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bridiem

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  1. On my phone downloaded documents go to My Files, Downloads (I think it's a Samsung folder) and they stay there until deleted.
  2. I enjoyed the evening, with the highlight for me being Les Lutins, just before the interval - I hadn't seen it before, and it was great fun and brilliantly danced by Marcelino Sambé, Takahiro Tamagawa, and Cojocaru. Marguerite and Armand was its usual OTT self, but I do increasingly appreciate the quality of much of the choreography and both Cojocaru and Francesco Gabriele Frola were excellent in the title roles. The evening started with Handel's Passacaglia for Violin and Cello, played live on stage, and although it was beautiful it seemed a slightly unusual way to start the programme (i.e. no dance for quite a while!). I enjoyed the first piece (Reminiscence, by Tim Rushton - a pas de deux for Cojocaru and Kobborg) at first, but gradually found it a bit winsome; but lovely to see them dancing together again, and their chemistry is still palpable. There were 2 short films by Kim Brandstrup in the first half, which were very slow and solemn; it was sweet that in the second film Cojocaru was paying tribute to her teachers (I assume - I didn't get a programme, because even if I had it wouldn't have listed who was dancing each piece in the programme, so I just took a photo of the cast list up on the wall - no cast lists were available either in the programme or separately), but it was all rather funereal. I didn't much enjoy Journey, choreographed by Juliano Nunes and danced by Cojocaru, Nunes and Dominic Harrison. But even if this sort of evening is inevitably a bit of a mixed bag, it did showcase the (still evident) beauty of Cojocaru's dancing.
  3. They might have tightened up the timings by Sunday - the first night of a season like this does sometimes overrun. Maybe you could check with SW tomorrow?
  4. I'm not seeing it until the live screening (and a live performance of the second cast thereafter), so I'm intrigued that the reviews have ranged from rave to pan and everywhere inbetween. My only thought so far is that the idea of 21 scenes in 65 minutes strikes me as rather an odd way of structuring a one-act work. But I'm looking forward to seeing it (and Dances at a Gathering - as an Alexander Campbell fan, I was delighted to see one reviewer describe him as 'drop-dead magnificent' in this!! Must be rather nice to get a comment like that!!).
  5. Shouldn't the choreography categories include the word 'new' because the nominees comprise only new or recent works/works not seen here before? (I assume they don't think the nominations are all better than pre-existing great choreography that was on show during the year.) Either way, I'm glad the Shostakovich Trilogy was recognised; but SFB winning outstanding company seems a bit odd to me (though I thought they were excellent). I'm particularly pleased about Gary Avis and Marion Tait.
  6. I watched the series of Strictly Come Dancing that was won by Caroline Flack. I have seen nothing else of her career, but I just wanted to record the fact that she was a really wonderful dancer. She was the real thing. Terribly sad. RIP
  7. I don't think companies should apologise, on the basis that the casting of leading roles already announced should only be changed when it's absolutely necessary, which it obviously sometimes is. But I do think that a reason should be given, partly out of courtesy to those who have booked to see the original cast and partly because the implication otherwise is that dancers are simply interchangeable which is disrespectful to them as well as to audiences. And if the reason is injury or illness, that would normally be stated; if it's not stated, my assumption would be that those reasons don't apply.
  8. That Balanchine/Tchaikovsky bill makes my mouth water!
  9. The ROH has announced a new Wayne McGregor work, to be premiered by the NBC in November 2020 and then be performed by the RB in 2022: 'In this major new international collaboration between The Royal Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada, Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor brings Margaret Atwood’s post-apocalyptic vision to the stage in a three–act ballet, MADDADDAM based on the writer’s acclaimed trilogy of novels: Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam. Themes of extinction and invention, hubris and humanity are spliced together with aspects of Atwood’s non-fiction writings and political voice. Featuring a specially commissioned score from Max Richter, lighting by Lucy Carter, design by We Not I, film by Ravi Deepres, and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed, this world premiere reunites the creative collaborators from McGregor’s Olivier Award-winning ballet Woolf Works. Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet comments ’Wayne’s genius in bringing together some of the most exciting creative forces in art today reveals itself again with this latest venture. Collaborating with Margaret Atwood, author of some of the most haunting and potent writing in contemporary literature, is a wonderful prospect for our next co-production with The National Ballet of Canada. It’s a dazzling opportunity for dancers from both of our companies to relish.’ Karen Kain, Artistic Director for The National Ballet of Canada adds ‘I am thrilled The National Ballet of Canada will premiere Wayne McGregor’s exciting new work, MADDADDAM, our third co-production with The Royal Ballet, in November 2020. I have long admired Wayne for his intelligent, visually stunning and highly physical work that continually pushes the boundaries of creativity. He has a perfect collaborator in Margaret Atwood. Together they are creating a work firmly rooted in the Canadian landscape exploring themes of extinction and invention, hubris and humanity and activism.’'
