capybara

Please could the good detectives above post some links? Thank you!

Well, I had an humming, foot-tapping neighbour for the Sylvia matinee. But, hey, he was having a lovely time and its Christmas.

Just dropping you a reminder, Sim Looking forward to reading your views.

I find the habit difficult to tolerate as well. However, I think we have to understand that, in some cultures, it is the norm to sniff in one's mucous rather than to blow it out.

This competition tomorrow night in Prague (16th December 2017) will be live steamed here: https://www.youtube.com/user/YoungDancers It starts at 7.00pm UK time. A list of the competitors is here: https://youngdancers.tv/

Joseph Caley (ex BRB), who joined ENB last summer as a Principal, was promoted to Lead Principal on stage tonight after his appearance as The Nephew/Prince in The Nutcracker.

The heading is still hilarious. Alexander Campbell will look great in a dress But poor Marcellino Sambe.

I have been waiting to comment until I had seen all three casts: now I have (but not Bonelli!). I fell in love with Sylvia when it was revived in 2003/4 and ended up kicking myself that I hadn’t invested in more tickets. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again . This is a ballet which should be, and indeed often rightly is, all about the lead ballerina. But that wasn’t altogether the case this time – but back to that later. All three Sylvias danced strongly and gave us different sides of the character in each act. For me, in Act 1, Cuthbertson was forcefully ‘amazonian’. Osipova was vigorous but somehow less dominant until she was hurtfully rejecting of Aminta’s adoration. Nunez was softer while ‘having a ball’ with her attendants and being disdainful of Aminta. In Act 2, I felt that Cuthbertson’s characterisation of fear and seductiveness was spot on whereas the facial expressions from Nunez and Osipova offered less contrast between being scared and being alluring. For Act 3, all three artists danced with the kind of aplomb associated with a celebration of love and Osipova seemed to add pleasing little nuances to her solo. However, Cuthbertson and Nunez appeared to relate more to the people around them on stage. Indeed, throughout the ballet, both of them came across as ‘real’, and I liked them for that. I have seen some negative comment about Hirano as Orion but he transmitted to me more powerfully than either Soares (an experienced baddie) or Kish (so glad for him that he is back on stage). But I enjoyed all three – along, of course, with the Slaves (well done to the fleet-footed David Yudes) and, later, the Goats (especially the coquettish Anna Rose O’Sullivan) and the Dianas (Mendizabal, Crawford and Calvert). Now to the ‘main man’. As I think I said earlier in this thread, Aminta is so often a cypher and can so easily end up being little more that a partner in socks and skirts. But, this time, things were very different. Reece Clarke was ‘the complete package’. With his height, he would be difficult to miss on stage but he delivered a believable character, danced beautifully and partnered attentively. His stagecraft is splendid, giving no hint that he is not yet a Principal, and he and Lauren look good together. As for Vadim Muntagirov........He was simply awesome. His first plaintive solo is danced with a rare eloquent beauty and, despite that and his ‘princely’ track record, he is totally convincing as a lowly shepherd in love. In Act 3, his fabulous technique was on glorious display in Aminta’s variation, last night garnering more cheers and applause than Sylvia’s solo which precedes it. And, added to that, his partnering of both Nunez and Osipova in what is generally reckoned to be a complex pdd has been impeccable. What a truly wonderful artist he is! So, if I were a critic and wanted to give a review of Sylvia an appropriate headline it would be, “Luminous Muntagirov steals the show!” I am so glad for him that both the formal reviews and the comments online have been unanimous and fulsome in their praise.

I've just seen online that BRB's performance of The Nutcracker today (Sunday 10th December) was cancelled because of the snow. Such a shame for all the audience for whom this would have been a Christmas treat and a pity for the dancers, especially those in the leading roles, who will have missed a show.

I do so agree - absolutely superb and I'm wondering how I came to overlook it. But the (lovely) problem with some dancers is they offer an embarrassment of riches from which to choose and Muntagirov is one such artist

