Bloody Prima Donnas

Birmingham's just not good enough for some people.

In the highly competitive upper echelons of the ballet world, what Clara Blanco did several years ago is almost unheard of.

In 2006, the San Francisco Ballet corps member quit the company and headed for England’s Birmingham Royal Ballet. A year later, she was eager, if not desperate, to return to San Francisco.

. . .

The Birmingham year did afford Blanco the opportunity to perform in major ballets by Ashton and MacMillan, who are rarely represented in SFB’s repertory. But she hated the weather in the English city (“I think it rained 300 days that year”) and the touring, and wasn’t prepared for the rigid casting system. (“You are not permitted to do roles until dancers with more seniority have performed them first.”)

Since when was ballet performed outdoors, you whining prancer?