Fonty Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I am still laughing at the description of the horse's performance. I was just looking up references to Wilis, and came across this. According to legend, Wilis are the spirits of betrothed girls who die before their wedding night. They are unable to rest in their graves because they could not satisfy their passion for dancing naked, especially in town squares. If the RB decide to commission a new production, this sounds like the sort of thing Wayne McGregor might like to have a go at. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Or Ashley Page? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Or Ashley Page? Oh yes, Anne, I'd forgotten about him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I'm not sure that I'd fancy a Wayne McGregor or Ashley Page 'revision' of Giselle. I'm intrigued by the flyers for Lac which seems to be a sort of punk version of Swan Lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Australian Dance Theatre's Birdbrain was an interesting take on Swan Lake - I loved it a few years ago when I saw it at The Lowry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A frog Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Yes, or at least the last part of it - can't remember if it's the entire act. That's the production Tamara Rojo was so keen to get the RB to do. Not quite so convinced that the male principals would have been The whole of it is yes, with Myrtha the head of the hospital. It was performed in Paris over Christmas; I was quite far from the stage but from where I was between the lighting and the way the piece was choreographed, we actually saw very little (for those who don't know what Alison was alluding to, Albrecht ends up naked). As much as I liked it, I doubt the RB would be able to sell it out, it also involves too few dancers for a full evening length work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobK Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 As for your question about how long Lamb and McRae would have had to rehearse together, I spoke to them both after the show and they had a total of about 30 minutes to rehearse together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobK Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Oh good, Bruce, you've spotted that one already. I was thinking I might have to go off and hunt for it. I would recommend people to read Beaumont's Complete Book of Ballet on this one as this makes no reference to a third act only a final scene when the hunting party find Albrecht in the forest in the morning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I spoke to them both after the show and they had a total of about 30 minutes to rehearse together. Ouch. Probably not an awful lot you can do in that amount of time, I'd guess - run through the lifts a few times so he knows where her centre of gravity is, maybe once or twice through the Act II pas de deux, and that must be about it. Kudos to them for pulling it off. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Ouch. Probably not an awful lot you can do in that amount of time, I'd guess - run through the lifts a few times so he knows where her centre of gravity is, maybe once or twice through the Act II pas de deux, and that must be about it. Kudos to them for pulling it off. Kudos indeed - but i'd have thought Steven well aware of Sarah's centre of garvity, after dancing McGregors and Dawsons and so on together 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I spoke to them both after the show and they had a total of about 30 minutes to rehearse together. Wow, that must have been tough for Sarah, debuting in a big role, but of course they probably dance together enough to be comfortable and familiar with each other. Anyone know what happened to Rupert? Seeing Lamb on Saturday and I don't really mind who her partner is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Kudos indeed - but i'd have thought Steven well aware of Sarah's centre of garvity, after dancing McGregors and Dawsons and so on together Yes, but presumably he's not used to raising her above his head in a swallow-type lift, so I assumed they'd need to do that a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobK Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Seeing Lamb on Saturday and I don't really mind who her partner is. For me, Sarah's debut on Monday was one of the finest in the role that I can recall and Stephen was superb. A wonderful performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisydance Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Just tidying a shelf and came upon 2001 programme for Giselle for Cojacaru and Kobborg the night she was promoted. Brought back brilliant memories. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveclassics Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Australian Dance Theatre's Birdbrain was an interesting take on Swan Lake - I loved it a few years ago when I saw it at The Lowry. Was that the production where Von Rothbart had a live owl (or eagle) on his shoulder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I saw Osipova's Giselle last night and was very taken by her performance. Having really disliked her in Swan Lake, I was amazed by the lyrical quality and elegance of her dancing last night. I hardly noticed Acosta on the stage; she completely overshadowed him. I don't know whether this was deliberate (but it worked for me) but her wide-eyed and childish Giselle came across as almost learning disabled (or 'simple' to use a less PC term) rather than merely naive. I expect that it's in the choreography, but I can't imagine that even an unworldly village girl would caress the clothing of an aristocratic stranger. She stayed in character right to curtain call and didn't stop for applause after her solos which I felt kept up the dramatic tension. