Xandra Newman

What a fabulous night indeed! Boy, Yasmine Naghdi and Marcelino Sambe "jumped" onto the stage with immense joy, it was truly infectious. A remarkable, very assured and amazing debut of these two dancers. Samba's partnering skills had visibly improved since the Insight Evening and he partnered Naghdi beautifully. Their shared joy, dancing as Kitri and Basilio, turned the whole ballet in a very sunny affair. Both are such technically accomplished dancers, Sambe's jumps and Naghdi's turns and balances impressive. Fumi Kaneko a beautiful Queen of the Dryads, Anna Rose O'Sullivan lovely as one of Kitri's two friends and gorgeous as Amour, Ball was also good as Espada. 

The whole company gave it their all in last night's performance (as they always do). Lots of flowers for Naghdi, who picked a white rose from one of her bouquets and presented it to Sambe. They were clearly emotional during the curtain call and Naghdi gave Sambe a very affectionate hug. A very appreciative audience, loud cheers and long applause, they received a standing ovation from parts of the Orchestra Stalls audience. 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/news-in-pictures-monday-february18-2019-kfh9cppth

The Times also published one.

Thank you Richard LH.

This is a cinema teaser  but I was referring to the usual link re. General Rehearsal photos normally provided on here 

Any link to photos taken during the General Rehearsal on Friday? Normally there is.

1 hour ago, Darlex said:

I thought Jann Parry perfectly articulated what was amiss in Naghdi's portrayal of The Young Girl, in her Dance Tabs review. found in today's links. 

On a website a reviewer of Naghdi's portrayal referred to Antoinette Sibley, who was considered too sophisticated by Ashton to dance the role of Lise in "Fille mal Gardee", that Naghdi likely has too much of MacMillan in her veins (she has two abstract Ashton ballets in her repertoire - ballets in which she shone - "Monotones" and "Symphonic Variations"), and further mention was made of Cojocaru having been criticised for acting as if she was in a MacMillan ballet when she tackled Chloe in 2004.

Very interesting observations indeed.

I have no doubt Nunez/Muntagirov were absolutely sensational! (I no longer buy tickets to see Nunez' performances as I use my spare cash to follow the younger Principals and a few First Soloists).

Clearly, Mr O'Hare feels the time has come to showcase his younger female (and male) Principals to the world: Takada in Don Q. and Naghdi in Romeo&Juliet.

Yes indeed Sim. This is not the first time Mr Monahan's reviews raise an eyebrow or two. His reviews are often in contrast with what the audience has experienced. He is prejudiced, no doubt, and occasionally uninformed.

His last review illustrates that his pedantic fault-finding is in total contrast with what the audience experienced: when loud cheers and applause start well before curtain down it shows how much the audience enjoyed it. His nitpicking is totally irrelevant to the immense joy the dancers gave their audience. (and don't get me started about Emma Byrne, the ES so-called ballet "critic"!). I don't care a hoot about those reviewers, what matters to me is the pleasure I get from watching the dancers' performance.

It seems, based on Social Media photos, that all the dancers were evacuated at this afternoon's rehearsal, and Yasmine Naghdi/Marcelino Sambe danced the General Rehearsal.

Goodness me, just realised there's very little left to see for me too  

Two Don Q.s 

NO Frankenstein 

Will only return when R&J performances start

and one Firebird.

Season over. 

Saving lots of money  

Thank you for this most beautiful photo Rob S.  

How could that Boy even think of leaving her for a Gypsy Girl (how ever beautiful she was too!!) 

That's how I interpreted their Act I too: they each portrayed (thus "acted" out) their character as immature, silly, selfish, self-centered teenagers, that was their character interpretation as artists. Having been infatuated with a Gypsy Girl Campbell grew from a teenager into a man who suddenly realised what real love means. Naghdi too grew from being the silly, insecure, attention seeking, annoying girlfriend in Act 1 to a more mature woman in Act 2,  a young woman who had experienced heartbreak because of her cheat of a boyfriend.

Campbell and Naghdi gave their own unique interpretation, they both told their story the way they wanted to tell the story.  Some may want to see less acting, others more acting, in the end it is the artists who tell us a story. Some will like it, others won't...

You see, that's what I mean,....producing outstanding dancers stopped with Darcey Bussell 😂

7 hours ago, capybara said:

But isn't it James Hay on Saturday?

Yes you are right. So not exactly the same cast as Hay is indeed dancing with Naghdi on Saturday. Wonder why Campbell isn't.

