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Richard LH

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Everything posted by Richard LH

  1. I am guessing this should have been a very good cast; looking forward to any reviews....?
  2. Perhaps nearly all of us on the Forum book according to our favourites wherever possible, but from experience of chatting to neighbouring seat holders it is quite surprising how many people in general just seem to be out for a night at the ballet with little or no knowledge of the particular dancers they are seeing.
  3. I suppose we must assume there are some pretty extensive casting issues still to be sorted, that would go well beyond the odd or two last minute changes that could arise with any programme.....
  4. I thought Fumi Kaneko gave us a flawless performance on her debut....excellent both in technique and in her own interpretation of the role. However I too found Muntagirov rather lacking in Act 1, seeming to wobble a bit a times in his solo, and somehow not really being convincing in this important first declaration of his feelings towards Manon. This meant that for me the overall partnership did not work quite as well as other casts I have seen; although all the passion was certainly there at the end of Act 3, it was rather less believable as it didn't really seem to have been there throughout. Perhaps my problem arose from drawing comparisons - looking back to the wonderful recent debut perfomances of Naghdi and Bracewell, as well as looking forward to seeing Hayward and Campell in these roles again shortly. I was also somewhat underwhelmed by Joseph Sissens as Lescaut, by Joshua Junker as Beggar Chief, and by Christopher Saunders as G. M., so my high expectations of this cast were a little deflated from the outset! However this is really well staged production, and there is always much to enjoy...and the Corps ladies and gentlemen, and the orchestra, were again excellent overall.
  5. Anyone getting excited about Fumi's debut tonight? 😃
  6. So he at least has known something of the casting for some time, if only that he was not himself included?
  7. Although a last performance with Takada as Manon again, which would have been the case but for her injury, would also have been very fitting, given their various lovely partnerships !
  8. Indeed, certainly for me...it was Alex and Francesca who really introduced me to this beautiful art form in their BBC "Dancing the Nutcracker" documentary, setting off my visits to live ballet, one the earliest being their partnership in Giselle in 2018, and later in Manon that same season. After which there have been so many wonderful moments seeing him on stage! So it will be a poignant moment to see Alex dance in Manon with Frankie again in his last RB performance. Wishing him and his family all the best for this exciting new chapter in his career.
  9. Perhaps one of the unforeseen circumstances is Alex Campbell's impending departure to RAD?
  10. I suppose that's what you would expect though....if the dancers knew the casting then why not make it public?
  11. Surely this is unusual though....I can't immediately think of any other Artist recently dancing two major roles like this, (with Clara) in only their second full year in the Company. Maybe Akane would have been cast again as Perdita in the Fumi/Vadim cast had she not been still rehabilitating from injury, alongside Sissens ( with whom she has been paired a few times now). If so, Viola gets an unexpected, rather than a planned, opportunity to perform in a role which may well suit her undoubted, perhaps exceptional, talent. So I am not sure this is an example of of any "trend" to somehow promote younger dancers over longer serving ones.
  12. RB Ashton triples are on the Main stage...perhaps you included a wrong filter option? You need to make sure any filters are only set to Ballet and Dance, and/or Summer 23/24 and/or Main Stage.
  13. Does that work though? I have to use an old toothbrush for getting the crumbs out of the keyboard....
  14. Hopefully this suggests there is at least a prospect of her returning by June....or they would have already announced a different casting.
  15. So First Soloist Sissens gets 4 performances (with Sasaki and Takada) but Principal Campbell gets none....again🫤
  16. Osipova/Clarke, Takada ❤️🙏/Sissens, Calvert/Edmonds...!
  17. We were also near the stage ....almost as close to the stage as possible I think (front right hand side SC) and I very much agree.... being able to see their expressions helped make Yasmine and William's artistry and storytelling come to life so much. Beautiful, emotional dancing, and I don't think they put a step wrong. Act 3 was particularly incredible I thought...Yasmine seemed so broken on her arrival at the port, it was heart rending... The only part I didn't really appreciate was the Gaoler scene...some of the elements seem gratuitous and perhaps could be toned down without losing the gist of the story...provided what is happening is clear enough to enrage Des Grieux in his defence of Manon. The final PDD was electric....how did they manage Yasmine's lightning fast aerial full body twists? And she showed so much confidence In William, in starting to fall towards the stage well before he was close by to catch her. I thought we were going to see the first major RB production I can remember where the lead ballerina didn't receive flowers (which would have been a travesty!) but fortunately a bouquet arrived for Yasmine just in time for her to share a flower with William as well as Luca Acri (a brilliant Lescaut). Overall this is a fabulously staged production, with all the cast on top form.....the whole company now have a well-earned mid-season break. Looking forward to seeing two other casts later on....
  18. Superb debuts from Yasmine and Will tonight....❤️❤️
  19. I'm missing Akane so much! 😞 Like @Emeralds I last saw her on the ROH stage on 26 May 2023 in that wonderful SB performance as Aurora with James Hay. She danced in the summer Japan Tour but missed one scheduled performance there, and has been absent here since the start of the season. Hopefully she is now receiving the new treatment and recovery time she needs to sort out, for the longer term, the nagging injury problem she has suffered for many years. It would be so lovely to see her dance again in the Ashton programme and The Winter's Tale (Perdita), as well as Swan Lake of course, but naturally she should take out whatever time it takes to allow a strong and lasting comeback - in the same way that Fumi Kaneko did some years ago with formidable results!
  20. Yes, well worth watching...good luck to Annette on her debut after all her hard work learning and polishing the role. I was surprised and impressed that it only takes about 2 hours for dancers to learn the basic steps and movements for something as hard as the SPF solo. Perhaps only the Telegraph could have a "Head of Luxury" (presenter Sasha Slater).....nice work if you can get it!
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