Jamesrhblack

In London early ahead of the Sarasota Ballet weekend and just managed a return for this evening. Looking forward very much 😀

On 04/06/2024 at 02:02, alison said:

Interesting cast for The Walk to the Paradise Garden (it's a three-parter)

 

Macarena Gimenez, Ricardo Graziano, Daniel Pratt, Thomas Beecham, William Chappell

Sir Thomas Beecham’s arrangement of the Delius score and William Chappell’s designs? Just speculating in an idle moment…

I find it very interesting that a ballet created on Baryshnikov that was thought to be exceptionally demanding technically is not now being danced this season by a single principal man. That to me speaks volumes for the talent within the lower ranks of the company (as it’s worked out I’ll be seeing Luca Acri twice but I’m sure the other gentlemen will be dazzling too and am particularly sorry not to be seeing Joonhyuk Jun, whose absence from the initial casting had slightly surprised me). Looking forward very much to the three Sarasota programmes this weekend and then the first of the RB Ashton on Monday. 

9 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

A musing on the WT. Presumably, given that Hermione was on trial for adultery and treason, her conviction would have led to Leontes sentencing her to death. But then, when she ‘dies’ as a result of shock, he is grief stricken. One wonders, would he actually have gone through with the death sentence…..?

I read somewhere that part of Shakespeare’s inspiration for The Winter’s Tale was the fate of Anne Boleyn. Henry 8, in his mercy, commuted her sentence for adultery and treason from burning to decapitation (although the French swordsman was already on his way before the trial got underway)…

1 hour ago, alison said:

 

Not at the Royal Ballet: Sarah Wildor, Mara Galeazzi, Laura Morera, to name a few on the female side.

Although all three did dance Giselle, which has, so far, eluded Hamilton as well s Aurora and Odette/Odile. She did dance The Sugar Plum Fairy for a couple of runs, but was then taken out of it.

I have great admiration for her tenacity in carving out a career, but would think that the time for promotion has, as with Yuhui Choe, passed. 

20 hours ago, RobR said:

Julia has danced; Myrthe, Lilac Fairy, Queen of the Dryads, Big Swan, Dancing Mistress?

In my early ballet-going dyas, Myrthe and Lilac Fairy were both principal roles, usually danced by the taller ballerinas such as Deanne Bergsma, Vergie Derman and Monica Mason, with Marguerite Porter a notable exception to thar rule as Lilac Fairy..

2 minutes ago, Rob S said:

After watching seven performances I’ve finally decided to read the synopsis of Act 3 and it now makes sense!! 

I forgot to mention in my ramblings above that I thought the programme beautifully put together with some really interesting and illuminating articles.

12 minutes ago, cjp said:

In addition to which Dixon usually manages some beautiful dancing alongside strong acting and stage presence and am not really sure why he's not being considered as likely a promotion prospect as some others of the same rank.

Absolutely, as I wrote above,

“Leo Dixon brought tremendous authority and razor-sharp technique to Polixenes, fully matching Muntagirov in their shared sequences.”

3 hours ago, HelenHelen said:

Has this been mentioned already? I was just doing my diary and noticed that Cinderella casting is live: https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/cinderella-dates No Cuthbertson or Hirano from the principals, and only Sissens and Richardson from the (current) first soloists.

 

Hayward/Corrales

Nunez/Muntagirov

Kaneko/Bracewell (yay)

O'Sullivan/Sambe

Naghdi/Ball

Osipova/Clarke

Takada/Sissens

Magri/Richardson

Lamb/McRae

I appreciate that one shouldn’t speculate but I wonder whether Cuthbertson’s not being cast as Cinderella (not being cast as Alice makes more sense) and withdrawing from both The Nutcracker and Swan Lake this season is indicative of her looking to adapt her repertoire to which she feels most comfortable now to perform, rather as Leanne Benjamin did.

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

@Rob S I could well be wrong, that's just how I've been interpreting it and I'm often told on here that I'm wrong about thing ballet-related!

Don't worry, there are often as many ways of viewing tings as there are viewers and I seem frequently hauled over the coals on here for my observations 😉

16 minutes ago, Rob S said:

I really don't understand why the audience find the putting on of a hat so amusing when compared to the prologue of Don Q

As above, surely it raises a smile at the theatrical convention of a hat showing disguise rather than the hat being the disguise. Akin to Oberon’s “I am invisible,” when he evidently isn’t.

3 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

May I ask if Dixon managed to get the humorous moments in Act II, when Polixenes is disguised, to work at his second performance? At his debut I thought he didn't quite manage to get them over as well as Richardson & Braendsrod did.

i thought he was very amusing with the hat (i love the fact the hat represents disguise rather than actually being the disguise) and seemed decidedly grumpy as he strummed his guitar. Mind you, I have no other cast as a point of reference.

Had a busy morning back in the theatre for work, so only now able to put down a few thoughts.

As I wrote above, I was completely captivated by The Winter’s Tale, for me a superb fusion of drama, music, dance, design and lighting. I know some dislike Joby Talbot’s score but for me it conjures up its own world, gloriously played by the extended orchestra under Koen Kessels’ baton, as the Friedrich inspired designs play out on stage.

