capybara Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Sounds as though Alexander Campbell, among others, managed it? Isn't it safest, Alison, if we make comments based on our own viewings rather than referring back to the views of others? For what it's worth, I felt that (in alphabetical order) Ball, Campbell and Muntagirov did much better in offering us a character than many Princes in the recent past. And, yes, I did see them all live! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Sure it would be, capybara, if there were any. That's why I asked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 After this evening's performance I would add Hirano to my list of very creditable Act 2 variations. And his was by far the best version I have seen this run of what I always think is a rather ugly variation for the prince in Act 3. He is also one of the best partners in the company - very very quick fish dives. As for Osipova, she is such a force of nature! I can see how her interpretation of Aurora will divide opinion and the role is not made for her in the same way as Giselle, but I would rather watch her do it "wrong" than almost anyone else do it correctly. Extraordinary. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 The cinema broadcast was wonderful and well received in my cinema down in Plymouth - audible gasps and some applause. Nunez was a joy to watch and had obviously "bedded in" to the role since I saw her a couple of weeks ago. Muntagirov never disappoints with his glorious lines and stunningly impeccable dancing - the Act 2 solo was soulful and beautiful to watch; and I think he was rocket-propelled in his Act 3 solo! Other standouts - Annarose O'Sullivan is rapidly becoming The Name To Watch for me - beautiful fairy variation. And Sambe as Florestan. And I don't know if it was the cinematic close-ups, but Claire Calvert seemed to convey much more of the benign presence required from the Lilac Fairy than when I last saw her, and she managed the Act 1 variation well with no wobbles this time. The whole cast really was on form - I do hope they bring out a DVD. Surely it's about time for a new Sleeping Beauty one? I did put a comment on the ROH website about stopping the practice of Darcey and Ore talking over the curtain calls. I'm sure I can't be the only one who enjoys them and would like to see them in full and uninterrupted? I like to see the dancers receiving their well deserved acclaim. I know there are further announcements to be made, but surely they could wait a couple of minutes? 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Now that's going to be an interesting marriage... Osipova's Aurora is, as Lindsay said, extraordinary. I wonder if Hirano's elegant, restrained Florimund really knows what he's taken on?! Seriously, though, I have never seen an Aurora like this. Not just excited but exalted; not just happy but ecstatic; whirring, whizzing and leaping; arching her back with yearning; demanding, regal, imperious. Incredible, and incredibly danced. But not, to be honest, a portrayal or a style that has much to do with the RB production or the other performers on stage, which for me made the performance ultimately unsatisfying even though Osipova was absolutely thrilling to watch. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Before this run, I’d only seen the RB’s Sleeping Beauty once - via the cinema relay in 2014. With all the debuts as well, I decided to treat myself to quite a few visits. My first SB visit this run was in early January with Sarah Lamb & Vadim Muntagirov. In common with others, I can find Sarah cold in certain roles, but not as Aurora – she was absolutely radiant. Despite this & some lovely performances from Vadim, Yasmine Naghdi, Francesca Hayward & others too, I was conscious of feeling bored from early in the Prologue & the feeling never really left me. Which has hardly happened to me before with the RB! I thought possibly it was a combination of the dancers being understandably tired after the long, demanding Christmas period; the flaws within the SB production itself & that perhaps SB just wasn’t for me. So I was rather wary of my next visit for the SB matinee & evening performances on 18th February. But what a difference! I was in the SCS again, yet experienced completely opposite feelings & certainly wasn’t bored. The debut of Yasmine & Matthew was astounding. During the Rose Adage, to my complete astonishment, I found tears pouring down my cheeks - it was just so inexplicably moving, pure & stunningly beautiful. I’m relieved to read that I wasn’t the only one who reacted in this way. I also saw their fabulous performance the following Saturday & thought Matthew brought even more depth to the character of Prince Florimund. I can add nothing more to what has already been said so well by other posters, about the quality of their dancing. I just hope to see much more of their partnership. I was also at the first performance of Natalia Osipova & Ryoichi Hirano. I like dancers to have the freedom (within reason) to make roles their own & bring their own interpretation to it, in the same way that actors do. I agree that Natalia’s interpretation of Aurora on that night will have divided opinion. The person