maryrosesatonapin

Thank you very much for your research, @FionaE! It would be interesting to know if this production has a clearer 'storyline'.  Parts of it looked very intriguing.

@FionaE: the 'lust chalk' ha ha!  What a phrase.

@capybara - my partner always notices things like lighting design whereas I only notice if I can't see! Generally I prefer to enter the world of the ballet and forget the stagecraft etc although that wasn't possible with 'Dante'.

@FionaE I was nearer the front than you and could see the chalk.  It never occurred to me it would be invisible to others.  Surely they would have/should have noticed this in practice?

I agree with most of the rest of what you say.

33 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Just been watching a ROH video of Ed Watson’s curtain calls and see there was a flower throw! I thought these had been banned ( on health and safety grounds) but glad to see obviously have not.  

I think we the audience members are still not allowed to present flowers ourselves, but ROH staff carefully throw individual blooms onto the stage from the side boxes so there isn't any health and safety issue.  

Oh, I'm jealous!  I think she is a natural Carmen.

Aw, goodbye Edward Watson!  You were complex, arresting and brilliant.  I only wish the final costume in which I now have to remember you for ever more wasn't akin to my Mum's old dressing gown.  But the part of Dante was ideal as your last role - you were indeed a purgatorial poet of movement!

I'm so excited to be seeing this at last - after two postponements - as much to see Alina Cojocaru as Polunin.  And Kobborg's choreography, which I am confident I will enjoy.

25 minutes ago, SheilaC said:

All of us who have seen BRB casts have been blown away by the lead dancers.

So, if BRB is blessed with so many impressive soloists, why did they have to advertise so controversially for new soloists?

A few of the men in the principal/soloist levels are getting near retirement age. And maybe Acosta knows something that we don't (about dancers' intentions).  It might seem 'controversial' to us who aren't in the know, but maybe to the actual members of BRB it's quite a normal and acceptable thing.  Time will tell!  I the meanwhile yes, it is wonderful to have so many good lead dancers to enjoy and I wish I could see more of them.  

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

I see on another thread Tony Newcombe has just confirmed that Yu Kurihara is truly a rising star after her debut in the role of Juliet this afternoon! 
He mentioned her earlier in this thread and I feel I’m really getting out of touch with BRB as didn’t know her name or the other young dancer also about to debut as Juliet Miki Mizutani. He’s advised grabbing a ticket if you live in Plymouth area!!! 

BRB are SO worth going to see if you possibly can.  My two most moving performances in the last couple of years have been BRB and I think they are neglected.  It's not always easy to reach them, I agree - I drove several hours and it was very much worth it!

Quite possibly, although I've never seen it before, Alison.  And yes, I'm now watching 'The Glory of the Kirov'!

If you are a subscriber to Medici tv you may have already enjoyed this.  If not, it's worth joining Medici even if you cancel afterwards.  There are a number of historic films of legendary Russian performers, many of poor visual and/or sound quality due to the time they were filmed, but all worth watching and quite an education.
 

What a shame Barnaby Bishop is leaving Scottish Ballet.  He's good and they will miss him.

2 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Yes I know about this and am gutted can’t make it on this occasion ...what a lovely evening it will be though with two very interesting people X 

I feel the same, but hope we will eventually be able to enjoy a recording!

2 hours ago, oncnp said:

 

Everyone on the film was screen tested. Perhaps the camera liked him best.  And as I recall it was filmed at the end of the season (happy to be corrected) when some of the Principals may have  had other commitments or just weren't interested. 

I actually preferred Bracewell in the film than on stage.  As for Hayward - what a perfect face for film.  I just love that film and have recommended it to many non-ballet-going friends.

Oh @Jan McNulty I so wish Northern Ballet sold videos of their work!  I saw 'Victoria' in Milton Keynes and would love to see 'Merlin' but it's just not within reach.  What a great subject for a ballet.

Thank you Richard - I have been waiting eagerly for this info.  Alas, I had hoped (after seeing Monica Mason's coaching) that Marianela Nunez would be Myrthe to Osipova's Giselle so I won't be seeing her live (but am more than happy with Mayara Magri).  At least I shall see her on film.

1 hour ago, Naomi M said:

As a person living in Japan, this thread is of particular interest of me, and it is nice to know how the Japanese dancers in UK are adored by the audience. 