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I liked Natalia Osipova's Giselle even more last night, I think she is totally relaxed now, her solo's are astonishingly fast but seem in keeping with her fragile and nervous Giselle. Really pleased to see the performance being filmed for pre-cinema and a future DVD, we're being spoiled, Le Corsaire and now this! Thinking of Clement Crisp's review, I don't find anything wrong with the production and music, but the scenery in Act 2 is rather ugly, all those fallen trees, and the lighting could be turned up just a little without losing "atmosphere". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I saw Osipova's Giselle last night and was very taken by her performance. Having really disliked her in Swan Lake, I was amazed by the lyrical quality and elegance of her dancing last night. I hardly noticed Acosta on the stage; she completely overshadowed him. I don't know whether this was deliberate (but it worked for me) but her wide-eyed and childish Giselle came across as almost learning disabled (or 'simple' to use a less PC term) rather than merely naive. I expect that it's in the choreography, but I can't imagine that even an unworldly village girl would caress the clothing of an aristocratic stranger. She stayed in character right to curtain call and didn't stop for applause after her solos which I felt kept up the dramatic tension. I haven't seen Acosta in Giselle but i've seen the ballet a few times and in my experience Giselle always overshadows Albrecht. It's such a thankless role for a man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Was that the production where Von Rothbart had a live owl (or eagle) on his shoulder? No it didn't have characters as such: http://adt.org.au/current/works/birdbrain/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I find the yellowish sky on the painted backdrop rather strange in that it looks as if it is getting dark or light. Surely the sky should be dark with a change in colour to denote the approaching dawn. I don't know whether Albrecht is a thankless role or not. I imagine that a real good dance-actor could bring out the complexities and nuances of the character. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I must admit I always loved Johan Kobborg's interpretation of Albrecht. Totally believable; no doubt helped by his chemistry with Alina but memorable in its own right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I must admit I always loved Johan Kobborg's interpretation of Albrecht. Totally believable; no doubt helped by his chemistry with Alina but memorable in its own right. Me too! The last time I saw Giselle it was the Kobborg/Cojocaru combi and it was wonderful, I will never forget it. I always found Kobborg's interpretations multi-layered and he was able to convey so much with just an eye movement or shoulder shrug. There are plenty of thankless roles that depict men as not too bright, over dependent on their mothers and with little to do except wait for the princess to show up. Albrecht goes through several transitions during the course of the role and played well, he should be a very interesting and perhaps even sympathetic character. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsomerset Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Yes, until now, the most moving Giselle I have seen was a matinee on 5 February 2011 with Cojocaru/Kobborg. Alina's performance was so touching that there was complete silence for a while after the curtain came down of Act1. It wasn't long before someone broke the spell and applauded but I can still remember the atmosphere and the silence 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I haven't seen Acosta in Giselle but i've seen the ballet a few times and in my experience Giselle always overshadows Albrecht. It's such a thankless role for a man Two principal dancers whom I have interviewed, Ethan Stiefel and Nikolai Tsiskarizde, said that Albrecht was their favorite classical role. That there was a lot to explore in the character. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've seen both these dancers in Giselle, Ethan Stiefel danced with Leanne Benjamin at the ROH and it was a very emotional night, it was the day the Queen Mother died and there was a 2 minute silence and announcement at the start, so it was especially moving. I saw Nikolai Tsiskaridze when he was very, very young at the Coliseum dancing with Svetlana Lunkina, it might have been his London debut, the publicity had been all about Svetlana Lunkina but the moment he appeared on stage I was entranced, he quickly became a favourite. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Yes, until now, the most moving Giselle I have seen was a matinee on 5 February 2011 with Cojocaru/Kobborg. Alina's performance was so touching that there was complete silence for a while after the curtain came down of Act1. It wasn't long before someone broke the spell and applauded but I can still remember the atmosphere and the silence That is the one I attended. Wasn't it incredible. From a dance point of view, it was perfect. But the chemistry between Alina and Johan was electric. I remember the atmosphere and the silence. It was a very special afternoon and although Giselle is my favourite ballet, I haven't seen it since because for me, that was the definitive performance. I went round to the stage door afterwards, which is not something I usually do, but I wanted to tell them what a wonderful afternoon it had been. They were both absolutely charming which was a perfect end to the experience. I think everyone knew it had been very special. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 "I went round to the stage door afterwards, which is not something I usually do, but I wanted to tell them what a wonderful afternoon it had been. They were both absolutely charming which was a perfect end to the experience". A bit off topic, but are there usually people waiting at the stage door after a performance? I've never even considered doing it, but, if so, it must be nice for the dancers (or annoying, if they just want to get home). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 "I went round to the stage door afterwards, which is not something I usually do, but I wanted to tell them what a wonderful afternoon it had been. They were both absolutely charming which was a perfect end to the experience". A bit off topic, but are there usually people waiting at the stage door after a performance? I've never even considered doing it, but, if so, it must be nice for the dancers (or annoying, if they just want to get home). It was the first time I have been near a stage door for many years and I felt rather self-conscious. But there were quite a few people waiting and of all ages. Unfortunately, there was a woman who was determined to monopolize A&J when they appeared. Johan managed to extricate himself, helped in part by the enormous bouquet he was carrying for Alina that nobody wanted to squash. Poor Alina had more difficulty extricating herself from this woman's determined attention. She clearly didn't know who the woman was. I think in the end I may have helped, because Alina saw me looking at my watch, which she seemed to take as her cue. She said something along the lines of there being many people waiting to see her and this woman finally released her grip. Johan had left the building by this point. We were standing just inside the stage door entrance as it was raining. Alina came over to us and was incredibly friendly, posing for photos and then again when the camera went wrong. She was lovely, charming and tiny. Fascinating to see her close up and talk to her after such an emotional performance. Which is a long way of answering your point that it must be nice for the dancers and sometimes not so much. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsomerset Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Lovely to hear from other people who were there too and that you took the opportunity to talk to the dancers afterwards. Although they are pretty special dancers, it difficult to say why one performance turns into something so wonderful and memorable for no apparent reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 "I went round to the stage door afterwards, which is not something I usually do, but I wanted to tell them what a wonderful afternoon it had been. They were both absolutely charming which was a perfect end to the experience". A bit off topic, but are there usually people waiting at the stage door after a performance? I've never even considered doing it, but, if so, it must be nice for the dancers (or annoying, if they just want to get home). While I am sure that occasions arise in which the dancer just wants to get away, it is also true that most need to de-compress - mentally cool down after a performance. Taking off the costume, removing makeup is part of that but so is meeting the public and see the appreciation for their work up close just as you enjoy seeing them up close. Many go out with friends to eat. It can be difficult to go from the special high of a performance to the every day life we all inhabit. There's not only a mental/emotional need to de-compress, but also a chemical one. All that adrenalin needs to get back to normal. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've always felt too shy to go to the stage door and my teenage daughter is always dead sent against it thinking that it would be really embarrassing. I wish that I'd gone to the stage door after some of the Corsaire performances. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 It was the first time I have been near a stage door for many years and I felt rather self-conscious. But there were quite a few people waiting and of all ages. Unfortunately, there was a woman who was determined to monopolize A&J when they appeared. Johan managed to extricate himself, helped in part by the enormous bouquet he was carrying for Alina that nobody wanted to squash. Poor Alina had more difficulty extricating herself from this woman's determined attention. She clearly didn't know who the woman was. I think in the end I may have helped, because Alina saw me looking at my watch, which she seemed to take as her cue. She said something along the lines of there being many people waiting to see her and this woman finally released her grip. Johan had left the building by this point. We were standing just inside the stage door entrance as it was raining. Alina came over to us and was incredibly friendly, posing for photos and then again when the camera went wrong. She was lovely, charming and tiny. Fascinating to see her close up and talk to her after such an emotional performance. Which is a long way of answering your point that it must be nice for the dancers and sometimes not so m Nice story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've always felt too shy to go to the stage door and my teenage daughter is always dead sent against it thinking that it would be really embarrassing. I wish that I'd gone to the stage door after some of the Corsaire performances. Yeah I don't know what i'd say. "great performance, well done" and then stand there awkwardly while I try and think of something else. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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