Paris, ballet, and chocolate

What could possibly be better than ballet?
How about ballet and Belgian chocolate? (Or Belgian beer if you are more inclined that way).
And Paris in the springtime and tulips in Holland...
All this and more in our fabulous "Paris and the Low Countries in Tulip Time" trip, April 23 to May 4. See three of Europe's distinguished ballet companies performing the repertoire with which they are most identified:
Paris Opera Ballet, widely considered one of the world's top 5 ballet companies, performing the choreography of Rudolf Nureyev, who was their artistic director for several years, in his version of Romeo and Juliet.
The Royal Ballet of Flanders performing William Forsythe's Artifact. Since former Stuttgart and Frankfurt Ballet dancer Kathryn Bennetts took over as artistic director 6 years ago, Belgium's only classical ballet company has really made its mark, especially with its interpretations of her mentor Forsythe. Ms. Bennett has also personally granted us permission to watch company class.
Dutch National Ballet performing an evening of works by the Dutch master choreographer, Hans van Manen.
Please note that places are limited and there has been a lot of interest in this trip, so don't delay in signing up by contacting me for a registration form. DEADLINE is 20 December. Here is the itinerary:
CWT VICTOR TRAVEL
101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5
TICO Ontario registration #1892647
presents
Tours en l'air
Ballet Holidays
escorted by
Canada's Word Lady, Katherine Barber
in support of The National Ballet of Canada

Paris and the Low Countries in Tulip Time
23 April – 4 May 2011

12 days, 11 nights, 4 ballet performances

A ballet-packed Easter week of neo-classical and contemporary masterpieces performed by Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, and Dutch National Ballet

Sat. 23 April: PARIS
Arrive Paris; check in to 3-star Molière Hotel, near the Opéra Garnier.

Sun. 24 April: PARIS
Evening: Welcome 3-course dinner with wine at a traditional Parisian restaurant

Mon. 25 April: PARIS
Day at leisure. Evening: Paris Opera Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Nureyev)

Tues. 26 April: PARIS
Afternoon: Private ballet-themed guided tour of the Paris Opera (Garnier). Evening: Paris Opera Ballet, House of Bernarda, A Kind of... (Ek)

Wed. 27 April: PARIS At leisure

Thurs. 28 April: PARIS - ANTWERP
Morning: check out of hotel. Daytime at leisure. Evening: Transfer to Gare du Nord for express train to Antwerp (2 hrs). Check in to 4-star Radisson Blu Astrid hotel.

Fri. 29 April: ANTWERP
At leisure: Visit Antwerp's beautiful Gothic cathedral, diamond district, magnificent guild houses on the market square, the house of Rubens, or the charming shops in the historic city centre. Or stay in and watch the Royal Wedding!

Sat. 30 April: ANTWERP - BRUSSELS
Daytime at leisure. Take the train (40 mins.) at your convenience to Brussels. Evening: Royal Ballet of Flanders, Artifact (Forsythe) in Brussels. Return by private coach directly from theatre to hotel.

Sun. 1 May: BRUGES
Day trip by private luxury coach to the beautiful medieval city of Bruges (UNESCO World Heritage site), with private guide.

Mon. 2 May: ANTWERP
Morning: Watch Royal Ballet of Flanders company class. Rest of day at leisure.

Tues. 3 May: KEUKENHOF - EINDHOVEN
Late morning: our private luxury coach transports you to the Keukenhof garden in Holland, a paradise of spring flowers in bloom, where you have a private guided tour. Late afternoon: private transfer to Eindhoven, Holland, for a three-course dinner before the evening performance of Dutch National Ballet: Grosse Fuge, Solo, Concertante, Adagio Hammerklavier (all van Manen). After the performance, the coach returns you to the hotel in Antwerp.

Wed. 4 May
Check out of hotel and depart Antwerp.

