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

[bridiem]

Any views about Miss Osipova's RB debut tonight please?

 

I think her debut is on Wednesday isn't it?

[Vanartus]

No - last night. She was wonderful- everything you'd expect. Hirano on excellent form, and I liked Helen Crawford as Lilac Fairy. Sambé brilliant as Bluebird too. But the whole cast was amazing. I've never enjoyed SB as much...wonderful.

[bridiem]

No - last night. She was wonderful- everything you'd expect. Hirano on excellent form, and I liked Helen Crawford as Lilac Fairy. Sambé brilliant as Bluebird too. But the whole cast was amazing. I've never enjoyed SB as much...wonderful.

 

Getting my days confused! What's amazing too is to think that many of the dancers who performed so beautifully in the afternoon will have gone straight back on and given their all in the evening too. Such dedication, stamina, resilience etc! I know that's true of dancers everywhere, but it's particularly striking with a production as big as this one.

[SPD444]

Getting my days confused! What's amazing too is to think that many of the dancers who performed so beautifully in the afternoon will have gone straight back on and given their all in the evening too. Such dedication, stamina, resilience etc! I know that's true of dancers everywhere, but it's particularly striking with a production as big as this one.

Olivia Cowley pictured her feet on Instagram before her two shows and nearly every toe is bandaged. She said they are red raw and couldn't touch her toenails. That takes some determination, well done Livs

[Jamesrhblack]

Interesting that statistically the "senior" ballerinas seem to get three shows and the juniors / debutantes two.

 

Last time, replacing Osipova as well as dancing her own shows, Choe, en debutante, danced five.

 

This time, she has danced two, and Naghdi, herself en debutante, has danced the "senior' total of three replacing a sick colleague, as has Takada.

 

Lovely review of Hayward / Campbell and Naghdi / Ball in today's Sunday Times too, although I'll hope to read something more in depth in Dancing Times (and I find the comments of colleagues on here quite as insightful as many of those expressed by the critics anyway).

 

I don't know if the link works (it may be behind a paywall, although I'm a Times subscriber, although there are ways around that) or if I'm even allowed to post it but it's below and no doubt a Moderator will remove it if I've, unwittingly, done something I shouldn't.

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/first-love-fx8vvfgdv

[capybara]

 although I'll hope to read something more in depth in Dancing Times 

 

I believe that Dance Europe will cover the debuts across the March and April editions.

[Nina G.]

I feel one gets far more interesting reviews in magazines such as Dancing Times and Dance Europe.  Very few newspapers have knowledgable Ballet critics noways. They just fill a column or so with a few of their observations, often adding repeated and tiresome catch phrases.  Are good and knowledgable ballet critics a dying breed? 

[FLOSS]

i suspect that Osipova's Aurora will divide opinion because in the first act she is more like a force of nature than a princess entering into the adult world.Those who loved this portrayal will say that it is wonderful  to see a performance which is not prim, small scale and overly polite. Those who disliked it will,no doubt, say that her performance of the first act was too large scale and vigorous and that it lacked finesse and that while Aurora should appear young  this Aurora was loud and ebullient rather than charming and vivacious.Osipova was quieter and calmer in the second act and in the third act she began to show some elements of grandeur in her use of epaulement.On the basis of this performance I will simply say that she gave an account of Aurora but not as we are used to seeing her portrayed Whether it stays like that is another question as her performances tend to evolve during the course of a run.Hirano was a secure partner who delivered a strong account of the Prince's choreography.Crawford's Lilac Fairy was a disappointment.The highlight of the evening for me,at least, were Sambe and O'Sullivan as the Bluebird and Princess Florine. 

 

The matinee with Naghdi and Ball was highly enjoyable and it gave us a much improved Lilac Fairy from Gina Storm-Jensen whose mime is very clear.Yesterday her account of the role began to show that she had thought about the coaching which Dame Beryl had given her at the insight evening devoted to the company becoming resident at the ROH. Last week the effect of the coaching was not that much in evidence presumably the result of nerves at making her house debut in a named role which is far from insignificant.It is a bit more exposed than simply delivering a short variation. 

