MaddieRose

Full Programme: Sleeping Beauty Act II Entr'acte Solo Gayane Pas de deux La Bayadere Pas de deux Flower Festival in Genzano Pas de deux Laurencia Pas de six Sleeping Beauty Act III Grand Pas de deux Giselle Act II Pas de deux Don Juan Pas de deux Le Corsaire Pas de deux

Per the Gala's latest Instagram Post, Hugo Marchand is no longer able to take part (he was due to perform on the 5th and 6th). https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfbx-CBNS-9/

Buxton Opera House has a bit about them on their page for the shows: Founded in 1947 and currently celebrating their 75th anniversary, the critically acclaimed Varna International Ballet comes to the UK for the very first time. Renowned for its award-winning soloists and magnificent corps de ballet, the company has been delighting audiences for decades at home and abroad with its performances of the highest quality. Daniela Dimova Artistic Director Peter Tuleshkov Music Director and Chief Conductor ‘We are thrilled to be bringing our highly talented company of dancers and musicians to the UK for the very first time. We can’t wait to perform for British audiences and to bring these magical ballets to life on stage.’ - Daniela Dimova https://buxtonoperahouse.org.uk/whats-on/category/varna-international-ballet

Dancersdiary has posted a video on Instagram of rehearsals with Naghdi and Corrales for the Don Quixote Pas de deux. Absolute firecrackers, I felt dizzy from watching Corrales turn and that was through my phone!

My introduction to filmed ballet was on Cbeebies, believe it or not! They used to run the Acosta/Nuñez La fille mal gardée filmed in the mid-2000s. Considering how prioritised a short and snappy format is in regards to children's content, I'd find it hard to imagine them running a full ballet now.

Fumi Kaneko in The Dante Project Anna O'Sullivan/Marcelino Sambe in Romeo and Juliet Marcelino Sambe/Francesca Hayward in Rhapsody The corps de ballet teams in Scènes de ballet and Rhapsody Leticia Dias doing all 3 ballets in the Ashton triple bill The National Dance soloists in the Swan Lake cinema stream My personal highlight was getting to see the company live for the first time, and am looking forward to returning in the Autumn.

I applaud and thank them wholeheartedly for providing such a useful range of books for so long, especially in regards to reprinting out of print works. There's probably a whole shelf on my bookcase of books I got from there.

Dean posted on her Instagram story to say she has Covid.

Yep. Just gone to look at Mayerling and was very confused by the change in font.

The database says it was last given in 2004, in a bill with Requiem and Les Noces https://rohcollections.org.uk/SearchResults.aspx?yearfrom=2004&yearto=2004&searchtype=performance&genre=Ballet&company=The Royal Ballet&page=9

I enjoy reading this website which has a lot of information on theatres, particularly theatre architecture, over the years. Here's their page on the ROH and its predecessors that has seating plans from the 1930s and 1970/80s (in The Royal Opera House today section): http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/RoyalOperaHouseCoventGarden.htm

They've performed now. The piece is environmental in theme, and was performed following a speech by David Attenborough (and after the set of Alicia Keys). The camera work on the Royal Ballet students wasn't always clear as the performance involved projections onto the scenery and the palace, but there were some nice close-up shots of Clarke and Cuthbertson. There was a rather strong emotional build up of the music, the dance, the projections and the Queen's words on the environment all layered together. They certainly went for spectacle.

When I was young I had an 80s book about the Royal Ballet that had a labelled map of the Opera House (sort of cut open so you could see the inside). I used to wax poetic about how when I first went to the fancy Opera House I'd already know my way around, and I was slightly miffed when I was told it had totally changed since then. But when I eventually went this year I did remember where to go to get to my seat, so it wasn't all for nothing.

Both Reece Clarke and Lauren Cuthbertson have posted on Instagram to say they will be performing. Reece's post contains the information that they will perform a new ballet by Kristen McNally, alongside students of the Royal Ballet School, with Hans Zimmer conducting. https://www.instagram.com/p/CeWwjxLIGvk/ (Reece) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeWxDufIZaz/ (Lauren)

I was speaking to someone this morning who had been there. He unfortunately was among those who had been tear gassed. He said they were following what information they'd been given, and everyone around him had official tickets, but that nobody seemed to be able to give them a concrete answer on what they were supposed to do to ease the crowding. From what he said it sounds like it was horrendously handled by the stadium officials and police.

