Actually cut that because I don't know if that's been an
idea. Hello and welcome to Drinks at
the Bar, a podcast where we breakthrough the 4th wall and
discuss everything about dance and the theatre industry.
My name is poor James Rooney, a dancer, choreographer and dance
teacher based in Copenhagen, and I am your host of Drinks at the
Bar. Today I'm joined by my regular
guest host. You may know her as the lady in
the Bathtub from the Cadbury's Flake commercials in the early
90s. Please welcome Damien Lee Sturk.
Oh my God, these are getting ridiculous.
Hi everybody, I'm Damien Lee Sturk, director of the Dancers
Studio London, classical ballet teacher and actor with the Royal
Ballet. Here we will discuss everything
from hearing backstage stories, touring shenanigans, to deeper
issues like body image training, the reality of being a freelance
dancer, and how much water fell out and was wasted in that
bathtub in the flavor. With guest professionals, we are
here to share our knowledge, experience and help you with any
questions or problems or plumbing issues you may have
about dancing. Navigating the dance world.
I seriously though, I remember that commercial and one of the
things I used to remember was the water is overflowing.
It's going to go. It's going to ruin her floors.
It's going to go those. Floors are going to be ruined
and what a waste. Hi, Denise.
Hi. Good evening.
Good. Evening.
How are you? I'm good, thank you.
I'm juggling what feels like 30 jobs.
Um, just little things I need to do.
Like Monday is an admin day and um and I do look forward to
Mondays to get little jobs done and ticked off.
But I've been because I wanted to go to the gym that eats up a
little bit of time. So I'm now kind of vacuuming
whilst packing, whilst prepping dinner, whilst pouring a drink
whilst. Recording, vacuuming whilst
doing drinks at the bar. So if you hear anything in the
background it's just Denise doing the shaken vac.
Well I I have a day off today. Like I told I said a couple of
weeks ago or whenever it was. I've already started with James
being in the studio, we've started creating a rehearsing
for My Fair Lady but Mondays is my day off so it's just been a
very, very, very chill day and I'm looking forward to this
lovely rhubarb and ginger edible gin and tonic.
Oh lovely, I have gone for an M&S gin and tonic but it is with
extra dry severe oranges. Oh nice, lovely.
And I've poured it into a gorgeous little 1930s coop style
glass. So I just thought, why not?
Even though I have to be at the train station at 10:30 tomorrow
morning, but it's fine. Even though I have to take your
word for it because it looks like it's just a Barocca.
A Barocca in a champagne coop. It was Barocca.
Could I do this? Cheers love.
Cheers, I've already started. So I want to hear everything.
What have you been up to? How has it been going?
Well, tell me everything about your winged adventure.
Wow, indeed, I still haven't really registered.
Well, I, I've registered what happened, but I haven't really
had time to kind of decompress. So I'm still on a bit of a high,
but I've. So for those who may not know,
I've just done a week of performances at the Limbree with
the Royal Ballet with Natalia Osipova.
She has done a programme, an evening of three pieces and I
was in the first piece along with Rain and Patricia Rev and
it has just been a surreal, mind blowing, intimate, magical
experience. I, I can't really describe it
because if you can imagine, you know, you and I have done a lot
in our careers. We've toured all over the world
multiple times. We've, you know, we've had a
really fantastic, colourful career.
But to be standing next to Ossipova Natalia where there are
only 6 people on that stage is something completely different.
And you know, we had a fantastic week.
I was nervous but with joy. It was just such it was, you
know, without sounding too soppy like oh you know, I'm so
blessed. But it was really amazing.
And you know, the opening night we had very casual intimate
drinks with just the cast and crew and the crew crew have also
been amazing, like a lovely family.
And Natalie gave Rain and IA hug and I received a little kiss
from her and it was just, it's just, you know, starstruck
really, because of course I see her a lot at the Opera House on
and off stage. But when you share such an
intimate moment with someone and particularly a great artist,
it's like you've walked into another dimension.
It was just it's just been amazing.
And to to be well looked after, treated with respect, with
kindness and and grace has just been I've been on a high all
week. So yeah, I'm I'm, I'm just so
happy right now with the gin. But I think it's really the
endorphins are still pumping. I think it's been, it's been
brilliant. Because I know of her, I have
seen her online presence, like I've seen videos of her on the
Internet, everything, but I've never had the opportunity to
watch her live, like performing live.
But has she been involved in, for example, this one, Legs, the
Alice in Wonderland, the stuff that you've done at the Royal as
an actor? Absolutely.
She's done the classics and I find her so exciting on stage
and she really makes eye contact with the company, you know, so
there's communication there rather than just dancing a deal,
you know, she's projecting and she's bringing in the audience,
but she's also taking the company that are with her.
She's taking us with her on that journey on stage.
Yeah, connecting with everybody involved.
Absolutely. And, you know, I find her to be
a very serious, she loves her craft.