I wish I could put into words what I felt during and after watching Yasmine Naghdi's last pas de deux with Alexander Campbell. It was such an intense, emotional feeling, too beautiful to put into words. It will stay with me forever. Her pain was so palpable, the expressions on her face so real, this was a young woman deeply hurt by her boyfriend's infatuation with a gypsy girl. She oh so tried her best to distract him and to keep him away from her, to no avail. He walk out on her.

Once he returned to her in Act II she was not naively overjoyed to have him back, she did not forgive him there and then, she was reluctant and too hurt. Gradually she connected with him and the perfect reunion of the two impeccably behaved pigeons highlighted and sealed their happy reunion: she had forgiven him. 

The applause and cheers started well before the curtain came down, the orchestra was still playing. This is such a jewel of a ballet, so uplifting and with such a great cast as Naghdi/Campbell/Kaneko/Zuchetti all seems fine in the world.

Two Pigeons (sigh)...

Yasmine Naghdi and Alexander Campbell, such a lovely partnership, beautifully danced, great acting from Naghdi in both Acts and in Act II she managed to make my tears roll, she was so moving, so delicate, really touching, I could feel her pain all the way. Stunning debut performance!

I loved Fumi Kaneko as the Gypsy Girl and gorgeously danced too. 

Superb cast and bought a ticket to see this cast again on Saturday. 

I also think the Royal Ballet Press and the Advertising Office have (seemingly) fallen asleep, they should be doing FAR more to enhance their Principals' profile towards the general public. They are not pro-active at all. The occasional Tweet from the Head of RB Press Mr Ashley Woodfield or an ROH Instagram post here or there is not enough. Most of the Principals are totally unknown to the general public. Stop anyone in the street and ask them to name a RB Principal, bet the only names they can come up with are Darcey Bussell and Carlos Acosta (retired dancers!!!!). Nothing is undertaken so that the RB Principals become better known to the general public (you know the once the ROH is desperate to buy tickets... as opposed to the regulars). 

Such a shame. They could be selling them in the ROH shop too, just as they used to years ago.

I used to love seeing those RB posters on the Underground. No more  

35 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

 

 

It is the RBS/2Ps programme that seems to have fallen a bit flat in  sales, for some reason. Anyway, looking forward very much to tonight's performance.   

It could be because Two Pigeons is combined with a School performance. 

I don't think any tourist or a corporate&guests is/are interested in an evening out at the ROH to see a school performance, EVEN when combined with a performance danced by Royal Ballet Principals.

As for the rest of us, many have seen 2P combined with Asphodel Meadows. 

7 hours ago, Sim said:

I hope he stays long enough to see Miss Naghdi’s debut in 2P!

I don't see any reason why HRH wouldn't stay for Two Pigeons. Liam Scarlett and Yasmine Naghdi are both ex-White Lodgers and Alexander Campbell trained at the Upper School. HRH will get to see RBS pupils in training followed by the performance of professional RBS Alumni.

Marianela Nunez, Principal, The Royal Ballet: in conversation with Dame Monica Mason 

- Monday 18 February, 7.30 pm at the Civil Service Club 13-15 Great Scotland Yard, London, SW1A 2HJ 

Pay on the door £5 MEMBERS, £8 GUESTS

Yasmine Naghdi, Principal, The Royal Ballet
Monday 15th April , 7:30 pm at the Civil Service Club 13-15 Great Scotland Yard, London, SW1A 2HJ

Pay on the door £5 MEMBERS, £8 GUESTS

https://www.tlbc.org.uk/lists/1-upcoming-events

27 minutes ago, bridiem said:

tendency to over-intellectualise the approach.

The Wayne McGregor approach rubbing off on young choreographers...

Sorry for William Bracewell, I was very much looking forward to seeing Naghdi/Bracewell 2Ps but very excited to see Naghdi/Campbell instead. 

It's all about avoiding "infantilising" dancers, which happened all too often in the past. 

9 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

the girls made when they were dancing

For your information Richard: the ballet world has really moved away from calling female professional dancers "girls".

Claire Calvert (if I am correct) is 30 years old, I believe Isabella Gasparini is 31 or 32 and Anna Rose O'Sullivan must be about 25 years old....hardly girls anymore  

During rehearsal they are called "ladies". 

Sambe and Naghdi danced together in Manon but what else did they dance?  

He clearly couldn't reach high enough in order to hold her hand/finger in order to enable her to execute her routine. Hopefully he can sort this all out by the time he has to partner her in March.