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ENB Swan Lake: casting


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In order: Odette/Odile, Prince Siegfried and Rothbart

 

3 August 7.30pm (Press night) – Daria Klimentová, Vadim Muntagirov and Fabian Reimair

 

4 August 2.30pm – Fernanda Oliveira, Dmitri Gruzdyev and James Streeter

 

4 August 7.30pm – Erina Takahashi, Zdenek Konvalina and James Streeter

 

5 August 2.30pm – Daria Klimentová, Vadim Muntagirov and Fabian Reimair

 

7 August 7.30pm – Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas and Danny Jones

 

8 August 7.30pm – Anais Chalendard, Junor Souza, and Zhanat Atymatayev

 

9 August 7.30pm – Begona Cao, Esteban Berlanga, and Zhanat Atymatayev

 

10 August 7.30pm – Fernanda Oliveira, Dmitri Gruzdyev and James Streeter

 

11 August 2.30pm – Erina Takahashi, Zdenek Konvalina and James Streeter

 

11 August 7.30pm – Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas and Danny Jones

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  • 2 weeks later...

Unless Vadim has flown in from Moscow in the last twelve hours it will not be him & Daria (can a computer posting show tear stains??) My guess is it will be the Principal cast we saw at rehearsal on Wednesday which is actually listed as Saturday night's i.e. Takahashi, Konvalina, Streeter - why can Russians come here for everything else it seems but not to dance a scheduled Prince Siegfried??

 

Anyone any ideas??

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So, confirmation up on the website that it will be Takahashi and Konvalina tonight, TBC on Sunday. Word had been going round that that was what it would be, but it's now too late to change tickets. This less than 48 hours after I'd gone in specially to change my other, previous T/K ticket when they were previously re-scheduled. So I now have tickets for two performances by them, and nothing by anyone else. Sigh.

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Yes, it seems to be difficult for Russians to get visas to come to the UK. Ivan Putrov had problems earlier this year and anyone who watched the first of the Agony and Ecstasy programmes will remember the saga with Polina Semionova's visa. Vadim is in a different position though because presumably he is applying for a work permit entitling him to live and work in the UK for a number of years. I thought that after five years residence a person was able to apply for permanent residence but perhaps Vadim does not qualify because two of the years which he has spent in the UK were as a student. It will be such a shame if (as I fear) he and Daria are unable to perform together in this run of Swan Lake. Surely Daria is off to Prague at the beginning of next week for her Summer Masterclasses. I have tickets for tonight and tomorrow night and it looks as if I will now be seeing the same cast, which is disappointing. Does anyone know if it is possible to exchange tickets in these circumstances?

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Tonight is indeed Irina and Zdenek. We have changed tickets at the Coli before but can't remember whether they charge a handling fee. it is such a shame, however good the substitute casts are - and they are, of course, that Wayne's last show as Director has been disrupted by both injury and, apparently, visa problems.

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I have tickets for tonight and tomorrow night and it looks as if I will now be seeing the same cast, which is disappointing. Does anyone know if it is possible to exchange tickets in these circumstances?

 

Yes, but at least 24 hours in advance, and at £3 a time.

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Yes - much as I love Irina - I think I am now likely to have at least three performances of this same cast but no Daria which is mainly why I chose these dates - her masterclasses in Prague are indeed from 6th to 18th August this year and I guess that was underlined in her diary long ago, so we have to await the shaking out of her Aurora tutu for Milton Keynes to see her next I assume (& Vadim?) I am wondering if Ms. Rojo is also thinking of getting them to shake out an Aurora tutu for her? We were told she would be transferring 75 pairs of new point shoes from the RB shoe "bank" to Marden so how many performances might that warrant?

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I believe the question of visas is a minefield. I have heard of dancers who are not native English speakers and who have danced with British companies for years who have had to take English exams. I also believe that if someone has a visa with an expiry date it has to be renewed in their own country even if they are living here.

 

It could well be that people who have had visas as students may have to start again for the next stage for working and residence here.

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Just back from this afternoon's rehearsal and the word is that Daria is not performing at all as Vadim is unlikely to make it back for Sunday. I believe Anais Chalendard and Junor Souza may be making their debut earlier than expected (well worth catching). Word from Vadim is that unfortunately 40,000 Russians applied for visas to vist the Olympics which is why his work visa is taking so long! The show looks great despite so many dancers off injured - ENBS students doing a sterling job of filling in for them.

