Irmgard

What a huge snub to all the other wonderful dancers, principals and others, in ENB who have all given outstanding performances in Nutcracker etc. who now have only five performances to divide amongst them!

Try www.lanternsstudiotheatre.co.uk and this should bring up the information. The link I was given to actually buy tickets is www.wegottickets.com.

Thank you for this information. Sounds like a fascinating exhibition.

I've just had a posting on my Facebook page that Chang's company will be making its London debut on Saturday 9 November in a new venue, The Lanterns Studio Theatre in Canary Wharf. It looks like there are just the two performances, matinee and evening on the 9th, with the evening being a gala performance. ENB principal Elena Glurdjidze (shamefully not cast in "Le Corsaire") will be guesting in the Black Swan pas de deux partnered by Yosvani Ramos, former principal of ENB. The address for the venue is 3 Millharbour on the South Quay of Canary Wharf. Full details on its website.

ENB's Nutcracker usually sells extremely well, especially if RB is not performing it at the same time. I'm not sure there will be special offers for it but my tip is to keep visiting ENO website over the next few months to see how the seats are selling for the performance/s you want to see.

The following casting for Nutcracker has just appeared on my Facebook page from ENB: Liverpool Empire 20.11.13 – Klimentová (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 21.11.13 (Matinee) – Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 21.11.13 – Cojocaru (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 22.11.13 – Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 23.11.13 – Summerscales (Clara), Forbat (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 23.11.13 – Cojocaru (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) London Coliseum 11.12.13 – Klimentová (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 12.12.13 (Matinee) – Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 12.12.13 – Cojocaru (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 13.12.13 (Matinee Gala) – Oliveira (Clara), Gruzdyev (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 13.12.13 – Rojo (Clara), TBC (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 14.12.13 (Matinee) – Summerscales (Clara), Forbat (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 14.12.13 – Takahashi (Clara), Konvalina (Nephew) and Reimair (Nutcracker) 16.12.13 (Matinee) - Klimentová (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 16.12.13 - Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 17.12.13 (Matinee) – Kase (Clara), Acosta (Nephew) and Young (Nutcracker) 17.12.13 – Rojo (Clara), TBC (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 18.12.13 (Matinee) – Costa (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Bufala (Nutcracker) 18.12.13 – Oliveira (Clara), Gruzdyev (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 19.12.13 (Matinee) – Summerscales (Clara), Forbat (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 19.12.13 – Klimentová (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 20.12.13 (Matinee) – Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 20.12.13 – Takahashi (Clara), Konvalina (Nephew) and Reimair (Nutcracker) 21.12.13 (Matinee) – Kase (Clara), Acosta (Nephew) and Young (Nutcracker) 21.13.13 – Cojocaru (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 23.12.13 (Matinee) – Takahashi (Clara), Konvalina (Nephew) and Reimair (Nutcracker) 23.12.13 – Cojocaru (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 24.12.13 (Matinee) - Ramirez (Clara), Atymtayev (Nephew) and Saruhashi (Nutcracker) 26.12.13 (Matinee) – Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 26.12.13 – Rojo (Clara), TBC (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 27.12.13 (Matinee) – Cojocaru (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 27.12.13 – Oliveira (Clara), Gruzdyev (Nephew), and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 28.12.13 (Matinee) – TBC (Clara), Forbat (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 28.12.13 – Kase (Clara), Acosta (Nephew) and Young (Nutcracker) 29.13.13 (Matinee) – Rojo (Clara), TBC (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 30.12.13 (Matinee) – Costa (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Bufala (Nutcracker) 30.12.13 – Oliveira (Clara), Gruzdyev (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 31.12.13 (Matinee) – TBC (Clara), Forbat (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 2.1.14 (Matinee) – Ramirez (Clara), Atymtayev (Nephew) and Saruhashi (Nutcracker) 2.1.14 – Takahashi (Clara), Konvalina (Nephew) and Reimair (Nutcracker) 3.1.14 (Matinee) – Klimentová (Clara), Muntagirov (Nephew) and Souza (Nutcracker) 3.1.14 – Rojo (Clara), TBC (Nephew) and Westwell (Nutcracker) 4.1.14 (Matinee) – Oliveira (Clara), Gruzdyev (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker) 5.1.14 – Takahashi (Clara), Konvalina (Nephew) and Reimair (Nutcracker) 6.1.14 (Matinee) – Glurdjidze (Clara), Vargas (Nephew) and Atymtayev (Nutcracker)

