Fonty Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 21 hours ago, zxDaveM said: I'd like to see Symphonic Variations, with the following cast: Yasmine Naghdi, Francesca Hayward, Akane Takada Vadim Muntagirov, James Hay, William Bracewell. If I won the Euromillions, I'd pay a lot to see this combo put in place! 🙂 Oh if only! Although I would be prepared to accept Choe as one of the three. She was pretty good when I saw her in it. 🙂 And now, the dream cast for Monotones 1 & 2? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 In 2015 Yasmine Naghdi, Emma Maguire and Tristan Dyer danced Monotones 1, Marianella Nunez/Valerie Hristov/Edward Watson danced Monotones 2. I believe it was also danced in 2012/3 (?). It is a very challenging ballet requiring hyper-flexibilty in order to achieve the necessary sculptural moulding of physical shapes, combined with very firm, slow control of all the muscles. Not so sure about Monotones I (Takada, Magri, O'Sullivan perhaps). Since Naghdi has already danced Monotones I in 2015 (and prior to 2015 with Romany Pajdak if my memory serves me right), I'd love to see Naghdi/Muntagirov/Bracewell dance Monotones II for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said: Since Naghdi has already danced Monotones I in 2015 (and prior to 2015 with Romany Pajdak if my memory serves me right), I'd love to see Naghdi/Muntagirov/Bracewell dance Monotones II for a change. Xandra, is there any ballet you admire which you wouldn’t like to see Yasmine Naghdi dance? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said: In 2015 Yasmine Naghdi, Emma Maguire and Tristan Dyer danced Monotones 1, Marianella Nunez/Valerie Hristov/Edward Watson danced Monotones 2. I believe it was also danced in 2012/3 (?). It is a very challenging ballet requiring hyper-flexibilty in order to achieve the necessary sculptural moulding of physical shapes, combined with very firm, slow control of all the muscles. Does it actually need hyper-flexibility? Or is that something that has gradually crept in? I remember thinking the last time I saw it, that some of the positions resembled something by Wayne McGregor. I was left wondering that was really how Ashton intended it to be done, or whether it was simply a case of the current dancers over extending. Edited January 7, 2019 by Fonty 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 30 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said: Xandra, is there any ballet you admire which you wouldn’t like to see Yasmine Naghdi dance? No Lizbie . Naghdi is a Principal ballerina and at the top of the company alongside the other (young) Principals Takada and Hayward whom I also very much enjoy watching (I enjoy seeing the younger ones more) but Naghdi happens to give me the greatest pleasure whenever I watch her dance and she springs to my mind easily. I adore her classical physique, her technical facilities, her musicality and intelligence she brings to her roles; Takada and Hayward have their own remarkable abilities. I also love watching Kaneko, Brunell, O'Sullivan, Magri, Gasparini etc 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 25 minutes ago, Fonty said: Does it actually need hyper-flexibility? Or is that something that has gradually crept in? I remember thinking the last time I saw it, that some of the positions resembled something by Wayne McGregor. I was left wondering that was really how Ashton intended it to be done, or whether it was simply a case of the current dancers over extending. I suspect not. The performance of Monotones II I enjoyed most was on the tiny stage in Cheltenham a couple of years ago. When I saw the casting - Tom Rogers, Jenna Roberts and Yasuo Atsuji - I remember thinking they would never do it as Tom and Yasuo are 2 of the tallest gentlemen in BRB and the stage really is TINY. I was wrong - they did it and they were fabulous. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) theI was lucky enough to see the original cast dance White Monotones and I would say that ideally they should all be on the tall side, look almost androgenous and appear to be the same height when the woman in the trio is on pointe. Monotones 2 is the celestial ballet and Green Monotones made later as its companion piece is the earthbound one whose first cast was, I think , Brian Shaw, Georgina Parkinson and Antoinette Sibley Bruce Sansom once said that when dancing Monotones 2 the cast had to stop the flow of the movement imperceptibly from time to time to enable the audience to catch up with what the dancers were doing. This is completely unnecessary in modern style performances which move from pose to pose rather than creating the impression of a continuous flow of movement.I am not aware of any recording of the original cast which is readily available but there is one dating from the 1980's which seems to be floating about on the internet. It is danced by Mark Silver, Elizabeth McGorian and Dereck Deane who is the weak link in the trio. On the plus side the dancers match as far as their height is concerned; it was recorded when Ashton was still alive and both he and Michael Somes were still involved in casting,staging and coaching Ashton's ballets and it shows you how the work used to look in performance. The point is that there seems to be no point at which everyone is completely static and the movement appears to be one continuous flow. This will be considered heresy but when the ballet was last revived I thought that Arestis gave a much better performance of the female role because she looked far more Astonian in style and did not indulge in photo opportunities throughout her performance . As far as Naghdi is concerned, much as I admire her, I would not consider her an ideal choice for White Monotones as she is the wrong physical type for the ballet and in this ballet physique matters. Edited January 7, 2019 by FLOSS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) This is a clip I found on Youtube of the men you name, Floss, plus Vergie Derman. The quality isn't great, but it is interesting to compare it with later clips of Nunez, Watson and Kish. I am a huge fan of Nunez, but when I saw her in this I didn't particularly like her. I thought she looked too....modern? Not sure what the problem was, but it wasn't her best role, I thought. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1iFPJdnFSo - Edited to add that it was created for Dowell, and Vyvyan Lorrayne. I never got the impression Dowell was particularly tall? And apparently Lorraine was often partnered by Nureyev, who was not a strapping six footer either! Edited January 7, 2019 by Fonty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) 99.99% of the time I find myself agreeing with you Floss but based on what you said would you also say Nunez was miscast in Monotones II, as they have a rather similar physique and lyrical style? Edited January 7, 2019 by Xandra Newman typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said: Xandra, is there any ballet you admire which you wouldn’t like to see Yasmine Naghdi dance? There isn't any as far as I'm concerned! 🙂 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAX Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Did you know Sylvie Guillem never danced Monotones because she did not want to look like a spermatozoid ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 12 minutes ago, MAX said: Did you know Sylvie Guillem never danced Monotones because she did not want to look like a spermatozoid ? I think it is probably the first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear her name mentioned. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Fascinating to compare the film above with the 2014 film (Nunez, Watson, Kish) with Floss's comments in mind. I do see the point. I remember going to the 2014 cast twice, liking it a lot- in particular Watson. But it would indeed be better if they just slightly increased the 'glide through'. I would love to see Muntagirov in this: it has made me think of the 989th reason I admire Muntagirov's dancing so much- that he is very free from the 'pause for photo opportunity' tendency Floss identifies. I guess it is actually taught, as it is so standard now. But some dancers seem entirely absorbed in the role and unaware of us, and I do prefer that most of the time ( not in the bravura moments of Don Q though, e.g.) Interesting. But also many others come to mind- certainly Akane Takada, and also perhaps Reece Clarke, William Bracewell. Maybe also a shorter version with 3 of the less tall dancers..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 On 06/01/2019 at 10:10, Richard LH said: But also now out on disc..... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Crankos-Various-Entertainment-Blu-ray/dp/B07HN5LTVD/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1546769234&sr=1-2&keywords=onegin+ballet+cranko Ordered - and another resolution broken! Perhaps we can all have a discussion of this when we've watched it..Thanks Sim and Richard. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, FLOSS said: This will be considered heresy but when the ballet was last revived I thought that Arestis gave a much better performance of the female role because she looked far more Astonian in style and did not indulge in photo opportunities throughout her performance . As far as Naghdi is concerned, much as I admire her, I would not consider her an ideal choice for White Monotones as she is the wrong physical type for the ballet and in this ballet physique matters. Not considered heresy by me! Arestis was far superior to Nunez in this role: she understood it better: the flow, the port de bras. She did dance it at her school performance (1995?), an advantage maybe. In the DVD version lead by Nunez, it's annoying to see her leg higher than the man's (when both are in attitude). It really spoils the continuity and connectivity of the lines of the dancers: those white costumes against the blackness of space are unforgiving. Also, in the same recording, Watson is totally on the beat, Nunez too, but Kish (whom I now greatly admire since the latest Triple Bill!) is often trailing behind musically and it ruins the whole effect of three dancing as one. It's difficult to cast. It needs a serenity, but also a kind remoteness and warmth at the same time. A total lack of ego. I wonder if Calvert or Stix-Brunell or Kaneko would look right? The two men should preferably be same height and build: fabulous partners with the most perfect flowing pirouettes! There is footage on YouTube of Ashton rehearsing the original trio of Lorrayne/Dowell/Mead in the studio: in performance with Derman/Silver/Deane - not that I am into gymnastics, but I wish she were just a little looser: and finally Zanowsky with, I think, Watson and Marriott. Edited January 7, 2019 by Darlex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 (edited) Sorry you are right it was Derman not McGorian in the recording. Much as I admired Yanowsky I thought that it was not really her role and the two men who danced with her in Monotones 2 looked distinctly terrestrial probably as a result of all their bulging muscles. The dancers in both ballets should appear totally unaware of the audience almost as if they are performing a sort of ritual and in White Monotones in particular they should appear serene, remote celestial beings. Unfortunately Nunez does not