MAB Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 2 hours ago, Nina G. said: I also love Fumi Kaneko (but she has been injured quite a lot so I haven't been able to see all that much of her), and Beatriz Stix-Brunell (who was fully trusted into the limelight very early on in her career), We're singing from the same song sheet with those two, if they don't get a Giselle next time around I'll be mightily peeved. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 That would, of course, involve having to remove some of the established ballerinas from the part. I wouldn't want to start a debate on that one ... 3 hours ago, zxDaveM said: I think Darcey was still around then wasn't she - so there probably wasn't the 'dearth of British talent' doing the rounds... Darcey's official retirement was in 2007 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 28 minutes ago, alison said: That would, of course, involve having to remove some of the established ballerinas from the part. I wouldn't want to start a debate on that one ... I was thinking along the lines, longer run, more casts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Mm, but we already have at least 8 Giselles. Adding another 2 would mean a minimum of 20 performances (one would hope!). Not that I'd mind that particularly, but I've already had to cut out a few casts from the current run and that was painful enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 It sold so well this time that it's not unlikely though? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 (edited) 28 minutes ago, MAB said: I was thinking along the lines, longer run, more casts. The "problem" is that there is now a considerable amount of talent lower down the principal rank. I remember those years at the RB that there was not that much to be excited about in the First Soloist/Soloist rank or in the Corps de ballet. One would go to the RB to only see a particular principal full stop and I would book a performance solely to see Alina Cojocaru dancing with Kobborg, or Tamara with Acosta or Guillem with Cope etc., not to see a particular Soloist or First Soloist. However I have done so in the last few of years. Whatever talent there was in the lower ranks in the "olden days" they were made to wait until they reached the right rank and deserved /earned the right to dance a particular role. This too has changed now. Mr O'Hare cannot possibly give a go to all of his most talented dancers below the principal rank whenever they perform a ballet. Patience is a virtue. There are after all his principals who need to be kept happy and busy too. Edited February 14, 2018 by Nina G. spelling 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I must say that as I had more or less given up on the RB in the mid 90s because I was always being disappointed and because I had never seen the company in its previous golden age I have never seen the company looked so good! I wish the costs associated with attending were not so high or I would be there more often! The same goes for NB and BRB too. I am not as familiar with ENB any more. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 I agree with something you said in an earlier post Jan that all the Ballet Companies are looking pretty okay at the moment. I think there must have been considerable improvement in training overall in recent years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 In - I *think* - the last few minutes, the Giselle casting page has changed to show Marianela Nunez dancing next Wednesday in place of Lauren Cuthbertson. I'm sure it still said Cuthbertson when I was booking my Friday Rush ticket only half an hour ago... http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/giselle-by-peter-wright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 The Sunday Times has a review of the Naghdi/Ball and Hayward/Campbell Giselle today, plus the first night of Winter's Tale, all very favourable to Matthew Ball 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Shame about the paywall....I will have to ask my neighbour to borrow her copy! I'm very pleased that one critic has bothered to report on this Giselle. More fool the others; they missed a real treat. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Presumably it's in today's Links? And as I said, there were other critics there, so more reviews may be forthcoming in due course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 9 minutes ago, alison said: Presumably it's in today's Links? And as I said, there were other critics there, so more reviews may be forthcoming in due course. It didn't show up in time - it will be in tomorrow. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 I'm not sure how but I can often see Times/FT articles on the Ballet Association news link and a google search for example for a Clement Crisp review of a named ballet often gives a result. I've no idea if this is permissible or if the Forum would prefer not to publicise such access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 We link to reviews/features in the Times. You have to register but registration entitles you to read 2 free articles a week - usually more than enough to read the dance stuff. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 That's good ...I've been looking for a review of the Naghdi/Ball Giselle all week and there has been none! So look forward to reading. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 We'll have driven almost into Newhaven to get this week's Sunday times lol but have now read....in the Culture section...slightly more favourable to Hayward on this occasion but Ball does come off well. Not sure if anything more meant behind this comment on Campbell "He kept his fine dancing entirely in the Romantic style- no excess." I did think Mr.Ball appeared to "suffer" more in the role of Albrecht in the second Act ...as he seemed to exert himself more in his dancing! However Mr. Campbell did a wonderfully expressive step sideways into arabesque in second making the most and showing the beauty of that particular movement.... Balls leg may have been a tad higher but the movement was more rushed....just something I noticed. But still remembering both performances equally fondly a week later! