Ivan Putrov's AGAINST THE STREAM, April 2019

[Sim]

Thanks so much DonQ.

 

Reminded me of something I forgot to mention in my review:  call me old fashioned, but I really, really, really do NOT like to see tattoos on ballet dancers.  It seems to be becoming more normal, and it really puts me off.  Footballers, ok.....but not ballet dancers.   Just my own personal opinion and preference.  

[RuthE]

1 minute ago, Sim said:

Thanks so much DonQ.

 

Reminded me of something I forgot to mention in my review:  call me old fashioned, but I really, really, really do NOT like to see tattoos on ballet dancers.  It seems to be becoming more normal, and it really puts me off.  Footballers, ok.....but not ballet dancers.   Just my own personal opinion and preference.  

 

The difference being that if you have body art on display while engaging in an art form in which the aesthetics are the work of the choreographer and designer, you're imposing conflicting art on somebody else's aesthetics.  Which is not the case in sport.

[Sim]

1 hour ago, RuthE said:

 

The difference being that if you have body art on display while engaging in an art form in which the aesthetics are the work of the choreographer and designer, you're imposing conflicting art on somebody else's aesthetics.  Which is not the case in sport.

Exactly.  

[capybara]

There is a lovely picture of Ivan in today's Times.

Agree about the tattoos. Often they are covered up with make-up.

 

[Shade]

Very enjoyable gala. My favourites were the Robbins and the Tharp. Thought it was tough for the dancers to do Flames as the second piece - would have benefitted from more of a build up perhaps. 

The Diana divertissement is from Esmeralda I think - not sure if it was added at a later stage (can’t recall the chronology).

went home very happy if a bit later than I anticipated!

[Don Q Fan]

I definitely do NOT like tattoos on anyone, ever. 

[capybara]

5 hours ago, capybara said:

There is a lovely picture of Ivan in today's Times.

Agree about the tattoos. Often they are covered up with make-up.

 

 

It has been pointed out to me that I (albeit unintentionally) juxtaposed Ivan Putrov with tattoos.

 

I don't think that he has any (as far as could be seen on Sunday!) and I apologise if I conveyed an erroneous impression!

 

 

[SusanR]

2 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

I definitely do NOT like tattoos on anyone, ever. 

Me neither. Can't understand why people call it body art! To me tattoos just look hideous.

[Sim]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

 

It has been pointed out to me that I (albeit unintentionally) juxtaposed Ivan Putrov with tattoos.

 

I don't think that he has any (as far as could be seen on Sunday!) and I apologise if I conveyed an erroneous impression!

 

 

You didn’t to me!

[capybara]

I believe that someone mentioned the over-run? The late start was, I understand, due not only to the long queues for tickets but also because the Coli had double-printed for some seats.

I think that it's often front of house issues which cause the delay - at the ROH and SW also.

[alison]

Oh dear.  I was aware that there did seem to be some sort of problem a few rows in front of me.  You wouldn't think that one venue's system would manage to double-issue, would you - there's no indication on the flyer that tickets were available from any other source.

[Lizbie1]

31 minutes ago, capybara said:

I believe that someone mentioned the over-run? The late start was, I understand, due not only to the long queues for tickets but also because the Coli had double-printed for some seats.

I think that it's often front of house issues which cause the delay - at the ROH and SW also.

 

I think that delay amounted to about 15 minutes - do we know why the restart after the interval was also similarly late?  (I do feel slightly churlish mentioning it as the evening was such an overall success.)

 

ROH starts are now pretty consistently about 5 minutes late: other - large, less well equipped and fully-booked - theatres manage to start on time so I don’t understand why they can’t. I’m not sure that we can blame front of house either as I’ve not noticed people coming into the auditorium after the appointed start time in any numbers. (Sorry for being off-topic!)

[RuthE]

1 minute ago, Lizbie1 said:

ROH starts are now pretty consistently about 5 minutes late: other - large, less well equipped and fully-booked - theatres manage to start on time so I don’t understand why they can’t.

 

Am I right in thinking, though, that at ROH the slight delay to the start is built into the published running time, and the performance almost always finishes exactly when it says it will?

 

(I remember getting all excited back in January when a running time of 40min was given to Act 1 of "La traviata", because the act is about 35min long usually and I assumed it must mean the aria would be uncut... but no.)

[Lizbie1]

10 minutes ago, RuthE said:

Am I right in thinking, though, that at ROH the slight delay to the start is built into the published running time, and the performance almost always finishes exactly when it says it will?

 

You could well be right but in a way that’s even worse - I’d rather have my five minutes back! Building late starts in is like adding excessive slack into a train timetable, putting your customers out so you can claim to have met a target without pushing yourself. It’s self-indulgence.

 

After a while it also encourages people to cut it fine when arriving: in Russia, where lateness is endemic, the expectation was you could arrive 5 minutes late without fear of missing the start.

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

You could well be right but in a way that’s even worse - I’d rather have my five minutes back! Building late starts in is like adding excessive slack into a train timetable, putting your customers out so you can claim to have met a target without pushing yourself. It’s self-indulgence.

 

After a while it also encourages people to cut it fine when arriving: in Russia, where lateness is endemic, the expectation was you could arrive 5 minutes late without fear of missing the start.

 

Absolutely. It also gives a sense of unprofessionalism. (And, it very rarely used to happen at the ROH.)

Edited April 10, 2019 by bridiem

[Don Q Fan]

I understand that the Balcony was closed on Sunday evening, so those patrons had to be reseated lower down so that possibly added to the late start. 

[RuthE]

14 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

I understand that the Balcony was closed on Sunday evening, so those patrons had to be reseated lower down so that possibly added to the late start. 

 

Yes, and rather than directing those people to a separate administration point, they funneled them towards the box office, where people would also have been needing to collect their original tickets, creating an impassable crowd in the foyer which almost made me have a panic attack.

[alison]

Yes, surely they could have used the desk between the two sets of doors to the stalls area?

[Scheherezade]

There really isn't anything that I can add that hasn't already been said far more eloquently but I would like to add my voice to the general plaudits for this gala as a whole.

 

Overall favourites included the insouciance of the Robbins Suite of Dances and the gasp-aloud fireworks provided by Khaniukova and Zagrebin.

 

I thought that the home team held up their end admirably and they had no discernible competition in carrying off the 'Least Flattering Costumes' award. My only murmur of disagreement in that category would be that I would award it hands down to the men's vest and shorts combos so beloved by the RB as displayed in the Macmillan.

 

But a thoroughly enjoyable evening all round.

[Bruce Wall]

Thank heavens there still is a right in this world ....