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The Royal Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty performances, 2016-2017


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I don't know what the company danced to the music for the Garland Dance before the war. Ashton provided the choreography for the Garland Dance for the 1946 production and another version for Peter Wright's 1968 production. In 1973 MacMillan staged his own production and provided it with his own Garland Dance. In 1977 de Valois staged a "back to choreographic basics" production which I think came as something of a relief after two botched productions. This used the later of the two Ashton versions and I seem to recall a number of older ballet goers bemoaning the fact that the company was not using the earlier Ashton version which they thought was better. In 1993 this production was replaced by Anthony Dowell's production which used MacMillan's Garland Dance.This in turn was replaced during Stretton's directorship when the ballet was staged by Markarova in 2003.The entire choreographic text including that for the Garland Dance was that provided by Konstantin Sergeyev for the Kirov's 1952 production of the ballet.

 

A new Sleeping Beauty was high on the list of Mason's priorities when she became Director. She wanted a production true to the company's performance tradition rather than one which reflected the K.Sergeyev's version which out does Petipa's own version of the ballet. Mason's production uses Wheeldon's Garland Dance and as such it is the fourth version of the dance which the company has danced since 1946. Wheeldon's version is limp and unimaginative and that can't be attributed to anything other than a lack of imagination and feeling for Petipa's late nineteenth century choreographic style.I'm not sure that I think that Ratmansky's reconstructions of Paquita or Sleeping Beauty are limp and unimaginative. I found both Paquita which I saw streamed and his Sleeping Beauty which I saw live rather convincing as much as anything because they were danced at the right speed and Ratmansky had not done a Lacotte by giving the audience what it expected to see rather than what was recorded.He seems to have accepted that he would stage what was recorded even if it might come as a shock for the audience to see the choreography danced in a period appropriate style with low arabesques and not a foot hovering anywhere near any of the Aurora's ears.

There's one more Garland Dance too, as Wheeldon completely rewrote his version for a revival of Mason's production - can't remember when but it was some years ago.

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With all due respect to Akane I am so disappointed, get well Frankie.

 

Well, she wasn't well the other day ... but went on and that was grand.  

 

I think we all should give the wonderful Ms Takada a special welcome this evening.  She is truly brilliant in the role ... and I'm sure the combination of her good self and Mr. Campbell will be equally potent.

 

No need for disappointment ... You're seeing the stunning dancers of the Royal Ballet after all!!!  The wonderful leadership of KO'H - and most especially the development of the young home talents now glowing with ever richer profundity - now means we have an ever growing cause to celebrate The Brand!  Well done him; Well done ALL.  

 

There will be a vast many more moments to celebrate Ms. Hayward in the future and I very much join SPD444 in looking forward to tracing that potential she so magnificently personifies.  Best that she fully recovers her health now to benefit us all.  

 

I pray there will not now be a flood of tickets wanting to be returned for the reason of her unfortunate health.  That I think would be churlish in the extreme.  It will be a fine performance I know.  

Edited by Bruce Wall
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Well, she wasn't well the other day ... but went on and that was grand.  

 

I think we all should give the wonderful Ms Takada a special welcome this evening.  She is truly brilliant in the role ... and I'm sure the combination of her good self and Mr. Campbell will be equally potent.

 

No need for disappointment ... You're seeing the wonderful dancers of the Royal Ballet after all!!!  The wonderful leadership of KO'H now means we a great cause to celebrate The Brand!  Well done him; Well done all.  

 

There will be a vast many more moments to celebrate Ms. Hayward and I very much joy SPD444 and all in looking forward to those.

 

I know, Bruce, and I will be cheering Miss Takada on and wish the very best for tonight, can't be easy for her, but still sorry Frankie is sick.

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Francesca Hayward is ill and replaced by Akane Takada for tonight's performance

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-the-sleeping-beauty-on-20-february-2017

I am also deeply disappointed by this, especially since I missed Frankie's debut.  This was her only other show, I think?   Beatriz Stix-Brunell is also being replaced as Lilac, but not sure by whom.  Double disappointment for me!  And no disrespect for Akane, but I have already seen her this run.  Wishing everyone better very soon.

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sounds like the mega-run of Beauties is catching up with the company  :-(

 

I too missed Ms Hayward's debut the other day, and did catch Ms Takada (who was marvelous), and would liked to have seen both. Tonight will be great though, as Ms Takada always pulls out an extra stop when being super-sub!

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Jane S.You are quite right about Wheeldon but that makes it worse. One dud Garland Dance might be forgiven but two duds?

 

I am sorry that Hayward is unwell but Takada is more than acceptable as a replacement and you have the rest of the cast to look forward to, and who knows its a long run so there may be other substitutions later on. Ms Hayward may end up substituting for someone else in due course.Ballet going is always a gamble

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Poor Frankie.  I do hope for her sake she hasn't got what I've got :(  But very disappointing for those who missed her debut and were hoping to catch her tonight instead.  Previous experience says that Ms Takada will be a very acceptable substitute, though.

