Balletfanp

I found it in YouTube but it’s terrible quality (the one I located anyway). The Emma Livry part stuck with me as well - horrible!

That’s great news about the Magic of Dance. I really enjoyed the series when it was on.

Strapless was the dullest thing I’ve ever watched - and I usually like Wheeldon ballets!

It’s criminal that they chop off the end in that clip, though!

The ROH always show the cast from the last stream on their trailers. Already comments along the lines of “But where’s Natalia??” on YouTube. I’ve pointed out that they can hardly show Natalia or Reece when they haven’t danced it yet!

That was rather my point - it sounds as though your mind is already made up 🙂! However, we haven’t really seen much of a Fumi/Vadim partnership at the ROH yet, except for the Two Pigeons, where Fumi was a last minute stand-in for Laura Morera. Given the limited rehearsal they must have had I thought they were lovely together and showed a very promising chemistry. And of course there was Rudolf and Marie Larisch last year…. those, plus photos and clips of them performing elsewhere online, make me view their upcoming performances with a great deal of anticipation. And it’s also lovely to know that there are bound to be many more Fumi/William performances coming along in future casting 🙂.

Of course - and that’s fine. My point was that, intentional or not, some of the posts came across as expressing a level of gloom at Fumi dancing with someone other than William, which seemed a little rough on Vadim, or on anyone else she might dance with. Totally agree about the Fumi/William chemistry, although it strikes me that Fumi creates chemistry whoever she dances with. And of course, chemistry isn’t restricted to just the one partnership! Anyway, better revert to the Nutcracker thread.

Our posts crossed, Capybara - you have pretty much said the same! 🙂

I’m probably going to need to take cover for saying this, but I’m not sure it feels entirely fair that people are already bemoaning the fact that Fumi will be partnered by someone else for two ballets. It gives the impression that she and Vadim are already being judged as “not as good as….” before they have even stepped on stage together. Obviously Fumi and William are a great partnership, but I think she and Vadim could be just as good - they both have to dance with other people sometimes and it’s good to mix things up. I just hope people haven’t already decided on their verdict.

I saw him perform live once. A very compelling man.

If you are talking about the seat in Row A of the Orchestra Stalls that is directly behind the conductor, I’ve sat there a couple of times and have not found the conductor to be a problem.

Oh no…. 😢. Happy memories of parties at uni given added zest by the music of the Pogues.

There seemed to be a lot of young people (girls in particular) at the opening night with Nunez and Muntagirov, who seemed to be responsible for much of the (possibly excessive) excitement. Personally I didn’t mind it and both performers mentioned on their Instagram accounts how much they had appreciated the audience support. It carried out to the stage door when no one could get out due to the throngs of, again, mainly young girls, surging forward to get autographs/selfies with Marianela and Vadim. I saw their last performance and the audience were very enthusiastic but without the hysteria from the first night.

Especially as I don’t drive….

Are they? I hadn’t noticed that 😞

Sadly, for reasons unknown, Vue Plymouth isn’t screening it. I have no idea why as it usually does, and all the other ROH offerings this year are listed - just not this one. Very disappointing. The nearest place listed to show it was Ivybridge and I didn’t fancy trekking 20 miles in the dark after a full day at work.

It’s plain from reading Vadim’s book that he was already being seen as a special talent even whilst still at Perm. Although of course he has developed over the years, but even seeing early film of him dancing when he first joined ENB he was already dancing at a ridiculously high standard for one so young. Wayne Eagling obviously had enough confidence in his abilities to hire him and give him Principal roles from the start. I don’t know too much about William’s early days, but I would imagine that his talent would also have been obvious to those trained to spot it, and it does make one wonder why neither were offered RB contracts at the time. But I agree with those saying that they probably went to the best places to develop their talent. Vadim learned so much at ENB, which meant that by the time he wanted to make his move, he could pretty much take his pick. How lucky that he chose to move to the RB when he could have evidently have gone almost anywhere.

I didn’t think Fumi and Will did Swan Lake together at all (although I’m happy be be corrected if I’m wrong).

I have high hopes for Fumi and Vadim in Manon. They displayed a considerable chemistry as Rudolf and Marie Larisch that might well transfer to Manon and Des Grieux.

I was only saying to someone the other day that the ROH could learn some substantial lessons about promotion from BRB…

I’m quite sure it wasn’t because they couldn’t manage them - we are talking about two very experienced principals here! I don’t think it’s actually a requirement of the choreography and is probably optional but I don’t think either of them tend to go in for tricks for the sake of it, they can let their dancing do the talking. I did think that Marianela seemed a bit more subdued than usual in Act 1 but she certainly made up for it in Acts 2 and 3.

Well, Marianela’s post this morning confirms that her curtain call jeté was an unrehearsed, spur of the moment decision and the photo from @dancersdiary was just a lucky shot as he didn’t know she was going to do it! Love it. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyp7IHiLJOt/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I agree, I loved the jeté and even more I loved the mischievous giggly glance she cast back to Vadim behind the curtain! 😂 (Also spotted them at the stage door high fiving each other and hugging beyond the glass doors just before they emerged to the crowds!).

I’m not really sure how, as they have to emerge into Floral Street…. sure, they could exit elsewhere and make their escape but I think most Principal dancers would consider that a bit disrespectful to fans who are waiting to see them and wouldn’t want to do it. I don’t think any dancer has a problem about meeting fans and chatting and taking selfies at the stage door - it’s when it continues beyond there that they might feel it goes a bit too far. And I’d agree with that.

Quite. It’s one thing to be accompanied to the train (and onto it) by people the dancer knows and feels safe with; quite another to be followed by a person or persons unknown to them whose intentions they aren’t sure of. I have heard rumours of various dancers having stalkers and of course Vadim has been quite open about his problems in that respect in his book. So being followed beyond the stage door environs by a crowd of fans who may seem perfectly unthreatening to us, may seem rather more worrying to a tired dancer wanting to get home. And telling them to go away may potentially accentuate a stalking situation.