Fantasy Fonteyn Centenary

[Jan McNulty]

5 hours ago, assoluta said:

 

It has been an established custom to celebrate anniversaries of outstanding dancers by a gala. I fully expect that a gala devoted to Fonteyn will be duly announced.

 

23 minutes ago, Sim said:

I think that she deserves more than a one-off gala.   

 

I agree it needs more than a one-off gala but it would be a starting point.

 

I never had the privilege of seeing Margot Fonteyn dance live but she is probably still the most famous British ballerina ever and her legacy lives on.  That should be recognised.

 

As I have never seen her live I shouldn't really make suggestions but the roles of Aurora, Ondine and Cinderella spring to mind as well as Symphonic Variations.

[MAB]

7 hours ago, assoluta said:

It has been an established custom to celebrate anniversaries of outstanding dancers by a gala. I fully expect that a gala devoted to Fonteyn will be duly announced.

 

If he Royal Ballet had planned something it would have been announced last week.

 

1 hour ago, Sim said:

I think that she deserves more than a one-off gala.   

 

I agree, but if as it seems the RB has forgotten her, I don't have much hope of say an anniversary exhibition at the V&A either.  All arts organizations plan well in advance and I doubt it could be slotted in at short notice.

[bangorballetboy]

I'm getting really fed up with some bits of this thread and the arrogance of some people who seem to think that they know so much about the inner workings of a number of arts organisations and the thoughts in the heads of the leaders of those organisations.

 

It is quite possible that celebrations are being planned and, if they involve co-operation between a number of institutions, those institutions may not yet be in a position to announce details.  After all, May 2019 is more than a year away!

[MAB]

Insult taken and noted.

[Lizbie1]

I don't pretend to have any insight into the workings of any arts institution's brains; all my supposition comes simply from the heavy RB workload already announced for next May (http://www.roh.org.uk/events/calendar/2019/05) and their historic tendency to avoid performing on a Sunday (something which I recall being discussed on these forums before).

 

I'll add that if there were plans to have either of the productions scheduled for May earmarked as a Fonteyn commemoration, either would be a surprising choice: nothing on the mixed bill has a connection with Fonteyn and R&J would be inappropriately provocative.

[Nicola H]

On 3/23/2018 at 11:10, Bruce Wall said:

Since Fonteyn was a dancer rather than a choreographer - if a programme were to be set up in her memory - I would like to see something akin to the Erik Bruhn Competition in Canada.   (Perhaps the contemporary variations could honour Aston's heritage as well.)  I'm sure it would be possible to find money to support a significant prize for participating victor(s) and given Fonteyn's worldwide dance outreach throughout her own very long career such a competition's tentacles could easily reach out around the globe. 

 

That said, all of the dedicated (and well worthy) programmes such as have been herein suggested are MAJOR undertakings unto themselves and it would be completely understandable if the Royal Ballet as an institution felt it had enough on their plate(s) to simply maintain the high level of balletic art that they are currently producing.  In my book that honours Fonteyn's memory perhaps more than anything else I could think of.   Perhaps there is an independent body who would like to/could take this on and simply allow the event to be presented at the Royal Opera House which played such a significant role in Fonteyn's and the Company's (continuing) history.  Perhaps it could be a bi-annual initiative as the Bruhn Competition was established to be.  

 

That's the fundamental difference  between  Dancer   and Choreographer  in this regard -   reviving  a choreographer's work  that hasn't been performed for a while or simply clustering  works in your current rep by that choreographer  is  ' doing what it  says on the tin '  ...  ditto  the  'big 5' or however  many  other companies you might wish to add to that group  collaborating as seen with the Macmillan season 

I know  this  may be deemed to be lowering the tone , but  when revivals of Porridge  or Dad's Army are mooted  and casting discussed , the  elephant in the room is  the casting  because  the risk  is you  get  <a. n. other actor>  playing  Ronnie Barker  playing Norman Stanley Fletcher and so on ...   so  it;s <a.n. other ballerina playing Fonteyn  dancing  a character  ... 


 

[bridiem]

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

I'm getting really fed up with some bits of this thread and the arrogance of some people who seem to think that they know so much about the inner workings of a number of arts organisations and the thoughts in the heads of the leaders of those organisations.

 

It is quite possible that celebrations are being planned and, if they involve co-operation between a number of institutions, those institutions may not yet be in a position to announce details.  After all, May 2019 is more than a year away!

 

But it's part of the coming season, bbb, so why would at least the intention to mark it not have been announced even if the details had not been decided? Normally the announcement of the coming season would include every possible newsworthy or interesting facet of what's being planned - these announcements are as much about publicity etc as they are about the basic information. And given the detail with which companies do have to plan in advance, May next year is not far away. But I hope you're right and that plans will be announced in due course.

[alison]

Was this year's Spring Gala announced in last year's season announcement?

[Lizbie1]

No, but it's not obvious where a slot for one might be next May, unless they schedule something in on a Sunday.

