SPD444 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 (edited) Just been announced Edited August 12, 2015 by SPD444 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 http://www.roh.org.uk/news/rupert-pennefather-to-leave-the-royal-ballet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 What a real shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A frog Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Must have come as quite a surprise, their Twitter feed shows they were promoting him as the first night Romeo just a few days ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 All best wishes to him in his future endeavours. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Dancer Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I was looking forward to seeing him in the upcoming season... It will be interesting to see what he does next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 I could be mistaken but has he had problems keeping fit over the last few years, one injury after another. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 He has had quite a lot of time out with injury in the last few years (wasn't it his shoulder that's been particularly troublesome?) though whether that's why he chose to leave is just speculation at the moment. Actually, what with his injury issues and the fact that he often partners dancers I'm less keen on, I've realised that in the few years I've been attending the RB regularly I've barely seen him in anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 What a shame. Wasn't he dancing Romeo in the autumn live broadcast of R&J? I wonder if they will recast both parts or just Romeo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 What a shame. Wasn't he dancing Romeo in the autumn live broadcast of R&J? I wonder if they will recast both parts or just Romeo. The ROH website has kept Lamb in place but put TBC where Pennefather's name was. He must have reflected long and hard over the summer break and his decision cannot have been easy. I shall always remember his Belaiev in Month as a particular highlight. Thank you for that, your Rudolf in Mayerling and many other roles, Rupert. You will be missed. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Well, I really didn't see that one coming. I dare say matters may become clearer with time. What a shame, though - I've seen him in so little recently, one way and another . I wish him all the best for whatever he does in the future. BTW, what else was he scheduled to be dancing in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 … BTW, what else was he scheduled to be dancing in? Nutcracker and Giselle, both with Sarah Lamb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Very best wishes to Rupert Pennefather for the future. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coated Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 *sits in a corner and cries* I am going to miss his Rudolph very very much All the very best for the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 And the press release: PRESS RELEASE Principal Dancer Rupert Pennefather to leave The Royal Ballet Principal dancer, Rupert Pennefather, has announced his decision to leave The Royal Ballet after 16 years. During his time with the Company he has danced all of the major classical repertory including Beliaev in A Month in the Country, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Des Grieux in Manon, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and Count Albrecht in Giselle. He also danced many contemporary roles including Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse à grande vitesse and Wayne McGregor’s Chroma as well as creating roles in Alexei Ratmansky’s 24 Preludes and Alastair Marriott’s Sensorium. Rupert Pennefather said ‘I am so grateful for my time with The Royal Ballet. I will always treasure having danced with so many wonderful partners in such incredible productions. I feel it’s time to see what other opportunities the future holds.’ Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, comments ‘Rupert has been a wonderful dancer with The Royal Ballet, particularly excelling in the dramatic works of Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan and the fine danseur noble roles of the 19th century classics. We wish him every future success.’ Replacement casting for Rupert’s scheduled performances in the 2015/16 season will be announced shortly. - Ends- Notes to Editors Rupert Pennefather was born in Maidenhead and joined The Royal Ballet School as a Junior Associate, training at Tring Park School and privately with Julie Rose. He subsequently trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and joined The Royal Ballet in 1999. He was promoted to Principal by Monica Mason, then Director of The Royal Ballet, in 2008 following his debut performance as Romeo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 It's a shame as I was hoping to see him as Romeo. I wish him all the best in whatever he moves on to do.I wonder who'll replace him as a principal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Perhaps nobody? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Perhaps nobody? Surely this will give even more opportunity to young dancers who are being fostered towards this role. They will get there ... in good time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 He must have something sorted out, why leave somewhere like the RB, artistically and financially, if there is nothing waiting.One assumes he hasn't been asked to leave so he must have plans in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 With a gap in the top ranks, perhaps it may be the right time to consider calling Polunin back. I hear he's been behaving himself of late and is forming a remarkable partnership elsewhere with the RB's Osipova. Anyone think he deserves a second chance? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 With a gap in the top ranks, perhaps it may be the right time to consider calling Polunin back. I hear he's been behaving himself of late and is forming a remarkable partnership elsewhere with the RB's Osipova. Anyone think he deserves a second chance? Yes! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Polunin might move to Bavarian State Ballet at Munich with Igor Zelensky in 2016. But who knows what's on his mind until then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 With a gap in the top ranks, perhaps it may be the right time to consider calling Polunin back. I hear he's been behaving himself of late and is forming a remarkable partnership elsewhere with the RB's Osipova. Anyone think he deserves a second chance? Yes! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletcoForum Moderators Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 A post on this thread is hidden while it is under review for being thought to contravene the Acceptable Use Policy and/or forum moderation policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 He must have something sorted out, why leave somewhere like the RB, artistically and financially, if there is nothing waiting.One assumes he hasn't been asked to leave so he must have plans in place. On 8th August it still showed Lamb/Pennefather dancing R&J - Live Cinema. On 12th August it was announced he is to leave the RB. To me it feels more like a sudden departure (but I may be wrong). He hasn't danced much over the past few years. I wish him success in whatever he decides to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Wishing Pennefather every success, hopefully it was an offer too good to turn down rather than an injury or dispute. I would be surprised if Polunin wanted to return on a permanent basis to RB, as a guest artist maybe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Shame. He was, in my opinion, by far the best Rudolph and Des Grieux the RB had. If he stays in ballet, I wouldn't be surprised to see him at the ENB. I believe Rojo mentored him quite a bit in his early days at the RB. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Interesting thought ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Very sorry to learn that Pennefather is leaving at the point at which management seemed to have decided to pair him with Lamb because they seemed to bring out the best in each other. Others have already mentioned Lamb and Pennefather in Manon which in my opinion ,at least, was head and shoulders above any of the pairings that the Royal Ballet showed in Moscow. The only performances that came close to it at the opera house were those given by Lamb and Muntagirov. Together in unscheduled performances of La Sylphide occasioned by Rojo's injury they gave the best performance of that ballet that I have seen by non Danish dancers. There was something in that pairing which was not obvious when the two of them danced with their scheduled partners.Lamb had the right balance between stillness and movement and had an element of malice in her performance and he gave a very interesting portrayal of James in response.Several people expressed the view that their performance had revealed why that ballet is so highly regarded and the power of the romantic ballet. An ardent Romeo with Cuthbertson as Juliet the day they were promoted to Principal status and a fine Rudolph Then there were his Baliev with Yanowsky as Natalia Petrovna, his Apollo and his princely roles. He is one of the few dancers who seems totally comfortable on stage when he was not in motion. His princes were polished and elegant rather than looking as if he was desperate to be cast as Bluebird.His partnering skills and his elegance were epitomised by his role in Diamonds showing all the polish that is missing in other more highly regarded dancers who are by nature demi character dancers rather than danseurs.Not a bad tally for someone whose career has been plagued by injury.I wish him well for the future. As for replacements much as I admire Polunin I wonder whether he is not a bit too undependable for the company to risk taking him back on a regular basis. The two dancers who I think could be the beneficiaries from his departure are Reece Clarke and Matthew Ball.Let us hope that management is true to its word about developing the company form within. It certainly should not need to recruit someone from outside the company given the wealth of talent that seems to be lurking in the lower ranks. I do not think that O'Hare will want to repeat the Parish fiasco.I wonder whether Pennefather's departure has anything to do with the prominence that Golding is being given in casting rather than anything else? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Ah, Parish. Now there's a thought............as a guest, perhaps ??? Agree about developing the younger dancers, however, especially Matthew Ball. [by the way, where has Reece Clarke been 'hiding' since his impressive appearances in Symphonic?] Therefore, much as I admire Polunin's talent and would love to see him on the ROH stage again, I suspect that Kevin O'Hare will be cognisant, not simply of the dependability factor, but also of the wider effects on the Company his return could have. .I wonder whether Pennefather's departure has anything to do with the prominence that Golding is being given in casting rather than anything else? Of course, both Golding and Muntagirov hove in sight at around the same time and their presence has undoubtedly reduced the opportunities for Pennefather, added to which Muntagirov in particular garnered most of the plaudits during the 2014/15 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Shame. He was, in my opinion, by far the best Rudolph and Des Grieux the RB had. If he stays in ballet, I wouldn't be surprised to see him at the ENB. I believe Rojo mentored him quite a bit in his early days at the RB. Going by their performance together in M and A at the Nureyev Friends Gala, I wouldn't be surprised either, possibly as Tamara Rojo's partner. That's if Rupert Pennefather does want to remain dancing, wish him lots of success! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Going by their performance together in M and A at the Nureyev Friends Gala, I wouldn't be surprised either, possibly as Tamara Rojo's partner. That's if Rupert Pennefather does want to remain dancing, wish him lots of success! But isn't ENB going in for a rather different type of dancer? Recent male acquisitions and guests are certainly in (shall we say) the more exhuberant category whereas Pennefather has a very (also likeable) English style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Pennefather was off for a good part of last season so no, or few, opportunities to garner plaudits for him. Muntagirov certainly gave some great performances and enjoyed good reviews but I am not aware that Golding, in spite of turning up in virtually everything and being threatened in Symphonic Variations, garnered plaudits. I have nothing against him and he certainly has made me revise my opinion of Kish who is, at least, safe and dependable but it isn't just unfortunate casting decisions that leave me less than enthusiastic about Golding. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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