#lot: london n4

[bluebirdharry]

As It Was | London, UK 17/06

[daisyblog]

Our Story

Summary: YN and Harry have known each other since 2010 when YN's brother, Louis, is put in a band with Harry and three other boys when they auditioned for The X Factor. From the very beginning, YN and Harry were always close, and as time went on feelings grew deeper. This is YN and Harry's story. Faceclaim: Maia Mitchell

YN:

YN Tomlinson An insight into YN's life.

Tattoos YN's tattoos.

Songs Songs (or parts of songs) Harry's written about YN.

Lockscreen Harry and YN's lockscreen photos over the years.

TikTok TikTok’s YN has posted.

2011:

Will You Go On A Date With Me? YN and Harry spend time together and their feelings start to grow. First Date YN and Harry go on their first date. Caught YN and Harry’s relationship is exposed after a photo of them kissing is leaked. Written in Louis' POV.

Caught: Pt2 How Niall, Zayn and Liam found out about Harry and YN's relationship.

2012:

Trust YN and Harry take the next step in their relationship.

Worried YN is worried after her and Harry take the next step in their relationship, and ends up talking to Anne about it.

Little Things YN hears Little Things for the first time.

2013:

Kiss and Make Up Harry and YN have their first argument.

Happy Birthday YN It's YN's Birthday.

Personal Bodyguard YN gets hurts by paparazzi and Harry becomes protective.

YN in This Is Us YN appears in clips in One Direction: This Is Us. Story Of My Life YN appears in the Story Of My Life music video.

2014:

Team Niall YN at The Niall Horan Charity Football Match.

Where We Are YN appears in clips in Where We Are San Siro.

Late YN realises her period is late.

Mother's Love Anne and Jay can see the love Harry and YN have for each other.

Night Changes YN in Harry's part of the Night Changes music video.

2015:

Risky Fun YN and Harry have a little fun on the boys tour bus and get caught by Niall.

I Have One Direction play ‘Never Have I Ever’ on The Ellen Show, and the questions target Harry.

Never Have I Ever Harry gets embarrassed playing a game of Never Have I Ever on The Jonathan Ross Show.

2016:

Just Hold On Harry takes care of YN.

2017:

Teddy Harry surprises YN with a new little addition to their family.

2018:

Shattered Hearts The argument that led to Harry and YN going on a break.

Little Break People find out that Harry and YN have broken up.

Cherry How Cherry was made.

To Be So Lonely How To Be So Lonely was made.

Adore You How Adore You was made.

Gogglebox YN and Louis on Gogglebox.

2019:

Burnout Harry and Louis help YN.

Watermelon Sugar How Watermelon Sugar was made.

Zach Sang Show Louis discusses a small part of YN and Harry's relationship on a talk show.

Spill Your Guts: Harry Styles & YN Tomlinson Harry challenges YN to a game of Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts. Friendship Test Niall Horan and YN Tomlinson Take a Friendship Test.

I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here YN is on I'm A Celeb.

2020:

Unexpected Visitor YN has an unexpected visitor.

2022:

Zane Lowe YN is mentioned in Harry’s interview with Zane Lowe.

Uncle Popstar Freddie goes to one of Harry's shows.

Capital FM Interview Harry talks about his new music, My Policeman and Don’t Worry Darling…and of course YN.

Venice Film Festival YN and Louis attend the Venice Film Festival with Harry.

2023:

No Complaints A fan catches a moment between Harry and YN, where she turns something innocent to sexual.

Send To All YN joins Michael McIntyre for a game of Send To All.

Proud Sister YN is by Louis side at his London Premiere for All of Those Voices.

YN and Harry Love On Tour YN and Harry's Outfits and Instagrams during Love On Tour.

Love At Wembley Harry asks YN to marry him at Wembley.

"I'm here for your girlfriend" Harry announces he's engaged during a Wembley Show.

I Think I’m In Love Fans meet YN at LOT Wembley N4.

“Oh Harry” Anne’s reaction to ‘Keep Driving’ lyrics.

Thank You Harry and YN's Love On Tour thank you posts on their Instagram stories.

Faith In The Future Tour Snippets of YN and Harry supporting Louis on his tour.

Niece YN's reaction to having her first Niece.

Mrs Burton YN's reaction to Lottie getting engaged.

Hair YN's reaction to Harry's new hairstyle.

Pregnancy Follow YN and Harry's journey through pregnancy.

2024:

Uncle Harry Harry and YN meet Gemma’s baby.

Wedding Bells Harry and YN finally say “I do!”.

Mr and Mrs Styles Instagram post from Harry and YN’s wedding.

Love Day Harry and YN celebrate their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple.

Hormones YN gets emotional listening to Louis’ interview.

Birthday Twin YN and Harry welcome their baby girl into the world.

Uncle Louis Louis meets Grace for the first time.

Uncle Niall Niall meets Grace.

Dad Mode Harry is overprotective of Grace and worries about everything.

Love for Grace Instagram posts about Grace.

Big Cousin YN’s by Lottie’s side when she finds out she’s pregnant with baby number two.

Styles in Rome Harry, YN and Grace have their first family holiday in Italy.

Cool Sister Lottie talks about YN during her radio interview when promoting her new book.

Big Brother, Little Sister YN, Harry and Grace find out Baby Burton is going to be a girl.

Cousin Love Freddie meets Grace.

The Show Harry, YN and Grace go to Niall’s show in Manchester.

Bare Hands YN notices that Harry wears less rings and no nail polish.

Twitter YN does a Q&A on Twitter.

Sent From Heaven Harry and YN find out they’re expecting Baby Styles number two.

Happy Birthday Anne YN’s instagram post wishing Anne a happy birthday.

Happy Halloween YN, Harry and Grace celebrate their first Halloween as a family of three.

Big Sister YN, Harry and Grace announce their little family is growing.

Happy Birthday Gemma YN’s instagram post wishing Gemma a happy birthday.

The Month of December YN’s Instagram posts leading up to Christmas.

2025:

Baby Styles is a… YN, Harry and Grace find out the gender of baby styles.

Happy Birthday Zayn YN’s Instagram post wishing Zayn a happy birthday.

Happy Birthday Husband YN’s Instagram post wishing Harry a happy birthday.

[betty-talks]

Time for my big long theory about the eras tour London (most of this is snippets of things from various twitter users). Sorry I’m about to get so professional and this is super long but I’m so serious about this.

So it all starts with this picture. As usual, Taylor uses little symbols to represent the 5 openers that are opening alongside paramore. BUT, I think the symbols are also hints for the little unhinged things she’s gonna do each night.

Starting with London N4, she represented Sofia Isella with a heart. She also brought out Ed Sheeran and they sang a song together. I think the heart could represent him, since they’re best friends.

