Duck

I would like to see more Béjart in London, so it would be Songs of a Wayfarer, Seven Greek Dances (the RBS showed extracts of the ballet at their annual matinée in 2013, and I'd love to see the whole ballet), and most definitely Boléro.

The top three ballets came to mind quickly, filling the remaining two spots was a lot more challenging based on the number of contenders ... So the top three for me Mayerling - the emotions and the stunning PDD, all within a historic setting that is captured so vividly through the costumes and characters Song of the Earth - its serenity, the sense of loss and longing and renewal, the music Requiem - its serenity, the sense of loss and acceptance, the music The other two Four Temperaments - the display of the four medieval characters through movement, the music ..., both in particular in the "Melancholic" part Monotones - it's just otherworldly Really close to the top five, and in no particular order: Gloria, Voluntaries, Concerto, Manon, Romeo & Juliet. I started to watch the Royal Ballet in 2006/07 so my experience is still limited, and each season brings new discoveries e.g., The Four Temperaments this year. Thus, just as the list would have looked different a year ago, it will probably look different again a year from today.

Just seen on the web ... 5 stars by Clement Crisp for the performance last Friday http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6069d434-087f-11e5-85de-00144feabdc0.html

Song of the Earth works best for me when the other pieces in the mixed programme are also about different atmospheric stages of relationships between female and male dancers (as in the current mixed programme at the ROH), or alternatively if the preceding ballets have a similar topic of loss and departure (as in the mixed programme with Stuttgart Ballet at the end of last year/ earlier this year). Both scenarios create a special atmosphere for me that is built up throughout the evening and then culminates with Song of the Earth. I actually quite like it when a ballet is brought back the same season as, if I like it the first time, it will entice me to watch it again, and possibly with a different cast and/ or not all performances that I go to squeezed into a timeframe of two weeks (and if I don't like it the first time, I'll be saving money by not attending a second performance later on). Additionally, the repeated rehearsals of Song of the Earth within a relatively short period of time have certainly not hindered increased precision among the corps. Song of the Earth as the final ballet of the season before the Royal Ballet goes on tour works for me in the sense that the topic of "loss and renewal" that the ballet depicts comes at a time when the current season comes to an end, coupled with the knowledge that the next season will start inevitably (eternally). (edited for typos)

Definitely so, and equally in today's matinee performance. The audience last night reacted with an enormous roar of approval when he stepped before the curtain after the performance. When, on the train this morning, I was searching for a word to describe that roar, the word "animalistic" came to mind and has stayed in my head since. I also found it touching last night that, in the middle of Lauren Cuthbertson receiving the various bouquets, he started to applaud her, and then all dancers on stage joined in. Thank you for pointing out that Ryoichi Hirano had only five days to learn his part, and congratulations to him. With Melissa Hamilton dancing in Afternoon of a Faun today, her role in Song of the Earth was danced by Lara Turk. Valentino Zucchetti was unable to perform in Song of the Earth due to injury, and his role was covered by Tristan Dyer and Sander Blommaert. All three did really well. It's fantastic to see so many young dancers being given the chance now to dance such roles. In particular Tristan Dyer has had lots of good exposure in his first year as a soloist, and I look forward to seeing more of him in future seasons. The cast change slip was short in number as it often is however it didn't matter today as a small glass case on the table where the programmes were sold displayed the cast change for all to see. I hope this practice will be continued in the future.

Beautiful. I hadn’t seen Afternoon of a Faun before, and while it is a fairly short piece, it captures nicely within its ten minutes the developing atmosphere between two dancers, until all ends due to the kiss. The faun spends quite some time on the floor so this piece, I thought last night, may be better seen from above than from the stalls. While Afternoon of a Faun shows the development between people, In the Night has distinct stages of relationships in each of its three parts, and this with elaborate costumes that match the atmosphere of each part. In part four, the three couples meet, and for a brief moment it looks as if some of them ponder swapping partners beyond having a conversation with someone else however they then all return to their established relationship. Song of the Earth. I love it more and more, and the sense of departing and renewal was really palpable last night. A huge relief – in contrast to the performances earlier this year, the music in the first song did not overpower the singing in the first song, and I found both singers superb throughout. The applause was huge and the cheers were loud in response to all pieces last night. As all three ballets are about relationships, does this help create a special atmosphere in the house and thus stimulate a particularly warm reception? Surely Lauren Cuthbertson’s return to the stage influenced the applause and cheers in response to Song of the Earth, however also Afternoon of a Faun and In the Night had a very positive reaction. Finally, flowers. Beautiful bouquets, and an almost interminable number of them brought on stage for Lauren Cuthbertson. What an evening! Heading off to see the matinee in a short while, and hugely looking forward to it.