You can clearly see that and takes it very, very seriously.
And I think first impressions, she comes across as not shy, but
maybe reserved. But that's because she cares so
much about her art, I think. But once you get in a space, A
creative space with her, she's very warm and kind and and yeah,
I think I'm still gob smacked that it happened, to be
perfectly honest. But you saying that her being
shy, I mean, I remember upon meeting Tamara, upon meeting, I
mean Alice Crawford, I remember when she was doing Clara with
the English National Ballet, upon meeting Marionella.
You know, lots of lots of these ballerinas or ballet dancers do
come across shy because, you know, apart from drinks at the
bar, you know, dancers don't really speak.
It's not something that we do. Our job is physical and
performing. We're used to not being shy when
it comes to a movement and dancing.
But obviously to open your mouth and talk and introduce yourself
to people. To be honest, it doesn't
surprise me that she comes across as shy in that sense.
Yeah, that, I mean, that makes perfect sense.
It's it, it is unusual, I think for you and I as teachers, we're
used to being so vocal because we're teaching.
So, but we had to learn those skills.
You know, if I think back two decades, over 2 decades ago when
I first started teaching, you know, it was intimidating having
to speak and and verbalize as well as showing the exercise to
a company, even if that was your company.
But I think, you know, over time you get used to that setting,
don't you? So it becomes second nature
really. Although I still get a little
fluttering of of anticipation when I have to say the first
line in class, which is usually OK.
Good morning everybody, welcome to such an.
I always feel like, OK, I'm like my internal dialogue is just
start talking. The rest will follow.
Even now it's mad, isn't it? But I think that's because we
care so much and we want things to be right and done in the
right way. And when you're in a room full
of people, it's, it's like breaking the ice.
And then and then you, it all comes flooding back and you're
on your way. I mean, when I first started
teaching to recorded music, like to contemporary class or jazz
classes at schools and you end up teaching like, I don't know,
three classes in a row or three classes that day or whatever.
It doesn't happen that much in ballet class.
I mean a little bit, but mainly in jazz class and contemporary
class. Like you talk over the music
that's playing and when it's a instead of a pianist, when it's
recorded music, there's speakers all around the room.
So you're having to really project your voice, like really
the next day, oh, lost my voice the first couple of times I
would teach because you're really screaming over the music.
And that's something I learnt straight away.
It's like, no Paul, you're going to turn down the music or you're
going to stop the music. Just say what you need to say
because you can't just go around with like losing your voice
because I also have a performance in the evening.
I need to sing or whatever. Like that's one of the big
things I found about teaching is that you're vocally you, you
talk a hell of a lot, but also you never have a break because
usually as a as a dancer, you go to the right and then the next
group start as a teacher, you're watching everybody.
And then as soon as all the groups are done, you then have
to sit in the X exercise and you never really have a break in
that sense. Like it's very tiring to be a
teacher. And that's what shocked me when
I first started teaching. Like it is a you're you're on
constantly, whereas as a dancer you can talk to Jessica at the
back while the second group is going on.
Yeah. And you can also be like Moody
and tired, but still do class. You know, when you're teaching,
you know, you're leading a group of people and you know they will
feed off of your energy. So if you're tired and you're
not giving anything, the atmosphere in that class will be
very, very flat. So.
And you know, you and I are very passionate teachers.
I certainly talk a lot guide. It's I'm guiding the the
exercises and I do sometimes feel guilty because, you know,
we have some wonderful pianists and the music is so beautiful
and I'm thinking, Oh my. God.
Not screaming, but it may come across as screaming for the
pianist to, you know, he's also trying to focus and concentrate.
But I'm sure, I'm sure they're used to it because most teachers
are vocal during an exercise. Because for me, I feel there are
certainly times when I will be completely quiet when I'm asking
my dancers to tune in to the live music to support the
exercise. But even then it only lasts
maybe a few counts and then I start, you know, vocalising.
Again, so I want to quickly before we move on, I want to
quickly jump back to your Ossa Prova extravaganza.
So obviously you did your performance like you said you
were in one of the one of the three pieces about in the
evening. Did you manage to?
I don't know when the tech rehearsals go out front and
watch the other pieces or? Yeah, a little, a little.
I saw in full the exhibition, which was amazing.
Which is actually, you may know Chris Acrell now I know that
you. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. So Chris Acrell is the other
person, the other dancer in the exhibition.
And because that's the last piece, I had time to get changed
and it's after the interval. So I managed to watch the
exhibition. But there was a beautiful video
footage of, I think it's 5 Brahm waltzes where Natalia looked
stunning, but I only caught glimpses of that.
And I didn't see this, the second live piece, just because
we were getting changed and we were backstage.
But I did see a little bit of it, yeah.
And was the whole evening supposed to be?
It's not like a retirement thing, It was just like a
celebration. Or no, no, not at all a
celebration of Ossipova, which was I think it's the second year
in a row, slightly different programming, but the second year
in a row at at the Limbury for the Royal Ballet.
