Tours en l'air organizes ballet-themed escorted holidays to see the best companies perform great ballets in beautiful places. You can join a trip from anywhere. A highly knowledgeable balletomane who has enjoyed 100s of performances in over 20 cities around the world,I speak English, French, and German, and am a Travel Industry Council of Ontario certified Travel Counsellor. I also teach ballet appreciation courses.
Tours en l'air Ballet Holidays are offered in partnership with CWT Victor Travel, 101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5, 416-736-6010, TICO # 1892647
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Prague and Dresden September 21 - 29, 2019
9 days, 8 nights, 3 performances
Czech National Ballet: Swan Lake (Cranko) Kafka: The Trial (Bigonzetti)
Dresden Semperoper Ballet: Giselle(Dawson)
David Dawson's rethinking of Giselle is a must-see! The first
Tours en l'air group that went to Dresden was absolutely blown away by
it, and they were a group who LOVE the traditional Giselle.
Meanwhile, as you might expect, John Cranko's version of Swan Lake is both beautiful and dramatic. The Czech National Ballet is the only company other than the Stuttgart Ballet to perform it.
Add to that two stunningly beautiful cities, and you have the makings of a great ballet trip.
If you are potentially interested in this trip (no commitment required at this point), please email toursenlair@gmail.com.
Dresden. Felix Mittermeier on unsplash.com
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Attend
daily ballet class and working rehearsals of Dresden Semperoper
Ballet.
Afternoon: private guided walking tour of beautiful historic Dresden.
Three-course welcome dinner.
Sunday
July 1 DRESDEN
Morning
at leisure. Afternoon: one-hour guided visit to the mind-boggling
“Green Vault” priceless treasure chamber of the Saxon dukes. Rest
of afternoon at leisure.
6
pm:performance
of Dresden
Semperoper Ballet: Gods
and Dogs
(Kylian), Heatscape
(Peck),
Political Mother
(Schechter) at the palatial opera house.Three-course
dinner.
Brandenburg
Gate, Berlin
Monday
July 2 DRESDEN – BERLIN
Morning:
check out of hotel. Transfer by private coach to Berlin (approx. 2½
hours).
2-hour
private guided coach tour of Berlin. Mid-afternoon: check into the
superior 4-star Arcotel
John F hotel in the Unter den Linden district of central Berlin.
3-course dinner before Berlin
State Ballet:Don
Quixote.
Tuesday
July 3 BERLIN
Day
at leisure. Suggested activities: Visit one or more of the museums on
Berlin's famous Museum Island, about 5 minutes walk from the hotel.
Evening: 3-course dinner.
Sanssouci
Palace
Wednesday
July 4 BERLIN – HAMBURG
Morning: Check out
of hotel. Transfer by luxury private coach to Potsdam (1 hour from
Berlin). Private guided tour of the magnificent Unesco World Heritage
Sanssouci Palace, home of Frederick the Great, and Cecilienhof
Palace, the site of the Potsdam conference to end the Second World
War. Afternoon: continue by express train (1 ½ hours) to Hamburg.
Check in to Scandic Hotel Emporio Hamburg, a short walk from the Opera House. Evening: 3-course dinner
before National
Ballet of Canada performance: Dreamers
Ever Leave You (Binet),
Emergence (Pite),
The Man in Black
(Kudelka)
Colonnaden,
Hamburg
Thursday
July 5 HAMBURG
Morning:
2-hour walking tour of central Hamburg. Afternoon at leisure.
Recommended activity: take a hop-on hop-off bus tour of Hamburg and
its port or discover Hamburg's many canals on a boat tour. Take a
tour through the City Hall or visit the chocolate museum. Go shopping
along the elegant Colonnaden. Evening: Hamburg
Ballet performance of John Neumeier's brilliant reinterpretation of
Swan Lake.
Friday
July 6 HAMBURG
day
trip to LÜBECK
Morning:
depart by train for the Unesco World Heritage medieval town of Lübeck
(45 minutes from Hamburg). 2-hour walking tour, followed by free time
to shop for or indulge in the famous local Niederegger marzipan. Late
afternoon: return by train to Hamburg. Evening: Hamburg
Ballet performance:Beethoven
Project (Neumeier)
Market
Square, Bremen
Saturday
July 7 HAMBURG
Day
trip to BREMEN
Morning:
depart by train for Bremen (1 h 10 minutes from Hamburg), Germany's
oldest maritime city, with one of its most beautiful market squares.
