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I am watching BALLET SHOES and it is HEAVENLY... do NOT miss it, you will cry and be sad forever

213 replies

Aitch · 24/12/2007 22:41

ooooooh, only 20 mins in and am excited beyond belief. Harriet Walters is masterly, Emilia Fox a pleasant surprise as usuallly i find her a posho show-off.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

OP posts:
edam · 26/12/2007 22:42

You see snatches of ballet class, Posy dancing with Madame, a little of a ballet Madame takes Posy to see, and some of the Manon rehearsal Posy sneaks into.

Have been googling to refresh my memory (I was right about the Simpsons, btw - Mr and Mrs were both in the book) and it seems Noel Streatfield wrote a follow-up short story 'What happened to Pauline, Petrova and Posy'. But I can't find any details, like what actually did happen!

Snaf · 26/12/2007 22:42

Oh, Posy was excellent, I thought. And Petrova lovely. But I can't warm to Emma Watson - I know the Pauline character is a bit of a madam anyway, but...

MarsyChristmas · 26/12/2007 22:43

Patrick Swayze

edam · 26/12/2007 22:44

(I mean there isn't much ballet in the original book - despite being called Ballet Shoes. It's really about the stage, not dancing.)

expatinscotland · 26/12/2007 22:45

But Posey's not at the barre, plieing her hips to turnout, with Madame F cracking her elbow bellowing at her 'Souplesse! Souplesse!' and 'Port de bras!' and 'Flexe! Tendu! Flexe! Tendu!'

Yeah, it's fake.

MarsyChristmas · 26/12/2007 22:46

IS IT REPEATED??????????????????????????????

Thank you!

WendyWeber · 26/12/2007 22:46

edam, if you read The Painted Garden Pauline and Posy are in it and also some refs to what Petrova did in the war.

Looks like it's only available second-hand - is a good read though, the main character Jane is a real charmer

WendyWeber · 26/12/2007 22:47

Sorry marsy, don't know - would imagine so though

TenLordsaLapin · 26/12/2007 22:48

The short story is in here I am tempted to buy it!

And now I want to reread White Boots and Curtain Up as well...

Quattrocento · 26/12/2007 22:49

Was interested in the reference to a follow up book. I have read the Painted Garden and you do get to find out quite a lot in that but did someone mention another book further down in the thread?

MarsyChristmas · 26/12/2007 22:49

Thank you Wendy. Will page the TV oracle... (RTKM)

Quattrocento · 26/12/2007 22:50

Sorry x-posted - thanks Lapin!

Snaf · 26/12/2007 22:52

FOUND MY COPY! Yay! Am off to bed to read it now and wallow in nostalgia - good night all

WendyWeber · 26/12/2007 22:54

Lots of Ballet Shoes/Noel Streatfeild bumf here

Including

jezzemxmas · 26/12/2007 23:13

brilliant. I let my dd1 stay up to watch it. She has gone to bed very happy

expatinscotland · 26/12/2007 23:14

Ever seen him really dance, Mars, particularly with his wife, a principal ballerina?

Lovely, just lovely.

He's a true dancer.

Woollymummy · 26/12/2007 23:27

I reckoned Posy dancing was fake, but she seemed to actually do a grand jete, in full camera shot, they even slowed it down...but as all the shots with Madame were back lit in a dark room, it probably was someone else dancing.....lovely film though, I loved the book.

Celia2 · 26/12/2007 23:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gigglewitchyouamerrychristmas · 26/12/2007 23:31

marsy are you really stuck? my dad faithfully promises me he is recording it for me on dvd (mine is only a player and DD killed the vid the other day.perfect timing too) i'm off to see them over the weekend, so hopefully will be back with a copy so could hopefully sort something for you. I watched it for good measure - I loved the book, and all my little dancers (I teach) will be besotted after the hols.
I know it wandered away from the book story, and i know there were some slightly un-thirties things going on but i have to say in all i really enjoyed it. then switched over to Darcey Bussell on bbc4... my perfect telly, i shall go to bed happy.

edam · 26/12/2007 23:32

I'm sure in the book there was a lot of stuff about Posy being desperate to dance en pointe but not being allowed to for years and years - shame none of that made it into the film.

expatinscotland · 26/12/2007 23:34

she shouldn't have been dancing en pointe until she was 13, anyhow, and then only for her barre work.

the bolshoi ballerinas don't go fully en pointe until they are 15

expatinscotland · 26/12/2007 23:35

otherwise her feet would be ruined.

WendyWeber · 26/12/2007 23:36

No, they shouldn't, but IIRC they had her doing pointe work from day 1 in the prog and from the book she was only about 5 or 6 when she went there? (They always do telescope time terribly in these things)

All 3 girls seemed to be about 11-15 for most of it

gigglewitchyouamerrychristmas · 26/12/2007 23:44

wish they'd forced the issue about waiting to go on pointe - it might have saved me from the annual round of teenage nagging

expatinscotland · 26/12/2007 23:47

OMG, run from any school putting them en pointe so young!

There is NO reason for it and it is detrimental for their feet and joints.

They should start at the barre, the last few minutes of class.

Centre work, no way till they are very advanced.

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