Balletfanp

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.

Hard to know how they can set those boundaries without being rude, when they have to walk back to the Tube Station along with everyone else. It seems to be the same as the decline in standards of audience behaviour, where people don’t seem to know (or care) where a line needs to be drawn - or even that a line exists….

The last performance with Nunez and Muntagirov I’d say they emerged (virtually simultaneously but that’s not always the case) after about half an hour. I’m sure there will be lots of people there again so you won’t feel conspicuous and they are both very natural and friendly and gracious as well. Perhaps you could wait a while and see? If they are taking too long you can always decide to leave.

How could I forget Celine and Tyrone? Yes, they were lovely. I know what you mean about the devil being moved around, I’m not sure I really saw the point of that. I suppose, if I had another mild criticism, it would be that some of the choreography became a bit repetitive at times - but these small niggles were more than compensated for by the sheer enjoyment and energy. An afternoon well spent!

One of these days, @Odyssey, we will bump into each other! I almost didn’t go to this, because having seen some of the rehearsal footage I thought “Hmmm….” and decided not to bother. The reviews then encouraged me to give it a go - by which time all the Plymouth performances were sold out! However I was lucky and managed to bag a return in the middle of the stalls for yesterday’s matinee. It was an interestingly mixed audience - what I would describe as the ‘usual’ ballet crowd, plus quite a lot of teenagers and some who were plainly there for the Sabbath side of things! I also spotted a few people I knew there who would never normally go to a ballet, so that was quite encouraging to see. Anyway - I was wowed by the whole thing, as was everyone there and they responded with enthusiasm and a full standing ovation at the end. Act 1 was probably my favourite - very intense with great stage sets and effects. I wasn’t entirely sure about the guitarist (Marc Hayward) when he first came onstage (I felt it might have been veering towards slightly lame territory, plus he looked more like an escapee from the Ramones rather than Black Sabbath!), but as he was gradually absorbed into the dance action around him and relaxed into it himself, I thought it really worked. There was a gentle pas de deux between Yaoqian Shang and Javier Rojas that they performed entirely with their lips locked together in a kiss, which must be incredibly difficult to do. And Tzu-Chao Chou even performed a brief solo en pointe (he wasn’t half bad!). The end of the Act with Paranoid playing, and the dancers throwing themselves into tricks and their best moves - very appropriate in this case - just looked like SO MUCH FUN! I found it difficult to stay still in my seat and was almost tempted to indulge in a spot of head banging, but I fear that these days my head might fall off…. I wasn’t the only one as I could feel the row of seats bouncing as people jigged along and there was a bit of foot stamping too. As the curtain came down to huge applause, me and the older lady sitting next to me both simultaneously said “WOW!!” She explained to me resignedly that she had been subjected to a lot of Black Sabbath when her son was younger and had been intrigued to see what they had done with the concept. She was hugely impressed. Act 2 was more subdued and introspective and the dancing seemed almost incidental to the voiceovers from Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Sharon Osbourne, but these kept the audience enthralled as they were variously interesting, funny or quite moving. Hearing about how Tony lost his finger tips in a factory accident and was told he might as well forget playing the guitar again, and from Ozzy about Sharon’s “tough love” (after a night of over-indulgence in various substances “Sharon, I think I’m dying.” “Well, die quietly - I have to be up at 9:00!” 😂) made for an absorbing Act. And Lachlan Monaghan can sing! Act 3 was a fitting finale with the whole cast onstage and singing along with War Pigs - and finishing again with Paranoid, the dancers forgetting their training and just throwing themselves into dancing along as the mood took them, then throwing their t-shirts into the air on the final note. Superb, and just everyone onstage appearing to be having the time of their lives! I am very glad I went. I would say it probably helps to know or recognise at least some of the songs used, but not necessary, and the orchestration worked very well. And all credit to Carlos Acosta for having the vision and courage to commission this. As a concept it could have all gone horribly wrong - but it turned out to be amazing.

Just back from the matinee in Plymouth and wow! Just brilliant. Such energy from the company and a well deserved standing ovation. Will write more once I’ve had time to gather my thoughts.

I’m feeling rather sorry for Meaghan. From her Instagram it plainly means a lot to her to be given this chance, and it’s rather sad that people are returning their tickets. Perfectly understandable, if you have paid to see a dancer you like, and she is now being replaced by someone you aren’t keen on - but still a shame for her. Whilst she isn’t in my ‘must see’ list of dancers, one way or another I have seen a lot of her in various roles over the years, and I have to say she is one of very few dancers I don’t think I’ve ever seen put a foot wrong technically over the years in some tricky roles (and I can’t say as much for quite a few Principals!). You know that you are going to see, at the very least, a solid performance from her, and I’ve been impressed by her in some roles (she was a very moving Justine in Frankenstein, for instance, and a sweet and exuberant Vera in Month). I’m almost wishing I had bought a ticket for that Don Q cast now because I don’t think I’d be returning it - I’d be curious to see what she makes of it, and I think she’ll be a good match for Luca. Sadly, I have to save my money now for performances later in the season as a trip up from Plymouth each time isn’t cheap!

