Blossom

I also actively miss this production. There are some lovely moments in act 1 but the staging is rather dark. Act 2 is so sparse that it is lost on the stage and it seems rather unfinished. I have already written to Aaron S Watkin to plead for a new (or old) production. Very much looking forward to Giselle next week though. Hoping I can get to the dress rehearsal despite the tube strike.

Tickets gone.

Is there a link you can share for this?

Unfortunately I can no longer make this performance with Magri/Clarke and Tsembenhoi/Junker. Central SCS D35 and D36, £12 each.

Graham Watts pointed out that all episodes are now available on iPlayer.

Just re-watching the Sleeping Beauty pas de deux. It’s so interesting to see how ‘the English style’ has developed from then till now with the advent of both globalisation and physio centres/focus on muscle build and strength. One thing which is clearly incredibly important but doesn’t seem to be as significant when dances today is the direction of the eyes and head. It’s also amazing to get access to these beautiful clips, to see familiar choreography and to just get to focus on the beauty of Lynn Seymour dancing - the ghost of Royal Ballet past, filmed before I was born. Makarova is also a delight to watch and I haven’t had the opportunity before. Every part of her body is engaged in the drama of being Odette. The choreography might appear the same but the performance is so different. The image quality is so good it’s a joy to watch and it’s wonderful to see the set in all its glory. I am just sad not to have been able to share this and discuss with my grandma who was my original ballet pal, the person who introduced me to the theatre.

I am most excited about the Ashton triple bill and Sarasota Ballet visit coming up this year, plus the suggestion that we might get Cinderella again before Christmas. Also looking forward to the MacMillan triple bill. Would love to squeeze in another ballet city break this year, but nothing to specifically look forward to yet.

So sad to miss this today. Too much family going on still and I do get a bit Nutcrackered out after a certain number of visits. My daughter went though with a friend, age 16, who has NEVER been to the theatre before, nevermind a ballet. She is an English A Level student. She absolutely loved it, particularly the sparkles in act 2. Glad to read reviews from today as my daughter’s feedback has been quite limited!!!

Beyond my wish for ballet’s which it seems are on the cards (Fille, Cinderella) and those which aren’t (Bayadère 😭), I think my biggest wish for 2024 is the announcement of an exciting summer visit/residency from a company with stellar classical repertoire. Top of the list would be Dutch National Ballet, Danish Royal Ballet (La Sylphide, Napoli), anyone doing any Ratmansky reconstructions (Harlequinade would be lovely after Australian Ballet’s teaser last summer but equally new Coppelia from La Scala or even Sleeping Beauty but absolutely NOT another Swan Lake). If not a reconstruction, a company which can present Russian fairytale classics - Firebird, Humpbacked Horse, Petrouchka.

My understanding is that ACE defines where companies tour to and possibly they might even have a say on repertoire. I also think that they are the crux of the issue in terms of defining how able companies are to move forward. The ‘cure’ for dance in 2024 in my opinion is for a less democratic approach to funding by ACE. World class dance can’t be maintained by spreading funding thinly from the brilliant to the less than mediocre. Not all art is equal and if we want to maintain ‘the best’, something has got to give in these tight times. In terms of RB in particular, I would say they need to invest in more true classical repertoire, whether that means bringing back more of the work they were built on, or commissioning new work or reconstructions to ensure the longevity of the true art form. The challenge here, sadly, is the absence of the right choreographer.

Thank you to all of the moderators - and for the setting up of this wonderful forum to connect all of us. I know it is a huge amount of work for you to take on, whether link gathering or ensuring you are ontop of all posts to ensure that this remains a safe space for everyone to share. I have really enjoyed being a part of it for the past few years, reading reviews from others, having people I can share my thoughts with and learning from everyone. Wishing everyone a happy new year and a happy retirement to @Ian Macmillan, who I assume will continue to contribute.

I wonder if this will be a useful experiment to understand what the key challenges in sales will be. How many subscribers will be interested vs how many actually book (once they see the prices).

So pleased Coppelia has been added! Have been waiting since I joined. Looking forward to another Swan Lake cast!

There is someone who complains for the reasons stated every time it is performed (anywhere in the world it seems). I’ve heard that they don’t want to perpetuate false Western narratives which are seen as offensive. It won’t be performed any time soon.

Yes it is this. Best thing is to keep a tab open when the odd ticket comes up for the date you want. You are then one step ahead by simply refreshing the page.

Given the ROH won’t perform Bayadère due to challenges of ‘cultural appropriation’ and misrepresentation, the challenges with the original Raymond’s are surely greater. I thought the DNB reworking of the story was rather clever although Jean de Brienne is left with very little to do. I definitely prefer it to the ENB Raymonda. Definitely.

I wonder what our chances are of having DNB take the summer guest spot on the ROH main stage. Would love to get an opportunity to see this production again, plus something else we don’t see here!

Another gorgeous performance today. Was lovely to finally see Mariana with Joshua Junker, they are both beautiful dancers and the act 1 pas de deux was dreamy. I think Fumi and Will are my favourite Sugar Plum and Prince - she has the most beautiful port de bras, he is the most dashing. Lovely to see Aiden O’Brian debut and looking forward to hopefully see him further develop in the role each Christmas. Performance 1 went rather well with all tricks pulled off with ease. As with yesterday, it was wonderful to see a responsive audience, the right moments getting a laugh, magic being enjoyed and the grand pas de deux being appropriately appreciated. A well behaved audience too- especially given the number of young children. I had the pleasure of meeting two ladies before the performance who were in London for the day and had just popped in for coffee. One of them had missed the livestream in Tunbridge Wells due to a transmission error and having mentioned that returns are likely available, they ended up enjoying the Christmas sparkle of Nutcracker (and apparently saw Hugh Grant at the box office too).

I have never had such a keen eye on gargouillades as I did this evening…. Viola Pantuso was incredibly refreshing to watch, she dances with a lyricism and joy which reminds me of Isabella Gasparini. Meanwhile, technically she seemed to be completely on point (as opposed to on pointe, which of course she also was). To see her dance the Act 1 pas de deux with Daichi was just perfection. He is also superb to watch and they have a great partnership. If only there was room in the music and the action for applause before the snowflakes make an appearance. Yasmine Naghdi was on usual sparkling form this evening but I think Matthew Ball was ever so slightly off at a couple of points in his solo… Mariko Sasaki was a beautiful Rose Fairy, but one of the flowers- although not one of the four leads- really caught my eye this evening. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to deduce who she was. She was one of the smaller flowers and I wondered if perhaps she may be one of the temp dancers. There was a particularly lovely buzz around the ROH this evening, excitement pre performance but also lots of joy as people left the building- a kind of joy that only the ROH’s Christmas magic can bring.

Still unfinished....

This will be one of the episodes of the 3 part 'Agony and Ecstasy' - I'm sure that I've seen this on YouTube.

me too!

Good luck! For Cinderella I managed to get a ticket for a rainy bank hol Monday with just enough time to commute in so all is not lost!

Sorted, thanks!

In light of all of the cast changes and finishing work earlier than anticipated, would love to sneak in Fumi and Will. 1 ticket only.