ctas

What a beautiful performance last night! I’ve seen three Manon casts this time around and they were all wonderful, but it was a special treat to see yesterday’s. Francesca Hayward’s acting is so wonderful throughout, and the final pdd was very moving. It will be one I’ll treasure for a long time! 

Two excellent performances today. I saw Mayara Magri in the previous run with Alexander Campbell a few years ago and thought Kitri was an excellent role for her then, and she’s only got better. I do think the interaction between her and Matthew Ball is sparky and fun on stage and a delight to watch. But my real surprise was Meaghan Grace Hinkis tonight! Amazed by her footwork and execution, beautiful dancing with Luca Acri (who I always enjoy watching and this debut was no exception) and really enjoyed every minute. There’s some ballets I don’t think I could watch twice in one day but for Don Quixote I’d happily go for a third round if it were possible!

I really recommend the opera house tour, it was very good! The National museum is a lovely one, we also took a lot of walks around! 

I went back to read the Manon thread from the previous run - what a time! Amazing and very brave that McRae is returning to the role after that devastating injury. 
 

I am also a huge fan of Bolle’s interpretation, his performance changed my opinion of the ballet entirely - not being very fond of it before. His acting choices are probably my favourite, although the lead at the Paris Opera Ballet performance I saw in June was similarly excellent. Will definitely be booking to see him again, and hopefully the Muntagirov/Kaneko cast as I think Kaneko may be perfect for the lead role. 

We picked chairs in the boxes at the lowest level. I booked on the day the general sale opened so we had a lot of choice!

We got to see Manon yesterday and it was a wonderful performance. First time at the Paris Opera Ballet and it was an amazing experience! 

We’re booked in for Friday. It’s not the sole reason for our trip and I do respect and acknowledge the importance of industrial action like this (especially having previously lived in France) but hope to find out soon. 

I saw Sarah Erin Keaveneny dance Cinderella in Stockholm last year, she’s very good! I wish I could see her in this. The opera house there is very lovely. If anyone is visiting I recommend the guided tours pre-performance! 

Isabelle Gasparini is a wonderful dancer, she always lights up the stage when she appears. I was surprised that she isn’t as far up the ranks as I thought and hope she gets a very deserved promotion this year.

Due to illness I can’t use my tickets (front row second circle) for tonight, if anyone would like them I can email them for free. Thank you 

Looked like Annette to me. I spent the second interval second-guessing myself though!

I’m heading to Paris in the summer but the only thing on while I’m there is Manon, so I’m going to that but if the experience is worth it… might be on the cards to take a quick trip over for Fille. 

My thought on the lights during the overture was it was an attempt to get the audience to shut up during the overture haha. Maybe it’s more creative and complex than that… but it did seem to have that effect. 

Absolutely loved this. The photos of the costumes in the Guardian last week didn’t really do them justice- the fairy godmother dress looks absolutely enchanting under full lights. Marianela was wonderful. Had an amazing time, will try to gather more thoughts later! 

I’ve seen a lot of tube posters as well as some bus ones, they’re very pretty. I was at Charing Cross on Saturday night and a stranger was loudly commenting on every poster they passed, and for the Cinderella one their remark was “Royal Ballet are doing Cinderella AGAIN” and I almost corrected them about how long it’s been! 

Put me down as another person loving the score! Went to Sweden to see Tamara Rojo’s Cinderella last year and while the production was interesting the music was so thrilling to hear live again. Very excited to see this in a couple of weeks. 

Very much enjoyed tonight’s performance. I saw Anna Rose’s debut a few years ago and thought her performance as Aurora was very confident then, and even more so now. I think she actually cut one of the balances in the first round of the rose adage but did it in such a self-assured way that it looked seamless, and I think that’s a far better option than taking a risk and have to applaud that confidence. McRae is a very good partner for her, and a pairing I’d be interested in seeing again. I saw him opposite Salenko in this role a while ago, but he really gives such a display of strength and acting while seeming effortlessly energetic. So glad to finally see him perform again after missing out on his shows for a while!

As for others in the cast; absolutely loved Hamilton and Richardson as Florine and the Bluebird and how effortlessly light they were, and truly enjoyed Mendizabal as Carabosse. Her interactions with her rat (mice?) henchmen were delightfully creepy! 
 

Two great performances of Sleeping Beauty this week and memories I will absolutely cherish. 

I think after last night I’d absolutely love any opportunities to see Ball and Magri dance together again. They were just beautiful in their pas de deux. 

I don’t really get that atmosphere at the ROH - went to a performance on the 14th several years ago (perhaps Swan Lake?) and it wasn’t anything different from the usual audience. So I wouldn’t worry. 

Judging by Instagram he partnered for Magri’s stage rehearsal, so I was half expecting this to change back!

I noticed in my BFI February brochure that several screenings of this will be on, and one showing with a Q&A with the film director and TBC  others. As I missed the LFF showing I’m hoping to get to one of these!

Lovely cast for today! As Fumi isn’t one of the ones I’ve booked to see but did make my shortlist I’m very pleased.

Lauren Cuthbertson has just announced on Instagram she will not be performing this season as she’s expecting another child! Congratulations to her! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cix_BvaNoF3/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I really enjoyed last night’s performance! I read the book in advance which felt like good preparation as I could often pick out motifs in the design and storytelling that were lifted from the book, but also didn’t feel essential. I think the story was told very well, I enjoy and appreciate (as someone pointed out earlier in this thread) the way of repeating the different passages of dance showing the passage of life, the cyclical nature of tradition and (sadly) how abuse can be handed down from generation to generation. One moment I especially loved was Gertrudis and her partner doing matching steps in sync, it gave me a sense that they were seen as equals in that piece.

I was definitely glad they chose to cut some more questionable plot beats from the book, and far more interesting to have a ballet with so many scenes about sex being about love and pleasure rather than the dark sexual violence of something like Mayerling. 
 

I thought the design was really gorgeous, not too busy but there was a enough to look at and interesting details to catch your eye. Act Two was a real highlight, from the gentleness of the scene with the doctor to the energy and vibrancy of the scene with the revolutionaries. I’m no expert on choreography but again I found the use of different motifs interesting and particularly enjoyed the movement of the scenes with larger numbers of dancers involved. 
 

Corrales and Nagdhi danced beautifully, and the final pas de deux was very moving. Calvert did a great job of the older sister, especially in her final scene where you really see the echoes of her mother take over her person. Kaneko was great, especially in her flashback sequence but also in capturing this otherworldly sense when she had the ghostly appearances.

I think there’s definitely a few things I would change — act one was very long and dense in terms of story and I didn’t really find myself getting behind the characters until act two— but on the whole think there’s a lot to like about this. 

Congratulations to both dancers, very very deserved and a lovely way to announce it with the nice photo of the two! (Weird headline though!) 
 

For what it’s worth - An official article, no doubt with the participation of the press office, is not a leak. They would’ve had full information on when it was to go to press/go online.