Petunia

Much has been written already - thanks to all of you for that - and I agree with most of it. I went all the way to Southampton to see the first performance with Cojocaru / Streeter / Corrales / Quagebeur and I very much hope for a DVD because watching it only once just isn’t enough, there is so much to see and think and listen to. Even in this awful cave of a theatre the energy and the power of the dancers blew me away, I was thoroughly bowled over. Alina Cojocaru gave herself completely over, physically and mentally. I’ve rarely seen a dancer of this caliber. I own a video of her and Kobborg in Giselle (I have never seen her in the role on stage) and somehow I feel both versions of the character came alive at the same time. Her last duet with Streeter had me in tears (that rarely happens), it was so intensely painful. Myrtha and the Wilis – I always wanted the traditional Wilis to be more threatening, these were surely scary! The bamboo sticks already had an appearance in “Until the Lions”, but in a quite different way. And Corrales is an Animal with a big A. The stage and lighting are truly fabulous, but I’m sorry to say I found the music a bit repetetive and sometimes boring. I wish I could see it again, I hope ENB keeps it in the repertoire. I’m so glad I was there, it will stay in my memory for a long time.

I was there on Thursday, my first visit to Sadler’s Wells, what an exciting experience! I'm always very curious to see something by Cherkaoui and was thrilled to see him dancing again. My first encounter with his work was when he performed in Berlin, together with Akram Khan in the unforgettable “Zero Degrees” and after that I’ve never seen him on stage again, only on video. I much admire his ability to explore different movement languages and his skills to create something completely new from them, as well as acquiring them for himself, chameleonlike. For “Fractus V” he has assembled a group of four eminently stunning dancers with most diverse backgrounds, from Spain, France, the USA and Germany and four phenomenal musicians from Korea, India, Congo and Japan. Sometimes the dancers sang and talked, and the musicians danced, shapes were changing and shifting constantly and the mood went from tender to hysterically funny to disturbingly exaggerated violent. There were no empty moments, it was like watching a kaleidoscope. They had us sitting on the edges of our seats the whole time and got a standing ovation as soon as the stagelights went out.

No, they’ve even proudly announced the exciting novelty. We were quite shocked when Angela posted it here on the forum: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/277-news-from-germany-austria-switzerland/page-19 From #553 on.

I'll be there on Friday 28., Amphitheatre Row C. Will be on the lookout for blue badges during the intervals!

I’m very pleased you enjoyed it! Yes, the reviews (I only found two short ones) were quite dismissive, but usually the Berlin audiences don’t care about that. Although their relationship with Duato is very complicated, they love the dancers and don’t hesitate to show it! However, with all the kerfuffle regarding the former, the present and the next artistic management, we cherish and appreciate the dedication and commitment of the people who put so much work and love into a production - any production! I just wish they could get something more exciting to do.

I'm sure she will be fine, and Vieira seems to be promising. Don't know about the Company... when I was watching the men in the waltz, my inner ballet teacher was screaming things like "stretch those feet!!"

I'm so excited, I'll be there to see them next Wednesday. Please cross all available fingers for me, there are a flight and trains involved... !

I wish I knew... ! New AD, wants to show his own work.

I’ve had a few too many Nuts in my life but I promised you to be on the lookout for Ksenia Ovsyanick who had her first appearance here and her debut as Clara yesterday so I went there and even splurged for a seat in the stalls. Staatsballett Berlin ditched their opulently furnished and outrageously expensive “Russian” Nutcracker (Medvedev / Burlaka) - which was only two years old - for the rehashed Duato (Michailovsky, 2013). All in all, it looked like a vegan diet after a luscious Christmas feast and I left with very mixed feelings. I like my first act to be very lively, a tad untidy, full of people and with a good portion of childlike excitement – this one looked like an expensive shop window in an art nouveau style, with well-behaved and gorgeously dressed mannequins (think Paul Poiret) posing as “Parents” and “Guests” who deign to dance a few steps now and then, and there were NO CHILDREN AT ALL, just corps members playing cutely with the occasional toy. Drosselmeyer was neither scary nor funny, just a friendly middle-aged uncle who brought some presents – none of your ordinary hocus-pocus here, if you please. A neat box was brought in which contained a few dolls which did a few tricks, and away with them…! Poor Ksenia Ovsyanick as Clara did what she could to fill the meagre choreography with life and emotions but there was never a moment where she and Michael Banzhaf as Drosselmeyer could develop this special magic between them which makes her to love her Nutcracker so much that she dreams about him and makes him her Prince. When night falls over an empty stage, a few mice appear which essentially are big rowdy rats, mangy and mean (think Carabosse’s monsters) with a sleazy king who inexplicably takes a fancy in the Nutcracker doll and carries it here and there, and Clara is carried here and there, too, and then Clara is able to grab the doll and then carries it three times across the stage, each time the doll becomes bigger until it is live-sized Denis Vieira who then leads his small army in a thankfully short fight. Because then - at last! - some actual dancing happens! Not much and not spectacular, but for the very first time we were able to see some real joy and a continuous flow of movement. Strangely the choreography looked as if it was conceived for a much tighter space, it didn’t make much use of the (not too huge) stage. 16 Snowflakes came and went, also very tidily and the first act ended with Clara and Prince sitting on the floor, watching the snow fall. Duato has not tried to connect the first and second act somehow or other – so the second act is entirely a revue with a few, short numbers in a sparse but nevertheless kitschy decoration (yes, that’s possible!), and it’s quite incomprehensible what happens here, and why. The flowers waltz in honour of a giant cupcake, looming in the background. But then our heroes appear again, properly clad in tutu and tights, and FINALLY they get a chance to show what they can do – Vieira looks as if he’s relieved of a burden, he has a nice soft jump and partners Ovsyanick beautifully. The choreography is neither Ivanov nor Petipa (as far as I can judge it) but not bad and Ovsyanick’s solo is just beautiful, she has such a lovely back and arms and is remarkably musical. If I had known she and Vieira are cast for Giselle next month I would have skipped this sad Nutcracker, there’s just not enough to see. I’ll gladly go and see this old “Giselle” for the umpteenth time, just because I’m curious how the newcomers handle the meatier roles. All in all, I feel the Staatsballett has lost much of its lustre and nobody knows what will happen in the future. I’d love to love them more, but it’s difficult…!

