BristolBillyBob

Great review, Janet! I went to see this at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff on Saturday (cunningly the same day the world and his dog were going there to watch the Six Nations!). I might write up the odd thought later, but it's interesting to see Karla Doorbar getting a shot at the lead. Even though she wasn't in a leading role at the performance I saw, she really stood out (as she so often does) and my ballet buddy and I were discussing her and how she might get on in the meatier roles. Sounds like she did great! I'll make a point of trying to catch her on future performances. 

I was also talking to my ballet buddy about who the up-and-coming talent in the company might be. A lot of the dancers that I spotted when I first started following the company way back when have either made it to Principal or are knocking on the door. At Cardiff I made a point of watching the corps to see if I could spot any particular future talents, but nobody particularly leapt out. Aside from Karla Doorbar and Laura Day, who are always fab, who would be your ones-to-watch for the future, Janet?

I'm probably woefully under-qualified, but I'm happy to have a crack at it. 

I'd be interested to know this too. I'm in a drama group and have always wanted to stage a play, maybe Brief Encounter or something, in proper black and white!

Well, you learn something new every day. Sometimes unintentionally...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_opera

"A horse opera, hoss opera, or oat opera is a western movie or television series that is extremely cliched or formulaic (in the manner of a soap opera). The term, which was originally coined by silent film-era Western star William S. Hart, is used variously to convey either disparagement or affection. The name "horse opera" was also derived in part from the musical sequences frequently featured in these films and TV series which depicted a cowboy singing to his horse on-screen. The term "horse opera" is quite loosely defined; it does not specify a distinct subgenre of the western (as "space opera" does with regard to the science fiction genre)."

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

use Word/Notepad to construct your posting if its a long one such as a review (where you can proof-read and adjust to your heart's content) - then copy/paste it into posting field when happy with it.

Heh, again, I think you're underestimating my own personal ability to make a complete hash of proofreading. I do that already, paste it, and then spot all my errors the minute the edit window closes. Then I spot some more. Then a few more. Then I notice I've spelt my own name wrong. Then I notice I've written Royal Opera Horse. Then... Well, you get the idea.  No worries, though, if we think it's better going with half an hour, that's fine. Thought it worth asking!

4 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

Hear hear! I loved your review, BBB - it was interesting, amusing, perceptive and a pleasure to read. And it helped me to decide to book for WT when I wasn't sure if I would (I can't use the ticket I did buy, and was tempted to give it a miss). So thank you.

That's very kind, thank you.  

5 minutes ago, Sim said:

Ha ha yes.....BillyBob and I love each other really! 

This is true! 

6 minutes ago, alison said:

Plus I believe that 30 minutes is the maximum editing-window option available?

 

We do recommend that posters re-read what they've posted within that time, although I realise it's not always practical.

Heh, you wouldn't believe my almost superhuman ability to reread something a dozen times and still not notice that I've written 'balls' instead of 'ballet' or something equally preposterous. 

"McRae showed off some of the finest balls I've ever seen on the ROH stage..."

13 minutes ago, Sim said:

I'm not being facetious, BillyBob, just trying to give you information about someone you clearly admire.  I won't bother next time.

Sorry for being grumpy. Just felt a little embattled on top of already feeling foolish. I've not followed ballet for as long as others here, and always feel a bit vulnerable posting my thoughts in a forum with people who have a much deeper knowledge than mine. Multiple errors in a single review just made me feel a bit down and defensive. Anyway, all good, sorry again, no hard feelings. 

11 minutes ago, Sim said:

She was promoted to First Soloist in 2016. 

Let's move on, shall we? The important point was that she was brilliant.

Apologies if this has already been covered... Is there a possibility of extending the period of time in which we can edit our posts? Ideally to, say, forever?  I, for some reason, have a horrible inability to proofread my own posts on this forum and always spot ridiculous grammar errors after the Edit button has disappeared... 

I mean, I've almost certainly written the word 'Spandex' in here instead of the word I meant, but I won't notice it until next Tuesday.

46 minutes ago, Sim said:

Err not that quick....she has been in the company for eight years!  😊

She was a soloist last time I attended the ROH, which I had thought wasn't that long ago, but I guess it must've been.

5 hours ago, Sim said:

BillyBob....Beatriz has already risen through the ranks in that she is now just one level below Principal.  I hope she achieves the final rise soon!

