nevsky

Yes, but I don't read it like he does or as the two dancers describe their partnership. "Fire and ice", says Kevin. "Fumbled lifts and poor emotional characterisation from Hallberg", say I (with reference to his performances last summer).

Everything Vadim Muntagirov does is fine by me. His dancing is on a different (higher) level. Some people on this forum accuse him of a lack of expression at times but I have never found that a problem. He does not layer expression on but reacts naturally. I am grateful to him for taking me through every emotion in La Bayadere. I was always a reluctant attendee, but not any more. When you see the cinema relay, it is all there from Muntagirov, subtle and genuine. That means he gets my vote for Manon, Winter Dreams, and Swan Lake. The best Rudolf by far was Matthew Ball. He had a fortnight's notice to be ready to perform as Ryoichi Hirano moved into Edward Watson's slots. It was a compelling performance and he completely commanded the stage. William Bracewell showed that he thinks deeply about the roles he does and thinks himself into the character, so he gets a vote for his Swan Lake, Unknown Soldier and, also, Baron Tusenbach in Winter Dreams , a very moving portrayal as the soldier who others laughed at behind his back .He loses the duel but the girl is waiting for him at the end of the ballet, not for the brash soldier. I discovered that I had a DVD of the original film with Mukhamedov, Bussell, et al. It was interesting to see that Gary Avis was the brother with the baby in the the pram whereas Anthony Dowell was Kulygin in 1991. Cesar Corrales was commanding in Le Jeune Homme et La Mort. He brought the same mesmerising power to his Hungarian Officer in Mayerling and performed very well in La Bayadere. Some tall order, first full length ballet on RB stage and with two powerful leading ladies, Nunez and Osipova. He passed the test easily. Pity someone didn't tell him that he did not have to wear the ghastly turban all the time. All the other Solors were in head band with feather at the betrothal scene. He uses his face so well to create his characters that we needed to see it. Get fit soon, Cesar: you have so much more to offer. Finally, No Man's Land. Liam Scarlett captures the horror of the war and the loss of young life which includes an a emotional pas de deux with the girl whose man only returns in her memory. His choice of Liszt 'Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses orchestrated by Gavin Sutherland somehow fits the mood so well. Footnote: Mayara Magri put in stunning performance as Gamzatti in La Bayadere.

Did anyone see Maria Alexandrova last night. I met someone on the train this morning who had been. He seemed reluctant to commit himself. I am sure others will be more forthcoming. I am due to see her soon.

And his Marguerite. In his last three ballets he has been on his knees, as the curtain falls, cradling the dead bodies of the women he has loved.

In her Evening Standard interview, Tamara Rojo said that Isaac Hernandez "has won all the awards you can possibly win". Because this was queried, and in the interests of fairness, I have now looked this up. Online records show that Hernandez was awarded the following junior prizes/medals: YAGP 2003: Best Male Dancer Junior Age Division Cuba 2004: (unclear but various bio-pics of his mention 1st Prize) Moscow 2005: Junior Male Bronze Jackson 2006: Junior Male Gold He was also awarded the Alexandra Radius prize which recognises dancers in The Netherlands in 2014. It is difficult to be sure, and this is in no sense a criticism of him, but it appears that Hernandez's guest appearances at the Paris Opera Ballet (Solor and Basilio) have been after he joined ENB. During my searches, I also came across a big feature on Hernandez in the Evening Standard (August 2015 - very early in his time with ENB). What he says there is interesting in the context of how things have developed: https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/isaac-hern-ndez-the-hottest-ballet-boy-to-hit-london-since-carlos-acosta-10436964.html

Poor Matthew Ball. Now he is being criticised for his clothes. I do not think he was ''woefully miscast'. For goodness sake give a lad a chance. He needs to supported and encouraged. That is how dancers get stronger mentally and go on and give their best.He is a very bright prospect in the RB and I for one am glad to see him shining.

The Saturday matinee of Giselle was a splendid occasion for me. Surprisingly, I found that my face broke into a smile the moment Albrecht arrived and when Giselle appeared it got even wider. It was one of those very rare occasions when the whole cast looked so good together and danced so completely. I have followed Yasmine's career closely. She is a fine dancer and she inhabits her roles totally. She thinks herself into the character and lives it throughout the performance, never once having to check who she is. She has proved many times before she was appointed that she was principal material and every appearance reinforces that justice of that position. Her dancing was a delight and was captivating. I particularly like the way in which she challenged Myrtha 'He may have betrayed me' she said, 'but for me he is still the one and I am going to fight for him'. Myrtha was cowed. Matthew Ball, appointed a first soloist this season, has shown already that he is also a very thoughtful dancer and is very much on his way. I am sure he prepares thoroughly too and wants to get the character right. I have see him in modern works and he has given me greater insight and a finer performance in a second cast role than I have received from the first cast lead on a few occasions. He is well recognised in this field and he is honing his skills in classical ballet with good outcomes. Some people on these threads have been ready to make critical comments, particularly in the light of Alex's performance the previous night. There are a few points to make here. Alex had a long history of good work at BRB. He has been a principal at the RB for over a year, he is an older and more mature dancer. The show that he and Frankie did on Friday evening was their third in front of an audience and, when dancers have had that kind of opportunity, it helps them to really know each other and how the performance will proceed. For Yasmine and Matthew it was their one and only appearance in public. That raises the pressure, but they pulled it off, both of them. In fact I saw interpretations in Matthew's performance that I had not seen from other Albrechts, and I have seen three other casts in this run, (in addition to Vadim and Marienela, who are very special anyway ) which enhanced the story for me and in which he betrayed his feelings openly and honestly. It was unfortunate that one poster reminded us that he fell over in Beauty. Hardly did he need to know that this had been remembered. Other dancers were excellent as well. Thomas Mock was a splendid Hilarion, enlarging the character with skill. The pas de six was very well balanced, danced strongly by the men and all well matched in height, and with panache by the ladies. Fumi Kaneko was an excellent Myrtha, in control, commanding with a technique of pure quality. One other person to mention and, in the general run of a show, probably hardly noticed, but Jonathan Howells, as Master of the Hunt produces a cameo performance which draws on his years of stagecraft. When the hunting party sit for their wine he is there behind the table flicking his gloves at the locals to keep them at bay. Then, when Bathilde asks the Duke whether she can present Giselle with the necklace, he had his ear close that conversation and expressed disapproval. In all a splendid show. Bravo, brava, bravi- or whatever it should be!

