capybara Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 (edited) It has just been announced on the ROH website that Melissa Hamilton will take leave of absence for the 2015/16 season to join SemperOper Ballett, Dresden and concentrate on particular works in their repertoire. http://www.roh.org.uk/news/melissa-hamilton-to-join-semperoper-ballett-dresden-on-leave-of-absence-for-201516-season Edited May 5, 2015 by capybara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Well, that's come as a surprise! Here's Semperoper's schedule for next year: https://www.semperoper.de/en/whats-on/ballet/spielzeit/2015.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've moved capybara's post from the RB 2015-16 thread into a new, more relevant one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleaden94 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 It has just been announced on the ROH website that Melissa Hamilton will take leave of absence for the 2015/16 season to join SemperOper Ballett, Dresden and concentrate on particular works in their repertoire. http://www.roh.org.uk/news/melissa-hamilton-to-join-semperoper-ballett-dresden-on-leave-of-absence-for-201516-season Also it says that she is going there as a principal. Maybe Leanne Cope has inspired other dancers to try out ballet elsewhere, maybe out of frustration with Royal Ballet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've moved capybara's post from the RB 2015-16 thread into a new, more relevant one. I actually thought that the news was highly relevant to the 2015-16 season and, therefore maybe, did not need a thread of its own!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 (edited) I don't think it is out of frustration. Looking at the rep of that company for next, I think it is an opportunity for her to maybe dance some roles that she would not be top of the list at the Royal Ballet. Having just looked at the official announcement, it would seem that all parties see it as an opportunity for her to develop in the classical roles. Edited May 5, 2015 by Tony Newcombe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 That was what I was wondering, too, Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I guess announcing this before the casting is announced for the Autumn period also staves off the questions on where is Melissa as her name would not be their. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I'm really impressed - I wonder if the SemperOper Ballett approached her first or vice-versa. Her training before she joined the company was already quite unusual and it sounds like her career path might be too. I think it's quite gutsy to go elsewhere when you might be on the principal track path in your home company and still have a lot to prove, but I'm sure it's a wonderful opportunity for her, for Dresden and us too when she comes back. Dresden's the most wonderful city, and their opera/ballet house is just gorgeous. Good luck to her! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 It reminds me of something Jonathan Cope said in an interview, about career regrets. His biggest regret was not going abroad and working with other companies when he had the opportunity (I think when MacMillan went to ABT and he asked Cope to come?) Much as I will miss her, I'm glad that there is that flexibility for Hamilton to dance elsewhere and raise her international profile, so early in her career, and hopefully for other dancers too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesrhblack Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 (edited) I don't think it is out of frustration. Looking at the rep of that company for next, I think it is an opportunity for her to maybe dance some roles that she would not be top of the list at the Royal Ballet. Having just looked at the official announcement, it would seem that all parties see it as an opportunity for her to develop in the classical roles. The situation seems a little analogous to that of Alessandra Ferri, who, admittedly, did reach principal status, but was regarded as unsuitable for the classical repertoire and had to move to ABT to get her chances there. Of course, she didn't come back, and if it is as a principal that Melissa Hamilton is going to Dresden (indeed, a beautiful house - I had an artist singing there earlier this season and loved both the house and the city) I doubt she would wish to return to the Royal Ballet unless they would promote her on such a return (which also raises the question as to why a Comoany feels that classical experience should be developed by another company to justify such casting by them). Of course, such situations are rarely simple and it's an exciting opportunity for Melissa Hamilton, and I'd think quite a brave decision too (unless repertoire and status made it a no brainier). I have a definite feeling that we will be in for some surprises when the Royal Ballet casting is announced later today. There's a Juliet vacancy for a start now.... Edited May 5, 2015 by Jamesrhblack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 The situation seems a little analogous to that of Alessandra Ferri, who, admittedly, did reach principal status, but was regarded as unsuitable for the classical repertoire and had to move to ABT to get her chances there. Of course, she didn't come back, and if it is as a principal that Melissa Hamilton is going to Dresden (indeed, a beautiful house - I had an artist singing there earlier this season and loved both the house and the city) I doubt she would wish to return to the Royal Ballet unless they would promote her on such a return (which also raises the question as to why a Comoany feels that classical experience should be developed by another company to justify such casting by them). Of course, such situations are rarely simple and it's an exciting opportunity for Melissa Hamilton, and I'd think quite a brave decision too (unless repertoire and status made it a no brainier). I have a definite feeling that we will be in for some surprises when the Royal Ballet casting is announced later today. There's a Juliet vacancy for a start now.... I'm not sure she would expect a promotion to principal on her return, unless staff were sent to monitor all her performances - it would be hard to assess her progress otherwise. Whether she wants to stay permanently might depend on the roles she is offered here vs what she is offered in Dresden