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  1. I saw this on BRB's website. I think it's instead of their gala but it appears to limited to Tchaikovsky which I think is a bit limiting in terms of the repertoire. Not sure if I can make it myself but wanted to share in case others were interested. It's on Thursday 28 March which is annoying because I prefer weekend events as they're easier logistically. Tchaikovsky Classics with Birmingham Royal Ballet | Birmingham Royal Ballet (brb.org.uk)
  2. Birmingham Royal Ballet starts a lengthy run of Sir Peter Wright's handsome production of Sleeping Beauty, tonight in Southampton. Please do post any thoughts here.
  3. Cesar Morales has been appointed new AD at Santiago Ballet from March 2024 https://www.instagram.com/p/C2TYHSwMTgO/?igsh=MXBwNnN1MWc1NDZlZw==
  4. The short run of this bill started tonight at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Brandon Lawrence will be making his last appearances with BRB during it. Tickets still available. Any thoughts / feedback here, please.
  5. PRESS RELEASE Monday 19 June 2023 BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS, JOINERS AND LEAVERS FOR 2023/24 SEASON Carlos Acosta, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, has today announced promotions within the Company and new joiners for the 2023/24 season saying: ‘It has been a whirlwind year so far for everyone involved in Birmingham Royal Ballet. As the 2022-23 Season draws to an end I know everyone is looking forward to a well-deserved break and to returning in August with renewed energy for the exciting season ahead. We will continue to balance classical favourites with new work specially commissioned for the company and, after a hugely successful first year, we bring a new cohort to our BRB2 company for another national tour. I want to say a very special thank you in particular to Marion Tait who has been a constant inspiration to everyone here and in the world of ballet. Also Carmen Piqueras and Brandon Lawrence whose glittering careers I know will continue to flourish.’ Promotions Announced on stage by Carlos Acosta during the run of Swan Lake at Birmingham Hippodrome, Lachlan Monaghan and Max Maslen were promoted to Principal. The following promotions have also now been made within the Company: Gabriel Anderson, Rosanna Ely, Sofia Liñares and Lucy Waine have been promoted to First Artist. Audiences have enjoyed performances by these artists in everything from Swan Lake to BRB2. Gabriel joined BRB in 2016, Rosanna in 2014, Sofia and Lucy in 2020. Joiners Joining the company we have: Olivia Chang Clarke - Artist (previously Apprentice) and Yasiel Hodelin Bello (Cuban National Ballet School) - Soloist. Joining the 2023/24 season BRB2 company as Artists we have Nasrullah Abdur-Rahman (USA / Boston Ballet School), Ariana Allen (UK / Royal Ballet School), Alisa Garkavenko (Ukraine / Princess Grace Academy), Thomas Hazelby (UK / Royal Ballet School), Rosa Lidia-Nuesi (Dominican Republic / Acosta Danza), Alexandra Manuel(USA / Royal Ballet School) and Alfie Shacklock (UK/Australia / Royal Ballet School). They will join the cohort of the first year of BRB2, Oscar Kempsey-Fagg (UK), Mason King (UK/New Zealand), Frieda Kaden (Germany), Mailene Katoch (France) and Jack Easton (USA). Ballet Staff Appointments include: Patricia Tierney - Répétiteur and Samara Downs - who will transition to the role of Assistant Répétiteur in the coming season. Leaving the company at the end of the season are Marion Tait - Rehearsal Director and Coach; Carmen Piqueras - Répétiteur and Brandon Lawrence - Principal Dancer will take up a new position at Zürich Ballet. He ended his time at BRB by performing in all three pieces in the final performance of the summer triple bill: Apollo, Interlinked and ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café. Born in London, Marion Tait joined the Royal Ballet School at 15, graduating to The Royal Ballet’s touring company. She danced the ballerina roles in all the classics and in Romeo and Juliet, Elite Syncopations, Las Hermanas, The Invitation, Hobson’s Choice, The Dream, The Burrow, Fall River Legend (Lizzie Borden) and Pillar of Fire (Hagar). She created many roles in ballets by MacMillan and Bintley, and appeared as a guest worldwide. She was given an OBE in 1992 and made a CBE in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours. She has been nominated for two Olivier Awards, won the Evening Standard Ballet Award and was named Dancer of the Year 1994. Marion assisted Desmond Kelly in Ballet Changed My Life – Ballet Hoo!, the education project documented on Channel 4 in 2006, for which she was presented with the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards in 2008. In more recent years she was the Company’s Ballet Mistress and then succeeded Desmond Kelly as Assistant Director, a role she stood down from in early 2021. In February 2020, Marion was awarded the De Valois Award for outstanding contribution to dance at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. Born in Murcia, Spain, Carmen Piqueras trained with Jose Antonio Robles and then with the Carmina Ocaña Ballet School in Madrid. She has danced in several European companies including Ballet Victor Ullate, European Ballet, Zürich Ballet, English National Ballet and joined the Semperoper Ballett, Dresden, in 2006 where she was then promoted to a Soloist. She has danced a wide variety of repertoire from classical to contemporary. Since 2008 Carmen has been a guest ballet teacher in many different dance companies throughout Europe. She was Ballet Master with the Semperoper Ballett (2016-21), responsible for the choreographies of MacMillan, Balanchine, Forsythe, Asthon, Dawson, Watkin, Celis, Peck, Inger, Bausch, among