AnneL

Do tell us what it’s like. I can’t go as I am on holiday.

Yesterday evening was my first live ballet for 15 months and 4 days so it was going to be a great occasion whatever happened. I was thrilled especially to see Apollo for the first time ever, as I have great enthusiasm for major early 20th century works such as this. But what surprised me was how lovely it was to hear music played live again! I have listened to the Stravinsky score many times on CD so hearing it live and seeing the superb dancing on stage made the evening as memorable as I wanted to be. I have no comments to add to those of others on the pdd. I enjoyed DaaG but it will never be a favourite ballet of mine - not even my favourite set to the music of Chopin (that is Les Sylphides, which never seems to be performed these days). But to my inexpert eyes the dancers all seemed to be on great form in Dances and displaying their joy in dance and movement as well as their skill. Therefore it was a pleasure to watch. However it’s the memory of Apollo that will linger - the marriage of music, choreography and beautiful interpretation from the talented cast.

I got an error message in the email which was entitled ‘booking confirmation’ when I made my booking. Has this happened to anyone else?

Thank you for sharing this,Jan. I first saw Marion Tait in 1968 in a cut-down version of Giselle performed by the RB touring company, as it was then. I still remember it well - she was my first Giselle, a year before Fonteyn! This article/ interview gives a great summary of Marion’s career to date. I think she’s a real treasure.

Just watched Broken Wings - really excellent, I love it. Great work from ENB.

Yes, I gave it another go when it was shown on television recently, and although there are parts of it I *quite* enjoy, overall it doesn’t really work for me. But I keep trying!

Sorry to hear you missed the end! Just down the road in Maidstone we had the whole thing. I have been to several of the screenings there now, and there have never been any problems, I am glad to say. it must be very annoying when it is cut off.

I have just booked to see this when it comes to the Marlowe in Canterbury in Easter week. I saw it previously during its first Sadlers Wells run and enjoyed it enough to give it another go. So far I have avoided the Swan Lake because I am such a devotee of the classical ballet that I am not sure how much I would really like it. But in my view the Red Shoes film is better source material for a show like this. After I booked, a trailer for the show appeared on my Facebook feed which amused me since it was a group of celebs effectively describing the Red Shoes as ballet, ‘but don’t worry folks, it’s still good’. An odd way to promote it, in my view! I notice also that the cinema showing will include Adam Cooper in the cast, so I will definitely try to see that.

I thought Nuñez gave a great performance last night, remarkable when one realises how little rehearsal time they must have had. She is such a versatile dancer - I have seen her in many different roles and styles. Her characterisation was convincing to me. I don’t think Onegin will ever be a top favourite work of mine, but it was an absorbing evening nonetheless.

Mine was about £2 more for exactly the same seat as for last week’s Corsaire (in the upper circle.)

My first highlights were in 2011 - a Cuban National Ballet Nutcracker and a mixed programme from BRB of Checkmate, Symphonic Variations and Pineapple Poll at Sadlers Wells. I also appreciated their revivals of Daphnis and Chloe and of Miracle in the Gorbals this decade. 2013 was a big year for great performances for me. I was entranced by an ENB Swan Lake - the leads were Klimentova and Muntagirov. Then in the autumn I bought a ticket on a whim for Acosta’s new Don Q and suddenly I was back into going to the ROH after a gap of about 10 years! I haven’t stopped since. Acosta’s farewell La Fille was a great evening which lingers in my memory. Recent revivals that have brought me great pleasure include The Firebird (Magri), Enigma Variations, Les Patineurs. Best new ballet for me was Broken Wings (ENB). In fact their whole programme of women choreographers last Spring was good. I am not the greatest Macmillan fan, but the Sambe/O’Sullivan Romeo and Juliet was great and I have enjoyed Manon performed by Nunez and Bolle. I recently enjoyed Concerto and also liked the ENB Song of the Earth a few years back. BUT.... This brings me to my lowlight - I know this is controversial - because it’s Mayerling! I first saw it in the late seventies and hated it, but decided to give it another go in 2018. It turned out my opinion hadn’t altered! Overall, I am very grateful to all the great dancers I have seen, and my daughters for keeping me company on many but not all these occasions. It has been a fun decade of dance watching.

My children used to call it the Grand Tigger when they were young, after the Winnie the Pooh character. I think it was due to a misreading of a sign there!

Thank you for posting the link. However not all the performances are on this list - I have a programme for 28 December 1968, but that isn’t on there. It featured Diana Vere and Keith Martin in the principal roles and Lesley Collier was one of Swanilda’s friends (I think). My daughter says we also saw Coppelia in the early 2000s - perhaps one of the performances in that long run!

