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San Perregrino

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    Scottish Ballet - The Snow Queen on tv and in theatre

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    45 minutes ago, jm365 said:

    If people might have found R & J difficult to follow - just try the Snow Queen!  I had absolutely no idea who that little thief was, or why we found ourselves suddenly in a gipsy encampment.  And why a circus in Act One?  I stuck it out and rushed to Google the moment it was over.  Maybe the BBC was the one at fault for not providing some sort of introduction - or maybe Scottish Ballet for not insisting.  Apart from that, I quite enjoyed it!!


    For no particular reason I  thought to check the Scottish Ballet website 2 mins into the programme which has a synopsis of the story. Without that I’d have been completely lost and wondering why a character with a strong resemblance to Dora the Explorer was central to the story. No way would I have identified her as the Summer Princess.

    • Like 3

    Royal Ballet - Coppelia (Dec. 2019 - Jan. 2020)

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    1 hour ago, FLOSS said:

    Much as I admire Cuthbertson as a performer I have to confess that I am more than a little relieved that she has not appeared as Swanilda in this revival of Coppelia. I suspect that the reason for her absence has more to do with her workload which at present includes preparation for her streamed Sleeping Beauty, the premiere of The Cello and her appearance as Aurora in St Petersburg during the next couple of months than management's views of her suitability for the role. While she was fine as Alice, a role created on her, I thought that she was miscast as the Young Girl in Two Pigeons and only ever gave a superficial account of the role. Although she reproduced the choreography accurately enough so much of what she was doing on stage seemed like stage business which had nothing to do with the character she was supposed to be portraying. The classic example of this lack of integration of choreography and character was the point at which the Young Girl pulls the chair away from the Young Man as he is about to sit down. If it is done fully in character it encapsulates what is wrong with the couple's relationship. If it is not done in this way it looks as if Ashton was so desperate at that point in the ballet that he resorted to a slapstick pratt fall to get a cheap laugh and that is how at least one critic interpreted it. The result as far as I was concerned was that rather than breathing life into the intensely self centered, immature, irritating character Ashton had created as Stix-Brunell did with Ball and Clarke in successive seasons Cuthbertson only managed to play her as a cute two dimensional soubrette. So while I have enjoyed every cast I have seen in this revival I do not regret Cuthbertson's absence but I do that of Stix-Brunell who I think would have been ideal in the role of Swanilda.

     

    I do not intend to say who I liked best or least in the leading roles as I thought everyone brought something worth seeing to the roles they were playing. I will simply say that I hope that Kevin has programmed Fille for the second half of next season when I believe we are to be permitted to see some of the company's "heritage" repertory as on current showing there are a significant number of talented young dancers who really should be given the opportunity to dance Lise in the not too distant future. I welcome Bracewell's return to the stage after a long absence and look forward to seeing more of his Franz as his first act was particularly amusing. I regret that Coppelia has been absent from the company's active repertory for the last thirteen years as its absence has deprived us of seeing much more of Morera's beautifully judged account of Swanilda than now seems likely. to be likely or possible. I look forward to Coppelia , and one or two other suitable ballets such as Cinderella, Fille and a mixed bill of Les Patineurs and Two Pigeons being programmed at Christmas in future seasons instead of  Nutcracker. That ballet only came to dominate Christmas at Covent Garden and become "traditional" during Dowell's directorship. Before that LFB/ENB  had a virtual monopoly in London on Nutcracker at Christmas. This had real benefits as it not only ensured that LFB/ENB was able to cover its operating costs by making up for the losses it sustains on tour but it enabled the Royal Ballet to introduce family audiences to a far wider range of its repertory than would have been possible if it had to perform Nutcracker every year. I look forward to the Opera Hose becoming, if not a completely Nutcracker free zone, at least one in which we see it far less frequently than has been the case of late.


    slightly off topic mewonders?

    Paris Opera Ballet: Raymonda, Le Parc and Demonstations de l’Ecole de Danse

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    Long ago I planned a lovely long weekend in Paris to see Raymonda, Le Parc and the Ballet School.

    I am none the wiser in respect of these performances as having negotiated a seat on a train not cancelled by Eurostar I arrived in Paris to daily messages saying my booked performances were cancelled. Cancellations are only announced on the day itself as the strikers have until a few hours before curtain up to declare themselves. The public transport strike is said to be rolling up until Christmas with a risk that performances will continue to be cancelled.

    Notwithstanding my disappointment re the above, Paris is brimming with things to do and wandering around is awesome at this time of year. It really is a City of Light and the French know how to do Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

    • Like 3

    Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty, 2019-20

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    2 hours ago, JNC said:

    I see now the website has been updated with Naghdi as replacement Aurora https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/the-sleeping-beauty-by-marius-petipa-dates

     

    If they can do this why no email? If anything surely the email to ticket holders should be prioritised? 

     

    I hope Hayward has an illness free Aurora next run, can’t believe the bad luck! And I really hope she is able to do the first night of Coppelia next week! 


    as a ticket holder I have never received an email with cast changes. I think this is limited to Friends not the general public 

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