capybara

Edward Watson’s only foray into the classical domain was in Giselle. But possibly that came when he was already a Principal.

Lauren did dance O/O a couple of years ago, I think - returning then from maternity leave. So any performances this year would have been more consolidation than revisiting the role after a break.

As she has also withdrawn from other roles in the fairly recent past (Month in 2022), she might have reached a stage in her career where she wants to make choices about her rep.  If so, one can but admire her for that.

(Apologies for speculating.)

Further to this, it has also just been notified that Lauren Cuthbertson will not be dancing Swan Lake this season and will be replaced by Fumi Kaneko on the 15th and 28th March and 1st April.

Osipova and Muntagirov were both recruited at a time when the talent in the RB’s ranks hadn’t developed sufficiently to fill the shoes of a Principal. It certainly has now (arguably to the point of overcrowding), especially with the additions of Bracewell (2016) and Corrales (2018), both of whom came in lower down initially.

I agree with MAB that bringing anyone else in at this stage is both unnecessary and unfair to the RB dancers who are progressing so well. (Shklyarov is 39 by the way and was a stop-gap partner for Osipova when Hallberg could no longer lift her.)

I have seen a fair bit of Frola with ENB but, in my view, the credentials of a few existing RB men outweigh his. Good as he obviously is, I need help in understanding why he has quite such a following.

Despite what I have said, recruitment from outside can have its advantages if the timing is ‘right’. The RB’s past practice is current proof of that.
 

On 22/02/2024 at 00:41, Sim said:

Rojo was invited back to the RB after she had left in order to have a proper farewell performance (M&A with Sergei Polunin). Maybe she could extend the same courtesy to YY Tan.  

She did not formally recognise the retirement of Daria Klimentova and was reportedly not keen on  anything else special being done at the RAH. However fans and dancers took matters into their own hands to memorable effect. Likewise with Elena Glujidze a few months later at the Coli.

Both of these very substantial floral tributes were funded by grateful supporters and recordings are somewhere on YouTube. I hope that YY Tan was similarly showered with flowers from her audience.

The problems began (casting not available until about a week ahead of the first tranche of Friends’ booking) when (a while ago now) tickets went on sale even further ahead of the first ballet in a sub season than had been the case.

In other words, they want our money a.s.a.p. but didn’t fully think the implications through. Is the RB’s AD consulted about timelines (which might vary from one booking period to another)? That should surely be the starting point before any booking dates are set.

I agree with so much of what has been said above. Exceptional circumstances require flexible responses.

But why can’t Friends even be given an insight into the reasons for the casting delay? Repeating the same standard response is only aggravating the situation. 

Hello @Bruce Wall

A significant amount of discussion relating to the autumn season relates to this subject. Maybe you missed it?

However, in view of that, and the fact that it  is, as you say, ‘off subject’, I am excusing myself from responding to your request for further details.

11 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

Just look at the success he has had in building a dedicated audience - and a younger one at that - for McGregor's full-lengths, i.e., Woolf Works and The Dante Project. 

Really? Evidence? Tickets were virtually being given away for Dante.

17 hours ago, SheilaC said:

A while back I wrote to Kevin to ask if regular attendees to the masterclasses could be allowed priority booking. He replied that it would be too complicated,  which I understand. But the outcome will be that some wealthier Friends will secure tickets, even though they have rarely if ever attended a masterclass, while devotees like me may not be able to go.

I don’t get your logic!

So people who have been lucky enough to get Insight tickets in the past are further rewarded with priority booking for this one? Sorry, but that’s rubbish surely?

And I don’t think anyone’s financial status is relevant here.

A very attractive quality of Alexander’s is his concern for others and support for his colleagues.

One example of this shines through in the The Nutcracker documentary where his focus was not on his own performance but on enabling Frankie to ‘nail it’ as a debutante SPF.

And, in his autobiography, Vadim Muntagirov speaks of being lucky to be sharing a dressing room with Alex - a close-up appreciation of the special man he is (which I feel shows on stage).

1 hour ago, Don Q Fan said:

@emeralds as well:-

I thought the Ballet Association organised flower throws with contributions from fans?

I don’t think so! The BA does, however, make gifts to dancers who are leaving.

There are certainly instances where the initiative to throw flowers has been taken by audience members. However, other flower showers have been organised (or  augmented) by the ROH with staff doing the throwing.

17 minutes ago, FionaM said:

   Going to be a challenge for the newbies.  

There were some other new Bennos at the last Swan Lake outing, I think?

Joonhyuk Jun certainly sticks in my mind.

