FionaM

Currently watching … Bolshoi’s La Bayadere is on Russian TV Culture channel tonight Sunday 3 March 2024 2200 Moscow time 1900 UTC Svetlana Zakharova, Maria Alexandrova, Vladislav Lantratov (from 2013) I watch on this link (you don’t need a VPN to access it) https://sputnik24.tv/smotret/kultura Instagram announcement: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Dto-8NIYZ/?igsh=bGoxeXMzaWx4aXB2

@Richard LH there are plenty in all the lower ranks!

In the end it is the Artistic Director’s vision and decision. If a dancer doesn’t get promoted because they don’t fit his ideas (for whatever reason) then that dancer has to choose what suits them. Melissa has chosen to remain in RB and branched out with many guest appearances with Bolle and others, and now her own shows. Valentino Zucchetti is blessed with choreographic talent as well as dancing talent. Itziar Mendizabal has qualified as a teacher. I wonder which direction the other older soloists will go. Always fascinating to find out. Later promotions are not unknown, I think Ryo Hirano was 33. Laura Morera was 29, Ed Watson was 28. So I think principal promotion is unlikely for any of those aged over 30. The only first soloists aged under 30 are Calvin Richardson and Joe Sissens. Luca Acri is ~30. All the others are older, including Gasparini (33/34).

Not a problem with the seat and yes the discount was for the latest production which wasn’t selling well. I don’t like the new garish designs of the costumes. I don’t like the way the story is told. I don’t like most of the choreography (especially the season fairies, unnecessary fiddly and therefore ugly) and I really don’t like the pantomime dame stepsisters. I find the production to be vulgar. I do like the ballroom pdd and that is worth seeing … loved Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball in it. I fear a lot of RB full length ballets are looking like ‘West End musicals’ and it’s a trend that is not for me.

The only offer I have ever received was a discount for Cinderella. I did use it and wished I hadn’t bothered.

Regarding Giorgi Potskhishvili… the RB does have a principal dancer who has big charisma and exciting personality on stage, like this. Namely Cesar Corrales. Cesar has much better classical technique, including very beautiful feet, both of which Giorgi does not. I really hope Cesar can stay injury free now that he is returning to the stage and truly develop into the awesome dancer that he should be. His return seems imminent … I saw a clip of him with Mayara in the wings of an onstage dress rehearsal of Swan Lake. I doubt very much that Dutch National would let Giorgi go. He’s their crowd puller But you can see him at Ballet Icons gala later this month!

I’m aware he performed Romeo in R&J and Palemon in Ondine before becoming a principal. Were there other full length lead roles before promotion?

I doubt if any have. This doesn’t apply to Calvin who has Romeo, Nutcracker Prince and shortly Des Grieux as lead classical / dramatic roles. Plus leading supporting virtuoso roles of Benno in Swan Lake, lead pas de six in Giselle, Bluebird and Florestan trio in Sleeping Beauty.

No one has mentioned Calvin Richardson’s impressive leading roles in works by McGregor, Wheeldon and Crystal Pite, plus the cello in Marston. Those will count towards his consideration for promotion, which I think is highly likely this year. I’d rate him one year ahead of Sissens. https://www.roh.org.uk/people/calvin-richardson

Googling Francisco Serrano finds that he was 19 in February 2016 making him now 27 and therefore quite old to still be a first artist. High time he was given more opportunity! This article does point out he was a late starter, at age 14. http://ticket.heraldtribune.com/2016/02/19/sarasota-dancer-joins-royal-ballet/

They closed down completely when COVID hit. I met one of the young dancers left with nothing,

Ah the beautiful drama that is Neumeier’s version of Die Kameliendame. There are more performances in April, and continuing to 4 May.

An alternative financial contract would be for the venue or event promoters to pay a fixed fee to the performing group in return for taking on the full profit (or not) from ticket sales. This is how Natalia Osipova’s Bloom Dance Project and other independent artists operate.

