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Fonty

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  1. Fonty
    Janet, any chance you or one of the other moderators could shift the PC posts to a new thread? I am dying to joing in, but I feel the original topic of Monotones and 2P is being lost in a maze of comments about other issues.
  2. Fonty
    Just musing here about the choice of male dancers. Would you say that Anthony Dowell "transformed male ballet"? He was a fabulous dancer, for sure, but isn't he mainly known for his wonderful partnership with Sibley? And the same for Mukhamedov and Ascosta. Fantastic dancers, but did they actually transform anything? Do we know the full list of names? Someone mentioned Nureyev, who is an obvious choice, and also Nijinsky. Or is it is simply a case that Darcey talks to male ballet dancers who are still alive.
  3. Fonty
    Maybe this could be started as a separate thread? I am sure people will have plenty to say about it?
  4. Fonty
    It was not my intention to attack anyone personally, and I apologise if any poster thought that was the case. I was just being a little bit more robust in my opinions that usual! (I am allergic to PC) I think the point I was trying to make was that ballet is based on fairy tales and fantasy. If the word gypsy is offensive to some, then perhaps they could mentally substitute "exotic foreigner". And I don't think I was being illogicial - merely applying the same criteria to other aspects of the art form. Anyway, back to last night. First of all, I adored the concept, costumes and choreography of both parts of Monotones. I had no problems at all with the caps, they looked elegant and charming to me. However, although the music for 1 was gorgeous, it just didn't work properly for me, and I think it boiled down to one simple fact. The dancing wasn't good enough. I checked to see who the original cast were, and it was Antoinette Sibley, Georgina Parkinson, and Brian Shaw. Three superb dancers at the top of their field. Last night we got 2 first artists and a first soloist, and I think it was too hard for at least one of the females. I don't know which lady was the one standing on the right from the point of view of the audience, but she didn't manage a single arabesque without wobbling. Unfortunately, she was the one who was always at the front when they were lined up one behnd the other, so there was no hiding place for her, and I felt myself getting more and more tense as I watched. Having said that, I thought James Hay looked very comfortable and gave a good performance. Which is why Monotones II was so wonderful I felt I could relax in the capable hands of Nunez. But then, she is a principal with a proven track record in the Ashton rep, so I would expect nothing else. Watson also looked good, and I don't remember feeling that Hristov stuck out too much, but I wasn't really looking at him. Nunez stole the show. Regarding Two Pigeons, altough I thoroughly enjoyed it, I didn't like it as much as when I saw the BRB production. I am trying to put my finger on why this was. Morera was sensational, as everyone has said, and I thought the gypsy traveller exotic foreign dancers were terrific - showy, lively and fun. It was the bits in the attic that seemed a bit flat. Muntagirov was great (is there nothing he can't do?) so that only leaves Cuthbertson. She danced beautifully, but I don't remember the Girl being such an annoying character before, she seemed a bit too young and childish. I remember Lynn Seymour saying that the key to the character was to make her hoydenish, and I wasn't getting this at all from Cuthbertson. All I saw was an irritating girl, and I am not surprised the young man left her. What amazed me was that he went back, although the final pas de deux showed he had made the right choice.
  5. Fonty
    Well, I was going to post my thoughts about last night, but I seem to have stepped in to the Political Correctness forum by mistake! Instead, I shall say that if PC starts creeping in to ballet, then I shall stop going. Can we not just accept that the gypsies are an excuse for some exotic costumes and lively dancing, and leave it at that? Or do we have to comb through every ballet and take out everything that is deemed unacceptable to today's sensitive dispositions? Perhaps we should rename them Travellers? And what costumes would modern audiences find acceptable? Otherwise, I can see we shall have to get re-choreograph all those national dances in the Nutcracker (we can't have such stereotyping of all the countries, and anyway the music isn't right) Cut out all those peasants that feature so heavily in so many productions (they are now esteemed agricultural workers, and must be shown as the equals of everyone else on stage). Swan Lake must be cancelled (animal cruelty) Ditto the Bluebirds in the Sleeping Beauty, not the mention Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. No more Shades in La Bayadere, as it seems to be saying that drug taking is glamorous. No princesses (the idea of a monarchy in today's society is totally unacceptable) No kissing the Sleeping Beauty to arouse her from her sleep. This must surely be sexual assault, she is incapable of giving her consent. Etc etc etc I shall now stomp off and have a col shower to calm down.
  6. Fonty
    I would have no problem at all if the programme was "Darcey's Ballet Heroes - as told to...".followed by the name of an experienced presenter. I thought the chap who co-presented Romeo and Juliet with her was excellent, and they seemed to have a nice rapport together on screen. Sorry, I can't remember his name. She could relax and talk about her own experiences, and share her knowledge. The male interviewees such as Underwood could simply talk to camera; it is not necessary for the viewer to hear the questions being put to them. I do wonder why the BBC persists in running programmes where Darcey has to be in shot all the time. While she is an attractive woman, surely the focus of the programme should be the male dancers. Unless she is going to get into ballet gear and get them to do a bit of partnering? Edited to add that while Lucy Worsley does seem to be getting a lot of time on the BBC, she is a very lively and interesting personality, and she does seem to be able to bring out the best in the people she is interviewing. I haven't seen the programme about horses, but I have watched other programmes she has presented, and thoroughly enjoyed them.
  7. Fonty
    I won't pass comment on Cuthbertson until I have seen her. However, from the things I have seen her in, she doesn't strike me as being a natural for the Ashton style.