And has she decided on the pieces or like maybe working a
collaboration with somebody deciding on the pieces or maybe
you don't? Know, I don't know for certain.
I imagine she had a conversation with several choreographers that
she wanted to work with, and that's how they came up with
this particular program. Yeah.
I mean, but I don't know. I don't know the insurance and
outs. All I do know is that I'm so
grateful that Middle Duet 2 by Alexi Ratmansky was chosen, and
I'm thrilled that Kevin O'Hare asked for Rain and I and that we
got to do it. And also I hadn't realized I was
having a conversation with one of the dancers from the company
because so basically they're they're the two main characters,
Natalia and her partner Patricio.
And then Rainn and I are also on stage the entire time for the 10
for the 10 minutes. And then right at the end, a
young couple who addressed identical to the lead couples
come on. And one of the male dancers from
the company mentioned that when he was called to the office to
be told he'd be a part of it, it was like almost like it was
delivered as a reward. So it was also equally exciting,
you know, for the dancers. So as much as it was for us, so
it was, it was just a really wonderful experience.
And I found because we only had five performances over six days,
and I found myself feeling a little bit, not sad that it was
ending, but a little bit. I mean, I'm a Pisces.
I'm a classic March Pisces, you know, Yeah, I'm emotional.
I'm not one to like, I'm not one to like sobbing movies, you
know, I'm not that kind of a well, maybe some like you look
at surprise. I am OK.
Well, it's because I am that person.
I'm not built that I am. I'm emotional, but I'm not I'm
not. I wouldn't cry at the drop of a
hat. However, I found myself feeling
a little bit melancholy thinking, Oh God, we only got 3
shows left, only two shows left until I decided just to switch
it up and, and, and say to myself, just be, just be
grateful it happened because it's amazing.
And then I something just clicked and it kind of stopped
the kind of melancholy because of course, when you're
participating in something magical, it's hard to then let
give it up, isn't it? But I just thought, Oh my God,
this, this job came out of nowhere, first of all.
So I just, I'm just eternally, eternally grateful.
And I'm still high as a Kai. Really.
Yeah. It's fantastic.
I mean, and like you said about, you know, also the dancer from
the company feeling like, wow, I was chosen because, you know,
yes, fine, they will be doing solos in other shows or been
featured roles in other shows on the big stage.
But when it is literally a handful of specifically picked
people for this small intimate performance, like there is a an
air about it. Yeah.
But, you know, you could have picked anyone.
You picked me. There is these two principal
dancers. One of them, of course, is Ossa
Prova because, you know, her name is on the program.
And then out of anybody else in the whole world, you chose me.
Like, of course that's going to feel.
Wow. So Chris Ackle, I know from
Pinocchio, I think I told, I told the story about how I got
my first principal role was my birthday, which was also Chris
Ackle's birthday when he was ill.
And I then played Pinocchio because he was off.
Oh my gosh, that's right. Well, I, I've of course heard of
Chris, but I'd never met him. And so we all, all the dancers,
all the male dancers were sharing the one dressing room.
So it was nice because we were doing different pieces, but it
was nice to spend some time with Chris and hear his stories and
so many people, so many crossovers of of friends and
colleagues. So yeah, that was great.
And of course, as soon as he said Pinocchio, I put two and
two together. But.
Of course, because Rain was there, so Rain worked with Chris
in Pinocchio as well. Yes, and Chris and Rain were
reminiscing because there was a moment.
I mean, Rain really needs to tell this story because it's but
it's hilarious. It wasn't for Rain, but and
Andrew Corbett was part of that cast.
And I think Andrew dislocated his shoulder.
And so rain, Rain had to go on with like half an hour's notice,
which, you know, for anybody that's, you know, anxiety
provoking. But Rain is a serious planner.
He's always, always early. So that would have been a big
shock, you know, to be thrown on stage unprepared really.
But he did it and, and, and he did it.
He did it very well. So and he has a great story to
tell. But they were talking about
those days. And so Andrew Corbett came up
and then and also, I think that was the second time that Chris
did Pinocchio, because the first time it was Matthew Hart.
Is that right? Yeah, the original, The original
the year before or two years before, whenever it was, it was
Matthew Hart playing Pinocchio. I think Matthew Hart and Chris
might have shared Pinocchio, but Chris played lamp Wick, which is
the role that I played right when I did Pinocchio and Chris
was doing Pinocchio. Yeah.
Oh, that's lovely. Yeah.
So that was fun.
It was nice to be like, oh, I know so and so and yeah.
Such a small world. So I have a story about what
happened to me this week. So I had to clear out my
bookcase in the living room and I decided to then, oh, I'm going
to change things around, move the shelves around, put
different things on different shelves that kind of, you know,
change it up a little bit. So I went up to my attic and I
was like, oh, I've got these ballet books.
