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maryrosesatonapin

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Posts posted by maryrosesatonapin

  1. 1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

    Are you free on Saturday 27 April for the matinee at Sadler's Wells in London, @maryrosesatonapin? Momoko Hirata is currently scheduled to be dancing that performance.  (Cast changes can occur, of course. )

    Oooh, that is tempting.  I am booked for the evening performance of 17th so will have to consider whether I can fit in a double 'Sleeping Beauty'.  Thank you @Emeralds.

    • Like 1
  2. 4 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

     One of the most memorable Auroras for me was Sandra Madgwick.  I saw a performance at the Royal Opera House where her rose adagio was so glorious I cried.  

     

    Oh, I remember Sandra Madgwick's Aurora and I had the same response.  She was such a lovely, and I felt unsung, dancer.  We always tried to get to performances where she was dancing in any role and she never disappointed.  

    I also adore Hirata.  I booked three performances this time before knowing the casts, and struck lucky with Céline Gittens (and Matthew Ball) for the first one.  I am eagerly looking forward to Alina Cojocaru's performance in London, but also have tickets for Bristol where the main dancers are Parma/Chou. With no offence meant to the other principals, I felt a bit sad that Hirata didn't feature in my 'lucky dip'.

    • Like 3
  3. I was so glad to be in the (very full and appreciative) audience of Ashton’s adorable ‘Fille’ last evening. The production was pretty much perfect, from orchestra to scenery to, most importantly, dancing.  As Lise, Léonore Baulac was a delight.  She really ‘got’ the Ashtonian style, and was both funny and touching.  Her technique was rock-solid but she has so much more than that.  I can’t imagine a better Lise.


    The new young star of the POB, Guillaume Diop, was cheeky and charming as Colas and seemed very comfortable with the technical demands, although if I were being picky I’d like to see improvement in his hands and his lifts.  But these are only minor niggles – not real faults IMO. He has exactly the right combination of athleticism and elegance that I like to see in a male dancer.


    Simon Valastro (trained by La Scala) clearly relished the role of Mère Simone and was hilarious.  Antoine Kirscher was outstanding as Alain – such a funny and technically sparkling performance. The whole corps were excellent too, as is usual with POB.  The Paris school certainly produces some superb dancers.

     

    Although the patchwork of music isn’t of a great enough quality to stand on its own, as the vehicle for Ashton’s gorgeous choreography it does a wonderful job, and at multiple points the music seemed to underline  what was happening on stage in a really pointed way.

    It was a terrific evening which went all too quickly.

    • Like 9
    • Thanks 9
  4. I loved last night's performance with Gittens/Ball - he was even more princely than usual, and I don't know if it was because I was near the stage but as well as being technically rock-solid she seemed especially powerful in her acting: changing from a shy sixteen year old into a rather show-off young girl enjoying all the attention.  Then later, when she received the lethal puncture, she became a little girl again wanting her mummy.  The supporting cast were variable but on the whole very good; I loved Carabosse and her (his) hench-demons.  I also enjoyed the non-dancing Lilac Fairy. There was a very young girl sitting on one side of me (probably five or six) but she was completely enthralled throughout and perfectly behaved.  I noticed she clutched her teddy extra tight during the scary bits, bless her.  If only all audience members would conduct themselves so beautifully.

    The settings and costumes were sumptuous, although I was not sure why there was an obelisk at the back of the stage during the palace scenes - does anyone know?  The whole performance was excellent value at half what I pay for seats at Covent Garden.

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  5. We drove through rush-hour traffic to a distant and rather unpleasant cinema to see this tonight, and it was well worth it!  What a lovely evening.  Tissi is effortlessly aristocratic and elegant and Smirnova's technique is dazzling, although for some reason I never feel my heart touched by her dancing.  Potskhishvili was so convincing as a passionate Hilarion, and in the limited dancing allocated to him he was so mesmerising that I long to see him in a more challenging role.  Well done, Dutch Ballet, and thank you!

    • Like 6
  6. We went to today’s matinee. I loved every minute. Thank you to the critics who didn’t like the choreography, and those forum members who warned that perhaps the dramaturgy was lacking, or the music had gaps (didn’t notice that?).  Because I went, fully expecting to be moved and delighted by Alina’s dancing (I was) but ready to accept rather a lot of imperfections.  Thus I had the wonderful experience of being pleasantly surprised.
     