 

The "coaching incident" referred to in an earlier post,seemed to take Kevin by surprise.He probably did not expect an eighty nine year old in high heels to leap out of her seat and start to coach I got the impression that he had invited Dame Beryl to sit and watch Samantha Raine putting Storm-Jensen through her paces out of courtesy and that the expectation was that Dame Beryl would simply sit there and say how wonderful it all was.There was no mention of Dame Beryl providing any input  to the coaching session which she had been invited to observe and at one level her intervention must have been something of an embarrassment for Kevin and the Ballet Mistress because it was hardly a ringing endorsement of the company's coaching systems. Given the transformation which she achieved within only a few minutes you might have hoped that Kevin would have recognised the need for some further coaching  for all those cast in the Fairy Variations the fact that they continue to be so variable in performance seems to be evidence that he does not think it necessary.

Edited February 26, 2017 by FLOSS

[MAB]

Osipova was sublime as Aurora last night, another RB debutante as she never danced the role last time around and strangely has had little experience of dancing it elsewhere, just a few performances with the Mikhailovsky I'm told.

 

What sets Osipova apart from all others is her sheer love of dancing, as if to dance is more natural than breathing and whenever one spots a little error it is because she is lost in the moment.  She is a born Aurora and dances the role to perfection, her trademark lightness and speed making her perfect for the role.  There are perhaps more challenges for a Russian Aurora dancing the RB version for the first time as arms en couronne in the Rose Adage aren't traditional in Russia, fish dives aren't either (and with an unfamiliar partner too!) nor is Aurora expected to rise from the ground en point in the grand pas de deux.  If these technical differences worried her it certainly didn't show.

 

Hirano gave her excellent support, at his second act entrance I've rarely seen a sadder Florimund and by contrast his joy when he saw Aurora was palpable. Their vision scene was quite lovely as they danced out their dream of love. 

 

The last act was quite gorgeous with such wonderful support from the other characters.  An exceptional evening that will stay with me a long, long time.

[Bruce Wall]

I'm in the midst of a lot of work so don't have time to write in detail but agree with FLOSS that Osipova will divide based at which stage patrons see her development. There is little gray in her committed black and white.  Will the sometimes awkward surprise of some of those Cheshire grins survive.  Something tells me not.  They were sometimes artificial in quite the wrong way but I - as ever - applaud the commitment of her spontaneity.  Also last night there was what I would call some creative choreography in her regard on at least a couple of occasions.  At one point in the first act I began to wonder if she might not be dancing on some minor injury given that she often was rolling on her right foot rather than specifically turning on it.  That said there were - as ever with this fine artist - telling moments.  Her depiction of the prick and it's aftermath was chilling in the extreme.  

 

Notwithstanding the show - at least for me - and if the volume of the audience reaction was any measure many others - was stolen by O'Sullivan and Sambe in the Bluebird PDD.  They were musically buoyant; entirely theatrically thrilling in an unforced and totally joyous way.  They crooned; they purred; they yodeled.  Certainly they left the rest of us chirping in their divine canary.  

 

Addendum:  I feel privileged to have seen all three of the Nagdhi/Ball performances.  For me it was Wednesday night that Nagdhi reached her true heights.  Revelatory they were too.  Many of course have mentioned this as well they might.  (That said I don't think it can be celebrated TOO much.)  Here I simply want to pay additional homage to the transporting treasure that is Matthew Ball.  At the end of his first performance - at least to my eye - he appeared somewhat displeased with his own inaugural outing.  Yesterday he too PROUDLY came into his own.  Ball's initial solo in those particular mesh of moments of that second act was poetic soul personified.  Each element honoured the stunning accompanying score.  Never have those manly hops seemed so telling.  We are oh, so lucky to be in his company and to have him in our Company.   

 

A final note in praise of Koen Kessels.  I have never heard this score so brilliantly conducted in this House (one where Martin Yates' unfortunate re-orchestration of Manon has sometimes been cheered and where Russian maestros have oft rendered Russian scored money ballets unduly sullen).   Here Kessels had all rendered rich in its rightful joy.  This has made repeated viewings a true pleasure.

