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Well her next full length is Atonement - which to me seems very challenging to adapt to a ballet given the complexities of the story!

On 28/01/2024 at 18:46, capybara said:

Just one other thought although it’s too late to say it really …. I wonder whether acworkroom was the wisest choice of name for Alina’s production company in terms of ‘public’ perception generally or, indeed, the story which was being told this time.

I have also thought this - it isn't very catchy or attractive in marketing terms, it also doesn't properly utilise Alina's own brand (unless you know its AC for Alina Cojocaru then you could look past its connotations) and 'workroom' isn't very positive (it sounds like somewhere you prepare things that aren't complete). I don't know what she intends to do with it in the future but she would be best to rename I think. 

Carlos seems to have a policy of inviting a 'star' prima every year to highlight the company and for the dancers to learn from - 2022 Nunez/Muntagirov Don Q, 2023 Semionova Swan Lake, 2024 Alina Sleeping Beauty. I'd be interested to see who might get an invite - presumably for Cinderella since it's always been in the first ballet of the calendar year I think. 

4 hours ago, capybara said:

I’ve had a reply.

The casting for the MacMillan and Ashton programmes together with The Winter’s Tale and the remaining Swan Lakes “is awaited”.

However, fingers crossed that it will all emerge soon as the RB is now back from its mid season break.

 
hmmm this is a rather annoying message  back - the Macmillan triple is from a completely different booking period!l to the others!!!

Has anyone asked the ROH whether they intend to provide casting for the triple - beyond 'the company'?

So for me it wasn't perfect but I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Alina remains such a beautiful expressive ballerina, it is a joy to watch her. She can do so much with just her facial expressions and that is before you get to her dancing. We must treasure her whilst she is still performing.

I am surprised a big company hasn’t looked at producing La Strada before. It is brilliant material and Alina and team made good use of quite minimalist sets to really place us in the circus. Congrats should go to the angels who were wonderful partners for Alina, who actually did very little solo dancing (perhaps none?).

There were things that I could think have been improved. The narrative for me was mixed at times it really grabbed me emotionally in places, and at others it felt a bit repetitive and after Il Matto’s demise it got a bit lost. However, tbh although one critic I was sitting by was unimpressed with that element, I didn’t think it any less clear than say ‘Like Water for Chocolate’. I thought the Mick Zeni’s role was under developed. Although he showed good acting ability, this was definitely an Alina vehicle and there was an opportunity for Zeni’s role to do far more dancing and to really express his brutishness through dance. There was another missed opportunity when we first 'arrive' at the circus to use the six circus performers to do more bravura dancing - demonstrating some classical ballet skill - which would have been consistent with circus performers. Finally, for me there was a weakness in the choreography in that a number of times the male partner was placed in front of Alina blocking the audience’s view - even in the middle of lifts - it just came off as a bit awkward. Contrary to Fiona above, I think MacMillanesque choroegraphy would have been able to further emphasise Alina’s brilliance.

I would repeat what I have said above again, it was very brave of her to create a full length work without the power of a company funding and guiding it. I think we need more of this within the ballet world. I’d definitely recommend people go - not least because it’s incredible value for money to see a truly special dancer.

You have to admire her bravery for putting this on - it can't have been easy without the backing of a company and its marketing capacity. Particularly as it is not like you can show highlight clips in adverts. I personally can't wait to see it. 

It's also worth noting that 'stars' often have a point of difference (as well as being brilliant) - often promotion very young is part (or all) of that point of difference, yet some are also based on decisions they made - Guillem left POB, many Russians defected, Olga Smirnova arguably a bigger star now due to her leaving Russia, Polunin a star for his youthful promotion and then almost an infamous star for what he did after, Carlos unusual given his race when there were very few non-white leads - definitely those who could dance anywhere near the level he could etc 

Non-Russians also struggle due to the pre-disposition within the public that connects Russian names with great dancers and therefore being the next great Russian star following [insert list of Russian stars], plus the fact that Russians have a home market that uniquely appreciates ballet dancers as celebrities - this gives them a domestic star status before even venturing abroad. 

