Any Recommendations for Ballet Performances to Take the Kids to?

[newtoedf]

My 5 yo is very keen on ballet (as is her little brother)and I wondered if anyone had any recommendations for shows to take them to. They'd both be happy so sit for up to an hour. We saw the christmas show at the royal ballet the year before last which was amazing but i'm struggling to find something they'd like without wading through the small print of every show in the season (sorry this is really me just saying - I'm too lazy, has anyone done this already?!) I think they'd probably prefer classical ballet.

Thanks!

[Pickle]

No suggestions, but watching with interest as tickets to a ballet would be an ideal birthday gift for my hard to buy for 5 year old!

[Mrs TP]

A couple of years ago I took my eldest two then 9 and 7 to see two performances by the English National Ballet at the English National Opera House. It was a special deal for two performances for family audiences. We saw Cinderella in the summer and Nutcracker at Christmas. It was just over ?50 in total for 3 of us at the two performances - it was something like pay for 1 adult and take up to 3 children free. Worth goggling both organisations to see if anything similar planned this year.

We preferred Nutcracker as it was fab but also shorter. Cinderella seemed to be padded out with all weird and wonderful scenes - e.g. Cinderella getting lost in the forest on the way home from the ball. For grown ups this was great as you really felt you were getting a good performance but to be honest the kids got restless as it dragged on and on. I'm sure it was something like 2.5hrs with 2 intervals.

I found mine liked going but once they had seen 15-20mins of ballet they had actually had enough. There is no speaking and so there was a lot of grown ups explaining what was going on at various parts.

Still worth a trip if you can get a good deal.

[Fuschia]

We saw a junior ballet at Bromley - sleeping beauty

Let me google

This was it

http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/English-National-Ballet-My-First-Sleeping-Beauty but a national tour just finished

Just missed this

http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/enb2-my-first-cinderella

I note there was a family friendly performance of this last Xmas

http://www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?selected_date=13-01-2013&itemid=2005

[nunheadmum]

Keep an eye open for the English National Ballet ones (we saw Sleeping Beauty but they also did Cinderella recently - and they bring them out to Bromley as well as the Peacock Theatre). I thought it was nicely done as it's a cut down version and they explain the story and how it's told through the dance. There's a narrator on stage to guide you through.

Also the South London Dance School have their BIG performance on this week 30th May to 1st June at the Micheal Croft Theatre (Alleyns) - they only do it every few years and it costs a small fortune to take part, so I can only deduce that it's decent to watch! It sounds like it's a lot more professional than your average ballet school show but possibly less formal and showing some kids the same age as your daughter dancing.

[MaryT]

Sadlers Wells do regular performances of ballet for kids, like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Performances are shorter than conventional ballets and, in my experience, are always outstanding.

[MusicoSouth]

English National Ballet choreograph and perform adaptations of full length ballets for children: the next one is My First Coppelia. They are just brilliant. We first got to know them through their productions of the

Angelina Ballerina ballet. But the very best thing about ENB is their Ballet Buddies scheme, which your daughter can join for around ?25 a year, and then you get offered an amazing range of opportunities throughout the year, including special performances, visits to the studios, onstage workshops etc. My daughter and I esp love going to the rehearsal mornings where you can just sit in the studio and watch the company exercise and then rehearse their current production, incredible chance to see international artists close up, and they're really friendly - usually followed up with tour of the wardrobe, chance to try on tutus, handle pointe shoes etc.

Emma

[newtoedf]

I was starting to think I'd just got the season wrong for ballet but have just seen a groupon for copelia at the coliseum 11 - 14 July which we are going to try. http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/london/curated-by-groupon-events/23323844?p=1&nlp=&CID=UK_CRM_1_0_0_178&a=9&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&sid=0372f07a-bca0-46a2-8a80-49e3959ecc74&division=london&uh=19a55154-bbfb-47dc-979f-4906931ce64d&date=20132706&sender=rm&s=body&c=deal_img&d=deal-page&utm_campaign=curated-by-groupon-events-23323844

Note that it says that they will not admit under fives though!