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Royal Ballet season 2015-2016


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Well, the summer booking brochure lets slip the fact (owing to a big screen showing in September) that the RB's next season will begin with Romeo & Juliet. More than that, I don't know. When is the season being announced? It surely can't be long now.

 

(And does that mean there's a Ring Cycle for the RO?)

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I was thinking of starting a thread of what I'd like to see next season. Perhaps we can do it here. I'm sure we'll all have a 'wish list'. Last year the new season was announced the last Monday in March. It may be the same this year as the first Monday in April is Easter Monday, so hopefully we won't have too long to wait. I would love to see either Manon or Onegin again next season as 2 or 3 performances are never enough for all the debut performers to really get to grips with such big roles. Another chance so soon afterwards would help them consolidate and bring greater depth to already wonderful interpretations. Mayerling would be brilliant too. I would also like to see Bayadere as that is one of the major ballets we haven't seen the new principals perform and also plenty of scope for Mr O'Hare to continue his policy of promoting 'home-grown' talent (Francesca Hayward as Gamzatti?!)As regard triple bills I would like to see at least one that has solely 'traditional' ballets; Ashton, Macmillan, even Les Sylphides or Graduation Ball; can't remember the last time I saw either. So often I never see triple bills because there is always one 'challenging' or new ballet I don't want to see.

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While I accept that it may be difficult to find works that would sit happily with some of McGregor's works I think that it is unfortunate that the Royal Ballet's mixed bills are increasingly constructed as if there are a number of distinct, self-contained ballet audiences that should not be required to mix.It no doubt makes sense as far as box office receipts are concerned to divide the audience into traditional/old and experimental/ young but it would be fascinating to see how well some of the new works would stand up if they were part of a programme that included a twentieth century masterpiece like Les Noces.

 

Here are a few suggestions for next season.I shall be amazed if many of them are included in the 2015-2016 season. Full length ballets. Ashton's Cinderella with completely new designs or the original ones with a real effort made to play the sisters as characters not caricatures and either The Two Pigeons with a one act ballet as opener or Sylvia;MacMillan's Anastasia and Wheeldon's A Winter's Tale.As far as the classics are concerned Sleeping Beauty. One act works Ashton's Daphnis and Chloe not seen since 2004;Les Rendezvous with the Chappell designs;Monotones I and II and Facade or Jazz Calendar;Nijinska'a Les Biches;MacMillan's Four Seasons and The Invitation; Nureyev's Kingdom of the Shades with a full corps of thirty two Shades; Robbin's Dances at a Gathering; Massine's La Boutique Fantasque or Mam'zelle Angot and Buornonville's Conservatoire and La Sylphide . I would welcome a revival of Les Sylphides if it were to be sensitively and carefully cast and coached but it has never been a jewel in the company's crown. Its last revival was embarrassingly bad.The cast was an odd selection of dancers who seemed unable to dance in the appropriate style.I am not sure whether it was the casts that were the root of the problem, the coaching or a collective lack of sympathy with the aesthetic which the piece embodies.It cannot simply be the tempo chosen since I recall that ENB had a beautiful Sylphides mounted by Markova which felt light and buoyant although it was exceptionally slow.

 

As for new works it would be nice to see Scarlett make a real break through this year and to see McGregor make a piece which does not rely on murky, sorry atmospheric lighting, and which does not feel like recycling.It is always a source of amazement that choreographers who are not constrained by the rules of classical ballet seem to run out of ideas and begin recycling themselves long before those who apparently lack freedom because of their adherence to the ecole de dance. What would I like to see added to the repertory? I would love the company to try Liebeslieder Waltzes again and to acquire Concerto Barocco. As it seems most unlikely that they will be able to revive their previous production of La Sylphide the company should try to acquire another of the same quality without too much delay.

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I'm sure Nutcracker and Winter's Tale will be back, maybe Sleeping Beauty too.

 

Just bear in mind that Winter's Tale will be in Canada in November and then in Washington DC in January, and for all I know touring somewhere else in North America (Los Angeles? New York? Chicago?) that hasn't been announced yet.

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This thread made me think:  what's happened to Sylvia these past few years?  And Ondine?  Both were revived with some considerable effort and expense, and both seem to have disappeared recently....