others. She joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2021. Samara Downs joined BRB in 2003 and was made Principal in 2016. As a nine-year old ballet student, Samara danced in BRB’s The Nutcracker party scene. Since then she has danced in more than 300 performances of that production. She has created roles for many ballets including, David Bintley’s Cinderella, Ruth Brill’s Rhapsody in Blueand Alexander Whitley’s Kin. Her repertory roles include everything from Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations to Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake taking in Balanchine, Cranko, MacMillan and numerous other important 20th Century choreographer’s work in her award-winning career. Brandon Lawrence joined BRB from the Royal Ballet School in 2011. He was promoted to Soloist in 2016 and First Soloist in 2018. He was made a Principal in 2019. Awards: National Dance Awards nominee for Best Male Classical Performance (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023) and Best Male Dancer, Classical (2019), RAD Phyllis Bedells Award (2008). Created roles: Principal role in George Williamson’s Embrace, Pan in Ruth Brill’s Arcadia, La Grâce in David Bintley’s The King Dances, Alexander Whitley’s Kin., Red Couple in Juanjo Arqués’s Ignite, and roles in Didy Veldman’s Sense of Time, Jessica Lang’s Lyric Pieces and Wink, Jack Lister's A Brief Nostalgia, Miguel Altunaga’s City of a Thousand Trades and Juliano Nunes's Interlinked. Guest performances: International Ballet Festival of Miami, 2018; Move It 2019 (Headline on main stage); Guest Artist with Cape Town City Ballet- Maina Gielgud's Giselle (Albrecht); Frederick Ashton's Les Patineur (White couple) and Veronica Paeper’s Romeo and Juliet (Romeo). Brandon has helped with the LEAP Department’s Ballet? What’s That? events aimed at those completely new to the world of ballet. Notes to Editors: Birmingham Royal Ballet Based at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future. The Company’s Director since January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta. Birmingham Royal Ballet standardly performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the Company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances with Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.
  6. I couldn't see a topic for this so wanted to start one as I've had a marvellous evening. It was a mixed programme at Symphony Hall so some works were just orchestral and the BRB orchestra did well. These were interspersed with dance. The high points included a lovely Diana and Actaon pas de deux with Tyrone Singleton and Sophia Lenares. His technique was amazing and she was delightfully engaging. Not every man can pull off a short leather skirt but he looked very good in it. Brandon Lawrence and Celine Gittens did a lovely Black Swan pdd, great chemistry and some lovely interactions. She was wicked and flirtatious and he acted beautifully. They really work well together as well as being technically excellent. There was a lovely variation from Rhapsody with Beatrice Parma and Max Maslen. She is so elegant and as always conveys so much in each gesture and he seemed to partner very sensitively. The last piece was from Le Corsaire I didnt catch the names but they were amazing. Some amazing jumping from him and lovely port de bras from her. There was an interesting male pas de deux with Brandon and Tzu Chao. It didn't overwhelm me hugely as choreography. The guys were great but why they put them in sludgy brown dresses I don't know. If you have 2 really handsome guys they should be in flattering colours. I'd put Brandon in red and Tzu Chao in green. All in all a brilliant evening. I'll be back next year!
  7. I was checking a cinema booking and saw the film of Carlos Acosta's Don Q is showing on 26 October at 8pm. Sounds good, does anyone know the casting?
  8. PRESS RELEASE 9 January 2023 BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S SWAN LAKE TO TOUR THE UK IN SPRING 2023 For spring 2023, ballet’s greatest love story returns in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s revival of Sir Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s glorious journey into Swan Lake, a lavish production in which the Royal Ballet Sinfonia performs Tchaikovsky’s superb music live alongside BRB’s spectacular dancers. This romantic fable of ill-fated passion has bewitched audiences for generations and will tour to the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; Birmingham Hippodrome; The Lowry, Salford; Sunderland Empire, Theatre Royal Plymouth and, for the first time, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from January - March 2023. This treasured production of Swan Lake is the third in a trio of Sir Peter Wright’s exquisite ballets performed by the company this season, following the first revival in five years of the joyous classic Coppélia in October, and the world-famous production of The Nutcracker at the Birmingham Hippodrome, following a million-pound refurbishment, for Christmas. The tour will also include guest performances from two of the world’s greatest dancers. Vadim Muntagirov, Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet, will perform the role of Prince Siegfried at Theatre Royal Plymouth on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th March and Polina Semionova, Resident Guest Principal Artist with the Berlin State Ballet and former Principal Artist with The American Ballet Theatre in New York, will guest perform the iconic dual lead role of Odette and Odile at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February. Prince Siegfried is out hunting one night when he happens upon a flock of graceful swans. When one of them turns into a beautiful woman, the Prince is utterly