do "remote" and always seems, to me at least, totally aware of the audience and the effect that she is creating. Perhaps Dowell needs to look at the early recordings in order to remind himself of the detail which has been eroded over the years. The company certainly needs to look at the early commercial recording of La Valse before that ballet is revived again. It would reveal the detail that has been lost and might turn what now looks like a vague gesture in which the three leading female dancers stroke their arms into the three women adjusting their long gloves. .As far as Guillem's non- involvement in Monotones is concerned all I can say is that we should all be truly grateful for it. Her limited involvement in the Ashton repertory did not enhance her reputation or that of the choreographer as she seemed tone deaf to his choreographic nuances. Her Marguerite in Marguerite and Armand was dire as she danced roughshod over its choreography and distorted everything to suit her own "artistic vision" and very modern aesthetic. Edited January 8, 2019 by FLOSS 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 21 minutes ago, FLOSS said: Her Marguerite in Marguerite and Armand was dire as she danced roughshod over its choreography and distorted everything to suit her own "artistic vision" and very modern aesthetic. (Re Sylvie Guillem) I loved her in this role. I come to each performance waiting to see the particular nuances which each artist brings to a role. That is what makes ballet special for me. If everything was the same, and everyone danced as if it were 30/50 years ago, the art that we love would be struggling to survive. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Perhaps we should be also be focussing on who the Royal Ballet should get to coach a revival of Symphonic, Monotones or Cinderella. My wish for the new season is that Ann Jenner is persuaded to come over from Australia and coach Symphonic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 12 hours ago, Mary said: I would love to see Muntagirov in this: it has made me think of the 989th reason I admire Muntagirov's dancing so much- that he is very free from the 'pause for photo opportunity' tendency Floss identifies. Despite his spectacular technique, Muntagirov comes across to me as very free of any "look at me" tendency. Rather, it's a case, as it is with Bracewell, of "look at the role which I'm inside", whatever that might be. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Odyssey said: Perhaps we should be also be focussing on who the Royal Ballet should get to coach a revival of Symphonic, Monotones or Cinderella. My wish for the new season is that Ann Jenner is persuaded to come over from Australia and coach Symphonic! Excellent choice, Odyssey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 18 hours ago, zxDaveM said: There isn't any as far as I'm concerned! 🙂 Nor me. Whilst Miss Naghdi's star is shining so brightly, I am very happy to bask in its glow as often as I can. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 On 07/01/2019 at 20:48, Darlex said: Not considered heresy by me! Arestis was far superior to Nunez in this role: she understood it better: the flow, the port de bras. She did dance it at her school performance (1995?), an advantage maybe. I think Watson did as well, presumably at the same time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElleC Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Ballets I would love to see next season are as follows, in no particular order. I realise I have listed far too many, but I would be happy with any of them (with the slight caveat that the six or seven full-lengths MUST include Onegin and Cinderella! J) Full Lengths Onegin Cinderella (I'm at the stage that I really don't care whether it is re-designed or not – I just want it BACK). Coppelia Swan Lake Giselle Ondine La Fille Mal Gardée Manon One-Act Ballets Theme and Variations Ballet Imperial (preferably without the wigs!) Serenade Les Rendezvous (without the spotty designs) Rhapsody Symphonic Variations Façade ** Jazz Calendar** (** I've not seen any of these but would very much like to) Macmillan's Four Seasons ** Requiem Concerto Sweet Violets Symphonic Dances 24 Preludes (Can't understand why this has never been brought back) DGV Dances at a gathering In the Night 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 12 minutes ago, ElleC said: Ballets I would love to see next season are as follows, in no particular order. I realise I have listed far too many, but I would be happy with any of them (with the slight caveat that the six or seven full-lengths MUST include Onegin and Cinderella! J) Full Lengths Onegin Cinderella (I'm at the stage that I really don't care whether it is re-designed or not – I just want it BACK). Coppelia Swan Lake Giselle Ondine La Fille Mal Gardée Manon One-Act Ballets Theme and Variations Ballet Imperial (preferably without the wigs!) Serenade Les Rendezvous (without the spotty designs) Rhapsody Symphonic Variations Façade ** Jazz Calendar** (** I've not seen any of these but would very much like to) Macmillan's Four Seasons ** Requiem Concerto Sweet Violets Symphonic Dances 24 Preludes (Can't understand why this has never been brought back) DGV Dances at a gathering In the Night Very nice choices. I would just add some Nijinska/Fokine/Massine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 ElleC these look great choices - I had forgotten Rhapsody in the one-Act catergory. Out of interest I set out below the full-lengths, performed on the main stage, from 11/12 onwards. My choices for 19/20 are in bold (as most recently performed) , plus Coppelia. I left out Giselle and Manon, not because they would not be welcome, but as I thought them likely non-starters after their appearance early in 2018; having said that, I do note that Giselle was performed in early 2014, 2016 and 2018, so on that pattern it could be back early 2020. For Manon the recent gaps were at least 3 years. 