But Mark Monahan and Christopher Wheeldon clearly thought they knew something was amiss. Otherwise, why would ENB have been referred to in that article and why did Wheeldon say "the issue of concern is all the other stuff".

An interesting couple of reviews in Dance Europe, received today. First, Lauretta Summerscales and Yonah Acosta in Don Quixote in Munich. "Virtuoso from start to finish, an incredible balance in attitude en pointe that seemed never to end, thirty-two fouttes, single and double consecutively, remaining on the spot" and, Yonah " an indescribable sequence of jetes en tournant in the coda that left the audience gaping in disbelief". Cesar Corrales in Le Jeune Homme et la Mort. "....he does not look ,or perform like anyone else .......... as his every move and expression appears to explode and evolve from within the darkest corners of his soul ......... His vulnerability is painfully exposed in searing chasms as he becomes engulfed with the desire for Zhang's ravishing yet callous Girl" These 3 stars were all at ENB but a few months ago. In a recent interview, Yonah said that he and Tamara "were fighting a lot". Now Cesar is leaving too. What a loss to the Company. Nuff said.

The ROH performances were in two separate weeks!

I find that respect and gratitude is a 'two-way' street.

I think that, in addition to Max Westwell and Anton Lukovkin who left a while ago and Madison Keesler who left this summer, Alejandro Virelles, another Principal, also left earlier this year.

Yesterday's performance of Giselle turned out to be something special. Established ENB dancers took all the roles. Alison McWhinney was a tender, loving and trusting Giselle. Once she overcame her shyness, she delighted in Albrecht's attentions. Her soft arms added to her inherent fragility and, when she realised she had been deceived, she seemed to carry her sense of disbelief in her madness. In Act 2, her long neck and beautiful carriage made her truly ethereal. As Albrecht, Yonah Acosta produced a stunning performance, his acting achieving heights I hadn’t seen from him before. Despite his trying to be a peasant you knew from the beginning that aristocracy was in Albrecht’s blood. Acosta’s manner and bearing betrayed that upbringing. However, this was no cad. This Albrecht was head over heels in love with Giselle. Acosta is a strong looking man but he achieved remarkable tenderness and a softness of touch that revealed his character’s true feelings for this girl. When unmasked, his contrition seemed to be token because he knew where his love truly belonged. He was totally overcome when Giselle died and his bereavement was channelled into powerful anger at Hilarion whom he saw as the cause. Isabelle Brouwers was a commanding Myrtha with huge elevation to her jumps. She controlled the second act absolutely and her Wilis were excellent, with soft arms as Skeaping would have wished, and always together. Against their woodland setting, they were disturbingly eerie. No wonder the men who strayed into their territory were scared out of their minds. Hilarion, Daniel Kraus, was ardent too. His anger at being duped by a Duke was palpable. We could feel his torment at the grave through the darkness. [but why do all of ENB’s Hilarions come to the stage so beautifully coiffured?] Some contributors here have praised individual dancers but have commented on a missing chemistry. Not this Giselle and Albrecht. We felt their pleasure, their ecstasy and their pain. Never have flowers been laid on the grave with such tenderness, grief and remorse. Throughout, Acosta bared his soul in his dancing, which ranged from very powerful to gentle and loving. In return McWhinney was protective and forgiving, making it clear to the audience that Albrecht needed to stay by the grave to be safe, and letting him be free as the sun rose. Readers may think that I am simply relating the well known story but these dancers told this story in spades, and in so doing gave their all. They made you believe. Congratulations to the home team for showing us what a quality performance looks like.

Principal next then!

These statistics raise a number of questions. Did the dancers who have virtually no shows before Christmas request a long break? If not, what message is the Director seeking to deliver. I was surprised that Muntagirov did not get cast in Anastasia. One might think a Russian, who is also a very fine dancer, would feature in this ballet and enhance the pas de deux . It would appear that Steven McRae, excellent dancer that he is, has to be in everything. Perhaps his two Nutcrackers could have been given to the younger dancers that we all want to see, especially as a guest has been brought in to dance with him.