The young girls in La Pastorale (1926) Photo Sasha
Today I gave an early morning tour for dancers of the Richard Alston Dance Company. Occasionally the V&A will make such special arrangements for associated organisations to have a tour before the museum opens. Richard himself has helped considerably with the exhibition including creating the minute of choreography to enable us to record the process.
Anyway it is always delightful to take an enthusiastic group around. There was a lovely moment after the group had left when one of the gallery attendants asked if I noticed that the girl in the film was one of the group? It was Hannah Kidd that he had spotted.
A few weeks ago another attendant said to me that it was very unusual that visitors laughed in an exhibition but they did in Diaghilev. He could not have said anything which would delight me more. This is an exhibition about theatre and when I did my presentation to the Board of Trustees to tell them about our plans I finished by saying that I hoped the exhibition would be fun. I think, at least for some people we have succeeded.