RB - particularly homegrown dancers - are somewhat 'conventionally excellent'. 

(P.S. The Cellist - also Cuthbertson!)

23 hours ago, capybara said:

- that the RB in particular demonstrates to the outside world (and I mean world) that it has BIG STARS whose artistry is at least on a level with international artists whom people seem to be more ready to laud; (this might mean diminishing the publicity currently afforded (eg) Nunez and Osipova but it’s high time that the reservoir of top talent the RB has in the 30 - 35 age range is celebrated and promoted)

I think this is a bit unfair on the RB - Nunez and Osipova essentially create their own publicity. Osipova due to her vibrant style was already a star before she came and Nunez was the precocious star who rose to principal early, formed some great partnerships but then perhaps key for her, she stayed at her level (if not improved) for a long time, now at 25 years with RB. 

They are giving leads of new productions to other dancers - and this was traditionally where a big impact was made on pushing star names. In terms of new full length ballets - Alice (Cuthbertson), Winter's Tale (Cutherbertson), Frankenstein (Bonelli/Morera), Like Water for Chocolate (Hayward/Sambe) - even McGregor's choices do not favour them The Dante Project (Watson) & Woolf Works (Ferri). They have also given plenty of opening nights to other dancers. Of recent documentaries on the RB - such as Dancing Nutcracker or Men at the Barre - these two have not been the leads. I would say the clips they post don't focus on Osipova/Nunez. The only really concerted use of Nunez I can think of in recent years has been Cinderella - and then they were probably using her star quality to boost returns on investment into the new production. 

Star quality is a bit hard really to define or create - and its rarely just technical excellence. Bussell was perhaps a manufactured star. MacMillan picked her out, created on her and then promoted her very early - then followed a push to have her on TV all the time to the point she became Britain's Ballerina to the general public here and abroad, but its very difficult to recreate this. Not least because the current crop of RB principals are mostly promoted late, they aren't picked by a great of the choreography world to create on as a muse, and the nature of media has changed with it being far more diffuse. It's not helped that of the international awards available in the ballet world RB (and particularly British dancers) are not that well represented. 

If there has been anyone pushed as the 'next Royal Ballet star' it was Hayward and whilst she remains a lovely dancer that hasn't really led anywhere - either in the general public or in the ballet world. 

11 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'd take shorter intervals as well.

I think this would be quite unpopular with both the non-regular attendees who maybe go to one ballet as a night out a year and therefore want to have the break to drink champagne/eat a snack/chat etc, and with the ROH finance department! 

8 hours ago, Janite said:

Just back from Saturday evenings performance. Emma Hawes was so convincing as Giselle, I ached for her broken heart. Vsevolod Maievskyi was completely new to me, somehow I was reminded of Vadim Muntagirov. Did anyone else think this  or could explain why? Precious Adams and her entourage were suitably frightening. All in all my friend and I thought it was wonderful.

I was at the performance last night and whilst watching Vsevolod, he reminded me strongly of Vadim. I couldn’t put my finger on why but something of his mannerisms maybe, maybe something in his training, not sure! 
 

In general I to thought it was a lovely performance and production. The corps were strong, Emma felt very believable as Giselle (I think innocence is easily within her dramatic range but would be interested to see her in swan lake). I felt the partnership grew stronger as it went on - their connection in Act 2 was a more believable love to me than in Act 1 where she didn’t really seem to react to his boyish charm. They should perform this ballet more often! 
 

Marianela was sitting by me and seemed to give it her mark of approval!

Whilst it is always annoying when casts change - I remember Osipova and Smirnova being announced for 2023 and then not performing - this does at least given an indication of what is intended. 

56 minutes ago, MAB said:

Avoid the stalls.

As someone 5'9, I booked Row E in the stalls on the side for a different non ballet show there prior to the pandemic and had a completely clear view of the stage and performance, and I didn't remember the legroom to being any less restrictive than many other older London theatres. 

