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Royal Ballet Insight and In Rehearsal discussion


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I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the Insight livestream much. The choreography wasn't much to my taste and, having understood the music was to be Purcell, the sudden lurch into what I think was described as "techno" was disconcerting. I also spent the whole of both rehearsal sections hoping that Matthew Ball doesn't injure himself with all that writhing around before Friday's R&J! I'll read the reviews once it opens but I'm curently thinking I might just see Within The Golden Hour then go home early.

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I've only seen the first half but spent more time trying to work out whom the male dancers were and why it is deemed necessary to hide their identities in such hideous masks! I then had to go and watch The Dream; proper ballet and beautiful music (though probably not at all relevant to anything apart from my appreciation of beauty and excellence!)

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2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the Insight livestream much. The choreography wasn't much to my taste and, having understood the music was to be Purcell, the sudden lurch into what I think was described as "techno" was disconcerting. I also spent the whole of both rehearsal sections hoping that Matthew Ball doesn't injure himself with all that writhing around before Friday's R&J! I'll read the reviews once it opens but I'm curently thinking I might just see Within The Golden Hour then go home early.

 

By all accounts, you shouldn't miss Flight Pattern ...

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2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the Insight livestream much. The choreography wasn't much to my taste and, having understood the music was to be Purcell, the sudden lurch into what I think was described as "techno" was disconcerting. I also spent the whole of both rehearsal sections hoping that Matthew Ball doesn't injure himself with all that writhing around before Friday's R&J! I'll read the reviews once it opens but I'm curently thinking I might just see Within The Golden Hour then go home early.

 

Give it all a go, Dawnstar. Flight Pattern is a very affecting piece.

It will be interesting at the performances where Sambe has the lead in that and in Medusa as well.

 

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18 hours ago, alison said:

Oh drat, did I miss an insight?  Was it ... insightful?

 

It's still on the ROH website under "News", I found it very interesting, the choreography is certainly individual, very soft and curvy, and I was glad to see the costumes which were shown on stands, not worn, I don't know the actual Medusa legend which might help since it has been altered, nice to see Leanne Cope introducing although my computer sound has a problem, I think I've learnt how to say "Osipova" from her though!

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19 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the Insight livestream much. The choreography wasn't much to my taste and, having understood the music was to be Purcell, the sudden lurch into what I think was described as "techno" was disconcerting. I also spent the whole of both rehearsal sections hoping that Matthew Ball doesn't injure himself with all that writhing around before Friday's R&J! I'll read the reviews once it opens but I'm curently thinking I might just see Within The Golden Hour then go home early.

 

I was fortunate to get a ticket for the Clore Studio to watch the Medusa Insight live and I found the whole evening provided a very satisfactory glimpse into Sidi Larbi’s new work . The main role of Medusa was danced by Natalia Osipova who was very fierce and danced with power and style. The men, as listed above by capybara , represent Greek Soldiers and Matthew Ball was Perseus though that was not completely clear at first. Osipova is on pointe although the style is largely contemporary as we would expect from the choreographer. The assistant choreographer Jason Kittelberger ran the dancers through one main scene where all the men are controlled by Medusa. In their Greek Helmet masks which are made of a mesh of bronze wire with plumed Mohawk decoration, the men appear anonymous. But from the fourth row of the Clore I could clearly pick out each individual dancer.

I loved the choreography which uses a lot of turns and twists of the hips, Jason referred to Larbi’s Moroccan background and the fact he uses hip movements a lot as it is ‘his heritage’. There were some exquisite arms too, sinuous and beautiful. 

Afrer a discussion by Leanne Cope (the presenter) with Olivia Pomp the costume director, we were shown a duet between Matthew Ball and Natalia Osipova where they are each attempting to annihilate the other! This was very compelling to watch and they were really getting into their characterisation, especially Ms Osipova ! We also saw her try on her snake-y headdress and mask.

 

Until we can see the entire work it is impossible to review the ballet but I for one am very glad to have 2 live and one filmed performance to look forward to.

Edited by Mandy Kent
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36 minutes ago, Mandy Kent said:

we were shown a duet between Matthew Ball and Natalia Osipova where they are each attempting to annihilate the other!

 

Yes indeed, more of a duel than a duet!