And Teo does say that he’s only had ‘learning calls’ so far (i.e. the very first stage in the preparatory process).

I would urge anyone who thinks that someone is ‘hogging’ Alex to intervene with a reminder (to them both) that there are dozens in the queue !!!

4 hours ago, lady emily said:

Hello everyone. I have never stage doored before but am considering doing it after Alexander Campbell's penultimate performance on 2 March. I'm wondering if anyone here has been to stage doored a retiring principal before, and how hectic it is.  

What happens at the Stage Door after a show varies from performance to performance anyway but, when one throws a retirement into the mix, the timing is anyone's guess.

What we can be sure of, however, is that, although Alex will no longer be detained by corrections from his coach (!) there will be a lot happening on stage - nice things like other Principals coming on to say "cheerio"; an appreciation from KOH; then, once the curtain is closed, a load of greeting guests and photos.

Obviously, the more people there are outside to wish Alex well the better it will be....... but it could get a bit hectic and I expect that the Stage Door staff will need to be 'crowd-managing' in some way.

3 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

….. the Ashton IS important to me. I'm not a Patron, so will I be afforded the right to forego admin fees if I rebook because I can't see who is cast for the Ashton and need to change my tickets once it is? I should email and ask, I think.

Yes, please do write in with that question @Linnzi5 It would be help so many people to have the answer AND also send a message that wouldbe bookers are being inconvenienced big time.

(I would write except that I have the free refund/exchange option.)

I’m concerned that posts on this thread, which are really unsubstantiated hearsay, seem to be being carried forward and built on as if they were fact.

This announcement has caused me to reflect on Alex’s performances. Conclusion: he seemed to be able to ‘deliver in spades’ across an incredibly wide range of rep., with characterisation being a particular strength.

The amount of pleasure you have given me, Alex, is MASSIVE. 
Thank you soooo much 🔥👏🌸

1 hour ago, MAB said:

Is it a thread to ask if there will be a flower throw?

Surely the RB itself should be making sure this happens? 

57 minutes ago, bridiem said:

Not really for this thread, but I personally don't think that anyone else is yet ready to be promoted to principal.

Exactly.

Alex’s international background would appear to be ideal for a role which needs to be high profile across continents.

He will be a great ambassador for ballet training.

Eagling had a fabulous original cast for Men Y Men.

I wonder why it got ‘buried’ so quickly

even when he was AD?

So, if anyone is responding to ENB’s invitation to make suggestions (which I haven’t seen), please let’s get it on the list.

Just to mention that the Arabian Dance in Nutcracker was actually changed originally to reduce the amount of close interpersonal contact among dancers during COVID.

Maybe it should be suggested that returns and exchanges related to tickets purchased before the Ashton casting was announced should not incur a fee?

Everyone who enquires gets the same sort of reply as @JohnS, which was also carried in a letter to  Patrons announcing that ticket allocations for all productions in the Summer Period would be from the 14th Feb. (presumably to keep the remainder of the booking schedule on track date - wise.)
 

Patrons were therefore being urged to ‘book blind’ for the Ashton programmes, although they are able to return or swap without financial penalty.

I would have thought that, by now, it might have been prudent for the RB to say something about the factors involved in the delay - the rights owners? the stagers? the ‘trying out’ of new casts? the kind of juggling between the programmed ballets to which @alison refers? allowing sufficient preparation time for those involved in the preceding productions? injuries which might have healed sufficiently several months ahead?  the parallel involvement of Sarasota?
 

A little openness would go a long way ….

29 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

I agree that Mayara is extremely ready for Manon - she’s certainly given stunning performances as Mistress so far - but I guess that there may have been some final performances reserved for the more experienced principals in this run (hopefully not final for all, but you never know).

Agree that Magri will be a very fine Manon but just to mention that there were two runs of the ballet after Yasmine Naghdi was made a Principal in 2017 yet

she didn’t make her debut in the title role until this year - a wait of 7 years.

Maybe by way of ‘compensation’ Magri appears to have had a ‘larger than most’ amount of stage time (and cinema relays) this season.

23 minutes ago, Roberta said:

I appreciate this is going back to a previous week, for anyone wishing to hear Kevin O'Hare's speech at the end of Manon on the occasion of Roberto Bolle's 25 years with the Royal Ballet it is here. 

 https://youtu.be/KrytUJHqGKc?si=C1zpPjohH7Bx_f4k

 

 I was surprised to see that the statement about Roberto was on every cast sheet, even though he was only dancing twice. That’s more recognition than is sometimes afforded celebrations of real historical significance to the RB.