Crikey that was quick then! Well, I fully expect her to be assoluta within two seasons in that case. 

(Note to self: when reviewing,  check programme on things like this!)

A trip to the Royal Opera House is a relatively rare treat for me these days, but for reasons I’ve mentioned earlier in the thread it was a particularly special night on this particular occasion. Did it live up to it? Well, yes. Yes it did.

The Winter’s Tale is exactly my kind of ballet. Full length, so there’s something you can really dig your teeth into, but with modern sensibilities and staging, and without the sometimes endless ballroom scenes of the classics. What can I say? I’m a child of the MTV generation, and have the short attention span to go with it. 

Anyway, here are a few of my thoughts on various bits and bobs! Almost all positive, which will come as no surprise to readers of my reviews!

My first time seeing Lauren Cuthbertson dance certainly didn’t disappoint. She imbues the role with a subtlety and nuance that is so often the hallmark of more experienced dancers, and the fluidity and grace of her dancing is exceptional. @standingticket earlier in the thread sums up my thoughts of Hirano’s performance, with the sense almost of being possessed by the madness. In a way it reminded me of Sarah Lamb’s performance in Giselle. He definitely gave his all to the role and danced with real conviction.

Act 1 was a strong start, but for me, it was Act 2 that utterly sang. Sarah Lamb was absolutely wonderful, filling Wheeldon’s choreography with a youthful freshness and vibrancy. She was a complete joy to watch. Alongside her, Vadim Muntagirov is – and I’m aware this might not be a popular view – not always my favourite dancer, but his partnering with Lamb really worked, and the two of them were completely convincing as the young couple cavorting in the garden of evening.

The other aspect that really made Act 2 so enjoyable for me was the corps. Like most people I think, I like to keep an eye on the corps to see if I can spot any gems of performance away from the spotlight. On this occasion, though, there were sparkling gems left, right and centre. The dancing almost across the board within the corps was exquisite. Ashley Dean (if my reading of the programme is accurate) particularly caught my eye, but it seems almost churlish to pick out any one dancer, such was the talent on show. Which of the new crop are future principals? I wouldn’t have a clue where to place my money; pick a card, any card. Anyway, long story short, Act 2 for me was about Sarah Lamb, Vadim Muntagirov and the enviable corps de ballet all bringing Wheeldon’s joyful choreography to life. I simply didn’t want it to end.

The first of two other dancers who really stood out was Laura Morera, who portrayed what is arguably the trickiest role in the ballet. She conveyed Paulina’s variety of attributes perfectly and coherently; her dignity, her benevolence, her anger, all with a delightful grace of movement. There’s a lot to put across to the audience while still presenting them through the depiction of a single character, and she achieved this with aplomb. The other dancer that stood out, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, is a definite star in the ascendancy. I saw her at the Alice Insights evening and she impressed me very much then, but at home on the stage she seemed very much a principal-in-waiting. Surely there’s a very rapid climb through the ranks marked out for her. Bethany, who was my ballet buddy – and girlfriend, since you ask – on this occasion – I mean she’s my girlfriend all the time, but ballet buddy on this occasion, oh you know what I mean – has seen only a handful of ballets, but even to her inexperienced eye Beatriz stood out, so she must be doing something very right. She seemed to enjoy herself on the stage so much, with a huge smile on her face. I think I’m right in saying she’s danced the lead in Alice, and will be intrigued to see how she transcribes her bubbly style into meatier, more dramatic roles.

When Alondra de la Parra popped up in the orchestra pit, I remarked “Ooh, she’s new”, but I didn’t realise just quite how new she was until reading the reviews today. For a debut performance she was terrific and will be a huge asset to the Royal Ballet, where I’ve not universally been such a fan of the conducting. She brought out real verve and zing from the orchestra, and seemed perfectly in sympathy with the action on the stage. For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the score – is it still called a score in ballet? – which had an epic cinematic quality to it.

So yes, a wonderful performance and a jolly fun night at the ROH, marked out by fine performances from the principals, an act two which had my head swimming in all that I love about dance, and a corps who gave me just as much enjoyment as any single performance elsewhere.    

2 hours ago, BristolBillyBob said:

 

Interesting, thanks. 

 

(As an aside, I'm choosing to appreciated 'barred' as a ballet pun. )

We're allowed to be no-holds-barred critical about ourselves, I presume, in particular our own seemingly dreadful self-proofreading skills? 

