ToThePointe

Thanks so much for sharing the clip! 

Thanks everyone! Great to know! 

I somehow can’t picture Lynn Seymour in this role, maybe because I always associate her with dark MacMillan roles! 

I’m having a lovely Monday morning at work listening to the score from Two Pigeons (FYI the album is on Spotify) and I’m wondering if someone could tell me who Ashton created the roles of the girl, boy and gypsy girl on? 

I think Stanislaw has a real presence on the stage. It helps that he’s tall dark and handsome, but he screams ‘prince’ to me so I really hope there’s a big future there. I first noticed him in the background in Swan Lake last season wearing the military uniform in the opening act and thought to myself “whoever that is, we’ll be seeing more from him soon”....great to see his little guitar cameo in Don Q at the moment! 

Hi Eva are the tickets for 29th free

Hi Anna please can I take both tickets for this Thursday eve (1st)? X

Have a read of my interview with Birmingham Royal Ballet Soloist, Lachlan Monaghan for my blog To The Pointe. Enjoy!

http://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2018/10/19/To-The-Pointe-Meets-Lachlan-Monaghan

22 hours ago, Nogoat said:

A lot to mull over from last night's performance, aided and abetted by a good night's sleep and some interesting comments on the forum...

 

The orchestra: I had assumed the playing was a bit slow (even ponderous) as it was opening night and everyone was taking things a bit cautiously - after all, rehearsals can only take you so far in preparing for 'live' performances, and Hirano had (apparently, though they must have had an inkling) been parachuted in with only days to spare. However, during one of the intervals I did hear someone complain how it was undermining their enjoyment, and I could see (hear?) where they were coming from.

 

Larisch: I agree - Sarah Lamb IS Larisch; I have not seem anyone else play the role as well as she. Rudolf may well top the cast-list, and Larisch may well only appear sixth, but to me she is the axis around which the, literally, mad world of the ballet revolves, and the motive force that nudges it along its orbit, guiding it (intentionally or otherwise) to its fateful conclusion. To me Larisch has the character of a story-teller/narrator/even author, slightly removed from the ballet (but nevertheless grounded in, and a victim of, its ultimate tragedy). Why? Because she is the only one of the cast deliberately to break the fourth wall; during the procession across the stage at the beginning of the wedding ball scene she pointedly looks out at the audience - she knows we are there, and does she indulge us for the rest of the ballet by making things happen? I regard that look as very significant; I've even gone so far as to wonder if she is an on-stage proxy for MacMillan - the master story-teller himself (I've had that thought about a secondary character responsible for driving the narrative flow before - The Fool in Prince of the Pagodas).

 

Bratfisch: I'm not a huge fan of Campbell - he too often comes across as Campbell, trying, usually too hard, to impress in whatever role he is playing. But last night I thought he kept his character firmly calibrated to the story rather than to the audience, and the quality of his dancing was the better for it.

 

Rudolf: Even though I know there is great scope for interpretation within MacMillan, the simple fact that Hirano was replacing Watson (and the pairing of Watson/Osipova was the reason I bought the ticket) still left part of me hoping for a 'like for like' replacement. On that basis I was bound to be a bit disappointed, and in hindsight that is really my fault. My simple memories from the previous run were; Watson, starts deranged/cruel, and it just keeps going downhill from there; Bonelli, starts 'normal' and spirals into a black hole; McRae, starts as a bit of a snarling pantomime villain, but becomes a pitiful human shell by the end. Each is different, and each appeals to a different audience depending on their experiences and expectations. Why should Hirano conform to any of these and not develop his own interpretation? I was also too eager to judge him on the basis of his starting point, rather than his journey. In Act 1 he came across as blank and aloof, but I think I was wrong to ascribe that to either his lack of experience or inability to 'act'; on reflection I think there was an element of 'courtly restraint' on display, with, as bridiem has pointed out in her fantastic summary, the irresistible pressure building within. By Act 3 I was won over; his descent could no longer be contained, managed or corralled and the emotional hit of that last pas de deux with Osipova was a fitting climax. So, in the end we have been given another interpretation - in fact, a first public airing of an interpretation. We can compare it to others, we can rank it against our own experiences of other performances which, in turn, were influenced by our experiences before that - but I think it's too early to do that. I'm happy to see how this one develops, and then decide when the next run comes around how to spend my money (assuming I can still afford the tickets by then!).

