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Jillykins

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  1. Jillykins
    Edward Watson for me too! I used to love David Blair and as a teenager fell in love with Skouratoff, don't really know how to spell his name I think he was with Ballet Russes. Any body able to tell me more about him? I think he came to London and did a show called Broken Engagement or similar title!
  2. Jillykins
    So looking forward to seeing Anastasia next season! Great to see Chroma again, didn't think I would like it but I loved it.
  3. Jillykins
    Really enjoyed this evening. We are very privileged to see Liam working on such a challenging project. Laura looks really good, and Kirstins presentation was so effortless. Music sounds good and the talk on set design was really interesting. I am so looking forward to the dress rehearsal and a performance. I do hope I see two of the three casts. Two special nights, Giselle last night and Insight tonight.
  4. Jillykins
    I won't repeat much of what has been said. I was in the amphi last night and really enjoyed the performance. Amphi is a good place to appreciate the floor patterns made by the splendid corps and although you miss close ups of facial expression you appreciate the use of the body to tell a story. Not impressed with Mendizabel, wobbly, heavy footed and not convincing. Continuity and story telling ruined by bursts of applause in Act two and by constant coughing by members of audience. Such a pity. From on high difficult to see detail of Vadims enormous skill as tights such a poor contrast with the floor. I saw some tension in his hands when executing elevation and batterie. However, what an evening! Congratulations to all concerned. Would love to have a DVD to appreciate the performance in more detail.
  5. Jillykins
    My first memory of that special tingle when you see something special was seeing Ulanova on the Bolshoi first visit to England. It was in the 1950's at the old Davis theatre in Croydon. She did the Dying Swan. Such beautiful arms, musicality and pathos. For me Fonteyn was perfection as I grew up and I was so sad at her final Juliet. Her feet didn't touch the ground as she ran down the stairs from the balcony. She will always be one of my favourites. Rojo was special in Marguerite and Armand, for me the only comparable ballerina I have seen in this role. Now we are lucky to have so many talented dancers to see.
  6. Jillykins
    I think all I had read in such interesting posts helped me enjoy last nights triple bill. Although it is repetitive of previous posts I have to marvel at the seamless beauty of the pas de deux in After the Rain performed by Zenaida and Reece Clarke. Wonderful to see her dancing extended with such a splendid partner. Really enjoyed balLet and music. I think Lauren did her best in Strapless, she is an elegant,dramatic dancer. I want repeat previous posts but did have a struggle to keep awake at one point. Sorry! I was wide awake and really enjoyed Within the Golden Hour. I liked the costumes and loved the changing backdrop. I liked some of the music too. Loved Yuhi and Campbell together and pleased to see Zuchetti back on form. So, really enjoyed sitting in Stalls Circle, a real treat. I think maybe as eyes dim perhaps fewer performances and more expensive seats. Overall a good evening.
  7. Jillykins
    Wow! What a fascinating topic! I am so excited that I am going to see the programme tonight. Especially as, for once, I am sitting in the stalls circle not my usual amphitheatre seat. All your posts have increased my anticipation of the programme. Thank you.
  8. Jillykins
    Daphnis and Chloe.......Yes please!
  9. Jillykins
    Sorry you are quite right, I do get names muddled. Of course it was Akane, she was so lovely I should not have got her name wrong. Thank you so much for correcting it.
  10. Jillykins
    I enjoyed Thursday evening too. I have fallen in love with Rhapsody, can't get enough of it. Yuhi was charming and Zucchetti gave a good performance. The girls and boys lovely to watch. Real teamwork. I became more aware of the Ashton choreography, those lovely lines, sudden changes of direction. In both ballets the girl rolls round her partners body and ducks under his arm. I loved Hikaru as the young girl in the Pigeons, beautiful epaulement, fluttering arms and feet that trembled just like a bird. She was totally believable as a mischievous girl and then as a sad girl only to show a change in maturity in the last pas de deux. Sad that the beautiful ending was slightly marred by a very errant pigeon. He didn't want to go on the chair a no fancied a wander round the stage. Well done to Hikaru and James Hay for managing to retain the atmosphere. James gave a splendid performance altogether. The gypsy dances were like looking through a kaleidoscope of ever changing pattern and colour. Please Mr Ohare bring back more Ashton, for me Ondine. So good to see so many young dancers being able to develop their skills.
