Fonty

I am sorry if this is a very ignorant question, but I will ask it anyway. Could ENB have danced the MacMillan Rite of Spring if they had wanted to, and had asked permission to do so? Does it belong to the RB, or the MacMillan estate? Just wondering, after reading the comments above. The Royal Ballet don't dance it that often. Not since 2013, according to the ROH back catalogue.

Ah, I see. To be fair, many of the classics do not have substantial roles for the men, and even the principal is often reduced to little more than one or two solos, spending the rest of his time behind the lady supporting her in the pdd work. I have to say that I loved the peasant pdd in the Skeaping version, and I thought it was beautifully danced on both occasions I saw it, and personally I preferred it to the pas de six which doesn't always reflect immaculate group dancing as it should. Maybe the solution is to have the extra suggested by @Jane S

Looking at the photos, Campbell's outfit looked fabulous in the cinema relay, and equally good in the photos above. I love it.

Agree with every word you say. At this rate, we will be lucky to see anything other than a few tutu ballets. And how long will it be before someone somewhere decides that those costumes are inappropriate because they frequently display the gussets of the ladies. With regard to Rojo, well done. I shall be interested to see what she does with this money in the future.

Oh, what is this nonsense about "modern sensitivities?" Since when did we get to be so sensitive? Do people seriously think that by banning Le Corsaire this will achieve anything? This in a modern world where school children seem to watch pornography routinely on line, and if that isn't seriously degrading to women I don't know what is. But goodness me, we can't have a fairy tale consisting of women being depicted as slave girls, and men as pirates. That would never do. How on earth do audiences manage to cope with the brothel and rape scenes in Manon nowadays? I am surprised we don't have a warning at the start, saying the ballet will contain scenes of a sexual nature that may upset some people. In fact, they should be cut out completely. Sorry for ranting, but this sort of think really annoys me.

Strange that many of the critics hold views that are so different to the ones on here. Which is why I love this forum. I would rather trust the reactions of the ballet lovers on here, rather than the professional critics. What a pity Clement Crisp is no longer around. I may not have agreed with everything he said, but at least he had a genuine love of classical ballet.

@PeterS I am curious. Which production makes better use of dancers? Surely there are only so many roles in Giselle, no matter which production is performed.

I think some of the critics gave it rather neutral reviews on the basis of the subject matter, which might have put off people coming to see it. Not because of the political correctness, but because of the resulting lower star rating. I don't know about the rest of the country, but in London there is so much on offer, people may opt to see a show rated 4 or 5 stars rather than one given a 3 star one.. I know when I went to see the Skeaping Giselle I heard people saying they had come from way outside London (Birmingham & Plymouth were two places mentioned) because it had received such glowing reviews.

Perhaps they should give it another go? People are often reluctant to book for a new production, which I believe it was. Given the standard of dancing on display for the last Giselle run, there seems to be some wonderful dancers who could bring real technical fireworks to the stage.

Well I must say I am surprised the Skeaping Giselle is returning so soon. I am pleased as I will see it again, but I hope it doesn't become an annual fixture. I adored Le Corsaire, I am very surprised it didn't sell well. Was that the case everywhere, or just outside London? Were the critics a bit snooty about it? I seem to remember some comments about its lack of political correctness as it featured slave girls and pirates. When I saw it in London, the upper tiers were packed out. I might go to the Forsythe if I am in the UK as it looks interesting and I really loved Playlist. If the ENB staff are reading this forum, then perhaps we can put in some requests for future years. A triple featuring Etudes please.

Yes, I know, and that would have been an interesting discussion. However, that didn't happen. I got the impression that Petroc had realised Darcey was not feeling too comfortable for whatever reason, and quickly came up with something to calm her down and give her something she could talk about without the auto cue.. He comes across as a very calm person who would be excellent to work with, and also very experienced, which is why I was slightly puzzled by what felt like a rather rushed, unplanned question. I don't want to divert the thread too much, and I have said already that she has improved enormously. However, I still think it would be better if Petroc read the auto cue, and Darcey could give us the benefit of her knowledge and experience without having to read a prepared script.