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Yes I am just back from Coli & was told Sunday is to be Anais & Junor's debuts (& presumably their mad owl will still be Mr Atymatayev who we hope has HIS visa in order)

 

By the way Irmgard, who do I need to chat up to get into the dress rehearsal??

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Tim, you need to chat up Wayne or Maina although this advice seems redundant now! Seriously, I am very privileged to be able to watch rehearsals because of my work with the company on "Giselle". As Alison, says, usual route is via the Friends unless you are a registered photographer for the company. Fabian Reimair danced the mad owl/crazed birdman, aka Von Rothbart, at yesterday's rehearsal as Zhanat Atymtayev was having a possible injury investigated. Hopefully he will be okay for Sunday's performance. Thankfully, his visa is in order!

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PS Not sure what sort of creature Derek von Rothbart is supposed to be but that horrid mask did nothing for handsome James Streeter partic from row C in the stalls - I guess he is a birdy of some strange genus with those trailing wings which tripped up young James on one of his exits - someone must have caught him as there was no crashing or expletives from the wing (other kind)!!!

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Well I am not at all pleased at the cast change I only booked very recently when I "thought" it was Daria and Vadim for Sunday matinee - at great cost both ticket and trains. So I am very very very annoyed :angry: . I reckon this was the plan all along to get us punters in then pull the plug last minute :angry: .

Re the visa issue seems to me admin at ENB is very short sighted you check these things re visas well in advance and plan for it. Someone is not doing their job properly if you ask me - no proactive thinking. Quite unbelievable really.

Only thing now that I have to look forward to is seeing Anais in her debut but not one principal among them? Poor show. Am very disappointed.

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DQ - I think that is a bit harsh. Yes, planning is needed re visas but they are a minefield and the immigration services are stretched to the limit. It may well be that, as with passports, there is a limit to how far in advance you can apply before expiry of the current visa.

 

As ballet fans I think we have to accept that, for any number of reasons, there are last minute changes.

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I have some sympathy for DQ. As Vadim is apparently in Moscow it must have become obvious at least a few days ago that it was very unlikely that he and Daria would be performing either yesterday evening or tomorrow afternoon (or at all given Daria's commitments to her summer school). I feel that the website should have been updated to reflect this. I don't think that any cynicism was involved. However, I agree with DQ that ENB looks disorganised on the work permit/visa front. Vadim may be at fault for not applying earlier or he may not have been able to apply earlier as he has been dancing abroad a lot this year and may not have been able to relinquish his passport until he returned from the US at the beginning of July. I do think that it is ENB's responsibility to make sure that applications for work permits/visas are made in time. You can't rely on young dancers to do this. Apart from anything else, presumably ENB has to support the application. ENB really needs to get to grips with this as they have many non-EU dancers whose work permits/visas will have to be renewed fairly regularly. I am sure that both Vadim and Daria are very disappointed that they are not able to perform in this run of Swan Lake.

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I totally agree with you Don Q fan. There is no way I would have travelled to London during the Olympics to see Swan Lake, had I known I was not going to see my favourites! The same thing happened to me last week when Farouk Ruzimatov did not appear at the Leipa Gala. It is expensive & time consuming ,travelling from West Sussex. I know that casting changes sometimes & it can't be helped but it is happening too much recently. Also, I don't like it when ballet companies & theatre's don't update their websites. Surely, it's the easiest thing in the world to have up to date information? Also, no principals tomorrow afternoon. What a poor show at £67.00 per ticket.... I would have liked to have seen Konvalina if I couldn't have Vadim. I think in future I will wait until the last minute before I book. Ok, maybe I won't get what I want but at least I won't feel as frustrated as I do today. I almost feel like giving up on travelling to London for ballet, I've been disappointed so many times. Ballet companies please note..........you might end up with no patrons at all!

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Have to say I agree SusanR - I too am getting tired with the 200 mile trek for things that are not quite what you booked for!

 

In Royal Ballet's favour they usually do manage to stick to their very early published castings and BRB leave it so last minute you can't book to see anyone in particular so you go for the ballet itself and in BRB's case are usually delighted with whatever you see anyway. On this occasion I feel a bit "cheated" and that I would rather have had tomorrow resting at home now but the tickets were too dear not to go tomorrow.

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