FionaM

Could you provide a link to this list? On Al-Jazeera and other news sources they mention Netrebko, film artists and others in a new list … the purpose of which is to freeze the assets of these artists in Ukraine .. for 10 years. I haven’t seen any actual lists. This article doesn’t mention dancers (I can’t imagine any dancers have assets in Ukraine, though they may well have family). https://www.rferl.org/amp/ukraine-sanctions-russia-entertainers/32213661.html

NUTCRACKER by Varna International Ballet, Bristol Hippodrome 7.1.2023 Young and small cast (maybe 30 in total). Both leads were good (Perdita Lancaster and Vittori Scole) and also some of the soloists. Some of the ensemble were meh 🫤 … surprising in this ‘squeeze on the arts’ environment. Video backdrops - disappointingly basic for 2022/23. If a show is not going to have sets (understandably difficult for a touring company to different sized regional theatres) then invest in better graphics and projection equipment, please! Live orchestra was a bonus .. even if small. Beginning was out of tune, but that improved quickly. Bulgarian conductor from Varna Opera House. Costumes were very good … inventive and fun. Drosselmeyer had same yellow/black stripes as Bolshoi production. Costumes for Land of the Sweets heading to Matthew Bourne territory. Production/choreo by AD of Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. Some of the grand pdd was unnecessarily fiddly for my taste. I’m guessing lifts were altered for the young male lead (graduated from Vaganova Academy only 6 months ago). Ticket prices seemed high to me for the quality of the show, but the audience generally seem pleased and the large auditorium was quite well sold. I was amused by the girl behind me apologising for not explaining the story to her male companion in advance “the tree grows and Clara shrinks to same size as dolls”. Cast sheet only, no programme, so I’ve been looking up cast and creatives online. There is some overlap with what was previously the Russian State Ballet of Siberia. No Russian nationals in this cast.

though that doesn’t explain why he was still listed on their website as a dancer with photo and bio until a few days after his death.

I agree the music was challenging too. I only noticed a few of the references to famous scores … Rite of Spring for instance … which is iitself a challenging score for those new to it. In that respect the Akram Khan Giselle has an advantage … strains of the very well known original score could be heard throughout the similarly adapted ‘new music’.

I think it’s good to challenge the audience with more complex story lines … Mayerling, Winter’s Tale, Like Water for Chocolate … all jump to mind as ones in this category. The first two are now recognised masterpieces. They do require multiple viewings or really good prior knowledge to appreciate fully.

A new documentary to mark the 30 year anniversary … made in Italy with previously unseen footage from La Scala archives. Touching interviews of personal memories from Sylvie Guillem, Manuel Legris, Roberto Bolle, Pierre Lacotte who all worked with or were mentored by Nureyev. https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/2023/01/05/rudolf-nureyev-speciale (With subtitles)

I thought ‘Creature’ made a lot of profound statements about the state of humanity today. I’ll be going again to understand better. I saw Cirio and Hernandez in the main role … both were excellent, and very different interpretations. The female leads were phenomenally emotional … Takahashi and Oliviera

thank you for the explanation 🙏

Tribute from Münich https://www.instagram.com/p/CnEtyRyOo2T/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= I am surprised not to have heard anything from Northern Ballet (or did I miss it 🤔 ). They have removed him from their list of dancers.

Varna is in Bristol this week 5/6/7 January with Giselle / Swan Lake / Nutcracker x2. I’m going to the Nutcracker evening show

I think RB and ABT dancers (Boylston, Camargo) may be gaining more guesting slots that would have been filled by Bolshoi/Mariinsky dancers before 2022.

@Angela I think it might be Yasmina Aziz … 13yo Vaganova pupil https://www.instagram.com/p/ClrVXRKoYi0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

He performed a duet by George Williamson called ‘Mesh’ with Ksenia Ovsyanick at the Ballet Icons Gala in November 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CXOH2qjMdhJ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXB3gWLqwV1/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I thought Daniel showed really good emotive capability(and I wasn’t expecting it) in the Juliano Nunes ballet LACUNA in the Julier Tower in Switzerland that I saw in August 2022. Considering the ‘in your face’ close-up nature of that venue and him appearing alongside emotionally charged dancers like Alina Cojocaru and Shale Wagman, it was particularly noticeable.

Daniel Camargo is principal at ABT since summer 2022

I’m not sure I agree with Paul Godfrey’s view that Russian dancers trying to make a living by touring the UK (or wherever) should he ostracised. How is this different to Smirnova, Osipova, etc.

Ballet promoter/producer Paul Godfrey warns that current touring companies may be Russian touring companies … merely renamed. https://www.instagram.com/p/CmyuTfOoOoK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Paul Godfrey was a promoter/producer of Bolshoi and Mariinsky tours and of PoluninInk R&J in London. He is now promoter/producer for the Ukrainian Giselle in London/Netherlands and their subsequent tours.

I think we are agreed that “from the wings” is fine. Here’s a short one of Riho Sakamoto of Dutch National Ballet as Aurora. Awesome control. Instagram story https://instagram.com/stories/riho_sakamoto/3003073615389382718?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I agree distracting the artists is not on. My iPhone 12 has no lights on the dancers’ side. (Not that I’m personally planning to use it, as I said above.)

Seeing Irek and Darcey in this made me wish for them to return to the stage in character roles.

Personally I’m not planning on filming any performance … except curtain calls … as I too am there for the uninterrupted live experience … whether it’s ballet or something else. However I am grateful for those who do, as afterwards I get great pleasure from reliving the occasion through someone else’s clips. (Not the whole thing I hasten to add, just short clips). Perhaps the theatres could think about adding this to their social media, which is effectively what AD Eleonora Abbagnato did with Don Q.

For balance, it would be interesting to get views from the younger generation. I’ve seen short clips made by UK ballet school students and junior members of UK companies on social media. The purpose of those is to applaud colleagues and dancers that they admire. They add applause 👏 and similar emojis and and ‘well done’ type comments. I think the (mostly) older generations in this forum may be misrepresenting the generosity of younger people, particularly on social media. The dancers posting videos of themselves (whether from the wings or audience) or re-posts of official clips … those obviously ARE self-promotion. And who else is going to do it, if not themselves? Only a few have agents. I notice Friedemann Vogel’s agents regularly repost any audience video and curtain calls.

well motivationally I can only speak for myself … I repost videos precisely to advertise shows to my friends.

that’s a good point. I guess the issue with social media and today’s world is that there are more events competing for an audience. If alternative events grab attention by utilising current tools available then those that don’t risk losing out.

I thought Coppélia worked quite well as a family friendly ballet. I agree the music didn’t grab me, but then we all know the Delibes score so well. It could improve with familiarity. As did Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and even Stravinsky. Though I do agree I would have preferred the use of the original music. I’m currently watching the sci-fi version by Victor Ullate Ballet on EuroArtsChannel on YouTube