 

Osipova: My immediate thought is 'why did I flag this Osipova and not her character, Mary?' On stage she is so obviously, patently, whatever character she is inhabiting, but she is also so obviously Osipova. I think it's her ability to be both the dancer and the character simultaneously (and complementarily) that gives her such an on-stage presence. I will not forget in a hurry that crazed look as she perches on Rudolf's shoulder and he charges across stage towards the table with the gun, and the warped feeling of near-joy as they succumb to the madness of their deadly pact. And that in contrast to the (albeit probably historically inaccurate) 'love-struck' ingenue of the first half of the ballet (the prior knowledge of whose fate always makes me well-up, especially in the fortune-telling/letter-writing scene). I have nothing but admiration for her ability to cover such gamuts (think Anastasia, think Sylvia).

 

A couple of other comments, then I will stop! 

 

I saw nothing 'chilly' about the curtain calls. I agree that with something carrying such an emotional investment, it must be hard just to 'switch' back to happy-smiley for the curtain calls. Sometimes this switch can be thrown by something as simple as receiving flowers, or just by sheer relief (I'm thinking of Osipova's Hallberg/Ball Giselle), but the emotional drain last night must have been huge for a number of reasons (first night of the season; replacement lead; debut; it was Mayerling!).

Why can the Opera House spend millions on a revamp but not afford to make Mary a new negligee for Act 2? The one she was wearing last night had the same ugly darned patch over her 'left thigh' as it had last time round; hopefully I'm not being a pedant - I heard others mention it as well during the interval. It's not like there's a lot of fabric involved...

Was Hirano pushing the screen over THEN collapsing forward (rather than pushing the screen over BY collapsing forward) intentional?

Don't they trust Osipova with a 'real' fake gun because she gets so into her roles...?

 

 

What a fascinating review NoGoat! Couldn’t agree more about your thoughts on Larisch - especially the idea that she is the all-knowing all-seeing narrator... much food for thought.

Very impressive review for someone who has just joined the Forum!! Thank you

Now partners adds a new level to the mix! I think it would be incredible to experience the passion and tragedy in the final scenes of Onegin with a wonderful partner. It would also be wonderful to experience the thrill of putting all of your trust in a partner especially for really difficult lifts and choreography.

I think Rhapsody would be wonderful to dance with a partner you shared chemistry and trust with as that choreography is so special.

But to be honest there are a few dancers I would be happy partnering me even if it was just to literally walk onto the stage! It must have been so incredible to have shared the stage with dancers like Nureyev or Baryshnikov let alone be partnered by them!

I just asked my boyfriend which role he would dance and he said “the drunken uncle from Manon” - he means Lescaut...!

Yes Tatiana would be wonderful. I also think that the Queen of Hearts is probably a real blast to perform too! 

I would love to dance Myrtha as well and Gamzatti!

I like all the evil ones!

I'm not a dancer, nowhere near it unless there's free flowing wine and a disco playlist; however, I was listening to the music from Sleeping Beauty earlier and thought how fun it would be to dance the role of Carabosse. This led me to thinking of other roles I would love to dance, if I were a ballerina, and thought this would be a fun topic to discuss! 

So assuming we are all talented, capable and technically wonderful ballet dancers - if you could dance any role in ballet's repertoire which would it be and why?

This may be a stupid question but have there ever been/ or are there currently any artistic directors who haven’t been dancers? Or who haven’t come from a ballet background at all? 

This may sound like I’m interested in applying but honestly just interested to know!

Cuthbertson and Ball I think are an odd choice for Don Q- Cuthbertson doesn’t strike me as a natural Kitri and I somehow can’t picture Ball as Basilio. With this being said, I’m looking forward to seeing what they make of it and how they tackle humour in ballet. Cuthbertson is a natural comedienne so it will be interesting to see whether Ball can match her in that area. Interesting to see that Ball isn’t reprising the Young Man in Two Pigeons though and that Stix-Brunell will dance this instead with Reece Clarke – is that because Ball will be doing Bourne’s Swan Lake during that time? I can’t wait to see Cuthbertson do this again with Muntagirov, I thought they were wonderful. Dare I say it, I’m a bit disappointed to see that Nunez will dance with Muntagirov in Don Q – I would have really liked to have seen them both dance this with someone else.

I am so happy that Mayara will be making her debut as Kitri – I think that out of all the classical roles, Kitri is probably the one she was born to dance. I can’t wait for Fumi either who I am loving the more and more I see of her. I am also interested to see how she will dance with Corrales and I think, dare I say it, his partnership with Fumi excites me a bit more than it does with Osipova in Don Q. I hope everyone remembers to bring their sunglasses as I’m sure that will be an explosive show of fireworks and tricks, however, I’m more interested to see how Corrales does interacting and blending with the rest of the company and how he partners Fumi. I think it’s a shame not to see Morera dance Kitri, similarly to Mayara, I think it’s a role that would suit her so well and I would love to see her do it. Bonelli as her Basilio would really be a dream but there we go, will have to make do with seeing them together again in Mayerling!