2-hour private guided walking tour of the old town followed by free
time to explore. Mid-afternoon: return to Hamburg. Evening: Hamburg
Ballet all-Robbins performance: The
Concert, Dances at a Gathering.
Fischauktionshalle,
Hamburg
Sunday
July 8 HAMBURG
Day
at leisure. Suggested activities: enjoy Hamburg's lively fish market
(not just fish: fruit
and vegetables, flowers, clothing, souvenirs...), a Sunday morning
tradition since 1703.
Visit the art galleries, go for a stroll in the botanical garden,or
take a guided tour through the spectacular new Elbphilharmonie
concert hall. Evening: Farewell three-course dinner.
Monday
July 9 HAMBURG
Check
out of hotel and depart Hamburg.
GROUP
SIZE LIMITED TO 20!
SIGNUP DEADLINE 8 DECEMBER 2017
Total
Package CA$4500 per person
based
on double occupancy
Single
supplement: CA$1000
TO
BOOK
Call
Eric Moe at CWT Victor Travel (416) 736-6010
toll-free
1-866-699-0199
All
prices valid till 8 December 2017
You
may use RBC reward points or RBC certificates towards the purchase
of any or all components of these arrangements
LAND-ONLY
PACKAGE allows you the flexibility of arranging travel
from your most convenient departure point,
on
the dates and times you prefer,
and
to extend your stay if you wish.
Victor
Travel's experienced agents
will
be happy to assist you with
flight
arrangements.
Dresden
Package
includes:
10
nights double-share accommodation
Daily
breakfast
Premium
seats for 6 ballets
Watch
daily class or rehearsals at Dresden Semperoper Ballet
Transfer
by private luxury coach from Dresden to Berlin
Private
guided coach tour of Berlin
Excursion
by private luxury coach to Potsdam
Admission
to Sanssouci Palace and Cecilienhof
Palace with private tour
Train
transfer from Berlin to Hamburg
Day
excursions by train to Lübeck
and Bremen
Private
guided walking tours of Dresden (including admission to “Green
Vault”), Hamburg, Lübeck, and Bremen
Visit
to Dresden Semperoper Ballet daily class and rehearsals
Six
3-course dinners
Beverages
with group meals (mineral water, tea or coffee, and 1 glass wine or
beer or soft drink)
Tips
for group meals, bus excursions, and guides
Free
wifi in hotels
Ballet
enrichment program: ballet notes and informal pre-performance talks
and post-performance reviews with tour leader
Not
included:
Airfare
Meals
and transfers not specifically mentioned in this itinerary
Items
of a personal nature, e.g. phone calls
Cancellation
insurance
and
hospital/medical insurance
All
items and activities listed as optional or suggested in this
brochure
Terms
and Conditions:
This
program is only sold as a package. Extra hotel nights can be added on
at extra cost (subject to availability). We cannot offer individual
components separately, break the package into shorter instalments, or
offer an “accommodation only” option.
Mobility
issues should be discussed with the travel agent before registering.
Travellers
wishing to share will be put in touch with one another.
Non-refundable
deposit of CA$1700 per person is required at time of booking, no
later than 8 December 2017,to
secure your space for this package. Single supplement & optional
cancellation and medical insurance must also be paid at time of
booking
Final
payment due 7 May 2018. Total
package price is fully non-refundable if you cancel.
All
cancellations must be received in writing at CWT Victor Travel to the
attention of Eric Moe (ericm@cwtvictortravel.ca)
Passports
and any entry visas are the responsibility of the traveller and
should be valid for at least 6 months after the date of the expected
return. Even if in possession of these documents, entry into another
country may still be refused.
If
Your Booking is Changed by You:
If you request a change to a booking more than 45 days prior to
departure, it is subject to a $50 administration fee (including
H.S.T.). A name correction, change of name or change of departure
date requested within 45 days of departure makes the booking subject
to full applicable cancellation charges as set out below. Once travel
has commenced, no changes to the booking are permitted.
If
You Cancel Your Booking:
The following cancellation charges apply, as of the date on which we
are informed of your cancellation (date of departure is excluded when
calculating these cancellation charges):
More
than 45 days: deposit of $2000 plus single supplement if applicable
0-44
days: 100% of total price
Cancellation
charges include H.S.T. and are effective from the day we record your
cancellation request. We reserve the right to re-sell any cancelled
services, tickets, etc. without a refund to you.
