Blossom

I saw this ad with different copy which was much better. I can’t remember how to post pictures directly so just copied and pasted the words. Three unique works: the endless invention of a British ballet titan Experience the many moods of 20th century ballet as The Royal Ballet celebrates the breadth of Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s one-act ballets. Danses Concertantes is grand, geometrical and sharp; Different Drummer is complex and haunting; and Requiem, poignant and elegiac. Danses Concertantes / Different Drummer / Requiem open on our Main Stage from 20 March. Book your tickets today: https://bit.ly/4bAXRUz 📸 Marcelino Sambé and Francesca Hayward in rehearsal

SO excited for Cesar Corrales' return to the stage tonight!

Finally, a proper preview piece on Gramilano. I’m sure @Jan McNulty will have this in tomorrow’s links!

Obviously there is quite a bit going on here. It's a long run of Swan Lake which is physically very demanding, so starting to understand why managing casts for triple bills alongside this could be rather stressful.

So would I - although I am not sure I can make their dates!!! What's pretty incredible is that from what KOH came out and said before the performance, I don't think that Sasaki/Sissens were originally set to dance the rehearsal, after all, they aren't due to dance for 6 weeks. I know we don't comment on the dancing from a dress rehearsal but can't not say that given the above or otherwise, the black swan pdd was very exciting to watch. I was also reminded how stunning the designs by John McFarlane are.

😂 but there are definitely worse things than humming Tchaikovsky!

My guess is Fumi/Will. Close enough but not too close to opening night. Or possibly Anna Rose/Marcelino

In other news, any thoughts on who might be dancing in the General Rehearsal (Swan Lake) tomorrow?

Actually it's for Requiem

I would return to the original topic of the thread- the issue is that the information is so limited that nobody really knows what these pieces are about or who MacMillan is. The challenge is selling something blind, offering discounts for first night has certainly filled most of the house but for sustainable sales, they really need to get some preview material out into the public domain

Would have loved to see Fumi and Vadim!

There is a studio version of Marianela and Reece Clarke on YouTube filmed by Dancer’s Diary which is my favourite, despite lack of costumes. Agree otherwise in terms of RB, I found Lauren Cuthbertson/Vadim actually ran rather slowly as did Darcey Bussell. I enjoyed Baryshnikov and Patricia McBride but although I rather like Tiler Peck in general, her version wasn’t ballet for me, it lacked elegance and grace.

Finding some free time on my hands today I have been watching Tchaikovsky pas de deux videos on YouTube back to back. I have found it really interesting in terms of not just style but the confidence of each female dancer in terms of trust in their partner for the fish dives. The Russian-trained dancers seem somewhat restrained and there is less sense of abandon, one of the more recent American versions strikes me as being gymnastic but not particularly balletic (particularly compared to recordings from previous decades)z Overall I think Marianela and partner (both Vadim and Reece Clarke available to watch) is the speediest, the most trusting and has the artistic flair and precise technique to beat any competition hands down, but what do you think? Playlist here

It's possible that they were seated elsewhere, but either way, to be committed enough to book both performances but to only stay for Act 1 is rather ridiculous, especially when the drama swells so much from act to act (which you think they would have noticed having seen the matinee).

Links, Sunday 3 March, 2024 Review – Ballet national de Marseille, Roommates, Southbank Centre, London: Grace Spencer, The Reviews Hub Marian Kennedy, London Theatre 1 Franco Milazzo, Broadway World Review – Grand Kyiv Ballet, Giselle, Pennsylvania: Staff, Times Leader Review – Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Connecticut: Lara Beckius, Her Campus Review – Regional Area Dance Festival, Wellspring Theater, Kalamazoo, Michigan: Marin Heinritz, Revue West Michigan Preview – Royal Opera House Muscat, La Fille Mal Gardee, Staff, Times of Oman Preview - Ballet Hispanico reflects on changing images of Latin culture in Sarasota program: Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune Feature - Ingrid Silva: Shattering Ballet Stereotypes, From Rio Slums to Global Stage: Saboor Bayat, BNN Feature - How Brazilian Dancer Ingrid Silva Is Changing the World — Starting with Ballet! (Exclusive): Gillian Telling, People Article - Ukraine's Lviv Opera Ballet Members Flee Amid War, Sparking Debate on Conscription Evasion: Salman Akhtar, BNN Article - 2 yrs on, Ukraine evacuees dance in Japan for peace in motherland: Ko Hirano, The Mainichi Article - Coco Kopelman Reflects on Her Time at the School of American Ballet: "It Was Like a Degas Painting": Isiah Magsino, Town and Country via AOL Feature - Bethany Truax: Vienna Dancer's Decade with Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet and Artistic Future, Muhammed Jawad, BNN And finally… Article - Beyoncé Goes To The Ballet In A Sleek Suit And Oversized Coat: Quincy Legardye, Harper’s Bazaar

