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Anna C

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    Royal Ballet's Giselle - Autumn 2021

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, alison said:

    Can I just say that, in her unfortunately somewhat premature debut as Myrtha, Annette Buvoli looked as though she'd been dancing the role for years?

     

    I agree.  While she didn’t quite have the terrifying presence of some Myrthas I’ve seen, Buvoli was wonderfully assured and authoritative, showing no sign of nerves whatsoever.  I thought it was an excellent debut, especially given the short notice.  Really lovely to see her receive flowers and lots of well-deserved cheers. 

     

    Cuthbertson and Bonelli are one of my all-time favourite partnerships and having never seen them together in Giselle, I’m glad I chose last night to go.  It’s no secret that I think these two are among the best, if not *the* best actors in the company, and so they proved again last night.  They have wonderful musicality together too, which made them a joy to watch, especially in Act 1. 

     

    In Act 2, Lauren seemed to struggle a tiny bit with the two horribly difficult developpés (I think they go round to arabesque) and one of the ladies in the Corps had a battle with those horrid hops, but other than that, the dancing was seamless, with Bonelli dancing with age-defying stamina.  His Entrechats were fabulous and he faded convincingly towards the end, making the fall to the ground nicely realistic.  

    Bonelli is not a rotter; I can’t dislike his Albrecht (Kobborg was a really convincing cad) even at the beginning.  He seems to be playful and enjoying the fun of pretending to be Loys, but I don’t feel as if he’s playing around with Giselle in any sense other than genuine affection.  It makes his grief immediately after her death more convincing but there is less of an obvious character change from arrogance to remorse.  That works for me, as the change happens gradually during Giselle’s mad scene (outstanding from Cuthbertson, as you’d expect).

     

    Lovely work from the Act 1 Pas de six, especially considering that all six are often First Soloists and Soloists and last night’s was a relatively “young” six, especially in terms of rank (Isabella Gasparini, Benjamin Ella, Mica Bradbury, Charlotte Tonkinson, Joseph Aumeer and the excellent David Donnelly).

     

    Really nice to see Olivia Cowley and Hannah Grennell’s Moyna and Zulme, they danced beautifully together, as did the wonderful Corps (all that sweating during rehearsal paid off).  Loved Christina Arestis’s mime and grieving; I’m not convinced she looks old enough to be Giselle’s Mother but perhaps she was a child bride.  In any case, she’s another dancer who is always outstanding and who I look forward to watching.

     

    So for me, a wonderful performance.  If this run is Bonelli’s last as Albrecht, I’m immensely glad I got to see him and Cuthbertson together.  

     

    Finally, the absence of ushers in the auditorium was alarmingly evident when a man near us stood up during the curtain call, walked towards the front of the stalls and tried to throw a bunch of flowers onstage - his throw failed spectacularly and I think a poor unsuspecting member of the orchestra got hit on the head with them.  Not great for him or her, and really bad from a security point of view (by which I mean he could have thrown anything).  Bizarre. 

     

     

     

     

    • Like 14

    Issues relating to White Lodge

    in Doing Dance

    Posted · Edited by alison
    For clarification

    MODERATORS' NOTE: The following does NOT relate to White Lodge:

     

    On 02/11/2021 at 14:36, taxi4ballet said:

    They closed ranks on us and we were met with a brick wall and an absolute refusal to co-operate. It was only because they knew they'd been negligent (and that we'd take them to the cleaners if it went to court) that we got any concession at all.

    Are you talking about White Lodge/RB Upper School, Taxi?

    • Like 1

    Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Autumn 2021

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, JohnS said:


    I’m very sorry to hear of your pain Anna C and it’s humbling to read of your  experience of Saturday’s matinee. I’ll always remember my wife finding relief from her sciatica, which could be so debilitating, when seeing Yasmine Naghdi’s and Matthew Ball’s Romeo and Juliet debut. She found such performances transcended pain and were indeed life enhancing. With the Royal Ballet in such good form, I do hope you’ll find future performances similarly uplifting and reduce the need for such concentration on pain management.

     

    That’s so kind, John, thank you.  Like your Wife, I find ballet life-enhancing and an escape from pain, especially when the marriage of music, choreography and drama all blends so seamlessly and beautifully.  It’s one of the reasons I love MacMillan’s choreography so very much; when performed wonderfully by partnerships like Bracewell and Kaneko, Romeo and Juliet are not dancing steps, they’re *being*.   I can forget all pain, both physical and emotional, and live every moment with them.  

     

    It’s an expensive means of pain relief, but definitely my favourite! ☺️

    • Like 15

    Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Autumn 2021

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    Dawnstar, I’m convinced Bonelli has a portrait in the attic.  He never seems to age!  He is a wonderful actor though; one of the very best, so I’m sure that helps.  

