Balletfanp

I will be there myself on the 27th, probably with some friends, if you feel you need some company to help buoy up your courage!

Vadim is very approachable and kind at the stage door - he is always happy to talk/take selfies/sign things ☺️

Thanks @Sim! ☺️

I asked this question upthread, but unsurprisingly I think it has been buried amongst the rave reviews! 😁 What form did the dedication to Linda take, given that it was on the cast list on Saturday?

What form did the dedication to Linda tonight take, given it was printed on the cast list on Saturday?

That’s not at all the case @Dawnstar. I’m sure Linda would be very, very happy to see so many of her fellow forum members there to celebrate both her and Fumi and Vadim’s performance ☺️

I’m very envious of anyone getting to see Fumi and Vadim again tonight but I especially would have liked to be there if it is officially dedicated to Linda. Although at least I got to be there on Saturday.

The photos are from what I believe was Linda’s last trip abroad, to see Vadim and Fumi dance Romeo and Juliet in Cape Town. Her health worsened considerably after her return.

Me too. The emotion and the connection between them was so strong.

It was probably my fault because I mentioned the orchestra in passing in my review. I’m sorry. Perhaps we should return to the main thread now?

On a slightly different note, Christopher Wheeldon put up this rather touching post on Instagram this morning. https://www.instagram.com/p/C6n9qB_LVh7/?igsh=YXJldnBzZ21ncTR6

I forgot to mention Fumi’s fouettés! How could I forget? Fast and spectacular, especially with the arm position changes. No wonder Siegfried was dazzled!

Well, what a night last night! Linda would have been absolutely thrilled by Vadim and Fumi’s performance. And it was lovely to meet @Sim (at last!) and @Scheherezade in the second interval and put faces to names! I think I knew that Vadim and Fumi would be wonderful together but having seen Vadim with Nela on opening night I wasn’t sure if anything could top that - they are, after all, iconic together in Swan Lake. But I think last night actually did top it because Vadim and Fumi just seemed to respond to each other in a way that I don’t think I have seen before in Swan Lake with anyone else and it bumped their performance up to a stellar level. Fumi’s Odette was gorgeously vulnerable and flutteringly cautious upon first meeting Siegfried, becoming meltingly but tragically adoring as the Act continued. I felt that she portrayed Von Rothbart’s power over her much more clearly than other Odettes I have seen. And technically and artistically gorgeous. Those feet! Those arms and that lovely line! In that sense alone, she and Vadim are a wonderful pairing in that they complement each other physically. And what a complete contrast her Odile was. “Evil minx” is the closest description I can think of and she made perfect use of her flashing eyes. You could see how she captivated poor, inexperienced Siegfried - Vadim looked visibly stunned and mesmerised by her, almost seeming to enjoy her teasing and manipulation as an extra frisson to his growing adoration. There is not much more anyone can say about Vadim’s dancing than has already been said. He was, of course, superlative. But I have never seen him ramp up the drama in Swan Lake as much as he did last night. Those soaring leaps and immaculate double double tours in Act 3 demonstrated the exhilaration of his love and joy more than ever before. And his tender worship of Odette was moving and heartbreaking. I totally agree with @MildConcern about Act 4. Act 3 (particularly in this production) is where the ballet ends for me (well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you get my drift!). I generally find Act 4 quite anticlimactic after the fireworks of Act 3 and it’s something I have to sit through to get to the curtain calls. Not last night. Vadim and Fumi’s interaction was just so heartbreaking and the sorrow, remorse and despair so clearly shown that I had a lump in my throat. And the interaction with Lukas played a big part. They made a heroic bid to fight for their love and Von Rothbart didn’t give them an easy ride. And Fumi’s decision to kill herself was the final expression of despair, Vadim’s horror and failed attempt to stop her before being zapped into unconsciousness by Von Rothbart so dramatically engaging. I was on the edge of my seat. Just WOW to Vadim and Fumi for an incredible performance. I hope we continue to see them paired together (along with others, of course). Lukas’s Von Rothbart was brilliant - my only slight issue was that I felt he looked a little too youthful when portraying Von R’s public persona at Court. Absolutely nothing to do with his characterisation or acting, which were brilliant. Just a personal observation with which many may disagree. In other highlights - the Cygnets seemed spot on last night. Well done to them. I loved Annette Buvoli in the Spanish and the guys were all great too. And Ella Newton Severgnini was absolutely charming in the Neopolitan. One to watch, I think. Good solid performances from Isabella Gasparini and Meaghan Grace Hinkis as the Prince’s sisters. And I was rather taken by Bomin Kim’s Italian Princess, who seemed to give it more pizzazz than others I’ve seen in the role. Also Hannah Grennell’s Hungarian Princess, who had obviously decided the Prince was hers and was rolling out her entire battery of seductive glances to captivate him! I’m afraid I was less taken by Valentino’s Benno. He didn’t seem to be dancing as well as I know he can, and his characterisation didn’t really engage me at all. And I had begun to think of late that the dreaded brass section had improved, but alas, not last night. Some bum notes and from where I was sitting they sometimes seemed out of sync with the rest of the orchestra. But overall, as @Scheherezade said, a night to say “I was there!”