Then onto N5, she represented Holly Humberstone with a star. She also wore a new midnights bodysuit, one made out of stars.

Then today, N6, Suki Waterhouse is represented by a typewriter. So, whatever she does tonight has to have something to do with TTPD. To fuel the fire, Post Malone has been spotted in London, and Florence Welch has been spotted at the eras tour again. I think we’re getting an appearance of either one or both of them.

Now for the next two nights. N7 is Maisie Peters, represented by a hat. I have two theories for this. One, maybe another Travis appearance on stage. Two, an ICDIWABH music video announcement, which is more likely.

Then, N8, the big final night of the European leg. People have a lot of different theories, especially about reputation Taylor’s Version, but I don’t quite think that’ll happen. To continue with my theory, the opener Raye is represented by a camera. I believe she’s announcing a behind the scenes documentary, especially because each night there has been video of a camera crew following Taylor backstage, and remaining back there for the entirety of the show (tonight’s footage shown below).

There has also been hints to that night being important, including the bag Taylor was seen holding earlier this week that’s called the “Brown Tuesday Bag,” and Tuesdays show is colored in brown from when Taylor Nation announced it.

Some people also think reputation could be announced tonight (she wore blue today and debuted a new midnights bodysuit last night, which she also did before announcing 1989 TV), which I’m down to clown any night, but personally I think a VMAs announcement makes a little more sense.

Ok that’s all sorry for the HUGE rant.

[claudiajcregg]

favourite/warmest eras tour attending memories 🩷🩷🩷

Ahh, such a good question! Feels impossible to answer it because being there was such a dream… And being able to do so as many times as I did was a privilege. I'm truly so lucky. I could go on forever and ever.

Since this has gotten long, I'll highlight a couple and then put the others under a cut… But I know I'll be missing so many of them.

Most important: the JOY you could breathe and feel around the stadiums or cities when it came to town. The girlhood. Immaculate vibes all around.

Getting to go to a few London dates with my longtime bestie @wavesoutbeingtossed, who just gets it (even more than I do!), who's always been there for me, and having these wonderful shared experiences was a highlight of 2024. Let's not wait another 11.5 years!

I definitely wept a little with the intro every time, but especially in Madrid N1. I was so choked up I couldn't sing until Cruel Summer.

I know I paid the money for that but my N1 ticket was just an incredible view. Though I'll say I don't think there was a bad seat anywhere – Bernabeu being tall and not the widest also meant you felt so close.

Her Spanish greetings and words. If there's something a Spanish crowd loves, it is an artist trying their hand at the language. Even if it's a simple Hola. (See also, Gracie's "Feliz Cumpleaños" last week.)

OH MY GOD. Kam's "Ni de coña." It was the perfect, most appropriate choice and we went wiiiiiild. It's the one I was hoping for. ("Ni borracha" in N2 was also great, but ni de coña was it. The WANEGBT phrases were always so accurate.)

Taylor commenting how no one had ever sung ATW10M that loud ever in the middle of the song (in Madrid N2), while strumming the guitar. Her mouthing "I love this crowd" to the Starlights at a few points. Also, she also most definitely sang “In the middle of the night in Madrid” for one of them. (It was one of the projects.) Madrid N1 was great and loud, but N2 was on another level.

I… might not have particularly loved the Madrid mashups all that much, especially, coming off Lisbon getting a bunch of my faves back to back to back, but realizing she was about to play Sparks Fly was a relief (I was getting a top fave!) and brought me so much joy. I liked the songs I got, but at that moment I was slightly disappointed.

That said, being the first city to get all eras up to that point (post-TTPD) was special.

I kept expecting a mashup with KOMH the following night (and I think I thought of The Alchemy for the vibes, but IDK anymore) but it's one of my fave rep songs, and I was happy to get to hear the second verse! (I have a fic with that title.) Little did I know, I only had to wait two and a half months for this to pay off at a concert I didn't yet have tickets for.

I just can't explain it, but seeing Taylor in my hometown, in my team's stadium, was a lot. Especially because it wasn't supposed to happen. I never got out of the waitlist. (I looked for codes and the link to the sale after Madrid N1 went on sale and succeeded. And then I got lucky to find a decently priced resale ticket.)

Her visible emotion in London N4, at the start, after having to cancel Vienna. You could feel the looooove. My heart.

I think we all know my favorite moment is the London N4 mashups. Recognizing the first few notes of EHC on guitar and turning to waves laughing because what are the odds. (I checked and EHC was played more than The Alchemy if we don't count its post show slot!)

Getting to see Ed for such a good medley! The rush of realizing the theatrics had a reason. Justice for Run. You'd have also fit really well bb.

And, of course, ten minutes later, I heard the first few notes of KOMH on the piano and laughed even harder because we both got repeat surprise songs? Anyway, Taylor personally said those are Elena and waves' songs. I don't make the rules.

I'm glad I didn't have service during N4 because I'd have failed Mastermind. But I got a bunch of outfits right for N5 and N6! Especially the 1989 combos, which always felt like the hardest. (I could chat about the mastermind game forever, but the red shirt was the one I failed at).

The big group of friends in N5 that exorcized a bunch of demons during the TTPD set and, especially, Dear John (x SBT). Same.

The realization that the Midnights bodysuit in N5 wasn't one I/we recognized. I was there for the premiere of my favorite bodysuit??? (I do love the scallops one, too.)

I could highlight so many sets. The energy during Fearless or 1989 is just unreal. The Speak Now intro is simply gorgeous. The acoustic was always excellent, because of the genius of the seamless combinations, both musically and lyrically. The 22 hat is adorable and always yanked a smile out of me.

But… Marjorie. Every time. Something so special about hearing Taylor sing alongside her grandmother in big, iconic stadiums. It's wild that, as of posting this, I've lost two more grandparents, but that song will forever remind me of my maternal grandpa.

All the shutouts to Paramore who always killed it. I did love listening to "The Only Exception" every time, with Hayley serenading her Taylor.

I'll highlight Hayley Williams dedicating Decode to Mr. Suki Waterhouse. (He had to be watching on some family and friends dedicated live stream.)

Doing the V&A storyteller route thing with waves! We didn't do them all because we refused to queue for a long time, but it was so fun. Realizing that the Fortnight MV dress is leather and seeing it up close? omg.

And once again, the love and light and vibes. And getting to spend a few days with waves, which we oughta repeat soon 🥹💜💜💜💜

Anyway, I took out so many (some were more personal or random) and I am sure I'm actually forgetting others. It truly was the honor of a lifetime. Seeing Taylor, when I missed her in Madrid (almost 14 years ago now!) because we were living abroad then, had long been on my bucket list. I love live music.

