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Jamesrhblack

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  1. Jamesrhblack
    And on her birthday, if my own recollection is correct...
  2. Jamesrhblack
    Sibley and Dowell were universally acknowledged, quite rightly as magical together, but I saw Sibley with Wall a couple of times (and there’s a Manon Bedroom Pas de Deux on a grainy YouTube video from the Met) and he did bring something different out of her...
  3. Jamesrhblack
    Hayward, Campbell; Magri, Coralles (on the strength of their Mistress, Lescaut performance); I think Fumi Kaneko, who looked gorgeous on World Ballet Day yesterday, would work well with Reece Clarke: such elegant dancers. And almost everybody seems to love Naghdi with Ball....
  4. Jamesrhblack
    I always used to hope he'd be dancing the Ashton Pas de Quatre in Swan Lake Act 3 opposite Michael Batchelor, ideally with Wendy Ellis and Rosalyn Whitten, and was invariably delighted when he was. Terribly sad indeed ...
  5. Jamesrhblack
    Really wonderful to see Alfreda Thorogood coaching and how beautiful to bring the differing dance generations together. Really inspirational
  6. Jamesrhblack
    Alexander Campbell danced two performances as Des Grieux last time with Akane Takada replacing Steven McRae. He also danced Lescaut in that run. The Dancing Times was extremely complimentary about his Des Grieux if I recall correctly...
  7. Jamesrhblack
    Nor their Mayerlings...
  8. Jamesrhblack
    I’d have said Morera, Bonelli, but, sadly, that is not to be...
  9. Jamesrhblack
    David Wall, the original Lescaut (who also danced Des Grieux) was probably the most handsome man in the history of the Royal Ballet. More seriously, its Lescaut’s ambitions for his sister that set up the drama....
  10. Jamesrhblack
    My parents always watched this show and I recall as a ballet loving youngster being allowed to watch this episode. One of the pieces she had to guess was the Villa Lobos Little Train. If I recall cross the years she got that it was a journey, but she couldn’t name the piece. When the title was given, she smiled radiantly and said, “well, trains are for boys.”
  11. Jamesrhblack
    They were both outstanding; it really was a most wonderful and moving performance over all, and I entirely agree with the “holistic” comment above. It really did seem that everything was cohering together so that individual excellence combined to an even greater whole. More considered thoughts on the evening show when further ideas have percolated....
  12. Jamesrhblack
    what can one write? I’ll be vilified. He may not be the dancer he was before his injury (I didn’t see him live then). His presence, musicality and residual technique are jaw dropping. His partnering tonight may not have had Alexander Campbell’s aplomb but nothing was shirked. a great artist is always that and it was, sorry Penelope Simpson, a privilege to see him.
  13. Jamesrhblack
    I know better than to be positive about David Hallberg on here.
  14. Jamesrhblack
    Apologies for double post, penelopesimpson. Dodgy roh wifi I fear. Might a moderator delete the second posting.
  15. Jamesrhblack
    It is quite simply a privilege to see David Hallberg dance.
  16. Jamesrhblack
    Absolutely. In technique, partnering, characterisation (the self abnegation chez Madame, the fury in the bracelet duet, the devastation at the end), he moved me very deeply and whilst he may not have the long limbs others cite, I thought his ability to match his physicality to the demands of that first solo in such an immaculate way and always with such vividness of character and nuance was absolutely outstanding.
  17. Jamesrhblack
    I wouldn’t normally but diary dictated. I am always fascinated to see Hallberg and given his outstanding performance last time and the magic of their partnership there is no way I would have missed Hayward and Campbell.
  18. Jamesrhblack
    A double Manon for me today. I think that I’ve been looking forward to the matinée more than anything since Hayward / Campbell in Giselle or, possibly, Bonelli / Morera in Mayerling...
  19. Jamesrhblack
    Simply awful for Steven McRae. Of course, Alexander Campbell partnered Akane Takada last time (replacing Steven McRae)...
  20. Jamesrhblack
    https://www.roh.org.uk/news/david-hallberg-returns-to-the-royal-ballet-as-principal-guest-artist
  21. Jamesrhblack
    Unforgettable as Nureyev’s Juliet, especially her breakdown mourning Tybalt at the end of Act 2. Also, very fond memories of her as Giselle and her last performance as La Sylphide - she had a beautifully rounded shape which was very beautiful in Romantic works. Wasn’t quite so keen on her Aurora or Odette / Odile, but she remains in memory very much favourite, and, if I may so write (and a moderator will remove if I may not), I also thought her extraordinarily beautiful to behold.
  22. Jamesrhblack
    I loved Ann Jenner and Rosalyn Written, and Deborah Bull has been one of my favourite female dancers ever. We are now seeing more of Romany Pajdak and I absolutely agree that she is much under-rated artist. I’m not sure how many wider opportunities her relatively late promotion will afford, but I am very pleased it has happened.
  23. Jamesrhblack
    Very happy memories of Sandra Magdwick as Aurora with Michael O'Hare at the ROH. A lovely dancer to recall :-)
  24. Jamesrhblack
    An absolute delight. I had an anxious moment when presenting my ticket (I had treated myself to Grand Tier) to find I had somehow booked a ticket for Thursday (when I will be en route to Vienna) but even with only ten minutes to go the Box Office staff sorted me out with a ticket even better than the one I had booked. That was at the end of the front row. This was dead centre: I’m guessing an unallocated house seat. So, perhaps I was in the right mood to enjoy anyway, but I don’t think there was anything that didn’t please apart from possibly a rather rushed setting up of the disguise plan at the end of Act One and a similarly rushed finale. It’s a very compact piece, Act One around 40 minutes and Act Two barely fifty. As others have commented, the design is terrific and the score scintillatingly good. It was good to see the dancers earring their human face and evidently having a ball.
  25. Jamesrhblack
    Yes, could imagine that too...
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