If they have any sense, I’m sure they would have flown business class and managed to stretch out! I’m impressed by the fact that they are having to learn a whole new production of Don Q in about a week, having spent the last several weeks rehearsing the RB production - and then come back and try to forget the one they have just learned and get their heads back into the RB version! Vadim said at the stage door that they had deliberately chosen not to start learning the Jo’burg one over here, to reduce the risk of confusion (very sensible!). But that means, of course, that they have to learn it from scratch.

So, I’m going to while away a long journey back by writing a review of last night. Well, what a breathtaking performance. I had the rare situation of a general rehearsal coinciding with a show I had booked so I got to see two performances. I know we can’t write about rehearsals but whilst I enjoyed the rehearsal, it was obvious from the moment that Marianela and Vadim appeared on stage last night that we were about to see a performance that was simply on another level, and so it proved. However, they were more than ably supported by the rest of the cast, who all seemed to be on amazing form and just supplied so much energy onstage. Everyone was just brilliant. Tom Whitehead was in the rehearsal as well so I saw him twice and he was a fabulous Gameche - I’m not really a fan of that kind of slapstick humour generally but he did it so well and provided many laugh out loud moments. And Philip Mosley - wow! Such energy as Sancho Panza! I managed to exchange a few words with him at the stage door and said how trusting he was to allow himself to be thrown up in the air so high (gasps from the audience!). He replied that he had been egging them on and saying “Higher! Higher!” 😁 Brilliant. As has been mentioned, the role of Espada might have been made for Ryoichi. Talk about smoulder! And every pose he struck and every step was just spot on for the character. I was elated to find that he was last night’s Espada as I’d seen him in the last run and enjoyed his performance then. If anything, he was even better last night. Perfection! And a special mention for his cape twirling abilities 😁. I can’t remember if it was Mayara’s debut as Mercedes? But it was impressive, if so. She matched Ryoichi in the smouldering stakes step for step! Along with beautiful dancing. Their chemistry was great. Bodes well for her Kitri! Will be seeing that at the cinema. Lovely sprightly Amour debut from Sae Maeda. And I thought Annette Buvoli was the most beautiful, elegant, serene Queen of the Dryads I’ve ever seen and a tiny stumble at the start of the dreaded Italian fouettés didn’t detract from that. Gorgeous work from the Corps in that Act as well - and I adore those tutus - surely the prettiest in ballet? But - the night belonged to Marianela and Vadim, and how! They were absolutely on fire. Marianela was born to be Kitri - she has such sass, such humour and such spirit in this role, to say nothing of perfect dancing - her phrasing and timing is just impeccable and she possesses the ability to really play with the music and extract every last nuance from it. And she and Vadim seem to feed off each other and push each other to even greater heights, if that is possible. Someone above mentioned the old chestnut that Vadim is thought by some too classical to dance bravura roles like Basilio. This annoys me so much when he has proved time and time again that it isn’t the case and it sometimes feels like people just repeating received wisdom. I don’t think anyone last night could have said he was “too classical” (except where it mattered) or not bravura enough. It was as though he said “How bravura do you want it to be? I’ll top it!” Amazing virtuoso dancing throughout, but more importantly his characterisation of the cheeky barber was spot on and so engaging. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a dancer clapped and cheered on so loudly (more so even than Marianela!) and he responded with That Smile and was obviously out to have an absolute ball with the performance. He has posted some wonderful photos on his latest Instagram post which go some way to capturing the sheer joie de vivre of his performance. I really like Vadim in these more lighthearted roles as they bring out the cheeky and comical side of his personality to perfection - and all with oodles of charm - a quality I find sadly lacking in many male dancers, I’m afraid. Plus his ability to perform jaw dropping variations (that Act 3 variation and coda 😲) without the slightest hint of ego or showing off. The whole evening was a triumph for everyone involved and an additional word for the conductor - he kept things going at a wonderfully clipping pace; so often in Don Q it can be taken too slowly and sluggishly when it’s meant to be pacey and sprightly and when it’s done well it makes such a difference. I went around to the stage door and luckily got there quite early and didn’t have to join the hordes outside. But we did end up getting trapped inside for quite some time because Marianela came out, closely followed by Vadim, and when Marianela reached the door everyone in the street crowded forward and no one could get out! Stage Door mayhem! Marianela asked several times if they could move back but she was whistling in the wind. It became clear after a while that we would need to try to force a way through before Vadim emerged as it was obvious it would all begin again once he appeared! A spectacular night of dancing fuelled by a wonderful audience. Work tomorrow is going to feel very flat…

Mind-blowingly good performance tonight! A thoroughly well deserved standing ovation. The whole cast were brilliant but Marianela and Vadim were just on fire! More tomorrow.