'In common with many other ballerinas, she failed to accomplish the full thirty-two fouettés (indeed some famous ballerinas have cut them altogether, including Pavlova and Markova); but one felt that with her amazing determination she would succeed, and she has since done so'. This was written by Gordon Anthony of a Swan Lake performance on the 21st December 1937, at which Margot Fonteyn debuted in the full-length ballet. I have a book of his photos of her, in which he's quite blunt about her shortcomings, but also writes of how she either conquered or worked around them, and how her interpretations of her roles grew. I assume she was getting more regular Swan Lakes than today's Principal's are (the positive of this is a less heavy workload, the negative is that there might not be a chance to develop in the role), but still, I think determination and confidence is the key.

He's just worked with the La Scala School in Milan on a piece for one of their shows. https://www.accademialascala.it/news/la-scuola-di-ballo-omaggia-loreta-alexandrescu/ I've stuck this very quickly through Google Translate, but the bit about his work roughly reads: The second creation is authored by Valentino Zucchetti, specially designed for the Ballet School. Canon Allegro engages on the first movement of the Concerto for violin and orchestra, op. 64 by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy fourteen dancers, eleven boys and three girls aged between 16 and 18, from the 6th to the 8th course, in a succession of steps that require great technical and expressive skills. His last Instagram post is about working with the Compañia Nacional de Danza in Spain, for a piece called 'Where you are, I feel', set to premiere in November or December 2022.

And the ROH IG post confirms that the promotions are effective from the start of the 2022/23 season

I'd love to see Leticia Dias promoted, she shone in every ballet in the Ashton bill, all in one afternoon. I've also only just registered Joonhyuk Jun was an artist, I had assumed he was a higher rank when I saw him down for Benno. What talent they've got to work with! I wouldn't be able to pick if I were in the management's shoes.

Naghdi's working with Bolle on Three Preludes for the Ballet International Gala in Brisbane, per her most recent Instagram post. https://www.instagram.com/p/CdyiYZHoKoS/

Just noticed further down the website that some of the pieces have been announced: Each piece has been chosen to represent a different aspect of Nureyev’s incredible life and work, which saw him become a global star with renown beyond the world of ballet, opening with a solo he choreographed for The Sleeping Beauty which showcases Nureyev’s talent as a choreographer and his impact on elevating the role of the male dancer by adding solos to the classical repertoire. It will be danced by Hugo Marchand of the Paris Opera Ballet. Other extracts in the programme include a Pas de Deux from Gayane, which reflects Nureyev’s folk dance roots and will danced by Oleg Ivenko (who played Nureyev in The White Crow) partnered by Maia Mahkateli; and the Pas de Six from Laurencia, which Nureyev staged with the Royal Ballet for a TV special in 1964, staged exclusively for this production by Natalia Osipova, who will be accompanied by Marcelino Sambé and 4 dancers from The Royal Ballet. Yasmine Naghdi also posted on Instagram to say her and Cesar Corrales will be doing the Le Corsaire pas de deux.

Tierney had her official farewell at the Royal Opera House today. Marcelino Sambé posted on his Instagram Story about it, and it seems a whole hoard of the company and staff were there to wish her the best for the future.

I'm slowly working on getting all the information from the programmes I own up and online, not only as a reference for myself but for others too. It will be a very slow process, as I have about 1,500, but I've got the International Ballet ones up. https://theatrejourneys.co.uk/programme-database/ If you click the link, go down to By Company and click International Ballet, you can see the casts, crews and photos of programmes, alongside a synopsis for a ballet by Mona Inglesby, and a ballet by Algeranoff, one of her company dancers.

I shall find the programmes tomorrow. I have one Swan Lake from 1946, and two triple bills from 1944 and 1951. For now, here is a signed photo of Mona Inglesby. It’s accompanied by a letter to the original owner of the scrapbook it’s been stuck in. The letter is from Miss Inglesby’s secretary. (I apologise for the photo quality, I had to reduce it).

The press release from ABT: https://www.abt.org/susan-jaffe-named-artistic-director/