  11. Jillykins
    I can only agree with all the comments about cinema performance given in the excellent reviews by forum members. It is so good that like minded ballet goers get a chance to share their views. I don't manage to see as many performances as some members do so it is good to hear about other casts. So good in the cinema to get close ups as I am usually in the amphitheatre!, p Last night Rhapsody was sensational, my first viewing. I loved McCraes arrogance in posture and the delicious neatness of his magic feet. I did feel a connection to Osipova as the ballet progressed. I am glad others have commented on her shoes. They really were very soft, maybe on purpose to give her the speed of those delicious bourres! I remember how we used to murder our new pointe shoes in order to soften them up. Take out the spine and bash against the wall. I digress, maybe the very softness caused her slight stumble although she recovered seamlessly. I agree that supporting male and female dancers reached a special level of technique and stage presence. What a future for the company. Who is the little blonde girl? I am looking forward to Choe and Zucchetti live on Thursday. I loved The Pigeons again,I saw this cast earlier in the run. Lauren and Vadim have grown in confidence and developed powerful acting skills to compliment their splendid dancing. Fumi was a revelation as the gypsy girl. Real sparkle and a sense of fun. Again such strong support by the rest of the cast. So looking forward to my third cast on Friday. I did miss Laura , so sorry she is injured. Once again thank all the members for so much information and sharing of the wonderful art that is ballet!
  12. Jillykins
    Can only agree with previous comments. Having been ill for some weeks it was first trip out since Christmas and it really was a tonic! Gloriously colourful, musical, dramatic and full of great exhibitions of technique. Neat changement on pointe, terrific brisee volees and Tamaras virtuoso pirouettes! Considering she has picked up extra performances so audiences are not disappointed you can only admire her phenomenal talent. I will certainly follow the career of young Corrales wherever he dances. Sad the lady lift attendant said Alinas ankle injury was really bad. Sorry that is just her opinion. I am feeling better now and have booked to watch company class next Saturday. If you don't have a ticket try to go.
  13. Jillykins
    They are horrendous to do! Mind you it is a very long time since I struggled with them. The drafted second leg never has enough time.
  14. Jillykins
    The magic of the Nutcracker caught me up yesterday. I went to the matinee and so enjoyed the glee of the many tiny members of the audience. Only twice during the performance did I hear a child's sound. They were dancing all the way out of the theatre. So it worked, introduced many youngsters to the joy of ballet. I still remember my first visit over seventy years ago. Les Patineurs. I forget a lot today but that memory is still vivid. I enjoyed the performance Leticia Stock and Marcelino Sambe were lovely together, although I find her arms rather angular. I was very aware of her elbows! Great to see young talent emerging. I thought Yuhui and Alexander Campbell made a lovely partnership, despite at least one inelegant descent from a lift. I hope to see them paired together again.Alexander lands so silently, like a cat and Yuhi managed those hideously difficult gargouillades so neatly. Please excuse if spelling of steps wrong. So despite minor criticisms it gave great pleasure to so many. Also thank you to contributors for so much information on history and versions of this ballet and many others. I really do enjoy reading them.
  15. Jillykins
    Loved last night. Was at dress rehearsal but nearer front of amphi last night. Made a difference could appreciate detail more. My husband, not a regular follower of ballet in past but now having to help me move about sees the programmes with fresh eyes. Now making comments on performance. He commented sadly that he thought the girls in M 1 were rather wobbly and it distracted him. He loved Two Pigeons and enjoyed the swirl of colour and pattern in the gypsy dances. We both just enjoyed what was meant to be an entertainment. Having seen Salenko at the dress rehearsal I enjoyed Lauren's girl , two slightly different but equally enjoyable performances.Laura was magnificent, dusky beauty, fleet of foot. No wonder the talented young man wanted to paint her! Sometimes in this ballet simple steps are used to great effect, there was a delightful moment of a sequence of sissones side by side. Thank you all the people who have written such interesting entries, I love being reminded of so much I have forgotten. This rather naive entry really just wants to say ballet is wonderful entertainment , it is good to analyse but sometimes good to just sit back and enjoy. I thank my old man for reminding me of this.