It’s a long time since I’ve been able to afford to sit there - you can see their feet most of the time but there are some areas where you can’t. However, that is compensated for by being “up close and personal” and really feeling a part of the action.

Sorry, my mistake - it was in the Capybara thread! Here it is…. https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/swan-lake-by-liam-scarlett/cast-list/54735

@Sim, @oncnp posted a link to it further up the thread at my request.

Tonight was amazing - Vadim and Fumi just WOW. I will write more when I’m less tired and can process it better. One amusing anecdote from the stage door though. When Kevin O’Hare came out all set to rush off, a very young (about 6 or 7 years old) Japanese boy planted himself firmly in his path. He stated “I want to ask you a question!” Kevin said “Oh? Go on then.” Then the little boy asked “Why are you not putting on any classical ballets next season?” Ouch! Obviously an adult had put him up to it knowing that it would be much harder to snub a child!! I couldn’t help but giggle. Kevin’s response was, “Well, we did Sleeping Beauty last season and we’ve just done Swan Lake, but we are doing classical ballets next season.” The child then specified Tchaikovsky ballets! Kevin said we are having a break next season, but rest assured there were more in the pipeline…. Given the conversations on here, I couldn’t help but laugh!

Thank you @oncnp! 🙏

Could someone possibly send me a link to the cast list? I stupidly didn’t look.

I think they need to rethink it….. there has to be a better way! In the last run I came with a friend and pointed it out to her. Her reaction was uncontrollable giggles, which I don’t think was the reaction they were hoping for!

I looked the other day at bookings and was rather puzzled to see that the earlier performances haven’t sold well at all, whereas most of the later ones are sold out (or were when I looked a few days ago). That seems strange and there doesn’t appear to be any obvious correlation as regards casts.

Thank you @li tai po - this just sums up what an amazing (and amazingly generous) person Linda, along with Michael, was.

I like his representation of ballet runs too 😁 https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5mZjclyN2D/?igsh=MW4zMWU2bDB0aGxxOQ==

That is a beautiful tribute, @Sim, and I couldn’t have put it better myself. She was really hoping to see Vadim and Fumi this weekend and I will be struggling to hold it together as her usual seat is right in my line of view from the Stalls Circle - we would wave and I would pop down for a chat in the interval. One of the things I’m glad about is that she managed to pack in as many performances as she possibly could, right up until the end. And how delighted she was that her longstanding campaign (along with some others on this forum) to allow flowers onstage for the male dancers finally bore fruit!

I am heartbroken that Linda has gone - I have known about it unofficially for a few days. Over the past few years Linda became a great friend to me - we met via Facebook and the stage door initially, but bonded over our shared love of ballet and our similar opinions on many things. For the past several years we conversed online on a pretty much daily basis about anything and everything as well as ballet. I really valued her experience and opinions and her advice was always worth having. Linda was a very private person, but having got to know her better over time, she became a much-loved friend and I will miss her dearly. My last message was from the hospice she had just gone to and I was hoping to visit her next weekend, but when the messages stopped I knew it wasn’t going to happen 💔😢. Her courage in the face of her long-standing illness was astounding. I was so glad she managed to attend the recent Insight on the Winter’s Tale featuring Vadim and Fumi. She desperately wanted to see his debut as Leontes but I think knew it was unlikely. I won’t say much more because Linda hated fuss and wasn’t keen on drawing attention to herself! But I’m sure we will all miss her posts here - always fair, always balanced and to the point. I am already missing my daily contact with her more than I supposed possible 😢.