Royal Ballet: Asphodel Meadows / The Two Pigeons / RBS: The Cunning Little Vixen, 2019

[bridiem]

Funny really - I am quite phobic about what I think of as pigeons, but I love what I think of as doves. 🤔 Clearly no logic there, then.

[Legseleven]

On 21/01/2019 at 16:51, SheilaC said:

eminent

 

On 21/01/2019 at 16:51, SheilaC said:

I wrote to complain to the Guardian when I knew LW had been appointed as I knew from an ENB masterclass I attended where she led discussion how little she knew about ballet history (I told them that half the audience there were more knowledgeable than she was) and that the paper which had previously had eminent critics James Monahan and Mary Clarke, should appoint someone with more expertise. One of her first articles for the Guardian stated that ballerinas are universally petite (Zen?)

But I don't agree about Clement Crisp, in my view he may often had an agenda, attacking the Royal in the past (during that period he lauded BRB much more than usual, as part of his campaign) and promoting Russian companies and dancers he was associated with.

Reputable critics often make mistakes. The recent article on Apollo by Alistair Macaulay claimed that the ballet was unique among Balanchine's works in having a narrative (Davidsbundlertanze? even more so, A  Midsummer Nights Dream? The Night Shadow?). In the programme for Trio Concerto Dance, Sarah Crompton claims that Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet toured during the war (started 1947)

Regarding the comment about dancers being petite - I agree, the vast majority are, even those who may be taller than many of their peers eg Zenaida Yanowsky. DD has often been referred to as petite although she is quite a way above average height. ‘Petite’ does not always mean short, despite their commonly being used interchangeably; it’s a question of frame size, which can be smaller than average whether someone is short or tall. 

[Richard LH]

14 hours ago, Legseleven said:

‘Petite’ does not always mean short

 

I am straying towards pedantry here, but  the generally accepted definition of "petite" does very much imply  small of stature (as well as dainty or slender). I don't agree that  you would naturally  call  relatively tall ladies,  such Zenaida Yanowsky ( 5' 9'' I believe)  "petite"  just because they are slim. 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Richard LH

[Sim]

I always go by the gods of M&S:   their 'petite' range is for shorter ladies....I Know this because I am often envious that I am too tall to buy that range as it's very appealing!

[Richard LH]

More to the point, I  am very pleased to note from social media that after 4 months  away, James Hay is back in rehearsals with Akane Takada and Mayara Magri and is looking forward to dancing with them in The Two Pigeons on 02 February. 

[Scheherezade]

I am looking forward to that performance too, Richard, so keeping my fingers firmly crossed that Hay will be dancing.

[LinMM]

Me too....that's a relief! So glad he's back.

[jmhopton]

To go back to the question of the pigeons, when Terry and I were leaving after the opening night we overheard people ahead of us having a discussion as to whether or not the pigeons are real!! I suppose it is obvious to us but if people are more cinema goers than theatregoers computer imagery is king and people are more used to this than real birds.

 

Like other posters I find I can get very emotional at Ashton ballets; far more so than Macmillan. I think it is the beauty of the movements he creates and I find 2 Pigeons a definite tear jerker but I have cried at Patineurs and La Fille just because they are so perfect. It is just a perfect match of choreography, music, sets and costumes and of course the fabulous, amazing, technical and romantic interpretation of them by all members of the Royal Ballet (and the orchestra). That is why (much as I enjoyed Asphodel Meadows) I think 2 Pigeons should have been paired with another Ashton ballet for a perfect programme. I see SkyArts are showing Rhapsody/Two Pigeons again next week (with Patineurs a few days earlier). What a triple bill that would be! I bet there would be very few empty seats for that.

[Dawnstar]

I had assumed that the ROH paired Asphodel Meadows with Two Pigeons, and put the former first, on the same principle that the Proms programme new music in the first half of concerts with something well-known in the second half: it makes the audience sit through the new work before they can get what they really want to see/hear! Or is modern ballet more popular than modern music?

[jmhopton]

I had heard (though I don't know how accurate it is) that Two Pigeons is always programmed second so if there is a pigeon problem it won't hold up the performance while it is secured!

[alison]

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

I see SkyArts are showing Rhapsody/Two Pigeons again next week (with Patineurs a few days earlier). What a triple bill that would be! I bet there would be very few empty seats for that.

 

Would you like to add that to the Sky thread, Joan?

[bangorballetboy]

15 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I had heard (though I don't know how accurate it is) that Two Pigeons is always programmed second so if there is a pigeon problem it won't hold up the performance while it is secured!

 

And any need to clean the stage...

[RuthE]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

And any need to clean the stage...

 

One might think Ashton might have thought of that before putting a live pony in Act 1 of Fille rather than Act 2

[Sim]

1 hour ago, RuthE said:

 

One might think Ashton might have thought of that before putting a live pony in Act 1 of Fille rather than Act 2

Although any mess made by Naughty Peregrine is immediately dealt with by the poor young dancer following along with the dustpan and brush...but having said this, there was the time a couple of years ago where NP pooped in his second scene (the harvest dance) and the poor cleaner was having to dodge around the happy peasants dancing...it was hilarious to watch how he did that, and how the dancers subtly tried to avoid the deposit.  The cleaner had to run offstage and back on again because he couldn't get all of it first time around....between all of them, it was done with no delay or artistic interruption to the proceedings...another example of how professional all these wonderful dancers are!!

