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Project Polunin's SATORI - Coliseum, December 2017


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As usual nowadays I do not have time to write a full scale review as I used to - but for me the defining highlight of this programme was Scriabiniana, oh, so finely wrought by the ENB Philharmonic.  There was some truly stunning partnering by masters of the craft from foreign climbs such as you all too rarely get to see on UK stages nowadays. 

Those highlighted for me were the phenomenal Jason Reilly and beaming Elisa Badenes (Stuttgart Ballet) and the incandescently lustrous Alexandre Riabko & Silvia Azzoni (Hamburg Ballet).  No company could have a better advertisement than any one of these four fine artists. 

Those one handed lifts by Reilly with the greatest of seeming ease were surely worth the price of anyone's ticket in - it must be said - a decidedly mixed evening.  Both of the aforementioned couples glistened in their musicality.  They were - without hesitation - a privilege to behold.  

 

 

Edited by Bruce Wall
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I was there last night. Congratulations to Polunin for a well balanced programme. Terrific dancers. Enjoyed Scriabiniana very much. Osipova was adorable in it. Lovely pdd with Polunin. Lots of Bolshoi lifts - some very daring.

 

Found Satori very moving - the Osipova-Polunin pdd was emotional. Wish I could see them together in a full length ballet.

 

There were many young people there and that was encouraging to see. 

 

I had an enjoyable evening and would go again on Sunday if I could. TKTS had some tickets for tonight I think.

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We also went last night. After the debacle of Men in Motion, I feel Sergei needs to be congratulated on putting on a professional, seamless and well-lit show. Congratulations also to Gavin Sutherland and the orchestra who, once again, did a wonderful job.

 

Scriabianiana was lovely with some super dancing. The movement flowed effortlessly, the lifts were exciting and there was some absolutely wonderful partnering. Osipova's solo was charming and seemed effortless, as were Jason Reilley's amazing one-handed lifts. Sergei put a lot of effort into his solo but I felt the elevation and finesse he once had is sadly not what it used to be. The whole thing is well worth seeing ...accomplished dancing, nice costumes and lovely lighting. I will be more than happy to watch it again on Saturday.

 

Satori was very much in the same vein (or is that vain?) as Narcissus and Echo in the previous Project Polunin, but with better costumes and lighting effects. Although in a different setting, the story line was very similar and had a whole page of explanation in the programme (which tells you something).  Despite reading these programme notes twice, I'm still not sure who the Mother and Boy were supposed to represent, but perhaps a second viewing will make it clearer. 

My heart sank when it started with Sergei moodily sitting propped against a tree surrounded by video projections and a wall of electronic noise, but it did improve. The final pdd was very moving and Osipova's fouettes are always worth watching (even if choreographically I'm not sure why they were there).
Although it all met with rapturous applause at the end, I remain unconvinced. Having already experienced Narcissus and Echo (twice!) Satori seemed equally self-indulgent and felt very much like another vanity project, if not a re-working of the original. Having said that, it's worth seeing...it's just not particularly innovative or exciting.

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I LOVED “Scriabiniana". It is such an achievement for Polunin to bring this jewel back from nearly silence and to have the Goleizovsky Trust helping with rehearsals. All duets were different and expressive. Osipova was a morning sun ray in Mazurka. And Polunin’s Eroica Etude was danced with impetuosity and utmost power. He has not lost anything artistically.
Satori was good but had too many, for me, technical effects.

What a shame about the management’s very short-sighted policy on photocall. Some well-known photographers, as I learnt, were not invited. If someone was granted a privilege of taking photos, could you kindly share them with the forum.

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19 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

Scriabiniana, oh, so finely wrought by the ENB Philharmonic.  
 

 

I understand that the orchestra for Satori is, in fact, the ENO's.

 

6 hours ago, Amelia said:

What a shame about the management’s very short-sighted policy on photocall. Some well-known photographers, as I learnt, were not invited. 

 

I think that there is a concern to protect and  optimise the Polunin 'brand'.

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I agree about Scriabiniana Amelia but having read some reviews now it seems that some British critics do not appreciate 'soviet' choreography. I have noted this with other works too. Is it because the style is so different?

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8 hours ago, Amelia said:

I LOVED “Scriabiniana". It is such an achievement for Polunin to bring this jewel back from nearly silence and to have the Goleizovsky Trust helping with rehearsals. All duets were different and expressive. Osipova was a morning sun ray in Mazurka. And Polunin’s Eroica Etude was danced with impetuosity and utmost power. He has not lost anything artistically.
Satori was good but had too many, for me, technical effects.

What a shame about the management’s very short-sighted policy on photocall. Some well-known photographers, as I learnt, were not invited. If someone was granted a privilege of taking photos, could you kindly share them with the forum.

