Morning class was taken by ex Royal Ballet Principal, Roberta Marquez, who is an excellent teacher and has lost none of her artistry. A word too for pianist Olga Mazour, who at one point managed to arrange both piano and orchestral excerpts from Rachmaninov’s second concerto into sensible ballet accompaniment.
There followed a pointe work class and a coaching of Kitri’s finale solo from Don Quixote by current RB principal, Fumi Kaneko. This was a privilege to watch, not just the steps but the attention to upper body and expression as well as her ability to coach the finer points that make all the difference in performance.
Members expressed their thanks to Andrew Ward, Director of Dance Forward for making this visit possible and providing opportunities for students at various ballet schools to refine their technique.