Back to my original question, I've drafted the following after doing a bit of reading up! I wonder if we as a group can try to lobby for some preview articles? Mixed bills are the ballet equivalent of a tasting menu – a chance to see a range of shorter works in one evening, with a mix of different styles of ballet, music and costume and set design. The first in this year’s mixed offerings from the Royal Ballet is set to be a corker, showcasing a range of works by leading 20th Century choreographer, Kenneth MacMillan, creator of ballets now performed across the world, including Manon, which is just finishing its current run on the Royal Opera House stage. The 3 offerings being shown draw on a range of his choreographic styles and music, from purely orchestral offerings to the choral. The bill opens with Danses Concertantes, MacMillan’s first commission for the Royal Ballet at the young age of 26, with designs by Nicholas Giorgiadis, who became his long term collaborator, working together on ballets including Romeo & Juliet and Manon. The choreography mirrors the brittle and fractured sounds of Stravinsky’s score of the same name with sharp, abrupt movements and spiky fingers. The structure of the ballet fits with the traditional steps and hierarchical structure of classical ballet, but is said to have hints of jive, revue, cinema, and the circus. Following this is MacMillan’s 1984 take on Buchner’s Woyzeck, a story of a soldier’s physical and mental decline as he is subjected to menial jobs and degrading medical experiments, resulting in him murdering his mistress and then taking his own life. The ballet was described by eminent critic Clement Crisp as ‘uncomfortable, haunting, brave’. It’s apt that Guardian critic Mary Clarke at the time wrote that ‘it should be seen especially by those who think that ballet is Swan Lake’ as the MacMillan programme coincides with this ballet. The final piece, to Faure’s Requiem, was first performed in 1976 by the Stuttgart Ballet and is dedicated to the memory of their artistic director, choreographer and friend of MacMillan, John Cranko. The piece is a portrait of the ballet company mourning his loss – in places, the dancers’ fists are raised in anger and their mouths are open with silent howls of grief. This beautiful expression of grief, danced to both orchestra and voice and was met with great critical acclaim, rated as MacMillan’s best ballet to date. This triple bill opens on 20th March with only 6 performances. Tickets at roh.org.uk

I assume we will get the Georgiadis designs, in which case why is there no focus on this as part of his big anniversary which is being trumpeted around the display areas of the ROH? Really what I would expect rather than more paid advertising is a PR push to drive some previews content to help support the MacMillan legacy.

To me, it’s little wonder that ROH are struggling to sell as they are saying very little other than ‘it is ballet by MacMillan’. The studio rehearsal on 14 March may get people to the cinema but it’s a bit late for the ballet run. I’ve booked tickets but having not seen the ballets before, I would love some more info to help sell in to some friends! For each ballet, What is the theme/narrative? Is it classical/lyrical/contemporary etc? What is the music like to listen to? What are the costumes like? What should the audience look out for in the performance? You will like this ballet if you like xxxx There is content on the MacMillan site of course but would love to hear from the audience or at least be pointed to some old but relevant reviews.

Having looked at the dates it’s taken me a few minutes to work out why I hadn’t booked them in the first place. Unfortunately travel plans mean I will have to rely on all of your wonderful reviews! Sad to hear Lauren is out of the running.

Just received from ROH We are looking forward to welcoming you to the Royal Opera House for our upcoming performance of Kenneth MacMillan's Danses Concertantes / Different Drummer / Requiem. Following the news that Principal dancer Alexander Campbell has been appointed Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance, the following cast change has been made: 20 March, 4 and 9 April, 7.30pm: Alexander Campbell is replaced by Francisco Serrano as the Drum Major in Different Drummer. 🤔

🤣

Every time I see these messages I sigh with sadness as I just can't make either of them. I do hope that he has a wonderful send off at his last performance and I hope those of you that are able to be there will film - and share - what I hope will be a similar send off to that of Beatriz Stix Brunell with the procession of colleagues presenting flowers.

The new additions are for April, previous ones were for March

At least some of these look like unsold access seats. Some stalls seats are reserved for people who are partially sighted who need to be close up (met someone who uses these seats recently)

An astute statement.