[yuneu]

Heyyy youu!! Your regular de(a)er Santa here 🦌

I saw you took a poetics exam, how did it go? I hope it went well. Make sure to take time off to rest in the next few days!! You deserve it <3 IDK about you (are u feeling 22? Sorry, excuse my lame humor), but I usually feel sleepy after an exam. I just get home and fall asleep for 5 hours straight to unwind from repressed anxiety and stress LOL Also, poetics!! Wow!! How'd you like this class? Was it more philosophy-oriented or literature-oriented? I had many branches of poetics in my syllabus myself LMAOOO

Anyway, ooooh I like your personality already!! You sound like sparkles and sunshine 🥺🫶 and I'm happy to hear about what the Lover era means to you. I'm glad you have an era to look at this way!! I have one, too. And it's the Red TV era. It was the best time of my life. When it comes to my fav album/era, though, I LOVE evermore, reputation, and TTPD. I can't choose one. They're #1 in my top 3. They're #1 in any ranking lmaoooo I relate to evermore. A lot!! I'd say I'm a mix of evermore, red TV, and depending on my mood and the people around me, I can be 1989, or reputation, or midnights. The people around me play a significant role in which version of me is out there, socially LOL

Did you get the chance to attend Eras? If yes, I WANNA HEAR EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!!!! If not, did you get to watch it on live streams? Or keep up with the tour in any way? What's your fav chant/ swiftie tradition so far?

Love chatting with you already!!!

Talk to you soon,

your Deer Santa 🦌🎅☃️

hiiiii <3

i did! it went okay, i would say! it was the exam i studied the least for, cause most of it was narratology and literary theory, but i missed a bunch of stuff lmaoo. oooh what did you study? i'm a literature student with a 'teaching' focus so it's part of my degree!

red tv era was so nice! i felt like it was simultaneously such a calm and exciting time to be a swiftie, and red is one of my absolute darlings so <3 one of my favorite re-recordings actually, i listen to it all the time

same i do feel like i mirror(ball.mp3) the people around me lmao, though i do tend to stay relatively extroverted overall haha

i did!! i couldn't afford to get a ticket to paris so my best friend offered me a ticket to london n4, i just paid for the eurostar there! <3 i entered a second state when taylor brought out ed and sang everything has changed cause it's one of my favorite songs of herssss. my favorite performance was definitely shake it off, i didn't expect to like it the most but i went absolutely crazy so it remains my favorite lmaoo. my favorite tradition i think was the good old heart hands... so special to do it with taylor after years of adoring her and watching her past concerts' films where she does it!!! i also did the balloon thing during evermore era because a sweet woman in our section gave us golden balloons! i brought it home hehe i have it as a souvenir with my bracelets <3 what's YOUR favorite swiftie tradition??

love chatting with you toooo <3

[plungermusic]

Let’s just say that Plunger were abducted by aliens …

… or have been on retreat with the Moonies, or were suffering from a hilarious bout of adult mumps, because any of those would be less embarrassing than the real reason* it’s taken us five months to get around to reviewing Out On The Line. Our loss, as the second album from The Blue Highways is a cracking listen, keeping up the high standards set by their excellent 2020 debut Long Way To The Ground.

Thankfully, despite the years of upheaval since then, the London band is still steeped in the epic Springsteenesque New Jersey soundscapes that captured Plunger’s ear on that first outing. In a spooky instance of synchronicity with the most recent record we reviewed, there’s a distinct 80s flavour to Out On The Line: if Long Way To The Ground evoked early Bruce, the new release displays the polish and urgency of the mid 80s, so it’s more Born In The Harringay than Greetings From Finsbury Park, N4.

Nobody Lives Here Anymore epitomises the air of post-industrial rustbelt faded grandeur and blue collar defiance, with churning raw guitar a one-two punch drum beat and an air-punching stadium chorus. That vibe continues in the stately progression of the piano-led Rio Grande, with plenty of Jim Steinman-like melodrama, and the insistent Bruce-meets-Huey-Lewis chug of Running Out Of Time. There are more Steinman-y piano flourishes on the Bandish lope of Don’t Leave Me Alone along with the lead guitar doing what probably ought to be a sax solo!

Chiming piano stabs and the very Brucey line “There she stood under the carnival lights…” opens What’s A Man To Do, before breaking into bobbysox-beat-backed American Graffiti / Last Picture Show small town bittersweet nostalgia, while rapid mariachi strumming, a relentless latinate snare beat, and swirling organ (à la Tex-Mex accordion) give Streetlights the taut tension of a Tooting telenovela (or spaghetti Western… Avenue).

While great harmony vocals feature almost throughout, they take the foreground in the fine chorus of Don’t Waste Your Prayers On Me (with its otherwise highly Brucesque mumble-cum-drawl verse with references to Lazarus etc.) and even more in the sublime interactions on Tonight. Rendered slightly less a cappella than we heard it at Maverick 2022 but still with hair-raising harmonies and counterpoint full of Walker Brothers-level oomph and emotion.

Peak 80s comes in the pairing of Land Of The Free (now, how ‘Bruce’ is that title?) and Man With No Name (and that one too, now we think of it): in the former, tight near-machine drumming, one-note du-du-du-du-du-du-du-du pulsing bass (which crops up quite a lot on the album) and jangling guitar are topped with a light melodic synth hook before the Brucey bonus of a slow-build multi-voice-led crescendo coda; while a fuzzy stadium guitar melody and wind-tunnel reverb vox (and some filling-rattling bass synth) feature in the latter.

The joker in the pack turns out to be the title track itself: folky Americana driven by rattling train-rhythm brushes grows (via wordless harmony-choir bvs) to a fruit-flavoured-cider-advert festival anthem that sits a little oddly with what goes before (despite getting a bit more raucously ‘rawk’ in the closing bars).

Heightening the overall period flavour are the slick multi layer ‘big production’ with plenty of reverb and split channel tricks (the twin guitars on What’s A Man To Do, the right channel edge-of-hearing maelstrom on Streetlights or twangsome accents on Don’t Leave Me Alone): and the instrumentation, like the aforementioned repetitive pulse bass; syn-drum mimicking percussion; guitar tones ranging from the Knopflerish to Simple Minded; and Old Skool 80s keys - whether cheesy Walk Of Life organ or Born In The USA-intro electric piano.

But don’t worry, there’s absolutely nothing museum piece about Out On The Line - after all, accomplished playing and stunning singing coupled with consummate songwriting will never go out of fashion. Not even after five months…

*No, we're not telling you.

Out On The Line is available (and has been since March!) to buy as CD, Vinyl LP or digital download here: https://thebluehighways.bandcamp.com/album/out-on-the-line

[fand0mfan]

on the one hand, I look at 18, 19, 20 year olds and I’m like sooo in awe like my generation could never. But also sometimes I’m like “yall are new at being a human being and it shows lmaooo.”

Yeah, pretty much this, in an ever increasing way.

I do think it kinda comes with getting older in ways that can't be helped as you get more and more life experience under your belt. You're definitely not insane.

