Bluebird

Here is the full list of prizes: YBDY 2014 First: Erik Woolhouse Second: Joseph Sissons Third: Nicholas Landon Sibley Dowell Award for a promising student with potential: Ricardo Castellanos Commendations: Jerome Barnes Scott McKenzie (Joseph Aumeer) Normally there are only two commendations but the Jury felt that Joseph Aumeer was so closely behind that he also deserved to be highly commended Jury Mavis Staines CM (Chairman) Deanne Bergsma Christopher Hampson Stephen Jefferies David Nixon OBE Kevin O'Hare Tamara Rojo Sarah Wildor Congratulations, not only to those who won prizes, but to all who took part.

According to the class lists printed in the 2013 end of year performance programmes, that is correct.

Going by the class lists in last summer’s RBS programmes, only 5 Upper School boys took part in the semi-finals. I don’t know how others feel but I really don’t think it appropriate to comment publicly on their solos, especially as they didn’t all make it to the final.

Isn't that the correct Russian pronunciation? I'd always understood that the stress should be on the first syllable of Pavlova. Maybe our Russian speakers could confirm?

Quote from the ROH website: (The YBDY is) "open to private and vocational students aged 15-17 who are British or have been trained in Britain for the last 3 years"

The semi finals took place this afternoon. Here is the list of those who got through to the final (all RBS): Phoebe Fenwick Isabella Knights Ella Vickerman Connie Vowles Kiely Groenewegen Charlotte Tonkinson Grace Horne Harris Bell Nicholas Landon Jerome Barnes Harry Wright Joseph Sissons Ricardo Castellanos Joseph Aumeer Scott McKenzie Eric Woolhouse Freed encouragement gifts were presented to: Amelia Palmiero RBS Lucinda Strachan ENBS Aiden O'Brien RBS Hanno Opperman ENBS Class teacher for the preliminary rounds and the semi-finals: Maina Gielgud Jury for the semi-finals: Deanne Bergsma, Stephen Jefferies, Sarah Wildor The finalists are to receive coaching from Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares. Congratulations and good luck to them all! Edited for accuracy

Yes, I suppose we should have mentioned that Prince Charles and Camilla were in the Royal Box last night.

It was, indeed, a magical evening. Yuhui put so much detail into her performance that I almost felt as if I was seeing the ballet anew. We had a number of other outstanding debuts last night. We not only had Yuhui and Ryo as Aurora and her Prince but, as Beryl says, we also had Frankie Hayward and Marcelino Sambé as a most enchanting Bluebird and Princess Florine. I also suspect that it was Romany Pajdak's debut as Fairy of the Crystal Fountain. She did really well despite the fact that she would have had very little notice that she was to dance. (She was a last minute substitution due to illness)

The reviews I've read have almost all had nothing but praise for Lauren Cuthbertson's Aurora. Indeed a number of them have used superlatives to describe her performance last Saturday. As for the Garland Dance, it seems that the Ashton Garland Dance was initially replaced by a MacMillan Garland Dance (in Anthony Dowell's 1994 production) The 2003 Makarova production presumably had a Makarova choreographed version. The 2006 production was the first to use the Wheeldon version and, interestingly, according to the Gerald Dowler review in today's Links, it has been modified since the production was first staged. Edited to add that I've just discovered that MacMillan also choreographed the Garland Dance for the 1973 production. It was replaced by the Ashton for the 1977 production then, as mentioned above, it returned in 1994. Does anyone remember if there was any difference between these two MacMillan versions?

Some more details here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/ballet-season.html

It was already in the public domain, Meunier. Kevin O'Hare came out on stage to make the announcement of the cancellation and it was he who used the word 'concussion'.

There are a lot of videos of rehearsals..etc on the Royal Opera House section of YouTube

The ROH Performance database lists two 1982 performances. Lesley Collier danced in both of them, with David Wall in one and with Wayne Eagling in the other. It also lists 1985 performances. I don't know if they were complete. Here is the link: http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/production.aspx?production=13022&row=1

Latecomers don't need a TV as the ushers allow them to come into the back of the auditorium. Obviously this wouldn't be possible for sold out performances but it's, sadly, rare for Coli ballet performances to sell out.