[Odyssey]

I am quite optimistic that there will be something special for the 2019/2020 season. However, it would be good to be reassured at this stage. I would have thought that there will be opportunities for such a question to be put to both Kevin O'Hare and other leading lights at the ROH over the coming months.. 

Going back to the original posts for this thread, I would like to see the V and A  mount a special exhibition - it is so rare that they feature dance and showcase  their extensive holdings. A season on the BBC should be de-rigour  (including a rerun of The Magic of Dance). Revivals of Cinderella, and Ondine  and a new Fonteyn award for outstanding service to dance in this country..... 

[MAB]

It's been a long time since I last went to an RB press conference to announce the forthcoming season, but there was always the opportunity to ask questions afterwards, is that not now the case?  Did no one there bring up the subject of Fonteyn.

[bangorballetboy]

9 minutes ago, MAB said:

It's been a long time since I last went to an RB press conference to announce the forthcoming season, but there was always the opportunity to ask questions afterwards, is that not now the case?  Did no one there bring up the subject of Fonteyn.

 

There was no press conference this year.

[Bruce Wall]

MAB, KO'H is a guest at the Ballet Association next month.  Perhaps you might like to go along - (I don't know if you are a member - but you can attend as a guest if not) - and ask the RB's AD yourself either publicly (assuming there are questions at the end) or otherwise privately.  It would seem the perfect opportunity for such an undertaking and thereby avoid the risk of any further speculation.  

[MAB]

35 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

MAB, KO'H is a guest at the Ballet Association next month.  Perhaps you might like to go along - (I don't know if you are a member - but you can attend as a guest if not) - and ask the RB's AD yourself either publicly (assuming there are questions at the end) or otherwise privately.  It would seem the perfect opportunity for such an undertaking and thereby avoid the risk of any further speculation.  

 

Thank you, I'm not a member as invariably events fall on days when I'm pre-booked as is the case on the 12th (ENO).  I will do my best to find someone to ask relevant questions on my behalf, perhaps someone here would volunteer.

[Fonty]

Fonteyn was a past president of the RAD.  Are they planning anything to commemorate her centenary?

 

If the RB is going to do something to mark the occasion in 2019, please NOT Marguerite and Armand.  To me, that would be a lazy option. 

 

I am not particularly keen on Ondine; like others I don't like the music.  I really like the idea of Cinderella being performed in her memory, and I would also like to see a revival of  Birthday Offering.  When I saw it the last time it was performed, I remember thinking that there was a wonderful ballet hidden in there somewhere, but at least one of the cast appeared uncomfortable with the choreography.  As a result, it was carefully danced, but a bit flat.  Not what Ashton intended at all, I am sure.  

[MAB]

I must be extremely strange, I like the music for Ondine very much.  Absolutely not Marguerite & Armand it would be an insult to her memory,  Birthday Offering is a fabulous ballet when properly cast.  The fourth and last part of Hommage to the Queen, Air, was created for Fonteyn and although the choreography for Earth, Wind and Fire isn't Ashton what he created on Fonteyn is.

[loveclassics]

BBC4 recently repeated a programme about ballet on TV which included a lengthy clip of Fonteyn in Cinderella.  I thought it remarkable and made me want to see the production again, ideally with a true Ashton dancer.  No insult intended but some of the Cinderellas I've seen in the past were quite wrong for the role, talented and gifted though they were.  And I'd like to see Birthday Offering again plus Ondine.  I know the music isn't instantly accessible but I took the advice of a seasoned ballet-goer and bought a CD first so I could familiarise myself with it.  That really paid dividends and I try to do this with all new works now (though I draw the line at electronic/experimental stuff and I still think musique concrete sounds like a malfunctioning cement mixer)

 

I can't remember when Birthday Offering was last performed - was it during the opera house's closure around 1997/8?

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, loveclassics said:

I can't remember when Birthday Offering was last performed - was it during the opera house's closure around 1997/8?

 

Birthday Offering was last performed in the summer of 2012. It was part of the wonderful, last triple bill of Monica Mason's final season: Birthday Offering/Month in the Country/Les Noces.

Prior to that, it was last seen, as you say,  sometime during the closure ('98, I think) in a programme beginning with Les Patineurs and Enigma Variations at Sadler's Wells - also at the Barbican with something from Ashley Page I think and possibly Rake's Progress??

It is a lovely ballet, and one which would give this currently very talented bunch some great opportunities. It feels like the right time for a revival! (And I would like to see Yuhui Choe and Laura Morera once again in Variations 1 and 2,  I thought they were really suited to their variations.)

 

I agree with your comment about some Cinderellas not being quite right for role. For me this came down to the fact that it is essentially a ballerina role, rather than a dramatic role and should be approached thus. I haven't seen it often since the unsatisfactory redesign around 2002/3, but the last Cinderella I really liked was Roberta Marquez. I can't wait to see it redesigned (or again in the Walker designs, but please make her act 1 dress shabby!) and with today's amazing company of dancers. I would kill to see Francesca Hayward in this!

