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49 minutes ago, Riva said:

I’m gutted she isn’t cast as Nikiya or Gamzatti this Autumn

 agreed! I was shocked to not see her name on the casting! Hopefully she'll be performing a shade variation. 

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15 hours ago, Odyssey said:

Do people think that Hamilton has missed the mark? She is someone who only rarely gets a mention of late.

 

Besides Manon, which Hamilton danced in the previous run, she hasn't danced many major roles this season and there are now younger dancers whose technical strengths far surpass hers. Hamilton never impressed me in the classics, but she's great in the McGregor works.

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3 hours ago, Riva said:

I agree with you that it seems highly unlikely that Yuhui Choe would now be promoted to principal based on so many years as First Soloist, but with regards to these two points - I try to book specifically for her casting dates (I’m gutted she isn’t cast as Nikiya or Gamzatti this Autumn), and in my humble, technically useless but nonetheless ballet-mad and passionate opinion, in the performances I’ve seen she’s always had complete authority over the stage. 

 

 

I should point out that although I’m a huge Yuhui fanboy I do recognise that it seems unlikely that she will become a principal when she’s been a first soloist since 2008 ( during which time Akane Takada has gone from apprentice to principal). 

And although the ‘Yuhui for principal ‘ chant is a common one on any ROH video in which she appears I thought I’d post it here just to get an educated opinion rather than several hundred likes 😁

I too am disappointed she’s not going to be Nikiya or Gamzatti but at least have her Princess Stephanie to look forward to.

Edited by Rob S
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18 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

I should point out that although I’m a huge Yuhui fanboy I do recognise that it seems unlikely that she will become a principal when she’s been a first soloist since 2008 ( during which time Akane Takada has gone from apprentice to principal). 

 

 

I do appreciate Yuhui Choe's dancing in some of the repertoire but imo she'll never be promoted to Principal.

Not only Akane Takada surpassed her, two more female dancers - Naghdi and Hayward - flew through the ranks and joined the Principal rank whilst Yuhui remained a First Soloist. 

Edited by Xandra Newman
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9 hours ago, Riva said:

Having said that, another of my favourite dancers is Ed Watson and I can’t imagine we’ll ever see him as Sugar Plum Fairy’s Prince in The Nutcracker

 

 

Not unless you went to Japan when he did it over there :) 

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9 hours ago, Xandra Newman said:

 

I do appreciate Yuhui Choe's dancing in some of the repertoire but imo she'll never be promoted to Principal.

Not only Akane Takada surpassed her, two more female dancers - Naghdi and Hayward - flew through the ranks and joined the Principal rank whilst Yuhui remained a First Soloist. 

 

Rub it in, why don't you!😆

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Yuhui Choe seems very much the Belinda Hatley of her generation.  Not necessarily comparing their dancing as I saw Hatley very little, but both danced several principal parts under one director with a rep commensurate for promotion, but never received it once directors changed.  Hatley performed Aurora, SPF, Giselle, Lise, and Swanhilda under Dowell's tenure, where Choe has danced Cinderella, Alice, SPF, Aurora, Nikiya, Gamzatti, and Lise.  Choe's rep is more expansive than Hatley's, but my point is that if Mason were still director, Choe would more likely be a principal vs. Kevin O'Hare who will probably never promote her.  Even in next season's Bayadere, Choe isn't slated for either principal role she has danced in the past.  

 

I'm relatively lukewarm to Choe, so can't disagree with O'Hare holding back as I prefer Hayward, Naghdi, and Takada.  And videos of her Odette/Odile in Korea didn't show her to have the presence to carry Swan Lake, although I would see Aurora or SPF being far more suited to her.  

 

 

Edited by MRR
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21 hours ago, Riva said:

 I’m gutted [Choe] isn’t cast as Nikiya or Gamzatti this Autumn

Francesca Hayward isn't either, so at least she's in good company!  I get the draw of having Osipova and Nunez switching roles,  but you could easily have Hayward/Choe in a cast with James Hay as Solor.  

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2 hours ago, MRR said:

 

 

I'm relatively lukewarm to Choe, so can't disagree with O'Hare holding back as I prefer Hayward, Naghdi, and Takada.  And videos of her Odette/Odile in Korea didn't show her to have the presence to carry Swan Lake, although I would see Aurora or SPF being far more suited to her.  