GROUP SIZE LIMITED! DON'T DELAY IN SIGNING UP

Total Package CA$3,699 per person based on double occupancy

Single supplement: CA$1400

All prices valid till 20 December 2010

REGISTRATION AND DEPOSIT DUE DATE: 20 DECEMBER 2010

LAND-ONLY PACKAGE allows you the flexibility of arranging travel from your most convenient departure point, on the dates and times you prefer. Victor Travel's experienced agents will be happy to assist you. Group airfare with private transfers from Paris Charles de Gaulle and to Brussels airport ($1099) is available for Toronto departure (minimum 10 passengers).

Package price includes:

5 nights twin share accommodation in the centrally located 3-star Molière Hotel in Paris and 6 nights in the 4-star Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel in Antwerp

(travellers wishing to share will be put in touch with one another)

Premium orchestra seats for 4 ballets

Royal Ballet of Flanders company class

Guided tour of the Paris Opera (Garnier)

Transfer from hotel to train station in Paris

Coach class train fare Paris to Antwerp

Day excursion by luxury coach to Bruges, with private guide, canal boat ride, and museum admission

Day excursion by luxury coach to Keukenhof and Eindhoven, with private guided tour of the Keukenhof Garden

Two 3-course dinners

Intermission refreshment in Eindhoven

Ballet enrichment program: ballet notes and informal pre-performance talks and post-performance reviews with tour leader

Tax-receiptable donation of CA$250 to The National Ballet of Canada

All taxes, service fees, and surcharges

Not included:

Airfare

Meals and transfers not specifically mentioned in this itinerary

Train fare from Antwerp to Brussels

Beverages with meals

Items of a personal nature, e.g. phone calls

Cancellation and hospital/medical insurance


Terms and Conditions:

Non-refundable deposit of CA$1300 per person is required at time of registration, no later than 20 December 2010, to secure your space for this package**.

Single supplement, optional airfare (price available on request) and optional cancellation and hospital/medical insurance are also payable at this time.

Final payment due 7 March 2010, and total package price is fully non-refundable.

All cancellations must be received in writing at Carlson Wagonlit Victor Travel to the attention of Lucy Nati (lucy@cwtvictortravel.ca).

RBC out-of-province health insurance and trip cancellation insurance are available through Victor Travel and STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Price will vary according to birthdate. Premium must accompany the deposit and is non-refundable.


For more information: toursenlair@cwtvictortravel.ca

416.631.3125 (cell: 416.693.4496)


GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

Visit www.victortravel.ca and click on Tours en l'air Ballet Holidays

for more fabulous escorted vacations for ballet lovers

**The deposit is fully refundable in the event of cancellation of the trip by the travel agent

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat

The incredibly buoyant Ivan Vasiliev:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbzZtMpSddk

"We took Manon to Manchester and had a dog and a cat in the audience"

An interesting interview with Wayne Eagling, artistic director of English National Ballet:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/8179788/English-National-Ballet-fights-on.html

Dancing and happiness

“There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” -Vicki Baum

Balanchine quote

“The mirror is not you. The mirror is you looking at yourself.”
George Balanchine

Ballet trip to Paris and Belgium

I'm very excited about the trip I'm planning to Paris and Belgium over Eastertime. Below is the itinerary (price will be finalized shortly). Please email me (toursenlair@gmail.com) if you are interested in this or other great ballet holidays:

Sat. 23 April: PARIS

Arrive Paris; check in to 3-star hotel near the Opéra Garnier.

Sun. 24 April: PARIS

Evening: Welcome 3-course dinner with wine at a traditional Parisian restaurant

Mon. 25 April: PARIS

Day at leisure. Evening: Paris Opera Ballet, Romeo and Juliet (Nureyev)

Tues. 26 April: PARIS

Afternoon: Private guided tour of the Paris Opera (Garnier). Evening: Paris Opera Ballet, House of Bernarda, A Kind of... (Ek)

Wed. 27 April: PARIS

At leisure

Thurs. 28 April: PARIS - ANTWERP

Morning: check out of hotel. Daytime at leisure. Evening: Transfer to Gare du Nord for express train to Antwerp (2 hrs). Check in to 4-star Radisson Blu Astrid hotel.

