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JennyTaylor

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  1. JennyTaylor
    I took 2 children aged 7 and 5 to a performance of ENB's My First Ballet: the Sleeping Beauty at Richmond Theatre. They loved it - so job well done. I didn't love it quite so much although I love the concept of these ballets. The ballet was narrated throughout, which was excellent and it also mirrored the mime happening on stage, which I really appreciated. Not sure any of the children did, but never mind. I learned quite a lot about mime. The story of the Sleeping Beauty was changed quite significantly. No spinning wheel (old fashioned I assume), so Aurora is pricked by a rose, not a spindle. This negates the need for the Rose Adagio (as she would have been pricked), but a version of that dance was still presented, but not to the right music! Surely if you are introducing children to the Sleeping Beauty ballet, the most famous dance of all should be represented with the right music which is so famous and so beautiful. Nothing nasty really happens, so Carabosse turns into a good fairy, and the kiss to wake Aurora up is turned into a hug. Oh well, nice for children to think the world is a happy place. The quality of the dancing did not overwhelm but the dancers deserve great credit for keeping their concentration through a noisy audience experience.
  2. JennyTaylor
    I think it depends if you are going on your own or if you want groups of tickets. Also if you are picky in which dancers you wish to see. In general I think the ROH membership is worth it because I look to book for specific dancers and also occasionally a group of 4. I actually upped my level of membership this year because the group of 4 proved difficult for a popular Christmas matinee and I also found that the best seats had gone for the specific dancer performances I wanted. However, if you hold your nerve, it is usually possible to snap up returns for any performance with a week or less of it happening - for 1 person, that is. However, you are then at the mercy of the price range of the tickets being returned. Friends membership does also get you invitations to other events such as rehearsal. Bottom line with the ROH - the more you pay, the more opportunities you get.
  3. JennyTaylor
    I think it's entirely a matter of personal preference in what we like to see. You didn't like that, I did - it's just a different interpretation.
  4. JennyTaylor
    I really enjoyed tonight's performance but can empathise with some points made by John. Jacobo Tissi started slowly and somewhat hesitantly. He was understated in his acting, which I think emphasises the RBs emphasis on strong acting and yes, there were some timing incidents. I admit to feeling somewhat worried. However, he did pick up and I didn't feel there were any issues with his dancing with Marianela. Indeed, I loved the balcony pdd. I also thought the pd3 before the ballroom scene was well executed, as were the marketplace scenes in Act 2. I remember seeing Nicolas La Riche guesting with Sylvie Guillem many years ago now, and his pd3 with Mercutio and Benvolio was positively shoddy. Nothing like that tonight. He's very tall BTW and at one point it looked as Yuhui as 1st harlot had trouble reaching his eyes to cover them up in the interplay in Act 2. He seemed to tower above the rest of the cast. I loved Marianela's Juliet. It's a completely different interpretation from anything else I have seen in this run with more overt characterisation, different gestures and facial expressions. For me, she was the star of the show (if anyone can eclipse Marcelino Sambe as Mercutio) and I felt her Juliet really came alive. I think her partnership with Tissi will mature and expect future performances to go up a notch. I remarked to my (very patient) husband this evening on returning home - I don't usually book this number of R&Js, but I'm booking not just for the R&Js but to see the supporting cast because we are seeing such strong performances throughout the cast. I think this is a reflection on how high a standard we see at the RB these days. Is now the time to admit I snapped up late ticket for the 3rd Hayward/Corrales performance, possibly to see Matthew Ball as Tybalt again.
  5. JennyTaylor
    Well, there you go, you never can tell what a visit to the ballet will deliver. I originally booked tonight's ticket because Will Bracewell was dancing Romeo (so sad he wasn't) but decided to stick with it and go anyway - not a difficult decision really. I came away having witnessed a delightful Juliet debut from Beatrix Stix-Brunell who managed to bring freshness and much joy to the role. My best Juliet yet! (I haven't seen them all BTW). I had a brief conversation with Ryoichi Hirano last week and he said tonight was all about Beatrix, which I thought was a lovely sentiment, so remembering that, I decided to concentrate on Beatrix. I was near the stage so could see the multitude of expressions which passed through her face right from the first minute she came on stage. It was immediately different from any other Juliet, and continued to be so as she met Romeo and fell in love: so much characterisation. I've never seen this in Beatrix before, but perhaps she hasn't had the chance to ever show it. Her dancing was exemplary too and she definitely benefitted from Rio's very secure partnering (contrast Corrales/ Hayward). The balcony pdd was delightful. A lovely debut. The rest of the case did not stand out for me as on Saturday (either performance). Nothing wrong at all and I thoroughly enjoyed it: there just wasn't the electricity, especially between the 3 leading males and Tybalt. So, well done Beatrix and let's hope she gets further chances to impress us.