Just noticed the below: 

2024 Performers

Eleonora Abbagnato, ex-Paris Opera Ballet,  Matthew Ball, Royal Ballet, Sergio Bernal, National Ballet of Spain, Skylar Brandt, American Ballet Theatre, Bleuenn Battistoni, Paris Opera Ballet, António Casalinho, Bavarian State Ballet, Reece Clarke, Royal Ballet, Travis Clausen-Knight, Cesar Corrales, Royal Ballet, Margarita Fernandes, Bavarian State Ballet, Evelina Godunova, Polish National Ballet, Matthew Golding, Osiel Gouneo, Bavarian State Ballet, Francesca Hayward, Royal Ballet, Motomi Kiyota, Hungarian National Ballet, Sangeun Lee, English National Ballet, Gareth Haw, English National Ballet, Lucía Lacarra, Julian MacKay, Bavarian State Ballet, Vadim Muntagirov, Royal Ballet, Yasmine Naghdi, Royal Ballet, Marianela Nuñez, Royal Ballet, Anna Ol, Dutch National Ballet, Natalia Osipova, Royal Ballet, James Pett, Iana Salenko, Berlin State Ballet,  Marcelino Sambé, Royal Ballet, Polina Semionova, Berlin State Ballet, Olga Smirnova, Dutch National Ballet,  David Motta Soares, Berlin State Ballet, Jacopo Tissi, Dutch National Ballet.

(Cast subject to change)

10 hours ago, BeauxArts said:

 

Sadly, I find this an insulting statement to make in respect of Olga Smirnova. it is clear from her Instagram post at the time and her subsequent and measured interviews that she felt unable to continue to dance at the Bolshoi following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She left behind her family and her coaches, and her husband left his family, including his own mother who held - and may still hold - a position of some power and influence in the Bolshoi administration. The financial matters are irrelevant. Had the husband wanted to remain in Russia he surely would and could have done so because of their respective positions within the Putin-regime  business and artistic nomenklatura. 

17 hours ago, FionaM said:

Smirnova left Russia as a ‘trailing spouse’ (as a boss of mine used to call it).  Her husband works for one of the US investment banks who left Moscow immediately two years ago.  It will have been his (or maybe a joint) choice to leave to keep his job.  Fortunately for her, being a prima from the Bolshoi, she was able to get a job at one of the eminent European companies.  I really hope her husband didn’t have to commit financially to support it, she’s good enough not to need that, but I do wonder.  (Royal Ballet wasn’t able to arrange extra funding to hire any elite dancers that left Russia.)

I would say Fiona to attack Smirnova to suggest self-interested motives for leaving a murderous war-starting regime - given your ardent support for Polunin (and therefore in turn his support for Putin) - just seems rather twisted to me. 

2 minutes ago, Geoff said:

Apologies. But I am familiar both with the law of defamation and the rules of this Forum so wish to say no more on the subject. 

TBH my comment was really aimed at the rules of the forum and I didn't expect you to expand on what you said  but surely defamation laws are irrelevant - notwithstanding any other defence - since the person you named is no longer with us. 
 

2 minutes ago, Sim said:

They are bringing in Roberto Bolle to dance with Marianela in Manon.  They brought in Alessandra Ferri to dance in Woolf Works.  

TBH I think Ferri is McGregor's choice rather than KOH. Bolle presumably because of longstanding relationship with Nunez and her power to get a partner of her choice (plus injuries Corrales, McRae etc). 

1 minute ago, Geoff said:

Those familiar with Liam Scarlett’s life might hazard an explanation - but this is not the place for such speculations. 

I find comments about this forum like this so odd - of all the places in the world, internet forums are literally the place for speculation lol - oh well! 

Personally I think O'Hare's major accomplishments has been creating a contented company (there have been no major losses of company stars at their peak/many scandals since he really got into the job - even the Scarlett affair caused seemingly little issues within the company), and a continued drive to create new full-length works. He has as others have said had to deal with a lot of external factors - covid/inflation etc that will have made the jobs particularly difficult too. 

That said - I agree the runs for classics are too long - and his drive for contemporary work risks damaging the company in the long term. Since the loss of Scarlett, there is limited backing for nurturing classical/neoclassical choreography which is the backbone of the company. There has also been an unnecessary emphasis placed on what I guess can be best described as political correctness (albeit this is a something that is far more widespread than just RB/ROH) and if this leads to classics such as La Bayadere being dropped this will be a huge loss for British ballet. 

