BeauxArts

I do not wish to cause offence but I suppose if your homeland has been invaded and is fighting for its survival, cities and everything in between have been laid to waste, cultural centres destroyed and looted, women raped, children killed in their schools and the cream of your young men are dying in a war you did not choose, as a creative and emotionally attuned person you may feel compelled to channel your feelings at these events into your work. Maybe Whipped Cream just does not convey how Ratmansky feels at this time. It seems, with respect, extremely superficial and actually disrespectful to expect him to « get out of his patriotic p.r. mode ».

Thank you Dawnstar for your enjoyable review of the Lamb Hirano cast. About last night: in a word - Fumi! Such beauty in her every movement - big and small - her arms are surely a work of art in themselves.. Her allure after throwing her lot in with Monsieur GM (I thought an underwhelming Christopher Saunders) was off the scale. I was left feeling she could be one of the very great Manons, and it was serendipitous that Antoinette Sibley was present to see how the masterpiece she and Jenny Penney created is illuminated today by this wondrous ballerina. Fumi lives her Manon - in no way did I feel she was having to act a role, but rather through her dancing first and foremost she really was Manon. There are some very special qualities to watching Fumi and Vadim dance together: their classical purity and beautiful lines are ideally matched. For me Vadim did not have the seamless command of the Act 1 solo in particular that Will Bracewell had in his 2 performances (and others report Matt Ball also had). His portrayal just about worked for me but at times I could not read his descent to despair and loss, although his bafflement at being drawn into the cards scheme at the party was very well conveyed. I thought Joe Sissens was assured as Lescaut but Leticia Diaz was miscast as his mistress. In his elegant opening tribute to Dame Antoinette, KOH described her partnership with Dowell as the greatest in the company’s history. I think in Fumi and Will he has something possibly as special and that was how I was left: Fumi and Vadim make many wonderful things on stage but not (for me) the magic I think Fumi and Will make when they dance together. May they have that chance in Manon when the 3-year cycle rolls round again.

Surely they are sold out primarily because NYCB have not danced in the UK for a long time. I suspect they would have sold out a lot quicker had the programme been more heritage-based.

As we are not « lifting the veil » - no doubt for valid reasons - anyone wanting to see probably one of the greatest currently working choreographers will just have to travel elsewhere. For me that is probably not NY (unfortunately) - but budget permitting - Europe is attainable to see Ratmansky and Forsythe (happily soon creating for ENB). The absence of Ratmansky and Forsythe is just a resounding gap in this Director’s CV, when historically both have worked productively with the Royal. I fear we have to agree to disagree on McGregor but it seems that is indeed the direction of travel for the company.

Thank you Bruce. The feature on Ratmansky was - as AnnaMk wrote - heart-rending. I think it is sad and remiss that the RB are not dancing any Ratmansky and/or have not (apparently) sought to commission a piece from him in recent years. He re-staged Coppelia for La Scala in December so it is not as if he is not working outside the themes of war and loss, BUT I don’t believe these themes would be a disincentive to many - if not most - dance-lovers. Personally, I would relish the chance to see his latest piece for NYCB or any of his other wartime pieces. They will surely prove to be as enduring as Gloria or Dante Sonata, for example.

Oh dear! Sarasota is a fairly well known company among more than a few fans I think! It might have been very interesting to have had both companies on the same bill performing Ashton ballets on the main stage. Compare, contrast and luxuriate in all the Ashton magic.

Tamara Rojo has form for this: Begona Cao left ENB after a long and distinguished career with minimal recognition by Rojo- then the director of ENB - and certainly no formal celebration of her career and commitment to the company. It seemed a very brusque way to end her association with the company.

If anyone is interested I have just returned to the ROH box office 1 seat in row U Amphi for tonight’s performance of Manon.

😂

Bumping this - in continuing hope!

I do think these comments about Darcey are uncharitable and unmerited. She has a very high public profile and that gives her instant recognition and puts her in a unique position to elevate the art form. At a time when bashing elitist arts and portraying the ballet world as hostile to all young people (see today’s Telegraph) Darcey surely projects the other side of the story. I simply cannot see how she gets in the way of current dancers. On the contrary, she lauds them and adds to their artistic development.

They have!

Possibly - or possibly not!

Possibly Fumi Kaneko is dancing elsewhere, but if not her omission from the triple bill is just as perplexing as Yasmine Naghdi’s. Very strange.

I am with you on the somewhat perplexing casting here. Yasmine and Fumi are missing in action! The Different Drummer male leads are particularly curious choices.

I have had dinner in the Floral Hall and it was a very agreeable experience, and no one walking around spectating etc as in the Crush Bar area.

I am looking for 1 SCS for Manon on 14 February (Cuthbertson and Ball). Thank you!

Joining a queue but very interested in buying one SCS for Saturday matinee of Manon. Thank you!

Tickets are now sold.

Selling 2 SCS tickets for Manon on 3 February evening. I would be very happy to exchange them for 2 x SCS matinée on the same day if available!

A final thought from me: Katja’s performances as Giselle were emphatically principal-level, aside from a demonstration of exceptional artistry: I very much hope that she will be promoted, and cannot think of another dancer currently who deserves it more.

Still reflecting on last night's double debut, but wanted to add to the plaudits for William Bracewell: I have possibly never seen such an accomplished debut as Des Grieux. The sheer beauty of his dancing, his command of the technical challenges and astute approach to those elements possibly not as well suited to him, combined with such a thoughtful reading of this complex role, AND his incredible partnering not least in that really risky last act pdd (we can now see his sprint speed from a standing start) were just some of the highpoints for me. Watching him, confirmed for me that he is in his prime. He is ready for Mayerling (probably ready last season), and should be dancing it asap. The 3-season rotation of the MacMillan triumvirate needs reviewing at the point, when the company has such strength in depth among the male principals and soloists in particular. I have been been watching the MacMillan Three for many years, and the longeurs and - frankly - the crassness of the scenes involving harlots/prostitutes/courtesans have never improved for me. The gaoler scene is also a difficult passage to watch: I rather think less is more from the male lead there.

A brief word about Saturday’s matinee- this brought together Shiori Kase and Francesco Frola. Kase is a very different dancer from Khaniukova whom I had seen with Frola on Tuesday. Technically very assured, she was well matched with Frola who I felt danced even better than on Tuesday. He has such a fine stage presence and dramatic intuition. They were tremendous together. The peasant pdd was beautifully danced by Buenog and McCormack. The second act of his production is unmatched - a perfect marriage of design, music, choreography, and dramatic mood. I did not even miss the entrechats from Frola, scintillating though they no doubt would have been! Congratulations to all at ENB for giving us such a splendid run of performances.

Sadly, I find this an insulting statement to make in respect of Olga Smirnova. it is clear from her Instagram post at the time and her subsequent and measured interviews that she felt unable to continue to dance at the Bolshoi following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She left behind her family and her coaches, and her husband left his family, including his own mother who held - and may still hold - a position of some power and influence in the Bolshoi administration. The financial matters are irrelevant. Had the husband wanted to remain in Russia he surely would and could have done so because of their respective positions within the Putin-regime business and artistic nomenklatura.

I fully agree with the plaudits for last night’s performance. This is a truly beautiful production, and I have enjoyed the illuminating comments in this thread. Katja Khaniukova gave a remarkable performance as Giselle, so under-stated but deeply moving and entirely convincing as a fragile young woman utterly in the thrall of Albrecht, beautifully danced by Frola who perfectly complemented Khaniukova’s reading of her role. Just marvellous.