Waltz will keep her own company, too. She doesn't want the repertoire of the State Ballet to be dominated by her works, so she says. Mr Öhman will act as adminstrative director. They want to keep the Classics ("50 per cent") but of course it's too early to tell whom they will bring here to rehearse them. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/doppelspitze-fuer-staatsballett-berlin-sasha-waltz-und-johannes-oehmann-uebernehmen-intendanz/14514112.html

That's what they say on their website

IIRC, Xiomara Reyes told the interviewer the students had learned the choreography in two weeks which I think is quite a success. Apart from that, I felt it was much too long but quite cleverly thought out. But I'm sorry to say, on the whole the gala seemed quite cobbled together and the pairings (is that the correct expression here?) in most of the PDDs didn’t convince me. Truism: two great dancers put together does not make a convincing duet - even if the programme is limited to the reliably big hits.

No, you are right, he was quite invisible.

I'm looking forward to the Tchai PDD with Cuthbertson / Muntagirov but I fear the orchestra will murder the music as they did before - they can cope with Minkus but not with Tchaikovsky...!

I am watching now. Anybody else?

I've been there only once, saw Mozart's "Lucio Silla" in 2006. We had "cheap" seats in a high ring, quite sideways, and the only way I could see the whole stage was by kneeling on the chair the whole time (there are only boxes with loose chairs) and leaning on the railing while an elaborately chiselled wooden ornament was nearly poking my forehead...! It was very hot but I had a beautiful new fan of "Venetian lace" from a street stall, so I could get some air. The stalls have no rake or not much of it, so I'd definitely recommend a seat in the ring. The cheap and the expensive seats do not share the same grand entrance, so we had to enter through the "poor door" and climb up a lot of stairs. The bar for the high rings was situated in a beautiful ballet/rehearsal studio with a nice wooden floor. There is a nice bar outside the Fenice in a little square where you should sit before the performance and have a delicious cool Aperol Spritz...!

You might want to have a look at Jack Monroe`s blog here: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/ It’s all about learning how to cook on a budget, and there are a lot of delicious recipes to try. When I started to live away from home, money was scarce so I had to learn to cook from scratch. It took me a while but it was also an activity I found very rewarding.

Hooray! I've finished organising EVERYTHING for my trip to Southampton and London in October... tickets for ENB, Sadler's Wells and RB, flights, trains (what a major hassle) and hotels. So much work for 4 days of fun and now I'll be worried about delays and other unforeseen circumstances...! I'm always looking forward to come to London, even for a short stay. My must-do list is getting longer and longer.

Even more than the ROH Amphi? I always thought the Amsterdam Carré Theatre was bad, until I sat in the Amphi the first time.

Yes! As I said on the other thread, I'll keep an eye on her. SBB was much in need for female principals, I'm happy they'll get such a wonderful dancer.

Thanks Alison, there are a few interesting suggestions in that thread!

Yes, I feel very adventurous.

Then I can't make it .

I am delighted to hear she's coming here. I'll keep you up-to-date... even if I'll have to put up with Duato's choreography.

Thank you for your useful information! I'll book as soon as Mr P has made up his mind if he wants to join. It's a pity I'll have not enough time to go hiking in the New Forest, but will keep it in mind!