ToThePointe

Some words on R&J I've written, mainly referencing the Osipova/Clarke performance. Easier for me to post the link than to copy and paste the text on here! https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/romeo-and-juliet-at-the-royal-ballet

A detail that David Donnelly does, that I love, is after he shakes Juliet and she pulls away, he stands there looking at his hands, as if to say 'yikes I'm turning into her father, is this really what I want to become.' I think it's really poignant and made me think that he's also just a young boy being pushed into a marriage of convenience, acting in the way that he has seen the other men around him act. It's thoughtful and makes Paris seem more human and just as much a product of their situation, which I like a lot.

I think that bridiem has pretty much summed up how I felt about the performance last night. I had been looking forward to Campbell's debut (for the RB) as Romeo for a while as I love his Des Grieux and felt he would be incredibly passionate as Romeo. I wasn't wrong! I really liked his interpretation. He is always so natural and 'real' on stage and I never really feel that he's acting. Sure, he doesn't have the long lines that some of the taller dancers have but in MacMillan that doesn't really bother me as I'm looking for characterisation above all else. I think Campbell had this in bucket loads and I was totally swept up by the story he was telling. I also felt that he had wonderful chemistry with Yasmine Naghdi. I thought that they would both be more apprehensive, particularly during the balcony scene, as they hadn't had much time to rehearse but instead they were full of freedom and passion which made it all so emotional. Naghdi's Juliet last night was the best I've seen since her debut and it seems to me that having performed the role more regularly and with some different partners has really helped her interpret the role in an even deeper way. I think that learning Mercutio in 24 hours, and given the type of performance he did, was a remarkable feat for Joe Sissens. If this was a glimpse into what his Mercutio will become once he has had the training and rehearsal time, then it looks like it's going to be pretty great to me! Leo Dixon was also a lovely Benvolio and as bridiem says, made more out of the role. The rest of the cast were wonderful and had a really great energy and I have to mention Ben Gartside's Tybalt as I think it's superb. I love his smarmy smiles and his aggression - absolutely zero remorse with this guy!

Unfortunately I can no longer make the matinee performance on Saturday. I have D80 in the amphitheatre - it's £27 but will sell for £20. Please PM me if interested. Thanks!

Hi everyone - Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year! Our season finale guest is the wonderful Leanne Benjamin who talks us through highlights in her career and what she loves about coaching the next generation. She really was an inspiring and wonderful guest to have on Open Barre Podcast. You can listen to the episode via the link below or search 'open barre' in Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts to find it. Enjoy! We would like to thank all of our listeners and Balletcoforum - the conversations, discussions and threads on the forum inspire a lot of our chats on the podcast so thank you all xx https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-s4-06

Yes please! I will send you a DM

Have a listen to this episode of Open Barre with Lauretta Summerscales and Yonah Acosta - a great chat about performing as a real life couple! https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-s4-03

