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JennyTaylor

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  1. JennyTaylor
    It looked like a very traditional flower throw to me from the top side boxes as the flowers rained down on Ed. Whoever did it - did a very good job!
  2. JennyTaylor
    I went to the performance yesterday, specifically as it was Ed Watson's final performance. What a wonderful send off they gave him. Perfect in every way. First to the ballet. It was my first viewing and I did try and do some research beforehand which helped to a certain extent. However, despite trying to memorise the cast sheet and the names of each dance, I failed dismally to remember what they all were, so when the Stream eventually comes up, I will watch it with the cast sheet to make more sense of it. Only by knowing what characters are being depicted can one then make sense of the dance movement (I hope). I was also playing "spot the dancer" which is somewhat distracting. I'm not a Wayne McGregor fan but for me, this was by far the best ballet I have seen of his in terms of enjoyment. That was down to the phenomenal performances of all the Royal Ballet dancers, who were completely stellar, and the fact that there was some decent orchestral music. Would I go and see it again? Yes, but I wouldn't book for several performances in a run, as I do for some other ballets. Ed's opening solo was just wow, wow, wow! I found myself wondering why he was retiring as he could still out dance anyone on stage. Oh, the grace and beauty of those long legs and arms. However, I had (once again) severe issues with the lighting in Act 1 even though I was in row 5 of the Orchestra Stalls. It was really difficult to make out the dancer's faces although I could see a lot of puffs of chalk dust. Calvin Richardson was superb as Ulysses but my favourite piece was the Thieves performed by Luca Acri, Matthew Ball, Leo Dixon, Benjamin Ella, James Hay, Joshua Junker, Paul Kay, Giacomo Rovero, Marcelino Sambé, Joseph Sissens and Stanisław Węgrzyn. The speed of attack was phenomenal and Joe Sissens climaxed the piece with the fastest turns I think I have ever seen. The rest of the audience loved this dance too and greeted it with rapturous applause. I wallowed in the plethora of RB Principals and First Soloists on show as the ballet progressed and was sad that I could not identify all the younger dancers. The climax to the ballet was absolutely perfect in the setting for Ed's final performance and it was very moving when the shaft of light lit up his final steps. There was an immediate standing ovation as the curtain fell and then the wonderful traditional flower throw. I felt that was very emotional, particularly after all we have been through in last 18 months. A full theatre, cheering one of its heroes. The farewell ceremony was marvellous. The stage was packed with past and present dancers and staff. A short film was shown featuring short clips of verbal appreciation of Ed. Contributors included: Deborah Bull, Mara Galeazzi, Thiago Soares, Deborah McMillan, Marianela Nunez, Kate Shipway, Johanna Adams-Farley, Gary Avis, Darcey Bussell, Philip Mosely, Christopher Saunders, Christopher Wheeldon, Marcelino Sambe, Monica Mason, Jeanetta Lawrence. Wayne McGregor, Koen Kessels, Natalia Osipova, Christopher Carr, Elizabeth Anderton, Zenaida Yanowsky. (I know I've missed a couple more) Lady Sarah Chatto presented Ed with a RB Silver Medal, there was a 2nd flower throw, presentations of various bouquets and a second standing ovation before the final curtain came down. A very memorable afternoon and a wonderful climax to Ed's dancing career.
  3. JennyTaylor
    Yes, Kevin O'Hare was there for both performances and I might just have managed to mention to him my thoughts! Putting that aside, Bracewell was chosen as Romeo for the BalletBoyz film plus the rehearsal was chosen for World Ballet Day so that must mean he is highly regarded in this respect? Very interesting to choose a non Principal for the film.
  4. JennyTaylor
    I've just had one of the best days for months and months and months. No coincidence that my day comprised of 2 stellar performance of one of my favourite dramatic ballets, Romeo and Juliet. How I had forgotten the total joy that a live performance of a full length ballet can bring. I've been really grateful for all the streaming and the triple bills featuring loads of principal dancers and party pieces, but this was it! I've already waxed lyrical about this afternoon, so onto this evening with Francesca Hayward and Cesar Corrales plus a super "supporting" cast if you can call it that including Matthew Ball as Tybalt, Marcelino Sambe and James Hay as Mercutio and Benvolio, Mayara Magri as the Chief Harlot very ably supported by Olivia Cowley and Meghan Grace Hinkis. Plus Gary Avis. What's not to like! This evening I found myself enthralled by the whole cast rather than the 2 main characters, so it became difficult to know where to look. Benvolio v Tybalt right at the start of Act 1 was fearsome and set the scene for the entire ballet. Wow, wow, wow. I love the extra touches Matthew Ball gives to Tybalt - a little kiss blown at his Montague protagonists in Act 1 and in Act 2 he actually managed to reach Romeo in his dying thrall. He is certainly streets ahead of all other Tybalt's. Mayara Magri brought huge energy to the Chief Harlot and so many extra touches again. I love Olivia Cowley in anything she does and the vibrant energy on the stage was extraordinary in the crowd scenes. The dancing was of super high standard too. So, what am I going to say about Romeo and Juliet themselves? Well, a marvellous performance and extremely enjoyable. For me it didn't hit the heights of the Bracewell / Kaneko partnership in emotional dramatic depth but I still came out of the theatre buzzing because of the overall show experience. What a day. This is being a ballet fan is all about.