There is no company I prefer in the world to the RB but I do feel that some of the above comments on the quality of the dancers is a bit over the top/shows a home bias. They are obviously very talented but I don't think they are particularly more talented that the other top companies - and by historical standards this isn't the most impressive principal line-up. Beyond Nunez/Osipova they aren't 'names' either which doesn't help drive ticket sales. Unlike the above poster, I think not bringing in talent from outside the company is not really a show of strength - no one ballet school is going to provide all the best/most talented dancers - at worst its a demonstration of a lack of ambition and at best its a policy chosen to support harmony in the company by offering more opportunities. However, where would the historical legacy of the RB be if it had not brought in Nureyev, Guillem or Acosta for example? That's before you even move on to the Cojocarus, Kobborgs, Mukhamedov etc. Of the two star names and best ticket sellers - Nunez basically came straight to the company by way of RBS due to employment law, and Osipova was an external recruit (not sure how above poster can claim Osipova as an example of RB excellence for this reason - if anything although she is still wonderful she is not at her 2009-2014 prime imo). Even Vadim is arguably only the Vadim we have because he moved to ENB where they instantly starting giving him principal roles - he had already done the main male role in Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella, Nutcracker and more in his first 12 months! Ten years on the RB still needs to be willing to go and bring in the best talent. 
 

2 hours ago, Geoff said:

Thank you for an interesting post. Just on this point though, am I the only person who misses the preBrexit time when it was easier (and cheaper) to bring in occasional stars from overseas? 

I don't think there is a factually basis for this assertion on Brexit - it would be very easy for them to bring in guest principals if they wanted too. They have a huge principal roster now that has grown hugely/doubled in size over the past 15 years which covers most roles and when they don't use them, they very often put junior dancers into major roles (which seems more about having a policy of providing opportunities within the company to boost morale and provide a talent pipeline). Plus it saves money not too. 

7 hours ago, JNC said:

On the other hand I do feel bad for Young ROH though who should be first in line for discounts in my opinion, closely followed by Friends. (And I say that as neither a Young ROH nor a Friend but because it’s important to access these things when you’re young and - stereotypically - have less disposable income, and as for Friends they do support ROH so they deserve a bit of priority here). 
 

To be honest imo Young ROH is a woeful wasted opportunity. It fails to appreciate the financial struggles of a much wider millennial age range have suffered - stuck renting, property prices out of their range, stagnant wages for almost their entire earning life etc. They should look at other places that offer under 30, under 35 or under 40 ranges (I know Glyndebourne has an under40s membership) for inspiration. At the moment, you go from Young ROH (unto 25) to nothing, and thus you risk losing the 25-40 audience immediately (with the exception those who work in finance/law etc). I know this exact thing has happened to people I know. 

If I had my way - ROH would have an Under 21 Membership and an Under 40 Membership. 

I think ROH also are rubbish at leveraging their existing membership (who they know like their output) for increased sales with discounts. They definitely could have got more ticket sales out of me with discounts in poorly selling operas. 

"Cojocaru’s 2024 dance card is filling fast, including guest appearances in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty, Hamburg Ballet’s Epilogue (John Neumeier’s swansong as director) followed by a return to the UK to help kick-start the relaunch of London City Ballet."

Above from the FT interview with Alina - has anything else been announced about her working with LCB?

On 01/01/2024 at 17:34, Dawnstar said:

 

I do find it rather surprising that the company sometimes chooses to give a dancer just the one performance of a lead role from a "cost effectiveness" point of view of performance time compared to rehearsal time. You'd think rehearsing 4 dancers & giving each 4 performances would be better from a company efficiency point of view than rehearsing 8 dancers and giving them each 2 performances (the current ROH model for many pieces) let alone rehearsing even more dancers for a single performance. This year not only has Buvoli only had a single scheduled performance but so has Dias, and in the latter case it's for the second year running (I don't think Dias picked up any extra performances last season, though the similarly only-one-scheduled Sasaki did). It must be very difficult for a dancer to improve in a role if she gets to perform it only once a year!