Like I've got the Darcy Bussell photography book, which is
stunning. And I have like a book on the
pantomime theater in Denmark. And I have some other books.
And I had an old ballet book for my mom and I said, oh, I've got
some more of those upstairs in the attic.
Let me just go get those. Now.
I think I've told this story before that when I was at
Elmhurst I was doing Nutcracker, Derek Ding's Nutcracker as a
quotation, Mark's child, this 15 year old child.
And after we had learnt the Rep, then obviously we were
rehearsing with everybody, with the whole company.
And David Wall was then the rehearsal director of Ballet
Master. I think he was at EMB.
So he was taking the rehearsals and I mentioned it in passing to
my mum and my mum said, oh, he was my favorite dancer growing
up. I loved watching David, David
Wall. And then she gave me one of her
old ballet books. And there was, I mean, David
Wall was a huge ballet star for of young people listening.
He was the guy, the Carlos Acosta, the like, he was the
guy. So no surprise there was a
billion pictures of him in these old ballet books.
And so I took one of the ballet books from my mom's house to
Elmhurst. And then when I went up to
rehearse, J Muse with Embi, asked him to sign this picture
of himself. And then I, we get the coach
back from London. I go to my dormitory.
And then that's when I flick through the book to look at what
he's done. And then I notice a picture of
Alfreda Thorogood. And I told that story before
that I went down to her office and I said, oh, I asked your
husband, David Wall, to sign a picture.
And I found a picture of you. Could you, would you mind
signing this picture of yourself?
And the first thing she said is. Well, that leg's not very
straight. And then she whips out a devil
pay for me and then signs the book.
So anyway, Fast forward to 2025. I tell my mum that I'm bringing
down these ballet books from the attic and then she'll say, Oh
yeah, I think some of them are signed.
And I was like, yes, Gillian, that was me who got them signed
for you kind of thing. But you know, she's my mother's.
So I just was like, oh, really thinking, yeah, I know they're
signed. I did it, but cool, thanks.
So I bring them all downstairs and then I'm like, grab a glass
of red wine and flick through these ballet books.
And I open up one of the ballet books that isn't the one that I
took to go and get signed, one of the other ones that I haven't
really looked through. And I open it and on the front
page there's a signature from Robert Heltman.
I was like, OK, then I start flicking through this book and
there's Leslie Edwards, Michael Solmes, Peter Clegg, Philip
Chatfield, Donald Mccleary, like, what on earth?
All these signatures in this book.
And then I turn a page and there is a signed photograph of Margot
Fontaine. Oh my God, don't tell Rain
because he will book a flight to Copenhagen, break into your
apartment and steal the book. Isn't that crazy?
I literally was like, yes, Gillian, I got David Walter,
sign your book. Calm down.
I have a book with Margot Fontaine's autograph, like what
on earth it's and how special it's.
And also side note, these ballet books, that's one of them.
There's this other one which doesn't have any signatures in
which I think is called the Royal Ballet today, and it's
from I think 1967 or something. And the photographs in it are
incredible, like the photos of Margot Fontaine in Ondine and
beautiful. These, I'm so happy to have
these books. They're absolutely stunning.
But yeah, signed photograph of Margot Fontaine.
Incredible. That is really incredible.
I asked my mum and I think it's because my granddad was, did he?
He was a painter and an artist like on the side.
It wasn't his job. He was a businessman, but for
fun, he was a very good artist. And I think he went up to the
Royal Ballet to just for himself to like sketch the dancers just
for fun. He probably wrote to them and
said, oh, would you mind if I came and sit in rehearsals or
something like that? And I think while he was up
there, he must have asked some random dancers to sign
photographs of themselves in this book, you know, random
dancers being Margaret Fontaine. Thank goodness he did.
It's. Crazy, right?
But it reminds me of my first year at the Royal Ballet School,
White Lodge. So there was, I mean, they
probably still do it, but back then there was this.
They have a summer fate. So like the end of term and
there's dancing on the lawn and all your parents come and all
this kind of very British kind of school fate kind of thing.
And I remember it was the 7th, 75th anniversary of it was an
anniversary of White Lodge. I'm not sure what year it was 60
or 70 or something like that. And I remember there buying a
poster that was signed by Nanette de Valois, Fiona
Chadwick and Sarah Wildor. I think Nanette Devour had
signed a couple of these posters for this school Fate.
She wasn't there. She was still alive at the time.
She had signed these posters. And then at the event was Sarah
Wildo and I asked her to sign it and and I still have that up in
my attic. Oh, thank God, because I have
Sylvie Guillem's autograph, but I couldn't tell you where it is.
I was going to say, is there anyone that you've got autograph
of? You've got Sylvie as well.
Well, I went when we were at ballet school.
We were taken to see a matinee of Swan Lake at the Opera House
and it was Sylvie will be with Jonathan Cope and I think I may
maybe even in Season 1. I told the story before, but it
was exquisite. But we were also first years at
ballet school, upper School. So we left completely depressed,
like for the remainder depressed because when you witness that
live, we were just like, Oh my God.
