FionaM

The article says the negative criticism of a previous performance affected ticket sales at that venue … which raises again the question: what is the purpose of critics / dance writers. Is it really to undermine the career of a creative or performers? Perhaps writers who don’t like a performance should stick to description of the content of the show.

Julian Mackay (Munich) and Evelina Godunova (Berlin) posted rehearsal shots which look like one of the virtuoso pdd … Corsaire or Don Q or ?

This is going to be interesting! Bravo to Carlos for engineering this unique Birmingham collaboration. I am concerned that the orchestration might soften the heavy metal aspect. I do hope not! It’s not the first time Black Sabbath have been connected with ballet … their song IRON MAN features in the soundtrack for ‘Dancer’, the documentary movie about Sergei Polunin.

Looking at Danceworks .. Isabella McGuire Mayes may well give corrections. She does a lot online. Though I see it says her classes are for 16+. That might be something you’ll need to check everywhere.

Most open classes don’t give corrections in my experience. Most attending are professionals. Attendees are expected to self-correct. If your daughter is RAD Adv2 level then the classes described as advanced/pro are for her. There is often mixed ability attending. Sometimes some very accomplished professionals, so it’s great for learning by observing others too. Roland Price is a guest teacher at Royal Ballet from time to time and I know a number of skilled freelance ballet dancers who take his class (Adv/Pro) at Pineapple.

Well this is going to be interesting! The two from Stuttgart are both soloists already, Mackenzie Brown won gold at PdL 2019 and Gabriel Figuerido came second. Mackenzie was in the PdL gala a few days ago.

ah, not Alina. My misunderstanding

I didn’t know there was a DVD of these two together …

There are cheap flights to Munich and top price seats are only €90.! In addition to the above dancers there … you will also see Shale Wagman (PdL gold) and Jinhao Zhang (PdL prize winner) … both previously ENB, as are other Munich principals .. Lauretta Summesrcales, Yonah Acost and Emilio Pavan. Igor Zelensky built up a really super company for Laurent Hilaire to take forward.

Continuing with the tangent on Ethan Steifel .. longtime star principal of ABT: Ethan Steifel and Johan Kobborg are currently restaging their joint Giselle for American Repertory Ballet. Ethan is AD there having previously been AD at Royal New Zealand Ballet where he and Johan first staged this new Giselle together. https://www.instagram.com/p/Clg-RVLPUD7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Johan and Ethan and Angel Corella and Nikolai Tsiskaridze were the original ‘Kings of the Dance’ programme. Wheeldon’s FOR FOUR recently performed by RB and on their upcoming Japan tour, was originally created for this programme and these 4 dancers. https://youtu.be/fqtLlplpkqQ

The standing tickets are great value! Let’s not have those changed 🤞

I did … primarily because it’s the first time I’ve warmed to Olga. Previously known to me as an ice queen dramatically. This was entirely warm and joyous and free, qualities I’ve not seen from her before. I thought the choreo and feelings fit the music well, though it is hard to shut away the ingrained versions.

The gala won’t be on Arte. They sponsored the competition part. The gala was sponsored by MEDICI TV and I read it will be available there for 12 months.

I have rewatched some sections and have renewed admiration for Victor Caixeta .. in Don Q he did an amazing job on holding the 2 vertical leg split lifts. And his own solos were beautifully executed. in addition to the charming and super connection he had with Olga Smirnova in the Nutcracker.

Is the Woolf Works insight being streamed tonight?

Thank you! Someone pointed out it’s gone from the PdL homepage

Must be a copyright issue.

Relating to not hiring António, ROH had a redundancy programme at the time relating to financial losses during the pandemic. Munich and other European opera houses have enviable state support. Also I believe UK employment law, wouldn’t have allowed Margarita to join the RB company at 16. (This is what happened to Marianela Nunez, and other talents … they had to sit the time out in the school with occasional onstage appearances with the company.). I think she is still only 17?

quite … there are plenty in the RB and BRB and ENB. They ticked the black diversity box (3 times) but only had 1 from Asia. We are nitpicking. A US balletomane remarked … “why no Balanchine”. You can’t please everyone!!!

yes he is a great asset to ballet. I saw his Puck in Munich in mid-2022. It was glorious, mischievous and amusing without going OTT like the mechanicals. I know he has performed Mercutio in R&J, Benjamin in Cinderella and also the lead in Coppélia, as well as other soloist roles in their rep. All in his first 1-2 years in Munich. Good decision to join there rather than RB which I believe had been talking to him for years.

