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AnnabelCharles

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  1. I think it speaks for the preferences of a number - perhaps many or even most - people on this forum. But not everyone. Either on the forum or necessarily amongst the dance viewing public. I don't often post because I know my opinions don't chime with the majority view. I also tend not to express my dislike for particular ballets, dancers , choreographers etc - because I don't think it's interesting to anyone else and it can spoil others' enthusiasm or upset the people involved. I do find some comments on this forum overly negative and they sometimes seem to brook no disagreement - or at least assume that others share the same view. To me Wayne McGregor is a really interesting choreographer - I love the way he links his pieces to and explores other art forms, I love the fact he tackles major themes about what it is to be human and I love his choreographic language which I find exciting and beautiful but also challenging and moving. I like ensemble pieces and I agree with Bruce Wall that we are lucky that the stunning versatility of the Royal Ballet dancers enables them to shift seamlessly between Don Quixote and The Dante Project, equally assured and artistically brilliant in both.
  2. I'm also a fan of Meaghan Grace Hinkis - and think she is sometimes underrated on this forum. To me a liveliness and sense of character always comes through in her dancing - thought she made a terrific Gertrudis in Like Water for Chocolate. Agree Kitri is hugely demanding - have just rewatched the DVD with Carlos Acosta and Marienela Nunez (hard to beat, in my opinion) and the dancer playing Kitri has to be able to balance, jump and turn - while maintaining a distinctive character and sustaining a huge amount of energy - for much of the ballet. Daunting.
  3. Yes - tkt still available if you’d like it! Send me a message with email address and can pass it on to you.
  4. I have one ticket for Ballet Nights https://balletnights.com on Saturday, 30th September @ 7.30 - but can't use it because there are no trains to London that day. It cost £65.00 - but happy to pass it on to anyone who would like it - don't want the ticket to be wasted. Please send me a message if interested.
  5. I completely agree with this, LinMM. As with art more generally, I want to see and experience traditional ballets and also those that reinterpret classics or explore contemporary themes and attitudes. I also agree with your comments about the word 'woke'. It means concern for racial and social justice - and is something I find it hard to imagine anyone not thinking was important. Its use as a perjorative epithet is often inaccurate and can be unhelpfully divisive.
  6. It's my opinion too, Garnier. I also agree with Ondine that the suffragettes elicited similar reactions in their time. Climate change is a very real threat to all of us - and research suggests that protests such as these do impact effectively on public opinion. A disrupted performance is nothing compared to what might happen if we don't take what is happening to the planet seriously. I see protesters as neither self-indulgent not hypocritical - but clear-sighted and courageous.
  7. I loved it - found it both electrifying and very moving. Yes, there were elements that were dark, especially the menacing and abusive atmosphere in the institution and the killing of Tybalt, but I found them less disturbing than the rape scene in Manon or much of Mayerling. I think this was because the overwhelming impression for me was the power and beauty of young love. I liked the arrangement of the Prokofiev score (though you have to adjust to it being different from what you're used to) and the dancing was terrific. I agree it's not suitable for children - the website clearly says for ages 14+ - but I could imagine older teenagers loving it - and the audience last night certainly enjoyed the show. I've said this before, but I paid £22.40 (membership rate) for a seat in the second circle with a pretty good view (lost a bit of the dancers' heads when they were on the balcony) which I think is a real bargain and one reason why I go to SW much more often than ROH.
  8. I also think it's a great initiative. I've booked a ticket for 30th September and am looking forward to it. I agree the prices seem a little high - but value is partly subjective .... so want to give it a try and see what I think.
  9. Just a word on paper cast sheets. I love them - who doesn't - and it's taken me a while to adjust to digital versions. But the climate emergency is pressing and in the UK we're not meeting our own targets in terms of reducing carbon emissions, so I'm making myself remember this and adjust. Now I need to stop printing tickets because worried phone will give out .... PS Don't understand why digital programmes are 'woke' in either the original or Daily Mail sense of the word.
  10. I completely agree with this, Blossom - and imagine in time the selection and presentation of pieces will be developed and refined.
  11. I very much enjoyed this triple bill. Untitled for me was stark, visceral and mesmerising. I loved the powerful physicality of the dancing – the lines, shapes and patterns created. The set was sparse (I’m not a fan of too much scenery), and was echoed in the streamlined costumes that contributed to the shapes created, depending on individual designs and the movements of each dancer. I thought the lighting and use of shadows particularly effective. The music was a bit challenging at times and I would have liked more structure to the whole piece, though I wondered whether the lack of it might be part of the point. I wasn’t very enthusiastic about Corybantic Games the first time I saw it but it often takes me several viewings to really appreciate a piece. This time I found it delightful – energetic, playful, exhilarating and moving in turn, with the sections deliberately sequenced to complement or contrast with each other. Again I liked the clean set and the imaginative lighting – and thought the costumes effectively reflected the 1950s/Olympic vibe and allowed the dancers’ movements to be seen clearly. All the dancing was absolutely superb – and although Untitled and Corybantic Games include solos and duets, they are very much ensemble pieces in which, because the relationships on stage are different from more conventional ballets, different qualities and strengths of individual dancers are revealed. It feels unfair to single anyone out, but I always think both Melissa Hamilton and Mayara Magri seem very confident with and are particularly good in more contemporary pieces. Fumi Kaneko is magnificent in everything – she is such a versatile dancer. Joseph Sissens was spectacular at the beginning of Untitled and Calvin Richardson, Leo Dixon, Leticia Dias, Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Julia Roscoe caught my eye. I could watch Matthew Ball and William Bracewell dance all day – and I thought they were simply beautiful together, compelling and at times tender and heart-breaking. I’d never seen Anastasia before and found it gripping but harrowing. For a short ballet, it plunges you into a situation and explores it succinctly with almost unbearable intensity. The film snippets felt too long but they established the context – and contributed to the terrible sense of oppression experienced by Anna. I can see why some people have suggested it might have been better if Laura Morera’s last performance had been in something more cheerful, but this piece was a good vehicle for her exceptional acting skills – and the ballet was completely centred on her character, which was fitting. I think it would have worked as a triple bill slightly better with Anastasia following Untitled, and Corybantic Games, which was more upbeat, coming at the end. Obviously this couldn’t happen because of Laura Morera’s farewell. The tributes seemed to be very warm and heartfelt and I hope she was really happy with the way the end of this stage of her wonderful career was marked and feels she has an exciting future to look forward to.
  12. So do I. I loved this show and really want to see it again. I thought it managed to integrate the narrative into the choreography seamlessly so neither was compromised - something I felt didn't quite work in Like Water for Chocolate and to an even greater extent in Frankenstein, where the narrative took precedence over the dance in places, undermining its impact. There was a stilled hush where I was sitting, with people completely engrossed in the performance. Apart from this, as others have said, the setting, lighting and costumes were absolutely gorgeous - and enhanced the whole instead of distracting. Thought Northern Ballet terrific - very much looking forward to seeing them again.
  13. The 50p buildings levy is explained in the terms and conditions - and you don't pay the transaction fee of £3.50 if you book in person - so it all seems very open, clear and reasonable to me. I paid £28.00 (as a member, including fees) for a seat in the second circle to see The Great Gatsby, with an excellent view. This is cheaper than my local theatre - and very good value for money, in my opinion.
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