And I actually went up to stage door at the Opera House and
asked for her autograph twice. I could not tell you.
I'm so devastated. I could not tell you where that
autograph is. But I did ask Natalia.
I actually created. So when you do a performance at
the Opera House, you have a printed program and you also
have a digital program. OK, now the digital program, I
decided to print. It basically says the Royal
Ballet. It has all the artistic crew, so
director original founder, Ninnette de Val Bois, Frederick
Ashton, Constant Lambert, etcetera, Kevin O'Hare,
etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And then it has middle Duet and
then it has all of the casting creatives.
So I I rejigged all of that and into an A5 size printed a couple
of copies so that Rainn and I could have a copy each and all
of the cast signed signed it for us.
So now, oh fantastic, which will be framed yes, because it's very
rare that because it was such an intimate project project doesn't
feel, you know, mighty enough for the for what we went through
because it was so amazing. But you know, actors are very
rarely credited in that way. But just to have like 6 names,
you know, under the piece title was really, really special.
So we wanted to to make sure we had Natalia's signature as well
as all the other dancers and and have something special to keep.
But I also have, I have a book that I also had signed at
Yorkshire Ballet Seminar. So I have Alicia Markova
signature. I have Dame Beryl Grey.
Well actually she signed, she signed, I think she signed the
book, but I have a Polaroid of her as a deal that she's signed
also. Dear Damien, and you know, much
luck and I think I may even have David Wall's autograph.
I certainly hope I do in the same book because they would
have all toured at Yorkshire Ballet so of.
Course, yeah. Wow.
But again, I think it was, it must be my mother like nudging
me because I don't think you think of getting an autograph
like 11-12 years old. Not of a teacher.
No. Because back then you don't
think of like probably actually Leanne Cope mentioned it on her
interview, like the students don't think of you as that.
They think of you as your teacher as as their teacher.
And Leanne Campbell Cope was saying like, you know, her
students were so shocked when the rumor goes around the school
and like, did you know that Leanne Cope went to the Met
Gala? They were like, Oh my God, why
did you go to the Met Gala? And like not knowing who their
teacher is and not knowing that she was like original American
empowers and this kind of stuff. Like it was exactly the same as
us. I mean, I wasn't taught by by
her, but the, the girls at White Lodge, the first year girls were
taught by Shirley Graham and I that name I don't really know as
a dancer. I we, like we said in one of our
previous episodes, we can't know every reference.
We can't know every single person.
And in these books, I saw rehearsal pictures of Shirley
Graham as Odetto deal Swan Lake rehearsing in the old Talgarth
Rd. studios and stuff. So again, it's like, oh, I have
no idea that, you know, the lowest school girls ballet
teacher was, you know, principal dancer with the Royal Ballet
Company in the 60s, that you just, you wouldn't think, you
don't think like that when you're a kid.
You're thinking, OK, this is my teacher.
Yeah, exactly, exactly. So I'm, I'm grateful that, you
know, we have those signatures because it's just, well, you
know, we respect what we do. We respect the craft.
So it's, they're lovely little markers or tokens of, of, you
know, of these, the legacy of these artists.
Because like, I certainly don't have, I'd love to have Nureyev's
and, and Margot Fontaine's of course, signatures somewhere,
which is why, you know, now I have, you know, I bought
Marinella's book and I asked her to sign it.
So I have her signature now I have Natalia's, you know, and I,
I think they're just, you know, it makes me happy.
So why not? And it's, I mean, it was lovely
for me to sit there with a glass of red wine and go through
these, these books and everything and look at old
photos and kind of give these people who have either passed on
or have retired or very elderly now.
Like it was nice to give them, you know, another life in my
brain. Like remember what they were and
look at their art that they created and have a little
Bunhead evening because I don't have many Bunhead moments in
that sense. But it's also talking about what
you say about one. Now you're actively, you know,
with Marianella's autograph and such.
It's one of the reasons, you know, why I'm wanting to
interview people for the podcast because I want to.
It's my way of getting their autograph, so to speak.
Like, you know, interview Christopher Hampson and talk to
him and, you know, have some words of wisdom come out of his
mouth. It's better than an autograph
kind of thing. And it's important because it's,
you know, some insight into the way that they think, which is,
you know, we discussed at the beginning of this episode,
dancers don't usually talk, you know, Well, we certainly make up
for it off stage at the bar. But, you know, we're, we're with
an art form that is not vocalized.
So it's quite, you know, occasionally you may see a
director in print in a magazine or, or a feature or a
choreographer's new work, but it's quite rare and continues to
be quite rare to, to get real insight from a, from an artist.
So, yeah, these episodes with your special guests, you know,
you haven't a real opportunity just to get inside their mind
and, and, and some insight into, you know, what they think and
what they thought and, and, and share some of their story, you
know, which is brilliant. It's really, really brilliant.