 

Recently (on October 20th), Asami Maki who was one of the greatest ever figures in ballet in Japan has passed away at the age of 87. She was a student of Alexandra Danilova and after her dancing career, she founded Asami Maki Ballet and Tachibana Ballet School which has brought many professional dancers. 

 

 

Yui Yonezawa is both superior in technique and expression, very clean and precise fouettes and polished lines. 

 

 

 

It was upon reading of Asami Maki's demise that prompted me to start this thread, Naomi, and I am so glad I did because otherwise I wouldn't have seen the two lovely videos you shared - Yui Yonezawa in particular is astonishing!

Conversely, my interest was held throughout, and of course the ballet would be even more riveting if seen live. I thoroughly enjoyed the cavorting priests! So irreverent - a typical French mix of the serious and the profane.  I disagree that there was anything anodyne or bloodless  - the final pas de deux between Hugo Marchand and Dorotheé Gilbert, accompanied by a yearning cello and harp, was extremely moving.  In fact there were many beautiful pas de deux throughout, as well as a huge variety of group dances varying from the traditional to the modern with stylish harmony.  This was a real treat with moments of passion, wit, drama and poetry; I would love to see it in Paris when possible.

I wasn't suggesting that Kaneko would be incapable, and indeed she was a very stylish Satan.  It's just that it almost seemed as though they had chosen the least likely dancer possible!

Honest question: was Fumi Kaneka (in the cast I saw) being cast as Satan a joke?  I find it difficult to imagine a less evil dancer.  She is sweetness, light and goodness.  Was this the point?  What WAS the point?  Explanations gratefully received.

Ignorant of Essex. 

In homage to the lovely 'Osipova thread', I would like to start a chat about the way that Japanese dancers have given so much to our enjoyment of ballet here in the UK and elsewhere.  As a pianist, I have long appreciated and been thankful that artists from Japan, China and Korea perform Western works with such exceptional sensitivity and technical brilliance.  Sometimes I feel that they will carry the baton for this precious canon whilst we in the West succumb to Kardashidisneycrasspopitus.  The world of ballet - fragile as it is, in need of new audiences and continuity of tradition over the coming decades - is also in debt to the East.  I recently glanced at the list of principals/soloists in RB, BRB and ENB and wasn't surprised to see that nearly one in five are Japanese.  My personal favourite is Momoko Hirata, who seems super human in the gossamer magic she creates on stage, but there are many other wonderful Japanese dancers here too.  I'm afraid I am largely ignorant of those dancing abroad but I'm sure I am missing some wonderful ballerinos and ballerinas.  Life is just too short - especially with covid restrictions! 

I have also enjoyed Akane Takada in the past and have resolved to make a point of seeing more of her in 2022.

So, which Japanese dancers do you particularly love?  Any particular roles and memories?  Anyone I should resolve to see here or abroad who is unmissable?

6 hours ago, Amelia said:

The streaming of "Le Rouge et le Noir” by Pierre Lacotte from Opera de Paris is still available. Hurry up, it may end soon.

https://my.mail.ru/mail/viktorlaskin/video/_myvideo/63543.html

 

 

Thank you so much for this alert, Amelia.  I love it!  I am sure that fans of Akram Khan and Wayne Mcgregor will consider this new ballet 'old fashioned' but I found it utterly charming.  The nearly-90-year-old choreographer has gifted us with not only a beautiful realisation of this great work of literature, the story clearly told, but also designed the sumptuous costumes and the exquisite monochrome scenery.  I was hooked right from the scene in the garden where the new tutor teaches his three little charges how to dance.  Unforgettable.  Massenet's score was lush and as for the dancing.... such elegance and technical accomplishment.  Just wow.

I've been thinking about Don Q... there are a number of technically demanding roles, especially for the women.  Acosta's principals will have no problem but I can see there might be difficulties with some of the secondary roles which really expose the dancers' skills.  I hope he gets all the people he needs - including wigmakers of course!!

3 hours ago, Jamiel Laurence said:

We look forward to seeing you in March/April!

How does one get on a mailing list when details are finalised?  I'd love to come (I pass Canary Wharf on my way to the Royal Opera House by car!) but have a terrible memory.

1 minute ago, AnticaFiamma said:

There are some discrepancies between the name of the tracks in the score and the choreography. Adès for instance seems to have written a "Deviants" section, which I think McGregor turned into "the Wrathful".

 

Yes, I found it really weird that the programme notes provided a different scenario from the listed dance sections.  To me it seemed confusing at best, slapdash at worst.