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Royal Ballet: The Two Pigeons, Monotones I & II, November 2015 & Rhapsody January 2016


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Isn't part of the problem that dancers, particularly the women, have got taller over the years and Ashton's work is better danced by smaller dancers?

For what it's worth, Zenaida Yanowsky, who's no slouch in the "tall" department, said in a radio show that A Month in the Country was one of her favourite ballets. Although this may be more of a problem for the corps than for the principals.

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I used to love Jazz Calendar, wonder if it would look old-fashioned now, saw it on my birthday one night, it was the last night of the Season and Frederick Ashton came on stage afterwards and asked if we would like to see the finale again, I think Sibley and Nureyev danced then but not completely sure, I have seen them several times in it :)

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Isn't part of the problem that dancers, particularly the women, have got taller over the years and Ashton's work is better danced by smaller dancers?

 

Well, I am not sure, but probably the taller you are, the harder it is for you to cope with the quickness required?  But is there an optimum size?  How tall does a dancer have to be before they cease to be able to cope with Ashton?

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There can't be any hard-and-fast rule, surely?  I've seen Acosta struggle with the speed in several Ashton ballets, yet weren't people commenting only recently that Muntagirov seemed to be managing nicely?  OTOH, I may be confusing/conflating that with the DanceTabs interview with James Hay the other day, in which I think he said that just because he's not very tall doesn't mean the speed of the steps is easy for him ...

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I am not convinced by the argument that the reason that it is difficult to obtain good performances of Ashton's works is because dancers are taller. To read some of the current dance critics you would think that all of his dancers were midgets.The dancers in the company when he was choreographing were far from being a uniform size.The company was required to be musical and had to dance at the speed that the composer and choreographer required rather than having the music slowed down to accommodate the dancers.If you do that regularly you acquire speed.

 

The main difficulties I think are caused by training,current choreographic fashion and repertory choices.You can see how weak the argument about height affecting speed is when you look at the RDB dancing Bournonville's ballets with their fast clean footwork. They dance their nineteenth century repertory regularly and they receive classes in the style to keep them up to the mark.It would be very different if they did not have the appropriate training in the school and they only danced eight performances of his works each year when they were in the company and there were no Bournonville classes as part of their regular regime. In fact it would be not dissimilar the state of Ashton performances here

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I am not convinced by the argument that the reason that it is difficult to obtain good performances of Ashton's works is because dancers are taller. To read some of the current dance critics you would think that all of his dancers were midgets.The dancers in the company when he was choreographing were far from being a uniform size.The company was required to be musical and had to dance at the speed that the composer and choreographer required rather than having the music slowed down to accommodate the dancers.If you do that regularly you acquire speed.

 

The main difficulties I think are caused by training,current choreographic fashion and repertory choices.You can see how weak the argument about height affecting speed is when you look at the RDB dancing Bournonville's ballets with their fast clean footwork. They dance their nineteenth century repertory regularly and they receive classes in the style to keep them up to the mark.It would be very different if they did not have the appropriate training in the school and they only danced eight performances of his works each year when they were in the company and there were no Bournonville classes as part of their regular regime. In fact it would be not dissimilar the state of Ashton performances here

 

 

Thanks for that, Floss.  You have confirmed my earlier thoughts about this, but expressed it much better than I ever could! 

 

Although Guillem, Bussell and Yanowski are probably taller than normal, the average height of dancers is probably still in the 5' 2" to 5' 6" range, as it was about 50 years ago (although the upper limit may have gone up one inch).  I really think that some of the more famous dancers have been allowed to alter timings to suit themselves, rather than as the choreographer originally created it.  Didn't the current crop of dancers ask for the music of Symphonic Variations to be played a bit slower, so that they could point their feet? 

 

I  know nothing about opera, but do the stars slow down arias, or prolong the top notes in order to show off their vocal dexterity?  Or are they required to sing it the way the composer intended? 

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I  know nothing about opera, but do the stars slow down arias, or prolong the top notes in order to show off their vocal dexterity?  Or are they required to sing it the way the composer intended? 

 

It's actually the conductor that decides tempi.  Singers and conductors can fall out.