I've also sat in the Grand Tier during working rehearsals and found that there was always a part of the arena I couldn't see. As for Loggia Boxes, you'd need to be in the front row of the box to have a good view. From my experience, the best view is from the higher levels of the stalls at the sides of the arena (areas H and M) If you think of the orchestra as the number 12 on a clock these seats would be at a quarter to and a quarter past the hour.

Yesterday afternoon Giselle was Roberta Marquez and Myrtha was Claudia Dean. I've seen Roberta's Giselle many times but thought yesterday afternoon's performance her best so far. As for Claudia, she did really well in her debut as Myrtha - a very confident performance. Also, a special mention for Yasmine Naghdi as the lead female in the pas de six - quite lovely.

originally announced casting here: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/5696-royal-ballet-201314-period-4-casting/?p=72647

It appears that Evgenia Obraztsova has sustained an injury and will be replaced in tomorrow's performance of Emeralds by Anastasia Stashkevich Edited to add link: http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/456/roles/

Most of the casting for the two mixed bills is now back on the ROH website. However, the casting for the New Marriott is no longer there. For the other works, the names appear to be the same but, for some unfathomable reason, the Serenade mixed bill names are listed in a different order! Still no casting for The Concert. Edited to add links (for ease of reference). http://www.roh.org.uk/mixed-programmes/the-dream-new-marriott-the-concert http://www.roh.org.uk/mixed-programmes/serenade-sweet-violets-dgv

There is nothing missing. The original programme only lasted half an hour. I'm not sure why it was uploaded in two parts. Here are the links to part 1, which lasts for less than 27 minutes, and part 2, which contains the last few minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECaAxDhJguU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJqK8F3XjDg

I believe Yonah Acosta is doing Ali tomorrow and that Joan Zamora is doing the two performances on Saturday. If you intend going specially to see Joan Zamora, I suggest you call ENB and check when he's doing the role. Edited to add that, for the remaining performances, I think the casting on the website (the one I posted a few days ago) is no longer completely up to date for all the roles -i.e. the rearranging of the role of Ali that I've already mentioned and possibly the role of Gulnare on Saturday afternoon. However, when it comes to casting, nothing is ever certain and there might yet be further changes.

I'm able to access it so I've copied and pasted it below. Sorry I don't have time to sort out the format (i.e. it makes for a very long post in this format!) 10 Jan 2014 Erina Takahashi Lead Principal Medora Yonah Acosta Junior Soloist Conrad Ksenia Ovsyanick First Artist Gulnare Ken Saruhashi Artist of the Company Lankendem Joan Sebastian Zamora Artist of the Company Ali Fernando Bufalá Soloist Birbanto 11 Jan 2014 [Matinee] Fernanda Oliveira Lead Principal Medora Zdenek Konvalina Lead Principal Conrad Shiori Kase Soloist Gulnare Arionel Vargas Principal Lankendem Yonah Acosta Junior Soloist Ali Max Westwell Junior Soloist Birbanto 11 Jan 2014 Tamara Rojo Lead Principal Medora Matthew Golding Guest Artist Conrad Laurretta Summerscales First Soloist Gulnare Junor Souza Junior Soloist Lankendem Vadim Muntagirov Lead Principal Ali Fabian Reimair First Soloist Birbanto 12 Jan 2014 [Matinee] Alina Cojocaru Lead Principal Medora Vadim Muntagirov Lead Principal Conrad Erina Takahashi Lead Principal Gulnare Dmitri Gruzdyev Lead Principal Lankendem Junor Souza Junior Soloist Ali Yonah Acosta Junior Soloist Birbanto 14 Jan 2014 Fernanda Oliveira Lead Principal Medora Zdenek Konvalina Lead Principal Conrad Shiori Kase Soloist Gulnare Arionel Vargas Principal Lankendem Joan Sebastian Zamora Artist of the Company Ali Max Westwell Junior Soloist Birbanto 15 Jan 2014 Alina Cojocaru Lead Principal Medora Vadim Muntagirov Lead Principal Conrad Erina Takahashi Lead Principal Gulnare Dmitri Gruzdyev Lead Principal Lankendem Junor Souza Junior Soloist Ali Yonah Acosta Junior Soloist Birbanto 16 Jan 2014 [Matinee] Laurretta Summerscales First Soloist Medora Arionel Vargas Principal Conrad Ksenia Ovsyanick First Artist Gulnare Ken Saruhashi Artist of the Company Lankendem Zdenek Konvalina Lead Principal Ali Fernando Bufalá Soloist Birbanto 16 Jan 2014 Tamara Rojo Lead Principal Medora Matthew Golding Guest Artist Conrad Fernanda Oliveira Lead Principal Gulnare Dmitri Gruzdyev Lead Principal Lankendem Junor Souza Junior Soloist Ali Fabian Reimair First Soloist Birbanto 17 Jan 2014 Alina Cojocaru Lead Principal Medora Vadim Muntagirov Lead Principal Conrad Erina Takahashi Lead Principal Gulnare Dmitri Gruzdyev Lead Principal Lankendem Junor Souza Junior Soloist Ali Yonah Acosta Junior Soloist Birbanto 18 Jan 2014 [Matinee] Erina Takahashi Lead Principal Medora Yonah Acosta Junior Soloist Conrad Fernanda Oliveira Lead Principal Gulnare Dmitri Gruzdyev Lead Principal Lankendem Fernando Bufalá Soloist Ali James Forbat First Soloist Birbanto 18 Jan 2014 Tamara Rojo Lead Principal Medora Matthew Golding Guest Artist Conrad Laurretta Summerscales First Soloist Gulnare Junor Souza Junior Soloist Lankendem Joan Sebastian Zamora Artist of the Company Ali Fabian Reimair First Soloist Birbanto 19 Jan 2014 [Matinee] Daria Klimentová Lead Principal Medora Vadim Muntagirov Lead Principal Conrad Fernanda Oliveira Lead Principal Gulnare Dmitri Gruzdyev Lead Principal Lankendem Junor Souza Junior Soloist Ali Fernando Bufalá Soloist Birbanto