for the following season, whether there would be an expansion of roles, or whether she would dance very similar ones to the ones she is being offered now. I thought I read somewhere that Ferri was dissatisfied with the coaching she was receiving at the RB, whatever that means. Did she really dance a more classical repetoire at ABT? I have to admit I only caught the tail end of her career and without getting off-topic, did she dance in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty? I am a bit curious about how she was received in more classic roles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Well, she certainly did Giselle. I got the impression it was predominantly Baryshnikov which attracted her to ABT - and probably MacMillan if he'd gone over there by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesrhblack Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I'm not sure she would expect a promotion to principal on her return, unless staff were sent to monitor all her performances - it would be hard to assess her progress otherwise. Whether she wants to stay permanently might depend on the roles she is offered here vs what she is offered in Dresden for the following season, whether there would be an expansion of roles, or whether she would dance very similar ones to the ones she is being offered now. I thought I read somewhere that Ferri was dissatisfied with the coaching she was receiving at the RB, whatever that means. Did she really dance a more classical repetoire at ABT? I have to admit I only caught the tail end of her career and without getting off-topic, did she dance in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty? I am a bit curious about how she was received in more classic roles. She certainly danced Gisella, also Swan Lake with ABT. There's a You Tube clip of her as Aurora with Manuel Legris, but note sure if it's from a complete performance. For the Royal, she danced the Shades scene from Bayadère as Nikiya but I think that was it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Good luck to Hamilton , given the grit and determination that she has shown to get where she is I have no doubt that she will use her time at Dresden well.Very few dancers move countries to stay with a teacher who has faith in them. Someone who does that is unlikely to use her time with another company unwisely. A new company that can give her the opportunity to do a lot of dancing is exactly what she needs at this stage in her career. It continues to be a major weakness of the Royal Ballet that it does not provide enough opportunities for its younger dancers' development. The girls get a lot of corps work but comparatively few developmental opportunities. The choice of repertory plays a significant part in this. Manon provides far less opportunity for inexperienced dancers to learn how to carry a role than Facade, Les Rendezvous or Les Patineurs do.The added advantage of these Ashton ballets is that they sharpen up the technique because everything is very exposed.The choreography is either performed correctly or it is not. There is no opportunity for a dancer performing in one of them to fudge things technically or to perform edited highlights of the choreography as it will be noticed. Young dancers need to be given the opportunity to dance during their early years to develop stamina as well as artistry. The company has nowhere for young dancers to gain the experience of dancing the classics which the Touring Company used to provide.Antoinette Sibley said that she needed at least ten performances of roles like Aurora and Odette/Odile before she felt that she had got anywhere near to getting to grips with them.If you think about it a member of the company today,destined for the top, would need three revivals of Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake to achieve that number of performances which means it would take between six and nine years,unless everyone got injured, to obtain the amount of experience that Sibley regarded as the minimum.While Sibley did not join the Touring Company she did go on an extended tour of Africa early on in her career which, no doubt gave her the performance experience that she needed. When I think about it, a significant number of the dancers who were at the top of the Covent Garden company in the 1960's and 1970's had served an apprenticeship with the Touring Company. I know that David Wall said that when he first arrived at Covent Garden he felt in awe of his new colleagues until he realised that he had far more experience of dancing the classics than they had. The effects of disbanding the touring arm in 1970 has never been satisfactorily addressed.It probably explains why Clive Barnes felt able to write that MacMillan had handed his successor a much weaker company than he had inherited. When SWRB was established it looked as if the developmental gap had been recognised and was about to be plugged. But when the company moved and became BRB the problem returned. It is noticeable that during the 1980's and 1990's the main company became less able to produce dancers of quality and increasingly turned to buying in talent. I do not think that the failure to find dancers of the requisite calibre is solely the fault of the school. It may be correct that good dancers are made by good teachers but good dancers having learnt their craft at school need to learn their art by performing, A company with a large number of principal dancers most of whom expect to appear in all the major ballets in its repertory may provide pleasure for their fans but they also present an obstruction to the development of talented dancers in the lower ranks of the company. It will be interesting to see whether allowing dancers leave of absence to work in other companies as part of their development becomes a feature of O'Hare's directorship or whether it is a one off arrangement.If the latter it will be even more interesting to see what solution he finds to plug the developmental gap. