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bridiem

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About bridiem

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  1. bridiem
    Just goes to prove that another journalist is writing about something of which they have no knowledge or understanding...
  2. bridiem
    That's interesting, Sebastian. The current RB synopsis says it's her 16th birthday, and I've always had that age in my head. I don't know, but perhaps 20 was some sort of coming-of-age age in Russia at the time, whereas 16 wasn't?? And now 16 does still have some of that connotation whereas 20 doesn't? Just speculating. (And 16 - or even earlier in some eras - would be an age when a princess would have been expected to be married off in past ages, whereas by 20 she would have been positively middle-aged!). I was thinking last night that if Aurora hadn't pricked her finger, she would have been married off to one of the Princes in Act I and maybe ended up in India or Russia. I wonder how her life would have turned out then?!
  3. bridiem
    I wanted to add a special word for Romany Pajdak as the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain; she is such an expressive dancer, and she made her fairy a real personality so you see the familiar solo as new. Brilliant. I also thought that Mayara Magri was a vibrant Fairy of the Enchanted Garden, and Anna Rose O'Sullivan a thrilling Fairy of the Golden Vine. These two dancers go from strength to strength and are a wonder to behold. Magri was also a dynamic, characterful Princess Florine, and Cesar Corrales a high-flying Bluebird. I do however find his noisy landings distracting (and a bit worrying), and he always looks to me as if his shoulders are slightly hunched. Magri and Corrales do have great chemistry and I hope they will dance together more often. And a final word for Gary Avis's majestic King; gracious, handsome, imperious, loving, and as usual every gesture and every meaning clear across the whole sweep of the auditorium. He is a national treasure!!
  4. bridiem
    Beautiful performance from Naghdi and Campbell tonight - both brilliant technically, but both also masters of stagecraft and so able to present their characters with theatrical flair and confidence. As Geoff has said, Naghdi danced incredibly in Act I - with an openness and grace that surpassed even her first night performance. AND, unlike on opening night, Carabosse (a slightly manic and very effective Hayley Forskitt) was visibly shattered in the mirror over the bed at the moment of the kiss, so clearly showing her defeat and destruction. Yay! (I like the fact that when Carabosse escapes down the hatch in Act I, the Lilac Fairy emerges through the haze of smoke that lingers after her; evil leaving its stench behind, but goodness able to come through it, dispel it and bring the clarity of love and truth in its stead. And Claire Calvert was a tranquil, authoritative Lilac Fairy, well able to bring about the resolution of the drama.)
  5. bridiem
    Oh no! I am very happy to see Naghdi again but I was so looking forward to seeing Hayward and Campbell together and this is their last performance. I hope Hayward recovers quickly. (Whose Instagram account is this on, please Clara_f? It hasn't appeared in my feed.)
  6. bridiem
    Except that that would infringe Aurora's personal privacy; probably best if he just leaves her to sleep and lets Carabosse triumph. Who really cares after all - it's only a silly fairy tale.
  7. bridiem
    I did wonder if it was just me, but there were some very negative online comments on YouTube from people who'd clearly (and not unreasonably) been expecting only the RB.
  8. bridiem
    Very beautifully expressed, Toria. (Way too subtle/interesting/imaginative for some modern interpreters.)
  9. bridiem
    Well there are many possible 'originals'; but the BALLET The Sleeping Beauty - of which Les beaux dormants purports to be a version - is not. (And I see from the ROH website that Les beaux dormants 'explores all the changes – physical and emotional – that come with blossoming adulthood: easy for some, but a nightmare for others. With its new take on a familiar work, this is an immediately engaging ballet for everyone. Rediscover the sleeping beauty ready for awakening in the heart of each of us, whether child or adult.') Of course there are nightmare elements in the tale (as in life); but even this version is allegedly about the awakening of beauty (not a concept associated with sexual assault).
  10. bridiem
    She was embracing Corrales to congratulate him on how spectacularly he had just danced part of his solo; the audience also responded ecstatically to his technical prowess. It was a lovely moment for everyone.
  11. bridiem
    Well it seems your response would only have been removed anyway, capybara, so just as well you didn't waste your time.
  12. bridiem
    I watched tonight's Insight online; it was billed as 'The Royal Ballet rehearses The Sleeping Beauty', but there was a long section in the middle which involved the RB's creative director, the director of the Ballet du Rhin and the choreographer of Les beaux dormants talking about that production which is on in the Linbury, accompanied by some filmed excerpts. So the Insight should perhaps have been billed differently. The live RB elements were Samanta Raine coaching Yu Hang, Sae Maeda and Leticia Dias in fairy variations. Samantha Raine is another wonderful coach, seeing absolutely everything and helping the dancers so much. All three of the dancers were lovely, and clearly thrilled to be dancing these famous solos. There was also some footage of Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae dancing part of the third act pas de deux with breathtaking beauty and skill. I found the Ballet du Rhin section far too long and although I started off being interested, my attention wasn't held. I also felt extremely irritated when the choreographer mentioned #MeToo again in relation to the awakening kiss, although since she then talked only about awakening passion and the memory of one's first kiss etc quite what she thought that has to do with #MeToo I don't know. NB in case she or anyone else is in any doubt, Sleeping Beauty is NOT about NON consensual sexual activity of any kind. End of.
  13. bridiem
    I am shocked by this - both that the critical comments have been removed, and that/if Bidisha is to be their new dance critic. Appalling on both counts.
  14. bridiem
    I see your Comment on the 'review' has been removed by a moderator, zxDaveM. ?? Unfortunately, plenty of comments even if negative may be deemed to be a mark of success in some quarters.
  15. bridiem
    I'm not sure perspective is always a generational thing; there are people of my generation who have a very different perspective from mine. Having said that, of course everyone coming to ballet for the first time will have their own perspective, and a good thing too. When I was young (17) and first interested in ballet, I wanted intelligent, erudite writing to inform and elucidate me. Do the younger generation now not want that?? (And this is the Observer, not for want a better comparison - the Sun, we're talking about. The Observer used to be aimed at people (of all ages) who relished intellectual challenge.) Bidisha no doubt knows what she's doing in writing like this. All I can say is that intelligence doesn't necessarily equate with wisdom.
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