The best part is that with the video being left up … there will be copies everywhere to enjoy for years to come.

Gala running order: Alina Cojocaru & Friedemann Vogel Lady of the Camellias Choreographer: John Neumeier Music: Frédéric Chopin Laura Fernandez & Xander Parish Closure Choreographer: Juliano Nunez Music: Franz Schubert Matthew Ball Dance of the Blessed Spirits Choreographer: Frederick Ashton Music: Christophe Willibald von Gluck Madison Young & Julian Mackay Giselle Choreographer: Marius Petipa Music: Adolphe Adam Marcelo Gomes & Alejandro Azorin Faun(e) Choreographer: David Dawson Music: Claude Debussy Elisa Badenes & Vadim Muntagirov Black Swan pas de deux Choreographer: Marius Petipa Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Maria Kochetkova 27 Zero Choreographer: Ella Rothschild Music: Franz Schubert Partner School Choreographic Project BOLD Choreographer: Goyo Montero Music: Owen Belton and Claudio Frasseto Marcelino Sambe & Francesca Hayward The Dream pas de deux Choreographer: Frederick Ashton Music: Felix Mendelssohn Steven McRae Czardas Choreographer : Steven McRae Music : Vittorio Monti Mayara Magri & Victor Caixeta Don Quixote Choreographer: Marius Petipa Music: Ludwig Minkus Alejandro Azorin Solo 01: 3 Parts Ligeti Choreographer: Houston Thomas Music: György Ligeti Precious Adams & Eric Snyder This Bitter Earth Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon Music: Clyde Otis, performed by Dinah Washington from the motion picture soundtrack for Shutter Island Mackenzie Brown Limelight Choreographer: Katarzyna Kozielska Music: New Tango Orquestra Margarita Fernandes & Antonio Casalinho Diana and Actaeon Choreographer: Agrippina Vaganova Music: Cesare Pugni and Riccardo Drigo Mizuka Ueno Dying Swan Choreographer: Michel Fokine Music: Camille Saint-Saëns Olga Smirnova & Victor Caixeta Nutcracker pas de deux Choreographer: Jean-Christophe Maillot Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

So many thoughtful and emotional pieces in this gala, rather than the never ending oft repeated virtuoso ones. And set to beautiful music. Much more to my liking! Bravo organisers and dancers. I also want to applaud most of the lighting and backdrops … for once we could see The Dream! And how joyful it was with Marci and Francesca’s delightful partnership. ROH please take note. I agree with all the individual highlights (and lows reported above, some by omission). Magri needs a strong partner … Corrales (PDL participant) would be the obvious choice. And Madison needed a better partner too. Julian has suffered technique wise with lack of performance opportunities during the two year long pandemic in the US and by also being inbetween companies for many months in 2022 on top. His technique was better before the pandemic, as I remember from the DQ he performed with Nicolette Manni at the Icons Gala. He’s yet to regain that form and catch up with better principals and soloists in Munich. As @Sabine0308says, JinHao Zhang would have been the best pick of the PDL participants in Munich for this role at the moment. If PDL do a repeat gala on another anniversary say in 5 years time … I’d be wanting there to be no non-PDL participants. Sorry Matthew, Olga, Francesca lovely as you all were. I’d also be asking for no doubling up … they are plenty of prize winners who did not get to participate. And the doubling up did no favours to either Caixeta or Azorin.

The gala is on the home page of the PDL https://www.prixdelausanne.org/ It was sponsored by Medici TV so might also still be available on their website/app. By contrast, the competition itself was streamed by Arte TV. Those videos are on the PDL YouTube channel. And probably also on Arte TV website, app, and YouTube.

@alison perhaps Romany is on leave of absence. Her life partner Dane Hurst (previously AD of Phoenix Dance Theatre) returned to South Africa for family reasons over a year ago.