 

I now look forward to a few more with keen anticipation.   

Edited February 26, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[standingticket]

I very much enjoyed Osipova's account of Aurora, in particular her Act II and III. I love being able to be at the edge of my seat in anticipation, but at the same time completely relaxed in the knowledge of her brilliance. Her Act I was maybe just a little too bold or 'ebullient' as FLOSS say, but I suppose this is my taste. For my end, I preferred Hayward's account of Act I from last week, which I found just so light and so musical (feel very lucky I got to see her one performance)

 

I was particularly delighted to get the opportunity to see O'Sullivan and Sambe's Bluebird/Princess Florine. They were fantastic. So much character and musicality in their performance, and perfect timing to boot. Great to hear them getting such a loud cheer at the curtain call.

 

(Disclaimer - I'll confess to being a little biased on the basis of having done the occasional ballet class with the 9 year old Anna Rose when I was a teenager (my ballet teacher taught her privately before she went to White Lodge - she was already astoundingly good at 9), but it is so exciting to see her doing so well and I'm just waiting to see where she goes next!)

[JohnS]

Just to echo Bruce Wall's comments about Koen Kessels - and wasn't it wonderful to have Vasko Vassilev as Leader, with his richly toned solos. Vasko hadn't been playing on our three earlier visits.

[Beryl H]

I thought Natalia Osipova's Aurora would be heartily disliked, am surprised and pleased that people liked it!  After seeing the beautiful Yasmine Naghdi in the afternoon, Natalia Osipova's extrovert peformance seemed almost a joke at first, didn't realise it was her debut and she might well tone it down a little at future performances, the only Prince in the Rose Adagio to respond with a huge smile was Valeri Hristov!

 

The vision scene was lovely though with good partnering by Ryoichi Hirano as always, and technical brilliance as expected in the last act.

 

Although expectations were so high, I was deeply moved at the matinee (actually don't think I could have gone through that emotion twice in a day) how perfect Yasmine Naghdi's arabesques are, she holds the pose as Margot Fonteyn did to let it register!

What a magical partnership with Matthew Ball too!

 

Loads of fantastic dancing at both performances, I was impressed with Gina Storm-Jensen as the Lilac Fairy, the best one so far although that solo gives everyone trouble, Monica Mason used to dance it well, perhaps she could give some advice.

 

Keep seeing Reece Clarke as the Lilac Fairy Cavalier, hoping to see him on Friday as the Prince!

[Bravissima35]

I saw Nagaldi and Ball at the matinee on Saturday and they were just beautiful.  They compliment each other so well. Nagaldi's characterization was spot on for me.  She portrayed all the gifts that the faeries gave Aurora as a baby. 

 

Mathew's Prince was very assured. He had the right amount of haughtiness in the second act that changed as soon as he saw the vision of Aurora.  He was not a cut out cardboard Prince. 

 

Anna Rose Sullivan stood out and had such joy in her dancing. 

 

Loved the Orchestra and especially the Cello Solo in the Vision Scene. 

 

 

The one thing that annoyed me on Saturday was the audience.  The talking between Act 2 and Act 3 while the interlude was playing. Terrible and very rude and disrespect to the Orchestra! I wanted to listen to the music and good on those who clapped it at the end of it. (Rant Over!)

[capybara]

What sets Osipova apart from all others is her sheer love of dancing, 

 

I get this feeling from Yasmine Naghdi, Francesca Hayward and Anna-Rose O'Sullivan - and there are others in the corps: Isabella Gasparini, for example

[MAB]

I thought Natalia Osipova's Aurora would be heartily disliked, am surprised and pleased that people liked it!  After seeing the beautiful Yasmine Naghdi in the afternoon, Natalia Osipova's extrovert peformance seemed almost a joke at first

 

 

Isn't extreme criticism supposed to be accompanied by full disclosure of the poster's name?  Calling one of the world's most distinguished ballerina's a joke is as discourteous as it is absurd.

[Don Q Fan]

I loved the matinee yesterday with Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew BAll.  Very enjoyable and beautifully danced.  I think the company is on good form.  Not going to type much more as everyone else has already said it!!  A couple of curtain call pics.

