SheilaC

Alex Beard attends many performances, usually in the back row of the stalls, on the side block . He also made the effort to go to both performances at Doncaster in the autumn and was friendly and sympathetic to Friends who were able to attend.

41 minutes ago, Ivy Lin said:

I wrote up a review of Jennifer Homans' new bio Mr. B:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2022/11/tomorrow-nycb-starts-its-annual.html

So far I’ve only read about 30 pages but was surprised to notice a bad error, when Homans claims that the Royal Ballet had previously been called Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet - which obviously was the touring company, now BRB.

7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Yikes. So....is that end of Neumeier’s Romeo and Juliet at RDB then .....just to add here that there is a lovely version of Romeo and Juliet created for RDB by Frederick Ashton that exists. 🙂 Beautiful charming choreography as one would expect of Ashton (of course), and totally uncontroversial- you could take kids aged 5 or great grandparents aged 95 to see it. Nikolaj might like to reinstate it, if the row with Neumeier doesn’t get resolved. Bit odd though- Neumeier’s ballets have been danced at RDB for decades! 

Doesn’t Peter Schaufuss own Ashton’s production? Might that affect RDB’s ability to mount it again?

The Royal Ballet in Sweden have just presented a wonderful triple bill, varied and well balanced, comprising three masterpieces: Robbins' In The Night, The Concert, and Balanchine's Theme and Variations. (When will we see a good triple bill again?) I was able to attend two performances. According to a video discussion available on the company website it was the first time the company had performed works by either choreographer so the level was competent rather than exceptional. The Concert never fails, one of the very few funny ballets where the humour survives, and mostly the dancers didn't overdo the humour, always a risk as Robbins coach Ben Huys said on the video. (He himself was amusing when describing Robbins' own notorious rehearsal technique, describing how he would make the dancers spend infuriating hour after hour gazing into the distance at that passage in Dances at a Gathering when the dancers are together, immobile, at the end.) Robbins' choreography, like Ashton's, looks much less difficult than it is, and it can be difficult for dancers new to his work to capture his style, but overall the dancers did well. The second pas de deux in In The Night almost invariably presents partnering problems ( true when The Royal did it) and this was no exception. But at the second performance I saw Rikako Shibamoto and Kentaro Mitsumori were exceptionally good in the first pas de deux, musical phrasing , capturing the delicate emotional engagement wonderfully.

The theatre is grandly baroque inside but the auditorium feels quite intimate. There was a display of Swan Lake costumes and information on the history of Swan Lake in Sweden. It turns out that the first time Swan Lake was danced in Sweden was 1908, with the Mariinsky and Anna Pavlova in her first performances outside of Russia. But it wasn't called Swan Lake- but Swan Pond! The Ballets Russes also called the ballet Swan Pond when they took it to Stockholm in 1937, starring Igor Youskevich (who created Theme and Variations 10 years later, with Alicia Alonso, a coincidence that the theatre didn't note). The company itself has had seven productions, including by Mary Skeaping, Mts Ek, Peter Wright and Nureyev.

There is a dance museum, quite close to the theatre and all the royal and government buildings, and on a main shopping street. Currently it has an exhibition on Nureyev that includes many of his costumes and many photographs, including some not seen in public before, owned by Charles Jude, one of the wonderful dancers Nureyev nurtured, and who, with his wife, did much to support Nureyev in his final months. The general material in the museum includes information about Pavlova, including the film of her in The Dying Swan, and a sculpture of one of her feet! It also has a pair of tiny pointe shoes owned by Galina Ulanova, and a huge sculpture of her dancing. There's a considerable amount of information on the Ballets Suedois in the 1920s and other key figures in Swedish ballet history. Well wort visiting.

37 minutes ago, Sharon said:

How sad!

Such a wonderful ballerina  - so many roles I was lucky enough to see.  She was the first Tatiana I ever saw....

RIP 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

She was a wonderful Tatiana and was nominated for it. Before joining LFB she was a valuable member of the Royal Ballet touring group shining in the many diverse ballets that company performed. She was guest teacher several times at the Yorkshire Ballet seminars, demanding high levels of discipline and concentration. But one of the most important contributions to ballet was assisting Rudolf Nureyev in mounting and rehearsing ballets and, as a ballet mistress at the Paris Opera Ballet, helping him mould the wonderful dance artists he formed at that company. The recent comments on former directors of the POB concentrated on the length of time served but in terms of regenerating the company and producing dancers of the highest class I think he was the best- in no small part due to Pat Ruanne's commitment and contribution.