I wouldn't say that it's "worked itself out" for me, but I've gotten better and better over time at holding both things as true: "the kids are all right" + "oh you sweet, naive summer child" / "holy shit young folks are amazing" + "i canNOT believe you're opening your mouth about [thing about which they can be woefully underinformed]"

I know this sounds like one of those "It gets better" ads, but truly, it does. I've found it gets less and less viscerally upsetting to me when i see people being Wrong on the Internet in fan communities. It's easier to see the amazing energy and creativity and innovation coming from young folks and sort of smh and go "you'll figure it out eventually".

I mean, I was one of those clueless-and-amazing 18 year old, too, and now almost 25 years after that, I just flew across the ocean to see the boys for London N4 and had an absolute BLAST at the back of the pit by the B-stage, stone cold sober, screaming my head off with my two new concert besties, who were 26 & 31 and maybe the most affectionate drunks I've ever met.

Fan communities are seriously wonderful and also hellishly annoying places, and the more I've been in 'em, the more I just pick out how my participation is going to make me happy. My work is spent doing a lot of education and anti-racism training and facilitating difficult conversations. So for me, fandom is my happy place, and when I remind myself that I don't actually have to do the teaching and facilitation bit in fandom, it's like a big sigh of relief.

OK, this post has got to end, because I feel like a SERIOUS granny with my punctuation and paragraphs and rocking chair on the porch misty-eyed reminiscence.

You're awesome, Halla. Maybe you're just in a moment of adding a new layer of life experience and perspective and change. That's not comfy, but it's also a pretty awesome part of getting older and wiser. It's like Matty said about himself: it's growing up.

/ grammy grams time

PS--WTH Spotify?! Be My Mistake is just kicking Halla while she's down.

You def don't really know me and my mostly lurking ways, but I wanted to send you a little note of support after reading about your ambivalence over fandom and 75blr.

I'm 42, and I've been in and out of a whole lot of fandoms over the past 20+ years. That includes The Ancient Texts of yahoo groups emails lists for fic, and individual fan archive websites, and Livejournal, and the birth of AO3, and Tumblr, etc etc (FandomOld TM).

Dunno how old you are exactly, but I absolutely know how sad and grief-filled it can be to feel like you're outgrowing or leaving behind or losing investment in a fan community that used to be a haven of welcome and connection for you.

FWIW, my advice (from someone who's gone through so many rounds of that) is to absolutely name that and mourn it. And then find your own way forward, whether that's online fandom or irl fandom or whatever aspect of the fandom makes you happy.

I remember the first time this happened to me, I thought I would never find a place like that first intense fandom experience. And then I did. And sometimes I wrote fic, and sometimes I blogged in a kind of "fandom anthropologist" way, and sometimes I recorded podfic, and sometimes I wrote exceedingly long comments, and sometimes I reblogged stuff, and sometimes I lurked.

And it's all been satisfying, once I've figure out how to participate in each different fandom and platform.

You can absolutely do that same thing.

And you are absolutely right to call it mourning and loss when you feel that disconnect growing.

💗💗💗

Oh my goodness, let me tell you, I barely made it through the second sentence of this message before breaking down in tears. (And because Spotify absolutely has it out for me, it chose this exact moment to start playing Be My Mistake 😭😭💀💀)

thank you so so so so much for your support and advice. 💜💜🩷🩷🤍🤍

You’re right, I mean, I have been part of different fandoms in different capacities. I’m 29 (which I didn’t think is THAT old in this fandom, especially since the boys themselves are in their mid thirties. But Post-TikTok —or post BFIAFL/ ATVB….idk what the tool if demarcation is anymore— it’s felt weirder and weirder) but I grew up on the internet and yeah, like you said, participated in different ways. This fandom has been the first though where I’ve felt like “oh this is not just a silly little hobby this actually matters” which is largely a reflection of the band and their art, I think cuz it’s not pop music (it’s not benign at best and vapid at worst). It’s like actually saying something. but it might also just be a function of growing up. Like, I think, suddenly, I’m old enough to feel like there’s a young generation that isn’t mine. Like I’m old enough to look back and have substantial memories of the past, or have different versions of my self that have fully existed and changed. It’s a bit of a trippy feeling. Cuz, on the one hand, I look at 18, 19, 20 year olds and I’m like sooo in awe like my generation could never. But also sometimes I’m like “yall are new at being a human being and it shows lmaooo.” and it’s weird cuz a part of me is like “these kids are new at this. It’s my job to teach them or to set an example” (it’s like matty used to say during the NOACF era, the empowerment is designed for young people. You gotta make sure they feel it) but the other part of me sometimes wants to be like “open up the schools go do your homework and drink chocolate milk you little kiddos” HAHA. idk maybe it’s just part of the process you kinda have to feel these things by a certain age? Does it ever work itself out in your experience? Are am I just insane? Lmao. thanks again for the support it means so much for real 💗 I’m not very eloquent rn cuz I’m having 100963639 emotions at once but yeah 🩷

[madeintheniamh]

intro post <3

hey my loves! this is my first post on here, i have finally given in after lurking around on here for a good few months with no posts or anything. 

my name is niamh (pronounced neve), and I am 18, and from a small town near london. I’m in my first year at uni and study English!

i have the same initials as niall horan and a very similar surname to him! when i was about 9 i fully believed we were soulmates bc of this lol. 

in june i’m going to wembley n1! i’m probably also going to try and get tickets to n4 last minute. if you are going to n1 pls hmu bc i know barely anyone who is going lol. i was barricade at a wet leg gig in october so sorry to anyone who witnesses me literally screaming the words to supermarket and ur mum. rhian told me she loved me and I never fully recovered.

my fav fav harry song is carolina, followed by either meet me in the hallway or daylight. i can’t decide. i am deffo a hs1 girlie for life though ngl.

I have a lot of prompts lined up, I tend to write in chunks with loads of fics at once and then go into a writers block. idk why this happens but it just does so bare with me.

if you wanna send me prompts then feel free! I am open to writing many different things ngl. I just love writing, always have since I was a little girl. and I love Harry, so it’s a perfect combo. I’m also v open to writing about niall horan if you have any requests for him, I just haven’t thought of any good ones yet-

-niamh xxxx<3

[jbuenrostro00]

Week 11 Blog 11/04

1. Why does the media often portray black victims of police brutality as bad people who are criminals?

I believe that this portrayal of black people in the media being seen as ‘thugs’ and ‘criminals’ is in result to the underlying racism that is still heavily felt in our country today. Black men such as Eric Garner and Michael Brown were described with negative terms such as ‘giant’ or ‘huge’ and the media attacked them for their criminal history. In contrast, white criminals are portrayed in media usually with a pitiful image. Examples such as Dylan Roof, Nick Cruze, and Brock Turner, have media portrayals like being ‘mentally ill,’ ‘an outcast,’ or even ‘just on the wrong path.’ The double standards and blatant racism in many media outlets has been seen and called out by many of the public but has yet to be punished. Hopefully in the future there will be better representation and explanation in media and the racism will no longer be present. 

