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Richard LH

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  1. Richard LH
    Mind you she seems well able to dance two different leading roles in one ballet (as per Cinderella).
  2. Richard LH
    Yes indeed..does anyone know when the casting will be announced for the first booking period ?
  3. Richard LH
    Sounds like a winning combination...Ryoichi is certainly the definitive Espada in my book.
  4. Richard LH
    I don't begrudge them any number of Nutcrackers or Swan Lakes either, provided the dancers are happy and able to perform to their usual high standard, and provided there is justification in sales numbers. But it seems that this has been at the expense of limiting other runs, such as the small number of performances allowed for the MacMillan and Ashton triples. That means there won't be many opportunities for different leads to be cast, whether experienced in the roles or as debuts, and/or to dance more than once.
  5. Richard LH
    I anticipate that Forum Members will have something to say about the number of performances allocated to each ballet on the Main Stage: Don Quixote: 17 Anemoi/Cellist: 7 The Dante Project: 8 The Nutcracker: 28 (including 3 not for general public) Manon: 17 Swan Lake: 30 (including 1 not for general public) ..is this a record? MacMillan Triple: 6 The Winter’s Tale: 11 Ashton Triple “A”: 5 Ashton Triple “B”: 5
  6. Richard LH
    Looking forward to the Ashton mix and very pleased about the inclusion of The Dream, suitably in the Summer. Shame there is no Fille back yet though. I would have swapped The Winter's Tale to November/December and push back The Dante Project (if it has to return again) to next Summer. But opening with Don Q brings a lovely, joyful start to the season for a change.
  7. Richard LH
    At first I thought the same, as I had "only just seen it", but I now realise it was first on in October 2021 - time flies! So the November return is scheduled for just over two years later. Even so I think I could have waited a bit longer ...😏
  8. Richard LH
    I wonder if her creating the role in Kobborg's acclaimed NBA Japan version in 2021 helped her with some of the characterisation and familiarity with the music and some of the Ashton choreography - although of course the storyline and staging is entirely different. https://www.kobborg.uk/cinderella https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFbeI6pjguc&t=3s One thing I particularly like about Kobborg's version is that Cinders gets to dance with the Stars to that wonderful music....
  9. Richard LH
    Akane absolutely electric... wonderful to see😊!
  10. Richard LH
    Light of Passage = Classical Choreography 😂 Anyhoo, Fumi Kaneko gets my vote for Outstanding Female Classical Performance
  11. Richard LH
    Yes indeed...one particular debut is an especially well-deserved nomination!
  12. Richard LH
    Fair point Jan.
  13. Richard LH
    For me it is the magic combination of what plus who!
  14. Richard LH
    And beneficial for the wider ballet-loving public in the UK and abroad. Plus guesting of RB Principals elsewhere does partly help with the problem of having "surplus" dancers at certain times. Indeed there seems to be quite a lot of this at present. It can create space for other RB dancers to perform in house. Of course the reverse also happens when guests from elsewhere dance at the ROH, but this seems pretty rare. I am personally wary of booking for such guestings as for me it didn't work well when Bolle and Tissi danced with Nunez in Manon and R&J respectively.
  15. Richard LH
    Oh sorry @capybara I misunderstood...I have been waffling unnecessarily!
  16. Richard LH
    I am sure you are correct as far as ticket buyers that are as familiar with the particular dancers, and the particular ballets, as yourself, but it's the expectations of the infrequent, less knowledgeable buyers I had in mind, who have no particular favourites but (all others things being equal) would tend to go for Principals rather than First Soloists... as @alison intimates.
  17. Richard LH
    Yes I wonder if this is just a perception of raggedness, particularly seen from certain angles as you say, rather than any lack of coordination from the Corps - arising from the nature of the choreography, which has them splitting the timing of their movements, reflecting the somewhat "on edge" dramatic sense of the music.
  18. Richard LH
    True, but then you would be missing your favourite dancers!