The Prom Guide (pocket edition) does mention the Antonio Marquez Company but no indication that this is actually a dance company!

I agree, especially your comments about Beaumont's book. Incidentally, the Grigoriev/Tchernicheva version was notated by Joan Benesh herself in 1956 when Benesh Movement Notation had just been adopted by the Royal Ballet. There are also notations of productions by other people but whether the Fokine estate considers any of these 'authorised' is anyone's guess!

Video is a very useful supplement to a notated score and I know dancers do refer to youtube for solos etc. but for the busy choreography of crowd scenes it is almost impossible to see all the detail and therefore not ideal for staging a complete work. Having said that, letting the dancers have a go at deciphering the crowd scenes from a video might have resulted in something more exciting than the staging they were subjected to! However, it may also have been that ENB no longer has the performing rights to the Beriosoff version and the Fokine estate might have stepped in to ensure ENB had an 'authorised' version.

My review of the last two performances is a little late but I thought I would post it anyway, just in case anyone who didn’t see the programme is interested. The Saturday matinee saw the debut of Crystal Costa as the Doll in “Petrushka”. There is not much to be done with this role of the airhead who prefers a glittering fool to sincere love, but Costa used her huge eyes and beautifully clean technique to great advantage and her fall onto the bed with legs in the air was certainly the most comical of all three casts that I saw, probably because it was so appropriately wooden. On my second viewing of this piece, the orchestral tempo had picked up a fraction but the crowd scenes were still on the dull side and I noticed how cheap and tawdry the sets and costumes are compared with the company’s own beautiful ones from thirty years ago which I understand have sadly disintegrated. (A tantalising clip is included in the Herbert Ross film, “Nijinsky”). Francisco Bosch and Fabian Reimair impressed once again in “Song of a Wayfarer” and there was something very poignant in the delicacy of Bosch’s movements compared with the power of Reimair’s. “Raymonda” saw debuts (unmarked on the cast sheets) in several Variations. Shoiri Kase gave a spirited account of the whirlwind Variation 2, Laurretta Summerscales was all elegance and sweeping movements in Variation 3, and Alison McWhinney was a delight in Variation 4. Tamara Rojo danced Raymonda at this performance and, for me, she lacked the aristocratic authority that seems to be innate in Elena Glurdjidze’s dancing. In the evening, I saw the “Petrushka” cast of Reimair, Nancy Osbaldeston and Shevelle Dynott for the first time and the performance was lifted to new heights. Reimair’s Petrushka was all sawdust and soul, where every part of his body was emotionally expressive and truly moving. Osbaldeston brought an unusual innocence to the Doll which worked very well. But the revelation was Dynott as the Moor. Whereas Acosta’s lack of make-up (understandable these days) had seemed to me to make him too human, Dynott surmounted this by keeping his face taut, like a mask, using only his hugely expressive eyes and occasionally his mouth which he opened and closed like an automaton so that there was never any doubt that he was only a puppet. The little touches he brought to this were outstanding, down to letting his head continue to wobble after the rest of his body had stopped moving. I hope his immense acting skills will be put to good use from now on. Berlanga and Muntagirov danced “Song of a Wayfarer” , made even more poignant for being Berlanga’s last performance with ENB. Bejart’s is not great choreography but it is made great by the integrity of the performers, especially these two who so perfectly match each other. They surely must have the two most beautiful pairs of feet of any male dancers and to see them both in perfect harmony was an absolute joy. Berlanga is going to be sorely missed by the audiences and by his colleagues who made a touching presentation to him between shows. With Glurdjidze and Gruzdyev in the leads, “Raymonda” was given a spirited and very stylish performance by dancers and orchestra alike and received a rousing ovation from a very appreciative audience. With such superb dancing from Glurdjize in particular, it is a great surprise that she does not seem to have been cast in the new production of “Le Corsaire”. A word of appreciation for Fernanda Oliveira who danced Variation 1, with its releves and sustained balances, at all five performances. With two performances of the Doll as well, her toes must have taken quite a bashing! It was lovely for the company to have such a rapturous reception from the audience as it included several members from Alfa Bank, the new sponsor, who could see how well their money is being spent!