smitten – but Odette explains that she has fallen under an evil spell cast by the evil Baron von Rothbart, which keeps her in swan form from dawn to dusk. Can Siegfried's love break the spell? Find out in this exquisite production of a true ballet classic. Swan Lake will visit the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (2-4 February); Birmingham Hippodrome (15-25 February); The Lowry, Salford (2-4 March); Sunderland Empire (9-11 March); Theatre Royal Plymouth (15-18 March) and Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (30 March-1 April). Notes to Editors Choreography: Peter Wright, Lev Ivanov, Marius Petipa Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Production: Peter Wright, Galina Samsova Designs: Philip Prowse Lighting: Peter Teigen Principal Casting: Southampton Thurs Eve 02 Feb Gittens Lawrence Ito Fri Eve 03 Feb Shang Maslen Feng Sat Mat 04 Feb Kurihara Singleton Payne Sat Eve 04 Feb Gittens Lawrence Ito Birmingham Week One Weds Eve 15 Feb Mizutani Morales Feng Thurs Mat 16 Feb Kurihara Monaghan Bejarano Thurs Eve 16 Feb Shang Maslen Payne Fri Eve 17 Feb Semionova* Lawrence* Ito* Sat Mat 18 Feb Shang Maslen Feng Sat Eve 18 Feb Semionova* Lawrence* Ito* Sun Mat 19 Feb Kurihara* Monaghan* Bejarano* *Casting subject to change* Birmingham Week two Tues Eve 21 Feb Mizutani Morales Payne Weds Eve 22 Feb Hirata Dingman Bejarano Thurs Mat 23 Feb Shang Maslen Feng Thurs Eve 23 Feb Gittens Lawrence Ito Fri Eve 24 Feb Downs Singleton Payne Sat Mat 25 Feb Mizutani Morales Bejarano Sat Eve 25 Feb Hirata Dingman Feng Salford Thurs Eve 02 Mar Hirata Dingman Bejarano Fri Eve 03 Mar Mizutani Morales Feng Sat Mat 04 Mar Parma Chou Payne Sat Eve 04 Mar Downs Singleton Ito Sunderland Thurs Eve 09 Mar Parma Chou Ito Fri Mat 10 Mar Zhang Feng Bejarano Fri Eve 10 Mar Kurihara Monaghan Payne Sat Mat 11 Mar Downs Singleton Ito Plymouth Weds Eve 15 Mar Hirata Dingman Payne Thurs Mat 16 Mar Zhang Feng Bejarano Thurs Eve 16 Mar Parma Chou Payne Fri Eve 17 Mar Gittens Muntagirov Ito Sat Mat 18 Mar Kurihara Monaghan Feng Sat Eve 18 Mar Gittens Muntagirov Ito Edinburgh Thurs Eve 30 Mar Gittens Lawrence Ito Fri Eve 31 Mar Hirata Dingman Feng Sat Mat 01 April Mizutani Morales Payne Listings: Southampton Mayflower Theatre: 2–4 February 2023 Birmingham Hippodrome: 15–25 February 2023 The Lowry, Salford: 2–4 March 2023 Sunderland Empire: 9–11 March 2023 Theatre Royal Plymouth: 15–18 March 2023 Edinburgh Festival Theatre: 30 March–1 April 2023 Notes to Editors: Birmingham Royal Ballet Based at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future. The Company’s Director since January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta. Birmingham Royal Ballet standardly performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the Company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. The Sinfonia also plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances withParis Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.
  9. I had a jolly good time in Plymouth watching the first 3 performances of Sir Peter Wright's sumptuous and very pretty production of Coppelia. It is a very traditional production and I have to say that it is my favourite of the productions of Coppelia I have seen over the years. The three performances I saw with three different casts were superb. The opening night honours went to Celine Gittens and Tyrone Singleton who both brought a light touch to Swanilda and Franz - lots of loving flirtation and, of course, superbly danced. Coppelius was performed by the ever wonderful Michael O'Hare. You can really empathise with his Coppelius. How lucky BRB are to have him. On Thursday afternoon Beatrice Parma made her debut as Swanilda with Tzu Chao Chou as her Franz. As with their performances of Don Q earlier in the year there was an enormous warmth and sense of joy emanating from the stage. I had a silly grin on my face throughout the performance! Rory McKay was excellent in the role of Coppelius. There was another debut on Thursday evening with a joyous Yaoqian Shang partnered by cheeky chappy Max Maslen as Franz. They were just terrific. Michael O'Hare was again outstanding as Coppelius. So three casts - all different and all wonderful. Roll on Birmingham!
  10. Looking forward to hearing members’ thoughts on the newly designed BRB Nutcracker which I believe premiers this afternoon. There’s an interesting insight from the Company which includes an interview with John Mcfarlane about the redesigns and the way, over the years, the Company has ‘patched up’ the original costumes and sets. It would be lovely to have a livestream of this iconic production with a follow up dvd/blu-ray. The filmed version of this production from many years back, which features Yoshida and Mukhamedov, is very dark, and hard to get hold of on dvd . It’s well overdue for a new version. Interesting to learn from this insight that the Australian Ballet’s version (which has been filmed) has its own, unique design. https://www.brb.org.uk/stories/zoom-insights-john-macfarlane-and-elaine-garlick-talk-about-the-rebuild-of-the-nutcracker
  11. Well what a jolly afternoon at the Mayflower. Lovely Hirata and great ensemble support. I was a bit concerned about her fouettés but she held onto them. is the choreography different to the RB production- it seemed so to me and the staging worked well at the the Mayflower. The Mayflower audience gave the dancers and orchestra a very warm welcome and applause, even though the few people I spoke to were not familiar with Don Q. However, they were enjoying it. Lots were also looking forward to Swan Lake next year. People had travelled quite a distance too. Cannot get used to a male dancing Amour though and why doesn’t Kitri arrive properly on stage at first entrance?
