Jane S

Some interesting bits of news here (borrowed from BalletAlert with thanks!)

Could someone who saw Acosta in In the Night please tell what costume he wore? - a very dark one, like Kobborg's, or the more usual lighter-coloured one?

An article in today's Times carries the sad news that the German firm which has been supplying the world with nutcrackers - 'the brightly coloured soldier models... operated by a wooden lever at the back' - since 1890 is threatened with closure as it is proving impossible to attract new apprentices into the trade.

So that's it. Sorry, folks.

Cast changes for the Firebird triple bill:

In The Night

Saturday, 22^nd December - 12.30pm

Marianela Nunez and Rupert Pennefather will be replaced by Zenaida Yanowsky and Nehemiah Kish

Raymonda

Saturday 29^th December – 7pm

Rupert Pennefather will be replaced by Ryoichi Hirano (debut performance)

Friday 11^th January

Rupert Pennefather will be replaced by Ryoichi Hirano

Ballet.co has a little proprietorial pride in this programme as it was through us that the programme's producer, Philippa Ritchie, got in touch with Noel Moncur, who used to dance with International Ballet and with one of her friends has provided ifirst-hand input to the piece. Noel came to a ballet.co Christmas lunch a couple of years ago I think, so some of you may remember meeting her.

And just to prove that Inglesby wasn't entirely forgotten, here's our page about her, dating from a time when there was almost nothing else about her on the web.

The press night is tonight, I think.

Tobias Praetorius is already an apprentice with the company, but there is a younger one still - Lucas, I think - who is about 12 and at the RDBS.

The article links to a video of Rojo talking about ballet for newcomers - what to see (Giselle) and what to wear (pyjamas if you're with your longterm parner!). It includes film of her in ENB's Sleeping Beauty. Also behind the paywall, of course.

There's now a video trailer too:

http://kglteater.dk/det-sker/forestillinger/sason-2012-2013/ballet/la-bayadere#Video

With an elephant. With a Union Jack.

It's a pity they don't carry an English translation of the synopsis - Solor kills himself after Nikiya dies and the Shades scene is their reunion in the after-life.

The Royal Danish Ballet's new production of La Bayadere opens on Saturday - photos just posted on the company's website show off Richard Hudson's sets and costumes:

http://kglteater.dk/...let/la-bayadere

(Scroll down a bit. Several casts are shown)

November 2nd 1998 - RB at Sadler's Wells - Sawdust and Tinsel/Las Hermanas/Raymonda Act III

The cast for Las Hermanas was

The man - Trevitt (replacing Cassidy who was injured)

The mother - Conley

Eldest sister - Revie

Youngest sister - Galeazzi

Jealous sister - Burn

Other sisters - Leana Palmer, Michelle Davis

(I found the programme but got the dates from the old ballet.co database - always my first stop for this sort of question!)

I saw this cast of The Dream on Thursday and I have to say that although Dingman made a brave shot at the role I thought he was totally miscast as Puck.

For anyone in the discussion who is unaware of it, there is a Tudor Trust website:

 

http://www.antonytudor.org/index1.html

 

The 'News' button gives recent and upcoming performances - and it seems that once ABT's "Leaves are fading" run is over, there's nothing anywhere else in prospect at the moment.

Ian, a recent discussion on an American forum revealed that the Tudor site is not up to date and that, for instance, several of the smaller American companies are doing Lilac Garden this season.

Thank you, Janet - it was a lovely evening.

My report is now online in DanceTabs

I guess I don't really understand your question: Kobborg's production, a near-copy of the one he did for the Royal Ballet, is Bournonville's La Sylphide (with some additions by Kobborg himself) and the style is an integral part of it.

Was it Kobborg's intention to set La Sylphide on the Bolshoi in the Bournonville style? There are other styles within the Romantic genre of this ballet....French, for instance.

How could he possibly set a ballet by Bournonville other than in the Bournonville style?

A truly extraordinary evening - wonderful performances followed by a simply huge outpouring of love and gratitude from both company and audience - tears, flowers, and a seemingly endless ovation - I don't expect to experience another like this, ever.

(Proper 'review' to follow!)

Thank you - the photo was of the first-night cast but he also danced last night - from the cast sheet it was Castilla but to me he doesn't look anything like the photo in the programme! But anyway I thought he was very good.

Please can someone tell me who is the man on the left in this Dave Morgan photo?

http://www.flickr.co...57631577147581/

The RB's Brazilian dancers, Roberta Marquez and Thiago Soares, will take part in the 'handover to Rio' section of the closing ceremony of the Paralympics, tomorrow.

http://keirradnedge....aralympic-games

For several years now Johan Kobborg has taken a group of dancers to Denmark in July, to give open-air performances in various out-of-Copenhagen towns. these have become very popular occasions and the tickets sell out within hours, especially in Skagen.

There's quite a lot of coverage in the press, all in Danish of course but with lots of pictures too. Here are some of last month's reports:

Video:

Review and photographs::

http://skagen.dk/2012/07/18/indtryk-fra-arets-ballet-oplevelse/

http://www.b.dk/scene/verdensballet-i-sommerlandet

http://www.information.dk/305976

I remember Richard Cragun mostly from his guest appearances with the Royal Ballet, in The Taming of the Shrew and in Song of the Earth - two roles which could hardly be more different, but he was magnificent in both of them. So much life and strength and charisma - it's hard to think that he's gone.

Debra Craine has a long interview with Alexei Ratmansky in this morning's Times - mostly about his Cinderella in Edinburgh but mentioning also the new piece he's doing for the RB next season: an abstract work to music by Jean Francaix, which he describes as 'rhythmically, the most sophisticated classical music I know, yet it's light-hearted with lots of humour. It speaks to me, I love it.'

The waltz in Act 1 is also Ashton's - he was annoyed that Dowell dropped all his additions when he staged the current RB Swan Lake in 1987, and so let Makarova have them for her production for this company.