HappyTurk

I actually quite like Anastasia, especially the music. But what I'd really look forward to is La Fille with McRae and Osipova. More Ashton please! 

21 hours ago, alison said:

I realised only the other day that these ROH streamings are actually staying up for longer than the official 7 days: The Metamorphosis was still available a few days ago, so presumably everything since that is, as well.

I feel like I read somewhere that said they are staying up for 14 days. Not sure where I read that from though. My memory is failing me. Ha

Even when watching my favorite dancers on screen, I become disengaged very quickly. It might just be my brain though -- watching anything via screen loses the palpable energy/magic one feels when sharing the same physical surroundings as those performing. 

Can we all just respectfully disagree with each other? I'm not sure why anyone is getting personally offended by any of the comments made from both sides of the discussion. 

6 minutes ago, SugarPlum2000 said:

I’m possibly just being completely dumb here but how do I switch it from Russian to English or do i just have to copy into translate? 🤦🏼‍♀️

Not dumb at all! Normally, when I click on non-English interviews, I immediately get a notification from Google translate on the top right of my phone/laptop screen that asks me if I want to translate it into English. Sometimes, it doesn't pop up so I have to click out and re-enter the page until I get the notification. But I will say it is much easier to get the whole thing translated by Google translate on my laptop. Sometimes, it lags on my phone. 

Not sure if I should attach a link for the sake of protocol or practicality, but I just read a recent Russian interview with Osipova that suggested O'Hare is intending to bring back the likes of Dante's Inferno and Swan Lake next season since the audience/dancers/artists involved missed out on them. She also talks about her life post-quarantine if that interests anybody, and how all of the rest of the company are coping with company-led classes they do in the morning together spearheaded by instructors like Brian. 

Edit: I'll just go ahead and attach the link: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4316257

On 30/03/2020 at 19:41, zxDaveM said:

I suspect that all adventurous plans will be scaled back, and the big workhorses (at premium ticket prices) will be brought into service to bolster the coffers. So probably plenty of Tchaikovsky and R&J, your Bayaderes and the like. Can't say I'd blame them

Instead of La Bayadere, I reckon we might see Don Quixote (which I'm admittedly hoping for if the live cinema is with Osipova and Clarke). 

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

Not sure why anyone would think that - Cuthbertson is only 35 and in top form.

Perhaps not for the cinema showings though, which is unfortunate. But I'm done speculating! 

9 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

As the Takada/Bonelli performance was filmed for Japanese telly perhaps they'll just use that for something in the future

That's what I was thinking. But I wonder if they are releasing past broadcasts that we've probably already seen (hence free?). Either way, unfortunate for the company and dancers who wanted to dance SL so badly. 

1 minute ago, Richard LH said:

 

If the box office staff are authorised to explain the reason for a cast change, to anyone who calls them, I don't quite understand why people in the know cannot pass the information on to anyone else.

I agree!

To be honest, as long as she isn't given the Nunez treatment after this season (which means overly-featuring a dancer in almost every big classic in back-to-back-to-back seasons), I'm fine (for now) with her being given the two big cinema screenings this upcoming season. She tends to be injury-prone and is already in her mid 30s. So, she doesn't have that much time left to wait and wait to dance these big classics in the cinemas. The time is now, especially with the younger three principal dancers on her heels. 

I will also add that I think it's a shame that a thread was dedicated to Cuthberston being given the crux of the classics (which I admit I'm still iffy about) as opposed to others when she has been absent from many of the past seasons' classical cinema relays. Perhaps that's because she doesn't have as many fans as other dancers, which can explain why she is receiving the short end of the stick? Maybe that can also explain the inconsistency of some...

Also, Hayward recently performed in the Despertares event and danced in Tarantella. If you want to see, just go to 2:27 in the link below. https://youtu.be/uT6VsUf-cX0

I can actually identify with Hayward's sentiments. I'm half-Turkish and half-black-American. But I identify primarily with Turkish culture,  and never identified myself by my skin color or saw myself as a color. That's what having a Turkish mother will do to you! Ha. Turks don't care much for ethnic differences given the heterogeneous population in Turkey but rather culture given their very culturally-based nationalistic sentiments. In fact, in Turkey,  even if only one of your parents is Turkish you will still be accepted as a Turk. Can't say the same for America who adheres to the one-drop rule regardless of your light coloring or more "European features." Indeed, living in America will eventually force you to understand that although your colorblind, the society there isn't. While in the UK racism may be more subtle, in America it's very blatant institutionally yet covert culture-wise (quite a weird combo!). As a result, Americans are much more race conscious and conscious of discrimination, and are thus likely to see Hayward's accomplishments as one of the black race. After all, in America's eyes, she is just black (which is in fact odd for mixed-race Americans because most black Americans are between 75-85 percent black. So, funny enough, if you are mixed you'll end up actually being more of your non-black parent).  

Anywho...Sorry for my rant! 

On 31/07/2019 at 21:54, HappyTurk said:

Regarding Hirano, I should have clarified (ha!), what I meant was like in Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle....things of that nature. I've always thought he had a nice regal presence on stage. Oh well...seems I'll just have to accept that Muntagirov will likely keep dominating the screenings. Would love more diversity on the male part (although perhaps KOH feels that there aren't that many options as I suggested earlier?) Oh well...won't continue to harp on it further. 

