun out the magic.<BR> <P>

<B>Dowell's last night goes like a dream</B><P>By Jenny Gilbert in The Independent<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The final programme of the Royal Ballet season, the company's last under the directorship of Anthony Dowell, just had to be a good one. And it is ­ superlatively good. It couples two masterworks, created in 1964 and 1965, by the two truly great choreographers Britain can lay claim to: Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, both then at their most inspired.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Also discussed is the Dowell Gala with the memorable line:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I confess I only recognised Roberto Bolle by his bottom, the rest of him mostly obscured as he fork-lifted Leanne Benjamin in the Thaïs pas de deux.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><A HREF="http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/dance/reviews/story.jsp?story=74980" TARGET=_blank><B>More...</B></A>

Ismene Brown reviews <A HREF="Http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000148269364269&rtmo=ax832sbL&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/01/5/30/btdow30.html" TARGET=_blank><B>A Knight at the Ballet</B></A> performed by the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden.