maryrosesatonapin

All RB principals have Instagram accounts but some seem to be more enthusiastic than others at keeping them up to date. By far the largest following for a dancer on our shores is that of Marianela Nunez (321K), but her following is dwarfed by that of Roberto Bolle (663K) which in turn is but a fraction of the queen of ballet Instagram, Misty Copeland who has no fewer than 1.7 MILLION followers. You may be interested to note that the only other RB principal to have followers in treble figures is Steven McRae with 186K. Osipova, surprisingly, has only 44.7K followers but she's well worth watching as she does post some delightful pictures and it gives an insight to her unusual but charming personality. Personally I follow Svetlana Zakharova (along with 121K other people) because she has a habit of posting a short video of herself being driven to work, with her eclectic choice of music in the background, usually in a woolly hat in winter but still looking perfect, and the way she glances into the camera and blows a kiss melts my heart Thus Instagram does seem to lead to fame to an extent, although it is not always a guide to 'quality'.

Ah! That explains what I have been noticing; that some, often older, dancers have shapely but slender legs without over-developed muscles (similar to Fonteyn's), and others (especially younger generation RB) have very noticeable calf-muscles. I had imagined it to be some kind of exercise routine they were given in the gym but it must be the way they are dancing. I do hope they correct any mistakes before it is too late

Instead of uploading photos on this forum I've put them on my own website - if you'd like to see a couple from Friday night's Coppelia, please just click here: https://www.extraloudpurrs.co.uk/ballet-pictures

Ah, thank you for the explanation.

I have posted a few photos, sticking to the 150k limit each time, but when I tried just now I was told I have a maximum allowance of 10Kb. That means I can't share any photos whatsoever. Is this some kind of site problem?

I agree, and was thinking about this last night when watching Muntagirov partner Nunez. Although he is a great dancer in his own right, he gives the impression (eg in interviews etc) of being quite self-effacing yet considerate, and I think this shows in the way he is rather a selfless and skilful partner. Probably the complete opposite character from that of Nureyev (whom I also adore).

Not the same, but similar. I prefer BRB's scenery and costumes.

Last night’s performance was fun, as it should be. Nunez at 38 was completely convincing as a young peasant girl – charmingly naughty and flawlessly nimble-footed, just beautiful to watch, as she always is. What a combination of technique, comic acting ability and winsome cuteness she has! I dread the day when she retires – which cannot be far off, alas. Muntagirov had little to do except partner beautifully (which he did), until the third act when he was unleashed like a purebred Arab racehorse let loose from the traps, dancing with absolute brilliance and leaving us hungry for more. I have never seen him perform better. I noticed Magri make the best of her small part with her wonderful stage presence, and was struck by Buvoli’s solo work which was excellent. Lukas BB was completely underused in a non-dancing part (please excuse shorthand but I’m in a hurry). The actual production I don’t like as much as the last one I saw (Paris OB) and the orchestra weren’t at their best, with some unbalance in the wind section and an occasional screechy violin that seemed a half-tone out of tune. But the main dancers were wonderful and well worth the hearty applause they received. I will upload some pics later if I have time.

Aren't they the same thing in Britain?

As I already said, no dancer should risk their safety.

@Ivy Lin ' I mean think of this: do we dare go up to say, a professional tennis player and tell her that her sneakers are ugly? Or that she should wear prettier outfits on the court? Ballerinas are professionals who have difficult, dangerous jobs.' There is a world of difference between a sports person and an artiste. I agree that dancers often have as physically demanding, or more demanding, 'jobs' but it is also their role to look beautiful. That is what (traditional) ballet is all about - beauty. It really doesn't matter what a tennis player (or most other sports people) look like so long as they can do the thing they are supposed to and do it well. Not that I am saying dancers, or anyone else, should risk their safety. @katharine kanter Zaharova is already over 40 and showed no signs of arthritis during her beautiful performances in London three months ago. I hope she stays well. She herself has mentioned her hyperextension and various other physical attributes in interviews.

I thought the mime was very clear.

Yes, I agree! But they are still quite pretty. Not clumpy.

I've just been reading an article in the London Review of Books by Patrick Carnegy, published back in the year 2000. He writes: 'Moreover, it seems that there may be times when as few as 20 per cent of the seats will be available for public booking, the rest being reserved for the 19,000-strong ‘Friends’ (subscription £55) and the wealthy patrons. What kind of House those patrons want – and will have to be given – is anyone’s guess, but it’s more likely to be Carmen, Bohème and Swan Lake than Gawain, the cancelled Le Grand Macabre or new choreography by William Forsythe or Twyla Tharp.' Plus ça change and all that....

The picture of Fonteyn above is, to me, the embodiment of an aesthetically pleasing ballerina. The shoes are delicate and elegant. The legs are not over-developed. Fonteyn has a small waist and a womanly shape. Obviously her beautiful face with its huge eyes, framed by dramatic black hair, helps. You may have seen the interview with Monica Mason where she explains that Fonteyn manufactured that look to an extent. If, as Katherine says, today's female dancers are weight-lifting and cross-training that could explain why some of them are changing shape to have flattened torsos and over-developed leg muscles. But on the topic of shoes, it is worrying that dancing is changing so much that uglier shoes have to be worn so as to help ward off injury. On the other hand, to my mind (and I didn't see her live) Fonteyn's dancing was every bit as virtuosic as today's dancers and a good bit more poetic than most. But are today's dancers really more athletic and if so, should they be?

I am taking the liberty of starting a separate thread so this topic doesn't 'block' the Sleeping Beauty one (please excuse the pun!) @Katharine Kanter's post is a good place to start so I will quote it here. Allow me to suggest that the reason for much wider block and higher vamp on shoes is PROTECTION: 1/ Choreography is become far more athletic and dangerous over the past 30 years. The combination of hyper-extensions, hyper-flexibility and pointe work, is hell on the body. Forsythe for example, is far more dangerous for the woman, than for the man. Dancers including female dancers, are weight-lifting, cross-training, etc. It’s become a competitive sport, rather than a branch of theatre. 2/ Until 40 years, « Cecchetti » or spring technique, was used in the West for getting up onto pointe, save in adagio work. This places the foot straight under the line of aplomb, and considerably lightens the load on the metatarsals and phalanges. Hence the « weightless », « floating » quality of pointe work prior to the mid-80s when Guillemitis and its cortège of ills, struck. We now roll up onto pointe, placing the foot farther from the line of aplomb. The strain on the ligaments and small bones is very considerable. Even Darcey Bussell, not precisely your bold iconoclast, has referred to this as a serious problem. 3/ The current commercial-aesthetic fad is for Posers rather than Movers. We like it when the dancer hard-points the foot (terrible for the calf-muscles inter alia), and then “nails” the pointe into the floor rather than “rising above it” as it were. To get the “big arch” look, the dancer then pushes the arch right over the vamp of the shoe (many female dancers today wear a big fake arch, one can buy them on the Internet …), rather than standing tall and ramrod straight on pointe as we did until late 1970s. Even men can no longer get a job today unless they have the big arch, and corresponding S-shaped knee-joint – an Accident waiting to Happen, as we have seen with Hallberg. 4/ In furtherance of the Poser craze, tempi have got glued down into treacle since the 1980s, poses and balances are consequently held far longer, and à la seconde positions are expected to be held on pointe with the gesture leg waving somewhere behind the ear. Without an armoured tank of a shoe, the foot would buckle. 4/ all this, and more (I could go on….) helps to explain the need for Gaynor Mindens (good shoes, BTW) and generally, the extra-wide platform.

Ali has the really famous variation though.

Kase and Mack

I went to the Milton Keynes matinee today and - well, that was an exuberant experience! The ENB buckled their swashes (whatever swashes are) and turned out an exhilarating performance with guest artist Brooklyn Mack as Conrad, Shiori Kase as Medora, Julia Conway as Gulnare and Daniel McCormick as Ali. The scenery was spectacular! Really exotic and well-lit, including wonderful effects such as the pirate’s vessel sailing on the high seas. The ENB orchestra was excellent, as always. Mack was perfect for the main role with his spirited dancing and heroic looks. I’ve wanted to see him for some time and wasn’t disappointed: he is expansive and musical and his partnering was exceptional - seemingly effortless, stylish and attentive. And what charisma there is in that smile! Shiori Kase was sure-footed and at times dazzling. I particularly liked her expressive arms – I’ve noticed this propensity in quite a few Japanese dancers. Some of the numbers were slightly ragged (eg the Odalisques’ Pas de Trois) but nonetheless enjoyable to watch, and the opium-induced dream scene was charming. The Pasha himself (Michael Coleman) managed to convey a combination of comedy and sleaze. But to me, the star of today’s show was the American Daniel McCormick who was spectacular. I agree with @Irmgard that this ballet doesn’t have a lot of soul, but it is entertaining to watch. All in all it could so easily become a kitsch ‘blockbuster’ but it is just saved by the painterly designs and admirable dancing of the company.

I searched for some pics on line and came up with these: (Top - gorgeous Fonteyn!, middle Naghdi, bottom Osipova)

Thank you for posting that video, @serenade - Hallberg is the epitome of a ballet prince here. It makes me wish I had seen him dance live at the height of his powers.

I know, but Hayward was born a few months after Naghdi. Just saying.

Francesca Hayward is the youngest.

... she said, straying into politics

I couldn't find any other tour dates at all, let alone in Britain. It seems it was a one-off; maybe a trial, maybe the beginning of more. I also tried to find out more about Kazakhstan and it seems to be a relatively wealthy country (oil) so maybe they are in a position to nurture their arts, and maybe they are ambitious to gain greater respect in the wider world.