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I know that the RDB have an ambivalent attitude towards their Bournonville repertory.I can not begin to imagine how frustrating it must be to know that one of the main reasons for people's interest in the company are the works of a man who was born more than two hundred years ago.Perhaps if more of his works had survived the directorship of H.Lander they might feel differently about him; there again with an even larger Bournonville repertory they might feel even more frustrated by the place that his works play in their repertory and the company's reputation.But whatever they feel about his ballets they clearly have systems in place which help maintain the company's ability to dance his ballets which I understand include special classes for dancers who have not been trained in their school.

 

However the point that I was trying to make was that it is not height but lack of practice in dancing Ashton that is one of the root causes of the problem of performance style in Ashton's works.It is easy to forget that tall dancers like Beryl Grey, Svetlana Beriosova,Donald MacLeary and David Ashmole danced his choreography extremely well.But then the company danced his choreography regularly not only in his ballets but when they danced ballets like Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.The Royal Ballet's Sleeping Beauty still includes a number of his interpolations in the Vision Scene and in act 3 with the choreography for Florestan in the pas de trois Florestan and his Sisters and apart from the short lived MacMillan production of the ballet the company danced a Garland Dance of Ashton's devising from 1946 until early in this century.As far as Swan Lake is concerned from 1963 until 1987 the company danced a lot of his choreography every time they danced the ballet. He provided choreography for the act 1 waltz in the form of a very classical pas de douze;a pas de quatre which originally replaced the pas de trois in act 1 but eventually came to open act 3; a rather witty Spanish dance and the Neapolitan dance which was created in the 1950's and a very beautiful final act. Any one interested in what theis looked like when performed by dancers who had the style in their bones only has to search out the Royal Ballet DVD of the work with Markarova and Dowell in the leading roles. Apart from the fact that Markarova refuses to mime and resolutely dances through her mime scene,Soviet ballet style, the recording is a good record of how the company performed the work.

 

Now I am not saying that tall dancers performed the Neapolitan Dance,they did not, but what I am saying is that tall dancers appeared quite regularly in his ballets and danced them very well.I recall MacLeary as the prince in Cinderella whipping through the solo.I was fortunate enough last year to see a sort of home movie of him and Doreen Wells dancing the final pas de deux from Sylvia.It was a revelation as they were both so quick and light, The whole thing was taken far more quickly than at recent revivals and that and a BBC recording of Les Rendezvous shot in 1962 made everything look so light and full of ballon that I felt that I could see the nineteenth century roots of Ashton's style.Another example of a tall man being excellent dancing Ashton is the late David Ashmole dancing in the lead male role in Les Rendezvous and as Colas and the Young Man in Two Pigeons.

 

I have a feeling that the general slowing down in performance began when the Royal Ballet came into contact with the Soviet "heroic" style in the form of Rudolph Nureyev, but at that stage it was barely perceptible.I think that the fact that both Ashton and MacMillan were in a position to protect their own works and those of other choreographers was an important factor as was the attitude of conductors like Lanchbury.Apart from Emmanuel Young the conductors at Covent Garden didn't indulge the dancers with slow tempi.The slowing down of performances has become more pronounced as dancers have been permitted to display their extensions and treat the Sleeping Beauty as ballet whose only point is the duration of the balances in the Rose Adagio.Unless you are sensitive to musical values you probably do not notice it in performance unless someone is going for Olympic Gold because it has, unfortunately, become part of standard performance practice.The way that performances have slowed down and the effect that it has only becomes obvious when you see old recordings of the same work. I recall some years back a discussion on this forum about the two recordings of Fille that were available one with Acosta and Nunez and the other with Coleman and Collier which raised the question whether the dancers in the older recording had been dancing more quickly than usual for some reason connected with the fact that it was being televised. The answer was quite simply that was the speed at which it was danced in the early 1980's. But any one who thinks that the Collier Coleman cast were fast should look at the BBC recording of the original cast in action.The earliest recording and the Acosta, Nunez recording look like completely different ballets. The recording from the 1960's has a joie de vivre lacking in the later one. The truth is that great dancer though he was Acosta was not an Ashton dancer and he did not have the time to become one. The Soviet heroic style, which is basically what the Cuban school is, has many virtues but it does not place much value on petite batterie certainly as far as the male dancer is concerned. The Soviet school's male dancers were intended to be seen as heroic and heroic dancers don't do "knitting"."Knitting" is how Seymour described Ashton's intricate footwork for her in Pigeons.I know that I read an interview in which an eminent Russian teacher expressed surprise that steps were being taught at the school that were no longer taught in Russia but that he had learnt that they were used in ballets that were performed by the company.There is a story that the influx of Russian teachers into the Royal Ballet School dUring Park's directorship caused Dowell some concern as he thought that there was a danger that it would produce dancers who could dance Spartacus but not the works in the company's repertory,

