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Janite

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    Dance on terrestrial TV

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted · Edited by Janite

    11 minutes ago, Lisa O`Brien said:

    Just watched Getting to the Nutcracker on Channel 5. Very insightful. Wow, that's some budget they must have. Some very talented dancers though.

    where did you see it? I have looked and I can't find it on TV, I did find it on Amazon Prime though.

    Dance on non-terrestrial "TV" and video

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted · Edited by Janite

    Peter Wright's The Nutcracker. Created for Birmingham Royal Ballet and now performed by The Australian Ballet, Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker is considered the world's most beautiful. Recorded in 2008.

    Friday 29th November on Sky Arts from 3:10pm to 5:00pm

    (Now Channel 122 on Sky, 123 on Virgin)

    disclaimer, not my views Sky Arts blurb.

    Ballet and dance in cinemas, 2019-20

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    On 12/11/2019 at 23:52, alison said:

    I was going to ask whether anyone knows what the Bolshoi do about their repeats (i.e. previously recorded broadcasts), and whether they still put them online for 24 hours (I was thinking about doing this ballet thing at the Coliseum next Sunday, but I had to miss the last act of Corsaire last time around because it was so long and it was a later start than usual owing to the clocks going back, so I haven't seen it fully yet).  However, I then realised that because it's a repeat it may be on at different times next Sunday depending on venue, in which case I might be able to fit in a showing *and* the Coliseum in the evening.

     

    I hope they do put Corsaire on line, I was unable to make it to the cinema today and I would love to see this one.

    Acosta Danza Evolution

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    20 hours ago, Odyssey said:

    I had hoped for there to be a performance thread about the UK tour of Acosta Danza. Now nearly at the end of the tour, and with just  two reviews from Edinburgh in the Dance Links. I thought I’d post my appreciation.

    On a wet and windy afternoon in Birmingham last week, I spent two enjoyable hours immersed in a programme that exceeded expectations in the way it challenged, entertained and drew my admiration for this troupe of talented dancers. The opening piece, Satori, choreographed by Raul Reinoso, who is a dancer with the company, is a journey towards spiritual illumination. The score is a mixture of electronic and acoustic sounds that enveloped the auditorium ,while the billowing fabric that initially encased the dancers was gradually shed to reveal a raw, exposed ’essence ’ reflected in the wonderful physicality of the dancing of Zeleidy Crespo. The second piece, Paysage, Soudain, La Nuit  is a celebration of a youthful Cuba - life enhancing and care-free. The dancers move to and fro amongst the grassy landscape in harmony with their surroundings and each other. Faun is an interpretation by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui of ‘L’ Apres-midi’, originally commissioned as part of the centenary celebration, In the Spirit of Diaghilev, at Sadler Wells with a score that fuses Debussy with experimental music from Nitin Sawhney The pas de deux becomes increasingly intricate as the dancers begin to interact and gradually become  enmeshed, mesmerising in their fluidity and sensuality. The performance finished in style with Christopher Bruce’s crowd pleaser, Rooster, and a much anticipated appearance from Carlos Acosta strutting his stuff as the red rooster. Altogether a stimulating afternoon, much appreciated by the vocal Birmingham audience, who already regard Carlos as one of their own in anticipation of his taking up his appointment in the New Year. Acosta Danza is wonderful company -there’s a clear unity of purpose that shines through in their approach. This latest programme is bold and reflects the versatility and capabilities of the dancers. 

     

    I am looking forward to seeing them even more this week after this review. Thank you. 

    • Like 1

    Frederick Ashton his works and his style.

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    On 22/03/2019 at 15:24, Richard LH said:

     

     

    I would suggest   Monotones 2  is not the best example of the use of slower tempi and the resultant  effects. Having looked at both versions in some detail, I find that  the modern (2013) RB recording of  Monotones 2 (Nunez, Watson, Kish) is played to music no slower than the Derman Silver and Deane version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1iFPJdnFSo. In fact if anything it runs very slightly quicker. I also don’t find there to be any excessive  “freeze frame posing” in comparison to the early version, or differences in terms of the flow of movement. In the latter regard, I don’t really see the movement as  completely continuous in either case; indeed the  choreography appears designed, on occasions ,  for  slightly “pausing”  (rather than “posing”)  on the third beat of the fairly deliberate 3/4 time signature.  

    There is also this  filmed  version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0ppAEMpaVQ  performed by the Joffrey Ballet and shown in 1989 as a tribute to Robert Joffrey following the latter’s death in 1988: here Parkinson, Edgerton and Mossbucker  do dance to music noticeable slower than both these  RB versions. Presumably  this was not anathema to Ashton, as  in the introductory  interview (only a few months before his own death) he explained how much he had trusted his late friend Joffrey with his work  and how  the latter took great pains to get it  correct.

    Symphonic Variations is another case where the earlier version (1977 Park, Jenner, Penney, Wall, Coleman and Eagling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYQNqj3CCVQ runs at a very similar tempo to the recent RB recorded version (Nunez , Muntagirov, Naghdi, Hay, Choe and Dyer).

    Other examples, though, do illustrate a more recent slowing of pace – such as in The Dream, and in Voices of Spring. Possible pros and cons of this are touched on in the following paragraph.

    I found a good discussion about  the use of slower music relating to Princess Florine’s variation  in Sleeping  Beauty here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8dYv2BZ4w where arguments are proffered against the slower versions, particularly the Russian ones, going back as far Kolpakova. The pros and cons might be summarised as faithful characterisation (requiring speed in this case) vs  beauty of form and luxurious ease of movement.  On this scale Sibley’s is clearly the fastest (even so, from the discussion, it is arguably still a fair bit slower than the original intent) and  I think she  does best  represent the quick fluttering of the Princess mimicking  the actions of the Bluebird.  Personally I do find the slowest Russian versions rather too laboured and lacking in portrayal of bird-like movements. Perhaps there is a balance to be struck because I do admire  “beauty of form and luxurious ease of movement” as well as good characterisation.  I believe  Ratmansky has been trying to replicate the original intent of Tchaikovsky / Petipa as far as possible;  his ABT version with Cassandra Trenary (the last in the list and starting with a little slip) is a fair bit slower than Sibley (though much faster than the Russian ones). This is more akin to  the  timing  of the recent RB version (Choe) that is included. In the similar Takada RB version http://picdeer.com/media/1921443087995266538_1526149934 I find she includes some particularly graceful and extended slower  movements  of arms, body and legs that are  (understandably) absent in Sibley’s version.  

    Sorry that  the latter strayed  from Ashton himself,  but I think the example  is still relevant to some of the discussion on this thread.

    thank you for the links, very much enjoying watching them, love Monotones.

    • Like 1

    Frederick Ashton his works and his style.

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. As a relative newby and only watching ballet for the last 8 years I have much to discover. 

    Here are some radio programmes about Ashton that I found interesting. 

     

    Desert Island Disks:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p009mv6f

     

    Meridian 

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p03m0rpj

     

    Spotlight 

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p02sfydl

    • Like 3

    Paris Opera Ballet: Crystal Pite, Body and Soul/ Bejart Ballet Lausanne: Ballet for Life

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Mary said:

    Re the Leonardo celebrations, I have just seen the new film by the excellent team EOS ( Exhibition on Screen)- 'Leonardo- the Works'- which is absolutely excellent and ravishingly beautiful: I can very highly recommend seeing it - all the paintings, shown in high definition, very slowly and carefully with expert commentary and no nonsense...

     

     

    They show a shortened version of many of their films on TV, (ITV 3) called Great Art. I find them very interesting and informative. 

    10 hours ago, Duck said:

    Thanks so much, Janite.

     

    The stay in Paris was superb (... and left me longing for more).

     

     

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