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While I accept that it may be difficult to find works that would sit happily with some of McGregor's works I think that it is unfortunate that the Royal Ballet's mixed bills are increasingly constructed as if there are a number of distinct, self-contained ballet audiences that should not be required to mix.It no doubt makes sense as far as box office receipts are concerned to divide the audience into traditional/old and experimental/ young but it would be fascinating to see how well some of the new works would stand up if they were part of a programme that included a twentieth century masterpiece like Les Noces.

 

 

As for new works it would be nice to see Scarlett make a real break through this year and to see McGregor make a piece which does not rely on murky, sorry atmospheric lighting, and which does not feel like recycling.It is always a source of amazement that choreographers who are not constrained by the rules of classical ballet seem to run out of ideas and begin recycling themselves long before those who apparently lack freedom because of their adherence to the ecole de dance. 

 

 

Agree with all this. I would love to see more lively colourful new works by Scarlett/Wheeldon/McGregor. I've started associating any new work with gloom, bad lighting and bad costumes unfortunately.

 

I don't think Ondine was popular with the dancers from what I remember, but I don't suppose they have much say in what productions are put on. I'm not keen on Onegin or Manon, but I would love to see Sleeping Beauty to see Osipova dance it. I would like to see Rite of Spring and Anastasia too - the music for both pieces are so powerful. And this is a controversial choice, but I wish I could see Mats Ek's Carmen again, though without Guillem or Rojo I'm not sure who'd I'd cast in it.

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Agree with all this. I would love to see more lively colourful new works by Scarlett/Wheeldon/McGregor. I've started associating any new work with gloom, bad lighting and bad costumes unfortunately.

 

 

 

add rolling around on the floor, RED lighting, and fog/mist machines, and you've encapsulated my personal nightmare...

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add rolling around on the floor, RED lighting, and fog/mist machines, and you've encapsulated my personal nightmare...

 

I'd add splayed legs to the list. I hate to sound so fusty (especially when I think I'm on the younger end of the scale of the audience) but I'm sometimes a bit embarrassed to take newbie friends to the mixed bills just because I want to see The Dream or whatever - with the new works I can almost sense them thinking "what the...???" and not in a good way.

 

Maybe we should send the ROH a checklist of things that we would NOT like to see in future new works :-)

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Well, judging by the usual schedule I'm expecting the following to be back:

 

Nutcracker

Sleeping Beauty

 

R&J we know about

ditto Carmen

 

I'm assuming Winter's Tale (please, with a fully fit first cast!)

 

That probably only leaves scope for one or two more full-length ballets.  We don't usually get Manon and Onegin in consecutive years, so I'd rule them out.  Possibly Mayerling again?

 

Probably new works from the members of the triumvirate?  And someone else who will raise eyebrows.

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I would, of course, be delighted to hear that Cathy Marston was to be commissioned for some substantial work - but with the McGregor, Wheeldon, Scarlett trinity in place, I accept that will certainly not happen.  And hopefully, there will be no need yet for any farewell piece for Ms Yanowsky.

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I think there has to be one full length Ashton. My preference would be for Cinderella, next Christmas. I  may be completely wrong, but I think The Nutcracker might be rested for another year.

Are two full length MacMillans likely? If so, I would love to see Anastasia again. I know it lost its edge somewhat once Anna Anderson's claim was disproved, but as someone said above, the music is very powerful, and there's plenty of scope for the dramatic stuff the RB do so well.

And very much yes to Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball in R & J.

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I'd quite happily see Jewels again.  They could run Fille again with a few more matinees this time this season's is hopeless  for me.

I'd like to see Les Patineurs.  I'd only see SB if Ospiva was dancing as she was injured last time I wanted to see her in SB.  

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I, myself, (alongside FLOSS) would LOVE to see Balanchine's Liebeslieder Waltzer performed again by the RB as they have some wonderful dancers who I sincerely think would excel in it including Muntagirov, Naghdi, Hayward and Ball.  I should think Osipova and Golding would very much glory in this, as would McRae, Morera, Hay, Sambe, Reece, Yanowsky, Acri, Campbell, McGuire, O'Sullivan and others.  To my mind it has the potential to spin the most magical of stories.  I am hopeful under this new administration that this work might once again re-appear as it certainly wasn't ever going to under the last one. 