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Perhaps Nicolas Le Riche is very comfortably settled with wife Clairemarie Osta and their offspring in Stockholm where he is now Artistic Director of Royal Swedish Ballet and they don’t want the upheaval of moving again to Paris so soon.  Or because the Paris Opera Ballet job is notorious for being stressful and full of non-ballet/non-artistic problems to deal with. Martinez has also been a popular and committed etoile for many years at the company, like Le Riche, and is known for getting on with the job, adept at choreographing/putting together elegant classical pieces (eg for the iconic Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Day broadcast) when required. He also brings his experience working with other big companies in a management/admin role that Aurelie Dupont didn’t have when she started, which should be helpful for him as well as his colleagues. I would have been equally happy with Nicolas or Jose. 

But there have been rumours for some months that Le Riche might move in December so I was hoping initially that he might move to ENB, or more likely, POB. He's done a wonderful job in Sweden, in terms of raising both artistic and technical standards and rep. He is an artist of the highest standards and integrity. I never really rated Martinez as a dancer but it is true that he has been successful as a director.

32 minutes ago, RHowarth said:

Thanks for the info. I've just booked good stalls tickets for £20 each as part of Opera North's 'Try it ON' scheme, as I've never booked to see Opera North at Leeds Grand before. 

Lucky you. I, too, was inspired by theorist's posting to book, for the opening night, and was surprised I had to pay £75 (with a slight reduction for being elderly- rare to get that nowadays at a theatre!) for a seat in the upper circle. I didn't know of the Try it On scheme but wouldn't have been eligible as I booked for Opera North and Phoenix for Dane's West Side Story: Symphonic Dances last autumn. In addition to having been one of the most eloquent dancers of his generation he is a gifted choreographer so it is excellent news that this project is still going ahead despite all the changes that Phoenix, and he, are undergoing.

Booking opened this afternoon at the yorktheatreroyal.co.uk  (01904 623568). Box office staff are very helpful.

The information so far is still just of the 3 excerpts I listed earlier and one from a ballet Tribute to Peace.

The Theatre Royal is an exquisite small Matcham theatre. It is very convenient for the station, the art gallery, the cathedral, not to mention Betty's! And if you don't know York, Emeralds, it is a lovely old city with lots of museums and small independent shops.

Having just read Jane S’s reference to twitter I’ve checked it and wonder if Akram Khan was backstage if it was the 100th performance. One of the things I didn’t mention in the rather rushed posting was  that during the applause  at the end, Tamara ran to the wings to encourage someone to join her and the rest of the dancers on stage, but whoever it was refused and she shrugged her shoulders and ran back. I wondered at the time if it could be Akram Khan and it now seems even more likely. Also Loipa was on stage, she must have been a major support and mentor as well as being such a renowned teacher.

I think it will only be an excerpt from Paquita, I’ve no idea how big an excerpt. It seems a long time - it IS a long time- since Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet used to do it so well.

This evening I saw Tamara Rojo’s last performance. It was in Akram Khan’s Giselle, in Paris, at the Theatre des Champs Elysees, the theatre where Stravinsky’s and Nijinsky’s Rite of Spring caused a riot at the premiere, over 100 years ago.

Partnering her was her life partner, Isaac Hernandez, guesting from their new company, San Francisco Ballet. The other main roles were taken by Ken Saruhashi and Stina Quagebeur, in the Myrthe type role she created in Khan’s version.

The theatre was unbearably hot, which affected one’s concentration, and the stage was even darker than ever- I couldn’t clearly see Tamara’s face, even though I had an excellent seat, and even when I tried my opera glasses.  Watching a dancer’s expression is important in a dramatic piece, no matter how expressive their dancing.

Despite these minor reservations the performance was a triumph. The pas de deux in the second act was performed with special tenderness by Tamara and Isaac and the entire cast gave an inspired performance.

The audience had watched in quiet concentration throughout and erupted with wild applause at the end, especially for Tamara and Stina, presumably it was her last performance too. There was a show of flowers, not I think a flower throw, as they seemed to come from above the stage. And it was moving when Isaac brought their toddler on to the stage, who loved running to the front of the stage to join his mum and applauded enthusiastically. Who knows what his future might be!

The Theatre Royal York has just announced that Kyiv City Ballet will be returning for another performance on 30 March 2023. The programme will include excerpts from Don Q, Bayadere and Paquita. I have no idea if this time they will perform anywhere else in the UK.