Sadly no. In 1986, when I was Librarian of the Benesh Institute, I compiled a catalogue of all usable Benesh Movement Notation scores in company libraries at that time. Festival Ballet's list did not mention "Petroucnka", although they had notated Beriosoff's productions of "Scheherazade" and 'Spectre'. If there is any (Benesh) notation of his "Petrouchka", it would just be rough sketches and not enough to restage the whole ballet.

At present, the only other dancer who is known to be leaving is Jose Becerra who has been an Artist of the Company for the past year.

It was a pleasure to attend the opening afternoon of ENB’s Tribute to Nureyev, most especially for a fabulous, exhilarating performance of Act III of “Raymonda” which was a feast of classical dancing. I had not expected this to have a full set and was delighted when the curtain rose to reveal Barry Kay’s sumptuous evocation of a mediaeval hall. The Act started with the Hungarian dance led by Stina Quagebeur and James Streeter with a spirit and style that was well matched by the other couples. The famous ‘Grand Pas’ had the luxury casting of two of the company’s female Lead Principals as well as the eponymous Raymonda. Fernanda Oliveira and Erina Takahashi each performed their variations with an elegance, charm and effortless technique which almost belied the fiendish difficulty of the choreography. Nancy Osbaldeston delighted in the quicksilver Variation 2, as did the charming trio of Shiori Kase, Senri Kou and Ksenia Ovsyanick in the Pas de Trois. The Pas de Quatre of Ken Saruhashi, Yonah Acosta, Nathan Young and James Forbat was elegant and powerful with beautiful double tours en l’air and beats, all landing cleanly and softly and in unison. The ray of sunshine that is Crystal Costa bounded through Variation 4 as if she had been born en pointe. But the greatest kudos must go to Elena Glurdjidze and Dmitri Gruzdyev as Raymonda and Jean de Brienne whose Russian training shone through every step. From their first entrance to the grand finale, they were every inch the epitome of Imperial Russian style. If Gruzdyev does not jump as high as Muntagirov, who is probably wowing the audience this evening as he wowed me at the Saturday rehearsal, there is a panther-like quality and virility to his cabrioles and maneges that is a joy to behold. Glurdjidze’s variation was a masterclass in style with her shimmering bourrees and luxurious backbends, and her series of releves travelling downstage increasing in speed was breathtaking. In all, a triumphant ending to the afternoon by dancers and orchestra alike. I thought “Song of a Wayfarer” was given a dignified and poignant performance by Francisco Bosch and Fabian Reimair, reflecting the beauty of the vocal performance by Nicholas Lester. I had never seen the complete ballet before and I was struck by how many of the steps which became Nureyev’s favourites to use in his own choreography were contained within it. The two men were well matched physically and temperamentally and the haunting image of their final walk upstage will stay with me for some time. I wish I could be as complimentary about the new production of “Petrushka” which opened the programme but it made me long for the exuberance of the production by Beriosoff which was a staple of LFB’s repertoire with or without Nureyev. This was too sedate with none of the organised chaos required for the crowd scenes and this was a fair where no-one really seemed to be enjoying themselves. . I was very disappointed to see that the superb acting skills of this company had not been exploited. The wet-nurses looked beautiful but their dancing lacked the joyous abandon I remember so well from the late 1970s. The battle of the delightful Street Dancers of Shiori Kase and Jung ah Choi went almost unacknowledged by the crowd and the Charlatan lacked sinister menace. The trio of puppets, led by Anton Lukovkin as Petrushka with Fernanda Oliveira as the Ballerina and Yonah Acosta as the Moor, were excellent and it was the two scenes in their cells (or compartments as the programme calls them) that showed Fokine’s creativity. I am looking forward to seeing what the other casts bring to these roles and hoping that the crowd scenes liven up considerably by the time I see the programme again on Saturday afternoon.

