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Royal Ballet Insight and In Rehearsal discussion


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Nearly missed this discussion as expected it to be in the Performance section thread!!

I enjoyed the insight and had a fab view from row B. I thought it was very informative and Marriott and Howells were both very engaging (I like a few personal touches as well!!)  in talking about the work. 

Mostly though .....even though it wasn't of course specifically a masterclass....I love seeing the dancers coached and how they improve and get more feeling for the choreography etc. Matthew Ball had two solos to work on ....one apparently from the very beginning of the ballet and one from the end so all credit to him for the terrific amount of concentration this requires ( particularly as I believe he also made his debut in Matthew Bournes Swan Lake this week so must be a tad exhausted!) 

I did not fill in the form afterwards ....it was quite longish and anyway I rather dislike having to give my "assessments" so immediately after I've  just seen something ...I dislike doing this on any course/ workshop etc. .....especially when it's asking you to score things on a scale of 1-10 or 1-5 and so on!! I know the feedback is supposed to be useful but perhaps they could email people who attended for their views so can do more at leisure when have had time to digest it all as it were.

Theres always something more you may feel you want from  these things ....I have a feeling some people would never be satisfied!! 

 

Lovely to see Jillikins ....what an inspiration you are with your current health problems to be there ....I was glad just to be getting back to Highbury afterwards but you had a much longer journey so glad to see you got home safely. Hope you enjoy the ballet in November I am really looking forward to it now.

 

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A thread for discussing feedback on the various Royal Ballet Insight and "In Rehearsal" events, so that we can keep the "information" thread relatively clear.  It may not always make total logical sense, as the postings above this one have been moved out of the information thread and may refer to content in there, but if you click on the arrow at the top right of any quotes it should take you back to the original source of that quote.

 

If I've got anything obviously wrong which needs to be moved back, let me know!

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One important thing I did miss ....and the name wasn't in the programme notes...was Marriott was talking about this collaboration with a lady ....I think on the production of this new ballet .... I just didn't catch her name but it's someone he has worked with before.

i got confused because I had thought she had been the costume designer but then it turned out Howells was largely responsible for the costumes ....so wasn't sure what this lady did in the end....the sets designs?

Did anyone catch her name? 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Felt privileged to watch Makarova coaching [La Bayadère] and Yasmine [Naghdi] responded to the corrections magnificently. Really enjoyed the midway chat regarding Petipa’s interpretation and visualisation of the Orient as opposed to any historical representation of India. This was one of the most stimulating Insights to be broadcast.

Edited by alison
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So pleased to have been able to attend and see these wonderful dancers and coaches at such close quarters...a really good taster for what is to come. Lovely to see the giggles when Akane dropped the dagger a little too close to Yasmine. These girls, in debut roles, were just soaking up the guidance from Makarova. A true Insight.

Edited by Richard LH
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1 hour ago, Odyssey said:

Felt privileged to watch Makarova coaching and Yasmine responded to the corrections magnificently. Really enjoyed the midway chat regarding Petipa’s interpretation and visualisation of the Orient as opposed to any historical representation of India. This was one of the most stimulating Insights to be broadcast.

 Yes and yes. Absolutely spot on review. Also felt the privilege of seeing Makarova coaching and to see the response to such detailed corrections.  The historical context was fascinating and the incredible amount of knowledge of both Olga and Shobana. Yasmin was pushed very hard this evening with the sheer quantity of work but what a charming, modest dancer. In the short interview post broadcast she shared that she feels incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Makarova. Overall, some incredible ladies tonight all round- Takada and McNally included.

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This was a superlative Insight Evening. To see the legendary Natalia Makarova coach Yasmine Naghdi, and in the first part also Akane Takada, was a revelation to say the least. How Yasmine managed to take in the most minute details of Makarova's advice and corrections is mind-boggling, and I agree Makarova was pushing her very hard up until the very end. I so enjoyed watching the one-to-one coaching session, after the interview with Olga.

In her interview with Petroc Trelawny Yasmine also talked about her time in the corps de ballet when she danced the Lead Shade in every single performance. I do remember seeing her coming down the ramp, leading all the other shades, it was so beautiful. Now I really can't wait until 3rd November to watch her debut as "Gamzatti" as well as Akane's "Nikiya". What a wonderful insight, loved the interviews, delighted it was filmed. Not often do we get to see the great Makarova coach two Principals of The Royal Ballet!  

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Yes, that is good- but why didn't they email me??

 

I was very impressed by the Insight- it had the maximum of content and the minimum of padding. Ms Naghdi  not only danced beautifully, powerfully in the rehearsal but spoke articulately, and with a very engaging manner to camera- I do hope we can look forward in future years to seeing her - and other articulate and charming colleagues  present ballet events ( if there are any by then....)

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I'm sorry to be a 'spectre at the feast' but I felt the Act 1 mime scene between Gamzatti and Nikiya was probably lost on many people watching on youtube. Certainly the 'live' comments made that appear so.

That said, it was nice to see two younger Principals being given the exposure. Kevin O'Hare has said that he aims to do that, and provide opportunities for soloists, in the Insights and Rehearsals. Its' a great way for a wider public to 'get to know' the RB's rising talent.

