Shade

Thanks for posting the casting. I was hoping to see a different ballerina in this role. Oh well!

jm365 it is called "Diagilev A Life" by Sjeng Scheijen. It was published in 2009 by Profile Books, so is not new. However, the copy I have is a pristine hardback and cost me £3.00 in Oxfam books - I consider it a bargain. Reviews on Amazon are mixed, I am yet to get very far into the approximately 440 pages.

It must have been a labour of love! 

Why couldn't they show Woolf works? The current programming seems very disappointing

Yes Alison on southwestern trains. My train journey is usually an hour on the fast train out of Waterloo. Disruptions continue today unsurprisingly. 

Sympathies to all affected by travel difficulties. Hope no one missed a show because of them.

Going by previous experience Osipova tends to get better with each performance. Of course she had also performed at all of the satori shows as well! 

My latest purchase is a very large biography of Diagilev, translated from Russian. It is going to take me some time to read I think! 

Yes 5 hours to get home tonight!

2 hours ago, capybara said:

In The Nutcracker on 9th December, James Hay replaces Benjamin Ella as Hans Peter: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-james-hay-to-dance-in-the-nutcracker-on-9-december-2017

 

In Sylvia on 11th December, Vadim Muntagirov replaces Federico Bonelli: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-vadim-muntagirov-to-dance-in-sylvia-on-11-december-2017

Hope Bonelli is not injured - how I wish I had a ticket for the 11th!

I agree about Scriabiniana Amelia but having read some reviews now it seems that some British critics do not appreciate 'soviet' choreography. I have noted this with other works too. Is it because the style is so different?

Yay - can't wait. 

I was there last night. Congratulations to Polunin for a well balanced programme. Terrific dancers. Enjoyed Scriabiniana very much. Osipova was adorable in it. Lovely pdd with Polunin. Lots of Bolshoi lifts - some very daring.

Found Satori very moving - the Osipova-Polunin pdd was emotional. Wish I could see them together in a full length ballet.

There were many young people there and that was encouraging to see. 

I had an enjoyable evening and would go again on Sunday if I could. TKTS had some tickets for tonight I think.

Lovely photos Don Q Fan - thanks for uploading. 

I agree that Sylvia's tutu in Act 3 was exceptionally beautiful.

Thank you Amelia for the clip. That is high praise indeed. 

What a wonderful ballet - the perfect adult Xmas ballet. Why is it not performed more often and why no cinema showing?

ashton did Delibes proud in my opinion. The slave dance in act 2 reminded me of the Chinese dance in the nutcracker. The goats in act 3 the white cats in Beauty.

thought that FB had a few wobbles in the first balances but then settled. Osipova dropped the arrow but was a terrific, stern Amazon in act 1. A pity that she didn’t rescue Aminta! Great huntresses with her.

in act 2 she became a seductive minx. For those of you who saw Fonteyn how did she dance this? From reading her biography I  cannot imagine her as a minx.

In tbe the torch lift in act 3 I was worried that FB was struggling and I think she caught her foot on his shoulder as she descended. Well done to both that they kept it together. Loved the choreography in this act. The pizzicato - did I see gargouillades? Was it just me or did they dance better in the solos rather than together? The ‘jump fish dives’ (excuse non technical term) looked perfect.  

Enjoyed the goats et al.

loved it and want to go again 

On 28 November 2017 at 19:38, Geoff said:

 

Might you post a link? I know the clip of the (I think) 12 year old Osipova doing Kitri's fan variation but am having trouble finding this one.

Not sure how to link here but if you google YouTube osipova at her start it should come up. It is on the same clip as the Kitri. Adorable as is the Paquita. 

Reading all these posts with interest. I have never seen Sylvia before but am looking forward to it very much now . It sounds like a "complete" production with the marriage of music, scenery, choreography and dancers. Just what I love. Can't wait till Thursday!

Reading these posts persuaded me to buy a ticket. Got a cheap balcony ticket. It was a good decision as I won't get the chance to see these fantastic Bolshoi dancers live next year (sadly no London tour). Really enjoyed this show. Loved to see Svetlana in comedy mode very funny. The men were great too. Can't get over the heroic stature of Lobukhin in Strokes through the Tail. He must be a great Spartacus.

Thank you Amelia - Irek is a legend.

She is supported by some terrific male dancers from the Bolshoi.

Yes Alison - I am very familiar with the area where Gillian's grandparents and aunt lived. I must say her descriptions of travelling on the train back to East Croydon after the shows, not knowing if you might be bombed, sounded very scary! How brave people were.

Has anybody read Gillian Lynne's book about her early career in the wartime? That was interesting. Also found a copy of Theatre Street by Karsavina in an Oxfam book shop. I love looking through old books, you never know what you might find!

Well an interesting evening at ROH. I enjoyed the Tharp - but agree it seemed like two halves not quite joined together. 

The Wind - a gothic spaghetti western. Brilliant dancing from Ed Watson - made me think of an albino dervish from the Bayadere. Certainly saw the "bum lift" yesterday and Osipova seemed to control the costume without problems. She does unhinged very believably - similarities to Facada I thought.

The wind effects were very clever.

i did not stay for the final piece so can't comment on that.

Apologies - for mix up (and spelling error). It was a good opportunity to see a different cast to the London performance that I saw in 2016. Krysanova spins like a top!

I do love this production, in particular the jardin anime. Wonderful dancing - I did enjoy the leads, lopatkin and stashkevich. Thought that Zhigansina was charming as the third odalisque. This ballet offers opportunities for many dancers - sevenard and shrainer in the jardin scene.

i would be happy to see it again.