Going back to the cinema relay, I was slightly surprised when Petroc starting talking to Darcey about being MacMillan's muse, and having Prince of the Pagodas created for her at the age of 19. I know she didn't mention it herself, nor was she responsible for those comments being made, but if the aim was to talk about what it was like to work with MacMillan, then that didn't really come across. All she said was "I learned an awful lot" or something of that nature. We were watching a performance of Manon, and while she may have danced it many times, she certain didn't help with its creation. I mention this because I felt it was inappropriate. There were comments on here about dancers using social media to raise their own profiles. Maybe it might be the subject of a separate thread, but is that the best way to raise the profile of ballet in general? I know Darcey is very high profile, but is she really making the public more interested in the current crop of dancers?

It wasn't actually an issue, merely my practical mind at work (again). Campbell played the character in a way that showed he was more than capable of looking after himself in a fight. Lescaut is used to the seedy world that he wants Manon to join, it is Des Grieux who is the odd one out.

Actually, I think Darcey has improved enormously, and Petroc is the best partner she has had. I think they work very well together. Last night I noticed that there was far less quoting from the auto cue, and far more unscripted interviews, which personally I thoroughly enjoyed.

I went to the cinema in Portugal, as I am on holiday at the moment. Mr Fonty said he had never seen Manon before, although I could have sworn he was with me when I saw Morera in the role. The other two friends had definitely never seen it. There was a moment when we got there when the cinema said they were not sure if the performance would go ahead. A problem with the feed, apparently. Fortunately, it was sorted out in time. The cinema was comfortably full, which makes a change from the last time I went to my local in London. Really enjoyed the performance, agree with all the comments above. I am not a die hard Osipova fan, as some are on here, but I thought she was wonderful in this. Clarke is wonderfully good looking - of course a young girl would fall for him. I didn't have any problems with his acting, although I have always thought Des Grieux is a difficult character to portray. Very difficult not to make him a bit weedy and wet, and I couldn't help thinking that as he towered over the rather diminutive Lescaut, he should have been able to physically restrain him and protect his woman. I have always like Campbell in everything I have seen him in, and I wasn't disappointed on this occasion. His drunken pdd with Magri had the audience sniggering out loud. Several points puzzling me. At the start of Act 3, why are the women coming off the boat clutching the tops of their heads? My friend whispered "Do they have lice or something?" With a lack of cast lists and no story synopsis, I couldn't remember the specific reason for that gesture. Are they supposed to have had their heads shaved, and are mourning the lack of hair, as well as generally being in a terrible state after an awful journey? Secondly, when Darcey asked about whether or not the dancers had acting lessons, Kevin O'Hare said the RB employed an intimacy coach. I am sure he said it was to make sure everyone was comfortable with things. I know the story involves sex and rape, but dancers are used to getting close and personal with their partners, it is the nature of the art. I wonder what would happen if a dancer said they were not happy with it! Demand a change of a choreography? Thirdly, I do wish at the end of the performance, we could just savour the moment in the cinema, and watch the curtain calls. Is it really necessary to cut back to the two commentators standing backstage telling us how wonderful it has been and how good the dancers were? I would prefer a short voice over saying something along the lines of "hope you enjoyed it and goodnight.."

I read that as well. I was going to write myself, but then I wondered if the BBC takes notice of the Radio Times feedback? Perhaps emailing the BBC might be a better option? I finally saw the last programme in the series. I love Salut d'Amour. The wonderful music, Ashton kissing Fonteyn's hand as he steps on stage, her radiant smile as she leaves the stage for the last time, all combine to bring a tear to my eye every time I watch it. I do have to say that I thought it was a pity that so much of the last programme was devoted to Marguerite and Armand. I have never really liked it, and even though it was being danced by Fonteyn and Nureyev, nothing convinced me to change my mind. Still, I can see why it was included, and the costumes were gorgeous. I I am glad that I now have a permanent copy of this wonderful programme that I can refer back to from time to time.