  12. https://www.brb.org.uk/post/joiners-leavers-2022 Promotions: Yu Kurihara from Soloist to First Soloist Max Maslen from Soloist to First Soloist Lachlan Monaghan from Soloist to First Soloist Beatrice Parma from Soloist to First Soloist Miki Mizutani and Yaoqian Shang's promotions to Principal were announced earlier in the 2021/22 Season. Joiners: Riku Itu joins the company from Northern Ballet as Soloist Jack Easton, graduate of The Royal Ballet School, joins as an Artist Frieda Kaden, graduate of The Royal Ballet School, joins as an Artist Mailene Katoch, graduate of Paris Opera Ballet School, joins as an Artist Oscar Kempsey-Fagg, graduate of The Royal Ballet School, joins as an Artist Mason King, graduate of The Royal Ballet School, joins as an Artist Madison Penney, graduate of The Royal Ballet School, joins as an Artist Hannah Martin, after a year as an Apprentice with BRB, joins as an Artist Leavers: Anna Ciriano - Artist: Anna joined BRB in 2021 after having danced with Orlando Ballet and English National Ballet. She trained at English National Ballet School. While dancing with BRB Anna demonstrated her beautiful artistry in several corps de ballet roles. She was a valuable member of the cast of Don Quixote for that long run of performances and always showed a willingness to help the company in any way that she could. Anna also showed off her talent and versatility during the Don Quixote tour by performing the lecture demonstration section of First Steps Cinderella’s Storybook. Josue Gomez Sarria - Artist: Josue joined BRB in 2021 after having trained at Elmhurst Ballet School. Josue proved himself to be a very talented dancer with great potential during his time with BRB. Josue danced the Seguidilla as well as many performances of Rascals in Don Quixote and always brought energy and commitment to each role that he was given. Alexander Yap - Artist: Alex joined BRB in 2018 after having been a member of Northern Ballet from 2015. He trained at Royal Ballet School. During his time as a member of BRB Alex has excelled in many roles. He appeared as Honneur in Sir David Bintley’s The King Dances, Hilarion in Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle and most recently was fantastic as Espada in Don Quixote. During The Nutcracker he broadened his artistic experience by taking on the role of Drosselmeyer. With his impressive set of skills and exceptional work ethic, he has a very exciting career to look forward to. Alex is joining Hong Kong Ballet as a Soloist.
  13. This evening I was at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall to see the BRB's Evening of Music and Dance. I was lucky enough to be sitting in the front row of the stalls. It was an evening that had it's ups and downs, but with more ups than downs. Coppélia: Céline Gittens and Brandon Lawrence danced the Wedding Pas de Deux from Act III. I thought they were both brilliant, and did well conveying their characters outside of the framing of the full ballet. What I noticed first was that they were that harmonised it was like one dancers was moving across the stage, not two. There was some very shaky arm-holding in the part that resembles the Rose Adagio balances, but I couldn't say whether it was normal, nerves or just based on how close I was sitting. All in all they did a brilliant job and were beaming ear to ear at the end. I hope they get a chance to perform together in the October run. The next dance piece was due to be the Red Pas de Deux from Our Waltzes danced by Momoko Hirata and César Morales, but it was unfortunately announced that Hirata was injured. Luckily it seemed to be something they'd planned ahead for, as the piece was replaced by the Act III Entracte of Carmen. I was a bit sad, but what can you do? Bluebird Pas de Deux: When I saw the BRB for the first time, the lady next to me pointed out Miki Mizutani, who was dancing one of Juliet's Friends. This evening she was an elegantly exquisite Princess Florine. Her posture was brilliant, and it was easy to believe she was a lightweight princess. The Bluebird was Max Maslen, who looked somewhat Nureyev-esque in the wig (though I wouldn't call them lookalikes in daily life). He was brilliant, making the jumps look effortless, and making the most of the fact that the stage was his. There was a little stumble, but luckily it was right before a partnering step, so Maslen covered it by just moving to Mizutani's side a bit quicker. it was wonderful to see the pair. End of Time: This is a Ben Stevenson piece from the 80s, inspired by an apocalypse film, and has the dancers in skintight long-sleeved unitards. 'Oh well', I thought, 'at least I can listen to Rachmaninoff (his Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano specifically)'. But this piece blew me away. It was danced by Brandon Lawrence and Yijing Zhang, and they were both spectacular. The movements show the survivors of the apocalypse coming to terms with the fact that they only have each other. There was a bit of dragging, but not in a horrible way, more in a 'come on we have to live' way. And there was a moment, when both dancers are lay on the floor, and Zhang cups Lawrence's face with her hands. All the distress in his face melted away. To see that up close, about 6 feet away from you, was amazing. They got the biggest applause of the night, and they deserved it. Majisimo: This piece is to music from Massenet's Le Cid, and was choreographed by Jorge Garcia (who's name is spelt at leat three different ways in the programme). It's a Spanish-infused piece. It was due to be performed with Hirata and Mathias Dingman, but Yaoqian Shang (who is second cast) stepped in. The other soloists were Tzu-Chao Chou, Shuailun Wu, Alexander Yap, Karla Doorbar, Yu Kurihara and Beatrice Parma. It was an excellent choice to end the night on. There's elements of the Spanish flamboyance, with pirouettes across the stage, and leaps for the men, solos which all received applause. Dingman, Chou, Wu and Yap were having a lot of fun. I couldn't pick a standout from the latter three; all of them were jumping in sync and beaming. Shang was excellently fierce in the lead role, especially as I don't think her and Dingman would've had much rehearsal together. Doorbar deserves particular mention for perfectly pulling off the diagonal pirouettes across the stage, and the fan work and the Spanish claps were to be found all over this piece. It's pieces like this when you can see just how much fun the dancers are having, and it was the best choice to finish the evening on. In between there were music pieces by the wonderful Sinfonia. My favourite was Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, but the pieces were the Nabucco Overture (Verdi), Carmen Act III Overture (Bizet), Eugene Onegin Waltz (Tchaikovsky) and Samson et Dalila Bacchanale (Saint-Saëns). There were also two soloists (Helsa Townsend and Samantha Lewis) from the Birmingham Conservatoire, who performed the Evening Prayer and Pantomime from Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretl, and the Lakmé Flower Duet. The End of Time piece, set to Rachmaninoff, is just piano and cello, and Jeanette Wong (Piano) and Antonio Novais (Cello) was excellent (my musician Mother was singing their praises all the way home). The conductor Paul Murphy was not only doing his job but also having fun, and the compère, Dominic Heale of East Midlands News, was surprisingly knowledgeable. The biggest problem of the evening was not one on stage, but the fact that a lot of the seats were empty. The Royal Concert Hall is a big theatre (roughly 2,500 seats), but it was still sparse. While the audience did make up for it with loud applause, I hope it doesn't mean that BRB won't tour to Nottingham for another six years. A lot of the people around me were theatre regulars who just thought it would be an interesting evening, and I'm happy to report they enjoyed themselves as much as I did.