I have recently spoken to my friend who staged "Onegin" for the Bolshoi Ballet and she concurs that companies with Cranko performing rights (at least for the full-length works) can only perform his ballets in their own country. It is most likely for the reason suggested by Angela, that it allows the Stuttgart Ballet to tour these works all over the world. It only seems fair that the company that Cranko more or less created should be allowed this one concession. Interestingly, the Stuttgart Ballet performed at the Bolshoi in May with "Romeo and Juliet" and a mixed bill. As Naomi reported, some of their stars returned to dance in "Onegin". Here is the information from the Stuttgart Ballet's website: "The premiere of John Cranko’s masterpiece Onegin at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow last Friday was a great success. For the first time, Cranko’s ballet was danced by a Russian ballet company. On July 20, 2013, Stuttgart Ballet Principals Alicia Amatriain, Anna Osadcenko, Evan McKie, Friedemann Vogel and Soloist Nikolay Godunov will be giving a guest performance at the Bolshoi, dancing the five leading parts in Onegin. The same cast will also be dancing in Stuttgart on July 18, 2013, in this season’s last performance of Onegin, giving Stuttgart audiences a chance to see what audiences in Moscow will have the pleasure to see just 2 days later!"

I think that kiss at the end of the in-the-round production of "Swan Lake" lasts the same amount of time for all the couples for the practical reason that it has to last while von Rothbart is being dispatched down the trap door! I don't remember it happening in the proscenium version because they have to run offstage and get into their 'heavenly boat'!

As these dancers promoted within the ranks of 'Artist' will remain listed under 'Artist' in the programme etc., I think this was Tamara's only way of letting the public know that these dancers had been promoted over and above their years in the company and are on their way to joining the higher ranks. I don't think it was intended to be a public announcement of pay rises! Having worked with all the dancers who have been promoted and admiring all of them as dancers, I am delighted by their promotions but, like everybody else writing here, I am surprised that Ksenia was not promoted to a higher rank after all her achievements. By the way, I know that Elena danced the first night of the season in 2009 ("Giselle" in Manchester) and there may have been others but it does seem odd that a ballerina of her standing (and popularity) has been used so little this season.

Absolutely not - and I'm not sure how many pieces are for sale as there are no price tags in evidence. A very nice young lady answered the door to me (as with most small private galleries, you have to ring the bell for admittance). I asked if I could look at the exhibition and then she just let me get on with it while she returned to her desk. Rather nice to have a exhibition all to myself! (Although another couple came in a bit later).