I lied! I'll say one last thing....if he is never going to be shown in the cinema showings as the male lead in the classics, why did KOH ever promote him in the first place given his age? Seems odd. I honestly don't know how some of these dancers stay motivated in the face of what looks like "favoritsm" (same goes for those who are hardly featured this season, particularly the two dancers that have already been mentioned by others). Good thing I'm not a dancer! Lol 

Regarding Hirano, I should have clarified (ha!), what I meant was like in Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle....things of that nature. I've always thought he had a nice regal presence on stage. Oh well...seems I'll just have to accept that Muntagirov will likely keep dominating the screenings. Would love more diversity on the male part (although perhaps KOH feels that there aren't that many options as I suggested earlier?) Oh well...won't continue to harp on it further. 

Just curious, when was the last time that a first soloist danced the lead role in one of the major classics? Interesting that it was given to Bracewell over a principal. In fact, is there a reason Hirano is rarely given the lead role in the major classics for the cinema relays? 

2 hours ago, capybara said:

It would be rather nice, wouldn't it, if there could be a box set celebrating the art of Lauren Cuthbertson, as they have done for Marianela Nunez. If that goal underlies the coming season's cinema casting, I think that it's understandable.

Apparently there is supposed to be one commissioned for Osipova this upcoming Fall by Opus Arte, although I'm not sure if it will include both of her Bolshoi and Royal Ballet performances or just the latter. 

5 minutes ago, Sim said:

That’s a good point....Lauren has had to fight so hard over and over again during the past decade to come back from serious illness and injury that perhaps she deserves to have some of the opportunities for exposure that she has had to miss over the years.  

Yeah, isn't she about 35 years of age? By this time, she should have already gotten these ballet screenings under her belt. So I can understand why there was a pressing need to cast her in both now especially when we take into account the pressing need to cast the three younger principals in these screenings in the near-future as well. 

1 hour ago, Toria said:

As someone who can't afford to travel to London very often I rely on the cinema screenings for the majority of my ballet viewings each season, and I must admit sometimes I wish they'd vary casting a bit more. I'm happy to see Cuthbertson in either Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake but I do find myself wishing she hadn't been chosen for both. There are so many wonderful casts and I'd like to see as many different principals across the season as possible.

On a flip side though, Nunez has gotten a fair share of the big classics back-to-back over the past 2-3 seasons (Giselle, La Bayadere, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, and now yet again the Christmas "special"). So perhaps it is a bit unfair that Cuthbertson being cast in just 2 is garnering more immediate criticism than the former (although I'll admit I've criticized both scenarios). I suppose in the grand scheme of things, her getting both screenings isn't THAT bad especially given her absences over the years. 

51 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Not quite sure what is meant by this in this context: I wasn’t aware that Takada, Bracewell or Cuthbertson had settled partners.

 

On a related subject, I’ve defended Osipova in the past about her frequent casting with Hallberg - and I stand by my view that the responsibility lies with Kevin O’Hare - but unless KO’H means to make Hallberg a permanent member of the company, perhaps we should see a little less of him. There’s no question in my mind that in some repertoire he is still very worth seeing, and there have been times this last season where he has helped allay the shortages in the upper ranks of the RB men, but his presence has become a little ubiquitous IMO.

 

But perhaps it’s all part of a grand scheme - maybe KO’H is using Hallberg as a very distinguished stopgap while some of the men are given time to develop a bit further.

Just to stir the pot a tad further (ha!), I actually don't mind the presence of Hallberg as of yet because I still think the male section of the company needs some work. I, for one, don't think RB's batch of men are where they need to be just yet on versatility, technique, and developing a presence on stage in the classical repertoire (although it shouldn't take that much more nurturing to get them where they need to be). Perhaps that's why KOH always has his eyes set on Muntagirov in granting him live screenings and opening nights? He seems to be the only one who has it all in the pure classics (although I admit, he needs to work alot on his acting in the more theatrical ballets). 

2 hours ago, RuthE said:

 

Your eyes are deceiving you! She has three performances of Swan Lake opposite Hirano.

Ha! Alas, my eyes have deceived me again!

Just now realizing that Lamb isn't cast in anything so far for the winter? Or maybe my eyes are deceiving me...

Although I love Cuthbertson, when was the last time she danced Odette/Odile for a full season? I was hoping it would go to Lamb seeing that she has yet to be cast in a cinema relay for Swan Lake (or perhaps she has?). 

I must be in the minority that actually loved Jennifer Hudson's take on it. What I find quite off-putting about the CGI is how un-uniform the face looks in relation to the rest of the body. Not appealing whatsoever even for Francesca. Looks like they didn't have the budget for great graphic artists. But perhaps its unfinished -- although based on the recent ineffectual efforts to create promising CGI by even a massive company like Disney in their live-action remakes, I shouldn't expect much.

Sidenote: I wonder if the film's high-profile means Francesca might seek a new path in the arts and her personal career (in terms of not just focusing on ballet)? She did mention in an interview that she doesn't want to be bogged down by just performing at the Royal Ballet like some of her peers have done. I think Nunez is a good example of this given the traditional, "cookie-cutter" path she took and her utmost "allegiance" to the company throughout her entire career (not that not being restricted to the Royal Ballet means otherwise! Certainly not for me!). Perhaps we'll see more of Francesca in future films? She might be a promising actress for the cinema. 

Looks like based on her criticsms of contemporary choreographers who direct dancers to sprawl their legs in geometric directions under the guise of dance, she probably isn't a fan of McGregor's style. 😁  Can't say she would be alone in her sentiments, although I do appreciate how he diverted from his usual (mindless) abstract style in Woolf Works. Hopefully, his new work Dante Inferno will be built in the same vein!