Pas de Quatre

There are so many influences across the world between companies & schools that it is impossible to rigidly categorise them. Directors of the POB school are always former dancers with the company. However, the company has had many choreographers and directors from elsewhere. Alicia Alonso mounted Giselle and Sleeping Beauty in the 1970s and of course Nureyev was Director from 1983 to 1989, both from Vaganova training. 

That seems a strange observation, implying that Vaganova training is somehow not a true classical training! Or am I misunderstanding your point? My own training was Vaganova and all my professional  contracts were in France, alongside dancers who had trained at the POB and sometimes with ADs who had been Etoiles there. Any minor differences in training methods were hardly noticeable and never an issue.

I adored The Silver Sword too. There was an excellent TV adaptation, probably BBC, in the 1960s.

What amazes me about the need for trigger warnings on well known classics, is that it sits alongside the quite horrific content of mainstream media masquerading as entertainment!

47 minutes ago, MissEmily said:

My pupil did not get into White Lodge because of her "limited" turn-out (it is not flat but very good) but did get into everywhere else she applied (Elmhurst, Moorland, Tring, YDA), as well as RBS MAs. She is now at Elmhurst in Year 7 where she is thriving. 180 degrees is not the be all and end all for anywhere but White Lodge, where (in the words of her JA teacher) they "like the flat aesthetic".

That I fear is one of the reasons why so many get assessed out of WL later. Hyperflexibilty means it is very hard to gain enough strength for more advanced technique.

Just done a little more research.  Yassaui Mergaliev was competing on BBC's Greatest Dancer in 2019 and 2020 and possibly is now based in UK.  Googling the names of the listed soloists, I have yet to find any Russian dancers.  A couple are from Romania, one from USA, one Armenian, two from UK, and one Japanese whose profile says she trained at the Bolshoi.  For three I couldn't find any info about them online, but their names are not Russian sounding.   So I think it is a shame to jump to conclusions.  

I have just researched the three principal dancers I named in my review, Assel Askarova, Azamat Akarov and Yassaui Mergaliev. They are all from Kazakhstan, an independent country, and danced in London with the Kazakhstan State ballet in 2019. 

Moderators - I just posted a review in the Lesser known companies thread as I had forgotten about this one.  Could you move it here? To be honest, if the company is not promoting itself as representing the Russian state, then good luck to all those dancers who have found employment.

Is anyone thinking of boycotting Chinese restaurants because of the Chinese government's behaviour and threats to Taiwan? Or all their exports such as mobile phones and technology which are produced under very dubious  conditions.

Thanks Fiona, I shall probably see them in Bournemouth in March. 

The International Classic Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake at Lighthouse Poole, Friday 6th January. This was an enjoyable experience, better than I had expected. There was a glossy programme for the whole of their season, with an inserted cast sheet. The programme itself did not name dancers, but had nice photos and history/synopsis of the ballets Swan Lake and Nutcracker. I had to look up AD Marina Medvetskaya. She is Georgian and previously a Principal in Tiblisi.

The company was small but adequate. The corps were generally quite good with a couple of slightly weaker members.  Soloists were good and the principals were excellent. Dare I say even better than seen at ENB matinee of Raymonda in Southampton. Odette/Odile was Assel Askarova and Siegfried Azamat Askarov. Beautiful technique and interpretation, they could belong to any major company. Also the Jester Yassaui Mergaliyev was of Principal quality. Both men had excellent entrchats and tours en l'air with soft secure landings. The principals all looked mature, not recent graduates.

Palace scenes had drop cloth, and lakeside a nice projection of a lake. The live orchestra was patchy at times but did manage to pull it together for the lakeside scenes. What would normally be Act 1 & 2 ran straight on for 65 minutes followed by an interval of 20 minutes, then the next Act, Odile at the Palace was 35 minutes followed by 15 minute interval and the last Act 25 minutes. Anyone thinking of going next week in Bromley or the following one in Bath, it is worthwhile. 

Not sure that it ever came to Southampton, the Christmas season always has a huge panto production.  According to recent articles in the press about theatres dire financial position, most are dependent on their panto season to generate a large proportion of annual ticket revenue.

Dawnstar-  Nureyev did that lifting one leg when he danced Nutcracker at RB, but I don't know where it came from, probably brought it with him from Russia.

