Melissa Hamilton - news

[Ian Macmillan]

Should she return to London, it does not necessarily follow that Ms Hamilton would do so as a Principal.  Sarah Lamb was a Principal with Boston Ballet before crossing the Atlantic to join the Royal Ballet, initially as Soloist.

[Odyssey]

A very interesting and thoughtful response Floss. I like the way that this dancer has, as you put it, taken charge of her career, and it will be interesting to watch what happens.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Odyssey

[Gargouillade]

Melissa's Instagram profile now reads 'Semperoper Ballett Principal ~ Royal Ballet 2007-2015'

[Angela]

Melissa Hamilton will be in the premiere of a new "Don Quixote" by Aaron Watkin at Semperoper Ballet Dresden – not as Kitri, not as Dulcinea, but as Sancha Panza . According to the press release, Watkin’s version takes place in a welding shop, with a certain Alonso Quixano, tortured by the hard work and inspired by the works of Cervantes, escaping into a fantasy world of knights and ladies. His faithful companion Sancha Panza is a girl, a "rugged welder" who turns out to be his true love in the end. The first act has music by Minkus, the second act by Manuel de Falla. Premiere on 5. November.

[Jan McNulty]

Melissa Hamilton will be in the premiere of a new "Don Quixote" by Aaron Watkin at Semperoper Ballet Dresden – not as Kitri, not as Dulcinea, but as Sancha Panza . According to the press release, Watkin’s version takes place in a welding shop, with a certain Alonso Quixano, tortured by the hard work and inspired by the works of Cervantes, escaping into a fantasy world of knights and ladies. His faithful companion Sancha Panza is a girl, a "rugged welder" who turns out to be his true love in the end. The first act has music by Minkus, the second act by Manuel de Falla. Premiere on 5. November.

 

 

 

Well that sounds interesting!  I've wanted to go to Dresden but doubt if I will be able to get there for this.  Will you be seeing it Angela?

[capybara]

Melissa's Instagram profile now reads 'Semperoper Ballett Principal ~ Royal Ballet 2007-2015'

 

But she is still listed as an RB First Soloist for the 2016/17 season.

[FLOSS]

As this has only just been announced perhaps those in charge of the ROH website have not yet been informed. Perhaps they are just a little behind in updating information about the company, it would not be the first time.

[capybara]

As this has only just been announced perhaps those in charge of the ROH website have not yet been informed. Perhaps they are just a little behind in updating information about the company, it would not be the first time.

 

The post from dancedancedance  dates back to May!

[MargaretN7]

As this has only just been announced perhaps those in charge of the ROH website have not yet been informed. Perhaps they are just a little behind in updating information about the company, it would not be the first time.

The new Fille programme also lists her as a First Soloist with the RB, with "In the 2015/16 and 2016/17 Seasons she is on a leave of absence dancing with Semperoper Ballett, Dresden, as a principal."

[Angela]

According to a press release by Semperoper Ballet Dresden, Melissa Hamilton returns to the Royal Ballet. Not next season, but immediately, if I understand it right. "For reasons of a longterm scheduling", they terminated her contract by common accord, the press realease says.

[blackdove]

I'm more than happy if she's coming back

[bangorballetboy]

47 minutes ago, Angela said:

According to a press release by Semperoper Ballet Dresden, Melissa Hamilton returns to the Royal Ballet. Not next season, but immediately, if I understand it right. "For reasons of a longterm scheduling", they terminated her contract by common accord, the press realease says.

 

I think matters may have got lost in translation.  Hamilton's contract with Dresden was only to the end of the 16/17 season so "terminating early" is not a big thing, particularly as she was not cast in anything else this season.

 

As noted above in this thread, Hamilton was only on a leave of absence from the Royal and, having danced Jewels as planned, is not scheduled to dance anything else with RB during the remainder of this season.  She is scheduled to dance in period 1 pieces, but I am not at liberty to give further detail at this time.

[alison]

Given the number of MacMillan ballets early in the season, I'm not at all surprised.

 

It will be interesting to see how much she's progressed in her two years away.  The company has changed a lot in that time.

[Angela]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

so "terminating early" is not a big thing, particularly as she was not cast in anything else this season.

Then why did they mention it at all - nobody would have noticed that she left before the end of the season... Strange.

[David]

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

 Hamilton ... is scheduled to dance in period 1 pieces, but I am not at liberty to give further detail at this time.

 

Well that is good news! Thanks.