1 hour ago, Kate_N said:

Re-nationalise the railways! To be honest, I never found British Rail to be as bad as it was painted. I've also lived in other countries with far less rail infrastructure, and I know how much better the UK rail infrastructure is. We have the potential for an excellent system here in the UK. What's stopping us?

Yes. The LNER was renationalised and, while not perfect, is efficient. It's just come out as the most successful of all the train companies (not a high bar!) and now there are more passengers using it than before the pandemic- a vote of confidence.

The other train company I use, TransPennine Express, while not so bad as Avanti, is a nightmare. Trains are cancelled without warning, other than a sign against every train journey on the website that it might be cancelled. In the end I didn't dare booking for an evening performance of the brilliant NB triple in Leeds as there was no guarantee I could get home (presumably if you are warned to check before travelling the company isn't then obliged to take you home by bus or taxi if the last train is cancelled). And when I went to Liverpool to see ENB the direct train to Newcastle was cancelled- as were all the subsequent direct trains.

6 minutes ago, Sim said:

Coincidentally there’s a blog about Lynn Seymour by Alistair Macaulay in today’s links, in which he remembers her amazing 1977-78 season.  He says at one point that she created Mary Vetsera in 1968…clearly a typo!  
 

The blog is a timely reminder of what a special artist she was.  I will never forget how her Act 3 Anastasia sent me stumbling out of the theatre in a shocked daze. Unbelievable.  

Yes, she was a stunning actor, I reacted the same way as Sim to her Anastasia, when it was still a one-act ballet. I also remember watching her in Onegin and she totally convinced me in the final act that she was going to change the end and give in to Onegin, even though I had already seen that ballet many times.

On the classical side, I saw her in MacMillan's Sleeping Beauty at the Coliseum, partnered by Peter Martins, and her Vision scene had the most beautiful lyrical dancing imaginable. Sheer perfection. And she was my first ever full length Odette, at a matinee in Birmingham in 1959, when I skived off my very strict school. Magic- well worth getting in to trouble when I was found out!

6 hours ago, TurningPointe said:

Interesting question. Mmmm….I am not sure that we can reduce those casting choices to a certain ballerina’s build.  I think that you need to take a careful look at partnerships, artistry, and temperament.  Also, certain people are excellent dancers but just not ‘right’ (for a variety of reasons) for certain roles. 

 

If you look at the original cast (1978) for Mayerling, the role of Mary Vetsera was interpreted by Lynn Seymour. She was an amazing dancer/actress, an inspiration to Kenneth MacMillan. He originally created his 1960s Romeo and Juliet based on Lynn and Christopher (Gable) not on Fonteyn and Nureyev.  Most would tend to agree that Lynn’s more athletic body build did not conform to the stereotypical perception of the classical ballerina but that did not preclude MacMillan from casting her in the role with David Wall partnering her as her Crown Prince Rudolf, or dancing with Nureyev in other ballets.  

I'm mystified that anyone could call Lynn Seymour's body build 'athletic'. In her younger days she did have a bit of a weight problem, for a dancer, but she didn't dance 'heavy', she was weightless, as though she didn't have a bone in her body, the most wonderful, fluid, lyrical dancing imaginable. I've never seen her equal. In my view her only physical weakness as a dancer was that her neck was a bit short- but that was also true of great dancers like Pat Ruanne and the incomparable Galina Ulanova. People remember that she was a great dance actor but forget what a wonderful dancer she was, inspiring Ashton (Two Pigeons, Brahms Waltzes, Month in the Country) as well as MacMillan (9 ballets, including the very classical Symphony and Baiser de la Fee, so not just dramatic roles). Her musicality and phrasing in classical roles were exceptional.

13 hours ago, Aschenbrödl said:

Not sure if I should be posting this here. Casting has now been published for Mayerling at Paris Opera. I am very lucky to be able to see Hugo Marchand and Mathieu Gannio (if there are no changes). I would have loved to have been able to get to London to see any of the ROB  Mayerling performances.

Lucky you. I'm disappointed with the cast I have (Ganio and Paglliero, Bullion and O'Neil). But I do quite like Bullion, a good actor, and I think he's retiring during this run so it will be good to see him one last time. Would have so loved to see Marchand in it.

58 minutes ago, Sim said:

That’s appalling behaviour. Did anyone ask the talkers to be quiet or the texter to stop?   How distracting for those who want to get lost in the story, music and beauty onstage.    