I think it's clearly an example of using performances to maintain company morale. Nutcracker is a sure seller regardless of dancers, post-Christmas Nutcracker is even less pressure - no critic is going to mark the company performance on its post Nutcracker performances. It is therefore easy for the AD to give a hardworking dancer (who perhaps doesn't have it to become a principal in the RB) a go at SPF one of the most iconic roles in the entire ballet repertoire - the role that many ballerinas first grow up wanting to dance. Even for those who aren't given the opportunity this time round, it holds out the opportunity in the future for them - yes they might not get the promotion, might not get some of the other roles but they could get to do a SPF. 
 

On 01/01/2024 at 17:17, Sim said:

Annette was lovely, fluid and fluent and yes, it was all taken very slowly, as it was with Mariko last week.  I am guessing that the debutantes like it that way as it is such a difficult piece to dance, so until they are used to it and can whip around like the experienced dancers, it's safer not to rush.  So perhaps the fireworks aren't the same, but on the plus side we get to see the musicality and grace of the dancer, and this afternoon we saw that with Annette.  She looked like she was in a rapture; so happy to be there. 

This is very forgiving. 

5 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

I had a feeling it was her who started the trend, but I wasn't quite sure.  

I personally found Makarova to be utterly captivating in that clip. Similarly Nureyev is better in these clips that I have seen in clips from other performances (perhaps he was just much closer to his prime in some of these). Similarly lovely to see Seymour. For me Fonteyn is showing her age a bit in many of the performances shown.

3 hours ago, Blossom said:

I’d prefer a Ratmansky or someone capable of creating a full length classical narrative ballet or reconstruction. Something with real staying power and a listenable score. 

Ratmansky does seem the premier classical ballet choreographer at the present time and I would welcome his appointment - but the ROH does seem to like to stay British. I agree Valentino is not experienced enough but could take up Liam's old role. It is a great shame about Liam, he had so much promise - Frankenstein at 30 and Swan Lake at 32 whilst both aren't perfect, they demonstrated a prodigious talent. I am still surprised how the ROH have been allowed to brush that hold incident under the carpet really.

I personally would like to see Cathy Marston be given a chance with a full length ballet for a big company at the RB, with the production budget of a Frankenstein/Like Water for Chocolate. Jane Eyre and Victoria both had promise. I appreciate she's now an AD but joint production should be poss. 

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

It's a shock to me to find out he's gone! I hadn't realised, which perhaps sums up my interest in his works. My vote as his replacement would have been Liam Scarlett but sadly not to be. The only other available choreographer that I would actually pay to see is Valentino Zuccetti so my vote would go to him. He may not be the most experienced choreographer around or the biggest name but (apart from Liam) he's the only contemporary choreographer whose work I actually enjoy rather than endure as his ballets (though having some modern movements) are very definitely classical. He also selects great classical music to showcase his ballets!

44 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

Wayne McGregor has left the Royal Ballet?  Odd - he's still showing as Resident Choreographer on the ROH website as I write and, as far as I can recall, no announcement of a departure has appeared in recent Links posts.  Is there a link anywhere to such an announcement?  

32 minutes ago, oncnp said:

I think the original poster had tongue firmly in cheek or was wishful thinking........That's the way I read it, at least 

I was asked what I wanted in 2024 and that announcement is something I want  

I don't mean to be mean, I just don't think that the country's primary classical ballet company should have a non-classical ballet resident choreographer who also happens to have been asked to create 50% of the full length ballets over the past decade (Woolf Works, The Dante Project, MADDADDAM v The Winter's Tale, Frankenstein & Like Water for Chocolate).  

He, unfortunately (for me at least), doesn't appear to be going anywhere in reality! Apologies for giving out false hope!

P.S. I forgot to include La Bayadere in my Wishlist - KOH get it back on ASAP!!!

7 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

A season with NO 3-act MacMillan would bring relief!

 

I would be v surprised if 24-25 does not include MacMillans R&J. Very popular, good for sales.