  14. **February special classes** I am a former First Soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet with 20 years teaching experience. I love that I teach so many different people from young to adults, from vocational to recreational. This time, I am delighted to announce my special Zoom classes for February for adults: 1) Coppelia February Special classes: Every Wednesday for 3 weeks, we will explore sections of the ballet Coppelia. This online course is suitable for adults of all levels, so please share! Wednesdays 2rd, 9th, 16thFebruary 1:45pm - 3:15pm (UK) (8:45am - 10:15am New York) 3 days for £36 On Zoom or on Demand. **Recordings of live sessions, which have been very popular, are also available if you can't make it. 2) Bluebird Variation from Sleeping Beauty: In my regular Thursday adult Repertoire class, for February, we will explore the beautiful variation of Princess Florine from the Bluebird pas de Deux. This class happens every Thursday 10am - 11:30 am, where we cover sections and variations from classical ballets, ranging from Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, and many more. £14 per class - or £72 for 6 classes **Recordings of live sessions are also available. For more information on any classes, please contact me on: lklosardo@hotmail.com Instagram:laetitialosardo www.laetitialosardoballet.com Image: Laetitia Lo Sardo in Coppelia taken by Steve Hanson #coppelia #bluebirdvariation #balletclass #balletforall #balletforadults #professionaldancer #adultballet #adultballetcommunity #iloveballet #specialclass
  15. Yasuo Atsuji principal of BRB has announced on his Instagram that after almost 14 years at Birmingham Royal Ballet he will leave at the end of February and return to Japan. Not retiring, he will continue his career as a ballet dancer in his home country. https://www.instagram.com/p/CXEGZq3gGxN/?utm_medium=copy_link
  16. You can imagine how delighted I was to see a live ballet performance for the first time in over a year on Sunday. The ballet itself wasn't one I would have chosen, as I am not a fan of Bintley, but the leading couple are amongst my very favourites and they did not disappoint. Momoko Hirata was as magically light and sparkling as always, and César Morales was his usual elegant self with superb and considerate partnering, although the choreography didn't stretch him and sadly there were none of his delicious entrechats to enjoy. Birmingham Rep Theatre had a fairly small and rather shiny-looking stage (causing one poor corps member to skid to the floor, with an adroit recovery). I was particularly impressed with Hirata's acting ability as she really did seem transformed into a different person after the fairy godmother's visit. I had trouble with the on-line booking system so bought tickets via the telephone which I was warned would not have a good view as they were below the level of the stage, but that was the best available. They only cost £35 and they had the best view ever! Not below the stage at all. So if you are ever going to that theatre, I recommend the middle of row B! The orchestra played live but from a different room, being shown on screen and presumably seeing the dancers on screen in their room. It worked well and they sounded good. https://maryrosedouglasuk.wixsite.com/ballet I can't wait for my next live ballet experience, which will include my other favourite dancing partners, Núñez and Muntagirov. Ooooh, life has become exciting again!
  17. This fascinating article has appeared on the BRB website. It really is a worthwhile read: https://www.brb.org.uk/post/elisha-willis-change-of-career
  18. I saw both performances of this double bill yesterday. I really enjoyed Rosie Kay's reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet for the modern knife-crime age. It was full of life and the dance movements incorporated hip hop and contemporary. The set consisted of what looked like giant tv ariels and satellite dishes. The lighting was excellent - the stage was dark but you could see all the dancers. There was a gorgeous duet in the middle of the piece for Juliet and Romeo, full of the tenderness and yearning of youth. Fabulous! After the interval we finally got to see Birmingham Royal Ballet performing Edward Clug's Radio and Juliet. The seven dancers (one cast for all 4 performances) were, without exception, absolutely fabulous. Some of the choreography for the men's ensemble was great. Again there was a lovely duet for Juliet and one of the Romeos (Yaoqian Shang and Tyrone Singleton). The music was by Radiohead. Sadly despite the abundance of talent on stage it felt a bit flat for me compared to the vivacity of the preceding Rosie Kay piece. This was an interesting programme but if I am booking for Birmingham Royal Ballet I am sorry but I would like to see more of them and less of guest companies. (Rosie Kay - 75 mins vs BRB 55 mins). The last 2 weeks were an intriguing idea of presenting 3 different Romeo and Juliets but I think it was only partially successful. I await with interest to see what is programmed beyond Don Quixote in 2022.
