Balletfanp

I don’t think generally that people feel they can applaud in cinemas and if they do it tends to be a bit embarrassed and apologetic! But in Plymouth tonight there was certainly applause, and from overheard comments people were pretty much blown away.

Great interview, ToThePointe. In fact, I remember her being interviewed at some length on the radio a while ago, and thought then how nice and down to earth she sounded.

In a reprehensible oversight, I forgot to mention the Corps, but let’s put it down to tiredness.... beautiful symmetry, I saw no signs of raggedness or anything else. Didn’t even mind the cygnets now they have got rid of the head bobbing....

Also - when Siegfried is zapped (for want of a better word!) by Von Rothbart near the end, and rolls towards the front of the stage, Vadim gave me (and probably others) a heart attack moment as it looked as though he was going to roll right off the stage! He stopped right on the brink of disaster....😱

I was going to wait until tomorrow - it’s very late - but I am still buzzing from tonight’s performance and unlikely to sleep, so may as well write something now! I think that overall, Liam Scarlett has produced a Swan Lake to be very proud of. Sure, there were some things I was less keen on - the ending, for one thing - I felt it was a bit anticlimactic - and why don’t the Princesses dance the national dances? It seems a waste of First Soloists just to have them doing the waltz and no more. But having said that, I really enjoyed the national dances, especially the Spanish, wonderfully danced by Clarke, Edmonds, Ella, Montano and Tierney Heap, who is wonderful in these feistier roles. Campbell, Hayward and Takada were all fabulous - such a starry line up, and wonderful to watch. There was a gasp from my section of the audience when the curtain went up on Act 3. Not surprising, it was positively dazzling - and the costumes all round just sumptuous. This production certainly has the wow factor. As for Nunez and Muntagirov, I was already choked up by the first interval because of the sheer beauty of their dancing and partnership. Marianela may not be the most natural Odette, but you can guarantee a consummate performance from her every time and she surprised me by how delicate she can be. With Muntagirov, it made for a heartbreaking pairing. Nunez as Odile was a completely seductive minx, who had her innocent Siegfried completely in her thrall from the first moment. And what can I say about Muntagirov that hasn’t already been said? That Act 3 solo - indeed all his dancing - was stupendous. Perfect technique, leaps that seem to hang in the air combined with velvety landings, unwavering turns and pirouettes, culminating in that amazing sequence of double double tours - heart stopping. And all danced in character. Just jaw dropping. He is really something very special. The Act 4 pas de deux - just beautiful, and having seen the Insight video, great to see how they had both taken and acted on Scarlett’s coaching. If only the ending were different....

Goodness, I wish I could get up for this but the timing (and the ticket prices!) don’t work for me. A great line up. I was fortunate enough some time ago to watch Dowell rehearsing Muntagirov in “Blessed Spirits” in one of the Ashton Masterclasses and it suits him down to the ground (also fascinating to watch Dowell coaching him). It looks like it should be an interesting evening all round and I look forward to reading the reviews on here!

They are very wriggly....

It’s also now on YouTube:

I wasn't intending to watch but turned over out of curiosity in time to catch him! Definitely the star of the occasion! And I have to say, her tiara is stunning.....

We back onto woods, so we have had innumerable mice, voles, shrews etc. (often several a day). Birds galore (I think they have wiped out the entire Goldcrest population 🙁), including robins at Christmas and quite a lot of live ones which are “fun” to try to get out.... Squirrels, three rare dragonflies, a spate of slow worms (they found a nest in our garden), and a large raw turkey breast (I don’t like to think how they got hold of that....🤔😐).

Marguerite’s red dress.

Change of plan - no longer required.

A shot in the dark - my mother-in-law, having been asked months ago if she wanted to come with me, and saying no, has now decided that she would like to - only it has now sold out! Stalls Circle seated for preference (she is fussy where she sits!) but any seat with a good view considered. If by a miracle anyone can help....

Well, apart from the age gap aspect between Marguerite and Armand, it is quite a similar story as well, isn’t it?