I think you will find that it has very little to do with Colisseum management, and everything to do with the marketing of Polunin as a brand.  Image rights are protected unless you want to pay for them.  All the marketing for this event makes this clear with its heavy emphasis ondancer, director, creator, producer, etc.etc.  I am only surprised Sergei wasn’t credited with the catering.

Edited by penelopesimpson
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19 hours ago, Amelia said:

 

What a shame about the management’s very short-sighted policy on photocall. Some well-known photographers, as I learnt, were not invited. If someone was granted a privilege of taking photos, could you kindly share them with the forum.

 

I think they must have had a commissioned photographer (for rehearsals etc), but no photo call as such, as you say. I don't know why not unfortunately, though i'd be interested to hear why not, if anyone knows

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Saw last night's show, agree with Mummykool that it was so much more enjoyable overall and better produced than Men in Motion, a real pleasure to see the full-length Scriabiana, recognised a couple of the solo dances from DVDs,  the problem for me was the low level lighting, plus not being able to use my opera glasses due to a Coliseum obstruction in my sightline and a high vantage point, I didn't know who the dancers were apart from a Polunin and Osipova pdd which perhaps was better lit, the funniest moment came at the last powerful solo when I thought it was Valentino Zucchetti and at the very end he was lit up to reveal Sergei Polunin :)  Hope to see some photos to clarify but reading this thread perhaps not.

 

Satori was better lit, in fact the visual aspect was superb, designs, lighting, and projections, it looked and felt rather like a Dali landscape, and gave a sense of being in a dream, nice choreography I thought too ,plus a really good little boy dancer, I was pleasantly surprised!

 

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I have no value comment to make because,after Narcissus, Sergei and I parted.  Sorrowfully, on my part, but unnoticed by Mr. Polunin who was otherwuse engaged with himself and playing a passenger on a train.  However, I have a friend who attended last night and said only  ‘never again.’

 

I have emoted overlong on the trials and tribulations of life that for Sergei are the equivalent of washing your hair - perhaps with a gluten intolerance thrown in.  What is so ironic is that Sergei is the one artist above all others who so desperately needs what he eschews - the discipline and rigour of a ballet company.

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It's interesting that there have been three dancer curated shows in London in quick succession. Which one do people think was the most successful? Slightly off-topic, is there any news of overseas companies coming to the UK next year? The only one that I'm aware of is Ballet BC which is visiting Sadler's Wells (and some other venues in the UK, I believe) in the Spring.

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Included In today's Links, there is a review from the Guardian by David Jays which ends by saying that it's ’s too easy to mock Sergei's aspirations. He continues: "There’s no snob like a ballet snob, and the ceaseless fusillade of snarky titters and sighs from the people sitting behind me rankled because many other dance fans still seem engaged in Polunin's angst-paved journey.............(and)........... long to be able to thoroughly enjoy his talent."

 

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As a former admirer of Sergei the ballet dancer, I find it entirely legitimate to criticise the careless way in which he treats his great talent,the more so when he involves himself in sub-par ballet work.  However, of course it’s unacceptable to attend a performance and conduct yourself in such a way as to spoil the evening for others.  I am surprised to hear this because most real fans are reduced to silent despair as I was at Sadlers Wells where I saw nothing to laugh about.

 

As for aspirations, would anyone mock anybody for an wanting to be the best they can be at anything?  Sergei gets mocked, if that is the word, because of his total immersion in himself and his need to be a star of nothing in particular.

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8 hours ago, capybara said:

Included In today's Links, there is a review from the Guardian by David Jays which ends by saying that it's ’s too easy to mock Sergei's aspirations. He continues: "There’s no snob like a ballet snob, and the ceaseless fusillade of snarky titters and sighs from the people sitting behind me rankled because many other dance fans still seem engaged in Polunin's angst-paved journey.............(and)........... long to be able to thoroughly enjoy his talent."

 

 

Being engaged in his journey and longing to be able to thoroughly enjoy his talent are comments about (at least some of) the audience, not about Polunin or the quality of what he presents.  Neither are relevant in terms of a review of a performance. (And 'aspirations' are fairly irrelevant if they are not translated into achievement.)

 

I didn't go to this, because I was too upset by what I saw at Sadler's Wells. And I am, sort of, engaged in his journey in the sense that I very much regret the path his career has taken; and I long to be able to enjoy his talent, but cannot because it so rarely now on show.

 

 

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39 minutes ago, Geoff said:

Who's the child? Where did they find such a wonderful boy? Anyone know something?

 

Three boys are listed in the programme, all Junior Associates of the Royal Ballet School. I don't know which one you saw.

 

Tom Waddington is pictured in the Guardian review https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/dec/08/project-polunin-satori-review-coliseum-london

 

The other two are Alexander Dobrynin-Lait and Ruben Garcia.

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I won't lie - I went to see Scriabiniana.  I LOVED it.  What a beautiful ballet, wonderfully danced by all.  For that alone I'm grateful to Sergei for putting this program together.