2. Can science be used as a way to keep one race inferior to another?

Yes, science can be used as a way to establish superiority over another race and keep a race inferior to another. In the 18th and 19th centuries, “scientific constructions of inferior, superior, and biological notions of criminals were based on older (racist) notions of differences between white and black races,” (Latoya). Science being used to justify the superiority of whites over blacks allowed for the whites to surveil their actions at all times and lead to the creation of a law enforcement that patrol this so called “problematic” population. 

3. Is the internet crucial for spreading awareness of events that are taking place?

Yes, the internet is proving to be a crucial tool to use to spread awareness of events that go on in the world. The internet allows large numbers of activist groups to spread and promote awareness on issues to thousands and even millions of people for virtually no cost (Vegh). Some examples of activism online is those against police brutality. Many videos pop up and show real life interactions between protestors/regular people and police which show the police brutalize many of those who are peacefully protesting/complying. A lot of progress that has been made can be greatly thanked to the internet. The internet is a crucial weapon because it can reach tons of people in such a small period of time and provides real life events that occur around our communities. 

4. How can organization/mobilization be useful?

Organization/mobilization is one of the three described ways of online activism. Organization/mobilization can be used to call for offline action, call for an action that usually happens offline (but is more efficient to be done online), and call for an action that can only be done online. Organization/mobilization can be useful for catching the attention of a congress person or other government official from ones community. “Call for contacting one’s congressional representative though email,” (Vegh). With organization/mobilization, it allows people to have more of an impact on their communities. People can also use organization/mobilization online to get groups of people together and rally/protest for a cause in their community/state/nation. 

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media and communication power. In Social media: A critical introduction (pp. 69-94). London: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781446270066.n4

Lee, L. (2017). Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. doi:10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, S. (2003). Classifying Forms of Online Activism The Case of Cyberprotests against the World Bank.

[nathenortizblog]

Week 11 Blog Post: Due 11/4/2020

1. How groups on Twitter such as Black Twitter an opportunity to advocate for change?

According to the reading “Black Twitter: A response to Bias in Mainstream Media” the author defines how Black Twitter formed. The author states how Black Twitter is “a subculture within the Twitter platform, and materializes through the creation of hashtags” (pg. 2). Social networks are a great way for people to connect with other whether it is through Instagram  sharing photos, or Twitter sharing memes and opinions. Additionally, Twitter is also a way where folks get there news because of how easy it is to get real time information from people across the world. Twitter also has different subgroups such as undocumented Twitter and gay Twitter, each of these having their own cultures. These subcultures such as Black Twitter have the opportunity to spread awareness on certain issues within different parts of the country through sharing Tweets and retweeting onto their timeline. An example is bringing to light candidates running for public office such as Stacy Abrams running to be the Governor of Georgia in 2018. This spreads the word about her campaign and exposes folks to the opportunity to become involved in her campaign even if they do not live in that state. A recent example is the current Senate race for Raphael Warnock in Georgia, who I did not know about until I saw it retweeted on my timeline. I was able to learn about his campaign and he is now going into a run off election for the Senate seat. If I did not hear about his campaign I would not know about how I can help get him elected even though I live in California.

2. How can online activism evolve to reach different populations of people?

In the reading “Classifying Forms of Online Activism: The case of Cyberprotests against the Word bank” the author defines online activism as “a politically motivated movement relying on the Internet” (pg.1). Many people have become more aware of performative activism where people share an awareness post but do not do anything more than that such as signing a petition. Living in California every time I share resources I have noticed I am sharing these resources to a like minded audience on Instagram. I feel sharing these resources is not as beneficial because I am not impacting an audience who may be unaware about certain issues. I think online activism can evolve to reach different populations of people by connecting with different people on different social media platforms from different states. On Twitter I follow people from different states across the country. I have even communicated with these people who are called mutuals and we connect about the different things going on in our communities. Together we have been able to share different resources with each other that can impact other folks. I have learned so much about local elections within states like Arizona and Georgia and how I can still help even though I live in California. Online activism can evolve by connecting with different folks on the Internet and getting to know them and about the issues they are passionate about within their community. Every state is at a different pace when it comes to making progress on certain issues such as California already having a plan about how to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.

3. If social media has proven to be impactful in movements why is it still under minded?

In the reading “Communication Power in the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement” the author states “the Internet were activists most important means of obtaining information about the Occupy Movement”(pg.85). Social Media such as Twitter has become more popular because of how so many people can not only get real time news updates but also because of the opportunity to learn about movements across the world. Social Media has made it easy to share resources to non profit organizations, places to donate, and to share stories of communities being impacted. However, I believe the power of social media is still under minded because of how social media originally was to be connected with family and friends and share selfies, our nice dinner, or our trip to Disneyland. I believe people feel social media is only a place to find a new dance that is trending when it is also a place to find a trending topic such as election results. Also, considering social media is used a lot by younger folks people like to assume the younger generation does not care about pressing issues such as climate change and are only focused on doing Tiktok dances. Tiktok just like Twitter has many different subgroups such as fandom Tiktok and DIY Tiktok. Social media has evolved from its original purpose and people should look into the balance social media has from being fun but also an outlet for social movements.

4. How can ads be redesigned to hit a target audience instead of being ignored?

In the reading “Classifying Forms of Online Activism: The case of Cyberprotests against the Word bank the author states defines how the internet is used for mobilization (pg.4). Campaign ads are used during election season and air on TV and now have made their way to social media. Also, automated text messages are used to encourage people to vote a certain way whether it be yes or no on a state proposition. However, at many times people mute these ads or unsubscribe from these automated text messages. The target audience has the power to silence these ads that are meant for them. I believe ads can be redesigned to be shorter in order to accompany the short form of interest people have especially on social media. Most people stop watching a Instagram story if it is longer than two posts because they lose interest so quickly. This also applies to videos that are longer than a minute. Ads should be redefined to be condensed to a shorter time frame in order to not lose their target audience. Also, in terms of automated text messages I think campaigns should work on updating the amount of times they contact their target audience in order to avoid irritating the person and pushing them to not vote at all.

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media and communication power. In Social media: A critical introduction (pp. 69-94). London: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781446270066.n4

Lee, L. (2017). Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. doi:10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, S. (2003). Classifying Forms of Online Activism The Case of Cyberprotests against the World Bank.