  19. PRESS RELEASE Wednesday 16 June BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET REVEALS 2021/22 PLANS, INCLUDING CARLOS CURATES: R&J REIMAGINED, SIR KENNETH MACMILLAN’S ROMEO AND JULIET, THE NUTCRACKER, AND MORE CURATED BY CARLOS AT SADLER’S WELLS WILL INCLUDE THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A DUET BY GOYO MONTERO PERFORMED BY CARLOS ACOSTA AND ALESSANDRA FERRI SPRING 2022 HERALDS CARLOS ACOSTA’S BRAND-NEW PRODUCTION OF DON QUIXOTE Following Birmingham Royal Ballet’s return to live performance with the Curated by Carlos season and Cinderella at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth, Acosta again balances the new and the classic in a season that begins with contrasting tellings of, arguably, the greatest love story ever told. For Birmingham Royal Ballet’s homecoming season at Birmingham Hippodrome, Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s passionate Romeo and Juliet choreography and Prokofiev’s glorious score will set hearts alight in this enduringly popular, classic interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. From the balcony scene’s ecstatic pas de deux, exploring love in all its soaring wonder, to the lovers’ heart-breaking ends, Romeo and Juliet is ballet at its most poignant and beautiful. Performances at Plymouth Theatre Royal take place later in October. Carlos Curates: R&J Reimagined sees Romeo and Juliet get a very different treatment with the Company premiere of Romanian choreographer Edward Clug's Radio and Juliet, a reinvention of the classic story set to the music of Radiohead, featuring tracks from Kid A, Amnesiac and OK Computer. This version explores what could have happened if Juliet decided not to take her own life, and is an exhilarating, emotional rollercoaster that has toured the world to widespread acclaim since its premiere in 2005. Radio and Juliet forms a double bill with a new work from Birmingham-based choreographer Rosie Kay, details to be announced. Carlos Acosta said: ‘Shakespeare’s timeless story of love and passion has inspired so many versions over the centuries, not least translated into dance. We’re exploring some of this rich reinterpretation in our double bill Carlos Curates: R&J Reimagined, also in October. I really love Edward Clug’s contemporary reinvention of the story and I’m also thrilled that we are continuing to build relationships with other Birmingham arts companies and that we’ll be joined by Rosie Kay Dance Company who will complete this exciting programme.’ October sees the postponed and adapted London run of Curated by Carlos at Sadler’s Wells. The triple bill now opens with the Company’s love letter to Birmingham: City of a Thousand Trades, a new one-act abstract ballet inspired by and celebrating the richly diverse cultural and industrial heritage of the place it calls home. Commissioned as part of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Ballet Now programme and produced in association with The REP, City of a Thousand Trades was created by choreographer Miguel Altunaga and co-directed with The REP Associate Director, Madeleine Kludje, with music inspired by the city’s soundscape, including its legacy as the birthplace of Heavy Metal, composed by Mathias Coppens and performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, with designs by Guilia Scrimieri and lighting by Michael Lee-Woolley. Brazilian/British choreographer Daniela Cardim’s Imminent, also a Ballet Now commission, has been created with a team of international talent, including composer Paul Englishby, designer April Dalton, dramaturg Lou Cope, assistant choreographer Peter Leung and lighting designer Peter Teigen. The new abstract work is inspired by the feeling that the balance we thought we could maintain is precarious to say the least. A tipping-point is approaching. Imminent invites us to recognise that a window of opportunity is now calling upon us. There is hope – and it is important to let go of the past, to take action and move boldly on. Completing the triple bill, Goyo Montero’s Chacona gets reworked for the London stage and features the world premiere of a new duet created for Carlos Acosta and Alessandra Ferri, a mouthwatering prospect to say the least. Having danced Manon together in Havana many years ago, this duet sees two of the all time greats reunited. Ferri said ‘We always wanted to do more together but never had the opportunity. Really I think this is a dream come true for both of us.’ Goyo Montero’s thrillingly physical work Chacona is set to electrifying music by J.S. Bach and performed live on stage by violin, guitar and piano, together with 16 dancers. For spring 2022, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta promises entertainment for all ages when he brings an explosion of Spanish sunshine, spectacular dance and vivacious comedy to stages across the country. In a new production created especially for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Don Quixote introduces us to Cervantes’ famous knight himself, lovers Kitri and Basilio, and a host of supporting characters. As the Don sets out on a quest to track down his true love, with his loyal friend and servant Sancho Panza at his side, he finds himself embroiled in an unlikely adventure of love and dreams. The first UK performances of Acosta’s sparkling new 21st-century production of this 19th-century masterpiece take place in February. This festive season, Birmingham Royal Ballet will bring The Nutcracker back to two iconic stages. Birmingham Hippodrome welcomes the return of Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in November and the Company will celebrate its fourth appearance at the Royal Albert Hall from 28 December. The enchanting Royal Albert Hall production features Simon Callow as the voice of Clara’s mysterious godfather, Drosselmeyer, and video and projection by Tony-Award-winning 59 Productions (An American in Paris, War Horse). Birmingham Royal Ballet’s superb dancers and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia weave their magic with the timeless choreography and glorious Tchaikovsky score to create a quintessential Christmas treat for all the family. Listings ROMEO AND JULIET Music Sergei Prokofiev; Choreography Kenneth MacMillan Birmingham Hippodrome Wednesday 6 - Saturday 9 October On sale 18 June brb.org.uk/romeo Plymouth Theatre Royal Wednesday 27 - Saturday 30 October On sale 30 June brb.org.uk/romeo CARLOS CURATES: R&J REIMAGINED RADIO AND JULIET Birmingham Hippodrome Thursday 14 - Saturday 16 October On sale 18 June brb.org.uk/carloscurates CURATED BY CARLOS CITY OF A THOUSAND TRADES IMMINENT CHACONA Sadler’s Wells 4 - 6 November On sale 6 July (Priority from 28 June) brb.org.uk/curated THE NUTCRACKER Birmingham Hippodrome Saturday 20 November - Saturday 11 December On sale brb.org.uk/nutracker Royal Albert Hall Tuesday 28 - Friday 31 December On sale brb.org.uk/rahnutcracker DON QUIXOTE Music Ludwig Minkus; Choreography Carlos Acosta after Marius Petipa Birmingham Hippodrome Friday 18 - Saturday 26 February On sale 18 June brb.org.uk/quixote Further dates to be announced Notes to Editors: Birmingham Royal Ballet Based at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future. The Company’s Director since January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta. Birmingham Royal Ballet standardly performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the Company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. The Sinfonia also plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances withParis Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.
