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Las Hermanas, the Royal Ballet and the ROH main stage


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I thought it might be best/easiest to start a new thread for this.

 

In the press release for 2012/13 ROH say of Las Hermanas:

"...not performed by The Royal Ballet since 1994 and never before seen at the Royal Opera House..."

 

I could swear blind I'd seen it at ROH with Nicky Davies as the youngest girl. It came up with a critic and they too felt it had been danced on the main stage.

 

If you look at ROH Collections they say 2 performances were given in 1998 (not 1994 as the press release) - in Dartford and at Sadler's Wells.

 

And then I though that you bright sparks would know(!)...

 

 

(As an aside: I'd urge all to see Hermanas - including young choreographers. We need more short dramatic works.)

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It was said at the insight evening last night that they were actually wrong about that: apparently there were a couple of performances in the early 70s.

 

Given the timing you suggest, Bruce, I'd guess that it was actually seen on one of the Dance Bites tours while the House was closed: I saw it in Woking.

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I know BRB performed Las Hermanas in the early 1990s. I've got a recollection of Sherilyn Kennedy being outstanding in this work not long before she retired in 1995. Perhaps this is the performance recalled from Sadler's Wells?

 

I think its all a bit of a buggers muddle - ROH Collections, which should be definitive when it has the info, lists the Sadler's performance as by RB.

 

The first time I saw Las Hermanas was with BRB and Jo Cipolla was the oily and chilling lead. Never seen anobody else as good as the man.

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November 2nd 1998 - RB at Sadler's Wells - Sawdust and Tinsel/Las Hermanas/Raymonda Act III

 

The cast for Las Hermanas was

 

The man - Trevitt (replacing Cassidy who was injured)

The mother - Conley

Eldest sister - Revie

Youngest sister - Galeazzi

Jealous sister - Burn

Other sisters - Leana Palmer, Michelle Davis

 

(I found the programme but got the dates from the old ballet.co database - always my first stop for this sort of question!)

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I'm really looking forward to seeing Las Hermanas. It sounds just my sort of thing. I've just been reading the old ballet.co reviews of the Dance Bites programmes which included this ballet. I was surprised to discover how long some of the current RB dancers have been with the company.

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Jane - so relieved you found this information - I was beginning to think I had dreamt seeing the RB doing Hermanas in London!

 

Aileen, be warned - if you've never seen it, it's almost deliberately OTT and whatever you do, you musn't laugh (I nearly did). I think MacMillan was having a bit of fun with the strutting male in the household of quivering, sex-starved women, but I loved it anyway for the dramatic tension of the piece and the clarity of the story-telling. It's perhaps telling that I can't remember a single detail of the choreography, but nevertheless I'm really looking forward to this revival.

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Okay, I stand corrected, then. I was going to claim that my programme was probably stored away in a box somewhere, but if it's got Raymonda Act III in it as well then it clearly can't be, as I'll be needing it for later on in the season.

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I think its all a bit of a buggers muddle - ROH Collections, which should be definitive when it has the info, lists the Sadler's performance as by RB.

 

 

I've found quite a few errors in the ROH collections where a particular dancer was scheduled to appear but was replaced due to injury/illness. It's not 100% accurate (and I can only speak for the most recent decade).

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Perhaps the ROH have as much difficulty getting hold of cast change sheets as the rest of us do :)

 

Seriously, though, isn't it the stage manager who always notes down any changes in whatever log they keep? So you wouldn't think it would be so difficult to get the correct details.

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Thanks everybody for all the responses.

 

In parallel with starting this thread I also contacted the wonderful Bob Kimber. Bob publishes the Ballet Chronicles - in the words of the web page:

 

"This is the site for Ballet Chronicles, which is a unique work detailing, season by season, all ballets ever performed, at home or abroad, by The Royal Ballet, The Birmingham Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet School, from when they first started public performances to the present day. I have included all full length ballets, one act ballets, and divertissements. I have also included details of all Galas performed by the three institutions."

 

And you can find it here:

http://www.sylphide....cles v2007.html

 

 

Bob responded thus:

 

"I have looked at Ballet Chronicles and also at a copy of a programme archive that I hold and can find no trace of a Royal Ballet Main Stage performance only the Dance Bites Tour of 1997/98 and Sadler's Wells in the following season, 1998/99.

 

However, it was seen on the Main Stage in 1972 but not in a performance by The Royal. It was performed by the New Group and it remained in their rep. and the Sadler's Well Royal Ballet's rep. for another 20 years.

 

If it helps, off the cuff I too would have agreed with a ROH performance too, but then, my memory is not as good as it once was !"

 

 

Since getting Bob's response I also heard about the New Group performances from elsewhere and I gather Monica Mason danced it with them!

 

 

Conclusions:

 

1) I'm bonkers in thinking I saw RB perform Las Hermanas at Covent Garden in the 90's.

 

2) ROH were incorrect in saying RB haven't performed it since 1994 - it looks like it was last performed in 1998 (at Sadler's Wells).

 

3) ROH were incorrect in saying its never been seen at the ROH.

 

I actually think everybody is aware now of this history, including RB. I find it interesting seeing just how much effort it takes to track down what happened not so long ago. Also saddened that my brain got it wrong!

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2) ROH were incorrect in saying RB haven't performed it since 1994 - it looks like it was last performed in 1998 (at Sadler's Wells).

 

I don't remember them performing it in 1994, either ... unless it wasn't in the ROH? :)

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Hello, Bob. Thank you for that, and welcome to the forum. Your input would be very much appreciated (and thanks, Bruce, for the reminder of the site - I've had it bookmarked for years, but don't always remember to refer to it).

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The 1998 Hermanas performances at Sadler's Wells (there were just four, 2-5 November) were stronger in the second cast than the first, listed above: it was Genesia Rosato as the mother and Gary Avis as the man, with Gillian Revie (replacing an injured Christina McDermott), Laura Morera and Chloe Davies as the three main sisters - a tremendous ensemble.

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