stood next to me was in raptures after Act I & had clearly enjoyed it hugely. Sadly, Natalia’s Act I Aurora on the 25th Feb didn’t work for me. I felt rather bewildered, as I was very much reminded of her Odile, especially with the backward head tosses which came across to me as more triumphalism than youthfully joyous. In Act II, Natalia’s Aurora was wonderfully other-worldly during the Vision Scene – one of the best I’ve seen so far to convey that sense. I also really enjoyed her interpretation of the awakening scene, registering a little more confusion & shock than others. But especially her look once she’d had a chance to take in Prince Florimund, which said, “Well, Hello!” & gave more a sense of mutual attraction & love to the fairytale ending. On balance, though, my feeling about the overall performance is along the lines of Bridiem's in post #434 above. Ryoichi was a great partner & conveyed such joy at meeting the girl of his dreams in Aurora. Though as Bridiem says, it’ll be an interesting marriage! As this is turning into quite a long post, I’d better conclude. Lauren Cuthbertson & Reece Clarke were delightful. I greatly enjoyed his debut & look forward to seeing his talent develop. Others who have particularly caught my eye include Anna Rose O’Sullivan – such a fun, vivid presence on stage. Alex Campbell & Marcelino Sambe. Gina Storm-Jensen as a terrific Lilac Fairy, really projecting such benevolence & gentle authority out into the audience. Camille Bracher & Kevin Emerton made me laugh-out-loud as Puss-in-Boots & The White Cat. Nicol Edmonds as The French Prince looked amazingly like an old masters painting come to life, I thought. Incidentally, does anyone else hear the triangle at the start of one of Florestan’s sisters’ solos & half expect Alain from La Fille mal Gardee to appear as a guest at the wedding, wiggling his bottom? All the Carabosse’s I’ve seen have been deliciously evil. In fact, from my initial negative feelings during this run, I’m now quite a convert to the RB’s SB despite its flaws & on the whole have really enjoyed the February performances. Though I can certainly see what people mean about SB being a test of the entire company. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisypop84 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Have people who have seen Ms. Osipova tell if she has acquired any of the Royal ballet style? In one of the RB`s sleeping beauty rehearsal video with Ball and Naghdi, Mr. O'Hare tells Naghdi that the third act is pure classical not Don Q. Which I found interesting because Ms. Osipova seems to always kind of be in Don Q mode. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM12 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I must say, I have never seen an Aurora quite like Osipova's ... nor do I ever expect to again. As said above, it was certainly extraordinary and will divide opinion. It was rather spectacular to have a more feisty/energetic Aurora than what I'm used to. Her Act 1 was full of all the energy and excitement of a young girl on her birthday. Her Act 2 Vision Scene was more regal, calm and dream-like and in Act 3 she seemed to be even more of a grown up Princess. I'm not sure I've ever seen this transformation in other dancers before. At first I thought it might all be too much but I'll have to admit that I was converted and thought it was amazing. Seriously, though, does Osipova ever run out of energy?! She seems to defy gravity. Anna Rose O'Sullivan was a stand out fairy for me and liked Reece Clark as the Lilac Fairy Cavalier (shame I won't be seeing his Prince Florimund performances). I did feel that the tempo of the whole performance felt rather slow last night. I've been watching the 1955 Fonteyn/Somes/Grey recording recently so perhaps after watching that that's why last night felt a bit like it was in slow motion. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 That's how I felt EM12. Osipova's interpretation really shouldn't work but it does Her elevation is ridiculous. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I must say, I have never seen an Aurora quite like Osipova's ... nor do I ever expect to again. As said above, it was certainly extraordinary and will divide opinion. It was rather spectacular to have a more feisty/energetic Aurora than what I'm used to. Her Act 1 was full of all the energy and excitement of a young girl on her birthday. Her Act 2 Vision Scene was more regal, calm and dream-like and in Act 3 she seemed to be even more of a grown up Princess. I'm not sure I've ever seen this transformation in other dancers before. At first I thought it might all be too much but I'll have to admit that I was converted and thought it was amazing. Seriously, though, does Osipova ever run out of energy?! She seems to defy gravity. I did feel that the tempo of the whole performance felt rather slow last night. I've been watching the 1955 Fonteyn/Somes/Grey recording recently so perhaps after watching that that's why last night felt a bit like it was in slow motion. I haven't seen Osipova, so can't comment specifically on her performance. However, I would expect a girl of royal blood, however young, to behave with a certain dignity, even if she is excited. Otherwise, doesn't it make her seem a little too young? From the descriptions here, I have a vision of Clara in the Nutcracker, rather than Aurora! Very dangerous to watch the old Fonteyn recordings, by the way. Nobody, but nobody, has ever done it better than her. IMO of course. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 During the last 3 years I was watching how willingly and assiduously Osipova was adapting herself to new styles, i.e. Ashton’s or RB’s style in Sleeping Beauty. (Btw in other companies and productions of SB the ‘requirements’ for Aurora are not the same as in RB.) I personally appreciated how Osipova managed to rein in her indomitable energy and at the same time didn’t become a tight-laced princess with a taught smile. She was natural, lively and warm. More important for me was that she didn’t just perform a succession of steps (which was evident in several performers) but was proudly dancing all through. Daisypop84 wrote: “… Ms. Osipova seems to always kind of be in Don Q mode.” I beg to disagree. Using the Richter magnitude scale, which quantifies the size of activity (earthquake ) I would have gaven Osipova’s Aurora nos. 1.0–1.9 Micro while for her Kitri it would be 9.0 and greater. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I haven't seen Osipova, so can't comment specifically on her performance. However, I would expect a girl of royal blood, however young, to behave with a certain dignity, even if she is excited. Otherwise, doesn't it make her seem a little too young? From the descriptions here, I have a vision of Clara in the Nutcracker, rather than Aurora! Very dangerous to watch the old Fonteyn recordings, by the way. Nobody, but nobody, has ever done it better than her. IMO of course. I didn't think she seemed too young, Fonty; just incredibly vivid, ecstatic etc. Must have been a handful for her parents (though they did look as if they were quite fond of her). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 But that's precisely my point. A princess, however young, would be used to court occasions, and however excited she was, she wouldn't be overwhelmed by it to the extent that she would forget her upbringing. It is a tough ask to get the right blend of radiance and decorum, of course. Hence my comment about Fonteyn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 But that's precisely my point. A princess, however young, would be used to court occasions, and however excited she was, she wouldn't be overwhelmed by it to the extent that she would forget her upbringing. It is a tough ask to get the right blend of radiance and decorum, of course. Hence my comment about Fonteyn! That's true, Fonty, but I wouldn't say that this princess was actually indecorous (though others might disagree). It strikes me as a reasonably benevolent Court that might tolerate a degree of exuberance in its beloved princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 That's true, Fonty, but I wouldn't say that this princess was actually indecorous (though others might disagree). It strikes me as a reasonably benevolent Court that might tolerate a degree of exuberance in its beloved princess. Quite. As a keen reader of history I'm aware few princesses were as decorous as balletic ones are supposed to be. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billboyd Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Judging from the photos and video clips on social media the powers that be would appear to be more than happy with Natalia's performance. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Judging from the photos and video clips on social media the powers that be would appear to be more than happy with Natalia's performance. More than happy? I was ecstatic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Having waited three years to see Osipova's Aurora I can only say that it was worth the wait! There was I thought a development of character through the performance. The vision scene was so moving, the yearning in the music perfectly expressed through dance by both prince and princess. Bravo to both. The character dances in act 3 were enjoyable , especially bluebird. I was confused by the casting of the prologue fairies - my cast list was incorrect. I am sure I saw Choe . Does anyone know? A wonderful evening. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I was confused by the casting of the prologue fairies - my cast list was incorrect. I am sure I saw Choe . Does anyone know? Yes, there was a cast change slip but not many available before the show. There seemed to be more available in the second interval! Choe replaced Stock and O'Sullivan replaced Naghdi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Judging from the photos and video clips on social media the powers that be would appear to be more than happy with Natalia's performance. Where are these please, Bill? You are tantalising us!