  19. Richard LH
    Sorry @capybara I have been racking my brains, with and without my Kevin hat on, but an obvious solution to the problem of occupying “spare” Principals during major runs, under your scenario, hasn’t yet materialised for me. I recall there has already been discussion elsewhere about how the (particularly high?) current number of Principals at the RB means they are putting in tremendous efforts at achieving and maintaining “performance ready” status for only a few shows each. Standing them down after a certain number of years in favour of First Soloists would surely tend to exacerbate this situation and may appear to undermine their Principal status. Kevin must want to avoid discontent and the possible exodus of anyone feeling underappreciated. I don’t know whether there could be any scope for adding in even more performances of the main ballet runs? But there is also the sales success to consider…would inclusion of many shows with First Soloist leads be less attractive to audiences ? Given the high prices, many ticket holders presumably book with expectations of seeing those artists considered “the best” even if they are not personally knowledgeable about the various dancers. And I don’t think having lower prices for certain casts would look very good…
  20. Richard LH
    Yes pretty poor accessibilty...but here I have extractred the current list for Ballet Performances: ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (2017) ANASTASIA (2016) CONCERTO (2010) COPPÉLIA (2019) CORYBANTIC GAMES (2018) DANCES AT A GATHERING (2020) DON QUIXOTE (2013) ELITE SYNCOPATIONS (2010) ENIGMA VARIATIONS (2019) FLIGHT PATTERN (2019) GISELLE (2016) GISELLE (2021) INFRA (2008) LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE (2005) MANON (2018) MAYERLING (2009) RAYMONDA ACT III (2019) RHAPSODY (2016) ROMEO AND JULIET (2019) ROMEO AND JULIET (2022) SWAN LAKE (2018) SYLVIA (2005) SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS (2017) THE CELLIST (2020) THE DANTE PROJECT (2021) THE DREAM (2017) THE JUDAS TREE (2010) THE NUTCRACKER (2016) THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (2011) THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (2017) THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (2020) THE WINTER'S TALE (2018) WITHIN THE GOLDEN HOUR (2019) YUGEN (2018)
  21. Richard LH
    Absolutely Sim! A superb performance from Akane , on top form technically, dancing with real fizz and elan, and really understanding and encapsulating the character. She did look thrilled, very happy, and a tad emotional at the curtain call applause, understandably so after a great performance following another long absence from the stage. (Barring one Schools Nutcracker, I don't think she has danced a full classical role since Giselle at the end of 2021, and no full tutu role since Swan Lake pre lockdown at the beginning of 2020). I have missed seeing her exemplary classical excellence on stage. Well done Nicol Edmonds....possibly a bit nervous at first but he got into the role much better when ably partnering Akane. I thought Tom Whitehead was excellent, really making the most of the role and with Luca Acri this was the best couple of Sisters yet IMO. Itziar Mendizabal came across as a warm, sensitive Fairy Godmother, providing the magic Cinderella needed in the absence of her real mother. Loved all the fairies, including Mica Bradbury as Summer again, this time standing in very well for Melissa Hamilton at short notice; and following a fine performance in Woolf Works there was another notable display from Ashley Dean as Spring. David Yudes was a fine Jester - exuberant, amusing and engaging. It was lovely to see all the youngsters in the audience for this matinee, having such a great time. Like others, I am liking this production more and more each visit!
  22. Richard LH
    Lovely to see Akane looking so graceful and joyful! Exciting prospect tomorrow...
  23. Richard LH
    Not obviously perhaps, although I thought they were fine together in R&J when he replaced McRae. I am not too sure Takada/Corrales worked so well in Giselle, and is she yet to dance with Sambe in any major role? With those sorts of considerations I prefaced the "preferred" list as not set in stone and "arguably" settled. I do agree with those that point to the benefits of mixing things up somewhat. Eg. Takada and Bracewell were brilliant in Swan Lake and Coppelia. Hayward/ Bracewell worked well in the R&J movie. Nunez and Bracewell is also an exciting prospect going by their Grand Pas Classique rehearsal. There is also the fine Takada/ Campbell combo eg Don Quixote, Like Water for Chocolate, and their beautiful Rhapsody excerpt. I am sure Kaneko and Muntagirov also works very well. There would be several other options with other Principals, I am sure, and that's before the possibilities of using some of the First Soloists...Mr Hay springs to mind (literally)!
  24. Richard LH
    I did mention her in my opening post.
  25. Richard LH
    Imagining I am Kevin O'Hare for the moment, for the coming season (assuming no further promotions to Principal) I expect to have 9 ladies and 9 gentlemen to pair up for major perfomances such as Manon, Swan Lake, Nutcracker etc... (plus Cuthbertson if she returns from maternity leave during the year). Of course nothing is set in stone but arguably I have the following 6 settled, successful and popular partnerships (alphabetical order) which I could pencil in straightaway: Hayward/Campbell Kaneko/Bracewell Lamb/McRae Naghdi/Ball Nunez/Muntagirov Osipova/Clarke That leaves Magri, O'Sullivan, and Takada for the ladies and Corrales, Hirano and Sambe for the gentlemen. How should I proceed, dear forum members, and why?
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