I am sure there has already been a post about this exhibition but, as I can't find it, I hope a staff member will link this to the right place. THE GOLDEN AGE OF RUSSIAN BALLET AND THEATRE DESIGN 18TH APRIL 2013 - 28TH JULY 2013 St. Petersburg Gallery 5a Cork Street, London W1S 3NY For anyone who has half an hour to spend before 29 July, this small but exquisite exhibition is well worth a visit - and it is free. (The gallery is behind the Burlington Arcade). I finally managed to visit yesterday and it was a delight to be able to stand so close to a beautiful array of designs, in particular to see how textured are the designs by Benois for the Ballets Russes, with his liberal use of gold paint. Of special relevance are some of his original costume designs for "Petrouchka" with his handwritten instructions to the makers (luckily in French as I do not read Russian). One for a dancer wearing a pig's head (not sure if this actually made it into the ballet), has the express instruction that the 'mask' must be lightweight which I am sure would have been much to the dancer's relief. There is one well-worn costume on display and, as it is not protected by any casing, it is possible to get close enough to view the craft of the costume-maker in great detail - it fascinated me to see that the button-holes are hand-sewn rather than machine-stitched. There is a selection of creations (figurines and plates) by a Russian porcelain factory and the figurines of Karsavina and Nijinsky are all the more remarkable as they depict ballets they never danced in Russia and therefore photographs must have been used as the models. The exhibition covers works through to the end of the 1930s, including some seen only in Russia. I was very interested to see a series of colour costume designs for the complete ballet "The Fairy Doll" and to realise that Pavlova kept the design for the Fairy Doll character, even down to the hairstyle, when she included the variation in her performances (and included in the films taken of her by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in Hollywood). All in all, a fascinating half hour.

The following has just been posted on my Facebook page and on the ENB website English National Ballet announces promotions 18 Jul 2013, 3:39 p.m. We are delighted to announce that English National Ballet has made the following promotions, with effect from the new Autumn Season: Laurretta Summerscales promoted to First Soloist (currently 5th Year Artist) James Forbat promoted to First Soloist (currently Soloist) Shiori Kase promoted to Soloist (currently 5th Year Artist) Nancy Osbaldeston promoted to First Artist (currently 6th Year Artist) Ksenia Ovsyanick promoted to First Artist (currently 7th Year Artist) Guilherme Menezes promoted to 8th Year Artist (currently 2nd Year Artist) Ken Saruhashi promoted to 8th Year Artist (currently 2nd Year Artist) For further information, interview requests and images please contact Nicola Osmond-Evans, Senior PR Manager at nicola.osmond-evans@ballet.org.uk or 020 7590 2933

With regard to what happens when a superstar is unable to perform, several years ago Domingo was scheduled to sing a role in "Tamerlano" at the Opera House but had to cancel due to an emergency operation. The ROH notified all ticket-holders that the 'surcharge' for a Domingo performance would be refunded to their cards and so it was. It didn't really matter to me as I had not booked to see him but to see my friend who was singing the title role! The refund was, however, gratefully received! As the ROH, or indeed any performing arts company, is not obliged to offer refunds for cast changes, it was a very nice gesture (and probably pre-empted a shedload of complaints!). This is an interesting point about the Company or the Star. A couple of years ago I asked Wayne Eagling why the casting for ENB performances was announced so late and he said it was his great hope that people would come to see the company as a whole, rather than particular dancers, which showed his faith in the company at all levels. This is a fine sentiment and seems to work well for a lot of first-time and occasional balletgoers but people who watch companies on a regular basis inevitably develop preferences for certain dancers in certain roles and I am glad to see that Tamara Rojo announces casting slightly sooner than Wayne did so that it is easier to plan which performances to attend.(It also helps the dancers so that they can book tickets for their friends and families.) I find it is not such an issue with mixed bills, certainly not those including 'Sacre' or 'Etudes,' to think of a couple of recent programmes, where I go to see the work because the Company is the Star. It was the same when I attended many Royal Ballet performances years ago - for the full-length works I liked to book for certain dancers but was happy to just book for the programme when it came to mixed bills.

I don't think it is a question of money but of practicalities. Just because a company is on tour does not mean the rehearsals stop, either for the work currently being performed or for forthcoming works. On a single performance day, rehearsals are held from the end of class, around noon until 6.30pm or whenever the Stage Manager needs the stage to be set for the evening performance. On double show days, that precious time between class and the first show and then between shows is equally well used. Therefore, just because a Principal only does one show in the venue does not mean he/she is not needed for rehearsals. Dancers also like to continue having coaching on roles between their own performances. I think most Principals would prefer to be on tour to take advantage of teachers (nobody likes doing class by themselves), coaches and pianists, rather than being left behind to save the company their touring expenses. Another point is that, with a performing week sometimes having seven performances in five days, there will inevitably at some point be sickness and injuries and the Principal may be required to step in at short notice to do an unscheduled performance with a different partner - much better that they are already on site than have to travel from London. Most ENB Principals remain with the company for each week of the tour and only if there are enough other dancers to cover injury/illness and they have no rehearsals scheduled do they ask permission to arrive late or leave early. If Miss Cojocaru is joining as a Lead Principal and not Principal Guest Artist, I imagine she will be subject to the same terms.