    The greatest impact for me was Johan Kobborg’s dancing: I had no idea he would still be able to do what he did.  As soon as he started moving, I could recognise the ineffable elegance and poetry of his movement, and the lightness of landing, the beautiful technique, the wit.  Just incredible.  And when he and Alina danced together once more I was in Heaven.
     

    All of the performers were very satisfying.  I loved the costumes, the props, the music.  I loved the choreography.  It did not replicate the story of the film step-by-step, but rather distilled the essence of its charm and tragedy.  I admit to shedding a tear or two at the end.
     

    What a brave, profound and inspired woman Alina Cojocaru is.  I will remember this performance for the rest of my life.

    • Like 14
  7. 19 hours ago, Emeralds said:

    Sat 13/1 eve:

    Erina Takahashi (Giselle)

    Daniel McCormick* (Albrecht)(replacing Fernando Carratala Coloma)

    Emily Suzuki (Myrtha)

    Erik Woolhouse*(Hilarion)

    Francesca Velicu* & Shunhei Fuchiyama* (Peasant pas de deux)

     

    So on to Saturday and another new cast I've not seen before apart from Myrtha. Takahashi has danced this production Giselle for many years and in a good number of locations and theatres now, while Daniel McCormick, initially scheduled to dance just the Peasant pas de deux (albeit 5 times) now had the additional opportunity and challenge of making his debut as Albrecht in place of injured colleague Fernando Carratala  Coloma as well.

    ....

    I was at this performance and agree with everything you say, @Emeralds. I was particularly impressed with Emily Suzuki's powerful Myrtha. 

    One thing that shocked me, though, was that the audience laughed inappropriately twice: once when the ghostly Giselle's veil was snatched away, and once when she was 'floating' in the background.  How crass, I thought, wiping away my tears.

    • Like 2
  8. I'm a member of the 'spent Christmas in bed with a virus' club, but felt better enough today to go to the Coli.  I had decided to see NO Nutcrackers this season but then as Christmas approached, I began to feel sad at the thought so my partner booked today's matinee (as it is my birthday and the matinee would give us time to go out for a proper birthday dinner afterwards.) As we booked late our seats were higher than usual - front row of the upper circle - but had an excellent view and I thought were good value at £62.75 each.

     

    I generally think highly of ENB but the last time I saw one of their nutcrackers was about 25 years ago, when it was the liquorice allsorts version, and I was sooo disappointed as I was taking my nephew and niece to their first ballet and had hoped for something more - well, beautiful and traditional.  It was downright garish.

    My second attempt at an ENB Nutcracker was only slightly more enjoyable. I liked the opening 'bedroom' scene (though why does the maid or nanny stand on the bed!? How unhygienic.) I liked the skating.  I loved the orchestra. I liked the behaviour of the audience members around me, old and young - no eating or drinking that I could see, and the many small children were very well behaved and clearly enthralled.  I liked the spookiness of the mouse threatening to come through the bedroom curtains - this drew a gasp from a very young girl nearby.  I liked the initial (exterior) scenery although most of the scenery budget seems to have gone on that! I liked Ken Saruhashi's elegant and athletic dancing.

    What I didn't like: the story seemed muddled around the nephew and the Mouse King - couldn't work out what was going on until the Mouse King was suddenly dead in a kind of rural landscape.  Mystifying.  The Christmas tree was two-dimensional and dull. Looking from above, I found the first act rather lacking in formations - it all looked a bit haphazard, but not as bad as what followed. The dances in the second half seemed untraditional - for example, why was there only one mirliton?  And as others have said, the stage seemed gloomy and rather empty.  Francesca Velicu as Clara/Sugar Plum was alright but IMO lacked crispness and sparkle at times, until the very end of the famous duet when she did let go and show some brilliance.

    So, next year I will book earlier for a different Nutcracker or go without!  Lesson learned.

     

    • Like 3
  9. On 30/12/2023 at 18:45, Sim said:

    ENB's Giselle (Skeaping)

    Cojocaru/Kobborg dancing together again in La Strada

    NYCB dancers' visit

    Sarasota Ballet's visit

    State Ballet of Georgia's visit

    Naghdi/Bracewell's debuts in Manon

    Fumi/Vadim in Manon

    MacMillan Triple Bill (RB)

    Ashton Bill (RB)

     

    Hopefully a trip to Zurich to see Zurich Ballet.