And actually, just to mention, I was teaching yesterday,
actually, there's a very funny moment where I've been teaching
for 2 1/2 hours, very serious at the Opera House, ballet
technique, live music, everybody focused, concentrated
discipline, sweating. And then as I was checking
people out, one of our wonderful dancers, Patty, as the door was
about to close, she just shouted before she ran.
Thank you, Auntie Denise, she's a listener.
Which made me laugh so much. It was so, so funny.
And it's also lovely to have to have a moment where you you
realise people are listening, you know, to what we're doing
right now. It's it's, it was fun.
It was a fun moment. It was lovely.
So I have a funny story just talking about meeting people at
autographs and such. So when I was Aja Junior
Associate of the Royal Ballet School, when I was Aja, I think
it was my final year as Aja and a handful of us boys and girls
were picked to be part of a special performance.
It was, it was celebrating 50 years of the Opera House opening
after the Second World War. So during the Second World War
the Opera House was closed. So this was celebrating the
amount of years it had been reopened for.
When they reopened after Second World War, they reopened the
Opera House with the production of Sleeping Beauty.
And so for this celebration, the Royal Balin Company were doing a
production of Sleeping Beauty and it was the Sleeping Beauty,
you know, the one with the cobweb with the Velcro across
the stage that they ripped open that one.
And So what happened? They did their they did the
performance and I think if I remember it correctly, just
before she wakes up, they stopped the show and 1 by 1, all
the remaining, you know, still living dancers who were in that
specific performance of Sleeping Beauty when the Opera House
opened, one by one came on stage and we walked on and gave them a
rose. Like these junior associate
dancers came on stage and gave them a rose and then a cake was
wheeled on stage and Dave Lynette Devaloir came on stage
and cut the cake and, you know, clap, clap, clap, blah, blah,
blah. Then they carried on with the
show. So then that all stopped and
then they carried on with the show anyway.
That's not the story. God.
The story is. The cake is the story.
The story is, is that we were rehearsing this, so we were all,
all the JA's were in the wings and had just rehearsed these
older dancers coming on stage and we're giving them the rows
and blah, blah, blah, and all this kind of stuff.
But then we needed to also do the curtain call of the entire
show. So then we needed the entire
company to come on stage to find out where all these older
dancers, where all the JA's are going to stand, where Damien
Nettemao is going to stand for the curtain call when it
actually becomes the end of the show.
And I remember us all sat there and you know, the stage manager
is saying, right, let's just do the last, I don't know, 30
seconds of the show or whatever it is.
And all the core on stage or the soloists are on stage.
The J as are sat in the wings just waiting around to do the
curtain call. And then they call down the
principal was to be to be there as well.
And Darcy Bossel walks past me. She doesn't throw them down.
She puts her point. She's down next to me and she is
obviously about to leave. She's finished with her
rehearsal, so she just needs to come on stage, stand in her
place for us all to plan this curtain call.
She comes downstairs in like these chunky black heels, double
denim, so denim jeans, and she's wearing a denim jacket with
Looney Tunes on the back. And she puts her point shoes on
the floor right next to me. And I'm like, and I just
remember like looking around, Is anyone looking?
Is anyone looking now? And then I reach over and I just
touch these, these point shoes. I'm like I touched Darcy
Russell's point shoes. What a moment though, and how
lovely to have that, like these memories, like you can't, can't
make these moments up, you know? And it's so nice to, to have the
nostalgia of a, of a special moment like that.
I mean, considering how many icons would have been standing
on that stage at the same time is just, and I get it, like if
you're not a bun head and you, you know, it's, it's kind of
like whatever. But like for us with such an
that is our world and to, you know, have an appreciation of
that and be surrounded by those people is just like, wow, really
is. For me at that point, and even
to this day, you know, Darcy buzzer walking past me, putting
her Pointe shoes on the floor and then going on stage.
It's literally like, I don't know, a musical theatre nerd
being sat there and Cynthia Riva, Cynthia Riva walks past,
clicks off her nails and puts him on the floor and you're like
her nails, like, you know, it's it is our Justin Bieber.
It's our you know, whoever. It's incredible.
And then especially, you know, Damien in it Devour is the fact
that I I haven't had a conversation with her.
I haven't met her, but I've been, you know, in the same room
with her and a couple of times and it's that's incredible to
even think that. Yeah, I've been in the same room
as David Annette about why it's kind of incredible.
It's incredible. We we live 2 blocks away from
where she lived and there's a plaque of her apartment and I'm
so eager to know. In fact, one day I was walking
back from the station and I passed her former apartment and
somebody was coming out, a gentleman was coming out.
And I said, I said, I'm so sorry to bother you.
I said. But do you know if Damianette
Duvaloire pointed at the plaque if she owned the entire or she
lived in the entire? Because it's like 4 Storey
townhouse. Oh, the old fashioned white.