  16. Jillykins
    So pleased other people's memories are so much better than mine! Really interesting comments thank you. I did see RBS performance all those years ago and I loved it. Saw it at the rehearsal on Tuesday and loved it all over again. Young man suited McRae really well and I marvelled again at his batterie. Ashton created such a beautiful piece that illustrated the technique of his era and gave such good opportunities for acting and building character. As it was a rehearsal I make no other comments on performance. I also enjoyed Monotones 1 and 2 when I got accustomed to the caps. However, on reflection, they worked really well. We were able to appreciate line and position. Timing in 1 was a bit off at times but it was a rehearsal and I am sure it will be tighter in performance. So good to see Watson dancing so beautifully and not having to contort his body so much. I wish he was in more. I do hope people buy tickets, I came home feeling I had had a real treat. Looking forward to the performance on 24th!
  17. Jillykins
    It was in force today for the rehearsal. More thoroughly than in the past!
  18. Jillykins
    Yes, an emotional evening! I saw the programme at ROH last week with the same cast and really enjoyed being able to see so clearly. I am afraid as I want to go so often I usually view from the amphitheatre. Faun was particularly good to see closer up. Their eyes really looked as if they were focused on the mirror. Enjoyed every minute of it. I won't go into detail there have been so many eloquent comments but I did enjoy Viscera, loved Morera and enjoyed the pas de deux. How Riochi has matured and what a fine partner he has become. Carmen? I agree with so many comments, Carlos strength is not in choreography and my poor long suffering husband found the whole piece confusing and would prefer not to see it again. I actually enjoyed it more second time round but stilL find the passing office worker a strange way of getting the point across. Great farewell scene I am sure Carlos will treasure the memory. What next? (After Elizabeth and the Coliseum)
  19. Jillykins
    I was at last nights performance and enjoyed it enormously. I have seen more Romeo and Juliets in my seventy plus years of going to the ballet and now go to see different interpretations of the roles not so much the ballet. However last night I was lost in admiration not only of dancers but of Macmillans phenomenal skill. His use of music, choreography for vast numbers of corps and amazing pas de deux. It is his skill that makes me usually forget the choreographer! Lauren Cuthbertson was amazing, she has built so much since her first performance with Ed Watson. How I wish he had been with her yesterday. However Bonelli made a handsome Romeo but for me he was not a young boy. I missed the crispness of footwork although the passion built so that the tomb scene was deeply moving. Lauren was so boneless in that final pas de deux you wondered how BonellI could lift her! She was truly a girl moving from adolescence to young womanhood, beautiful arms and bourres that seemed to be out of contact with the floor. Bennet made a believable Tybalt his acting skills gave depth to the performance. I felt his shock when he realised he had stabbed Mercutio. I loved Gary Avis performance as Capulet, he seemed like a father frustrated beyond patience and there was some love for his daughter. There were many special moments added by a gesture, facial expression or angle of the head. WelL done to the cast, you gave me another special evening. Alison, I thought I had become even more forgetful about my memories but Romeo does perform entre chat, once on his own when wedding procession comes in and a few moments later with Mercutio and BevolIo. I only became aware of them when McCrae did them do perfectly in the live filming. Unimportant but relieved to find I had not imagined them! I love this forum, it is so good to share our passion with like minded others. Thank you all for your comments, reviews and opinions. I do hope Lauren stays welL and uninjured. Lovely to have such a great home grown talent.q
  20. Jillykins
    An evening to remember! Enjoyed by a young woman beside me new to ballet and totally enchanted. Can't add to the excellent review by Sim, thank you for your insight. McRae your entre chat are the neatest and cleanest I have seen in a long time. The chenee turns were fantastic (hope spelling ok) . Sarah Lamb proved herself as an actress, I am not usually near enough to see the nuances of facial expression. Fantastic work by all the boys and indeed the whole company. Pity about the close up of Juliets breathing chest when people supposed her to be dead on her tomb, but a very minor criticism of the filming. I am sad that Gary Avis doesn't dance more, he has still got technique and charisma. I actually felt sorry for him when he had killed Mercutio. Watching the 'in rehearsal' a few days ago helped me appreciate the attention to detail that creates the performance we saw. So looking forward to seeing more of Alex Campbell,
  21. Jillykins
    I saw Fonteyn with Nureyev in her final performance as Juliet. I shall never forget how she ran down the stairs as if her feet were not touching the ground. She seemed to be thirteen throughout. Her mother, Mrs Hookham was in the same row as me. I loved Ferri in this role years ago, how I wish I could go and see her performance next year.