Fri. 29 April: ANTWERP

At leisure: Visit Antwerp's beautiful Gothic cathedral, diamond district, magnificent guild houses on the market square, the house of Rubens, or the charming shops in the historic city centre. Or stay in and watch the Royal Wedding!

Sat. 30 April: ANTWERP - BRUSSELS

Daytime at leisure. Take the train (40 mins.) at your convenience to Brussels. Evening: Royal Ballet of Flanders, Artifact (Forsythe) in Brussels. Return by private coach directly from theatre to hotel.

Sun. 1 May: BRUGES

Day trip by private luxury coach to the beautiful medieval city of Bruges (UNESCO World Heritage site), with private guide.

Mon. 2 May: ANTWERP

Morning: Watch Royal Ballet of Flanders company class. Rest of day at leisure.

Tues. 3 May: KEUKENHOF - EINDHOVEN

Late morning: our private luxury coach transports you to the Keukenhof garden in Holland, a paradise of spring flowers in bloom, where you have a private guided tour. Late afternoon: private transfer to Eindhoven, Holland, for a three-course dinner before the evening performance of Dutch National Ballet: Grosse Fuge, Solo, Concertante, Adagio Hammerklavier (all van Manen). After the performance, the coach returns you to the hotel in Antwerp.

Wed. 4 May

Check out of hotel and depart Antwerp.

Ballet Appreciation courses

The courses I taught in the fall were so popular that the students asked for more! So I will be offering two different courses starting in January, both at the Walter Carsen Centre for The National Ballet of Canada, 470 Queens Quay West just past Spadina. Courses are subject to a minimum enrollment of 10 people. To register, please send me an email (toursenlair@gmail.com) specifying which course you're interested in. Once I am sure of having sufficient enrollment, I will ask you to send me a cheque.

1) Introduction to the remaining 5 programs in the National Ballet of Canada season.
Wednesday nights, 6-8 pm, four weeks Jan 26 to Feb 16.
$129 incl. HST
Course description:

Enrich your experience of ballet in general and the five remaining programs in The National Ballet of Canada's season in particular with insights into the choreography, the design, and the music. Video clips will be used, along with demonstrations of certain steps and postures to help you identify distinctive choreographic styles. Depending on the repertoire, we may look at the ballet's performance history, learn about the choreographer's life and works and the historical context in which the ballet was created, examine the story on which the ballet is based, and compare different versions of the same ballet. Deepen your appreciation of the technical aspects of dance by learning to recognize a different ballet step by name each week and understanding its physical challenges.

2) Introduction to the International Repertoire
Tuesday nights, 6-8 pm, six weeks Jan 18 to Feb 22.
(some people have already expressed an interest in a daytime version of this, so I am also looking into room availability for Monday afternoons; please let me know if that would suit you).
Six weeks: $199 incl. HST
Since many people are travelling in the winter months, I am going to experiment with a more flexible pricing system for this course. So you have the option of signing up for the full six weeks for $199, or choosing a "3-class card" for $129, which would allow you to attend any 3 of the 6 classes on a drop-in basis. Priority enrollment will be given to those opting for the full course.
Course description:
Learn about ballets that are part of the major international ballet repertoire, the choreographers and composers who created them, and their performance history. We will continue to learn the names for specific ballet steps in each class, and talk about the distinctive balletic styles of different countries and companies.

Petipa: Raymonda
Bournonville: Napoli
MacMillan: Manon
Neumeier: Lady of the Camellias
van Manen: 5 Tangos, Adagio Hammerklavier
Petit: Carmen

Nutcracker Live from the Bolshoi

Nutcracker Live from the Bolshoi will be broadcast in Cineplex theatres across Canada on December 19th. Please check cineplex.com for showtimes and theatre locations.

Black Swan movie

This opens this Friday in theatres across Canada. In Toronto, it is playing at the
Cineplex Odeon Varsity,
55 Bloor St W
Check http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieDetails/Black-Swan.aspx for showtimes.
I am planning to go and see it Tuesday, December 14 at 620 pm; if any of you feel like joining me, please let me know!