A night at the ballet...

This week was the week that ballet was in all the papers and I rounded it off with a night at Sadler's Wells. It was a snap decision on Friday to book the ticket to see Ivan Putrov's Men in Motion when I saw it was on in the morning paper. It was my first time to Sadler's Wells a place which I had read about as a child growing up reading Lorna Hill. The theatre was a simple space and I was sat a the back of the upper circle which was incredibly steep but very reasonably priced. The real reason I booked the ticket was to see Sergei Polunin dance and I wasn't disappointed.

I'm often frustrated that male dancers seem to be restricted to simply lifting and supporting the women. So although I had gone to see one dancer in particular I was delighted to watch the talented cast of men dance and leap their way through the pieces. The evening started with Le Spectre de la Rose, a hundred years after it was first performed, Igor Kolb captured the imagination from the moment he leapt through the window onto the stage. Then it was the piece I was there for as Sergei Polunin bewitched with his solo Narcisse, Full of spectacular leaps Polunin seemed to hang in the air and I would be sorry if I never see him dance again.

The last piece before the interval was Ashton's Dance of the Blessed Spirits danced by the man behind the evening, Ivan Putrov. I'm sorry to say I don't really remember a lot about this piece and perhaps it was because the piece was calmer and didn't have the vitality of the other pieces. The next piece was the AfterLight, danced by Argentinian Daniel Proietto. The rest of the audience seemed to love this piece out of all of the pieces, however I really wasn't sure, the swirling lighting made me feel slightly sick and perhaps it was the desired effect but Proietto merged with the lighting and I didn't feel like I had seen a performance but more a piece of installation art.

I loved the final piece, Ithaka choreographed by Ivan Putrov and the simplicity of the costumes and set combined with fabulous performances meant the audience were drawn in and the evening finished on a high. All the dancers received great appreciation from the audience with flowers thrown from the stalls and multiple bows. I was glad I bought the ticket and saw this performance even if it was incomplete as some of the dancers were unable to get visas to be in London for the performance.

Let's go to the movies...

First up, a big thank you to P who redesigned my blog today. I like it and hope you do too...

Today we went to the cinema for the first time in a long while. We saw The Artist... and took a trip back to the time of the silent movies. The story was similar to that of Singing in the Rain as the era of the talkies began and the old silent actors fell off the headlines. As the music swelled it covered the lack of words and although there are very few subtitle screens it doesn't really matter. Sometimes you can read their lips and when you can't well then there are subtitle screens and sometimes they are what cause the laughs. 

A little bit of hamming it up fitted right in with the silent movie. The supporting dog really carried the show, he walked on his hind legs and played dead, all with expert comic timing. I definitely recommend this picture for a peaceful watch with plenty of laughs and maybe a few tears too.

So who did it?

I've just finished reading another two crime books very different...

Rattle His Bones by Carola Dunn

Another Daisy mystery, this one I enjoyed as it was set in the Natural History museum and being set in the '50s didn't mean I couldn't picture the different galleries clearly. I was also relieved that this time Daisy wasn't (indirectly) killing off her friends / hosts but managed to have stumbled across a death on a dinosaur with just a little help from Belinda and Derek. I'm surprised that Alec hasn't had second thoughts about marrying Daisy yet, considering she seems to be solely responsible for doubling his workload. This book also had the added bonus that there was not just a murder but a huge theft too, with the story starting when all the gems in the Natural History Museum were stolen and replaced with fakes. I will definitely be looking more closely at the dinosaurs and gems next time I'm in the museum. But should you read it? Well if you didn't enjoy the others then no, but if you did then it's worth a read although Daisy and Alec still don't get married.

Locked In by Kerry Wilkinson

I might have found a new detective to follow... Jessica Daniels, DS. Right from the start this book drew me in as a fan of CSI I smiled as Jessica commented that being a detective in Manchester is not really as glamorous as being a CSI. Here the question was how did a killer get in to a locked house and back out again without leaving a trace? Then Jessica finds out who probably did but he seems to have disappeared without trace will Jessica find him before another person dies? Oh and if you want to know how you break into a locked house try the locksmiths... I've bought some more Jessica Daniels books and I'm looking forward to trying to solve some more of Jess' cases, maybe this time before she does.