 

 

 

Hi MMR, you'll be delighted to know you can see Choe dance SPF on 28th December.  

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There was a moment (in 2010 perhaps?) when Choe had been dancing quite a lot with Polunin and one sensed an expectation that she could be promoted. But it didn't happen (under Mason). Nor did it happen in the year when she  came to the rescue (with considerable distinction) in several performances of Sleeping Beauty (under O'Hare).

Unfortunately for her and her fans, it doesn't look likely now.

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4 hours ago, MRR said:

 And videos of her Odette/Odile in Korea didn't show her to have the presence to carry Swan Lake,

 

 

 

I adore those two videos and they do wonders for my train journeys!!

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11 hours ago, Tony Newcombe said:

A question about all these promotions that people desire. Where are the vacancies coming from?

I think there will be some ‘natural’ turnover through retirements. Much as I love watching Bonelli, Morera and Watson, even they can’t go on for ever. Nunez, Lamb, and Hirano are a few years younger but I imagine will retire within the next decade. By pipeline I meant medium to long term prospects for principal - am not expecting all the dancers I was speculating about to be promoted next season!  But it is nice to have homegrown prospects and not be wondering where future principals could come from, as has been the case at times.
 
The more difficult decision for the AD in the short term is what to do with principals like Soares who appear to have been effectively ‘demoted’ from some classical leads. Soares is still very good in Macmillan ballets but the company is not short of dancers who can do those - if anything is lacking it is a deep bench of reliable Siegfrieds, Albrechts and classical partners generally.
Edited by Lindsay
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3 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

I don't think Choe would be promoted to principal even if Mason were still director.

 

I agree with this.  I think that improved training in the RBS and elsewhere simply 'caught up' with Choe.  There was a period where she was a shining light of reliable technique in classical solos amongst a great deal of mediocrity.  In the early 2000s it was very common to see half the fairy variations in the SB prologue muffed completely and there were few men in the company who could do clean double tours (giving rise to particularly hilarious contrasts the year Polunin joined the corps and turned up in the rows of four Hungarian Officers/Flower Cavaliers/Bayadere pas d'action etc etc).   In that company Choe really stood out for her reliability, grace and composure and I was and still am very grateful to her for that.

 

Whereas new joiners over the past decade (and much credit should go to Gailene Stock's stewardship of the RBS - however much people might cavil at her 'buying in' of international competition winners to the Upper School) generally have a far more solid technique and those who can combine that with stage presence, impressive musicality etc. have risen up the ranks.  There are some dancers (Takada, Hayward, Naghdi) that any reasonable director simply had to promote.

 

I hope that it is clear that I am not in any way criticising Yuhui Choe - she is a beautiful dancer and has played an incredibly important role in the company.  If all first soloists and soloists were as clean and reliable as her it would be a remarkable company indeed. From a career perspective though, she has been a little unlucky in terms of timing.  There are periods in the company's history where she would certainly have made principal, but, in my humble opinion, she has happened to coincide with a very talented generation indeed.

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33 minutes ago, Lindsay said:
I think there will be some ‘natural’ turnover through retirements. Much as I love watching Bonelli, Morera and Watson, even they can’t go on for ever. Nunez, Lamb, and Hirano are a few years younger but I imagine will retire within the next decade.

 

Also, as you say, Lindsay, Soares isn't dancing the classics any more, indeed he hasn't for some time and, I don't intend this unkindly, Kish may not have quite enough gas in his legs to last him many more years. And, at the moment, there must been concerns hovering over McRae's recovery.

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19 hours ago, alison said:

 

That bad, still?  I'd assumed he was closer to a return than that :( 

Me, too.  I thought he was close to return.  Does anyone know what is happening with Ed Watson?  Not looking for medical details - just any news as he is very silent.

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Apart from co-curating the event at The Grange with McGregor, no.  Mind you, he's never terribly forthcoming - I don't think he has a website even now, does he? - and his Twitter account doesn't tend to contain a lot of personal information.

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Are we allowed to ask what is McRae's injury?  I know virtuoso dancers like him often suffer worse injuries than less 'firecracker' dancers but he seems very young to have the sort of injury that has kept him off-stage for so long.

 

Linda

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