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 There is no opportunity for a dancer performing in one of them to fudge things technically or to perform edited highlights of the choreography as it will be noticed. By *some*, certainly. I'm not sure that I'd say that everyone would notice, based on more recent experience The effects of disbanding the touring arm in 1970 has never been satisfactorily addressed.It probably explains why Clive Barnes felt able to write that MacMillan had handed his successor a much weaker company than he had inherited. When SWRB was established it looked as if the developmental gap had been recognised and was about to be plugged. But when the company moved and became BRB the problem returned. I'm not quite sure what your argument is here: is it just that the geographical split made it impossible for the one company to feed into the other, or something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Alison I am sorry if I have been obscure. The Touring company was established in the early 1950's to provide, among other things, a training ground for young dancers and choreographers who might subsequently transfer to the Covent Garden Company. It was recognised that the main company's new home was not suited to the development of young dancers in the way that Sadler's Wells had been. There would be fewer opportunities for young dancers at Covent Garden and there would be more pressure on dancers making their debuts on the main stage than had been the case when the company was at Sadler's Wells.The Touring company was linked to the main company and there was considerable interchange of dancers between the two companies. Fonteyn was still dancing occasional performances with the touring company as late as 1970.The two companies danced a very similar repertory. When SWRB moved to Birmingham and became BRB it did so as a free standing company. It no longer had the function of providing a training ground for dancers who were expected to transfer to the Covent Garden company in due course. That meant that anyone joining the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden was no longer going to have the developmental opportunities that had been provided by a touring company.It also meant that anyone with any talent might have to wait a very long time before they got a chance to do anything of significance on the main stage.Perhaps waiting until it was too late.I think Darcey Bussell was one of the last dancers to do an apprenticeship of sorts on tour before moving to the main company.Instead of providing training for dancers coming from the RBS and preparing them for senior positions in the company the Covent Garden company now recruits a significant number of dancers to senior positions who have learnt their trade in other companies.Dancing for ENB Muntagirov gained exactly the sort of experience that he would once have obtained from the touring company or SWRB. I hope that this is a bit clearer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I was just trying to remember something about Alessandra Ferri, so in the end I looked her up because I was curious. According to the ROH website, she won one of 3 Prix de Lausanne scholarships in 1980 at the age of 15 which enabled her to study at the Royal Ballet School. It also says she joined the company in 1980. Is that a misprint? Surely she wouldn't have been allowed to do so at such a young age, would she? She was promoted to soloist in 1983, and Principal in 1984 when she was only 19 (does that make her the youngest ever?) That sounds like a pretty meteoric rise to me! I do remember she was considered to be MacMillan's new muse, which would have ensured a rich assortment of new roles would have come her way, so I presume there must have been a few raised eyebrows and much head scratching when she left and joined ABT after only a year as Principal with the RB. She was awarded the status of Prima Ballerina Assoluta by La Scala, so I assume she is no slouch in the classics department. As someone mentioned coaching, it set me off on another train of thought. Are professional dancers allowed to have private lessons with the coach of their choice if they feel they need it? The daily class is all very well, but having watched a few in my time, there doesn't seem to be much individual tuition going on, it appears to be more a warm up and practise session for the movements and steps required for the current rep, rather than an actual lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I was just trying to remember something about Alessandra Ferri, so in the end I looked her up because I was curious. According to the ROH website, she won one of 3 Prix de Lausanne scholarships in 1980 at the age of 15 which enabled her to study at the Royal Ballet School. It also says she joined the company in 1980. Is that a misprint? Surely she wouldn't have been allowed to do so at such a young age, would she? She was promoted to soloist in 1983, and Principal in 1984 when she was only 19 (does that make her the youngest ever?) I'm a bit sketchy with the dates - I think Alina Cojocaru was also made principal at 19, so it may be a difference of a few months, but I'm not sure who was younger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ferri was born in May 1963 - she came to the RBS when she was 15 and then won a Prix de Lausanne in 1980. She was taken into the company in December 1980 so was 17 at the time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Oh right. The blurb on the ROH website says she joined The Royal Ballet School aged 15, supported by a Prix de Lausanne scholarship, so I assumed she joined the school in 1980 when she actually won. No wonder it didn't make sense! Thanks, Jane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I thought she said 17 at the Ballet Association the other day ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Am really hoping that Hamiliton returns. I think she is an exceptional talent who has fought hard for her career (I know all dancers do but to be disregarded by Elmhurst and end up a RB soloist is no mean feat) In MacMillan's ballets she seems to thrive and in McGregor's work I think she brings out the humanity and fragility from within the sometimes torturous geometrics. Quite sad she will not be able to take the lead in Raven Girl again ( i know it's not a very popular ballet on the forum but I think it has a great deal of potential). Good on O'Hare for allowing this young artist time away to stretch her wings -fingers crossed she will return. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 A press release from Dresden announces specific roles and dates for Melissa Hamilton, among them debuts as Nikiya and Aurora. She will dance "leading roles in works by Forsythe, Dawson and Ekman" and it also says, that Hamilton came to Watkin and asked to work with Dresden Ballet. fixed performances are: Manon: Nov 7 + 11 Nikiya in Watkin’s Bayadère: Feb 27 + March 4 Aurora in Watkin’s Sleeping Beauty: May 16 + 27 https://www.semperoper.de/en/whats-on/ballet/spielzeit/2015.