     

    I’ve had a couple of days to digest what I saw on Saturday afternoon, so I’ll try to write coherently now, despite only having had one cup of coffee this morning.

     

    Firstly, WHY isn’t William Bracewell a Principal.  His dancing is beautiful, his landings are light, he’s a superb partner, and a very fine actor already.  It seems crazy to me that he hasn’t yet been promoted, and I hope Kevin O’Hare saw both Bracewell’s performances of R&J and rectifies this oversight ASAP.

     

    The chemistry between William and Fumi Kaneko is off the charts.  I haven’t felt weepy at a studio rehearsal since 2014 (?) when Bonelli and Nuñez rehearsed the final pdd from Manon.  Yet watching the balcony scene rehearsal last week on World Ballet Day had me in tears, so an even bigger thank you to the person/s unknown who returned seats for Saturday’s matinée.  

     

    As soon as the lights dimmed and the beautiful rich sound of the ROH orchestra began, I felt real joy at being back.  Wonderful goings-on in the marketplace with lovely acting by the younger artists in the company.  A super trio of Harlots was led by the astonishingly versatile Kristen McNally, who was so funny, proudly lifting her skirts to show her leotard “knickers” in order to shock the more prudish members of the Verona streets. 

     

    Nice to see Ryoichi Hirano onstage as Tybalt but I do prefer him as Paris; his Tybalt was vicious and supercilious but rather one-dimensional, especially when compared to the great and nuanced Tybalts of Gary Avis and Matthew Ball.  Hirano did die very well though!

     

    Joseph Sissens’ acting skills have really come on since I saw him as Lensky, and he will surely develop further to have even more presence as Benvolio in future.  He and Luca Acri were a good team and I felt a good bond between them and Romeo.  

     

    Christopher Saunders is my favourite Lord Capulet so far so I was pleased to see him perform as quietly terrifyingly as ever.  The lovely Nathalie Harrison didn’t quite live up to Christina Arestis’s exceptionally dramatic Lady Capulet; her grief for Tybalt was heartbreakingly sad but without the abject fury shown by Arestis.  That said, I thought Harrison more sympathetic and genuinely sad for Juliet, looking reproachfully at her Husband in his treatment of their daughter, but knowing she was powerless to stop him.  It was a different but still excellent portrayal and I will very much miss Harrison onstage.  Lovely that she got such a huge cheer at the end, with gorgeous flowers.

     

    Kaneko and Bracewell - well.  What can I say that hasn’t already been said in a better and more comprehensive way by my fellow forum members.  
    These two are very, very special together.  Like Cuthbertson and Bonelli, Naghdi and Ball, this is a partnership I hope to see repeated again and again.  I had tears rolling down my face during the balcony scene, full-body chills at Fumi simply sitting on the bed - honestly - and actually wept* in Act 3.  Juliet’s scream was one of the most moving and heart-rending I’ve ever witnessed.  

     

    I only had one tiny “criticism” - not really a criticism, but I wished for a little bit more desperation during the bedroom PDD, rather than just deep - almost resigned? - sadness.  But that was all that was missing for me in the whole glorious 3 hours.  

     

    How I wish these two had been filmed so we could relive this exceptional chemistry again and again.

     

    * If you know me in person, you will know that I’m usually concentrating so hard on managing my pain at the theatre that I very rarely weep.  It should be taken as a huge compliment to the performers when my tears flow. 🤭☺️

     

    • Like 25

    Ballet school recommendations - West Herts area

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    Hi Kim12 and welcome.  If St Albans is do-able then you won’t find a better teacher than Helen Brewer:  https://brewerdanceacademy.com/staff

     

    Helen, along with the late Mary Schon, taught my daughter most years at the sadly missed Harpenden Summer School, and is such a wonderful teacher.   If that’s a bit far, then Tring Park does run evening and weekend classes under the Tring Park Associates umbrella:  https://www.tringpark.com/associates-classes-ages-3-19/

     

    TPA is confusingly named Associates when the actual selective Ballet Associate scheme at Tring is called Classical Ballet Academy:  https://www.tringpark.com/classical-ballet-academy/ which I can also recommend, but it’s designed to supplement evening/Saturday classes rather than replace them. 

    • Like 3

    Audience Behaviour

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    53 minutes ago, Timmie said:

    I don’t post much on this forum these days but I’ve missed this thread 😄.

     

    At R&J matinee yesterday, Juliet (Fumi Kaneko) tragically dying in the last few minutes of the performance, me pulling down my mask 😇 so my glasses don’t mist up, the chap in front of me looking at his smart watch. What the fudge! How can you be wondering what the time is at that moment?