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I saw that Chloe replaced Stock ....even though I'm sure I saw Stock dancing in the corps.....but I'm sure Naghdi was dancing .....didn't look like o Sullivan.......the final fairy variation that is!! If it wasn't Naghdi or O Sullivan who did do,the final one.....I think there may have been some moved around because of the cast changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 (edited) I saw that Chloe replaced Stock ....even though I'm sure I saw Stock dancing in the corps.....but I'm sure Naghdi was dancing .....didn't look like o Sullivan.......the final fairy variation that is!! If it wasn't Naghdi or O Sullivan who did do,the final one.....I think there may have been some moved around because of the cast changes. The last one was definitely Anna Rose O'Sullivan - Naghdi was injured. Edited March 2, 2017 by bridiem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Well the girl who danced had quite dark colouring which I don't believe Anna Rose O,Sullivan has. This is what I mean by I think they changed the variations around......and now I wonder if the last variation was in fact Isabella Gasparini ....she also played the little red riding hood role ....and now I think there's a facial resemblance!! Will go and find my cast list thingy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 It was O'Sullivan in the final fairy variation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billboyd Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Where are these please, Bill? You are tantalising us!!!!!! Facebook Natalia Osipova - Friends and Fan pages. - I'll show you on my iphone when we meet up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 LinMM, are you talking about the cinema performance or the one last night (Wednesday)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 This is the order originally Crystal Fountain....Leticia Stock...but was Yuhui Choe.....definitely! Then Mayara Magri and she definitely was Enchanted Garden Fairy. This is where I think it gets complicated Woodland Glade says Claire Calvert Song bird Isabella Gasparini And Golden Vine Jasmine Nagdhi ......who was substituted as a dancer at any rate by Anna Rose O Sullivan At the time had no idea as did not get the cast change slip However I've looked at clips of Anna Rose and I just cannot equate her to the girl who danced the last variation last night ....there just isn't the facial resemblance....not to,me anyway. I did think at first it was Naghdi .....but then the dancer had a slightly fuller face ...but had the darker colouring....so was confused after already realising that Choe had replaced Stock ......who I am dead sure I saw dancing in the Corps .....so was wondering whether something was going on that I didn't know about. What I was suggesting that although o Sullivan replaced Naghdi ....she didn't actually do THAT fairy variation but a different one. I thought two stood out last night ....one was the last fairy ...and one was a slightly taller dancer fairish colouring . .....who,at first I thought was Isabella ....a dancer I don't know.....but then realised couldn't have been her because she danced Little Red Riding Hood and so she looked more like the dancer who did the last variation!! Perhaps the other one was Claire Calvert .....but I'm sure it was O Sullivan ....who either danced the 3rd or 4th variation!! This is very complicated but I haven't seen either Osullivan or Gaspirini dance out of the corps that much so could be entirely mistaken of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I am talking about the Wednesday March 1st performance with Osipova as Aurora Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 It wouldn't be the first time that a corps dancer has been pulled out of a solo role because they are short of dancers in the corps for whatever reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I've sent an email to the ROH to see if they can clarify exactly WHO danced WHICH fairy variation in the end last night They probably can't help.....probably more to do with the Royal Ballet ....so am not sure who you should really ask for this information...but will see if get a reply!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 It really was O'Sullivan in the fifth variation. Gasparini in the fourth. I have seen them both a couple of times this run and it was definitely the same dancers on Wednesday night. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I've sent an email to the ROH to see if they can clarify exactly WHO danced WHICH fairy variation in the end last night They probably can't help.....probably more to do with the Royal Ballet ....so am not sure who you should really ask for this information...but will see if get a reply!! I don't know why you don't believe us. The fairy variations were in the usual order and danced by the advertised dancers, save that Choe replaced Stock and O'Sullivan replaced Naghdi. My twitter timeline is full of people (rightly) praising O'Sullivan. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 LinMM - bangorballetboy is a very reliable source of this kind of information Someone mentioned that Yasmine was injured. Oh, I do hope not. She has been on in every SB (except the 2 on the nights after her matinees as Aurora) and that must be tough when you have several soloist roles to cope with (2 Prologue Fairies) and Florestan's Sister and many appearances as one of Aurora's Friends. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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