Some good news, all while bearing in mind that nothing has been confirmed yet * There is a comment on twitter that the possibility of recording the music for Woolf Works is being discussed https://twitter.com/TheRoyalBallet/status/603609916109008899 * It looks like there is a chance that Woolf Works will be revived in a future season https://twitter.com/TheRoyalBallet/status/603609599049011200

Thank you I just wish I would have started to read The Waves earlier as there may be other elements in the book which I would then possibly also be able to see in the ballet. 160 pages left to go, no way I'll be able to read them all before next Tuesday. So the joy of reading Woolf will continue beyond next week. Oh - the final performance of Tuesday on a Tuesday ... However this is now me getting carried away as surely the title of the ballet was decided much more recently than the date of the final performance. ;-)

I agree with Aileen, it would be really useful to have the story of the children in Tuesday explained. Are the six children the six characters in the book when they are children? Or are they Susan's children (Susan in the book reportedly modelled based on Woolf's sister, Vanessa Bell) when she is older? Either way, sadly no information in the ballet or the programme. I am slowly making my way through The Waves and have now finished the second chapter (when the six characters finish school and part into different directions). I was surprised to find that, both at the end of the first and the second chapter, the final paragraph describes a character being surrounded by and embedded in waves as a means to describe the whirlwind of emotions that the character experiences at that point in time. I thus had a quick look at subsequent chapters, and the pattern of a description of waves in the final paragraph of a chapter appears a few more times. So I start to think that, while Woolf's suicide clearly is the main topic of Tuesday, the ballet does also draw on the recurring theme of a character being tossed around by waves (i.e., emotions). I hope it's ok under the Community guidelines to provide the following short quotes from the book. In the first chapter "... they heap themselves on me; they sweep me between their great shoulders; I am turned; I am tumbled ...", and in the second chapter "I become drawn in, tossed down, thrown sky-high". Reading these paragraphs, I see Ferri being lifted and thrown around with increasing intensity, before she is finally laid to rest.

Pretty much the same happened to me when I was walking on the pavement after a ballet class a few months ago. I didn't jump or twist my ankle, etc., and suddenly the pain came on at the top of the foot close to the ankle. I had done lots of foot stretching before class that day though and maybe this was too much. Walking was fine after the first week, pointing and standing or turning on demi point hurt. I rested and used exercises that a physio gave me to loosen up the ankle. As with others above, I suggest seeing a physio. Maybe just one session will be sufficient if the exercises can be shown by the physio and then be done at home (this is what I did). I also found carrying as little as possible in my bag useful as it reduced the weight on the ankle when I did need to go somewhere. It did take a month to get better and I still have it on and off so patience is really needed. Starting too soon to dance again while it is not fully healed, and it will take even longer to clear. Good luck to your DD.

A third viewing today, I couldn't help it. From the three performances that I have now seen, today for the first time Tuesday received the loudest applause. And today thankfully the curtain only started to descend when Alessandra Ferri was already fully lying on the floor, this really helped keeping the applause off for a couple of seconds. Surprisingly, only limited numbers of red programmes were available to buy for those who had not previously purchased a programme voucher. I don't always go to the second to last performance of a ballet however it's not something that I've seen before. Is this a recurring feature? Some aspects though don’t change. The duet between Watson and Dyer in I Now, I Then and the letter and the mounting waves in Tuesday get me every time. I would love Woolf Works to be recorded on DVD and back on stage soon again.

Not sure. I've read in a review or one of the comments here that she is representing both. I am reading the PDD as representing Mrs Dalloway. I guess that's where "based on the book" comes in as it allows various interpretations. :-)

I went for a 2nd viewing last night following the premiere on Monday, and I think that the lighting for Orlando increased since Monday. I was able to see a lot more of the dancing and enjoyed it more although I still think it could be shortened after the central PDD. With identical hairstyles and variations of the same costumes, however, identifying individuals was not always easy. Yet with the concept of gender identity and change, this is maybe what McGregor intended? On a different note, there is a passage of fast footwork for Hayward and Watson in Orlando; they were perfectly in tune with the music and each other's movements, and it made me think how much I would have liked to see them in Romeo & Juliet in autumn. In relation to parts 1 and 3, I was struck by how natural Alessandra Ferri's acting comes across. The variations in her facial expression and the way her hair slowly becomes a little dishevelled made it so incredibly real. Hugely deserved and loud cheers again last night. I just wish that at the end of Tuesday, clapping would only start after a few seconds of silence rather than as soon as when the curtain starts to come down. Having a moment to breath would certainly help me (and others?) move from that picture of drowning to expressing one's appreciation at the curtain calls. I Now, I Then in its entirety is able to show in a sublime way the atmosphere and emotions of a time and place. Carefree dancing of young people in varying combinations as well as devastating solos and PDD, supported by beautiful period costumes and audio-visual effects. Watson's duet with Dyer in part 1 was as captivating as it was on the first night. Following the premiere, I had wondered about the PDD between Ferri and Watson in part 1 as they don't meet in the book. Thus I read up and found that when Mrs Dalloway hears about Septimus Smiths' suicide, she spends about two pages in the book thinking about death, so the PDD now makes complete sense to me. Tuesday. The picture that remains with me so vividly is the on-going ebb and flow of waves, initially as gentle movements, then mounting further and further until Ferri is fully submerged. On the way to the train station last night, I was moving my arms in the form of waves (and hopefully didn't overly scare anyone else on the pavement ;-). It maybe a complete coincidence however I have never talked so much with the person who happened to be sitting next me in the auditorium about the ballet being performed that evening than I have now done both at the premiere and last night. Is this just a coincidence, is it just me as I enjoy Woolf Works so much, or is Woolf Works more thought provoking than other ballets? Have others had similar experiences?