It’s interesting that apart from Nunez/Muntagirov, O’Hare is still showing no signs of developing a partnership over the next season. I wonder whether he’s mixing it up until he finds the golden mean or whether he just likes to see different dancers partnered for different ballets. Either way, I like how it gives us an opportunity to see something different and to see dancers given wonderful opportunities.

I completely agree with Xandra Newman about Hayward. I don’t feel like she has missed opportunities. I actually feel like I’ve seen a lot of Hayward making debuts in prominent and leading roles. Not every dancer is suited to every ballet and I would argue that the sign of a great Artistic Director is one who understands this and respects it. For me, Hayward is an exquisite Ashton dancer and has shown her strength dancing MacMillan (agreed it’s a shame she wasn’t given Mary Vetsera). Her Manon I think will be the portrayal of her generation – I’m not sure I’ve seen it done better for years and her Lise and Titania (my and that Rhapsody performance) were dynamite. Is Hayward a natural Odette? A natural Kitri? I’m not so sure, but that’s not to say she isn’t going to have a wonderful career. What I like so much about the Royal at the moment is that different dancers have such different strengths and no performance is the same. We should celebrate this. I’m glad we are able to see such an array of talent across a spectrum of ballets – if all we saw were the same dancers cast in everything then I think the ROH stage would become a dull place indeed!

You’re absolutely right RuthE well spotted and thanks! Will change now! 

I love James Hay and I think he’s a great artist. For me he’s a First Soloist, maybe not Principal but I’d be happy to be proved wrong!

Thanks Richard! I have to say that Claire was a real pleasure to interview and you’re right - wonderful generosity of spirit!

I hadn’t thought much of Bracewell this Season but his debut as Siegfried was mesmerising. His performance was so detailed and thoughtful and he danced beautifully and partnered Takada so well. Had no idea he had that in him so now I’ve seen it I expect him to show it in everything he does from now on!!!

For me, there are certain dancers who have just got star quality and those are the ones who belong in the Principal rank. Dancers like Hayward and Naghdi just ‘had it’ and so a promotion was well deserved. Other dancers like Takada, may not have had that same quality before their promotion but displayed such an incredible technique and ability to dance that again a promotion was well deserved. I have to say that since her promotion, Takada has really displayed star quality for me and I find myself wanting to watch her more and more.

I look at dancers like Isabella Gasparini or Calvin Richardson and I see some form of star quality that makes me hope they have a lot more opportunity over the next few years.

I would say that Matt Ball is probably the only dancer who I could see being realistically promoted to Principal at the end of this season. I’m sure Reece Clarke will follow soon and that Calvin Richardson, Joseph Sissens, Ben Ella, Lucas Braendsrod(?) and Will Braceful will eventually get there too. I have been noticing Joonhyuk Juk and Stanslaw Wegryzyn too in Swan Lake and there is a lot of potential for both of these dancers to do some exciting stuff over the next few years. I think we can expect that Fumi Kaneko and Anna Rose O’Sullivan will get to Principal level as well in the next few years and I view Ashley Dean as a dark horse to work her way up too. Mayara Magri has had a wonderful season and her Myrtha left me with my jaw dropped for days. I hope she is promoted soon but I think she could make it to Principal in the next couple of years as well.

To be honest, the level of talent at the Royal right now is pretty unbelievable. Bar a few, I think the majority could all go all the way! It’s an incredible time to be watching them perform and it’s a shame they can’t all make it to Principal! I think what I would like to see more of though is the younger dancers being given more opportunity and for Kevin to take more risks with casting. I’d like to see some new Romeos and Juliets and maybe some new dancers in Two Pigeons next season. Someone like Mayara should be given Kitri next season for example. 

What I like about Kevin is that he does provide opportunities for dancers and he is trying to bring a lot of dancers through from the school. I hope he takes notice of our views on partnerships but on the whole, I trust his judgement!

I had the privilege of interviewing Claire Calvert for my blog, To The Pointe. Link below, I hope it makes for some nice Sunday reading! xhttp://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2018/06/03/To-The-Pointe-Meets-Claire-Calvert

I know that this run still has a week to go before opening night but I thought some may enjoy reading my interview with Delia Mathews as she prepares to make her debut as Aurora alongside Brandon Lawrence.

http://tothepointemagazine.wixsite.com/tothepointemagazine/single-post/2018/01/27/ToThePointe-Meets-Delia-Mathews

xx

Has this been sold? If not I’m interested too!

If anyone has a cheapish ticket for the Takada/Ella cast please let me know!! Thanks x

I don’t mind a happy ending - after all, good always trumps evil!