I am not really a cryer but watching ballet does have the capacity to moisten my eyes and tighten my stomach. As this thread started with a question focused on dancers, I have made the following list (oldest to youngest, I think! ) and have limited myself to 10 with a maximum of three examples so as not to be boring: Vladimir Vasiliev* (the Nutcracker Prince awakening, Act 1 Grigorovich version, Spartacus) Irek Mukhamedov (Spartacus, Ivan the Terrible and Rudolf in Mayerling) Altynai Asylmuratova (Medora in Le Corsaire, Nikiya in La Bayadere, and Natalia Petrovna in Month in the Country) Nina Ananiashvili (Juliet, Giselle (and Myrtha), and Kitri in Don Quixote) Daria Klimentova (the older Clara’s entrance in Nutcracker, the Tchaikovsky pdd and other gala pdd with Vadim Muntagirov) Sarah Wildor (Manon, Juliet, Ondine) Elena Glurdjidze (Marguerite and Armand in Tiblisi, Aurora, and Raymonda Act 3) Ivan Putrov (Pierrot Lunaire, Prodigal Son, and Romeo) Alina Cojocaru (Tatiana in Onegin, lead woman in Scarlett’s No Man’s Land, and Manon) Vadim Muntagirov (Des Grieux in Manon, Solor in La Bayadere, Albrecht in Giselle and – cheating my own limits here - along with Campbell and Ball as The Young Man in Two Pigeons) * mainly from recordings Thinking further about these choices and why these artists have moved me over the years I realise that what most stirs my emotions is the sheer beauty of dancing combined with totally believable characterisation. Other factors can include: the storyline and the choreography (obviously) but not necessarily the sad stuff a specific (fond) gesture, anguish or another particular facial expression stage magnetism (or even technical wizardry) the music which can sometimes overpower one (in a good way, not least in the Royal Ballet School’s grand defile) the chemistry of a partnership (a separate list would also include Guillem/Cope in Manon Act 3 and Naghdi/Ball especially in Romeo and Juliet) the surprise factor (for example, Cojocaru’s wonderful Tatiana when she was barely into her twenties); the circumstances (for example, Mukhamedov’s last Rudolf at the ROH, Muntagirov’s first performance with the Royal Ballet and many more, including Naghdi’s debut as Aurora) the ‘can it be true that I’m lucky enough to actually be here seeing this?’ factor which applies to many of the performances above and so many more (including Gediminas Taranda as Abderakhman in the Bolshoi’s Raymonda) I appreciate that my Top Ten is far from contemporary, that my choices lean heavily towards Russia/Eastern Europe and that I have omitted many amazing dancers from the past and the present. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really around to see in their prime Fonteyn, Nureyev, Dowell, Seymour, Baryshnikov or many of the Festival Ballet/ENB principals that others have mentioned. However, looking to the future and on the basis of the effect that they have had on me over the last year, I have an inkling that it won’t be long before other ‘great artists in the making’ (such as Yasmine Naghdi and Cesar Corrales) will simply have to be on my list.

That is why I value this forum. I can read here about companies, productions, performances and artists which I am unable to get to see very often - and I can learn from other people's views about them.

In the face of all the critical reviews I went to see this show with no great expectations but, hopefully, with an open mind. And I liked it - all of it. Scriabiniana was a dancing treat and it was refreshing to be introduced to a 'new' old ballet. The whole team of dancers was splendid. Although Satori started with puzzling lighting effects, it told an apposite story clearly and movingly. The child, Tom Waddington, was a sheer delight. Maybe I would feel differently about Polunin's dancing if I hadn't been watching from Coli ceiling level ( ! ! ! ) but I was happy to take what he was offering at face value and applaud heartily along with the hundreds of people far younger than me who had been drawn to watch dance because of him. It was great to see a very different audience from those I am accustomed to enjoying themselves so much. Surely this is good?

Included In today's Links, there is a review from the Guardian by David Jays which ends by saying that it's ’s too easy to mock Sergei's aspirations. He continues: "There’s no snob like a ballet snob, and the ceaseless fusillade of snarky titters and sighs from the people sitting behind me rankled because many other dance fans still seem engaged in Polunin's angst-paved journey.............(and)........... long to be able to thoroughly enjoy his talent."

In The Nutcracker on 9th December, James Hay replaces Benjamin Ella as Hans Peter: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-james-hay-to-dance-in-the-nutcracker-on-9-december-2017 In Sylvia on 11th December, Vadim Muntagirov replaces Federico Bonelli: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-vadim-muntagirov-to-dance-in-sylvia-on-11-december-2017

I understand that the orchestra for Satori is, in fact, the ENO's. I think that there is a concern to protect and optimise the Polunin 'brand'.

I think that, 15 years on, the role of the Rose Fairy has achieved greater prominence in the minds of ballet fans because Yasmine Naghdi in particular makes such a positive impression in the role .

Was anyone there last night?

........... or an overbearing smell of alcoholic drink. Please enrol me in your fuddy duddy club, Sim.

Well, I did say that the oral correction of the printed slips had caused confusion But I think that the eventual casting that I offered above was correct

Most of the leading dancers wear blonde wigs which are glued as well as pinned onto their hair. They were very much in evidence on Takada and Hirano at the General Rehearsal.

Casting for the cinema relays and the first nights speaks volumes about the relative status of the RB's Principals in the minds of management. It's almost as if there is a Lead Principal rank as at ENB. Interestingly, however, people who post regularly on this forum are not entirely at one with Kevin O'Hare. Moreover, the focus of interest here feels, in the main *, as if it leans towards the 27 and under age group, irrespective of rank. And there are some Principals who hardly ever get a mention. Not sure why this is. * Campbell and Osipova being obvious exceptions!

I wish the couple happiness, of course - and a measure of good luck in weathering the various tensions they will inevitably encounter. I was surprised that most of the participants on Channel 4's Gogglebox were tending, at minimum, to take the rise out of the situation and the individuals concerned.

Oh dear, I'd decided not to go to the cinema for casting reasons even though I love Hayward and Campbell as Clara and Hans Peter. But now Sim has thrown Naghdi's Rose Fairy into the melt and I'm at sixes and sevens .

Fumi Kaneko replaced Tierney Heap as one of Sylvia's Attendants in Act 1. Annette Buvoli and Leticia Dias replaced Helen Crawford and Tierney Heap as Attendants in Act 3. David Donnelly replaced Benjamin Ella as Apollo in Act 3 (with Lara Turk who was listed on the cast sheet). The cast change notices were not available in some locations before the show and were then difficult to find in the intervals. However, they were inaccurate and an announcement was made to correct the misinformation, which itself caused confusion.