     

    That's about as far as I can get as I don't know what's coming on in autumn/winter of 2024.

    What a coincidence, my list is identical to yours, Sim, apart from replacing Zurich with Paris (to see Fille).

    • Like 4
  10. I just watched this on-line (Marquee) and had a mixed response.  I'm sure it would have been much better in 'real life'.  The set and designs were stunning.  The music, whilst not exactly memorable, was very pleasant and such a relief after some other 'modern' ballet scores.  The dancers gave it their all, especially Kevin Poeung in the title role.  The overall flavour was of a crowd-pleasing spectacle rather than a technically demanding classical ballet. It was west-endy, a little bit superficial, and the dragon was cute but twee. But this is the kind of thing that might bring new audiences to ballet, so well done NB.  It was certainly entertaining to watch.

    • Like 3
  11. 19 hours ago, Sophoife said:

     

    Exactly. I bolded the bit most relevant to my butterfly brain btw.

     

    Giselle, AusBallet, Adam Bull as Albrecht didn't even think about entrechats, he just said to Miss Gielgud (whose production it is and who was here coaching), "My knees won't do them, I've always wanted to be Baryshnikov, can I do the brisés volés instead?"

     

    He did the brisés and it was so fun from the audience seeing a different take.

    I would find this very disappointing.  Was there no other dancer who could fulfil the role correctly?

  12. I do sort of know what the OP means. Sarah is a very nuanced, diligent dancer who sacrifices her own ego to the demands of the role.  I choose to watch Hirano in certain roles and not others and he wouldn't be my first choice for her visually (I would prefer Muntagirov).  That isn't to belittle Hirano - he is magnificent in the roles that suit him.  But I also agree with the poster (was it @Fiona M?) who observed that some 'older' male dancers seem to get a swan-song of brilliance after the age of forty, eg Bonelli whom I felt was quite amazing in his final performances.  And I have found Hirano greatly improved too lately.  

    As for choice of partners - there are some ballerinas who have such clout that they can choose or deny.  Osipova is one, and her strong personality would insist on what she wants.  I love her choice of Reece - they are so well-suited.  I don't think Sarah Lamb would have the same influence.  She is, for a start, a naturally modest person, and she isn't a worldwide star like Osipova and Nunez.  This is not IMO in any way a fault - she is just different.  When I have seen her I have loved her, but she isn't flamboyant.

    • Like 4
  13. 2 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

     

    Is this clearer when seeing the production live? When I watched the TV broadcast in 2021 everyone just seemed to have rather random whiteish smears with little clouds of chalk visibly coming off dancers. I found Inferno pretty confusing all round. On the cast sheets the titles of some of the sections sound really interesting - "The Pope's Adagio", "Pavan Of The Souls In Limbo", "Stations Of The Cross" - but when watching it for me it was all just a bunch of difficult to recognise dancers in greyish unitards doing similar-looking choreography. (I have abandoned hope that I will ever "get" McGregor!)

    That is EXACTLY how it seems to me, @Dawnstar.

    • Like 4
  14. 3 hours ago, PeterS said:


    i’ve often dreamt of being woken from my reverie by an handsome Prince (no luck so far) so, I think that there is room for a Sleeping Beauty that has a male dancer as Aurora. 
     

    I remember that at my first viewing of Matthew Bourne's all-male swan lake I expected to be horrified (the tickets were a gift) - not because of the maleness of it per se, but simply that Bourne would dare to tamper with such a masterpiece of a ballet.  Yet by the end I was as moved as I have ever been by a performance, and absolutely loved it. So yes, why not a male Aurora?

    • Like 3
  15. I haven't seen a live performance of Don Q this season, but enjoyed the cinema relay last night.  I think Kitri is a natural role for Magri, whose warmth and vigour were infectious - although she did seem to be wearing an awful lot of rouge!  However unlike it seems almost everyone else on this forum I didn't think Ball was particularly good.  He is elegant and charming, but I wasn't otherwise impressed by his performance.  Avis' Don was really touching, and Hay was great as was Gasparini.  I thought the corps in the dream sequence didn't look as uniform as I would like (in height/appearance) although their dancing was great, which is the main thing.

    It's interesting to note that Lukas BB is getting more prominent roles lately and I suspect he will be promoted again soon.

    The orchestra and conductor were sparkling.  I do like this production although I prefer BRB's wonderful windmill.  What a shame that the cinema was mainly empty.

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