No, the Empire is an ATG theatre which actively encourages drinking. The two women in front of me were taken to their seats after the performance had started by a member of staff. They were very quiet when they talked but moving their heads. At the break between the first 2 acts I politely asked them to stop as it was distracting, which they resented but were better behaved in the 2nd act but after that they carried on again. I had thought they they were young and perhaps knew no better but when I spoke to them they turned out to be middle-aged and British. There was absolutely no attempt by theatre staff to stop the widespread use of mobiles even though before the start of the performance there was the usual announcement about turning off mobiles.

I saw the opening night, from the Circle (which was half full) and the Thursday matinee, from the front stalls.

I booked the opening night partly to see Frola again, after his wonderful performance in the Bournonville at the Nureyev programme. I was particularly impressed by his dancing in Act 3, fast, light, splendid jumps. His Odette-Odile was Erina Takahashi, still dancing immaculately, until the fouettés, which started very well until she fell off- but bravely restarted! Her classical technique is, despite that, as strong as ever, controlled, lyrical.  Her Act 4 was the most moving. That performance  had quite senior dancers, unlisted, in the Waltz. The Neapolitan dance was splendidly done with real verve by Haruhi Otani and Rhys Antoni Yeomans. The Act 1 pas de trois was well danced by Emily Suzuki, Katja Khaniukova and Aitor Arrieta (same cast the next day, apart from Erik Woolhouse instead of Arrieta) but one of the dancers who impressed me most was Precious Adams as a Lead swan and a princess, her epaulement and lyricism captured the eye.

The matinee was special, as Jan says, for the dancing of Shiori Kase. Even as a student her lyricism was exceptional and her musicality and control, with turns lingering, beautifully articulated, and expressing her emotional response, made her Odette moving, and deeply tragic in the final act. She sparkled in the Black act, all technical challenges conquered. Lorenzo Trossello coped well, mostly, in his debut both in the role and with the company.

In both performances Rothbart was James Streeter, conducting and controlling the bevy of swans with his huge wings. And in addition to Jane Haworth, that other stalwart, Michael Coleman, was the tutor and the master of ceremonies in both performances. What a treasure he has been to British ballet!- from Jeremy Fisher in Tales from Beatrix Potter, to Colas, to Elite Syncopations and Robbins in the past to character parts now.  At 82 his sense of theatre and comic timing still add to the audience's enjoyment.

One, minor, criticism of the production is the important sightings of Odette in Act 3. From the Circle I could see them fine but had to look for them when sat in the stalls as dancers were standing in front of her. It reminded me of the premiere of Makarova's production of Swan Lake for LFB in Bradford (yes, in the days when they really were a touring company). Odette's pleading was filmed, with Makarova, no less, performing it, but was scarcely visible. (But at least she was in the theatre, as was Ashton, as some of his choreography was included).

The least appealing aspect to the performances was the audience. In the Circle I was surrounded by people swigging wine, talking, being allowed in late during the performance or later getting up, checking their mobiles. In the stalls the young woman next to me texted almost throughout the performance yet ostentatiously stood up to applaud at the end.

The Doncaster event turned out to be very successful.

The first performance was preceded by a pre-performance gathering for Friends and attended by Alex Beard and Kevin O'Hare. There were several brief speeches including from the local MP, Ed Miliband, who had inspired the partnership between ROH, the Cast theatre, and Doncaster council to improve access to the arts by children from over 100 schools in Doncaster.

That initiative culminated the next day in a performance by 300 children in an open air version of Alice in Wonderland. The main characters were performed by RB dancers, including Leo Dixon as the Mad Hatter and the ubiquitous Gina Storm-Jensen as the Queen. It was very well coordinated and it was quite moving, especially at the end when  the entire cast moved in unison. 

The programme for the two performances was varied, covering 14 items in all, mostly excerpts. There were two pieces by Ashton (three if the cast sheet is to be believed and he choreographed Corsaire),  pas de deux, Thais and Fille Mal Gardee; three by Wheeldon, Alice, Within the Golden Hour, After the Rain; McGregor, Chroma; two 'classics', pas de deux from Swan Lake and Corsaire; the lovely Prelude by Ben Stevenson, not I think part of RB rep, more associated with ENB;  another popular 20th century piece by Preljocaj, Le Parc, frequently danced by the Paris Opera Ballet; ballets by RB dancers Kristen McNally, Joshua Junker and Steven McRae (his Czardas tap exploit); a piece by Mikaela Polley. 