 

Also I would love it if there might be a work by Justin Peck included in the rep as he is now hailed as a major choreographer on the world stage and NYC - and specifically NYCB - have themselves been so very welcoming to the RB triumvirate of McGregor, Scarlett and Wheeldon, the latter two having more than one work in the NYCB repertory, each of which has appeared more than in one seasonal segment.  (POB will have two of Peck's works in their rep next season.)   This may, of course, not be practical as Peck (26) is still dancing with NYCB and has already a commitment of three ballets to NYCB and one new one to Paris for the 2015/16 season.  Still, Mr. O'Hare at a LBC meeting spoke in most flattering terms of the work by Peck he had seen in NYC and the FT critic C. Crisp gave Peck's one act dance work with the LA Dance Project (the only time any of his work has been seen in London) a five star review.  

 

Finally, I would love it if the RB might take Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH into the rep.  (I would love to see his Shostakovich trilogy taken on board as well - of which I've only seen two of the three works - but I know there are many here who struggle with Ratmansky so I won't.)  I would love to see the RB do a triple bill where both the Ratmansky and the MacMillan takes on Shostakovich's Concerto might be seen on either end of a suitable filler - perhaps Ashton? - Symphonic Variations anyone? - in the middle.  You could switch the order of the Ratmansky and the MacMillan at different performances too and see what that might do to the balance (without unbalancing the rehearsal schedule. - Everyone needs lunch!).  Just an idea.  Both the Ratmansky and the MacMillan are, of course, more than able to stand on their own in any triple bill.  This - as indeed everything mentioned here - is but by way of suggestion/desire.  Nothing more; nothing less.  . 

Edited by Bruce Wall
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My dream ballet for next year would be La Bayadere with a Nunez/Osipova Gamzatti/Nikiya face-off. That would be a dance match worth seeing! And then again the other way around :).

 

Yes, please, with Muntagirov as Solor in both casts!!!!!!

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I haven't seen the Two Pigeons for years so that would be very nice indeed.

 

I'd have Dances at a Gathering every year if I could arrange it and again Anastasia would be great as another ballet haven't seen in ages. Also Enigma Variations hasn't been around for a bit.......wouldn't mind seeing that next year.

 

 

Otherwise I'd be happy with anything else ........but perhaps even giving Swan Lake a rest for a year!

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Finally, I would love it if the RB might take Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH into the rep.  

 

I agree.  This was superb danced by the Mariinsky last summer.

 

I heard from someone whom I fear may be in the know that Raven Girl may be returning.  I really hope they were mistaken and that is not the case.  I am not sure whether I think RG or Tetractys was worse, but neither should ever be revived.  It is time ROH management were helped to see that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes and reduced or eliminated McGregor's involvement in the company.

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Both the resident companies are required to break even at the box office.I know that the Royal Ballet has to achieve a fixed percentage of attendances for each of its programmes, I assume that similar rules on attendances apply to the opera.

 

I doubt that being panned by the critics would be enough to dislodge McGregor from his very comfortable perch.If enough people have bought tickets for Woolf Works "on spec" it might achieve the requisite rate of attendances. If they have to advertise the piece but it still fails to sell that might be enough to suggest that McGregor has feet of clay.Its comparative failure would probably be explained away on the basis that it was too challenging and innovative for the older ballet goer.

 

It could be that restricting access to the Amphitheatre to students on opening night is intended not only to ensure a favourable response but to boost sales by word of mouth if necessary,later on in the run.The seats are comparatively cheap. You could almost say that they were selling them at popular prices which in itself tells you something about their expectations.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The latest e-newsletter from The Friends says that the ballet casting for Period 1 of the 2015/16 season will not be in the magazine (which has now gone to print) but will, instead, issue ahead of the various booking dates.

 

Not sure this is the correct thread for this, but the e-newsletter also said that the general booking on the 31st March (RBS annual performances) would also be 8am for web users and 10am for phone as was tried earlier. That should cause some fun.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I would love to see La Bayadere, Sylvia and Cinderella on stage again! 

Yet hopefully they will use more of their First Soloists and Soloists, rather than keep using guest principals! Claire Calvert for instance, was apparently amazing as Gamzatti.

Also, I've always liked Elite Syncopations!

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