English National Ballet principals.

[cavycapers]

Does anyone else have the same worries that I do about what will happen principal wise when Tamara Rojo and Alina Cojacaru eventually retire, although that thought is unbearable,and it will not happen for a long time hopefully?

Edited May 18, 2015 by cavycapers

[Bleaden94]

I agree, but I do think Tamara Rojo is trying to strengthen lower ranks in the company. Laurretta Summerscales and Shiori Kase seem an obvious choice for promotion there, but yes international names may still be needed to boost the company's profile. Maybe more poaching from Royal Ballet? 

In an interview, Tamara Rojo did say that she would retire when ENB no longer needed her name to sell tickets

[alison]

Yes, I'd expect to see Tamara carrying on for some years yet, in the non-classics at least.

[RuthE]

It seems to me that ENB is already over-reliant on guests for its *male* leads, particularly since Muntagirov's departure.  I rather hope that there might be enough longevity left in Rojo's and Cojocaru's performing careers, and enough strength of vision from Rojo as an artistic director in the meantime, that by the time both stop dancing there will be no shortage of company-bred stars available for promotion, with a strong audience following to match.

 

That said, I find ENB's ranking system overcomplicated and baffling, even at Principal level. Presumably most laypeople would assume Principal to be top rank, but then there are Lead Principals...

[Guest]

ENB already has at least three young ballerinas  - not only Laurretta and Shiori as mentioned above but also Ksenia Ovsyanick - who are already at Principal level in terms of their performances. The problem may, however, be that the casting tends to focus at the moment on the Lead Principals (Tamara, Alina, Erina Takahashi and Fernanda Oliviera) with the result that the up and coming talent does not get enough performances in a role. For example, despite there being multiple shows over the course of this year, both Shiori and Ksenia have had only one 'go' each at Swan Lake - both in Liverpool and both beautiful.

 

Since ENB, unlike the RB, has the opportunity to offer up and coming dancers the chance to star in theatres away from London, the Company will only have itself to blame if it fails to nurture the talent in its midst. If one listens to audience comments in the 'regions', most people have no idea who Tamara and Alina are and their casting would therefore not seem to influence ticket sales there.

 

There is also some very promising young talent among the ENB men -Junor Souza (now a First Soloist), Ken Saruhashi (a First Artist), and Jinhao Zhang and Cesar Corrales (new Artists this year) to name but four. But one wonders whether, if it is pursued for too long, the current tendency to bring in male Principals from outside (as Company Members or as Guests) risks having a stultifying effect on the development of these fine young men's careers.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Guest

[capybara]

but yes international names may still be needed to boost the company's profile. Maybe more poaching from Royal Ballet? 

 

 

Really?

 

Aren't Ovsyanick, Kase and Summerscales  every bit the equal of anyone who might be 'poachable' from the RB?

 

Given the disappointing showing in the RB's Swan Lake pas de trois this season (for example), it could be argued that poaching would be beneficial in the opposite direction.

Edited May 18, 2015 by capybara

[cavycapers]

I do wonder what it must do to the company morale when guests are usually brought in to dance with Tamara and Alina, unless there is a reason I don't understand.

 

Especially considering how successful (the much missed) Daria's partnership was with the very young Vadim.

[Bruce Wall]

I agree that it is important to shape the company and alongside such build the audience support so vital to ongoing endurance.  Actually, I think in this regard Rojo has given key opportunities to many.  It is such a difficult balancing act --- and the tours prove effective ground for exciting experimentation.

 

I noted today - with the casting for the last week of NYCB having been just announced - that the very final performance of NYCB's spring season will feature a last year SAB student (who is obviously going to be an apprentice next season) as Titania in Balanchine's MSND.  Ashley Bouder is the principal in the second act divert PDD and the very talented young A. Huxley is the Oberon so it is, I think, a well balanced bill with much potential.  That kind of match is - in my estimation - often worthy of the same kind of excitement as the bringing in of any key name guest - much as Martins did with, say, Darcey Bussell for two different (and impressively balanced) stints.  I, myself, remember a 17 year old Maria Kowrowski from SAB being thrown on as the Siren opposite the great Damian Woetzel no less in a performance of Prodigal Son at the end of one Spring Season of yore.  Everyone was going 'Who?' ... They weren't - if I recall - querying the name after that showing.  She towered in quite the right way.  

Edited May 20, 2015 by Bruce Wall

[Guest]

It is such a difficult balancing act --- and the tours prove effective ground for exciting experimentation.

 

 

Some would argue, on the basis of ENB casting evidence, that there has been neither "exciting experimentation" nor the opportunity for younger dancers to grow into roles on tour.

 

It should be noted, of course, that Alejandro Virelles and Isaac Hernandez (who now seem to be partnering Cojocaru and Rojo respectively) are company members not guests.