If
Your Booking is Changed by Us: This
tour is prepared months in advance, and occasionally a part of it has
to be modified or is not available. On occasion, even after your
booking is confirmed, we may have to make changes to your requested
arrangements. Most changes will be minor, however, we may need to
make a major change prior to your departure. Major changes include:
change
of departure or return by more than 24 hours;
change
of accommodation and/or accommodation standard;
increase
in your costs in excess of 7% (unless government imposed); and
change
of route requiring additional traveler identification or
documentation without sufficient time to obtain this documentation
before departure
If
we make a major change, we will advise you as soon as possible, and
you may then:
a.
accept the change as offered; b.
select an alternate tour with Us based on availability and the
applicable price; or c.
cancel your trip completely with a refund of the price paid, minus
the non-refundable deposit.
Sometimes
the hotel reserved is not available due to unexpected maintenance or
overbooking, and a substitute hotel of equal or greater quality will
be provided. If the hotel standard is downgraded and you accept the
change as offered, a refund for any difference in price will be
issued. We reserve the right to change published prices without
notice and/or to pass on government imposed taxes, transportation
related fees or surcharges including those for fuel or currency
fluctuations to you.
Force
Majeure:
We may not be able to refund you in full for some or all changes made
because of war or threat of war, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist
activity, industrial disputes, natural and nuclear disasters, fire,
weather causing beach erosion, epidemics or health risks, technical
or mechanical problems with transport, flight delays due to weather,
government action, closed or congested airports or seaports, supplier
insolvency and any events beyond our direct control.
Tour
Escort:
If the tour escort is unable to accompany the tour, she will be
replaced and the tour will go ahead as scheduled.
It
is Not the Same Away From Home:
As Canadians, we enjoy a very high standard of living. In other parts
of the world, uninterrupted supply of water and electricity, the
local health conditions, levels of security and standards of food and
drink differ from those we enjoy at home.
Travel
Insurance
IT
IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that
Manulife
out-of-province health insurance
and
trip cancellation insurance be
purchased.
It is available through CWT
Victor
Travel. Payment of the premium
must
accompany the deposit and is nonrefundable.
You
have the choice of purchasing
Manulife
Insurance from CWT Victor
Travel.
Alternatively, if you have your
own
coverage, we require proof of
coverage
from you stating the name of
the
insurer and the policy number as well
as
emergency contact number.
Non-medical
Cancellation Insurance is
strongly
recommended. Information
regarding
out-of-province medical &
cancellation
insurance is available
through
CWT Victor Travel.
Estimated
cost on fully non-refundable
land
arrangements of CA$4500 based on a
50-year-old
traveler is CA$339.12
including
taxes. Price will vary based on
age
and state of health.
If
you do not wish to purchase Travel
Insurance,
you must fill out and sign the
Liability
Release Form which we provide
for
you.
For
more information about this trip, contact Katherine Barber
If you are even tentatively interested in this trip, it is very important that you email me to let me know. This does not commit you to anything. Once
I am sure there is enough interest to justify planning the trip, I will
produce a brochure with a firm cost and you will have priority booking.
If
you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet
trips by clicking here.
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Monday, April 11, 2011
Berlin, Dresden, and Prague Sat. 31 March – Tuesday 10 April, 2012 (Easter is 8 April)
3 performances
Berlin State Ballet: Romeo & Juliet (Cranko), Gala-style mixed program (excerpts, pas de deux)
Dresden Semperoper Ballet: Coppelia (Balanchine)
day trip to Prague
This is the latest addition to my 2011-12 offerings. Everyone who has been to Berlin raves about it. If you want to see what the ballet company, now under artistic director Vladimir Malakhov, looks like, here's a trailer for their Onegin:
and here's another one with William Forsythe's very cool Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude:
Dresden has been magnificently restored, and the ballet company there, under their Canadian artistic director Aaron Watkin, has been getting stellar reviews. Here is a clip about their Coppelia (voiceover is in German, but visuals are good):
We would stay 7 nights in Berlin and 3 in Dresden, with a day trip to beautiful Prague, which is only 2 hours from Dresden. Don't worry if you don't speak German; both cities get a lot of tourists, and I do speak German.
This trip would have to be finalized in October, so I need to get planning soon if I know there is sufficient interest. Please get in touch if you are interested.