9 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

The dancers may not be 'actually' barred by their companies from commenting, but in practise I think they are strongly discouraged from interacting on forums such as this one. Its unusual that any would comment on a Facebook posting or whatever too. At least, that's my take on it, I don't have any insider information as such - but I can't ever remember an active dancer posting on here defending themselves or colleagues

Interesting, thanks. 

(As an aside, I'm choosing to appreciated 'barred' as a ballet pun. )

2 minutes ago, Sim said:

BristolBillyBob, so what did you think?  And what did your girlfriend think?  

I'm at work at the moment, but jolly looking forward to writing a mini review later this evening! SPOILER ALERT: I quite liked it. 

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

in one way, yes - they cannot answer to defend themselves. 

I'll post my thoughts a little later but just out of interest, what's behind the assertion that they can't defend themselves, given that this is a public forum?

I'm not suggesting anything either way, I'm just asking because if they have the right to reply but don't exercise it, then that's a slightly different proposition (in the context of this thread) to not having a voice at all. 

I will be there! So excited.

I saw Christopher Wheeldon creating this ballet on a backstage tour of the ROH a good while back, so for me to be seeing Winter's Tale for the first time will be a proper treat.

Also, when I met Darcey Bussell at a book signing a few years ago, I mentioned that I'd come late to ballet and missed seeing her dance. When I asked who the 'next' Darcey Bussell I shouldn't miss was, she answered without hesitation 'Lauren Cuthbertson'. Lauren was out with injury at the time and various factors have transpired to prevent me seeing her since then, so this'll be my first time seeing her perform. So it's a double treat for me!

Finally, to triple up the treat, it's my girlfriend's first time to the ROH, so I'm really excited for her to see it too. 

I wonder if I'm the only person who clicked on this thread just because of the train of thought "Ballet on the radio? How would that work?"... 

3 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Iain is one of those dancers whose wonderfulness crept up on me unawares!

 

It has been a joy to watch his career developing from promising newbie to the pinnacle of Birmingham Royal Ballet.  He spent a year in Spain a few years ago and that year with another company allowed his artistry to expand even more and he came back an even more compelling artist than when he left.

 

I loved him in his created role of Christian in Cyrano and also his portrayal of the eponymous role.  He was just awesome as Edward ll too.  His Troy in Madding Crowd was unmissable.

 

He has been such a generous dancer over the years.  One of my most favourite memories is of a scratch cast in Romeo and Juliet at The Lowry.  Iain performed the title role with Carole-Ann Millar as his Juliet.  It is one of the most heartfelt and affecting performances of that production I have ever seen.

 

I shall look forward to seeing his performance at Symphony Hall in January and shall miss him greatly both on and off stage.  Very, very best wishes to Iain for the future.

 

Absolutely agree about his Madding Crowd Troy. He was thrilling in that role. 

His performance a few years ago in Far From The Madding crowd was breathtaking, and one of the performances that sealed my love for ballet. He was brilliant in everything I saw him in, from his wonderful Siegfried to dancing contemporary abstract choreography. What a dancer; he'll be missed. 

Hi Amanda,

You might get more views if you put this in the folder above this one ('ticket exchange and special offer') and put 'wanted' in the title; this subforum is mostly for special offers, so people exchanging tickets may not make it this far.

CSBBB

The Deal

English National Ballet's double-bill performance of Kenneth MacMillan's "Song of the Earth" and Frank Andersen's recreation of "La Sylphide" is coming to the Palace Theatre in Manchester, and Travelzoo members can save up to 42%* on the regular cost of tickets.

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• Band C tickets, usually £26.25, are now £15
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• 12 October... 2pm
• 14 October... 2:30pm

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5 hours ago, fashionista said:

Dear Sim, I think Taxi is right with the vocational school route.  I know when I sold my parent's home and had to "dejunk", I had a collection of around 400 beautiful ballet books.  I offered to the RBS White Lodge, but they were unable to take as the school was undergoing refurbishment.  The collection found a home at the English National Ballet School.  I vividly remember the couple from the school who came to collect them, they could hardly see out of their car windows when we had packed all the books in.  I felt that I was passing on a legacy and hoped the ENBS kids could get as much pleasure and learn as much as I had from them.  

That's a lovely story.