  6. JennyTaylor
    Yes, Luca Acri is Mercutio, Ben Gartside is Tybalt, Nicol Edmonds is Benvolio
  7. JennyTaylor
    No, no one does it seems. I will say no more but I did find this surprising when I asked
  8. JennyTaylor
    I'm with you there 100%.... and BTW I LOVE your reviews. I didn't see any extraordinary chemistry with either R&Js and I've seen rather a lot in my time. So compare Vadim in his last performance with Daria Klimentova, Cope/Guillem, Soares/Nunez in this particularly ballet - and there is no comparison. In other ballets Hayward had electric connection with Campbell, but the RB management seems to have robbed us of this particular partnership. So, for me, yesterday: the supporting dancers, if one can call them that, were of equal, if not more interest than R&J, but like you, I was most impressed with Sarah Lamb who surpassed my expectations. The other 3 principals, met my expectations.
  9. JennyTaylor
    I went to both performances yesterday and feel privileged to have seen both. What casting in the matinee! I can only echo the thoughts already written here already. For me Matthew Ball's Tybalt was a total revelation but James Hay and Marcelino Sambe's performances were equally stunning as a pairing of friends... and when the 3 of them were on the stage together, it was electric. The same didn't quite happen in the evening. Sambe's Mercutio was superb though, on both occasions. I preferred Vadim and Sarah's R&J in the evening. I don't often see Sarah Lamb and I was very impressed with her acting skills as well as her dancing of course. I loved the Hayward/Corrales partnership too and I suspect they will perform even better next week, especially with some of the lifts (being really picky). Corrales is certainly an exciting prospect and his speed across the stage was electric. Can someone confirm - did Hay/Sambe appear in exactly the same costumes for the scene before they enter the house / ball?. I thought they both appeared in red but then Hay changed for the next scene, where they were back in contrasting colours. That - or I need a new pair of glasses. The performances showed the amazing strength in depth we have at the Royal Ballet now, not only in the principal roles, but throughout the entire company. Marvellous.
  10. JennyTaylor
    … and he was absolutely stunning - couldn't take my eyes of him, which then caused difficulties as Marcelino Sambe and James Hay (Mercutio and Benvolio) were superb too. Loved it!
  11. JennyTaylor
    Conversations I had last night when at the ROH led me to believe that Clarke is not fit, but it seems very odd that they have not announced a replacement
  12. JennyTaylor
    ..and so they did, and very charming they were too and very good for business - quite a queue. So, now I have love from Vadim and hugs from Marianela. People of course wanted photos etc etc and they coped with it all so politely.
  13. JennyTaylor
    DVD of Onegin on sale in the ROH shop. Saw it today. Stuttgart ballet.
  14. JennyTaylor
    I've tried every possible seating position at all levels in the ROH to test both value for money and my personal preference and I'm very clear in my choice now which is always front Orch Stalls because for me, seeing the dancers' faces clearly gives me a great deal of pleasure. Row J / K is possibly the best view for rake and H above the exit but I tend to go for E/ F now to be nearer as being short, you can get a dismal experience even the "best seats" if you have someone tall in front of you. I sit on my coat, not a cushion, but I sympathise with all previous comments from vertically challenged people! I can see why the Grand Tier is a preferred option for many in terms of overall view, but for me, the proximity of the dancers is all. I never feel the same after watching a performance from there, even if in a "very good" seat. My one and only trip to the Lower Slips resulted in extreme vertigo and not being able to see any of the performance because I was clinging to my seat with my eyes closed.
  15. JennyTaylor
    I was at the ROH for the last performance of DonQ on Thursday. I arrived early but the cast sheets were already out. I asked if there were any cast changes and was told there was a minor one and the cast changes slips would arrive shortly, if I would care to come back slightly later. I thought - on no, they won't be - and of course, they weren't, as they don't exist any more. The minor cast change turned out to be Espada - hardly minor! I did enjoy Nicol Edmonds performance. Fortunately, I know who he is without having to be told.