White columns outside, but the plaque is on like the basement
flat, which don't get me wrong, is still exquisite.
And I just, I just want, I just wanted to know because I just
want to kind of I wanted to kind of visualize, you know, I had
this image of like, you know, Margot and, and an array of
having like, you know, dinner there one evening.
I don't know, something I don't know, I just fantasies of times
gone by. And unfortunately he said, I'm
so sorry, but I'm just a guest here.
I don't know, I don't live here. And I was like, damn.
It I'm sorry, who are you? I need to know every detail and
I did have a look online, but it's hard to get that kind of
information, you know, like how many floors would she own?
If anybody does know the answer to that question, I'd love you
to message us and tricks at the bar on our Instagram page,
because I'd love to know the insurance and outs of that
location because even now it's just a joy to walk past it and
see her name on on the plaque. It's it's thrilling.
I mean, I remember when I lived, when I lived in London, I lived
in Golders Green and I think that I had lived there for, I
don't know, a couple of months. And then one day I decided to,
you know, meander around my area.
Because when I lived, I mean, when you and I lived together
and in various places and when I lived in Golders Green and when
I lived in the Docklands, like a lot of the time it was just a
bed. Like, you know, I lived there, I
had my food there, I slept there, but I never really walked
around the area. It was get on the tube, get on
the bus, get into central London.
So I never really looked around my own area.
And so it was a couple of months I lived in Golders Green and
then decided to take a walk. And that's when I discovered
that, oh, Goddess Green is really close to hamster teeth.
I had no idea, you know, meandered around and found
Golders Hill Park and was like, oh, I live right next to a park
with deer in. I had no idea and then found
this White House in this park and like you said, a blue plaque
was on it and it was where Anna Pavlova used to live.
I had no idea that Anna Pavlova was my neighbor.
Amazing, amazing. I don't know if you can still
visit that house, her house, but I, you and I have been in that
park near the house, I think 1 winter because there was snow on
the ground, but we didn't go in. I don't think it was open
otherwise I'm sure we would have gone in.
But I need to find out whether we can still get access, because
that would be fun to go into. I think it might have been, I
mean, we're talking obviously over 15 years ago when I lived
there, but I think at that point that house might also have been
a local ballet school. Right.
Again, message us on Instagram and let us know.
You need answers. It's funny, isn't it?
Because on the King's Road there is a beautiful building which is
now actually a Pizza Express. However it is, it was the former
ballet school where Margot Fontaine first trained.
And so you can still, I keep meaning to go into Pizza Expert
because it's a public building. I could actually just, you know,
book a table and order Margarita.
Get some garlic dough. Balls exactly.
And just be in that building. Of course, it looks completely
different, but just to be standing or seated in a building
that was such a, you know, starting point for one of the
world's most famous, if not most famous ballerinas.
And also I made a point of when I was in Paris, just standing
outside the apartment that Nureyev owned when he lived in
Paris, when he was director of the Paris Opera and what not.
And just these. And also there's a location not
too far from Kensington Gardens and there's a blue plaque where
Nureyev used to stay when he was when he would come over and
perform with Festival Ballet. So it's it's there's a tour in
this. There's a walking tour.
There's a walking tour in this. Let me just make a note.
Well, I have to say though, I mean when I was doing a piece, I
was choreographing a piece with my friend Mattie.
He was doing lots of the videos and photography for the pieces,
like a mixed media performance. And through Peter Bo Bendixon,
who was the director of Tivoli Ballet Theatre when I was there,
we managed to rehearse in the studios of the Royal Danish.
And we were in this old studio. And I look around, I'm like, and
there's pictures on the wall. And when there's a little break,
I then start investigating into this studio that I'm in in the
Royal Danish. And it was the room where August
Bonneville created Silfeed and created Napoli.
I was in the studio. And that studio is still used to
this day, like at the Royal Danish, like, you know, they
haven't changed buildings. And yes, obviously there's been
some refurbs or whatever, but like the skeleton is still what
it is. And also lots of those, it's not
the most modern of buildings. So it's incredible to have been
stood in a room where August Bonneville had created these
classics, these performances that are still to this day
performed exactly how he he created them.
And to be stood in the room where those steps left his brain
and were put onto a dancer, it was just like, wow, a magical
feeling. I love.
So you can also have a walking tour in Denmark.
Oh, for sure, yeah. We need to get our heads
together and and collaborate. Yeah, so before we end this
episode, I just have to fan girl for a second.
I was on my best behaviour last week, as you can hear in the
episode, but Brian Friedman, Oh my God.
Like, OK, I know we've just been talking about how for us, you
know, Darcy Bussell, Nanette de Valois and everything, these
people are rock stars to us. For me also, like we mentioned
actually a couple of weeks ago on our pop culture episode,
Brian Friedman for me is just wow.