[katerynree]

Blog Post 11/4

1.       What role does the Black Lives Matter movement have in the political world?

Black Lives Matter, or better yet, any group that is supporting the African Americans going against systematic racism has blown up significantly this year. Recent cases of unfair abuse of the justice system have been brought to light and it is only fair that we the people go against this. Amongst the 99% of peaceful protests that have been happening, there were some riots that have also taken place. Based on what I have seen in the political aspect, the more right leaning side likes to focus mainly on these riots and pin all of them on the movement while the left focus more on the peaceful protests. I have seen many Republicans call the “organization” a terrorist group but that is just not true. They always bring up the riots and the rights the police have to defend themselves or to do anything towards people who resist arrest. The movement is a big topic for political debates and are widely discussed.

2.       How did social media help the movement as a whole?

Social media is a wide network for people to use to connect and research. I feel that it has greatly contributed to the movement as it has spread the message that the group wants to portray. People were even able to set up events where peaceful protests could take place and these events were shared in hopes of bringing in more people to support the cause. Social media allows people to see news of police brutality or these abusers being put into jail. It allows them to take in all this information and to research it themselves, while also giving them the chance to speak out as well.

3.       How is hactivism misunderstood?

Hactivism is a way for people online to call for action against a problem. It is basically just online activism for people who cannot go in person to protest. However, there are people who sees hactivism as cyberterrorism and as a way to attack others. This does not define the cause. Mainstream news criticize this type of activism and does not take into account how this form of activism is just to challenge corruption on a cyber level.

4.       How can we be better activists?

Whether it is online or in person, any form of support I feel is greatly appreciated. As long as we are aware of what is happening in the world and we take a chance to spread this awareness, it helps a great lot. Come to protests if you can, go online and share your support, challenge those that think this cause does nothing, anything you can do for your cause is valid.

 -

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media and communication power. In Social media: A critical introduction (pp. 69-94). London: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781446270066.n4

Lee, L. (2017). Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. doi:10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, S. (2003). Classifying Forms of Online Activism The Case of Cyberprotests against the World Bank.

[bluebirdharry]

London, UK 17/06

[kaylxa]

Week 11 Blog Post Due 11/4

How has the Black Lives Matter movement positively effected advocacy and awareness throughout social media platforms?

Without a doubt 2020 has been a year like no other. Living through a pandemic, fighting for basic human rights, and experiencing an election that will affect so many people’s lives drastically. With that being said, social media has played a key role in creating awareness of current events and none the less exposing the systematic racism that occurs. Alluding to, the BLM movement they have created a platform of advocacy and awareness shaping unions an educating those of what is happening in their own backyard. Uploading videos and content of police brutality against colored people specifically  black males angered people, this led to numerous protests across the country urging officials for change and justice to be served. Although, in many cases justice has not been served the BLM has created a community for people to lean on and support one another. The BLM movement will fight every day until change happens and the innocent victims and their families receive the proper apology and justice of the unmoral acts committed against them. 

Have you participated in creating awareness through social media platforms using hashtags, reposting posts, or creating your own forms of advocacy?

 I am glad to say that over the past couple months I have been very active on my social media and have used my voice and privileged to advocate for my family, friends, and strangers who do not have a voice. I am a daughter of an immigrant mother who came to the United States from Peru when she was sixteen years old. As a mixed child who has a lighter complexion I am not ignorant to the fact that I have privilege in this country because of  the color of my skin. That is why it is my duty and in my heart to fight for my family, friends, and strangers that do not have that privilege. During these past few months I have been reposting posts in regard to current events to inform people of what is happening and ways we can help to stop the horrible discrimination that is taking place. I also donated to many organizations that support BLM, women’s rights, and immigration. Recently, I have been posting a lot about the election and how it is crucial to vote because people’s lives are at stake. My advocacy on social media is strongly correlated to the support of BLM, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, Immigration, Health Care, and basic human rights that no one should be stripped away from.

What is online activism?

Online activism is defined as a politically motivated movement relying on the Internet. In other words, the Internet is the platform used in order for users to express their views on certain topics such as health care, women’s rights, BLM, and etc. In regard to, “politically motivated” I would like to highlight that unfortunately we live in a country that incorporates politics and religion in many topics influencing the way people argue against and argue for. With online activism many users create a virtual environment that expresses the need for basic human rights and the need to acknowledge white supremacy and find ways to diminish it and one day completely get rid of it. 

What are the three categories that offensive online actions fall into?

Alluding to, the question above the three categories that offensive online actions fall into are the following: cyberattack, cybercampaign, and cyberwar. Although, the Internet provides online activism there are risks at play. Those risks can be very detrimental and caused by cyberattacks which are isolated and cyber wars that have a mutual engagement. in many cases we see hackers across all platforms involving technology. These hackers can steal all your personal information to posting random things on your social media accounts. When using the Internet it is important to be aware of these risks and do your best to avoid them. It is also important to be safe because there are bad people out there that use the Internet as a way to be predators. This ties in with previous posts about “internet trolling,” it is important to be aware of the negative sides of the Internet but also not to take away from creating advocacy and awareness. 

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media and communication power. In Social media: A critical introduction (pp. 69-94). London: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781446270066.n4

Lee, L. (2017). Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. doi:10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, S. (2003). Classifying Forms of Online Activism The Case of Cyberprotests against the World Bank.

[gheadinwords]

stuff I like

cursing. damn I love cursing. my mom hates that I like it. She's the type who says "woman shouldn't curse" and then curses the whole family all day, she's funny. for me cursing is a bit like writing, a way to express a feeling, I specially love cursing in my language, there's nothing like a CARALHO or PORRA to express excitement or rage. in Japanese is just no fun basically. in spanish is almost as fun as in portugese. in english is...fine. it's fun, specially when I learn new cursing words, but it's not even close to cursing in my language.

anime. if I actually talk about everything I think about anime I'll be here for two days. let's just say I like it. not as much as I did as a child or a teen. but I still like it a lot.

reading. ugh I love love love reading. I've always had. I remember being inside a car when I was 5 and reading shop signs, it was amazing. then I started reading books and met many new people and places and gods and animals and aliens and plants. reading is the thing that I love the most in this life. so I like books, subtitles, mangas, webtoons, lyrics, my kindle, fanfics, and all that stuff.

music. I guess I love music normally. I do think I would lose 50% of my will to live if I couldn't listen to music even again tho. but sometimes there's no music that makes me forget my thoughts or feel better, so I go back to reading or sleep.

sleep. I hate it. but I need it. I'm usually really good at it. I do have insomnia tho. me record is 14 hours of sleep non stop. super cool right?