Edited March 30, 2018 by Darlex

[Guest]

On 3/27/2018 at 10:33, MAB said:

I must be extremely strange, I like the music for Ondine very much.  Absolutely not Marguerite & Armand it would be an insult to her memory,  Birthday Offering is a fabulous ballet when properly cast.  The fourth and last part of Hommage to the Queen, Air, was created for Fonteyn and although the choreography for Earth, Wind and Fire isn't Ashton what he created on Fonteyn is.

 

MAB, I also like the music for Ondine! Would also like to see Homage to the Queen: love the Air section and also enjoyed the contributions from Bintley, Corder and Wheeldon.

 

I also think Les Rendezvous should be included as IIRC, Ashton inserted the four girls dance a year or so later and it was the first time he created something for Fonteyn.

[Scheherezade]

I also like the Ondine music but remain to be fully convinced of its merits as a ballet score. I do, however, think that Ligeti's Three Bagatelles would work remarkably well in much the same way as Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.

[MAB]

I find Henze's music extremely atmospheric, for me the music reflects the supernatural elements of the ballet, together with a kind of underlying threat in places.  I would give a lot to see Ekaterina Osmolkina perform the shadow dance.

[Sharon]

In quite a few old ballet books there is usually a photo of Fonteyn in a beautiful long black dress from a ballet called Apparitions by Ashton. I have never seen this very early ballet, but if there was to be a Fonteyn evening it would be lovely to include this  - if it's not lost....

[Lizbie1]

3 minutes ago, Sharon said:

In quite a few old ballet books there is usually a photo of Fonteyn in a beautiful long black dress from a ballet called Apparitions by Ashton. I have never seen this very early ballet, but if there was to be a Fonteyn evening it would be lovely to include this  - if it's not lost....

 

With designs by Cecil Beaton, no less! http://rohcollections.org.uk/production.aspx?production=4907&row=0

[Sharon]

Thank you Liizbie1 - wouldn't you know it I can't find the particular photo I was thinking about - although there is a photo of her in it in the Meredith Daneman biography and I've  found another one wearing the ball gown from the same ballet. Does anyone know if this ballet still survives?

[alison]

Is that the one London Festival Ballet tried to revive back in the 80s, or am I confusing it with something else?

[Jan McNulty]

2 minutes ago, alison said:

Is that the one London Festival Ballet tried to revive back in the 80s, or am I confusing it with something else?

Yes, LFB did revive Apparitions. I didn’t see it but IIRC it was panned by the critics.

[Sharon]

12 hours ago, alison said:

Is that the one London Festival Ballet tried to revive back in the 80s, or am I confusing it with something else?

I don't know. But all the photos I've seen of this work from 1936 look beautiful...

[capybara]

I see that there are some  references to honouring Fonteyn on the ROH page about the 2018/19 season. It might be a good idea to replicate some of the above suggestions there.

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/royal-opera-house-2018-19-season-announced

[bridiem]

14 minutes ago, capybara said:

I see that there are some  references to honouring Fonteyn on the ROH page about the 2018/19 season. It might be a good idea to replicate some of the above suggestions there.

 

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/royal-opera-house-2018-19-season-announced

 

Thanks, capybara. I've just posted a short query as to why the centenary has not even been mentioned let alone marked.

[Jane S]

LFB did revive Apparitions, in 1987 - I think Peter Schaufuss persuaded Ashton to let them do it, although it's said he'd already refused permission to two directors of the RB. It only had 3 performances and although Ashton himself had been involved in the revival it was not thought to be a success, for reasons including casting (Makarova and Schaufuss), lighting, the sets, and the size of the theatre (the Coliseum).

 

Iain Webb planned to revive it for the Sarasota Ballet last season but had to postpone it, for reasons explained in this article

[Sharon]

@Jane S thanks for that, really interesting read. Imagine empty boxes arriving at the Sarasota Ballet from ENB. Bizarre! But I'm glad they (Webb & Barbieri) are still planning to mount it when the time and consequences are right.

[Jane S]

The Sarasota Ballet has just announced its programme for next season and Apparitions is scheduled for March 2019 (on a double bill with Balanchine's Stars and Stripes).

[Bruce Wall]

13 hours ago, Jane S said:

The Sarasota Ballet has just announced its programme for next season and Apparitions is scheduled for March 2019 (on a double bill with Balanchine's Stars and Stripes).

 

It is a fine season - and the narrative in its presentation I thought exemplary: https://www.sarasotaballet.org/sarasota-ballet-announces-2018-2019-season 

 

I, myself, would love to see Samsova's Paquita, amongst the many - especially the plethora of fascinating Ashton works and the other anniversary celebrations in 2019 for Fonteyn and Balanchine.  Would that they might visit the UK.  They are appearing for a week in August 2018 at the intimate Joyce Theater in NYC's Chelsea with a programme mixing Ashton and de Valois with Balanchine, Bintley, Wheeldon and Bourne and seat prices starting at $10.00 (£7).  Surely something like that could be a perfect Sadler's Wells or Edinburgh Festival fit.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Bruce Wall