Shade

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

We gave them all a good reception 👏

Hi they were not all together, at least when I saw them but were being subject to many requests 😊

Dreaded rail replacement bus service plus dreaded trespasser on the line this morning made it a nail biting journey to ROH for the matinee but it was more than worth it.

I haven’t recovered sufficiently to write about the performance but brava all round. I salute those of you who can manage 2 performances on the same day! I found it too harrowing.

As I had time I made it to the stage door, quite a number were gathered there. Mr Avis, Ms Osipova and Mr Clarke were gracious, signing programmes and having photos taken. Wonderful.

Would love to see Potskhishvili live. From the clips I have seen he is a very exciting dancer.

Friday evening's performance was warmly received. I thoroughly enjoyed it, exception being the eating, drinking and giggling at inappropriate moments!
 

The music was at a pace that gave it great impact and moved the action on.

This production is one to treasure, no doubt. I prefer the peasant pdd as opposed to pds but I felt that it needed more crispness yesterday evening.

In my view the night belonged to the ladies, expressive Giselle and implacable, merciless Myrthe. Fabulous Wilis.

Reading all the posts so far I am excited to go Friday evening as that fits best with work schedule. 

56 minutes ago, Candleque said:

Thanks for all the reviews above. I love Giselle and was delighted to get to see opening night. Have been a fan girl of Aitor Arrieta since Emerging Dancer 2017. I didn't miss the entrechat six so much, but was truly bummed they didn't do the iconic horizontal lift in Act II. The aptly named angel lift. It's my fave moment in ballet period. I guess it isn't in this version? (I was holding my breathe for it and it didn't happen lol.)

Don't have a good memory of Berthe's mime in other versions. If I didn't already know the story, I would not really understand what she is on about. 

 

To me, the audience chuckles when a Wili goes flying by, et al, are more an automatic appreciation of the stagecraft than finding the show funny. They don't bother me. And I felt lots of love and appreciation in the audience for the dancers.

Want to give a shout out to debutantes Ivana Bueno and Daniel McCormick for a fab Peasant pas de deux. Wish I could see his Albrecht.

I am truly grateful to be booked for two more casts. Thanks to reasonable prices to begin with, and ENB allowing great offers on the public discount sites, I get to see Giselle three times in top tier seats, for less £££ than one stalls seat in the ROH. Bravo ENB.

I know the lift you mean but was that a later Soviet addition?

Happy New Year to the Mods & all Forum members and looking forward to wonderful ballet performances in 2024

Gargouillades - looks like the dancer is trying to shake something unpleasant off the foot😂

Very exciting- costumes look wonderful. Do report back any of you who get to watch this