Festive reading

The Christmas break was a great opportunity to catch-up on my books and here's what I read:

Nelson by UKCC edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix
This was a gift from P for Christmas, guided by me as I'd seen a copy previously. This was the beautifully illustrated story of Nel, created by 54 talented British artists. Each artist illustrated one day from a year of Nel's birth starting with her birth. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next in Nel's life and the constantly changing illustrative style just pulled you along too. I'm not normally a comic book girl but this story did what it set out to do and showed that British illustration is more than just Marvel, Beano, Dandy or MAD. I definitely recommend this as a good read and as it's sale supports Shelter you can feel good about spoiling yourself. Oh and if you enjoy 1978 then check out my friend Katie's blog for more of her work or indulge in her bimonthly zine, Green Bean.

Against All Odds: The Most Amazing True Life Story You'll Ever Read by Paul Connelly
This was a tough read as the true life story of a boy's life in a children's home. When the police turn up at Paul's home he is shocked to find that most of the boys he grew up with are dead and this book looks at the horrendous abuse these children suffered at the hands of those to whom their care was entrusted. Hard reading that brought a tear to my eye not sure I'll be reading it again though.

Last Train from Liguria by Christine Dwyer Hickey
I enjoyed this book as a family mystery, set in immediately pre-war Italy this story follows the tale of an English girl sent out to be governess to a young boy. This story is told from two people's perspective, the English governess and the granddaughter of an old lady lying in hospital. My one problem with the story is that it never told you what happened to Alec (the boy) or Edward (his piano teacher). These two characters were central to the story and I was sad never to find out what happened to them. If you don't mind the alternating chapters and the hanging end then this is definitely worth a read.

That Summer in Ischia by Penny Feeny
Another family mystery with collapsing friendships added to the mix. Helena and Liddy worked as au pairs on a beautiful, remote Greek island and what happened that summer broke their friendship seemingly forever. Allie, Helena's daughter meets Liddy and what she learns from Liddy sends her back to Ischia to find out what really happened that summer and most importantly to find her father. A story of betrayal, innocence, love affairs, friendships and intrigue which from the moment Allie gets involved moves forward quickly and satisfyingly answers al your questions by the end of the book.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (Book club)
A great choice by my book club that I can't wait to discuss. This book was based on the events of Vel' d'Hiv, the French mass round-up of their Jewish citizens in occupied France. This wasn't something I had ever heard of and this book does a great job to bring distressing actions to the broader general public. Another story told from two perspectives, a little girl (Sarah) who was rounded up on the night of Vel' d'Hiv and an American journalist (Julia) who is tasked with writing about it on the sixtieth anniversary. I found Julia a little self-absorbed and so slightly annoying but that wasn't enough to break my interest and I read this book in just 24 hours.

Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain
I didn't connect this book to The Midwife's Confession read and reviewed in June last year but the writing style was definitely familiar. This book was the story of Laura's attempt to get her daughter Emma to talk after she witnesses Laura's husband commit suicide. Another gripping tale with stories from across the generations. Perhaps a little far fetched at times but with interesting approaches to Alzheimer's, mutism and psychiatric experimentation. Based on this and The Midwife's Confession I think I will be reading more of Diane Chamberlain's books.

A Sister's Gift by Giselle Green
Hollie and Scarlett have a strained relationship right from the start of the book, two sisters with a secret or two between them. When Scarlett offers to act as a surrogate for for Hollie has she really changed, is it really a gift or will the terms be too high? A good read, as secrets are created, revisited and shared and world's come tumbling down and are rebuilt on stronger foundations. The book leaves you wondering what is really important in your life and what would you be willing to sacrifice for it?