DanJL

In my experience dance / ballet, both traditional and modern tries to reflect something about life - this covers positive and negative, happy and sad etc. I've seen plenty of both sides in modern and classic choreography. I think the only example I've seen with any kind of comment on political philosophy was the Bright Stream - although that was very tongue in cheek.

I have to say I'm completely mystified by this! What is it about Pite's modern dance steps that apparently promotes socialism (or indeed any other world view)?

Looking back, I've had a really wonderful year for ballet. Some highlights below. Three incredible performances of Romeo and Juliet - the extraordinary romance of O'Sullivan and Sambé, and then the wonderfully powerful and heartbreaking performances of Nuñez and Hamilton. The latter two visibly benefitting from the coaching of Alessandra Ferri. Really great to see Acosta's new production of Don Quixote at BRB. Wonderfully rich, full of dancing and highly enjoyable. And fantastic performances from the whole company in Birmingham. My first in-person viewings of the Scarlett production of Swan Lake - all were outstanding, very much including the cinema relay. But in person I particularly enjoyed Gasparini as one of the sisters, Nuñez and Muntagirov with their "usual" - yet always different and it seems always improving - superlative performances. Nuñez seemed to be conducting the music with her lyrical movements! And finally the beauty of Sarah Lamb's Odette / Odile. I may be the only person here to have much preferred the modern triple bill to the Ashton. Both casts were wonderful. Solo Echo is one of my favourite ballets and it was great to see DGV for the first time. Of the Ashton triple, I only had chance for one viewing and was hoping the streaming would give chance for a reappraisal (in truth I didn't really get Scènes de ballet as a first encounter with it, and Month in the country threw me by being quite different from my own, possibly flawed, reading of the play) - but still waiting for that of course! As always, Northern Ballet were incredible on their annual visit to Cardiff. Definitely missed them in the pandemic years! This time, they brought Great Gatsby - a wonderfully inventive interpretation, full of magnificent dancing and great storytelling. I was very happy to be at the premiere of Like water for chocolate. A huge success in my eyes and can't wait for the cinema broadcast next month! Wheeldon's inventiveness and beautiful choreography matched perfectly with the magical realism. Hayward danced beautifully, amongst a really great cast. Unfortunately the new season brought increased costs - not just tickets, but trains and hotels as well. Consequently I've only been able to see a few things. But I started with a very rare treat - a well-timed holiday to Italy gave me chance to see Bolle and Nuñez in Onegin with La Scala (and I was particularly thrilled that my favourite of the regular La Scala dancers, Martina Arduino, danced Olga). A really great performance and experience. Back at the ROH I enjoyed one performance of Mayerling - Sambé with Hayward and Lamb, all of whom performed and acted the roles devastatingly well. Also very impressed by Gasparini's Princess Stephanie. And finished the year with a magical Nutcracker just before Christmas - Ashley Dean was a lovely Clara and I finally got to see Sarah Lamb as Sugar Plum Fairy. Tricky performance for her with a very late change of partner (fantastic job by Muntagirov), but she still danced beautifully - if anything the extra care gave her opportunity to emphasise the glamour of the role even further.

The discussion on filming at performances is a really interesting one. I certainly would never like to be distracted by someone filming (and likewise wouldn't want anyone else to be, obviously even worse if it put off the dancers). On the other hand, I have to admit that I regularly benefit from seeing clips of ballets in other countries on Instagram that I would very much like to have attended, but couldn't in reality due to cost and practicalities. This often includes Royal Ballet dancers guesting in roles that they haven't performed in the ROH, as well as some favourite dancers from other companies who rarely visit the UK. In both cases, the dancers regularly re-post these recordings (which is usually how I get to see them). If only there were a way for this to be possible whilst guaranteeing no inconvenience for anyone in the theatre.

Yes, I have to agree there have been quite a few posts on the other side of the argument. Not sure whether we should be going into politics on a ballet forum but if we do I think balance would be preferable.

Yes, Kevin O'Hare announced on stage before the start. Apparently very late injury to Hirano this morning unfortunately.

When I saw Marianela Nuñez dance the SPF solo in the brief run of 2020 Nutcrackers I was amazed at how well her steps matched and drew out the music. Haven't seen Sarah Lamb dance it live yet, but looking forward to putting that right on Wednesday!

I don't know any more I'm afraid, but since they're coming to Cardiff and are promising a "Glorious Gala" rather than the usual Nutcracker etc. I've booked to find out more!

It would be wonderful if even just last year's cinema broadcasts were added to ROH stream (I'd certainly sign up then!).