The dancers were equally varied, from Principals to soloists and artists to Aud Jebsen dancers. No less than 15, on my count, had been recently promoted, giving them the chance to extend their performance experience. One, Charlotte Tonkinson, was a Doncaster lass, who has been involved in the initiative, and she was rewarded by having the opportunity to dance Odette, which she did carefully, well partnered by Lukas, to tumultuous applause from her local crowd.

The stage is quite small, by Covent Garden standards, so it must have required some adjustment by the dancers, especially for Corsaire. The standard was even better at the second performance, probably due to the greater familiarity with the stage.

The programme opened quietly with the serene Prelude, danced by Lukas B.Braendsrod (an unsung star of the show- he was in three pieces) and luminously by Melissa Hamilton, who was especially eloquent in the second show. It ended with exhilarating panache with the explosive tap dance by Steven McRae, sporting a Mayerling style moustache. In between there was a good mix of classical and more modern styles.

Steven McRae also danced the second piece, Alice, appropriately given the theme of the schools performance, with Anna Rose O'Sullivan, almost unrecognisable in a black wig. Though well danced the pas de deux lost a bit out of the context of the full ballet. It was a joy to see Ashton in the Thais pas de deux, with Ryoichi Hirano and Sarah Lamb, although I have seen more mystical performances. In Corsaire Mariko Sasaki and Joonhyuk Jun thrilled the audience although other performances I've seen have benefited from the greater experience of star dancers. Fille, with Anna Rose  and Luca Acri (who also danced in the McNally piece) was as joyous as ever. The Chroma excerpt was splendidly danced by Yasmine Naghdi and Marcelino Sambe. He had also danced with Sarah Lamb in Within the Golden Hour, which in addition included a pas de deux more than capably danced by Leo Dixon and Francisco Serrano. Reece Clarke partnered Yasmine Naghdi in Le Parc, the famous whirling round movement better done at the second performance, and After the Rain, with Gina Storm-Jensen, at the first performance but it was cancelled due to injury (details unknown) at the Saturday matinee. The artists danced the more contemporary pieces and those pieces were very well received, dynamic and mostly to more modern music, from Elvis Presley to Max Richter and Mogwai.

Although some of the pieces were danced to taped music, it was a bonus that there was live music backing many of the ballets, supplied by pianists Robert Clark and Kate Shipley and Son-Yon Kim on the violin.

Altogether, an excellent initiative, levelling up opportunities to see first class ballet in the North. Arts Council, please take note.

What is disappointing is that there has been absolutely no information on the dancers or ballets being performed. How different from ballet galas scheduled for Japan!

13 hours ago, oncnp said:

Akram Khan's Giselle

 

BBC 4 Sun 18 Sep 2022  20:00

Let's hope it doesn't get postponed due to the BBC's extreme compliance with the mourning suggestions- the funeral is likely to be the next day.

On Monday SkyArts is scheduled to show The Royal Ballet in Cuba again (7.25)

Have other subscribers received the final copy yet? I'm just back from my London ballet/dance trip and fully expected to have my copy waiting for me but no sign of it. I never got the final copy of Dance and Dancers, either.

I'm very happy that Sir Peter is delighted. I have long admired him greatly. However, the nomenclature seems retrograde, lacking respect for the previous history of the company; and in particular the tremendous contribution of John Field as director. He introduced wonderful ballets and developed the consummate artistry of Kenneth MacMillan, Lynn Seymour, Christopher Gable and David Wall, amongst many others.

For those of us who live hundreds of miles away It's good that it coincides with the 2nd Ashton masterclass (2.30 - 5.30 the same day). Less travel, less costs.

There is a very interesting, not to say alarming, article in today's Guardian. It's not in today's Links, understandably as it never mentions ballet or even the ROH, although it refers to very many orchestras and theatres. I'm technically challenged so can't give a link but it's by Charlotte Higgins, 'England's arts funding is a thin gruel that satisfies no one'. The killing comparison she makes is that " Eat out to help out cost £849M for one month. What a grotesque contrast to the £341M a year for arts bodies".

Amongst other points she makes is the assertion that major arts organisations can't just rely on private donors, instead of government subsidy, as it is the certainty that public funding will ensure the continuance of large arts organisations that "allows them to leverage donations and sponsorship and funding from charitable trusts".