[SwissBalletFan]

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

  She is scheduled to dance in period 1 pieces, but I am not at liberty to give further detail at this time.

 

May I ask if the ROH have briefed the staff of the Forum officially and this is where the information is from? Just to understand public rather than private sources.

 

Many thanks.

[bangorballetboy]

18 minutes ago, SwissBalletFan said:

 

May I ask if the ROH have briefed the staff of the Forum officially and this is where the information is from? Just to understand public rather than private sources.

 

Many thanks.

 

Casting for period 1 is already available to Patrons, so my information is above board and not salacious (or other) gossip.  

[bangorballetboy]

2 hours ago, Angela said:

Then why did they mention it at all - nobody would have noticed that she left before the end of the season... Strange.

 

I found earlier press releases from Dresden re Hamilton odd too.  

[SwissBalletFan]

25 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Casting for period 1 is already available to Patrons, so my information is above board and not salacious (or other) gossip.  

 

Thank you for the response, I was not inferring salacious, but it is good to know the source. Many thanks again.

[bangorballetboy]

2 minutes ago, SwissBalletFan said:

 

Thank you for the response, I was not inferring salacious, but it is good to know the source. Many thanks again.

 

No worries!

[eliamato]

17 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Casting for period 1 is already available to Patrons, so my information is above board and not salacious (or other) gossip.  

 

 

Can we know something about period 1 casting?

Some anticipation?

[tabitha]

On 04/05/2017 at 14:40, alison said:

 

It will be interesting to see how much she's progressed in her two years away.  The company has changed a lot in that time.

 

Yes, I understand that her aim at Dresden was to improve her classical technique to make her more eligible for promotion to RB principal. However I feel that others at RB have also developed in this time as well and are likely to be ahead of her when considering principal promotions.

[Geoff]

13 minutes ago, tabitha said:

 

Yes, I understand that her aim at Dresden was to improve her classical technique to make her more eligible for promotion to RB principal. However I feel that others at RB have also developed in this time as well and are likely to be ahead of her when considering principal promotions.

 

I am not qualified to comment but can add a recent observation from someone who is. During this latest run of Jewels, I went to see it with a friend who until recently was Prima Ballerina somewhere (no names, sorry). Despite much other great dancing that night, out of all the cast she singled Melissa Hamilton out as truly exceptional. So all seems to be going well.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Geoff

[Legseleven]

It's interesting that different people are different things. I was told by friends when are experienced teachers and had professional careers in ballet that the second cast dancer in the same role in Rubies (Tierney Heap I think) had, in their opinion, far outshone Melissa Hamilton who was as far as I know in the first cast. I wonder what Kevin O'Hare's opinion is.  

[Legseleven]

Different people SEE different things - sorry! 

[penelopesimpson]

3 hours ago, Legseleven said:

It's interesting that different people are different things. I was told by friends when are experienced teachers and had professional careers in ballet that the second cast dancer in the same role in Rubies (Tierney Heap I think) had, in their opinion, far outshone Melissa Hamilton who was as far as I know in the first cast. I wonder what Kevin O'Hare's opinion is.  

Interesting.  I saw both those casts and felt Tierney had the edge - but then I see with the technical knowledge to back it up

[Legseleven]

Penelope, that's what I find interesting - and refreshing - that you and my friends, all with technical knowledge, thought that Tierney Heap outdid Melissa Hamilton but that Geoff's friend, also with technical knowledge, singled out Melissa Hamilton. Perhaps it is simply that the Royal Ballet has such an embarrassment of riches at the moment that they can field several different casts, all of exceptionally able dancers. 

[FLOSS]

Perhaps I am the only one but does anyone else think it rather odd that details of the ballet casting are available to Patrons but have not yet been posted on the website? If prior knowledge of the ballet casting is one of the benefits conferred on those willing to pay whatever eye watering sum is required to secure patron status why does not the same rule apply to the details of the opera casting as well?

 

As far as Melissa Hamilton's qualities as a dancer are concerned I  think that we may be describing different things. Geoff is saying that his friend singled Hamilton out as the "truly

 exceptional dancer" in the cast of Jewels which they saw.While those posting on this site have been writing about the dancer who they thought gave the best or most idiomatic account of the "Tall Girl " role in Rubies. These positions are not necessarily mutually incompatible. If you have not seen all of the casts you can not possibly say who gave the most idiomatic account of a particular role in a series of performances.An individual's view about the effectiveness of a performances will be coloured by their knowledge of the role and their views about its place in a ballet. It is perfectly possible for a dancer to be both exceptional and miscast.