There is also a point that there may be many dancers out there who have been through this tough system and possibly/probably scarred by it - but are now in a supportive Company and enjoying their career. Stopping support for Ballet may well make them feel that their experiences had been for nothing, if people stop going to ballet. And you only have to remember how upset dancers were about not being able to perform, plus the worry of losing their profession entirely, during the pandemic, to realise what harm it would do, without solving the underlying problem - which is bullying from teachers. And that can happen in mainstream schools and in workplaces with bullying managers too. It’s part of a wider problem.

….and lots of other RB dancers….

I think it’s easy to cast to a TV if you have the right TV (I don’t)!

From your description, definitely the same one! I’m not ‘offended’ by it as such, I just find it unnecessary (and yes, there seems to be no other purpose to it other than ‘look at me’) and I would rather not have portions of someone’s anatomy forced centre stage, so to speak - it comes over as rather gross to me. However, it appears many would disagree, given the admiring comments, so, as I say, I just unfollow and avoid that account. There are plenty of other dancer accounts that are a joy to follow.

I’m pretty sure I know and that’s exactly what I was talking about. And trying to give it an ‘it’s art’ cloak by moody black and white and filters doesn’t make it any less distasteful. I don’t mind a bit of product endorsement - after all, dancers get sent freebies all the time and in return for that they have to publicly thank the company who have sent it. And I don’t mind the odd rather beautiful modelling shot. It’s when the majority of the account seems to be given up to that kind of stuff that I heave a bit of a sigh.

Most do. But some do seem to succumb to the temptation to pose in their underwear from time to time….

This, exactly. Dancers can post what they like, but personally I do tend to get turned off by too many product endorsements and ‘look at me’ content. It’s fine to use social media to promote your performances and to entertain (and Muntagirov is an excellent example of a dancer who seems to have got this balance right). But don’t start me on the trend toward some male dancers (who will remain nameless!) showing their all in rather too close shots of their brief underwear or with dance tights pulled so low as to be almost indecent. All a bit too ‘in your face’ for my liking (and I’m not a prude by any means)! And yes, I do find it difficult to unsee this kind of thing when I watch them perform - and not in a good way! I suppose it must get them extra followers - but that’s not for their dancing, which is obvious from some of the comments on their posts…. However, I just stop following them if I find myself getting irritated by the content.

@oncnpI think it’s the last paragraph that made me think there is an issue. And this: CHROMECAST WITH GOOGLE TV You can watch Royal Opera House Stream on your TV by downloading the Royal Opera House Stream apponto a Google Chromecast device. A Google Chromecast can be bought from many major retailers, online and in store. Please be aware, older versions of the Chromecast will not support our TV app. I wonder why yours is working? Did you have to download the app? I tried and it’s only available from Google Play, not compatible with my iPhone. But I don’t want to bore everyone further with my streaming problems!

I would be able to do that from a laptop, but not my phone - thanks for the suggestion. I’m puzzled as to how it is working for you when the advice says that Chromecast is only supported with an Apple TV subscription - unless I’m misunderstanding it…. It might be that my Chromecast stick is just too old but I don’t really want to go to the expense of buying a new one when the one I’ve got works fine for everything else. Having said that, we have been meaning to buy a new TV for some time now (ours is quite old and not very Smart) and dithering over which one to buy - I think the right TV would probably solve this problem so perhaps now is the time to get my finger out and just decide on one!

Probably it would, but I don’t have a laptop and would have to lug my work one home any time I want to watch anything - a bit inconvenient!

I signed up for my free trial to watch the Ashton triple, and assumed I would be able to cast from my phone to the TV, as I’ve always been able to do so with the ROH streams they put up during lockdown. I use Google Chromecast. But no. The Apple platform they use doesn’t support that. There are lots of other options but as far as I can tell they are a) buy a new smart TV, one with the specific capability of playing the streams; b) subscribe to Apple TV (the only way, it seems, that you can use Chromecast) AND buy a new Chromecast stick because my old one isn’t supported, apparently; or c) buy an Amazon Firestick. All of these options are of course a substantial additional cost on top of a subscription to the stream. I had to watch on my phone (deeply unsatisfying when I had expected to watch it on a larger screen). I was considering subscribing but that won’t now be happening, I’m afraid.

I thought that myself - Kate’s performance was just so beautiful and full of feeling. She has such a delicate touch.

Great news! Is there any sign of the dancer interviews yet?