Shade

5 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

I remember lots from this season and could weep for the amount I didn’t see!  I saw Acosta and Nunez in Fille and it is one of my defining moments in ballet viewing.  If I’d only known that we would be so starved of the kind of works I grew to love in those years of the early 2000s 20 years later, I would have blown my budget back then and seen them all.

That is why I go to as much as possible that I am interested in now as you never know what is in the future!

Well everyone has hopes for their favourite productions but I must say there have been fairly consistent unenthusiastic comments

Dawnstar - Osipova tends not to dance Nutcracker so if you can get a ticket for SL it might be a good decision

Looks like I will be saving a lot of money next season!
Perhaps  I should blow the budget before September on as much classical ballet as I can get tickets for. 

14 hours ago, LinMM said:

Was Carlos in his white suit? 

No he wasn’t when I saw him Lin.

I did enjoy Friday’s performance- Celine Gittens was a radiant Aurora.

It was pretty packed Friday evening too and fairly quiet in the second circle. Plus on my way in I saw Carlos Acosta- so handsome.

Between strike days, work to rule days and engineering works there hardly seems any time of normal service on my line - 😔 

Very interesting comments. Personally, having seen many RB performances over the years I would say that the corps de ballet has increased in uniformity and coordination so that it is a real pleasure to watch traditional ‘white acts’. 
 

I also think there is strength in depth across the ranks. 

Shetland ponies can live to a good age but they can be little devils to control!

9 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I wonder if Peregrine the Pony will be taking a trip up to the Wells! I’ve seen him being walked along Whitehall during the last run so maybe a bit too far for him to go! 

I remember seeing him being walked over the bridge. Does the Wells stage have space for him?

4 hours ago, Lindsay said:

 

 

None of which should detract from what was an amazing performance last night and I think (the leads at least) are well worthy of the cinema performance.   We are so lucky in London at the moment to be able to nitpick our preferences between really incredible dancers and none of this is in any way intended as a detraction of anybody! Yasmine would always be one of my top choices when choosing which casts to see.  

I think this is a fine cast for the cinema performance. It must have been difficult to choose though as there are so many fine casts! I would love to see one of each but can’t unfortunately.

Interesting reading your post Sim - I wasn’t moved at all in Act 2

My first viewing of Swan Lake in this run and very enjoyable it was too. Good performance from all I think. It’s a shame that with all the current fabulous male principals at RB there is so little for Siegfried to do - a waste in my opinion.

Yes agree that balance was terrific. 
 

For me though I think Odile took the honours- very exciting Act 3. Perhaps I find Odette too passive - waiting for her true love to come. In contrast Odile goes out to get him, even though she is playing with him and doesn’t want him, just wants to prove that she can get him.
 

I find this current production Act 4 an anticlimax after Act 3.

Oh I will see Cinders with my husband this time so do hope it’s on again.

6 hours ago, LinMM said:

I’m very sorry for your unfortunate experience emmarose but on the whole I do think this behaviour is rare at the ROH and you have been very unlucky. I hope this won’t put you off going to much..I’ve had some lovely conversations with neighbours at the ballet. 
I’ve never had an adult kick the back of my seat ( seriously out of order) but it did once happen with a child. It can be so difficult to know exactly how to deal with it when you don’t know the people. 

I try to start out by assuming the person doesn’t realise they are causing a problem and mostly this approach does work!! But once had to ask the parent to have a word (wondering why they hadn’t already!) and had to sort of bite my tongue saying I know how difficult it is for young children to sit still etc. Anyway it did stop! 

But have to say in all the 50 years on and off of ROH attending I’ve been incredibly lucky and had mostly pleasant experiences and hope this turns out for you too emmarose. 
 

Talking of smells …many years ago now back in early 80’s I took a German friend visiting who also loved ballet to ROH. We had just been to the German shop which used to be in Knightsbridge and she had bought a couple of cheeses there. 
About half way through the performance there was this dreadful smell which we realised was coming from her bag( we were in the Amphi) 

It was very embarrassing but then worse ( and probably unforgivable) we then started to get the giggles about it so not very mature behaviour but it’s the worse thing when you know you shouldn’t be laughing to suppress it! 

 

Oh that reminds me of the time that I bought a Stilton cheese as a Christmas present for a friend. Came from the shop in Covent Garden and had a very strong smell. My friend had to take it with her on the train from King’s Cross. I expect she had plenty of empty seats around her!

Thanks Janet that provides more choice for dates if people are away at the end of august.

Thanks replied

Hi Silke 

I am interested in this ticket.

regards

shade

Thanks Emerald for that additional explanation. I still think the ballet was very bleak.

Yes the Dream has lovely music- one reason that my husband will attend with me. husband chooses to attend for selected performances only, avoiding the challenge of the MacMillan triple bill for example.

But it hate the blonde wigs!

First time that I have seen these productions- but I had read up on them in the Jann Parry book Different Drummer.

Concertantes was fun, reminded me of Balanchine’s Rubies. MYbe because of the jazzy Stravinsky score but also the snappy moves in the choreography and off balance turns etc. great cast and dancing.

Head dresses awful - yes Teletubbies - not the association I expect RB was after!
 

Different Drummer was shocking. The destruction of a soul in front of us by social alienation, abuse by persons in authority, betrayal. Mr Avis was more evil in this than Manon -  hard to believe. Great performances by all. Mr Clarke surprised me an anguished performance and Marie suited Osipova so well.

I didn’t see any redemption in this at all - unremitting torture. 
 

Requiem - a masterpiece and very appropriate in Easter week I thought . Very moving and Wonderful dancing. 

Thanks Amelia I thoroughly enjoyed watching Shakirova - she is such a joyful dancer. Congratulations to her 

Thank you to everyone who has posted their thoughts on this run of Manon, particularly on the different casts. What a triumph for the RB this run is. We are very fortunate. 
 

I too was moved to tears at the end of the Saturday matinee 

Before commenting further on the matinée performance I took the time to read the relevant entry in the Jan Parry biography of MacMillan, very interesting. When Manon and des Grieux are sitting on the chairs peering at each other  there is a parallel with R&J. 

I agree the earlier comment re the connection between Manon and her brother. They discuss - what? He promises her riches and she agrees I thought. So Osipova knows what she wants at that point.

Mr Campbell and Ms Magri were terrific in their roles as brother and Mistress. However, I don’t find the drunk scene funny - was he drinking to forget what he had done?

As for Mr Avis as GM, He brought his latest plaything to the brothel and proceeded to continually paw her. Very Fifty Shades. Made my flesh crawl. I would say evil. 

Osipova was torn between riches and love, which way would she go? She loved des Grieux but the wealth was so tempting. 

 
Of course there is only one end for a ‘girl gone bad’ and it is shocking and tragic.

The tale is highly relevant to our own times - very scarily so unfortunately.

Great art and artists are however, thought provoking.

4 minutes ago, Sim said:

This is always how the curtain calls are done for Manon at the RB.  Manon is the lead character so she comes out last.  

Thanks Sim I didn’t know that