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Sometimes, some more experienced dancers seem to have more time - or are able to create an illusion of having more time. This must be very difficult to achieve in an adrenalin-fuelled debut. Thinking back to Two Pigeons 2 years ago. I remember Matthew Ball seemed to be rushing his steps rather in his first show. Second time out, it felt to me as if the steps had become much more a part of him and the necessary exertion less obvious. His second show was, I thought, marvellous in every respect. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 The much awaited Sunday Times review: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dance-review-giselle-and-the-winters-tale-p0bd6qlmm?shareToken=9cdb553437e1d0dcfa401dd27c94a67c Of course, also included in Today's Links. Look there for lots more. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe blitz Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 On 1/20/2018 at 14:26, Tony Newcombe said: A brief aside on Myrtha throwing the flower into the wings. In the nineties, there was one Myrtha who had a very weak left hand. The flower would always land just off centre of the stage. The great delight was watching the corp slowly move the flower off stage during the hopping sequence. Hi Tony I remember seeing Bruhn jumping and catching the flowers in the air as Giselle threw them. Ever since I've been looking out for that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 2 minutes ago, joe blitz said: Hi Tony I remember seeing Bruhn jumping and catching the flowers in the air as Giselle threw them. Ever since I've been looking out for that. Yes, a ballet going friend of mine has seen that. The interesting thing during the present run of Royal Ballet Giselles is where the flowers, that Giselle throws, end up on the stage. Sometimes they are close to each other but in one performance they ended up a long way from each other. I imagine that Albrecht thought " thanks a million" as he had to retrieve the flowers within the allocated music time. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I recall the mid-air catch from the Cuban version. Sad that we haven't seen the Ballet Nacional in London recently. Will we again? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe blitz Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I've come to think that maybe it was just Bruhn! don't remember who was the Giselle but Myrthe was Lupe Serrano. She was WOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I've seen Albrechts catch the flowers too, never sure if it's a romantic gesture or to prevent litter on stage. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 37 minutes ago, MAB said: I've seen Albrechts catch the flowers too, never sure if it's a romantic gesture or to prevent litter on stage. Or if Alexander Campbell as Albrecht, a little cricket practice? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I always think it's slightly unfortunate when Myrthe throws the flowers into the wings and one of them either bounces back onto the stage or makes a loud noise. There was a proper CRASH from Laura McCulloch's second throw last Wednesday which got a momentary giggle from the audience 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I watched Giselle from the wings a couple of weeks ago and there is a stagehand standing there waiting to catch the thrown flowers. The one on our side missed so they thudded to the floor. She smiled and said 'we almost always miss' ! We were laughing and saying that we were pleased Myrthe wasn't Tierney Heap otherwise we would have all risked getting knocked out by a flower!! The other thing I didn't realise is that the bells that ring for midnight and dawn are situated right there in the wings, not the orchestra, so twice times 12 rings of the bell was very loud to the ear!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 52 minutes ago, RuthE said: I always think it's slightly unfortunate when Myrthe throws the flowers into the wings and one of them either bounces back onto the stage or makes a loud noise. There was a proper CRASH from Laura McCulloch's second throw last Wednesday which got a momentary giggle from the audience Yes, I'm afraid I had a little giggle with that one!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 (edited) My biggest giggle ever was at the ROH many years ago. It was Sleeping Beauty. At the lilac Fairy's entrance for the vision scene her tutu caught on a piece of scenery and gradually unravelled. Things went from bad to worse when she tried to show the Prince the vision of Aurora. There was a lighting malfunction and he was looking at nothing. The final mishap was that the Boat got jammed and wouldn't move! Apart from that it was a,fine performance. Edited February 26, 2018 by ninamargaret Spelling correction 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 (edited) 16 minutes ago, ninamargaret said: Things went from bad to worse when she tried to show the Prince the vision of Aurora. There was a lighting malfunction and he was looking at nothing. I have visions of the Prince groping his way blindly forward, before grabbing hold of Aurora's shoulder and going into raptures. Edited February 26, 2018 by Fonty 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargaretN7 Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 When I first began going, well, being taken, to the ballet, I'm sure I remember reading that, in Giselle Act 2, as Giselle and Albrecht crossed the stage in grand jetes, with both in mid air she threw, and he caught, the flowers. Not an easy thing to do! I can remember at least one catch, but not who, and many misses. I suspect that eventually the decision was made not even to attempt it as it could distract from the drama if people were waiting to see if it would be a catch or a miss. Was the decision made at the start of Peter Wright's production, perhaps? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe blitz Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 I know I mentioned this before but after seeing a Youtube clip of Osipova in Peasant pdd I've got to say it again, and ask what you-all think It seems to me that turning the pdd into pd6 it becomes defused. 'why was it changed? to give more dancers a chance? or to downplay a "gala" type bit.? see this yourselves.: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) I think we've discussed this in the RB Giselle thread, haven't we? (to which I think these threads have since been moved. Either that, or I'm losing my marbles ) Edited March 1, 2018 by alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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