I absolutely loved last night's performance, it was definitely up there with one of my favourite shows from this run (my fave being Yasmine Naghdi and Matt Ball I think!) Following reviews on here from their first show together, I wasn't sure how I would feel about Cesar's Albrecht or his chemistry with Akane, but they must read this forum or something because last night I found them both superb and completely at odds with many of the previous comments. This was the only performance I've seen in this run where I felt that Albrecht and Giselle are mutually in love. A deep, young, blissful naive type of love that was reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. Cesar's Albrecht is incredibly noble and the way he holds himself and his body language makes it clear that he's from the castle on top of the hill. However, unlike other Albrechts who eye roll at the peasants and have a sarcastic undertone (I must say I also love this interpretation), Cesar's Albrecht seemed to love spending time in the peasant village, getting stuck in with their dances and enjoying a freedom that he can't get at home. I felt that he hated duty, being a nobleman and the constraints that come with it and seemed to revel in spending time with the 'real' people in the village. I imagined his Albrecht to have frequently been escaping the castle to have some fun and freedom, and it was during one of these excursions that he first met Giselle who he quickly fell in love with. I really believed that they were in love, and that this wasn't just a sexual conquest. When he must kiss Bathilde's hand, he looks directly at Giselle and rather than smiling during any of these moments with Bathilde, he is visibly hurt and uninterested in being with her. Again showing his deep love for Giselle. Once Giselle dies, his anger and despair made me think that their relationship could have been saved if he had just had time to explain it all to her. It felt like a huge waste and a mistake turned catastrophic. It reminded me of Romeo and Juliet - if he had just waited a little longer until she woke up etc. This obviously made Act Two extremely moving, as he really grieved the loss of love and was distraught by his mistake. Akane's Giselle is a delicate and beautiful young girl, blissfully in love with Albrecht. Sure, technically it didn't match some of the others, but that didn't matter much to me. I loved her hysteria at realising Albrecht's betrayal and I thought that her mad scene was beautifully timed and incredibly moving. For me, though, she really shone in Act Two. She has such beautiful high jumps and the way that she moves her arms is just unreal. It reminded me of how much I'm looking forward to seeing her Odette again. She was one of the few Giselles that I felt really stands off with Myrtha. She isn't as solemn, and seems to be standing her ground the whole way through. Once Albrecht falls to the floor, she runs in and firmly shields him against Myrtha, then desperately tries to wake him. I also really felt her energy and desperation in trying to keep him alive which I found very moving. Cesar's jumps, twists and turns were all huge and full of bravado. The height in those jumps - he almost flew away! I don't think it's in his nature to tone this down, much like with Osipova, but the joy of seeing different casts is that it doesn't really matter. I'm happy to have a couple of OTT virtuoso dancers in the company - I think it's needed. Mayara's Myrtha is outstanding - she really deserves a spa break once this is all over! And Gina's Bathilde is my favourite by far - she beautifully encapsulates the role and her sly demeanour also made us understand why Albrecht wanted to turn his back on that superficial and bitchy environment. I have to say that although I loved this pairing, I would love to see Frankie and Cesar dance in this ballet together...

...also something else I have seen a lot of the Hilarions do is dust off the sword so that they can see the crest. It's a miniscule petty thing to pick up on but it makes me laugh because the sword has only been sitting in the shed for like 20 mins and, because it belongs to a noble, I'm sure it was polished that morning. So either that shed is full of falling dust, or maybe Wilfred shoved it under a dusty box, or maybe Hilarion has pretty bad eye sight. Anyway, one to notice for those who have seen every show and want something new to look at..!!!

I loved the Hayward / Campbell (oddly timed) 5pm show on Saturday. I saw their debuts a few years ago and I wasn't as keen but this time around I found much to admire. Campbell's Act 1 didn't really do it for me, as mentioned above, his Act 2 was a lot stronger. I have always loved his dancing and I love him in a selection of roles but for Albrecht, and especially following Reece, Matt and Fede, I didn't feel quite as connected to his interpretation. I didn't get a sense that his Albrecht was aristocratic, and so I don't think plot wise the first Act was as clear as maybe it is with some of the other dancers. HOWEVER! Campbell and Hayward have such beautiful chemistry together and I really felt that throughout both acts of the ballet. It was also one of the few times where I had a lump in my throat when Giselle bursts between Bathilde and Albrecht. I think this is because Campbell really made me believe that he had used Giselle, and Hayward really made me believe that she understood this. Of course we all know the inevitability of the situation, but in that moment, Hayward seemed to find it inevitable too and her expression was almost saying "of course this has happened to me, it was too good to be true" and I found that really heart breaking. Their Act Two together was sublime and I think this is where Campbell really came into his own. He's a master at heart break, just look at his Des Grieux, and I found his final walk with the flower incredibly moving. I loved Hayward's interpretation of Giselle. She is always so 'real' on stage - I never feel like anything is being acted. She is Giselle, she is Juliet etc, whatever the role, she becomes it. In the past I have found her to be a bit too knowing, but on Saturday she was naive, beautiful, full of life and joy - a stark contrast to her ghostly Act Two. I don't think she is the strongest technical dancer, which makes me reluctant to see her in things like Swan Lake (I wasn't a fan of her Aurora as she looked uncomfortable throughout), but with this being said, she has a quality that very few other ballerinas possess, and this makes her enchanting to watch on stage. Other highlights for me were of course Joon who is one of my current faves to see on stage and Annette Buvoli as Bathilde. I felt she had just the right amount of eye rolling, yawning, sarcasm and sly remarks for us to see the stark contrast between the peasants and aristocrats. Also a mention for Kevin Emerton who I really like as Hilarion. I think he's great at making the mime and narrative clear and easy to follow. I know it isn't a complicated story, but I always like those who project to the back of the amphi when putting the sword and horn together thus clocking Albrecht is an aristocrat...!