  16. JennyTaylor
    I attended a RB class this week and it was really interesting. We had a full mix of principals, soloists, artists etc and I'm still trying to find out who some of the artists were by trying to match their photos with who I think I saw. Quite frustrating actually but we could hardly ask for a roll call. The pianist almost stole the show with his incredible repertoire of tunes, but stand out dancer for me was Itziar Mendizabal. Principals included Matthew Ball who had only come off the stage 12 hours since in DonQ as had several of the other dancers I recognised. .
  17. JennyTaylor
    I'm sat in the Floral Hall in the 1st interval and I'm thinking - how can anyone not love this ballet. It's pure joy from start to finish and so many marvellous performances to enjoy. Tonight it's Alex and Mayara and they are throwing themselves at it. I've never seen Mayara so expressive. We've got Gary Avis, Bennet Gartside and Tom Whitehead in the character roles and at times, I 'm struggling to know where to look, there's so much going on. I've got a great big grin on my face and there are 2 acts still to enjoy. Loving Meaghan Hinkins and Anna Rose O'Sullivan as Kitri's 2 friends plus Nicol Edmonds and the rest of the matadors AND Itziar Mendizabal as Mercedes. Joy.
  18. JennyTaylor
    Mmm, I find that if you are a "valued" member of the ROH, all they do is ask for more money, including inviting you to special events and then asking you to pay for the refreshments.
  19. JennyTaylor
    I don't think the applause had really stopped - it had been very good for the cast bows, and I was startled when that was it. The lights on the curtain came on briefly to anticipate the red run and then went out again. It's true that everyone was leaving at that point, but I'm sure that if Alex and Meghan had appeared, there would have been well deserved applause. I wondering if there were so many newcomers in the audience that they didn't realise this was the norm - but I have no actual facts to back this up. I also don't think we were that close to the 10:30 threshold. My husband picked me up and when I got to the car he commented that I was early - and I'd told him 10:25 pick up. All very odd and a shame - whatever one thinks of the ballet. I've never seen this happen in all my visits to the ROH.
  20. JennyTaylor
    I've seen Kish dance the Creature in two runs now and I think he's been excellent on both occasions. Although this is not my favourite ballet, it did inspire me to read the book (not usually my thing at all) and after that, I felt there was far more that could have been made of this character in the ballet. Indeed, when I watched it on Tuesday, I was frustrated in Act 2 to see Kish just appearing in the background for half the act - and of course, no appearance in Act 1 until right at the end. I find the whole thing so frustrating!!
  21. JennyTaylor
    I can't fault the dancing at all: excellent from Campbell, Hinkis, Kish and Acri. How I wish Act 3 was matched by Acts 1 and 2 which just don't do for me at all. The audience were appreciative of the dancers at the end but there were no red run curtain calls at all. I was right - once is enough. A shame really, as the dancers certainly gave it their all and there is so much more potential to be extracted from the book than is in the ballet.
  22. JennyTaylor
    I'm sitting in the Paul Hamlyn Hall right now (6:30pm), a favourite haunt of mine before a performance. Curious to note - NO pre-booked tables for food / drinks: I don't think I can ever remember this. Half of the Balcony restaurant occupied. So, it's not only ticket sales but also the associated profit making catering that has also been affected it seems. …...and even the unreserved tables have yet to fill up. On other occasions, I've made sure I'm here before 6pm to secure a chair/ table. Last year, I sat on the floor several times.
  23. JennyTaylor
    The Ballet Association has been running for many years. I discovered it quite by accident through a random Google search. Basically it's fan club for the Royal Ballet and the RB are very generous with their time in talking to the association www.balletassociation.co.uk/ They hold meetings about once a month in London and the interviews are really interesting. It's also very reasonable in terms of membership fees / events etc. For anyone living in London in particular, I'd recommend it highly. Apparently membership is declining at the moment.
  24. JennyTaylor
    Ah, well now you are trying to draw me in to giving a report
  25. JennyTaylor
    I went to the Alex Beard interview at the Ballet Association last night during which he addressed many of the issues noted on the 35 pages of this stream. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to comment on a BA meeting, so I haven't, just suffice to say that he is aware of them.
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