But I agree this was very compelling (as well as interesting in terms of the creative process) and I think it  has the potential (perhaps strangely given the context) to be  a quite beautiful, moving, sequence, aided by the haunting music. 

Presumably Perseus is trying to avoid meeting  her direct gaze,  but they did seem to look at each other a couple of times. No ill effects fortunately!

Osipova looks formidable in this role, and I will also look forward very much to Takada's interpretation. From Juliet to Medusa in under a fortnight!  

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19 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I've only seen the first half but spent more time trying to work out whom the male dancers were and why it is deemed necessary to hide their identities in such hideous masks! I then had to go and watch The Dream; proper ballet and beautiful music (though probably not at all relevant to anything apart from my appreciation of beauty and excellence!)

 

Maybe it's a cunning plan to avoid announcing cast changes: if the dancers aren't recognisable they won't bother!

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16 hours ago, Odyssey said:

Did anyone attend the Insight event last night, Romeo and Juliet and Me? The various people listed as contributors suggested that it would be a very interesting event.

 

Yes, I did and, sad to say (despite it showing as SOLD OUT), there were several empty seats.Do people buy these up and then not bother to attend? If so, shame on them!

 

Dame Monica Mason (creator of the Lead Harlot), Wayne Eagling (seen on a film clip dancing Romeo to Alessandra Ferri's Juliet) and Melissa Hamilton (a current Juliet) spoke entertainingly about the ballet, their interpretations, and related experiences. I believe that there are similar events on the 22nd and 23rd May. Grab a ticket if you can - £10.

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43 minutes ago, capybara said:

Yes, I did and, sad to say (despite it showing as SOLD OUT), there were several empty seats.Do people buy these up and then not bother to attend? If so, shame on them!

 

This is ALWAYS the case at "sold out" Insights, and it's very annoying. I very much doubt the empty seats are the result of individual purchasers not returning their tickets.  I imagine it's a case of ticket allocations being made to certain groups and/or company staff & VIPs and then somebody not keeping tabs on whether those allocations are being fully used and ensuring that they are returned to public sale where available.  But I could be wrong.

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1 hour ago, RuthE said:

 

This is ALWAYS the case at "sold out" Insights, and it's very annoying. I very much doubt the empty seats are the result of individual purchasers not returning their tickets.  I imagine it's a case of ticket allocations being made to certain groups and/or company staff & VIPs and then somebody not keeping tabs on whether those allocations are being fully used and ensuring that they are returned to public sale where available.  But I could be wrong.

 

If it’s any mitigation on the one such event I attended I earwigged on Kevin O’Hare (sitting behind me) saying how much it annoyed him when that happened - I think he tended towards RuthE’s theory.

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19 hours ago, Odyssey said:

Did anyone attend the Insight event last night, Romeo and Juliet and Me? The various people listed as contributors suggested that it would be a very interesting event.

 

When did they list the contributors, Odyssey?  I see the other talks don't as yet list who's involved (there are currently a couple of tickets left for the 22nd).

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As stated above the website said it was sold out but as I was attending the evening performance I decided to arrive early and to  go to the Box Office to see if there were any returns. I was in luck and purchased my ticket at 5.45pm which gave me long enough to get up to The Clore in time for the 6pm start!

They do not usually list the contributors to these events. I found out once I arrived and received the programme from the ushers. Occasionally dancers say on their social media sites that they are participating.

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4 hours ago, alison said:

 

When did they list the contributors, Odyssey?  I see the other talks don't as yet list who's involved (there are currently a couple of tickets left for the 22nd).

Unusually, Dame Monica Mason and Wayne Eagling were listed in the events details on the ROH website.  Melissa Hamilton wasn’t , but she had posted that she was taking part on her Instagram page.

 

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  • 6 months later...

[Coppelia insight, 12th November 2019]

 

It was Magri and Corrales, both solos and pas de deux, coached by Benjamin. Also interviews with all of them, Stephen Wicks and the head of costumes (sorry can't remember her name). I thought it was brilliant. Leanne Benjamin is a terrific coach - sees everything, very demanding, and gives them so much to take on board but also plenty of praise and encouragement. And I thought Leanne Cope was an excellent presenter. Really enjoyable. (Though I did think a quick resumé of the plot at the beginning would have been a good idea, and then saying exactly how what they were rehearsing fitted in.)