@Balletfanp @Silver Capricorn I’d like to echo both your sentiments about the Fumi/Vadim onstage partnership being something special. It touched me too. You can see the connection between them carrying on into the curtain calls. I am especially looking forward to their Swan Lake. Siegfried which is possibly Vadim’s signature role. Will has the edge in some adagio technique, but not in jumps and virtuoso. I saw Fumi’s debut as O/O and it was nothing short of spectacular. And I also like the mix and match approach. I prefer dancers to not always be paired with the same partner. For me, that’s a tradition that can happily die out with Sibley/Dowell. Having seen Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke this last weekend being fabulous in the R&J balcony pdd and Spring Waters …. this is a pairing I’d like to see more of. Though it seems unlikely at ROH.

thanks @Jan McNulty. And lovely they were too. (I chose to not repeat all the names, as others had given the full details further up the thread. )

#1, 3 and 5 for me. But nothing was weak. Hannah Grennell compèred with a light touch, knowledgeable and invested. #1: (ENB) dance for me is music, so Rentaro’s piece nearly lost me, but Angel and Julia are superb dancers and mostly kept my attention until the music kicked in, when the piece soared for me. #3. (WMc) Jordan James Bridge is a new find for me … his dancing of his own choreo the evening before at Ballet Nights had gripped me, as did his choreo for these two amazing female dancers. Alternating solos and occasionally together. #5: (RB) Caspar Lench wasn’t falling asleep off his chair, he was sliding to the floor in agony from some emotion crushing him. I thought this piece was the most interest and different as it showed emotional support through dance. That’s complex and I thought they did a good job for very young dancers and a young choreographer. Denilson did explain that the poems were in Portuguese and perhaps it would have helped audience understanding if they had been translated. Personally I didn’t need it. The moves and the dancers spoke to me. #2 (Northern Ballet). Nice to watch, and the only duet with anyone en pointe. #4 (ENB): Ashley Coupal was particularly engaging in this piece. Aitor was his usual muted emotions. Some interesting partnering and side by side. And I enjoyed the a Capella accompaniment. #6 (WMc) : strong moves and well rehearsed. The only duet where the choreographer also danced. She spoke about the different process vs being a non-dancing choreographer. A hugely enjoyable hour in the close-up venue that is the Clore Studio. It must have been interesting experience for the dancers as the same programme was repeated three times in the one afternoon. For 3 audiences. The last seemed full of ballet community … plenty of ENB dancers, Javier Torres from Acosta Dance Centre, etc.

I see they performed Ratmansky’s R&J last time this company was at Sadlers Wells. I have to say I am sooooo disappointed by the programme they are bringing. Similarly to NYCB it is mostly contemporary. I realise Sadler’s has a bias for contemporary, but I wish to see more classical. I’ll probably give the Canadians a miss this time around. Unless Siphe is performing. I don’t suppose the casting will be announced in advance?

Mayara Magri tall? She’s shorter than Marcelino Sambe. Here she is wearing heels and still shorter than Marci. https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/james-frecknall-marcelino-sambe-francesca-hayward-cesar-uutiskuva/1192961472

Did anyone else from this forum attend either of these shows? I will write about the dancers and the pieces, but first to say what a well presented show this is … both in content and slickness of the show itself on the night. There were no awkward pauses between pieces or obvious lighting errors, as I’ve recently experienced elsewhere. The sold out audience at the Saturday night show applauded each piece enthusiastically. As an extra bonus, there was the opportunity to meet the dancers after the show in the bar. Professional photos too.

Rhapsody pdd with Akane Takada was another wonder for me. Such musicality and grace. From one of the Covid divertissement galas in late 2020

talking of Isobelle, I’m thrilled to see Davi Ramos has joined Aus Ballet ( 🇧🇷 -> RBS -> Dutch National -> Australia) and is partnering her. She’s great and deserves chance to do the great pdd as well as solos.

On Joe Sissens’ Instagram story today he says it’s his debut as Lescaut tonight alongside Leticia Dias … in addition to first full run of Swan Lake with Mariko Sasaki earlier!!! What a special day for him. https://www.instagram.com/stories/joseph.sissens/3308985071505020509?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=NGtxejNqbjd6YWd3

Munich have an audition height for men of 1.8m. Maybe it’s guidance only because clearly Antonio Casalinho and Shale Wagman don’t match that.

completely agree! Wonderful

Watching Leo Dixon and Teo Dubreil rehearsing / learning the role of Benno, only serves to remind me of how easy Alex Campbell made this part look when it’s clearly very tricky. It was created on him. Going to be a challenge for the newbies.