And I was on my best behaviour. I don't think I came across to
stalkerish or fan girly in episode, but it was fantastic to
interview him and it was it was nice for him.
It was nice to hear hear a side of him that you know, I have, I
don't know the guy at all. So to interview him and hear
that he's very much like yourself and, and I loves
teaching and teaching is his favorite thing to do.
And yeah, just to hear how passionate he is about teaching.
And that side of him was just, yeah, loved it.
And the best. We both had a similar thing
happened to us within the past couple of days, which is when a
student comes up to you at the end of class and says, so is
there anything in particular that I could work on?
And he said, obviously you can hear the episode, but in the
episode he says, yes, everything that I just said, everything
that I was saying over the past hour and a half class, that
that's what you need to work on, everything that I just said,
that was such a great thing to say.
Well, yeah, but I mean a general.
If you're giving a general correction or a general note,
then you just please assume it applies to you too, like.
It happened to me literally the other day.
A student comes up to me after I've just done a class with
like, I don't know, 30 people in it.
And the girl comes up to me. She's like, I just wanted to
say, I just wanted to ask, was there something like in
particular that I needed to work on?
And I know it's done out of the goodness of their heart and I
know it's done through maybe wanting to show interest and
show that they're eager and stuff.
But it also puts me on the spot and makes me think, oh God, that
girl who was stood in the third row for an hour and a half
surrounded by other 30 people. I have no idea.
You know what I mean? It kind of it make, doesn't make
me feel bad, but it could very easily, you know, make me feel
unprofessional because I actually don't have a correction
for you because I didn't notice anything particular for you.
But yeah, it's also, yeah, the corrections that I gave in the
class were for everybody, darling.
He knows his craft. But yeah, I mean, interviewing
Brian was just fantastic. And and like I said, like we
both said in the in our previous episode about pop culture, like,
yes, Britney Spears was the person that we were watching.
Britney Spears was the star, but the steps that she was doing
were his steps and the choreography was his, and he was
one of the dancers behind her. So for me it was, yeah, big fan
over here. So I just have to geek get my
geeking out here because he's not in the room and he's not
listening. Yeah, I mean so exciting, so
exciting. I completely get it like an
amazing accomplishment. You know, I remember you and I
having conversations and pre planning and pre production, you
know, talking about, you know, access and you know, who we can
reach out to and who we'd love to talk with and talk to.
And so for this just, you know, to materialise and, and now you
have an episode, it's recorded for people to listen, you know,
that you can share is brilliant. It's it's really, really
fantastic. It is because, you know, we've
used our connections, you know, people that we have worked with
before with Gary Avis and Tom Whitehead and all these people
that we have interviewed. But, you know, there's also, you
know, thinking about Brian was like, well, I have no connection
to the guy, so just have to like, you know, cold call, send
a random Instagram message and see if he wants to.
And straight up, he was like, yeah, I'd love to.
Oh, OK. And what was lovely, he didn't.
He said when I stopped recording, he said, I've done a
lot of these interviews before, and this is hands down being one
of the best interviews I've had because I'm actually talking to
someone who knows what they're talking about.
It was nice to kind of just batch 2 heads together, like 2
dancers, kind of like nerd and just yes, because usually
interviewers that he has spoken to have been, you know, TV
interviewers or, or what have you, not a fellow dancer.
So that was also really nice that he deemed me as someone who
knows what they're talking. About of course, and, and that
makes me like him even more now because how lovely and how
gracious to, to firstly say yes, I'd love to, I'd love to be
interviewed by you or have a discussion with you, You know,
not not knowing each other personally, I think that tells
you a lot about a person and their character that they're,
you know, they're not above themselves because he is
massively famous. You know, he could quite easily
be full of ego and, and dismissive, you know, and busy.
But the fact that he took the time and enjoyed the experience,
you know, what a wonderful moment to share with somebody
that you, you know, deeply respect and, and admire.
How great. Oh Denise, it was so lovely
having a nice catch up again sweetheart.
Yeah, it really was darling, and always nice to check in with my
little sister before I rush off on tour again tomorrow morning.
Well please don't forget about little old me and our listeners
as you are off gallivanting around the UK.
Maybe I should do some leafleting about drinks at the
bar whilst I'm on tour in Manchester and Southampton
because they need to know we exist.
Good idea, I'll get on moonpig.com or something and
print something. For you to marvelous.
All right, everybody, thank you so much for listening to another
episode of Drinks at the Bar. Yes.
Thank you all for listening and have a wonderful, wonderful
week. Denise, it's been a pleasure and
enjoy your tour. Thank you darling.
Yep, 2 weeks left and then I have our final workshop, festive
workshop at the Opera House with the Dancer Studio, London.
And then it's officially holiday time.
So a little bit of rest, a little bit of repose, an
upcoming birthday for someone special, wink wink.
Denise, it's a pleasure. Love you lots.
Lots of love. Bye darling.
Bye everybody. Take care, bye bye.