  10. Wonderful Insight this evening: Zenaida Yanowsky coaching Fumi Kaneko as Odette and then Mayara Magri as Odile, followed by Wayne Sleep rehearsing Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Joseph Sissens in the Neapolitan Dance. Kevin O'Hare spoke at the beginning and Kate Shipway was the pianist. I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the presenter (Tamsin …?) but she was good. The coaching was brilliant! Yanowsky thrillingly illuminating about both roles (Odette in her own world when she first appears; Odile's arrogance, laughter, irony), and I remembered why for me she was one of the great Odette-Odiles. Both Kaneko and Magri looked terrific. Wayne Sleep was both entertaining and helpful, especially about the Ashtonian emphases in the dance and the need to really present themselves to the audience. Really interesting and enjoyable!
  11. Oh that is indeed sad! I hope he might in fact be able/willing to revisit the role if Onegin comes back soon. (And frankly I don't believe he has a body clock...).
  12. Cojocaru has posted a photo of herself and Polunin in M and A on Instagram, with the text: '@poluninink thank you so much for joining our project! Amazing to share the stage with you again. Very much look forward to our next show @royalalberthall' I suppose we can therefore assume that he is not doing Armand at Sadler's Wells?
  13. I wonder if the Eugenes will do one act each?! And maybe Nunez will run on to replace Osipova at an agreed moment in the ballet.
  14. Given the comma after Tatiana in the email, I read this as the illness applying to Osipova but not to Clarke. But that may or may not be a correct interpretation.
  15. It does say on the info about the Insight that it will be being filmed, but not that it will be livestreamed. Why does the ROH not advertise this fact? (Especially given that it's sold out.) I subscribe to their youtube channel, I follow the ROH on Twitter and I am a Friend, but I didn't know this was being livestreamed. Seems odd if they want to Open Up participation in ROH events.
  16. I went 2 years ago and really enjoyed it (though it was - by my standards - rather a long walk from the station at Purfleet). It was co-ordinated by the Ballet Association, so the person doing the tour knew we had that interest and geared the tour accordingly as far as possible. We saw where scenery is made and stored (with the set for the new Swan Lake in preparation) and ditto costumes (including seeing a tutu for SL in progress). I think that what they can show you depends on what is happening at any given time, and maybe the quality of the tour depends on the quality of the tour-giver, but ours was good. So I personally thought it was worth the effort.
  17. I agree that Onegin feels 'light', in that it is flowing and lyrical and fast and poetic; it is, after all, based on poetry. But for me it's lightness is a joy and something of a relief; a texture more Ashtonian than MacMillanesque (if there's such a word). And in no way renders it 'lightweight'; I think it deals with serious themes, seriously. (And I love the duel scene; the grim horizontal scene at the back, and the whirling, desperate dancing of the girls at the front. Very visually exciting.)
  18. It is strange, and interesting; but I also have found that I have reacted differently to some dancers over time. I never really took to Nunez, for years - I avoided booking deliberately for her because I just didn't particularly warm to her. I think it was only when she started dancing with Muntagirov, for whom I did book deliberately, that I began to appreciate her, and in the last few years I have really 'got' her and think she's amazing. I'm sure I've changed over the years; perhaps she has. But she's certainly been a thrilling addition to my roster of brilliant dancers in recent years.
  19. Perhaps Kobborg could interest a major company in the production, so that it can effectively be subsidised and so seen by more people and at an affordable cost.
  20. Oops, yes, Gary Avis was wonderful too! Is there nothing he can't do??!
  21. This ballet has everything: a dramatic and emotional but also nuanced and intelligent plot, lovely music, gorgeous costumes and sets, and choreography that tells the story with lightness, clarity and verve. And a rare opportunity to witness the portrayal of someone consumed by passion but NOT allowing it to destroy their life. I thought Nunez was incredibly moving tonight - she was completely credible as the young, initially reserved Tatiana absolutely swept away by the tall, dark, brooding Onegin, devastated and incomprehending when he rejects her so cruelly, and finally in full possession of her life and her self with her loving and loved husband, so that even the return of Onegin, now literally prostrate before her, and the overwhelming love she still feels for him, cannot fully derail her. But she pays a heavy and agonising price for her decision, and her final howl of anguish poured out into the auditorium as if she had vocalised it. A brilliant performance. I thought Reece Clarke was excellent as Onegin. His initial arrogance and awkwardness were well expressed by his slightly artificial, overpointed feet, and an almost stylised element to his movement. I completely understood why Tatiana fell for him - not just his looks, but the fascination of someone so different, so apart, so challenging. Too challenging, as it turned out... And then his transformation in Act 3 into someone whose façade has finally come down and who simply cannot believe his past stupidity and blindness. Hayward and Ball were heartbreaking as Olga and Lensky; what a terrible waste of a young life. The duel scene was unbearable and brilliantly performed by all the dancers. Looking forward very much to seeing some other casts in this terrific work.
  22. Well it seems to be a sort of philanthropic/crowdfunding 'competition' - see https://www.fedora-platform.com/competition/prizes but it does seem strange (to me) for a potential new RB/ABT work (and some other big companies here too) to be publicly floated in this way. I wasn't aware that this was a (potential) fundraising method they would use. I haven't investigated the voting procedure yet!
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