Last night was the third time I have seen Obsidian Tear, and I’m afraid it’s just not my cup of tea. I don’t hate it but it just doesn’t do anything for me, great performances notwithstanding, and Ball and Richardson really gave it their all. I adored Marguerite and Armand. I asked some people who had seen Nunez and Muntagirov last week if they had upped their game, and they said that they had. Because for me their performance came over loud and clear with so many nuances and expressions. Nunez was definitely not overwrought in this performance, just terribly moving. Muntagirov was gentle, loving, passionate and oh so tender it broke my heart. He does angry very well! And with his exquisite dancing, and Marianela’s too, it made for a wonderful experience. Certainly my surrounding audience members thought so too. My first time seeing Elite Syncopations, and I really enjoyed it but I’m not sure I would make a point of rushing to see it again, however I would be perfectly happy to sit through it as part of a triple bill. So many good performances it’s hard to pick any out, but Melissa Hamilton and Paul Kay did an excellent tall/short with a very appreciative audience reaction, and Beatriz Stix-Brunell glowed as she always does. A surprise stand out for me (because she doesn’t usually register that strongly with me) was Yuhui Choe, who positively sparkled. Overall a very enjoyable bill (but I might sit Obsidian Tear out next time! 🙂).

I always assumed that as Manon is ill she is delirious and hallucinating about figures from her past.

I did say it wasn’t a scientific count, more of a gut feeling! 🙂 I stand corrected.

Forgot Nutcracker, and hadn’t clocked the Mayerling!

Thanks for "'fessing up," Richard ☺. I would never say that one cannot express an opinion or a negative view - however, in the context of what you were saying, it came across to me as suggesting that the cast that was broadcast should not have been the one shown - something I suspect we all feel at some point, but at the end of the day it's a very personal view. If that wasn't what was intended, my apologies ☺. The Principals who seem to have had the lion's share in live streams in recent years are McRae, Nunez, Cuthbertson, Osipova and Bonelli (this isn't the result of a scientific count, though!). Lamb has actually had relatively few (Winter's Tale recently, plus in the Bernstein Triple bill, and now Manon). I think it is nice to see her getting a little more exposure. Interestingly, Muntagirov can still be counted as a "younger" principal at only 28 still (younger than Campbell, in fact, and not much older than Hayward, Nagdhi et al), but he does tend to be cast with the older ballerinas, and, successful as those partnerships have been, I would love to see him cast with Nagdhi in something classical (imagine their Swan Lake! No disrespect to Nunez....), or even Hayward in something like Romeo and Juliet - they were lovely together in The Invitation. I suspect, as well, we may well get someone like Nagdhi and Ball in the eventual R&J broadcast, or Hayward and someone....place your bets!

BMC - the bit you missed at the beginning is here 🙂 https://youtu.be/x4QATQZdaFQ

You can certainly praise the dancers you like, Saodan - I do myself! Just because you enjoyed a performance particularly doesn’t put other dancers down. Referring to Capybara’s post above, I took that to be a general observation. I have seen an example of it recently on the ROH website under the comments section about the cinema relay the other night. I can’t remember exact wording, but one poster raised the point that the younger principal casts never seem to appear in the cinema relays and that perhaps they should. A perfectly valid point. However, he then went on to further push the point by making negative comments about the performance shown and suggest that as he and others had enjoyed the performances of other casts more, they should have been the ones shown. Personally, I felt that was a step too far. Quite apart from the fact that others would disagree (and all other comments were glowing), it felt a bit mean-spirited, plus a preference for a particular cast or performance is a personal thing. When we compare performances we are usually comparing a dancer’s interpretation of a role, and those are always going to vary widely, which means our opinions as to whether or not we “prefer” one dancer’s interpretation over another are also going to vary. Myself, I like to see different performances and casts when I can (usually through the cinema), but just because I prefer one cast over another doesn’t mean that others aren’t going to enjoy someone else more. And I certainly wouldn’t suggest that my favourites should be the ones in the live stream (however much I might wish it!).

No, I was at Vue in Plymouth and we had the same thing - wasn’t sure what was going on!

I must say I didn't find Act 1 underwhelming myself. I thought the bedroom pas de deux was everything he would expect, passionate, ardent, and of course beautifully danced!

I’m not sure I’ll sleep tonight!

I saw the live performance on Thursday but the close-ups of Lamb and Muntagirov in the cinema just now were heart-wrenching. Oh, the end.... I feel an emotional wreck now. They were amazing. Couple of comedy moments - the cleaner shuffling past behind Ore and Darcey pulling a Henry the Hoover, and plainly oblivious to the fact that she was being live streamed all over the world 😂 - and Hirano and Muntagirov after the end of Act 1, during which they had been half killing each other, strolling past with their arms chummily round each other! Much laughter in the cinema at those two moments!