Ticket now spoken for

Stalls Circle Standing ticket D33 for £11 please message me for details. Thanks, Julia

My thoughts on the 'Beauty of Ballet' programme are here -> https://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/the-beauty-of-ballet

I loved watching the Insight and already felt choked up watching Matt Ball and Yasmine Naghdi. Hearing from Olga and Monica was such a delight and I loved Julia Roscoe. She reminds me of a Russian classical ballerina and I can't wait to see what she does with the role. I am so happy that Kevin has given Myrthe, Pas de Six, Zulme/Moyna, to dancers who we don't often see in solo roles. It makes everything so much more exciting, especially for those of us fortunate enough to see so many different casts of the same ballet.

Thanks so much for your feedback! So glad you've been enjoying the new series!

Hello everyone! We have recently started Season 4 of Open Barre Podcast and our second episode aired today featuring the sublime Anna Rose O'Sullivan. Deffo worth a listen, especially to hear her excitement in preparing for Odette/Odile... https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-s4-02 You can also find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iheart radio or wherever you get your podcasts!

Yes she performed the role in the last Osipova cast and I thought she was perfectly menacing. She's one of the few that I've noticed wickedly smile as she leads the Wilis towards Hilarion before his death. Very chilling and I hope she does it again!

This thread inspired a lot of our conversation in the first episode of Season 4 of Open Barre (launched today) so worth a listen! I've shared the link below but you can also find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other various podcast platforms. Thanks! https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-s4-01

@trog this thread inspired a lot of our conversation in the first episode of Season 4 of Open Barre (launched today) so worth a listen! I've shared the link below but you can also find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other various podcast platforms. Thanks! https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-s4-01

In the first episode of Season 4 of Open Barre (launched today), Brandon talks a lot about his recent shows of Romeo. I've shared the link below but you can also find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other various podcast platforms. Thanks! https://www.spreaker.com/user/openbarre/open-barre-s4-01

But three new Albrechts! Very exciting. I wish Anna-Rose was making her Giselle debut though...

Does anyone have any notable stories of seeing a dancer's debut in a role and then seeing them perform the same role as their final performance? And how did the interpretations change?

I think final performances are just as special as debuts and would be gutted to miss out on any final performances ...whenever they should happen! This is quite possibly the start of a different thread...but does anyone have any notable stories of seeing a dancer's debut in a role and then seeing them perform the same role as their final performance? And how did the interpretations change?

When I spoke with Mayara she told me how much she wanted to dance Juliet - a role that I look forward to seeing her perform one day...

I agree that we haven't seen a 'star' for sometime, but that's what makes stars so special. They should be once in a generation. I think it will be a long time until we see a Johan/Alina partnership, or the stage presence of someone like Polunin. That's not to say unbelievable talent doesn't exist at The Royal Ballet - I think as a whole they are in the best shape they've been in for years and a lot of that has to do with the ranking system. It's rare now for dancers to be made Principals at 20, instead they seem to rise up through the ranks which I would argue has given them time to nurture their talent and gain more experience. I am over the moon for all those who received promotions this year. In particular, I'm very happy about Leticia Dias, who I think has all the makings of being a great MacMillan dancer one day...