[cavycapers]

You are right about Virelles and Hernandez, sorry. It still would be nice to see occasionally the steady hands of Rojo and Cojocaru supported by some of the junior male dancers of the company.

[alison]

Well, they have been.  Rojo certainly, and I thought also Cojocaru.

[Guest]

You are right about Virelles and Hernandez, sorry. It still would be nice to see occasionally the steady hands of Rojo and Cojocaru supported by some of the junior male dancers of the company.

 

Precisely. This happened to some extent during the last Nutcracker season but the practice does not seem to have been carried forward with any consistency since then = well not in the classics where the developmental support of experienced ballerinas  is arguably most needed

[FLOSS]

Could it be that despite all the journalistic support for the current ENB Director that her predecessor had more vision when it came to developing the company and its dancers and more idea about how to attain what he had in mind ? He, after all, did not have the distraction of pursuing a dance career and had many years of experience running a pretty important ballet company before he came to ENB.I have to say that I was more impressed by the company's development of its dancers and its repertory under Eagling than I have been by Rojo.Under Eagling the company had the sort of liveliness and buzz about it that it had under Peter |Schauffus.

Edited May 21, 2015 by FLOSS

[MAB]

Under Eagling it also had Glurdjize, Klimentova and Muntagirov.

[Scheherezade]

I seem to remember reading, not too long ago, about another potential male signing/guest (Cuban?) for ENB. Can anyone point me in the right direction? 

[Bruce Wall]

There is only one ENB principal featured in this year's brilliant ENB Choreographics programme, Ms. Summerscales.  A huge amount of opportunity is proffered for the Company personnel otherwise in originating principal roles and there is no question but that they deliver with full value.  Cyrstal Costa and James Forbat, for example, simply take your breath away in the ever glorious Stina Quagebeur's incendiary A ROOM IN NEW YORK.  

Edited June 20, 2015 by Bruce Wall

[capybara]

There is only one ENB principal featured in this year's brilliant ENB Choreographics programme, Ms. Summerscales.  A huge amount of opportunity is proffered for the Company personnel otherwise in originating principal roles and there is no question but that they deliver with full value.  Cyrstal Costa and James Forbat, for example, simply take your breath away in the ever glorious Stina Quagebeur's incendiary A ROOM IN NEW YORK.  

 

Laurretta Summerscales is not yet an ENB Principal although she looks to be heading that way.

[Bruce Wall]

Laurretta Summerscales is not yet an ENB Principal although she looks to be heading that way.

 

Thanks, Capybara, for the correction.  Even more impressive then that ALL the ENB CHOREOGORAPHICS principal roles were (very well l) filled by Company members under that named rank.  

Edited June 20, 2015 by Bruce Wall

[aileen]

Post deleted as it's in the wrong place!

Edited June 20, 2015 by aileen

[Sim]

This was a wonderful evening and I am very impressed by the standard of dancing and of choreography.  I can't really add much to what Bruce has said above, but I do agree with others that I would prefer only dancers from the company and school to be given the chance to choreograph as there is so little opportunity otherwise.  Not to take away from the two pieces by the 'pros', but I was under the impression that this event was for ENB dancers and students to show their choreographic talents.

 

All the dancers were, as always, on fine fettle, standouts for me being Crystal Costa, Madison Keesler (whom I would have liked to see as the femme fatale in Give My Love to the Sunrise)  and Katja Khaniukova.

[barton22]

I seem to remember reading, not too long ago, about another potential male signing/guest (Cuban?) for ENB. Can anyone point me in the right direction? 

Could you be thinking of Alejandro Virelles?  He is Cuban, male and a principal and he joined last year but I didn't really clock him until he appeared in the Modern Masters programme in April (partnering Cojocaru in "in the middle, somewhat elevated").

[capybara]

I seem to remember reading, not too long ago, about another potential male signing/guest (Cuban?) for ENB. Can anyone point me in the right direction? 

 

The dancer Osiel Gouneo (or was it Gounod, the piece was unclear) was mentioned on here a few weeks ago as saying that he was going to dance with ENB. He had guested with the Bolshoi, I think, but is currently with Norwegian Ballet. I think that the reference was in a review of a gala in Russia.

 

Edited to add a link to this clip: 

Edited June 20, 2015 by capybara

[Scheherezade]

The dancer Osiel Gouneo (or was it Gounod, the piece was unclear) was mentioned on here a few weeks ago as saying that he was going to dance with ENB. He had guested with the Bolshoi, I think, but is currently with Norwegian Ballet. I think that the reference was in a review of a gala in Russia.

 

Edited to add a link to this clip: 

Thank you, Capybara, it was indeed Osiel Gouneo and doesn't he look amazing! Does anyone know whether he will be dancing with ENB in any of their forthcoming programmes?