 

I have always thought that Hamilton has an exceptionally smooth creamy way of moving which made me notice her when she joined the company. It was not that she was trying to attract attention by sticking he leg up higher than everyone else. She was making exactly the same movements as the other girls dancing with her but she seemed to have a different and very personal quality of movement which made me watch her.Perhaps this was what made Mukhamedov's wife notice her when by chance she took the class which  Hamilton was in at Elmhurst.

 

Hamilton's problem it seems to me was that there were serious gaps in her technical armory which became all too obvious when she danced a mercilessly exposed classical role like the Queen of the Dryads.She looked wonderful in Agon and MacMillan's dramatic works but when it came to a role like the Queen of the Dryads I could not help noticing that while she began her solo well it began to disintegrate when she got to the trickier more choreographically challenging section. Again when she danced the female lead in Symphonic Variations she did not have the speed or the stamina to make it look elegantly simple and controlled.It seems to me that the most likely explanation for her lack of mastery of the trickier more challenging choreography was that she started her serious training late, although it has to be admitted that these technical challenges are ones which a significant number of dancers seem to have phobias about.

 

No doubt her time in Dresden has given Hamilton ample opportunity to build her stamina, improve her technique and extend her repertory. I am looking forward to the coming season and the opportunity to see the company in action in the repertory scheduled for performance. It will be good to see Hamilton again in a wide range of works. I wish her and the rest of the company good luck for the 2017-2018 season.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by FLOSS

[penelopesimpson]

4 hours ago, Legseleven said:

Penelope, that's what I find interesting - and refreshing - that you and my friends, all with technical knowledge, thought that Tierney Heap outdid Melissa Hamilton but that Geoff's friend, also with technical knowledge, singled out Melissa Hamilton. Perhaps it is simply that the Royal Ballet has such an embarrassment of riches at the moment that they can field several different casts, all of exceptionally able dancers. 

I dear, I meant to say WITHOUT  the technical knowlege to back it up!  So sorry.  I come on hear to learn as well as express views but I am still very much an amateur.  

[Geoff]

15 hours ago, penelopesimpson said:

I dear, I meant to say WITHOUT  the technical knowlege to back it up!  So sorry. 

 

Now I am a bit lost Penelope. I (while being careful not to trespass on any personal confidences) made clear in my post that the friend who made the observation was a Prima Ballerina.

 

Are you now saying she is WITHOUT technical knowledge, which is a surprising thing to claim, or have I misunderstood you?

Edited May 7, 2017 by Geoff

[David]

15 hours ago, FLOSS said:

Perhaps I am the only one but does anyone else think it rather odd that details of the ballet casting are available to Patrons but have not yet been posted on the website? If prior knowledge of the ballet casting is one of the benefits conferred on those willing to pay whatever eye watering sum is required to secure patron status why does not the same rule apply to the details of the opera casting as well?

 

 

 

 

 

I suppose the temptation is to see this as a kind of institutionalised elitism but the more likely and certainly the kinder explanation is that Mr O'Hare has said that  casting details will be available prior to the booking date/s and that date must be imminent for Patrons? Meanwhile I'm afraid we lesser mortals must wait our turn. Hopefully it will not be too long.

[Colman]

48 minutes ago, Geoff said:

 

Now I am a bit lost Penelope. I (while being careful not to trespass on any personal confidences) made clear in my post that the friend who made the observation was a Prima Ballerina.

 

Are you now saying she is WITHOUT technical knowledge, which is a surprising thing to claim, or have I misunderstood you?

I believe Penelope was saying that she herself lacked technical knowledge. 

[bridiem]

37 minutes ago, David said:

 

I suppose the temptation is to see this as a kind of institutionalised elitism but the more likely and certainly the kinder explanation is that Mr O'Hare has said that  casting details will be available prior to the booking date/s and that date must be imminent for Patrons? Meanwhile I'm afraid we lesser mortals must wait our turn. Hopefully it will not be too long.

 

I understand why Patrons would get earlier priority booking etc; but I'm not sure I understand why casting information should be made known to them earlier. Also it would surely be pretty risky to do that, since you can embargo information given to press contacts but you surely can't demand the same absolute discretion from Patrons? (And in fact, casting info is available pretty late on nowadays, generally well after the performance schedule has been published.) All a bit confusing if you ask me.