  22. Jillykins
    Really enjoyed this evening. It is a privilege to see the dancers working on their roles, especially as much was concentrated on interpretation and acting skills. Christopher Saunders works with sensitivity and humour at times. He seems to appreciate the mixture of knowledge in the audience. Sarah and Rio were working on Juliet and Paris pas de deux. There was concentration on timing and the positioning of Paris in holds and lifts and the feelings of Juliet at his touch. In the discussion with the dancers Sarah explained her feelings of how Juliet developed as a thirteen year old to womanly maturity in a short space of time. The solo work was Alex Campbell as Mercutio. First part in the ballroom where he exploded into enormous elevation and intricate pique movements at high speed. There was clarity of movement and tremendous energy which Christopher harnessed into what looks to be a very successful Mercutio performance. Again we had a dancer in interview giving incite into the ballet and the role he was to play in it. As a member of the audience I am grateful to the dancers and ballet master (not forgetting the pianist) for exposing themselves to a critical audience. I am looking forward to the cinema performance on 22nd.
  23. Jillykins
    I so enjoy reading all the different views expressed on the forum. Thanks to all contributors for sharing views and opinions. I am always nervous about expressing my views but feel I can do so here. I went to the dress rehearsal at Sadlers wells and am aware that is not the same as a performance so my response is to a rehearsal. I enjoyed No Mans Land and Dust. I was amazed at the way two ballerinas have developed and the fact that I do enjoy modern works so much. I didn't enjoy Second Breath as I really couldn't see it! I am one of the older generation who need more light although at times there is need to create atmosphere. It would be good if the lights could be sneaked up once mood has been established. I was interested in my husbands comment in the choreography he said he could always see the partners preparing for a 'big lift'. It does seem as if male dancers in these pieces were like male dancers of years gone by when most of their work was partnering. However the men in all three pieces were excellent. I would so like to see the Khan piece again.
  24. Jillykins
    We were at the Friday performance and I agree with previous posts. I hated the ending and was so disappoimnted by the national dances in the court. I also disliked the tutus because they stuck out like a frill and showed an unflattering rear view. I also found the constant applause breaks spoilt the continuity. However Kolesnikovas arms were beautiful, the Russian ' broken wrist' suits the swan movement. However I did not like Naotsukis hands in the pas de trios, however enjoyed the rest of his dancing. Rodkin made a handsome prince and as other posters have said I would have liked to see him dance more. There were a number of incidents of loss of balance from the principals. I really enjoyed seeing a different production and was pleased we went. I must compliment the Coliseum in their help with my wheelchair and with their provision of funding for my companion.
  25. Jillykins
    I enjoyed programme but certainly would not take a child. You need to buy a a programme. Gives background to pieces. Some looked a bit like improvisations of A level students. However I liked Watsons solo but found Whelans a bit repetitive. I also really enjoyed the final tango section, the semi nudity fitted in well, was part of the piece. I don't think we really saw the best of these two dancers skills but it was an interesting evening. Good to see McGregor, Polunin,Arlene and other familiar faces in audience. Full marks to the amazing musicians, fascinating music. Would love to see Tamara in this programme, possibly Zenaida or McCrae! It is good to see something unusual and new. A challenge for me!
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