 

So you should not be surprised that Acosta had difficulty with some of the choreography in Fille.It was not a style that was in his bones and the majority of the audience who watched him in performance probably did not notice. But recordings are very cruel and tend to trumpet the dancer's difficulties while failing to do full justice to their virtues.Acosta is not the only great dancer who experienced difficulties with Ashton's choreography Nureyev did too.

 

Anyone interested in the way that changes in performance style have affected the Ashton repertory and the effect that it has on the audience's perception of a work should compare the old recording of La Valse filmed I think in the 1960's on a DVD which I think was called an evening with the Royal Ballet with the more recent one on DVD. In the early recording the dancers have the style in their DNA and they just go for it and dance the ballet while in the more recent recording everything is too careful.You can see that the dancers are, as Rojo described her own performances of Ashton, "putting on the Ashton overcoat" or as Fonteyn said of a performance of a ballet that she had coached "performing the steps but forgetting to dance the ballet." This is not a criticism of anyone involved in any of these performances merely an observation about how the current performance style;a lack of experience in dancing in the Ashton style so that it comes as second nature to the dancer affects what we see in performance.The other factor that has been touched on in other discussions is the question of casting.

 

Now I know that no one wants to see dancers type cast but there is a substantial difference, it seems to me, between seeing something in a dancer that no one else has noticed which convinces you that they would make a wonderful job of a particular role and casting a dancer in a role because of their seniority or for the novelty value. The former type of casting decision develops the dancer and is beneficial to everyone the latter type of casting decision is miscasting which does no one any favours. For me casting Golding as Oberon in the Dream was miscasting the first time it happened and totally inexplicable on tour. The Ashton mixed bill of Les Rendezvous, Dante Sonata and Facade at Birmingham was a fascinating example of how easily you can get casting nearly right and then get it totally wrong.I have not got the cast list readily to hand but I shall try to explain what I mean. Both Rendezvous and Facade contain roles that were created on Alicia Markova and I think that is where it stopped as far as casting was concerned or perhaps both dancers had been offered a half day The problem is that the roles show two very different aspects of Markova's art. In Facade it is Markova the technician whose lower body and upper body are doing contradictory things. It is the lack of classical harmony that is the joke and it requires a dancer who obviously has a strong technique to bring it off. The Markova of Les Rendezvous is Markova the Romantic ballerina. She was rehearsing Giselle at the time that it was made and no doubt she brought some of that with her to the rehearsal room. That the ballet has some connection with the 1840's should have been clear from the choice of composer, Auber, and the original costume designs even the Chappell redesigns give a hint of the Romantic ballet.I saw the two performances on the Thursday. At one performance Elisha Willis danced the Markova roles in both ballets at the other performance another dancer, Delia Matthews, I think, took both roles.I thought that while Willis was pretty good in Facade she was not suited to Rendezvous there was too much steely technique with the other dancer it was the opposite fine in Rendezvous or as fine as anyone can be in the current designs but miscast in Facade.

 

As for the future of the Ashton repertory,if the Covent Garden company manages to give us casts as good as the first night cast of Pigeons and the revival of Fille earlier on this year we may not have too much to complain about apart from the limited range of the Ashton repertory that is shown on a regular basis.Of course it would help if the management could get back to putting a greater variety of works in each mixed bill it stages.

Edited by FLOSS
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FLOSS may I just say that I am a great admirer of your postings and go out of my way to read them. That being said I think your most recent entry is undoubtedly one of your very finest. I agree with everything you say. Thank you. We Ashton fans need to stick together while there are still some of us left who remember how his works should be danced and the importance of preserving his style before it is lost in some overall Euro/Russian mess.