Language. as in idioms. sign language is an idiom too, right?. I learned I liked other idioms when I was 9. my sibling studied english since he was 9 so I started at the same age, 6 years after him. I was good. the best for a few years. then some kids who lived in London came to my class and I discovered I actually knew nothing and lost a bit of interest. Still liked going to class tho. the bicycle I used was stolen, my dad decided to stop paying for english classes as punishment, I was 12. I was already into anime and stuff, and some mangas are only available in english, actually most of them. So I just learned the rest of the english language by myself so I could read japanese comics. When I got into high school my mom asked if I wanted to take japanese classes, they were free, so my dad didn't say anything. of course I wanted to take japanese classes. and I did, for a year and a half. I loved it. the free course ended, my parents let me take a few more payed months so I could take a proficiency test. then I was on my own again. I can talk almost as well as english, my writing is stuck at N4 tho lol. I still wanna learn a few more idioms, sign language in all the idioms that I know, and maybe I'll be satisfied.

[desertislandcloud]

“This track drives at the heart of the decision makers in positions of power, who take lethal decisions with little care of the consequences. Arms deals, corruption, dictators and Orwellian never-ending wars of propaganda stoked the fires for ‘Ammunition’.” 

Produced by Jake Gordon (Skepta, J Hus, Everything Everything), ‘Ammunition’ is AKIVA’s full-blooded roar of defiance, set to a king-sized independent-rock backdrop. It opens with a slick, hypnotic bass-and-drums groove that flowers into a widescreen assault of big guitar lines, horn-like melodic stabs and, unforgettably, that angry yet anthemic vocal. From frontman Dave MacKenzie’s opening “Pay Attention, Pay Attention” salvo through to memorably prophetic lines such as “Before you know it we’ll be arming both sides”, it soon becomes crystal clear that AKIVA have written an important song, full of passion and satirical observation to underscore the fast-shifting, global crisis of our time. And it’s a fantastic rock’n’roll record to boot.

Following the success of the official promo to previous track ‘M.O.D.’, AKIVA returned to brilliant Berlin-based animator Wayne McCauslin to create a sophisticated, absorbing video accompaniment to ‘Ammunition’. McCauslin actually worked on his creation while in Vietnam, where war museums and local tales helped to conjure the imagery that works so effectively with the track. And if you’re fortunate enough to see AKIVA live this summer, you’ll see how the band incorporate the video into their intense performances.

About AKIVA “Never in our lifetimes have we seen the levels of social bitterness and division we’re seeing now. Economics has failed the masses, world leaders are at each other’s throats and globalism is cracking. Everywhere you look there is tension. We’ve always believed music should stand for something and carry a message. There’s a lot to shout about in the world today, and we’ve got a lot to say.” AKIVA

Alongside the anticipated touchstones of pop music excellence – the Stones, Krautrock, Madchester, psychedelia, the rhythmic lyricism of Alex Turner and Courtney Barnett – AKIVA are happy to acknowledge cultural references less readily associated with rock’n’roll, namely UK current affairs programmes Newsnight and Question Time, and the trusty BBC Radio 4. For here is a band who believe that music is a medium for a message, never more so than in these troubled times. “Our songs tend to have a heavy theme of conflict and aggression running through them lyrically,” says frontman Dave MacKenzie. “Grab a beat, a bassline, add a view of the world and you’re on the right track.”

Three-quarters of AKIVA – Malcolm Carter (guitar, vox), Rob Mercel (bass) and Dave Mercel (drums) – have known each other since their schooldays at a Bedfordshire comprehensive, variously soaking up the delights of warehouse raves, classic guitar riffery, and grunge. Singer, guitarist and synth programmer Dave MacKenzie then arrived from England’s northwest, bringing with him a passion for breakbeat, the Madchester scene and anything with a bit of groove and swagger. Honing their art in a dingy south London rehearsal room, AKIVA found themselves sharing the studio space with Kasabian, whose processed beats and retro licks weren’t a million miles away from where AKIVA themselves were heading. Throw in shuffling broken drum beats, rolling basslines, twinkling analogue synths and punchy, percussive lyrics and you have the AKIVA sound, fully formed.

Those lyrics, of course, have a political intent. George Orwell is a band hero, and his writings informed much of AKIVA’s first album, ‘Can’t Buy Revolutions’, as well as previous single ‘M.O.D.’, which garnered a series of enthused reviews. Themes of war, conflict, and turmoil remain prevalent in the quartet’s output and, sadly, there’s no end of the material to draw on in 2018. “We’re generally fascinated and a bit terrified at the current state of the world,” says Dave, “and how it resembles the periods running up to the two world wars in terms of huge inequality, segregation, and racial tension, and politicians using people’s fears and financial insecurities to whip up a culture of division, mistrust, and discrimination.” AKIVA have an internationalist message to spread, one that reacts against fear and division. And you know what they say about rebellion informing the best art…

See AKIVA live Friday 20 July: Pennfest, Amersham, Bucks (On stage 14.50) Saturday 8th September: The Finsbury, London N4

Links https://soundcloud.com/akivamusic https://twitter.com/akivamusic https://www.facebook.com/akivamusic https://akivamusic.bandcamp.com

[gramilano]

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell are quickly becoming The Royal Ballet’s ‘couple to see’. After recent successes dancing Clara and the Nutcracker, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, over the Christmas season, they have just debuted in Giselle. An important moment in the career of any dancer.

The Guardian said that Hayward was “nothing less than exquisite” and remarked on the “illusion of spontaneity” she brings to the choreography, while The Telegraph was blown away by Campbell’s “immersion in character” and the “punch of his dancing”. Another test passed triumphantly. Facebook was awash with appreciative comments the next day: critics are useful; a fan-base is indispensable.

The Nutcracker with Alexander Campbell as The Nutcracker, Francesca Hayward as Clara © ROH, Tristram Kenton, 2013

Hayward and Campbell first danced together when she was a last-minute substitute as Clara in December 2013.

It was seeing The Nutcracker that set Hayward off on her ballet journey, though she saw it on video. Her grandparents, wanting to keep her occupied, bought her a copy “on a whim”.

I still feel emotional every time I dance Clara and the Sugar Plum as they are definitely a realisation of my dream. Two of my favourite and most emotional moments are Clara and Hans Peter’s pas de deux in Act One and the Grand Pas de Deux of the Sugar Plum Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Act Two. They are probably the two parts I danced the most from the whole ballet when I was little, dancing them at home by myself, and the music always gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I hear it.

Last season, soon after the end of the The Nutcracker run came The Sleeping Beauty and during that period Hayward and Campbell performed together as Clara and the Nutcracker/Hans-Peter (in Peter Wright’s version of the ballet, Drosselmeyer’s nephew, Hans-Peter, has been transformed into a Nutcracker Doll), the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince, Bluebird and Princess Florine, and they debuted together as Aurora and Prince Florimund.

It was probably about three or four months in total rehearsing and performing together — says Campbell — and I feel like it was hugely beneficial to us, as it gave us a lot of time to get to know one another. It felt as though we were able to take things from each of the performances and build on that as we worked towards the next one. It was one of the most enjoyable times in my career.