  5. JennyTaylor
    Kevin O'Hare said that there were some dancers who had left during the pandemic and they could not recognise their leaving publicly on stage due to said pandemic. Natalie had been invited back to reprise Lady Capulet and thus has proper recognition. Really nice gesture and very good to have his special announcement to pay tribute to her
  6. JennyTaylor
    I just stood across the street near the stage door to see what happened. There were around 20 people including some ex dancers who were supporting Natalie Harrison I think. So I spotted Leanne Cope with husband Paul Kay (not ex) plus several others who I recognised but annoyingly could not name. Kristen McNally came to join them. Fans were respectful of distance and I wore my mask throughout conversations. There was also a lot of hugging amongst those who knew each other.
  7. JennyTaylor
    Well, I've just had the pleasure of telling Will Bracewell how marvellous I thought his performance was in person, Plus I met his mum! I went round to the stage door after the performance which is something I have never done before, but I'm here for the performance in the evening so I thought - let's see what it's like round there. There were a few people but there was a nice opportunity so I took it. What an absolutely delightful experience. So, he and Fumi plumbed the full depths of emotion this afternoon. I'm still shaking. Utterly passionate, romantic, despairing. Gorgeous, brilliant, exquisite. I don't have sufficient adjectives. The whole cast pulled out the stops and it was great to see Joe Sissens as Benvolio at last - he was excellent as was Luca Acri (again). A mention for Natalie Harrison about whom Kevin O'Hare came out to give a special announcement before the performance. A special farewell for her today and she received flowers and applause from the whole cast at the end of the show. What an afternoon. Can this evening match it? Well, Matthew Ball is in the building because I saw him arrive, so watch out for that fiery Tybalt.
  8. JennyTaylor
    It will be my 3rd viewing of this pairing, as I hit the jackpot when I saw them at the Friends rehearsal. How lovely that the rehearsal is now filmed for posterity. I was fascinated to hear them talking about it too - when Fumi said she had goosebumps when she danced the role with Will right from the start. They feel a connection and are able to convey this to the audience.
  9. JennyTaylor
    So, we are going to have Marianela Nunez performing Myrthe in Giselle. What an added bonus!!
  10. JennyTaylor
    I think I heard Lesley Collier say "magic" quietly in the background half way through. Can't wait for Saturday
  11. JennyTaylor
    A very good mix of Principals, more junior dancers
  12. JennyTaylor
    Back to R&J. The Ballet Boyz film was on BBC4 last night and I watched it for the umpteenth time. So interesting to compare the film versus the stage version so fresh in my mind. Thrilled and excited that I have a double whammy of R&J on Saturday where I will see all the major participants of the film in one or other of the performances. I am expecting supreme romance in the matinee followed by fireworks in the evening.
  13. JennyTaylor
    I haven't been offended by anyone's comments. It's factual to say there was a laugh at one point (Act 3, I think). I was right at the other side of the auditorium from the action where it happened, so couldn't comment more on the action, but it was more than one person, that's for sure. We all have differing opinions, that's what this Forum is all about. Only when comments become personal does it become unacceptable. I see this at work all the time, where people are now worried about writing or saying anything critical with the upshot that all feedback is glowing. We now call areas for development "even better ifs". So, I would say about Vadim and Yasmine. The dancing was excellent, but it would have been even better if I had seen an emotional connection between them. That's my personal view, and I have no problem if others did see that connection: indeed I'm delighted if they did.
  14. JennyTaylor
    Back to the ballet and the relative merits of our various Romeo and Juliet casts. The production is high class, whomever you see, so I would not worry about whether or not you will enjoy one particular performance. You will! I really enjoyed last night: particular nuances and emotional impact are entirely individual so we will all feel differently. I think that is what this Forum is all about. I really enjoy reading everyone's different impressions.