Konvalina injured himself during 'Wayfarer' rehearsals (different injury to his previous one) and didn't dance in "Swan Lake". ENB website has just altered the casting for 'Wayfarer' and Konvalina is to be replaced by Bosch at the matinee on 27 July so we won't be seeing him again this season.

I've just heard from Esteban Berlanga that he will be replacing Konvalina in "Swan Lake" on 16 June, dancing with Erina Takahashi. I'm not sure if he is replacing him for all the performances or just this one at the moment.

I thought it might be interesting for readers to see all the nominations. Excerpts from all the pieces named were danced. Vadim Muntagirov danced the Act III pas de deux from "The Sleeping Beauty" with Daria Klimentova who was not nominated this year (not sure if there is an age limit for dancers). Nominees of Benois de la Danse-2013 CHOREOGRAPHERS: HANS VAN MANEN — Variations for Two Couples, B. Britten, E. Rautavaara, S. Kovács Tickmayer, A. Piazolla. Dutch National Ballet, JUSTIN PECK — Year of the Rabbit, S. Stevens. New York City Ballet, CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON — Cinderella, S. Prokofiev. Dutch National Ballet, GEORGE WILLIAMSON — Firebird, I. Stravisky. English National Ballet; BALLERINAS: GUDRUN BOYESEN — Marguerite Gautier in The Lady of Camellias, F. Chopin/J. Neumeier. Royal Danish Ballet, MARIA KOCHETKOVA — Tatiana in Onegin, P. Tchaikovsky/J. Cranko. San-Francisco Ballet, KSENIA OVSYANICK — The title role in Firebird, I. Stravinsky/G. Williamson. English National Ballet, EKATERINA PETINA — Broken Fall, B. Adamson/R. Maliphant. Bavarian State Ballet, OLGA SMIRNOVA — Nikia in La Bayadère, L. Minkus/M. Petipa, version by Y. Grigorovich; Aspicia in Pharaoh's Daughter, C. Pugni/P. Lacotte after M. Petipa; Anastasia in Ivan the Terrible, S. Prokofiev/Y. Grigorovich; Principal in Diamonds of Jewels, P. Tchaikovsky/G. Balanchine. Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, ANNA TSIGANKOVA — The title role in Cinderella, S. Prokofiev/Ch. Wheeldon. Dutch National Ballet; DANCERS: TARAS DOMITRO — Lensky in Onegin, P. Tchaikovsky/J. Cranko. San-Francisco Ballet, MATTHEW GOLDING — Prince in Cinderella, S. Prokofiev/Ch. Wheeldon. Dutch National Ballet, VLADISLAV LANTRATOV — Solor in La Bayadère, L. Minkus/M. Petipa, version by Y. Grigorovich; the title role in Ivan the Terrible, S. Prokofiev/Y. Grigorovich, ALBAN LENDORF — Armand Duval in The Lady of Camellias, F. Chopin/J. Neumeier. Royal Danish Ballet, TIGRAN MIKAYELYAN — Third duo in Goldberg Variations, I. -S. Bach/J. Robbins. Bavarian State Ballet, VADIM MUNTAGIROV — Prince in Sleeping Beauty, P. Tchaikovsky/K. MacMillan. English National Ballet. EDWARD WATSON — Principal in Fool's Paradise, J. Talbot/Ch. Wheeldon. Royal Ballet, London.

Guess I must have walked fast!