8 full-lengths would be unusual (see below) so it is likely at least one of yours would have to go. I would not complain if that were the only change from your list ! 11/12 Jewels, Manon, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Alice, La Fille, R & J, Prince of the Pagodas (8) 12/13 Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Alice, La Bayadere, Mayerling, Onegin (6) 13/14 Don Q, Jewels, Nutcracker, R & J, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Winter's Tale (7) 14/15 Alice, Don Q, Manon, La Fille, Onegin, Swan Lake, Woolf Works (7) 15/16 Nutcracker, R & J, Frankenstein, Giselle, Winter's Tale (5) 16/17 Anastasia, La Fille, Nutcracker, Jewels, Mayerling, Sleeping Beauty, Woolf Works (7) 17/18 Alice, Nutcracker, Sylvia, Giselle, Winter's Tale, Manon, new Swan Lake, (7) 18/19 La Bayadere, Mayerling, Nutcracker, Don Q, Frankenstein, R & J (6). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 On 02/01/2019 at 23:40, Darlex said: Wonderful post from Floss above and I echo the same wishes. Capriol Suite and Valses Nobles et Sentimentales were danced at the end of the 80s. On 03/01/2019 at 00:07, Jeannette said: Many of FLOSS’ Ashton wishes have been recently performed in the US, incl JAZZ CALENDAR (Sarasota, spring 2015) and CAPRIOL SUITE (NY Th. Ballet, 2016). In addition to APPARITIONS (March 2019), Sarasota is about to premiere its reconstruction of VARII CAPRICCI to the Walton score (late Jan 2019). Interestingly, I note that Valses Nobles et Sentimentales is being performed (along with MacMillan's House of Birds!) by Ballet Central on tour around the UK: https://www.balletcentral.co.uk/ontourpage2.php It will be interesting to see how they do. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 1 hour ago, alison said: Interestingly, I note that Valses Nobles et Sentimentales is being performed (along with MacMillan's House of Birds!) by Ballet Central on tour around the UK: https://www.balletcentral.co.uk/ontourpage2.php It will be interesting to see how they do. Just for clarity, Ballet Central will perform excerpts from both these ballets. Will be good to see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 (edited) Presumably we shall know all soon. I wonder if anyone knows/feels able to say the date of the press conference when the 2019/20 season is to be announced. I think it was on the 20th March last year so I assume the date of this year's announcement is already in the public domain and that it will be some time this month? Edited March 7, 2019 by David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 18 minutes ago, David said: I assume the date of this year's announcement is already in the public domain It’s not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 I think that I have heard that the season announcement is likely to be later than usual this year so we might be running ahead of ourselves here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 I would love to see about anything in the ROH, but my major wish is to plan the ballets in such a way that one could watch different ballets in one weekend ( or several days). This season I was lucky enough to be able to see the triple bill and " The Nutcracker" ( plus Matthew Bourne's " Swan lake") during one long weekend and am looking forward to the end of March when I should see both " Frankenstein", " Don Quichote" and " Victoria" by NB ( but actually it could have been " Romeo and Juliet" instead of " Victoria" - only having to choose, I preferred to see "Romeo and Juliet" in June, with Osipova and Hallberg). Also, I really want to see " Victoria". That is, it would be lovely to take into consideration those of us who live far away from London and would like to enjoy the beauty and ability of RB during the few days we can manage to spend here! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 11 hours ago, capybara said: I think that I have heard that the season announcement is likely to be later than usual this year so we might be running ahead of ourselves here. A recent Friends email said that brochures would be sent out in May; the announcement is usually very early April or thereabouts with the brochures coming out shortly afterwards, so the implication is indeed that the announcement is later than usual. This could prove something of an inconvenience, given that I renew my Friends membership (i.e. decide which level to renew at) only once I have seen the contents of next season. I may have to tell them not to renew it automatically so I still have that choice. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 49 minutes ago, Estreiiita said: I would love to see about anything in the ROH, but my major wish is to plan the ballets in such a way that one could watch different ballets in one weekend ( or several days). Unfortunately, that may not always be practical, scheduling and rehearsal-wise, so you'd have to bank on overlap with ENB/Sadler's Wells. (But why on earth the San Francisco Ballet season at Sadler's Wells hasn't been arranged like that I do not know. They presumably could have arranged the 4 different programmes Friday-Sunday, as I believe they have done in the past, really making it worth people's while to make a long journey, rather than having two consecutive performances of the same ballet) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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