  20. I've just been catching up with the former Channel 4 (I think) documentary showing Birmingham Royal Ballet and a local youth organisation working over a couple of years with a group of disadvantaged local teenagers to put on a very special performance of Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Part 1 should have disappeared by this morning, but the other three parts are still available (Part 2 until tonight): https://www.brb.org.uk/ballet-hoo Really fascinating to be reminded of how so many of the participants managed to cope with the discipline required simply to show up to the classes/rehearsals week after week, develop a new sense of self-belief and take action to improve their own lives. I'm looking forward to seeing the performance footage (including breakdancing, I seem to recall!) at the end of it all. I'm sure we discussed it at length on the old ballet.co.uk forum, but as it was back in 2006 I imagine that's irretrievable now, so I'm starting this new thread in case anyone wants to discuss it again.
  21. https://www.brb.org.uk/whats-on/event/outdoor-dance-displays A wealthier permitting, free outdoor event from BRB and Birmingham based South Asian dance company Sampad. From the above link: Audiences can enjoy the rare opportunity of watching Birmingham Royal Ballet’s professional dancers in their daily ballet class accompanied by Company pianist Ross Williams; daily class is essential for every dancer to improve technique, prevent injury and be performance ready. They will then be treated to two solos by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s professional dancers, The Dying Swan and Liebestod. The Dying Swan, will be performed by First Artist Alys Shee. This poignant piece, set to Camille Saint-Saëns' Le Cygne from Le Carnaval des animaux, was originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine for legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova. Liebestod, will be danced by Principal Brandon Lawrence. Accompanied by powerful music from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Brandon will dance choreographer Valery Panov's emotive solo piece.
  22. Did no Forum contributors go to the Hippodrome last week ? Due to old age this is the first season for over 20 years that I haven’t become a subscriber and due to ill health I had to miss the first of the only three shows booked. I had been hoping ( with mixed feelings) to reading a review of what I had missed. I have heard a rumour that the new work was very good. More information would be very welcome.
  23. BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S CINDERELLA SIR DAVID BINTLEY’S ENCHANTING FAIRYTALE BALLET TO BE STREAMED TO MARK THE END OF BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S HOME FROM HOME SERIES Birmingham’s Royal Ballet’s celebrated production of Cinderella will be broadcast in full on Birmingham Royal Ballet’s website and Facebook page to mark the end of its online Home from Home series. Its digital premiere will take place at 7pm on Tuesday 25 August and be available to watch for seven days thereafter via brb.org.uk/watch-cinderella Sir David Bintley’s enchanting fairytale ballet, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s sumptuous score, captures every imagination with its magical mix of dance, spectacular costumes and scenery by designer John Macfarlane, and a cast of characters from the fairy godmother and step sisters to a mythical world of mice, lizards and even a dancing frog. This family-friendly production was filmed during the premiere run of the ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2010 and featured as the BBC Christmas ballet that year. It stars Elisha Willis as Cinderella, Iain Mackay as the Prince and Marion Tait as the Stepmother; the Royal Ballet Sinfonia is conducted by Music Director Koen Kessels. The broadcast of Cinderella will be free to watch; but in lieu of a ticket, from those who feel they can, we would be delighted to receive donations via the brb.org.uk/watch-cinderella page; all donations help us deliver the amazing work we do both on and off the stage, and we are very grateful for any support given. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella will tour the UK in 2021, with dates and venue information available at brb.org.uk/cinderella Following an uncertain year for everyone, not least for the performing arts, Birmingham Royal Ballet, under the Directorship of Carlos Acosta, looks forward to returning to training in Birmingham from the beginning of August 2020. News of an exciting programme of live autumn performances, including work outdoors, in the community, in socially-distanced arena spaces and using augmented reality and technical innovation, will be announced very soon. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS: Birmingham Royal Ballet Based at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future. The company’s Director from January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta. Birmingham Royal Ballet performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. The Sinfonia also plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances with: The Royal Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.