     

    Good grief!  Reminds me of last time I saw Manon at the ROH; very expensive stalls seats but the man next to me settled into his seat as the lights dimmed for Act 1, went to sleep and was snoring gently by the time Des Grieux appeared.  Perhaps he finds Massenet soothing but I can’t help thinking it was a pricey place for a nap!

    • Like 1

    BBC Strictly 2021

    in Not Dance

    Posted

    Hmmm. Judy and Graziano will not be dancing this week as Judy has tested positive for COVID.  I can’t help worrying that a better dancer will go this week if they go ahead with the dance-off.  🤔 

    Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Autumn 2021

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    I was typing this before Bruce posted (the online grocery delivery interrupted me) but in essence I was going to agree and say that this particular thread has already veered off the topic of this run of Romeo and Juliet on quite a few occasions, and not just onto mask-wearing - at this stage it would be difficult for we Mods to go back through all the posts and separate those posts (or parts thereof) that are not just “views of R&J”.  Half the trouble is that enjoyment of any particular performance at the ROH can be greatly enhanced or reduced by the behaviour of other audience members - which at the moment mostly happens to involve mask wearing (or not), coughing, and so on. 

     

    I do appreciate that people on both sides of the “argument” feel very strongly about it, and I certainly don’t want the thread to descend into a “flame war”, but as long as the thread remains largely as people’s thoughts on and reviews of the current run of R&J, it doesn’t necessarily need to be an issue if people comment on COVID restrictions/audience behaviour at the particular performance they attend - it can be useful for those thinking of going.  

     

    But that’s just my 2p worth. ☺️

    • Like 4

    Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Autumn 2021

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    39 minutes ago, simonbfisher said:

    Well Sim, you’re the boss - but the heading is “Performances seen and General Discussions”. I really fear that if we don’t all start acting more responsibly there will soon no longer, as in the recent dark days, be any “performances seen”.

     

    Especially given the alarming rise in case numbers and COVID-related deaths, which - I believe - are higher in the UK than in our neighbouring EU countries *combined*.  I will keep my ROH tickets for R&J* and Giselle, as I have end seats with my husband next to me - less sure about daughter and I being so closely surrounded by (possibly non-mask wearing) strangers in SC for Nutcracker in December though.  Assuming non-socially-distanced performances are still happening in two months…

     

    * The ballet Gods must have taken pity on me because someone returned suitable-for-my-disability seats for Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell’s performance this Saturday - I nabbed them! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    • Like 7

    Hyperextension and Instagram

    in Doing Dance

    Posted

    28 minutes ago, Peony said:

    EDS is quite a rare genetic disorder. Unfortunately the government has made it so that GPs hold the budgets and have to do all the referrals

    Genetic/inherited, yes, but actually h-EDS/Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders are rarely *diagnosed*, not rare.  One young locum GP at our Practice had not heard of it, and was reluctant to do a repeat prescription of a non-addictive, low dose medication initially prescribed by a Consultant at RNOH and well known for helping with sleep and night time pain.

     

    And of late, things seem to be changing wrt what referrals GPs *can* do - especially for MSK problems.  Everything MSK related (with the exception of X-rays) in our Trust has to go to an MSK Triage Service, which itself is quite limited as to what it can refer you for.  In the last few months I’ve had an absolute devil of a job battling red tape just to get a hip ultrasound (rejected), an MRI (rejected) or a referral to see a Hip Specialist at St Thomas’s (must be referred to a local Ortho consultant first, even though I’m already under Ortho Consultants at St Thomas’s). 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

     

    My poor GP is tearing her hair out at the ridiculous hoops we’re both having to jump through.  It used to be hard enough to get a referral to an EDS Consultant when GPs could refer directly; I dread to think what it would be like now.

    • Like 1

    BBC Strictly 2021

    in Not Dance

    Posted

    19 hours ago, LinMM said:

    Did they ever officially announce that Oti and partner would not be dancing this week? It wasn’t until Tess said “” now all our couples have danced... “ that I notice they were missing so watched the recap carefully to see if I’d somehow missed their dance! 

     

    Yes, at the beginning when Tess also mentioned Robert Webb having to pull out.  She said that Ugo has an ongoing back injury.  

     

    Let’s hope he’s able to dance as planned this weekend.

    • Like 3

    World Ballet Day 2021 - discussion

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

    absolutely loved the corps rehearsal for act2 of Giselle, with Sam and Sian running the dancers through their paces, and putting in those tiny corrections for hand/foot placements of mere inch or two. Fantastic to watch - especially 'the hops'! For me, the best part of the day. But is it just me, or did they finish half an hour early?

     

    Samantha Raine is such a terrific Ballet Mistress; she always gets the absolute best from the hardworking ladies of the Corps. Lovely to see Claire Calvert and Melissa Hamilton in rehearsal as Moyna and Zulma (sp?) too.

    • Like 8
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