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I guess that's what you call being proactive What I'm curious to know is, all these "Petipa" ballets being "Watkin after Petipa", how different or not are they from what the Royal Ballet dances? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I guess that's what you call being proactive Agree! I have so much admiration for her, going off the well beaten Royal Ballet track. I guess it's not too risky, knowing she still has a place here. But rather than stay in a world class company, work hard and patiently wait her turn, she's going out there and looking for opportunities herself. I dearly hope she does return! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I think that this shows a lot of initiative, although it does carry some risks for her. With the greatest respect to Melissa, I don't feel that this season and last season have been particularly good ones for her. She has not shone in many of the featured roles which she has danced plus she has been 'passed over' for the leads in the big classics as well as in many full evening ballets which have had long runs eg Onegin, Don Q and Fille. Time away may allow her to re-invent herself and perhaps benefit from the fresh eye of a new coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 (edited) What I'm curious to know is, all these "Petipa" ballets being "Watkin after Petipa", how different or not are they from what the Royal Ballet dances? Alison, these are classic productions very much based on the traditional version and always a bit shortened. Dresden has a GREAT orchestra, by the way, if anybody wants to come and visit Ms. Hamilton! And of course it's one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, lots of history there... Edited May 6, 2015 by Angela 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Thank you, Angela. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booklover89 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 (edited) I like Hamilton, and do hope Dresden is an enriching experience for her and gives her a boost in classical roles. It does seem a bit of a catch-22 when you need to develop in a particular part of the repertoire in order to advance, but there are 1) others ahead of you in the casting queue and 2) limited opportunities to try roles out away from the pressures of the Covent Garden stage. It will be interesting to see whether others have the confidence to explore opportunities outside the company as well. Edited for typos. Edited May 6, 2015 by Booklover89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 The comments about the lack of development opportunities for young dancers in the RB company are interesting. Is this a parallel with the failure of the England football team due to clubs buying in overseas players? Is it a British problem not a ballet problem? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ENBlover Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 No, it's a problem of the public perception. You are wrongly assuming that Hamilton is unhappy to move to Dresden or that she should only want to stay in London given the opportunity. Good luck to Melissa. She's very talented and brave and deserves the best. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) Melissa Hamilton is a very determined dancer who by her own account had an unhappy time at Elmhurst until Irek Mukhamedev's wife, working at Elmhurst in a totally different capacity, was asked to take over teaching Hamilton's class. Hamilton said this teacher was the only person who believed that she had potential and when she moved to Greece Hamilton followed her.A student who had that amount of focus and determination and who knew how to take charge of her own training does not, I think,require protection from carefully considered accounts about her performances on this forum.The fact is that Hamilton is stronger in some areas of the repertory than in others and it is technical strength rather than suitability for particular roles that I am talking about here.Her recent performances in Sleeping Beauty,Don Quixote and Symphonic Variations have revealed some technical weaknesses which she needs to address if she wants to get to the top at the Royal Ballet. She has to master and own the nineteenth century classics if she wants to have a chance of ever becoming a Principal dancer in a company with as wide a repertory as the Royal Ballet's.She needs to show that she has the technical mastery and artistry which the full range of the company's repertory demands rather the ability to dance a small part of it extremely well. If she does not manage to do this then she will find herself remaining a First Soloist through lack of adequate technical skills rather than through choice.The fact that she is going to Dresden for a year and the ballets she is to dance there suggests that she is fully aware of her need to improve her technique and gain experience in this area.The ballets programmed at Covent Garden next season will not give her the opportunities that she needs if she is to progress to the next level.They will not assist her to improve either her technique or her artistry. The Royal Ballet tries to be all things to all people. It has to cover its costs and keep its senior dancers happy, which it does by programming long runs of full length works;it has to ensure that technical levels are maintained which it does by programming the Petipa classics MacMillan is unsuited to this task as his works offer too many opportunities to emote and fudge; it has to develop its dancers and it has to programme works which keep all the company interested in their work; it also has to keep the audience happy and willing to buy tickets.There are few opportunities for debuts in major works and those made by the inexperienced need to offer a reasonable chance of being successful.I think that Hamilton's decision to gain experience in another company shows a great deal of enterprise on her part I hope that she returns to the RB a far stronger dancer. Edited June 4, 2015 by FLOSS 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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