Naghdi/Ball/Storm-Jensen

Naghdi/Ball

[Don Q Fan]

I get this feeling from Yasmine Naghdi, Francesca Hayward and Anna-Rose O'Sullivan - and there are others in the corps: Isabella Gasparini, for example

Yes I agree Anna Rose was on fire yesterday in the matinee and it was SO obvious she was having a ball!

[Sim]

I get this feeling from Yasmine Naghdi, Francesca Hayward and Anna-Rose O'Sullivan - and there are others in the corps: Isabella Gasparini, for example

I have always felt that about Marianela Nunez, too. Her natural joy of dancing is beamed all over the ROH (or wherever she is dancing) via that radiant smile!

[capybara]

I have always felt that about Marianela Nunez, too. Her natural joy of dancing is beamed all over the ROH (or wherever she is dancing) via that radiant smile!

 

I do so agree, Sim, and it was a disgraceful omission on my part.

[jmhopton]

 

 

The one thing that annoyed me on Saturday was the audience.  The talking between Act 2 and Act 3 while the interlude was playing. Terrible and very rude and disrespect to the Orchestra! I wanted to listen to the music and good on those who clapped it at the end of it. (Rant Over!)

 

Yes, Bravissima. I thought that was very rude too but it wasn't just in this performance. it happened in all 3 performances I attended. I don't know why as people didn't talk through the overture or music before Act 1 (or not much, anyway). I think just because there is a few seconds silence after the curtain comes down after the vision scene and before the Awakening music people immediately start talking and then don't stop when the music starts. it ruins the atmosphere.

 

Fabulous photos Don Q fan. really captures a very special performance.

[Fonty]

 

The one thing that annoyed me on Saturday was the audience.  The talking between Act 2 and Act 3 while the interlude was playing. Terrible and very rude and disrespect to the Orchestra! I wanted to listen to the music and good on those who clapped it at the end of it. (Rant Over!)

 

Good rant!

 

We've been discussing this at some length on the Audience Behaviour thread.  The noise on Monday evening was quite dreadful in the row behind me, with people yelling comments at the tops of their voices (so that they could be heard over the orchestra).  

Edited February 26, 2017 by Fonty

[SPD444]

Good rant!

There are more on the Audience behaviour thread.

[Geoff]

The "coaching incident" referred to in an earlier post,seemed to take Kevin by surprise.He probably did not expect an eighty nine year old in high heels to leap out of her seat and start to coach...Given the transformation which she achieved within only a few minutes you might have hoped that Kevin would have recognised the need for some further coaching for all those cast in the Fairy Variations the fact that they continue to be so variable in performance seems to be evidence that he does not think it necessary.

An example might be the first fairy variation, the fairy known at the original premiere in St Petersburg as "Candite" - "Candide" - a name which is understandable enough (though currently for some reason she is rather confusingly labelled "Fairy of the Crystal Fountain"). She brings the gift of purity and her variation requires the dancer to perform the conventional mime movement which stands, in the traditional vocabulary, for purity. When I looked at the BBC recording of the RB doing this in 1978, the dancer performed this mime throughout the variation; the company certainly still understood what to do in 2003, as the mime is described in detail in the programme for that year's new production; but I have seen only faint echoes of the correct mime during the current run. Are things getting forgotten?

 

I should add, however, that the fifth fairy (the so called "finger variation") seemed back in 1978 to have no idea she was meant to indicate positive and negative (opposing) electrical charges, while our current fairies do this very nicely. So maybe things just depend on who is coaching what at any particular time.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Geoff

[JohnS]

So pleased to attend yesterday's matinee which fully met our expectations. I just echo the warm words of all above regarding Yasmine and Matthew - a joyous occasion and how generous they are at the stage door.

 

The whole cast were on great form, with the Fairy Cavaliers so much better than the previous Saturday.

 

Not sure who'll be dancing in the cinema relay with Marienela and Vadim but yesterday's cast would have been a treat for all to see.

 

One more performance for us next Saturday, plus the cinema, and a massive 'thank you' to all at the Royal Ballet for giving us such pleasure in all the Sleeping Beauty performances we've attended. We're so fortunate to be able to see such talents blossoming and look forwards in anticipation to end year promotions.