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As for the future of the Ashton repertory,if the Covent Garden company manages to give us casts as good as the first night cast of Pigeons and the revival of Fille earlier on this year we may not have too much to complain about apart from the limited range of the Ashton repertory that is shown on a regular basis.Of course it would help if the management could get back to putting a greater variety of works in each mixed bill it stages.

 

Of course, Morera and Muntagirov were the leads for the first night of Fille as well as for Two Pigeons (with Cuthbertson). Perhaps, therefore, no real surprise that both fans and critics have responded so positively.

 

Huge plaudits to Vadim in particular for 'catching' the Ashton genre so wonderfully well.

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.The way that performances have slowed down and the effect that it has only becomes obvious when you see old recordings of the same work. I recall some years back a discussion on this forum about the two recordings of Fille that were available one with Acosta and Nunez and the other with Coleman and Collier which raised the question whether the dancers in the older recording had been dancing more quickly than usual for some reason connected with the fact that it was being televised. The answer was quite simply that was the speed at which it was danced in the early 1980's. But any one who thinks that the Collier Coleman cast were fast should look at the BBC recording of the original cast in action.The earliest recording and the Acosta, Nunez recording look like completely different ballets. The recording from the 1960's has a joie de vivre lacking in the later one...If the Covent Garden company manages to give us casts as good as the first night cast of Pigeons and the revival of Fille earlier on this year we may not have too much to complain about

...apart perhaps from speed (again): as it happens we were able to compare the timngs of this year's Fille with the old BBC recording, and the difference was pretty striking. Perhaps conductors these days just don't think to go faster?

 

In any case, a magnificent and most illuminating post FLOSS: thank you!

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Of course, Morera and Muntagirov were the leads for the first night of Fille as well as for Two Pigeons (with Cuthbertson). Perhaps, therefore, no real surprise that both fans and critics have responded so positively.

 

Huge plaudits to Vadim in particular for 'catching' the Ashton genre so wonderfully well.

Very interesting to read Luke Jennings more negative review of Two Ps leads and corps this morning .....: even Matthew Ball's hair doesn't escape his critical eye ;)

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Well, he is one voice among many. There's always one!

 

I'm always a little surprised by criticism of Muntagirov's acting. Sure, he doesn't act "overtly" like most others - but he is very expressive, and the fact that his acting is more subtle makes it more natural, and to my mind, far more convincing and effective. He never goes over the top and his characterisations always seem nicely judged.

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It is interesting that while some or all of the ladies are being praised in Monotones 1 & 2, there are hardly any comments on the men by the critics.  Has anyone seen Watson?  I am going on Tuesday, and am looking forward to seeing him doing some pure classical dance. 

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Well, he is one voice among many. There's always one!

I'm always a little surprised by criticism of Muntagirov's acting. Sure, he doesn't act "overtly" like most others - but he is very expressive, and the fact that his acting is more subtle makes it more natural, and to my mind, far more convincing and effective. He never goes over the top and his characterisations always seem nicely judged.

I totally agree. His subtle but incredibly affecting Des Grieux broke my heart. Sometimes, less is more.

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I totally agree. His subtle but incredibly affecting Des Grieux broke my heart. Sometimes, less is more.

 

I agree too. For me, Muntagirov comes across as totally 'in the role' whatever that may be. There is a touching truth about his portrayals which one rarely sees - especially when combined with such beautiful dancing as his.

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He has a very transparent face which shows every single emotion, plus a real gentleness and vulnerability that comes across to perfection in all the roles he dances. And yes, combined with his stunningly beautiful dancing, makes him my "must see" male dancer. I could happily watch him all day.

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It is interesting that while some or all of the ladies are being praised in Monotones 1 & 2, there are hardly any comments on the men by the critics.  Has anyone seen Watson?  I am going on Tuesday, and am looking forward to seeing him doing some pure classical dance. 

 

Well, the 2 dancers that I noticed in a good way on opening night in Monotones were Trystan Dyer and Valeri Hristov, possibly because this was the first time I had seen them in the roles.

 

I haven't read Luke Jennings's review yet, but I did notice Matthew Ball's costume in Pigeons looked quite garish and clashed with his hair and make-up :)

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