Good heavens, I never knew that. What exactly is a partner company? It seems a little odd to me that one of the most prestigious schools in the world is bound by a partnership rule to have a winner in the school/company, when their existing pupils do not participate. Does it have to be the overall winner, or just someone who has won something?

I may be wrong, but my perception is that the Royal Ballet is quick enough to offer places in the Upper School for winners of these competitions.

I recently watched the programme about Darcey Bussell on the BBC, which came on after one of the Magic of the Dance episodes. Maybe she could offer some suggestions as to how to get them interested in the current crop of British dancers. She certainly had spectacular coverage, although I did raise an eyebrow at the claim that she was the greatest ballerina since Margot Fonteyn. I think there were one or two other rather good British born (or British trained) dancers, even if they didn't seem to manage to get themselves on tv quite as much.

I adore the Pet Shop Boys. Alas I shall probably not be in London in July. I am amazed they have produced a show that will fill the ROH stage. Last time I saw them live, there was just the two of them singing and playing. It was a long time ago though....

@Irmgard I would like to second the comments by @Sim above. Your wonderful posts really did add to the whole experience of watching this marvellous production. I hope I can remember them all when ENB performs the ballet again. Next year might be a bit too soon, but the year after perhaps? By that time, I hope the dancers in the lowest ranks who gave such splendid solo performances will have been promoted, as they richly deserve. On that topic, I forgot to mention Anna-Babette Winkler, who really caught my eye as Moyna in the second act. I must confess I misread Mr Paluch's remarks about how Giselle flies, as I was going through it very swiftly with mounting irritation as I read it. No idea why he felt the need to let everyone know how it was done, or the sarcastic way in which he said it. Surely it is a sign of the skills of the performing artists that we get so involved in the story that we don't care about the methods used.

I agree. I have to say that I found the laughter on my first visit coming from a specific group of women behind me a little irritating. However, on reflection I don't think it was disrespectful, more a "Goodness, that surprised me" sort of laugh. @LinMM It certainly wasn't widespread, and I didn't notice any at all on my second visit, which was the school matinee performance.

Hmm. I don't know where to start with that review from Gramilano. Matthew Paluch is an ex ballet dancer, so in theory knows what he is talking about. But I have to say I disagree profoundly with just about all of it. His main gripe seems to be that Giselle wasn't being performed by Osipova. I've never seen her in the role, but I believe I am right in saying that Osipova's interpretation is unique? I mentioned in one of my reviews that some of the audience members laughed at some points during act 2. When I went again, there was still the giggle when Giselle's veil was removed, but thinking about it the laugh seemed more a gasp at the unexpectedness of it, followed by a "oh my, that was a surprise" sort of noise. With regard to his comment: " Myrtha, no matter how convincingly performed, doesn't have actual supernatural powers, nor can Giselle fly." Er? We've already had an interesting discussion about the wings on the Wilis, and if the writer actually appeared in this production he should know all about it. Leaving the issue of flying aside, Mrytha is the leader of a group of women who died as the result of having their hearts broken by men, who roam the countryside at night looking for male jilters they force to dance to death. She commands Giselle to rise from her grave. If that isn't a display of supernatural powers I don't know what is.

Well, that's the tennis all over for now. Just as well, I have been watching about 4 hours of television during the day for the past fortnight. Very pleased that the final today made up for the rather one sided affair yesterday. Well done to all the winners, and special commiseration to Medvedev, who has been in 6 grand slam finals and one only one. Tomorrow must be devoted to household chores, which have been sadly neglected while the tennis was on.

It wasn't just about ballet, and Fonteyn does do a very comprehensive sweep of the history of dance with interesting asides on things such as shoes, stage effects and so on. I suppose she couldn't mention everything, and where she does talk about ballet specifically, it is perfectly understandable that she concentrates on a lot of the stuff that she performed so wonderfully herself. Plus, of course, there was all the controversy about R & J. As a matter of interest, did MacMillan ever choreograph something specifically for Fonteyn?