Hayward adds,

It’s been great to have a consistent partner to learn the art of pas de deux a little better and I think we have a lot of respect for each other. We’ve shared some important debuts and daunting first night shows together!

Made it through today’s matinee! Thanks to my fantastic prince @acampbell_1 for getting me through this afternoon’s Sugar Plum marathon & to our incredible coach Lesley Collier 💕 H a p p y N e w Y e a r 💕 #sugarplumfairy #nutcracker #ballet #royalballet #exhausted #butlovedit

A post shared by francesca hayward (@frankiegoestohayward) on Dec 30, 2017 at 3:24pm PST

So, what makes the partnership work?

Francesca is a very intelligent performer and her approach to performances and to developing a character isn’t too dissimilar to mine. I think we both like things to make sense in our head when we are out there on stage. When it comes together and works well it is a really satisfying feeling.

Hayward senses that she is “very calm and safe” dancing with Campbell:

Most importantly we hear and feel the music with the same musicality. This is great as it means we can be more flexible and adaptable with our steps together. If the music’s faster or slower, I can take a little longer or make a step a little quicker without panicking him as I know he is with me and won’t be surprised! I have complete trust in him to always have my back… quite literally!

An excellent coach can make the difference between a series of steps and a dance, between approximated moves and those executed with all nuances the choreographer intended. None is better than The Royal Ballet’s Lesley Collier, who was a Principal Dancer with the company from 1972 until her retirement in 1995 and has been a répétiteur at Covent Garden for almost two decades. She also happens to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in the video that inspired Hayward to start dancing.

Lesley Collier has coached us for nearly all our roles together. I think she’s a wonderful coach as she has always learned the steps through the music and the story, and the thoughts and feelings that go with marrying the two. I personally find it really hard to be inspired when I am taught something by being given rigid counts.

The Sleeping Beauty with Francesca Hayward as Princess Aurora and Alexander Campbell as Prince Florimund © ROH, Bill Cooper, 2017

The Royal Ballet’s practice to invite its retired stars to coach carries on through the generations; former Royal Ballet Principal Jonathan Cope became a répétiteur immediately after he stopped dancing in 2005.

Alexander and I were also coached for The Sleeping Beauty by Jonathan Cope which was immensely helpful for the technical aspects like lifts and grips. It was also an amazing chance to dance with him — he would often lift me and partner me to show us how to do it!

Campbell says that he feels “inspired” by having Collier in the studio with them:

It took me quite a while not to be star struck by her – this was the ballerina who created Rhapsody with Baryshnikov after all! But, that aside, she is incredibly caring and knowledgeable, and it’s been a real pleasure getting to work with her. I have a real appreciation for Lesley’s commitment and eye for detail and I know that Francesca looks up to Lesley a great deal.

Yet not everyone looks up to Collier — one Royal Ballet Principal famously does things her own way, throwing out many of the choreographer’s intentions in doing so. But Hayward’s eager to learn and learn well:

It’s great to have Lesley pass down comments and notes from Ashton and Macmillan. Lesley was the first Sugar Plum Fairy and Lise from La fille mal gardée that I watched on a video as a child, so it’s incredible to be in the studio being taught these ballets by her.

Not every little girl who watches a ballet video starts taking ballet classes, and very few young dancers get into a company, but for Hayward there was to be a promotion every year with The Royal Ballet from 2013 until she became a Principal Dancer in 2016.

When Kevin O’Hare [Director of The Royal Ballet] promoted me I hadn’t done any big tutu roles yet — The Sugar Plum Fairy and Aurora were yet to come — so I think he saw the potential for that, but really I think he saw that I was capable of dancing the bigger roles because I could convincingly tell a story which is essential to nearly any ballet.

I think he also knows that I’m generally pretty calm and I take everything in my stride both on stage and off.

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Giselle with Alexander Campbell as Albrecht and Francesca Hayward as Giselle. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2018

Campbell’s story started in Sydney, Australia, when he was so excited by what he saw at his grandmother’s dancing school, that he began studying there when he was just five. Inspired by Baryshnikov, he chose ballet over cricket as a teenager:

One of the qualities I most admire about Mikhail Baryshnikov is the sense that he performs everything with real commitment and sincerity. It is something that I try to bring to my own performances and I believe it is a quality that really stands out. I certainly appreciate it in others when I see it.

He crossed the globe to study for a short while at the Royal Ballet Upper School before joining the Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 2011 he moved to The Royal Ballet as was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2016, the same year as Hayward.

I would say that my versatility has probably helped me get to where I am. I think that the biggest joy and challenge for the Principals of The Royal Ballet is having to perform the vast amount of repertoire we have here, often with conflicting styles and demands, at the highest possible level.

Becoming a Principal and being entrusted with roles such as Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty and Albrecht in Giselle has widened his horizons even more.

Both these roles have allowed me to work really hard on my classical technique and it’s forced me to examine the way I do certain things. My aim is always to work hard on the technical elements in class and rehearsals so that by the time we get to performances the steps are just an extension of the character I am playing as opposed to a series of steps and enchaînnements. It’s a lot easier in theory than in practice but that is the aim!

Last night after our official debut in Giselle. So glad @katchkadeem was on hand to snap this picture! Thank you! Thank you also for all the wonderful support we have received, especially on Instagram. Knowing so many people were rooting for us was a special feeling. I also have to thank my beautiful partner @frankiegoestohayward – I feel very fortunate to have been onstage with you for your first Giselle and thank you for being such a pleasure to perform with ⭐ – – – – #royaloperahouse #royalballet #giselle @royaloperahouse

A post shared by Alexander Campbell (@acampbell_1) on Feb 10, 2018 at 3:17am PST

After Giselle, Hayward and Campbell will both be dancing in The Winter’s Tale, though not together, but then will team up again for Manon in April.

Campbell says,

I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve worked on together so far and I hope that we will have the opportunity to develop this relationship further as I feel it could be something quite special.

One ballet to add on to the list of possible future collaborations would be Romeo and Juliet.

I saw Francesca perform Juliet for the first time and I thought that it was a really beautiful interpretation of the role — I’d love to play against it because I think she gives her partners, and all the cast members around her, so much to work with. Here’s hoping!

I mentioned sincerity on stage as something that I admire in performers and I think that Francesca displays absolute sincerity whenever she performs. It makes it very easy for me to play off and it is genuinely exciting to be onstage with her.

Hayward quips,

Who knows what the future’s got in store, but I hope we have a lot more Nutcrackers ahead of us!

END

The Nutcracker with Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2016

The Nutcracker with Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell. © ROH, Helen Maybanks 2016

Interview with The Royal Ballet’s hot couple: Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell are quickly becoming The Royal Ballet's ‘couple to see’. After recent successes dancing Clara and the Nutcracker, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, over the Christmas season, they have just debuted in…