[John Mallinson]

Isn't extreme criticism supposed to be accompanied by full disclosure of the poster's name?  Calling one of the world's most distinguished ballerina's a joke is as discourteous as it is absurd.

 

Beryl H doesn't call Ms Osipova herself 'a joke', which would have incurred moderatorial wrath. The criticism was of her performing style and that is rather a different matter.

[Fonty]

Will I be banned from this forum if I say that I haven't a clue what qualities each fairy is supposed to be bestowing on the infant Aurora?  I always mean to look it up beforehand, and never do.  Each time I go, I think, "Oh, forgot to check.  Never mind, it will be obvious."  And each time I kick myself for not checking.  

 

What has a crystal fountain got to do with purity?  And why is a golden vine fairy associated with positive and negative electrical charges?

 

Why can't they simply call them the Fairy of Beauty or whatever?  Or am I showing my troglodyte upbringing by not being familiar with these things?  

[now voyager]

Osipova was sublime as Aurora last night, another RB debutante as she never danced the role last time around and strangely has had little experience of dancing it elsewhere, just a few performances with the Mikhailovsky I'm told.

 

 

Osipova danced Aurora at ABT in 2010, which I believe was her first time doing the role, but as I recall, she only danced it there that one time.

[CHazell2]

Will I be banned from this forum if I say that I haven't a clue what qualities each fairy is supposed to be bestowing on the infant Aurora?  I always mean to look it up beforehand, and never do.  Each time I go, I think, "Oh, forgot to check.  Never mind, it will be obvious."  And each time I kick myself for not checking.  

 

What has a crystal fountain got to do with purity?  And why is a golden vine fairy associated with positive and negative electrical charges?

 

Why can't they simply call them the Fairy of Beauty or whatever?  Or am I showing my troglodyte upbringing by not being familiar with these things?  

 

I think that the names of the Fairies comes from the 1921 London production and Ninette de Valois simply continued to use them in the Royal Ballet production.

 

Like you, I am a bit confused as to why they are called the way that they are - but I must admit they sound very poetic and magical. I think that the gifts that they give depends on production to production.

 

Here is my take on the Fairy Gifts

 

1) Modesty and Grace.

2) Intelligence and Honour

3) Beauty and Generosity.

4) Music and Song.

5) Charm and Eloquence.

6) Wisdom

[Bravissima35]

Will I be banned from this forum if I say that I haven't a clue what qualities each fairy is supposed to be bestowing on the infant Aurora?  I always mean to look it up beforehand, and never do.  Each time I go, I think, "Oh, forgot to check.  Never mind, it will be obvious."  And each time I kick myself for not checking.  

 

What has a crystal fountain got to do with purity?  And why is a golden vine fairy associated with positive and negative electrical charges?

 

Why can't they simply call them the Fairy of Beauty or whatever?  Or am I showing my troglodyte upbringing by not being familiar with these things?  

Hmm, Did a bit of googling and one says: 

'As the fairies are happily granting gifts of honesty, grace, prosperity, song and generosity' 

www.cami.com/worddocs/.../THE-SLEEPING-BEAUTY-PROGRAM-NOTES.PDF

1.  
2.  

[MAB]

Beryl H doesn't call Ms Osipova herself 'a joke', which would have incurred moderatorial wrath. The criticism was of her performing style and that is rather a different matter.

 

Surely a dancer and her performing style are indivisible.

[Bravissima35]

 

Hmm, Did a bit of googling and one says: 

'As the fairies are happily granting gifts of honesty, grace, prosperity, song and generosity' 

www.cami.com/worddocs/.../THE-SLEEPING-BEAUTY-PROGRAM-NOTES.PDF

1.  
2.  

 

But think they vary from production to production. In the 70's version by the RB The Fairy of The Golden Vine does the pointing bits a lot softer which I quite like. 

[Jane S]

In her 1977 production Ninette de Valois replaced the usual RB Golden Vine variation with the one which Nijinska developed for herself, described by Preobrajenska apparently as 'Bizarre, tres bizarre'..