  8. Fonty
    I wish I had Darcey's agent! He or she does a wonderful job of keeping her firmly in the public eye. Sorry, but the fact that she is presenting it is enought to put me off watching, she simply isn't very good at it, and she really should be, given the amount of chances she has had. I also find this quote rather odd: "Bussell will then interview two stars of the future: Eric Underwood and Alban Lendorf, who are taking ballet into a new era of men who are viewed as equally glamorous as ballerinas." I know nothing about Alban Lendorf, but it seems to imply that in order to classify as one of Darcey's ballet "heroes", you have to be gorgeous looking as well as talented. And Eric Underwood has been dancing with the Royal Ballet for nearly 10 years. He is hardly a newcomer.
  9. Fonty
    It is interesting that while some or all of the ladies are being praised in Monotones 1 & 2, there are hardly any comments on the men by the critics. Has anyone seen Watson? I am going on Tuesday, and am looking forward to seeing him doing some pure classical dance.
  10. Fonty
    Thanks for that, Floss. You have confirmed my earlier thoughts about this, but expressed it much better than I ever could! Although Guillem, Bussell and Yanowski are probably taller than normal, the average height of dancers is probably still in the 5' 2" to 5' 6" range, as it was about 50 years ago (although the upper limit may have gone up one inch). I really think that some of the more famous dancers have been allowed to alter timings to suit themselves, rather than as the choreographer originally created it. Didn't the current crop of dancers ask for the music of Symphonic Variations to be played a bit slower, so that they could point their feet? I know nothing about opera, but do the stars slow down arias, or prolong the top notes in order to show off their vocal dexterity? Or are they required to sing it the way the composer intended?
  11. Fonty
    Well, I am not sure, but probably the taller you are, the harder it is for you to cope with the quickness required? But is there an optimum size? How tall does a dancer have to be before they cease to be able to cope with Ashton?
  12. Fonty
    It is good to hear that Ashton is popular with the current crop of dancers. I did wonder if, in the past, the dancers themselves were the reason that certain Ashton works were performed so rarely. If, as AD, you feel that the majority of your principals are not going to excel in those works, either because they are physically or technically unsuited to them, you are not likely to think about staging them.
  13. Fonty
    Ah, Daphnis. I saw the wonderful Yoshida in this. :sigh:
  14. Fonty
    I get emails for ROH regularly. I used to get something through the post for BRB & ENB, but that has vanished. However, I get an email periodically from the Coliseum, which covers ENB.
  15. Fonty
    I am surprised by the fact that the RNZB in Canterbury had such a small audience. My niece likes to travel there to watch various dance companies, and it seems there is quite a good appetite for ballet in Kent, from what she has told me. Generally, I think publicity these days tends to rely heavily on the internet. I get emails telling me about various productions, but only if I happen to be on the mailing list to start with. And there is a limit to the number of mailing lists I can subscribe to before my mail box gets too full. Other than that, my main source is the tube, where I can see the posters they put up. Which, of course, is no help to those who don't travel on it.
  16. Fonty
    I am really looking forward to seeing this again. I have such happy memories of the last time I saw it, with BRB in London. Not so many comments on Monotones. Is this because people didn't enjoy it, or for some other reason. I shall be interested in how this is performed. I've noticed before that it is often the ballets by Ashton that do not require any acting, simply pure dance, that tend to suffer a little when I have seen them. In particular, timing often eludes some of the dancers when performing a piece where everyone should be moving as a single entity.
  17. Fonty
    Goodness, those pictures make it look as though the dancers have giant codpieces on their heads. Of course, it could just be the angle of the photo. I like the neat, clean lines of the current caps shown in Dave's lovely photos. I can't see anything wrong with them, personally. I can see the reasons for them, and the only alternative would be to have the men and women wear matching wigs. which would probably look very odd indeed.
  18. Fonty
    Well, we are talking about Madame Non here! I wish I could find the piece on line, but I clearly remember that it was suggested that she appear in Monotones, and she said she would not do so unless they got rid of the caps.
  19. Fonty
    Does that mean that Zakharova doesn't get to dance in Don Quixote after all?
  20. Fonty
    I remember that Sylvie Guillem once said she was asked to dance in Monotones, and refused for exactly the same reason.
  21. Fonty
    I hope the pigeons are all UK trained, and not guest pigeons from abroad.
  22. Fonty
    The height range for the corps was 5'2" to 5'5" in my day. And I think the average height for a woman in this country is 5'3". (?)
  23. Fonty
    I find that ticket sales are often sluggish before many of the ballets open. I remember being astounded at the number of tickets for sale for the last run of Fille. Of course, once the reviews came out, they were snapped up. It seems that many people wait until the critics give their opinion? I have found the same thing with tickets for plays, unless it has a starry name like Benedict Cumberbatch, or David Tennant. Sometimes people ask me how on earth I managed to get a ticket for something that has had rave reviews, and I tell them that I booked before the preview night.
  24. Fonty
    It is quite difficult to tell anything from a photo, I find, as frequently the female is bending backwards or forwards. I was just asking out of interest, as I find that these days many female dancers are referred to as petite, when in fact they are about 5' 5" or 5'6", which I would consider to be tall. Especially for a ballet dancer.
  25. Fonty
    I have been looking at the bookings for Two Pigeons for ages, and wondering why there were so many tickets left unsold. It makes me cross, because I bought a ticket ages ago for a seat up in the roof, and I could have got a much better seat for a lot less.
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