Context is important RBS - Royal Ballet School or Royal Bank of Scotland!

In May there was a long article published in Bounemouth Daily Echo by Kirill Karabits, the Ukrainian Chief Conductor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He talked about the programme for the 2022-23 season beginning in October. Here are a few quotes, I found the whole thing so interesting I cut it out and kept it.

"When I conduct Russian music I have to find an argument as to why I am doing it. I have to justify it as to why I am conducting Shostakovich or Rachmaninov."

"Some orchestras have refused to invite Russian artists or have excluded Russian music from their programmes but I do not think this is the right way."

"I do not believe by cancelling Russian culture one can achieve peace in Ukraine. I really don't". I can only see the conflict going deeper and deeper if people choose this direction".

Gorgeous photo in  main section of today's Telegraph, Odette and Siegfried from Varna International Ballet rehearsing, visiting Britain for 1st time in the company's 75 year history.

I quite enjoyed watching it. A nice little morality tale on the dangers of internet manipulation/advertising/vanity. Both DD and I thought it felt like Dr. Who in places, in particular conversion of Cybermen. Yes there could have been more dancing, but the dancers were excellent. The end amused me - reverse Sleeping Beauty awakening with Swan (not Swanhilda) kissing Franz to wake him from his coma. 

In early December I saw a post on fb from King's International Ballet School wishing toi, toi, toi to their ex pupil Luca Burns who is touring with Varna International ballet. I asked if Luca would be dancing in Bournemouth as they are scheduled to dance at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre in March. He replied that it is the UK group who will dance there and that he is on the Korea tour. So maybe they have split the company for touring - like BRB used to do - or maybe they have employed extra dancers. It appears to be the ballet from the Opera House in Varna, Bulgaria.  The Varna International ballet competition has been running for decades is one of the most reputable.

 My favourite ingredient is "the suspension of disbelief", when I am caught up in the movement and music, whether a tragedy, comedy or plotless ballet. For me that is the true experience. If I am detached and admiring different technical aspects, then it is not on the same elevated plane.

I would be very sad to see Dance and in particular ballet made a sport. You just have to read this board to see how people differ in their opinions of dancers and choreography.  You don't see a Premieur league with RB playing a match against POB, NYCB against Mariinsky etc. Most of these competitions are artificial money spinners for the organisers. Really it is only PdL and YAGP that have any merit. Balanchine famously said he loathed competitions!

It all depends on the structure of a big organisation - it may be that the AD is concentrating on a certain group of candidates, i.e. at the Prix, and he has delegated decisions to other members of the teach.  While at the Prix he would also be networking with other ADs of Companies and Schools.

When there is an in house audition at RBS, with a panel sitting in the front, the members of the panel are not marking every candidate, just those they have been allocated, who are standing in front of them when in lines.  This is not my speculation, this was explained by RBS staff at Audition practices/Associate events.

Actually, if selected I think it is a very cost effective way for dancers to be seen. For those who do not make the final, there is a special class at the end of the week where they are observed by many ADs and there are offers made afterwards, summer schools, further training and even jobs. One week in Lausanne is better than travelling around Europe to various auditions.

Thanks Lizbie. So the College of Arms says they will not rush into changing to the King's cypher, just replace when things things need renewing.

I have always thought it was a separate panel on which the Royal initials are embroidered and it would be fairly simple to change them.

Have you thought about contacting some of the places that put on occasional performances such as Athelhampton House?

The original Grishko shoes were very hard, but these days they have some models with much more flexible soles.  They are often the only brand suitable for very narrow or very wide feet.

Thank you Irmgard for such a detailed review. I attended that performance of Raymonda too and agree with everything you say.  Natascha Mair was pretty but insipid and there seemed little engagement with either of her suitors.  Brookland Mack started well with beautiful high jumps, landing well, but quickly ran out of steam. His balance was off both in pirouettes and tours en l'air. Fernando Carratalia Columna as Abdurakham by contrast was excellent. Also a mention for the male dancers in general, the moment when they are in formation appearing to ride forward towards the audience was very effective. I also loved the dream scene at the end of Act 1. Act 2 was spectacular with lots of good dancing. Unfortunately Act 3 didn't work for me at all, and I didn't care for the ending either.

Also, many Associate schemes group several school years together, so the age difference might be a couple of years or more.