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To FLOSS, who noted that Lauren Cuthbertson hasn't had a permanent partner in this ballet: indeed. I haven't ever seen her do it before, because last time the RB did it, they had so many tall men out with injuries that they had to drop her from the last of her scheduled performances and substitute a whole new couple. So I've never seen her dance Aurora before and it's as much a debut to me as that of Reece Clarke (I'm seeing them next week).

 

Meanwhile, I hope my ticket for this evening has been snapped up by an Akane Takada fan, as I am at the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment concert I was gutted to have to pass up in favour of not missing Frankie...

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Hello 

 

A  general question 

 

 

When Akane   and Campbell danced previous in the last week or so , they were with partners  who they had trained with for months. 

 

How does this  type of change of partner affect a performance , if at all due to limited reharsal time.

 

I wish both dancers all the best  for tonite  > )  

 

Regards  

 

David 

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Saw it tonight. Was wonderful and everyone was behind Akana, who I thought was a wonderful youthful presence. Lovely performance and Calvert as the Lilac Fairy was wonderful. Really enjoyed it. The cats were very much hope enjoyed by the audience as were the bluebirds. Hopefully Campbell and Hayward will be Bluebirds in cinema relay but if not then whole production is very professional and thoroughly enjoyable.

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Glad I didn't know about the cast changes before I set off yesterday, I was so excited as I was seeing the David Hockney exhibiton in the afternoon and then Francesca Hayward , so big disappointment (no Beatriz Stix-Brunell either) but Akane Takada repeated her beautiful Thursday performance, and much to enjoy especially Hikaru Kobayashi and Valentino Zuchetti as the Bluebirds, just hoping all goes well for this week's 2 Saturday shows, last time I booked to see Natalia Osipova as Aurora 3 times and am still waiting  :)

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I hold you personally responsible for this Jamesrhblack, you told me not to worry! I had also been looking forward to seeing Stix-Brunell’s Lilac Fairy since seeing Sim’s post. Reasons not to read this forum I guess! I hope neither her nor Hayward are too seriously ill/injured and are feeling better soon. 

 

Takada did remarkably well, especially considering she must have thought she had danced her last show this run. If I’m nit-picking, the Rose Adagio balances were a tiny bit tentative, but that is being really mean. She really is a wonderful dancer and put in an impeccable performance, which the audience seemed to enjoy a lot. I certainly did. 

 

How does this  type of change of partner affect a performance , if at all due to limited reharsal time.

 

I don’t know how much rehearsal time Takada and Campbell had, but I can tell you that, so far as I could see from my seat in the Amphitheatre, they managed to execute three near perfect swan dives. We all know that, whoever you end up getting, the dancers will always be top quality, but it boggles my mind sometimes. You would not have known they weren’t scheduled to dance together. Hats off to them. 

 

I am in complete agreement with those above who have praised Campbell’s characterisation. One of my biggest problems with Sleeping Beauty is a gormless prince, but he did a wonderful job of convincing me that he was indeed a character who was yearning for true love. And he was technically brilliant, but that goes without saying. 

 

Naghdi danced a superb Fairy of the Golden Vine. Arestis was a sarcastic and domineering Carabosse. Kobayashi and Zucchetti got a very warm reception for their Bluebird, and I thought Edmonds, Cowley, and Heap did a creditable Florestan. Ashely Dean danced a good White Cat and received some flowers, presumably one of the first times she has got flowers on stage, which is nice. 

 

Special mention to Claire Calvert for taking over as the Lilac Fairy having been scheduled as another fairy. She did so confidently and is a great dance actress. As a result, Mayara Magri had to switch her fairy and Tierney Heap had to dance a fairy in addition to Florestan. Thanks to both. Thomas Whitehead and Thomas Mock also stepped in as princes for Takada’s Rose Adagio. Isabella Gasparini was busy, dancing a fairy, one of Aurora’s friends, and Red Riding Hood. 

 

At the curtain call Takada gave a flower to both Campbell and Koen Kessels. Both were thoroughly deserved for helping her through what must have been tricky circumstances. Super-sub indeed!

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"I hold you personally responsible for this Jamesrhblack, you told me not to worry!"

 

Apologies.

 

Takada and Cuthbertson were the other Auroras I'd hoped to see so I'm glad she danced well last night and that Alexander Campbell lived up to all the hype. He's a wonderful dance actor.

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I was told that Takane and Campbell had just half an hour rehearsal together

 

 

Alexander Campbell has posted this on his instagram. Takada "was brave enough to step in and with just half an hour's preparation produced a wonderful performance". Brave indeed. 

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Alexander Campbell has posted this on his instagram. Takada "was brave enough to step in and with just half an hour's preparation produced a wonderful performance". Brave indeed. 

 

Very gallant of him! And can't have been easy for him either after all.

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CAST CHANGE TONIGHT:  Lauren Cuthbertson is ill so Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball will be dancing Aurora and Florimund!!!   I am very sorry for Lauren and was looking forward very much to seeing her and Reece, but I am very happy that Yasmine and Matthew will be getting three performances. 

 

Wishing Lauren well very soon. 

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