San Perregrino

Even for a sold out show there will be a number of seats that are empty on the night due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances not just because someone has more money than sense. Especially now that one has to buy tickets so far in advance. I almost didn’t make last night’s show as less than two hours prior to leaving home water started dripping into my sitting room from the flat upstairs. Fortunately for me the leak was located and contained so that I was able to get to the Coliseum in the nick of time. A few hours earlier a friend had been immobilised by sciatica and was unsure whether they would attend. It’s not always possible to return or even give away tickets at the last minute even if one thinks to do so. That’s life. NB the top ticket price for a seat (VIP packages aside) was the same price as a ticket to RB Swan Lake.

A smorgasbord of gems to ponder, to relish and delight the most jaded of palettes even if some dishes weren’t to everyone’s taste. My highlight of the evening: Caravaggio choreo by Mauro Bigonzetti danced by Melissa Hamilton and Roberto Bolle literally took my breath away. That was worth the cost of the ticket without anything else.

I’m not a scholar of Petipa or anyone else but after a bit of googlewebbing I get the sense that non-idiomatic emotionalism equates to “wearing your heart on your sleeve” or “what you see is what you get”.

They did dance this together in the last run so it’s not completely from scratch.

Yes Téo Dubreuil

When I messaged the organisers via IG two days ago they directed me to the Coliseum website which didn’t have any dancer information on it. Seems like the social media chimps don’t have a clue. In conversation with another human last night I learned that casting had yet to be finalised along with the running order.

I don’t know how up to date this is, it was posted on IG this afternoon: Ballet Icons Gala 2024 Performers Eleonora Abbagnato, ex-Paris Opera Ballet, Matthew Ball, Royal Ballet, Sergio Bernal, National Ballet of Spain, Skylar Brandt, American Ballet Theatre, Bleuenn Battistoni, Paris Opera Ballet, António Casalinho, Bavarian State Ballet, Reece Clarke, Royal Ballet, Travis Clausen-Knight, Cesar Corrales, Royal Ballet, Margarita Fernandes, Bavarian State Ballet, Evelina Godunova, Polish National Ballet, Matthew Golding, Osiel Gouneo, Bavarian State Ballet, Francesca Hayward, Royal Ballet, Motomi Kiyota, Hungarian National Ballet, Sangeun Lee, English National Ballet, Gareth Haw, English National Ballet, Lucia Lacarra, Julian MacKay, Bavarian State Ballet, Vadim Muntagirov, Royal Ballet, Yasmine Naghdi, Royal Ballet, Marianela Nuñez, Royal Ballet, Anna Ol, Dutch National Ballet, Natalia Osipova, Royal Ballet, James Pett, lana Salenko, Berlin State Ballet, Marcelino Sambé, Royal Ballet, Polina Semionova, Berlin State Ballet, Olga Smirnova, Dutch National Ballet, David Motta Soares, Berlin State Ballet, Jacopo Tissi, Dutch National Ballet. (Cast subject to change) London Coliseum

I may have gotten confused as Gareth & Sangeun are scheduled to dance too.

I believe it’s ’In the middle, somewhat elevated’ with Melissa Hamilton

Shout out to Leo Dixon who dances his debut as Benno tonight. (15th March)

booking dates Patrons: Monday 18 March, 10am Rehearsal members: Wednesday 20 March, 10am Members: Friday 22 March, 10am General public on sale date: Monday 25 March, 10am Book online from 10am but remember to log in to your account first.

booking dates Patrons: Monday 18 March, 10am Rehearsal members: Wednesday 20 March, 10am Members: Friday 22 March, 10am General public on sale date: Monday 25 March, 10am Book online from 10am but remember to log in to your account first.

booking dates Patrons: Monday 18 March, 10am Rehearsal members: Wednesday 20 March, 10am Members: Friday 22 March, 10am General public on sale date: Monday 25 March, 10am Book online from 10am but remember to log in to your account first.

Looking forward to your review @Emeralds

Thank you & my condolences for your loss 🙏🏻

How much are you asking? Thanks

Please have sent PM

If you book two consecutive performances it’s less likely that you will get the same cast.

Yep. Putting the established étoiles in the other ballets you mention, whilst the younger talented dancers get to dance Lise & Colas in La Fille makes a lot of sense.

With all the costs of getting to a touring location already incurred be the run 4 or 6 performances, I think if they could get the bums on seats the costs of extra days would cover themselves. Rather it’s that the audience has shrunk due to personal finance pressure ands changing tastes.

In this respect the POB AD had the right idea. I’ve said it elsewhere before. I think this is the perfect ballet for younger audiences and for non-principal company members (with the requisite skills) to hone their craft on in the lead roles which are a couple of teenagers out to have fun. Leo Dixon, Mariko Sasaki, Liam Boswell, Madison Bailey, Marco Masciari, Viola Pantuso… the list is long.

One way of honing his Ashton skills ahead of the June triple bills at the ROH.

bumping this up

Sounds to me very much like a shady spy character from Blackadder or a felon in a Pink Panther cartoon.

I love reading the diverse and mixed reactions of forum members. Thank you one and all. As a company, NYCB has received a warm welcome in London as well it ought. The dancers don’t choose the work to be presented. However, this was definitely a missed opportunity. For me, the programme presented this week has highlighted that turkeys are not just for Thanksgiving. I also give thanks that London is the home of two of the world’s best ballet companies and a third is a relative stones throw away in Birmingham.