Just found a review in the Express which, despite featuring photographs of the first night cast, appears to be a review of the dress rehearsal: http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/453103/Swashbuckling-pirate-piece-Le-Corsaire-by-the-English-National-Ballet-review Surely it's not appropriate to review a rehearsal, however positive the comments? Edited to add that it's just occurred to me that there might have been an afternoon preview with this cast. Does anyone know if this is the case? If so, the above criticism would not apply.

Just received an email about a Time Out ticket offer for Le Corsaire at The Coliseum. £40 tickets reduced to £25. http://uk-offers.timeout.com/deals/enb-le-corsaire Edited to add that tickets have to be ordered before midnight on Saturday January 11.

I hope the following is correct. Since the listing on the production pages seemed incomplete, I've copied and pasted it from the individual performance pages. I've naturally assumed there was an error in the listing for Golding and have taken the liberty of correcting it. Sat May 31 and June 5 The Dream: Roberta Marquez, Steven McRae New Marriott: Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Steven McRae June 6 and 12 The Dream: Natalia Osipova, (Matthew) Golding New Marriott: Sarah Lamb, Ricardo Cervera, Alexander Campbell The Concert: TBA June 10 and 13 The Dream: Laura Morera, Federico Bonelli, New Marriott: Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Steven McRae The Concert: TBA May 14 21 and 26 eve Serenade: Marianela Nuñez, Lauren Cuthbertson, Melissa Hamilton, (Matthew) Golding, Ryoichi Hirano Sweet Violets: Leanne Cope, Lauren Cuthbertson, Laura Morera, TBA,Thiago Soares, Rupert Pennefather, Federico Bonelli, Steven McRae DGV: Zenaida Yanowsky, Natalia Osipova, Marianela Nuñez, Laura Morera, Eric Underwood, Edward Watson, Thiago Soares, Federico Bonelli May 17, 24 and 26 mat Serenade: Sarah Lamb, Natalia Osipova, Olivia Cowley, Rupert Pennefather, Valeri Hristov Sweet Violets: Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Laura Morera, Leanne Cope, Marianela Nuñez, Thomas Whitehead, Bennet Gartside, Ricardo Cervera, Alexander Campbell DGV:Tierney Heap, Akane Takada, Melissa Hamilton,Itziar Mendizabal, Ryoichi Hirano, Tristan Dyer, Rupert Pennefather, Nehemiah Kish