[jmhopton]

I see SkyArts are showing Rhapsody/Two Pigeons again next week (with Patineurs a few days earlier). What a triple bill that would be! I bet there would be very few empty seats for that.

 

Alison: Would you like to add that to the Sky thread, Joan?

 

Have just done so, Alison.

[alison]

12 hours ago, Sim said:

Although any mess made by Naughty Peregrine is immediately dealt with by the poor young dancer following along with the dustpan and brush.

 

BRB largely get around this, I imagine, by having an interval between the two scenes of Act I (as it's known at the ROH, at least)  

[LinMM]

Have just had an email from ROH about next Saturday's performance ( never used to get these) giving helpful info about timings etc and luckily not saying any dancers have changed so looks like Hay will be back and performing with Takada as scheduled in Two Pigeons.

[Jan McNulty]

57 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Have just had an email from ROH about next Saturday's performance ( never used to get these) giving helpful info about timings etc and luckily not saying any dancers have changed so looks like Hay will be back and performing with Takada as scheduled in Two Pigeons.

 

I assume you mean the evening and not the matinee!!

[LinMM]

Oh yes evening! I forgot there's two that day maybe because the evening starts at 7pm which is early so assumed no matinee that day!! 

 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Oh yes evening! I forgot there's two that day maybe because the evening starts at 7pm which is early so assumed no matinee that day!! 

 

 

There better had be!

[LinMM]

Ah you going to the matinee then? Will look up and see who is dancing!

I know I had a terrible time sorting out who to see in this round but went for Hay and Takada as never seen in the roles before.

I really liked Stix Brunell in this role last time and also like Choe but went for a new person itch this programme...am seeing again on the 12th with the RBS students etc.

If you are going will message you!

[LinMM]

Just seen its Campbell and Choe in the afternoon so am guessing you might be there Janet!! 

That will be a lovely combination ....better come armed with a box of tissues!!

[Sim]

I can't wait!  It will be sooooooo sweet!  And it will be lovely to see Alex back onstage again after his sojourn Down Under.

 

In the hard copy version of the Evening Standard review of this bill, they have illustrated Asphodel Meadows with a photo of Leanne Cope in the piece.  Clearly no-one there is aware that she left the company some time ago and made a name for herself as a musical star.  Another example of shoddiness and lack of care.

 

 

[alison]

In that case, I believe you'd have to say the same about the ROH programme, which I think shows a picture of Cope and José Martin in it.

[capybara]

Including seriously out of date photos in ROH programmes is, surely, the norm?!!!!

But, to be fair, in some cases, they are of the original cast and, in others, they are illustrating a particular feature of an article.

[LinMM]

Yes I saw that picture of Cope and thought at first she must have recently rejoined the company! Though with a bit of reflection didn't think that news would have got past the balletcoforum!! 

[alison]

24 minutes ago, capybara said:

Including seriously out of date photos in ROH programmes is, surely, the norm?!!!!

 

Well, to be fair, that doesn't seem to have been the pattern in recent years - they've tended to show only dancers scheduled to perform in the current run (even if it means rehearsal photos only), or "historical" photos.  I was just a bit surprised at them showing two dancers who hadn't been with the company for some time when there were two casts, and other options, available.

[Sim]

41 minutes ago, alison said:

In that case, I believe you'd have to say the same about the ROH programme, which I think shows a picture of Cope and José Martin in it.

I wouldn't know because I never buy programmes.

[bridiem]

5 minutes ago, Sim said:

I wouldn't know because I never buy programmes.

 

Me neither. But actually, if I did I would be very happy to see photos of distinguished past dancers and not just current dancers. (Though I do think that press reviews should use photos of current dancers.)

[zxDaveM]

38 minutes ago, Sim said:

I wouldn't know because I never buy programmes.

 

now they are eight quid! - I will only buy for brand-spanking new productions. I mean, its not like I don't have all those adverts dozens of times already...

I used to get one for every production (and starting off with the yearbook, which had pics/write-ups from last season, and previews of the coming season - another thing that's bitten the dust) and keep the cast sheets with it. For me it was a nice way to remember the past seasons. Ah well.

[Balletfanp]

I don’t think Asphodel Meadows has been danced for a number of years, has it? So it would be reasonable to suppose that any photos existing would of necessity have to be older ones from the last run, at least in the ROH programme.

[RuthE]

15 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

I don’t think Asphodel Meadows has been danced for a number of years, has it? So it would be reasonable to suppose that any photos existing would of necessity have to be older ones from the last run, at least in the ROH programme.

 

I've been attending the RB regularly since partway through the 2011/12 season, and it hasn't been performed in my time.  So I would say that's totally reasonable.

[Sim]

4 hours ago, RuthE said:

 

I've been attending the RB regularly since partway through the 2011/12 season, and it hasn't been performed in my time.  So I would say that's totally reasonable.

Perhaps for the programme, which is printed in advance.  However, it has taken the ES almost two weeks to review this bill, and there are plenty of press photos available that were taken in pre-opening night rehearsal.  Just a call to the press department would have done the trick....!