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Something else that would be useful in the future would be for the dancers to wear light-coloured clothing.  I had no problem with Naghdi, but Takada barely showed up against the darkness of the studio from some angles.

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15 minutes ago, capybara said:

I felt the Act 1 mime scene between Gamzatti and Nikiya was probably lost on many people watching on youtube. Certainly the 'live' comments made that appear so.

Makarova's English seemed a bit limited and perhaps that inhibited a clear explanation.  But  I wouldn't  pay too much store to the sort of dozy comments some people post on You Tube!  I think most  interested viewers will either know the story or hopefully would have been intrigued enough to look into the details themselves later.

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24 minutes ago, capybara said:

I'm sorry to be a 'spectre at the feast' but I felt the Act 1 mime scene between Gamzatti and Nikiya was probably lost on many people watching on youtube. Certainly the 'live' comments made that appear so.

 

 

I know what you mean - perhaps it would have worked better to start off with the Gamzatti variations.

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21 minutes ago, alison said:

Something else that would be useful in the future would be for the dancers to wear light-coloured clothing.  I had no problem with Naghdi, but Takada barely showed up against the darkness of the studio from some angles.

Looking at You Tube now, the whole thing appears much darker lit than it appeared in reality, watching in the studio.  

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The coaching elements were fine but I found the discussion section a real disappointment largely because the presenter seemed more concerned with signalling the ROH's virtue as a culturally sensitive organisation than in listening to what was being said by the two speakers. His question about authenticity and cultural appropriation seemed to come form nowhere and was pretty decisively dealt with early on when it was effectively dismissed by both speakers but he persisted in pursuing it rather than trying to extend the discussion about the work's origins. Setting Petipa's ballet in the context of all the other orientalist ballets which were staged in Paris in the 1830's and 40's which Petipa would either have seen or heard about;asking whether it had any relationship with a ballet called La Bayadere in which Taglioni had danced nearly half a century before and asking just how much of what we are going to see on stage is really the result of Chabukiani's revision of the ballet in the 1930's would have been far more interesting and useful.

Edited by FLOSS
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27 minutes ago, Sim said:

Authenticity and cultural appropriation?  Really?  Yet another totally misguided example of how the ROH is trying to 'open up' to new audiences?? 

 

I didn't think the piece they did was particularly good but I thought it was OK for them to have a go at the topic. I wouldn't want ballets to be changed and I think the discussion is worth having to make it clear that ballet is art with a historical context and a thing of it's time. At least they didn't have to tackle the Bolshoi version of La B :lol:.

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Well, to be fair, it is now seen as quite a problem - in the same way that people are uncomfortable about the Chinese dance in The Nutcracker.  I'm not sure whether I'd want to recommend my Indian neighbours to go and watch La Bayadère or not.

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Well the RB has toned down the Chinese dance as a concession to modern sensitivities, just as the raunchiness of some of the MacMillan ballets has been toned down as well.  I would definitely recommend Indian people to go along and see it.  I can't see anything offensive about the RB version....but then I'm not Indian.  I will ask an Indian ballet-loving friend of mine what she thinks.  I would be interested to know.   

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It was an interesting discussion and I don't recall that it focused on 'offensiveness' particularly. It seems a reasonable subject to discuss re Bayadere, and  although I agree the discussion could have been widened, it was a serious and useful one, in my view.

So much better than some of the rather empty chat and the endless 'incredibles' and 'amazings' we sometimes have to make do with....in my opinion.

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34 minutes ago, Timmie said:

 

I didn't think the piece they did was particularly good but I thought it was OK for them to have a go at the topic. I wouldn't want ballets to be changed and I think the discussion is worth having to make it clear that ballet is art with a historical context and a thing of it's time. At least they didn't have to tackle the Bolshoi version of La B :lol:.

And as for Russian Companies Petrushka? Ouch

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1 hour ago, alison said:

I'm not sure whether I'd want to recommend my Indian neighbours to go and watch La Bayadère or not

In the useful and interesting discussion  on this aspect, everyone (including Indian choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh) agreed it was not to be regarded today as some kind of attempt to represent India or Indian dance; it really derives from the general idea of  "Orientalia" as imagined at the time it was conceived (with the addition of clearly non-oriental classical ballet in the form of a white act, and tutus). I don't see any reason for anyone from India or otherwise to somehow feel offended just because it is not an  accurate portrayal of India's cultural heritage. 

Edited by Richard LH
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1 minute ago, Sim said:

But people get offended over anything nowadays, Richard....or even worse, patronising people get offended on their behalf. 

Yes and I think the Insight discussion, without stating your  point in so many words,  politely showed why there was no justification for  being offended in this case.

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We’ve been round this loop before, but FWIW I don’t think it’s for me or other non-Indian people to judge how offensive or inoffensive La Bayadere is to Indian people. Happily, Shobana Jeyasingh’s view is that it isn’t offensive with the very important proviso that people don’t confuse it for something even approximately authentic. I’d be interested in other Indian people’s views.

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