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16 minutes ago, bridiem said:

It was Magri and Corrales, both solos and pas de deux, coached by Benjamin. Also interviews with all of them, Stephen Wicks and the head of costumes (sorry can't remember her name). I thought it was brilliant. Leanne Benjamin is a terrific coach - sees everything, very demanding, and gives them so much to take on board but also plenty of praise and encouragement. And I thought Leanne Cope was an excellent presenter. Really enjoyable. (Though I did think a quick resumé of the plot at the beginning would have been a good idea, and then saying exactly how what they were rehearsing fitted in.)

Absolutely - certainly one of the best insights I have seen (and that’s even watching on my phone in my hotel room!) 

 

I don’t think I’ve seen Leanne Cope presenting before- she was excellent 

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1 hour ago, bridiem said:

It was Magri and Corrales, both solos and pas de deux, coached by Benjamin. Also interviews with all of them, Stephen Wicks and the head of costumes (sorry can't remember her name). I thought it was brilliant. Leanne Benjamin is a terrific coach - sees everything, very demanding, and gives them so much to take on board but also plenty of praise and encouragement. And I thought Leanne Cope was an excellent presenter. Really enjoyable. (Though I did think a quick resumé of the plot at the beginning would have been a good idea, and then saying exactly how what they were rehearsing fitted in.)

 

Agree with all of the above - fantastic Insight. 

 

I particularly liked Magri sharing what Coppelia means to her - it was a variation from Coppelia she danced at the Prix de Lausanne, which is how she ended up at the Royal Ballet! And Stephen Wicks talking about the importance of mime, with Benjamin stresses how Coppelia is a ballet that speaks directly to and involves the audience. I also really appreciate Benjamin really stating how important it is to be 'on' the music - so many ballerinas dance beautifully, but for me it always feels a bit off if they are not on the music, so I'm glad this is of vital importance to Benjamin! 

 

All looks to be an absolutely fantastic ballet. Corrales was on excellent form, as was Magri, and if this is their first rehearsal together for that pdd, with Benjamin coaching it'll be absolutely wonderful come show time! 

Edited by JNC
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Corrales didn't reveal that he'd danced Franz with ENB - different version of course but it has doubtless helped him to get into the role with the RB.

As usual, what is lovely about using Soloists for these Insights is that they get 'introduced' to a worldwide audience who wouldn't know otherwise who they are.

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I agree with others - one of the best, an all round excellent insight. Terrific dancing from Magri and Corrales individually and together. Fascinating, insightful coaching from Leanne Benjamin and charmingly presented by Leanne Cope - who barely referred to her note cards. 
Such a pity there were empty seats - it was sold out in my booking but I was lucky to get a prime front row return the day before so it’s worth keeping looking. 

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Haven't seen Coppelia for more years than I can count, and this encouraged me to regard it with a little more respect! What an excellent coach Benjamin is and what good material she had to work on. I've enjoyed Magri since she showed up as being the most interesting performer in the Twyla Tharp ballet a couple of years ago. And Corrales always worth watching. Good to see something about the amazing,work out in by the costume dept.

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Must catch this on Youtube - it isn't a piece I know well, and wish I could have been there last night.  I saw the last ENB Coppelia with Rojo and Lendorf, and the Mikhailovsky(?) one with Polunin.  But both of those were quite a long time ago, the RB hasn't done Coppelia in the whole time I've been going to ballet, and the only tune I can ever bring to mind from the score is the Mazurka, because we used to play it in school orchestra (bearing in mind I left school 23 years ago...)

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I will definitely watch this on YouTube;  hopefully today in my lunch hour.  From a clip I saw on Instagram Corrales looked amazing.  I am sure Magri will be as well.  What a partnership these two will make! 

 

A real shame about the empty seats.  I wonder if people just don't turn up, or whether they aren't sold despite the event being marked as sold out?  Personally I don't go to these anymore because they cost more than my tickets to a full show. 

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19 minutes ago, Sim said:

Personally I don't go to these anymore because they cost more than my tickets to a full show. 

 

I'm with you, Sim.  I fear for these I too have been priced out in favour of the main event itself ... but am very grateful for the Youtube display. 

 

 

Edited by Bruce Wall
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