Naomi M

Yes, Hayward replaced Salenko who could not come to Japan and that was almost a last minute replacement.

Today's Don Quixote cast has just been announced and Reece Clarke is listed as the Fandango Soloist so I suppose he is okay. I will be at this performance so I'll see. https://www.nbs.or.jp/publish/news/2019/06/-626.html (Japanese)

It is a relatively small role, but the beginning was that May Nagahisa was invited to Mariinsky International Festival 2016 while she was still a student at the Princess Grace Academy and only 16, when she danced the Manu solo of La Bayadere. Then next year, she joined Mariinsky as a trainee, and entered the Company as a second soloist when she became 18. (although she danced many soloist roles when she was still a trainee)

Thank you all for your warm responses, it is really nice to feel the love of fellow ballet fams! Today I attended Lauren Cuthbertson/Matthew Ball's performance, another excellent and very different performance which was also received enthusiastically . I have some deadlines to write articles till tomorrow. (I am a journalist on ballet) so meanwhile I don't have enough time to write a detailed review but I very much echo Jenny Taylor's excellent report. Very happy to see that Reese Clark is back from injury and played Espada with a dangerous sensual portrayal. (also he was one of the toreadors on opening night) I loved the chemistry between Cuthbertson and Ball, they are excellent actors and I could hear their conversation, and they were such sweet young lovers. I liked that Kitri kicked Basilo after the romantic La Bayadere duet, Cuthbertson was indeed naughty! Ball threw in two 540 turns in his 3rd act variation, and Lauren kept on changing the spotting by 45 degrees in the latter half of her fouettes. I was particularly impressed by the beautiful epaulement and expressive upper body of this couple, which made the drama and the dancing more eloquent. Yuhui Choe as the Queen of the Dyards was so lovely and elegant, musical. I can't believe Romany Pajdak is still a First artist, she is doing numerous soloist roles excellently such as the Fandango soloist and one of the Flower Girls( Kitri Friends) .

Yes they did have the full set. The stage of Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is relatively large. (a bit shallow though) I do think should refrain from posting here because sorry I am a non-native English speaker and I am not so good in writing and occasionally got scolded for that. I thought it was popular to call the first two with their nicknames but I should refrain from that too. Sorry! But I would say Tonight's performance with Marcelino Sambe and Yasmine Naghdi was also fabulous and the audience was very enthusiastic again, in spite of cast changes I think the audience were all very happy. Sambe might have to improve his partnering skills a little but his leaps beyond gravity were amazingly high and still he had such elegance as well. Yasmine's long balances in the adagio were lovely and also nailed her fouettes with all doubles in the first half. I am not a big fan of this production but i like the ending where everyone is happy, including Gamache.

I have worked on Japanese subtitles for this DVD and indeed this is a jewel, it should be a joy for not only students but people who enjoy watching ballet. The students are James Hay, Chisato Katsura, Romany Pajdak Ruth Brill, Laura Day, Brandon Lawrence, Lachlan Monaghan and they show their virtuoso technique here which is a joy to watch. Cecchetti is focused on elauplement and the upper body strength, speed and the clarity of the steps and I had the impression that this method would be essential especially if you are learning to dance Aston.

Maybe the discussion forum might be appropriate but the opening night of the Japan tour was a big success. Tickets were completely sold out, the audience applauding for a long time with everyone in the orchestra stalls giving standing ovations. The performance was glorious with Nela and Vadream giving the best they got, such brilliant, virtuoso technique by the two, the warm and sunny character of Nela perfect as Kitri. They are completely on a different level, ballet gods. Fumi Kaneko regal and beautiful Queen of Dryads. a delightful Anna-Rose O'Sullivan as the Cupid, Gary Avis's loving father Lorenzo, to mention a few...All the dancers were having great fun on stage, and an especially large applause for Ryoichi Hirano's Espada as the homecoming hero. The only negative point was that Laura Morera was injured and was not able to perform (not sure if she can return on the 25th) but Claire Calvert replaced her beautifully. Hope Laura will be back for at least the gala where she will be performing Manon and Masha in Winter Dreams. Very happy to know that the company is in excellent condition and everyone was enjoying. I will see 3 more performances of Don Quixote.

I will see both casts : )

The pieces supposed to be performed have changed a lot, at first it was supposed to include works by McGregor and Scarlett. This program has only just been announced with the casting on June 13th. (by the way, Birthday Offering will be danced at Miyako Yoshida's farewell gala in August, and Yoshida will dance the Fonteyn part with Bonelli. But the tickets got sold out in a blink of an eye)

Casting of Japan Tour, Gala Program https://www.nbs.or.jp/publish/news/2019/06/post-803.html Winter Dreams (in Full) 6/29 Lamb, Muntagirov, Naghdi, Mendizabal 6/30 Morera, Hirano, Naghdi, Calvert A tribute to Margot Fonteyn (both dates) Sleeping Beauty Rose Adagio Nunez Avis, Kish, Whitehead, Edmonds Manon Bedroom Pas de duex 6/29 Morera, Hirano 6/30 Cuthbertson, Muntagirov Ondine (both dates) Hayward, Watson Romeo and Juliet act 1 pas de deux (both dates) Osipova, Corrales Symphony in C 6/29 Kaneko, Nunez, Choe, Naghdi, Ball, Hirano, Campbell, Zuchetti 6/30 Kaneko, Lamb, Magri, Heyward, Ball, Clarke, Sambe, Acri Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes.