 

The other ballets had their moments, but I'm afraid I won't be rushing back to see Satori any time soon.  Sergei needs to keep trying though - I'm sure something will good will eventually come out of this. 

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In the face of all the critical reviews I went to see this show with no great expectations but, hopefully, with an open mind. And I liked it - all of it.

 

Scriabiniana was a dancing treat and it was refreshing to be introduced to a 'new' old ballet. The whole team of dancers was splendid.

 

Although Satori started with puzzling lighting effects, it told an apposite story clearly and  movingly. The child, Tom Waddington, was a sheer delight.

 

Maybe I would feel differently about Polunin's dancing if I hadn't been watching from Coli ceiling level ( ! ! ! ) but I was happy to take what he was offering at face value and applaud heartily along with the hundreds of people far younger than me who had been drawn to watch dance because of him. It was great to see a very different audience from those I am accustomed to enjoying themselves so much. Surely this is good?

 

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Whatever one thinks of his dancing or choreography these days, he is in an excellent position to become a sort of impresario or producer- indeed, ambassador- for ballet.( Perhaps Polunin as the next presenter of live screenings? or perhaps not-but why not a TV show introducing some ballet?) and that's much needed.

 

The phrase in the review quoted above 'there's no snob like a ballet snob' is a silly remark -what does it mean? Snobbery doesn't come into it; people are entitled to make aesthetic judgements about the show. Parts of it do sound good and I only wish I could have gone.

 

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16 minutes ago, Mary said:

 

The phrase in the review quoted above 'there's no snob like a ballet snob' is a silly remark -what does it mean? Snobbery doesn't come into it; people are entitled to make aesthetic judgements about the show. Parts of it do sound good and I only wish I could have gone.

 

 

To me Mary it means people who at ROH I overheard saying at the MacMillan celebration that they had never heard of Northern Ballet but conceding at the end of Gloria that they had been very good!  

 

It means, many years ago at an NB performance of Dracula in Bath, that my friend overheard someone saying "oh they are based in Halifax, I believe they eat fish and chips up there"!

 

It means ballet fans who think the North starts on the north side of Oxford Street and people who have never seen ENB even though they are based in London!

 

And such people do exist...

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8 hours ago, Mary said:

Whatever one thinks of his dancing or choreography these days, he is in an excellent position to become a sort of impresario or producer- indeed, ambassador- for ballet.( Perhaps Polunin as the next presenter of live screenings? or perhaps not-but why not a TV show introducing some ballet?) and that's much needed.

 

The phrase in the review quoted above 'there's no snob like a ballet snob' is a silly remark -what does it mean? Snobbery doesn't come into it; people are entitled to make aesthetic judgements about the show. Parts of it do sound good and I only wish I could have gone.

 

Whoever wrote that phrase, presumably a critic, is yet another person biting the hand that feeds him because he/she can't get beyond the image of champagne-quaffing, top-hatted aristos being the traditional ballet audience.  I'm not going to pretend I don't drink champagne because  I do - as much of it as I can afford and retain the ability to hoof it over Waterloo Bridge for my train.  I also dress up because as a 'poor widow woman,' I relish the chance to wear something nice when I am going somewhere special.  I am sure these are hanging offences and that I would be more acceptable with unwashed hair and a rucksack, but I am what I am and I'm proud of it.  I'm also proud of spending my money on something beautiful and life enhancing rather than the latest electronic gadget.

 

All that said, am I a ballet snob because I want it to be the best it can be?  I am always up for something new and can forgive experimental programmes that may or may not work because that's the creative process (adored The Wind), hated Raven Girl.  I found it harder to forgive Acosta's Carmen because Acosta had a poor track record for choreography and somebody should have spotted this was a stinker right from the get-go.  

 

Snob is such a strange word when applied to an activity.  Is one an athletics 'snob' because you want Mo Farah to win, or a tennis snob if you want to see Andy Murray lift the Wimbledon cup?  Over the past decade we have entered this peculiar world of top-hat bad, cloth cap good without any real qualification of what this actually means.  The BBC regularly talk about the 'sharp-elbowed middle class' which translates as parents who want their children to get on.    Anyway, I am getting off topic.  If wanting the best ballet I can get is the definition of a snob, my nose is definitely in the air!

 

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Me, too.  I go to ROH most often because it is excellent and also because of its geographical location opposite Waterloo.  I do make the effort to attend Sadlers Wells but it adds another hour each way to an already overlong journey and it has to be good for something to tempt me.  If I lived in London I would go to more.....but I mostly content myself with the reviews on this board.  I honestly don't enjoy the Colisseum as a venue and although I saw Akram Khan's Giselle in Bristol, I wish I had made it to London.  I am spoilt because ROH is a fab venue that lifts my heart and it happens to contain my favourite ballet company.  Riches, indeed.

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