  24. This arrived in my inbox this afternoon: Dear Birmingham Royal Ballet Supporter I am delighted to update you on some of the wonderful work that has been taking place behind the scenes here, and to update you specifically on Carlos Acosta’s plans for this autumn and Christmas. Before I do however, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our Friends and Dancers’ Circle supporters, and to everyone who has made a donation to our #BeRightBack campaign over the last few months. Our supporters have always helped us to deliver the inspiring and world-class work we do, both on and off the stage, but they could not be more important to us than right now. To find out more about our Friends or Dancers’ Circle groups or our #BeRightBack campaign – which closes next week! – please click on the links provided. Thank you again from all at Birmingham Royal Ballet for your help, support and continued interest in our work. We are ready and excited to get back to work and to perform as soon as we can. Our dancers officially come back to work in our Thorp Street building in Birmingham on 3 August. Carlos Acosta will be in the studio with them. We have created a 'safe back to work' plan for the dancers based on the process tested by professional sports. 2020 marks 30 years since the Company moved to Birmingham. We are determined to play an active part in Birmingham re-opening successfully and to bring some much-needed joy and live entertainment to our home city. With so much uncertainty, it has been very difficult to confirm plans and performances, so we were thrilled when the Prime Minister announced that indoor shows for socially distanced live audiences are allowed from August. This means we can now push on with confidence to secure venues to deliver Carlos’s creative solutions for how Birmingham Royal Ballet can go out into our local community and entertain during Covid. Carlos has been brilliant in this crisis. Despite the disappointment of not being able to present his vision for the Curated by Carlos Festival in June (don’t worry we’ve plans to present the festival next summer), he has created three flexible shows that Birmingham Royal Ballet can perform in whatever spaces we can secure – conference, sports or community centres – in different parts of Birmingham in October. Our home theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome is sadly currently closed, so our solution is to take a sprung floor out to large indoor spaces and put on free or heavily subsidised shows for socially distanced audiences. Our dancers will also perform free outdoor ballet classes in the square in front of Birmingham Hippodrome (in the first week of September) and we are working with Birmingham City Council to secure another city centre public space to repeat the event. We’ve also been talking to our friends at the Birmingham Museums Trust about how Birmingham Royal Ballet can work with them when they reopen. Confirmed dates and times will be sent to you as soon as possible. Our biggest job is to plan for Christmas. The Nutcracker is our largest, most popular show and essential to the Company’s financial stability. However, the numbers of people on stage, in the orchestra pit and backstage, plus the size of the set, means the show must be adapted if we are going to keep our staff, artists and audiences safe, and make the show financially viable with reduced audiences. It is our greatest ambition to be able to present The Nutcracker in December in Birmingham and London. It would be hugely symbolic as a positive sign of hope and recovery; celebrating the 30th anniversary of the production which was Birmingham Royal Ballet's gift to Birmingham in 1990. For those of you who love contemporary ballet, Carlos Acosta has also commissioned a new socially distanced ballet, using projection mapping, which we are working to present in London at Sadler’s Wells Theatre this autumn. We’d love to perform it in Birmingham too, and are working to secure a venue. We are also planning to film the show for pay-per-view broadcast for our audiences who cannot attend a theatre event yet (more information, including the exciting choreographer, will be released very soon!). Our Learning, Engagement, Access and Participation (LEAP) team have been working throughout lockdown to continue to deliver online classes for local young dancers with severe learning disabilities in our Freefall Dance Company, and we have recently restarted Dance Track, our free ballet training programme for talented children identified in Birmingham primary schools. We’ve had great success this year, with four of the local children we have trained going on this September to join the Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst. Birmingham Royal Ballet's financial position – our future is tied to our venue partners’ survival All the performing arts have been badly hit by Covid as has been reported in the media. Birmingham Royal Ballet is fortunate that we haven’t had to apply for Arts Council England (ACE) emergency funding. We are extremely grateful for the funding we receive from ACE and manage our finances very carefully. The Government’s coronavirus job retention scheme has been a lifeline for the Company as it has given us the time needed to re-plan and re-budget for our long-term survival, and protected the jobs of our 180 staff, dancers and musicians. However, Birmingham Royal Ballet's future is under serious threat if the venues we perform at, including our home theatre Birmingham Hippodrome, go out of business or can only afford to programme big commercial shows in the future. This is why we were thrilled and grateful to government for their announcement that they will invest £1.57 billion of emergency funding for venues and hope very much that this will help Birmingham Hippodrome and all our other partner theatres in Birmingham and around England. We very much hope to be back touring soon. It also goes without saying, that we are extremely grateful for the support we receive from our individual supporters, trusts and foundations, and corporate sponsors. As we cannot generate the box office income we would normally rely on they will play a key role in helping us fund our ambitious programme of activities for this autumn. I very much hope that you can join us this autumn to watch an outdoor class and attend one of our socially distanced performances or, if you can't make it to a venue in Birmingham, watch us online. Thank you again for staying with us, and if you would like to find out more about how you can become involved with Birmingham Royal Ballet we would be delighted to hear from you. With very best wishes Caroline Caroline Miller OBE, Chief Executive
  25. Here is a bit of an email I received: We hope that you are still keeping safe and well during this challenging period of time. We continue to create new content through our Home From Home initiative and re-share some of our favourites from past years to help keep you entertained in these difficult months. The latest piece we would like to share premieres tomorrow (29 April) at 11am to mark International Dance Day. Company dancers Kit Holder and Tom Rogers have created Alone|Together, a beautiful piece of isolation dance and music, featuring five members of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, six of their fellow dancers, Assistant Director Marion Tait and Artistic Director Carlos Acosta. You can watch this and all our other Home From Home creations on our website or you can keep up to date by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported our #BeRightBack fundraising appeal. Over £19,000 has been donated to help continue our work during these unprecedented times. For more details of this appeal please see below. Stay safe and look out for one another. The link to the performance, which starts shortly https://www.brb.org.uk/home-from-home
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