  15. JennyTaylor
    I heard Kevin O'Hare's message once audibly and once very faintly during the interval. Mask wearing last night was dismal and I felt uncomfortable at times.
  16. JennyTaylor
    I think Matthew Ball has raised the bar on Tybalt so high now. I haven't seen him yet in this run, but last time round, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Up until then, my favourite Tybalt's had been Gary Avis and Thiago Soares. Giving the part to a "younger" Principal and then seeing what he can do, has been a complete game changer. Hirano also gave it a very good shot last Saturday, but I agree that Tom Whitehead was not quite up in that league. He played it as very nasty, and looked the part but it was a "standard" performance. Nothing wrong at all, just not reaching the same heights.
  17. JennyTaylor
    I found her much more moving than Vadim, though of course, his dancing was superb.
  18. JennyTaylor
    And very good is was too from all 3 of them: Claire, Gina and Hannah Grennell. Joe Sissens was in the Mandolin Dance, so hopefully we will see him on Saturday as Benvolio. Luca Acri outstanding again as Mercutio. His speed of execution of steps is superb. I wonder what everyone else thought of David Donnelly as Paris. I felt it was a very sympathetic portrayal with some smiles early on, though reverted more to type in later scenes. Yasmine Naghdi was a superb dramatic Juliet. Utterly heart breaking in Act 3.
  19. JennyTaylor
    For those interested in the monks, Vadim didn't follow them round the corner, he just stood in the doorway for a long time before it was his cue to come forward and kill Paris. Not sure if he would have still been visible towards the back of the theatre, though he did have the cloak open so you could see his white shirt. I was right the other side of the stage this evening, but I could just see him (because I was looking for him). Vadim also sat down on his cloak and tuned his mandolin, as did Will Bracewell. As per a previous comment in this thread though, I don't recall other Romeo's doing this before. (I like it). Another difference, Will Bracewell had the poison in the left side of his belt, Vadim in his right.
  20. JennyTaylor
    I walked out of a production of Candide (I think at the Coliseum but can't be sure.) I saw Jonathan Miller's production at the Old Vic and was completely blown away with its brilliance. I expected the same experience when I booked to see another production several years later. It was hideous: updated, modern and something to do with Marilyn Monroe - I have really no idea what they were thinking. Anyway I sat through the first act and then thought, I can't stand this any longer. Ghastly. If ballet, I'm sure I must have given a Wayne McGregor a miss at some point.
  21. JennyTaylor
    I was looking for Romeo at the back of the monk's line too and I was in Row 6 of the Orch Stalls and on the right side of the auditorium to be directly opposite. I just managed to see Romeo come in (white shirt) but then he seemed to disappear for a while and then re-emerge. if I hadn't known he was there, I would never have spotted him. Putting that example aside, I have a huge problem with the RB lighting of ballets. Appalling is an understatement. I always sit near the front but still have issues. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to everyone in the Amphi - no, actually - the rest of the entire theatre.
  22. JennyTaylor
  23. JennyTaylor
    I think Mercutios often do "outdo" Romeos in bravura dancing, because that is how the choreography is written. Look at Marcelino Sambe as Mercutio - unmatched! But, Romeo has the lyrical dancing which is equally technically challenging but different steps and tone. For me Lucra Acri (who was brilliant) and Will Bracewell were equally superb in their respective, very different roles. (Calvin Richardson as Benvolio was wonderful too). I'm struggling to pick out my favourite moments, as I'm still in the beautific dream which the whole show engendered, but I always love the 3 male friends' divertissements and it was gut wrenching today to see the joy and fun of Act 1 and early Act 2, to how it all finishes in tragedy.
  24. JennyTaylor
    I think words really do fail me on this occasion as I cannot think of sufficient superlatives to describe the performance I've just seen, and that's for Will and Fumi, let alone the other members of this glorious cast. Thank you for posting such beautiful photos.
  25. JennyTaylor
    Mmm - is William Bracewell the ultimate Romeo? Discuss. He certainly gets my vote on today's rehearsal performance. Oh, what a joy to see a full length, dramatic ballet at last! Joseph Sissons and Luca Acri as Benvolio and Mercutio respectively also shone brightly. Lots of mouth watering casts ahead for us all to savour. Was there once a rule where you are not supposed to applaud during rehearsals? It certainly didn't apply today. Very appreciative audience.
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