By the way, the performances of Don Quixote in Tokyo originally supposed to be Takada/ McRae were sold out (as well as the opening night and the 2 galas) so they did not have to boost ticket sales.

According to this article,　 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/arts/dance/jane-eyre-cathy-marston-american-ballet-theater.html Kevin McKenzie asked Marston to mount this in a short period.

Also, the soloists, Espada, Mercedes, the Queen of the Dryads are announced as well. June 22nd matinee Naghdi, Campbell →　Magri replaces Naghdi June 22nd evening and 25th Takada, McRae →　Naghdi, Sambe Reece Clarke is cast as Espada on June 23rd so they are supposing he will be back by then.

Vasiliev is out from Don Q but is scheduled to appear in Spartacus and The Bright Stream as previously announced so I don’t think he is injured.

A lot of changes to the casting of Bolshoi Summer tour at ROH as Lantratov withdrew because of his injury.

London Theatre Direct halt ticket sales for Sergei Polunin at the London Palladium in light of homophobic comments posted on Instagram (May 21st) https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/london-theatre-direct-halt-ticket-sales-for-sergei-polunin-at-the-london-palladium-in-light-of-homophobic-comments-posted-on-instagram (but tickets are available on other retailers)

Are you able to read Japanese? There is a Japanese ticket exchange/re-sale website where people post their extra tickets and some are selling tickets for the Royal Ballet's gala. The rule is, you have to sell it no more than the retail price on the ticket. I often sell my extra tickets here. If you can use Japanese this is definitely worth trying. https://okepi.net/dance/dance.aspx

Regarding the withdrawal of Takada and McRae (both due to injury) for the Japan tour, who will replace them will definitely be a sign. This pair was supposed to do 2 performances of Don Quixote. It might be possible that first soloists will take over the role, and as a result someone might got promoted.

Announcement from the Japanese impresario NBS that Akane Takada and Steven McRae are unable to perform during the Japan tour this June. Replacements are TBA. https://www.nbs.or.jp/publish/news/2019/05/post-799.html Also Takada withdraws from Miyako Yoshida's farewell performance. Hope the two of them will recover quickly...

Cojocaru and McRae have guested in Tokyo Ballet's Ashton The Dream in 2007. Although McRae was a substitute to the injured Kobborg, he was still a soloist then. We have a lot of Royal Ballet dancers guesting in Japan, in 2006 Cojocaru and Bonneli has guested in National Ballet of Japan's Cinderella. Cojocaru, Kobborg, McRae, Benjamin, Bussel, Cope, Rojo have all guested here before Polunin getting prominent. Sergei Polunin has guested in Noriko Kobayashi Theatre's Nutcracker in 2010. Of course I have heard that many dancers not being able to guest because the company does not permit them, but it is not only RB, it happens more or less in other companies too.

Also Irek Mukhamedov will be partnering Yoshida in a piece that will be announced later.

Details of Yoshida’s Farewell gala in August has been announced, I went to the press conference https://www.nhk-p.co.jp/ballet/news.html#190513 Dancers from Royal Ballet, Bonelli, Takada, Hirano, Naghdi, Hay, Hinkis, Zuchetti as well as principals of major Japanese companies will join Yoshida to celebrate her 35 year career. Yoshida will be dancing the Fonteyn part from Birthday Offerings, Ashton Cinderella 3rd act solo and pas de deux from Peter Wtight’s Swan Lake act 4. Naghdi and Hirano Nutcracker, Takada and Hay in Anastasia , Hinkis, Zuchetti, Takada, Naghdi and Hay in Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, as well as Bintley’s Flowers of the Forest and Sylvia by Japanese dancers. This will be filmed and broadcasted on TV here.

Yes, Sasaki is a very popular name in Japan, but Sumina Sasaki's father Dai Sasaki was a big name in ballet in Japan, a Varna and Silver medalist and Jackson and Perm Gold medalist, and still dances on major stages here. Her mother, brother and sister are all professional ballet dancers.

From Johan Kobborg's Twitter

That is true, nearly a year ago there was a documentary in Japan called "Akane and Ryoichi, the splendor of Royal Ballet", on their daily life at ROH, interview with them and Kevin O'Hare, Miyako Yoshida visiting them and the full version of their Nutcracker pas de duex.