It was wonderful to see Vadim Muntagirov using the choreography to convey character quite as much as through facial expression. I’d not before clocked the circling scuttling moments in the Statue scene as being an interpretation of Shakespeare’s “I have drunk and seen the spider.” 

Fumi Kaneko’s elegance and serenity as Hermione are a beauty to behold (was there a moment’s uncertainty in a turning arabesque in the Trial Scene) and her glamour gives a trigger to Leontes’ jealousy. I also thought the equivocation of the final not quite reconciliation which understandably left Leontes broken very clearly presented.

Leo Dixon brought tremendous authority and razor-sharp technique to Polixenes, fulling matching Muntagirov in their shared sequences. It’s interesting to see a role created by a principal seemingly now cast at Soloist or First Soloist level.

Olivia Cowley’s maturity of manner and generosity of dance (that back, those reaching extensions) were glorious to behold. Paulina is such an interesting character and her significance is shown by her being the last character on stage, broken by the loss of her husband and what she has had to endure with her mistress. She received the warmest acclaim from a very enthusiastic audience which was lovely to behold.

I was blown away by Violet Pantuso. Such delicacy, yet such inner steely strength. I thought her absolutely captivating and absolutely understood why she is receiving such swift prominence. I’m not sure whether her stature might prevent some opportunities but I’m eager to see much more of her. Whatever “it” is, she undoubtedly has it.

Joseph Sissens is always a joy to behold. Yes, partnering still needs attention, but he has such charm, verve and charisma allied to musicality and style that it’s impossible not to watch him. Some have been concerned that Leontes doesn’t test Muntagirov’s dance technique enough, although a role created on Edward Watson’s particular talents will have its own challenges. However, to watch Sissens hurtling through Wheeldon’s choreography in Act 2 is to see him executing flights of virtuosity way beyond what he is asked to do in Swan Lake.

I thought the corps thrilling in their bucolic delight, yet was also moved to tears in the outer acts.

A really wonderful evening.

After yesterday’s The Winter’s Tale, I’d expect a double promotion for Violet Pantuso. I would also anticipate promotions for Ella Newton Severgnini, Marianna Tsembenhoi, Daichi Ikarashi and Marco Masciari.

Barring any unanticipated departures, I can’t see that there is any space at Principal or Soloist level, otherwise I would think Mariko Sasaki could also be in line.

46 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

I’m here, with friends! Isn’t it amazing?

Absolutely. I’ve loved the play since I first saw it on a pre Oxford entrance examination trip and I think Wheeldon’s, Talbot’s and Crowley’s vision a complete symbiosis of drama, choreography, music and design.

i need to process ahead of further musings but do want to flag that it was wonderful to hear the audience acclaim for Olivia Cowley as Paulina, one of those secondary principal roles that etches its way into the fabric of the piece and thus the audience’s heart.

Not sure if anybody else is here, but I’m absolutely loving The Winter’s Tale this evening.

8 hours ago, Sim said:

I am not there tomorrow night but am sure other forum folk will be.  It would be lovely to meet you another time, perhaps during the Ashton run?  Enjoy tomorrow night!

Absolutely 

As I need to be in London early on Tuesday morning, I am staying tomorrow night in town and have managed to get a ticket for the evening performance of The Winter’s Tale. Will anybody else be attending? I’ve never been very good at connecting with people on such occasions but, in the words of the proverbial school report, must do better…

I have found both TodayTix and Stage Audience useful for sourcing reduced tickets for the theatre. The latter involves a membership fee but you can more than save that on your first purchase.

I could imagine all of Cuthbertson, Lamb, Magri, Naghdi, Nuñez and Osipova having a joyous time as Queen of Hearts…

11 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Done!

 

 

Bedankt

3 hours ago, LinMM said:

The mind boggles with this seat! 
From the original posters piccie it would look

more as if your right knee would almost be touching the pillar not the left!! If the left knee was just touching it wouldnt  the pillar then be more to the left and in fact more directly blocking view. 
The official view from the seat looks more like it was taken standing up behind it!! 
Either way if this was sold for full Grand Tier prices it doesn’t seem a very good show to me. 

I did indeed mean right knee! Might a moderator correct for me…

Apologies for sending people down a further rabbit hole.

2 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

Probably a reason why GT C7 is usually a house seat for ballet performances!

That I didn’t know @bangorballetboy

4 hours ago, Richard LH said:

 This  is the "official" view from this seat...I suppose it is all literally a matter of perspective...

I can assure you the view was not like that from the seat. The pillar abuts it directly so that one’s right knee is almost touching it. Anyway enough is enough. I found the view problematic and distracting. Others who were not sitting in the seat beg to differ, so let’s leave it at that.

7 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

I don't mean that you have cropped the photograph, I mean your choice of portrait mode rather than landscape has given the effect of a very claustrophobic view of the performance.

 

That said   

Which is very much what it felt like…