Well, this should have read Tuesday

Adding to my high-level review from late last night. What a performance. I now, I then. I loved the dancing – fluid, emotional, and evocative of relationships past and present. The period costumes, the sound of clocks ticking and the videos/ pictures of 1920s London all helped create the atmosphere of the book Mrs Dalloway. Stunning dancing by all involved and beautiful music. From the three parts of Woolf Works, this was for me the piece that was closest to the underlying book. I made guesses last night as to who was playing which role from Mrs Dalloway, and was surprised to read in an interview with Gary Avis today that he was playing the current Richard Dalloway not the current Peter Walsh as I thought last night (as Mrs Dalloway was shown young and current, I wrongly assumed that this would also be the case for Peter Walsh). I think it would be useful to have the list of who played which character in the cast sheet. Two other parts of I now, I then left me thinking that I should read the book again to catch up on a couple of details. The first was the liaison between the young Peter and Sarah (is this also to this extent in the book?), the other is the interaction between the current Mrs Dalloway and Septimus (in the book they don’t meet, and Mrs Dalloway hears about his suicide at her party yet I don’t remember her spending an extended amount of time thinking about the incident – or is my memory playing tricks?). This is then maybe where the non-narrative elements of the piece take over. Becomings. What a contrast. When I read Orlando, I most enjoyed the chapter that describes how Orlando is adjusting to being a woman e.g., moving like a woman in women’s clothes (in particular no flashing of ankles), no exclamations, no walking alone through the streets of London. It was these elements that I thought would be wonderful to capture in a ballet – dancers showing male figures in expansive movements and dancers showing female figures doing small steps and only in groups, etc. Not quite what I saw last night ;-) I loved the costumes. Fantastic designs in gold and black. From what I was able to see (some of it was a little darkly lit for my taste and vision), at the beginning every member of the cast was wearing a full set of costume in Elisabethan style (most gorgeous: the golden dress that Eric Underwood was wearing also at the curtain calls), and when they reappeared, either the top or the lower part was gradually replaced by nude kit, until at the very end all dancers were wearing just nude kits. The movements did not have a link to the Elisabethan age for me and instead were mostly huge extensions and hectic movements. The elements of dance that I did enjoy were the more fluid parts – the sensual PDD by Natalia Osipova and Edward Watson in the middle of the piece (and I kept wondering whether this would be based on Orlando’s liaison with the Russian princess when the Thames was frozen over), and the two circles of dancers towards of the end (though I am not sure what the reference might have been). A video in the background was showing sea, and I kept asking myself whether this reflected Orlando’s ship voyage back to Europe as a woman. While the piece started to feel a little long, what kept me going were the variations in costumes that were worn by different dancers, and a sensation that what I had expected to see in relation to different genders doing different forms of dance was in fact shown from a different perspective. The dancing was often a combination of male/ female pairings where each gender performed the same steps while wearing different costumes (such as black and gold tops) and male/ male pairings where one male (or two males) lifted another male dancer. The final section of the piece showed all dancers in nude kit dancing in two separate circles, with no visible difference between dancers in relation to the intensity or expansiveness of their movements. The sensation of “which gender was this - or does it even matter as they are so interchangeable?” was heightened for me by the fact that the dancers had their hair combed back tightly, so all looked rather similar. Again, stunning dancing by all involved. Yesterday. Much closer in style to the first part. Hugely moving opening sequence by a voiceover of Virginia Woolfe’s suicide letter (that’s when I choked the 2nd time last night, the 1st time being the duet between Dyer and Watson in the first part), followed by the PDD that is available from the Insight Evening on the ROH web site. The six children in The Waves are evoked (or are these Susan’s children now that she is older and has a family herself?) and Susan (I understand based on Virginia Woolf’s sister) appears. I loved the flowing dancing of the corps, in particular the arm movements that looked like waves. Finally, what a superb and emotional ending with Alessandra Ferri slowly sinking down, held by Federico Bonelli. And again, stunning dancing by all involved, beautiful music and a fitting video of waves. Preparation. I had never done so much prep work before watching a ballet for the first time, having read Mrs Dalloway, Orlando, and currently The Waves (and I like it though it’s not the best choice for a quiet, focussed read during the morning rush hour in London). Was it necessary read all these books? Probably not as the ballet is non-narrative, and extracts or good summaries of the books would have equally done. Was it enjoyable? Immensely as I had known very little about Virginia Woolf this time last year. Was it beneficial? I think so. I went through phases of apprehension as to whether the ballet would go over my head given, I am afraid to say, the information available on the ROH web site. In these situations, the sense of having read the books gave much needed confidence that I had done as much as preparation as possible. For anyone unsure what to read in terms of preparation – I would go with summaries of the books (the programme has about a paragraph on each book however in particular for I now, I then does not mention any characters that appear in the book), of Virginia Woolf’s life (I only discovered last week that she drowned herself), and the various newspaper articles the week before the premiere (as they provided e.g., an explanation of the background to the titles of the three parts). Enough said for tonight, other than that I am looking forward to being back in the audience soon. :-)