Possibly the new information hasn't been added yet? I hadn't realised that about Boxing Day services - a bit more effect than I realised then.

I think it will affect planned engineering works so perhaps the idea is strike action that inconveniences the rail companies more than passengers?

Isn't it the case that trains usually stop running early on Christmas eve and don't start again until the 27th? There are no other strikes on Christmas week itself so it seems that they have deliberately kept that travel period clear. If they were on strike from 6am on the 24th that would be a different matter!

I too thought it was wonderful (I went last Wednesday night). I'd forgotten what a fantastic ballet Onegin is. Nuñez was wonderful, I thought Bolle was well suited to the role and a bonus for me was seeing Martina Arduino as Olga - one of the La Scala dancers I particularly enjoyed watching in lockdown streams. It was also a great excuse to see the inside of the fantastic La Scala theatre!

I have a ticket for the 14th 😊 Happy coincidence that it coincides with my holiday in Italy!

I was actually thinking similar - not necessarily twice but perhaps an adapted version with repeated sections? I think full length implies longer than an hour so I'm sure there must be something to be revealed that we don't know yet.

This was during a covid lockdown I think, or at least strong restrictions in Italy. I think it was to help by having separate bubbles for each act. It was mentioned somewhere on the forum at the time so there may be more info there.

For me: Nuñez and Muntagirov in the classical roles - they seem to further exceed their own very high standards every season. Highlights for me this time were Giselle and Swan Lake. Nuñez's musicality in the latter was breathtaking! Really enjoyed seeing Sarah Lamb in a wide range of roles - thought she was particularly good in Dante Project, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet. So many wonderful performances in Romeo and Juliet - my other highlights in the leads were the return of McRae, the heartbreaking Sambé and O'Sullivan, and absolutely breathtaking performances from Nuñez and Hamilton, both benefitting from Ferri's teaching. I enjoyed the continued progress of the wonderful Isabella Gasparini in a wide range of roles, great to see her get cinema casting as Clara in Nutcracker and one of the sisters in Swan Lake. Also a fantastic Zulme and most recently enjoyed her Chencha. Great to see world premieres of Dante Project and Like water for chocolate - opinions seen a little mixed but I loved them both! And also loved the chance to see both casts in Solo Echo - one of my favourite modern pieces.

Thank you Candleque that does make sense. The distinction is interesting though.

The three insights show aspects of the choreography without sets (apart from a table sometimes) or costumes and I found plenty of those passages inspiring. Probably I'm misunderstanding Candleque's point (so apologies in advance!) but if unique lifts are derivative of MacMillan, doesn't that imply that any lifts would be derivative?

Well I'm afraid I thought it was full of great choreography. Perhaps not full of traditional classical ballet choreography, but I don't think it set out to be. Wheeldon has his own style for narrative ballets and I thought there were many wonderful moments created from that.

Ah good question, somehow missed out the man himself 🙈 apologies, yes it was Lorenzo Trossello and very good he was too!

I had a wonderful time seeing Great Gatsby in Cardiff last night! Lovely to have Northern Ballet back in Cardiff and I only wish I was free to see more than one cast. Last night the leads were Jonathan Hanks (Nick), Aerys Merrill (Myrtle), Kevin Poeung (George), Alessandra Bramante (Jordan), Minju Kang (Daisy) and Gavin McCaig (Tom). I wasn't familiar with most of them but they all encapsulated their roles brilliantly and fantastic dancing from them and the rest of the cast throughout. This was my first time seeing the ballet and I thought it was a very clever and successful telling of a quite involved story. Some wonderful, fun group dances really brought across the 20s spirit, especially the extended party section in the first act. And between that some highly emotional dancing between the various characters navigating the different relationships, desires, suspicions etc. I did wonder how the second act was going to climax as the downbeat end to the story felt like it might be in danger of fizzling out a bit (based on my reading of the synopsis and therefore what I was anticipating), but David Nixon's production got round this with a really nice end sequence of Gatsby looking back and dreaming about Daisy. And then a dramatic climax. Hopefully I'll get chance to see this again one day because it is a great ballet!

Then further apologies if I also misunderstood Suffolkgal.

Apologies Sim, I didn't mean to insinuate that, it was Suffolkgal who brought up the comparison, but I quoted you as the most recent comment on the theme.

But also the advantage of hindsight. I believe many ballets which are now seen as classics were received less favourably initially. I think if we compare every new piece to the past, we're perhaps setting them up for failure? Time will tell of course 🙂