Season's Greetings to all my readers...................
(if I have any left !!)

I have just remembered that it's over a year since I last posted here. I am feeling a mite guilty as I have friends here who have e-mailed me asking where the XXXXX I have got to. The answer is that I am still in St Petersburg, still dancing, still with the same company and, much to my surprise, doing really rather well.

2007 was a good year for me and I got to dance leads in several productions, and getting promoted in July which was ahead of schedule as far as I was concerned.

I've also toured abroad twice, going to the States and South America and also back to the UK. All tiring but wonderful experience.

Domestically, Yekaterina and I have bought an apartment between us and set up home together. Contrary to what some people forecast, we are still in love and still bestest friends too. Thankfully St P is a broadminded place as is the company so things have been pretty smooth for us.

2008 is liable to be a lot tougher for us both. We are both at the level where we either stick where we are, make a good living for the next ten or twelve years or so, but never fully achieve our real ambitions. Or else we think about moving to another company where there is not such a log jam at Principal and Senior Soloist level.

The trouble about ballet is that there are always roles you HAVE to dance but finding the right company where you CAN get to dance them is the problem. At the moment we are vacillating and god knows what will happen.

Apart from being an absentee here for a long time, I have done no serious photography - no time - but I am thinking of buying a new digi camera in which I can use my old interchangeable lenses.

Yes, a digi SLR is an expensive proposition but this year neither of us has taken a holiday and barely spent any money beyond normal living expenses. So maybe we can justify an old car for Yekaterina and a new camera for me !! Watch this space.

I hope all of you have a wonderful 2008 and may your dreams come true and your hopes be fulfilled.


Love and hugs