Just a quick note tonight & hopefully more to follow over the coming days. It's absolutely glorious. Dancing in parts 1 and 3 with movement vocabulary that I can't remember having seen from McGregor previously, and part 1 beautifully illustrating past and present relationships and emotions between the protagonists. Superb duet by Watson & Dyer depicting Septimus' traumatic experiences, I was close to tears. Part 3 opens with a voice reading Woolf's suicide letter to her husband, so incredibly moving. Movements by the corps repeatedly in the form of waves. Stunning costumes, part 1 showing 1920s style, part 2 Elisabethan in gold and black in various combinations. The music beautifully supports the atmosphere of the different parts. Standing ovation in the orchestra stalls. Comments on twitter are euphoric. I hope that based on tonight's performance, the remaining tickets will be sold quickly. (edited to adjust font size)

Lots of information being published today, here an article in The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/wayne-mcgegor-talks-wolf-works-ballet-flamboyant-very-virtuosic-dance-10236637.html. The name of the third part of Woolf Works is Tuesday, named after the first word in Virginia Woolf's suicide note. I am switching my laptop now off for a while as otherwise I might find still other news on the web ;-)

The Royal Opera House has now published on Youtube the video from the Q&A with Alessandra Ferri, Federico Bonelli, dramaturg Uzma Hameed and Wayne McGregor at the Insight Event for Woolf Works in April 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UiGc3dJTLI. (edited to correct typo)

I couldn't find an existing topic on the Royal Ballet casting for period 4 of 2014/15, apologies if I missed it. @ Moderators, please move the post if appropriate, thanks. Steven McRae will be replaced by Edward Watson for the matinee performance of Song of the Earth on 30 May 2015. http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-edward-watson-to-dance-in-song-of-the-earth-on-30-may-2015

Here's a link to an interview with Wayne McGregor about Woolf Works http://www.hungertv.com/feature/the-interview-wayne-mcgregor/ So the first part is called I Now I Then (spot the typo in the related paragraph in the interview ...), and the title of the second part is Becomings. McGregor describes the link between these titles and the names of the books, and he talks (thankfully in plain English) about synaestics in relation to her writing. The article gives insight into this thinking, and I believe it is the kind of information that will help, at least me, understand and hopefully enjoy the ballet next week, in particular for the first performance.

Thank you for sharing this link, great pictures. It also seems that pictures are still being added. I looked at the series a few times today, and I am pretty sure that roughly the first five pictures in the series were not there at lunchtime. I am thus hoping that additional pictures will be added over the coming days. (Edited to add last sentence)

Congratulations to all those who will be having a debut performance in autumn 2015/16. I am very much looking forward to Naghdi/ Ball in Romeo & Juliet. I was hoping for Hayward/ Watson though to be one of the casts for Romeo & Juliet as I found that they interacted so well in Manon last year. So the autumn term may actually work better with my budget than I thought initially, also as a few Saturday matinees show my preferred cast for some of the other ballets.

Thank you for pointing to this article, it made me buy The Times today. In reading the article, I learnt that Alessandra Ferri will feature in the 1st and 3rd parts of Woolf Works (my previous understanding had been that it'd be in all three parts).

Thanks lyn for providing the link as I hadn't yet figured out how I could quote a specific tweet (I have since)

The rehearsal clip with Alessandra Ferri and Federico Bonelli is now also on the ROH web site http://www.roh.org.uk/news/watch-alessandra-ferri-and-federico-bonelli-in-rehearsal-for-wayne-mcgregors-woolf-works