I agree with much of the above. Osipova did a great job with the rose adage and vision scene, and Hallberg was a convincing lonely prince. I am seeing a different cast on Thursday so it will be interesting to compare. I would add that the ‘fairy group dance’ (for want of a better term - pas de six maybe?) in the prologue was beautifully done. Unfortunately I could write an essay for the ‘audience behaviour’ thread on the basis of what I saw in the stalls circle yesterday evening, especially re mobile phones

I do agree, although I was a bit put off last year when I bought a Mayerling programme and found it contained a reprint of the article in my 1979 programme of the same ballet! But this time, like last night’s performance itself, the programme was right up my street. For example there is an article about Ninette de Valois, one of my greatest heroes. I can confirm the synopsis in the programme is more detailed and explains the wheat ear part.

I also bought a programme (I obviously don’t get them all the time with ballets I have seen a lot recently) and I must say it was really good value this time - articles by Judith Mackrell and Alastair Macaulay (both writers I enjoy reading) - and more. Agree with others about the performances, with Act II really special. The exaggerated mime was just great for me in row N of the amphitheatre since I had forgotten to bring my Opera glasses!

I just thought the Concerto choreographic style suited her better. I certainly didn’t find her unsuccessful in Raymonda- perhaps I worded this badly- it was more that I thought she was so good in Concerto and had been raving about her performance in it during the first interval, that the Raymonda didn’t quite hit the same peak.

I really appreciated the varied programme yesterday afternoon. I was most looking forward to seeing Enigma Variations as I have only seen it once before, nearly 50 years ago, with mainly the original cast, and it made an indelible impression on me. I wasn’t disappointed but there were one or two performances in it that could have been a little bit better. As others have said, Arestis, Avis & Whitehead were on top form, Campbell also. The other two pieces were new to me but I did enjoy Concerto - lovely music and piano soloist- despite the fact I am not MacMillan’s biggest fan (with the obvious exception of Romeo and Juliet and also Song of the Earth). Melissa Hamilton was superb, although not quite as successful in her Raymonda solo, in my opinion. I am hoping to see the programme again at my local cinema!

I really enjoyed this BRB Giselle production yesterday evening. I haven’t seen it for many years and had forgotten the lovely scenery in both acts ( the Bastide-style gateway which gives the first act a real French countryside feel and the gothic church style in the second) but I hadn’t forgotten the horse! Both music and dancing throughout the company was excellent as was the orchestra. I think this may be my favourite production. I was just a little disappointed that Marion Tait wasn’t in last night’s cast - I gather she was on Friday from comments above. The principals both performed well, especially Mathews, who made the madness and death of Giselle very convincing. Both acts ended on the right emotional and dramatic note.

Thanks for mentioning this. I listened to it on the BBC app.

I read about her in a little book of famous dancers I was given as a child, over 50 years ago - and the book wasn’t new then! When I visited Havana with my daughter in 2011 we went to a performance of the Nutcracker and everyone in the audience stood and clapped when she took her place in the auditorium. She was a great legend of ballet for sure.

That’s my memory too.

I agree entirely. Yoshida’s Sugar Plum always lives in my memory. I also saw her dance Lise in ‘Gardee’ with Mukhamedov as Colas at Covent Garden and will never forget the perfection of their performance together. It does sound like it was a wonderful gala.

I also noticed the absence of Le Tricorne. Massine apart, isn’t de Falla music and Picasso designs enough to make something a great artistic work of the 20th century? I would also put in a word for Spectre de la Rose by Fokine. Yes, it is very short, but I would hate to see that lost. I could also make a case for Miracle in the Gorbals (Helpmann) - maybe a bit dated, but of historical importance with a score by Arthur Bliss. I found it impressive when BRB revived it a few years ago with Gillian Lynne’s help. Finally, a couple of comic works which I think need preservation: Ashton’s Facade and Cranko’s Pineapple Poll.

Since no one else has left a comment about Friday evening’s show, I will! Firstly, the orchestra deserves full honours, as do the dancers for keeping up with it! For me the standout among the principals was Zakharova, who not only had fabulous technique, but also was utterly convincing as Aegina. I don’t think this will ever be my favourite ballet (maybe Giselle is?) but I am very glad to see performed live at last. Our seats were front row side of the amphitheatre so we missed a little of the action in the corner of the stage, but at least the price was reasonable. I treated myself to the dvd with Carlos Acosta as Spartacus so am now watching it and finding out what happens in that corner!