Jamesrhblack

I can understand this must be very frustrating for Yuhui Choe and for her many admirers, especially as only a few years ago she seemed on a fast track to the top. I didn't see her Aurora so cannot comment but I do wonder if the additional performances that she was given replacing Osipova were seen as a test that for some reason found her wanting in management eyes. As I say (write). I didn't see her, but I did read some more guarded international criticism as well as the local acclaim...

Is Cuthbertson going having been injured for the last week of the London season....

Steven McRae is terrific. Is it just a touch of sentimentality that makes me wish this could have been used as the opportunity to let Ricardo Cevera dance a role I understand he has requested to do, especially with Laura Morera....

I have a copy of the Order of Service and could try to scan if that would be of interest....

A brief line to say how moving the Service of Thanksgiving for David Wall was this morning at an absolutely packed St Martin in the Fields. Some beautiful piano music from Henry Roach and eloquent addresses from, in particular, Patricia Linton, Lady MacMillan and James Streeter. He was one of the idols of my dance youth (we all wanted to grow up to be him as Junior Associates of the RBS forty year and more ago) and was very pleased that I managed to attend.

Although flawed, I also think Sweet Violets a most interesting work and its examination of how we try to sanitise and accommodate violence through art thought provoking. I don't think Annie is brought backstage as such though even if Lirtle Dot interacts with her. It read to me more as a filmic dissolve and LD's interaction no necessarily realistic but an indication that within the social context at that time another woman, dependant on a man for support (through engagement as a dancer) wouldn't support Annie's position. I hope I'm not ove complicating things ....

I did find time to listen to the recording. The section in question is a particularly tricky bit in an already complex score. I've not had chance to look at the music but it sounds as if there are quavers going against triplets. Nearly six days on from the first performance my immediate memory is obviously less acute, and now diluted by having listened to the recoding, but my memorial impression remains that the effect in the theatre was momentarily and noticeable not together (and understandably so). Of course. this may well have been an aural trick from where I was sitting with the timpani above the pit underneath the corner of the Stage End of the left Stalls Circle.

I sang professionally for thirteen years and now work as an Agent for Classical Musicians in Opera and Concert. From where I was sitting in the front row of the Balcony Stalls there was definitely a moment towards the end of DGV where the timpani seemed to be out. However, it happened at both shows so it may be intentional: I have a recording of the Nyman score somewhere so will endeavour to track down and listen. Given that I was only a Junior Associate at the Royal Ballet and that was many years ago, I'd think I'm more qualified to write on matters musical than I am on dance ...

Thanks Alison and John (I've managed to mis spell ensemble early on too). I was writing at St Pancras awaiting my train home. I wanted to write while impressions were still strong and pressed post before I could double check as there is very limited signal between St P and Ashford and I've lost things in the past. Apologies for the length John - I'll try to be more concise in future.

Also, Scarlett not Scariest, performance not pet furnace; cause not faust

NOT as a linear narrative work. How can I edit my post please moderators to correct?

Saw this programme twice bit at the premiere and at today's matinee and hugely enjoyed. I don't recall seeing Serenade before and was delighted to have the opportunity to revisit so quick has it definitely grows with watching, so rich in choreographic variety and expression. The Ensemnle was good on Wednesday and even better today (nothing improves dancing like more of the same) although injuries continue to strikes with Annette Buvoli replacing Nathalie Harrison and Tierney Hrap being announced as replacing Laura McCulloch at curtain up. Lovely principal ladies: for me, Sarah Lamb's cool purity (is she really that cool and pure or do we all make the assumption given her golden appearance) was even lovelier than Marianela Nunez with exquisite detail in her body placement. It was very obvious that her hair was coming down at the end of the third movement and not just because I knew what was coming. Lauren Cuthbertson was sharp, radiant, assured, Natalia Osipova breathtaking and it was good to see her in two company works in two visits even if she seemed to being try too hard just initially this afternoon. A lustrous assured Olivia Cowley had the edge for me over Melissa Hamilton as did Valeri Hristov over Matthew Golding. What a beautiful ballet. Sweet Violets is fascinating. Yes, you need to do your homework and there are confusions (the Camden Town Murder with which it starts was 1907 and the last Ripper murder was 1888) so I think it important not to regard it as a linear narrative work. Given our national obsession with murder (witness the ongoing success of Agatha Christie's subjects and of the Jack the Ripper walks) it is surely an interesting meditation on our fascination with violence and our need to sanitise it by turning it into art. Agreed, some of the choreography is fairly misogynisyic which is inherent in the subject matter but Scarlett's refusal to sanitise that is surely laudable. We can't pretend things haven't or don't exist by ignoring them and the rapturous pas de deux for Annie and Eddy throws the first and last pas de deux into stark relief. The recreation of the Camden Town Murder by Marie with the possible suspect Robert Wood while Sickert paints and the ghost of Emily Dimmock screams silently as her agony is given to posterity thriugh art is chilling. Scarlett is also marvellous at manipulating the stage space and the skewed perspective of the Music Hall scene is theatrically very stimulating. He's so talented too: in the scene outside the Hall, Annie changes the balance of her meeting from the passer by's perspective from pick up to evening walk by the simple act of putting her arm through Sickert's. Committed performances from both casts. Standouts for me were Laura Morera and Leanne Cope (who has surely never been used to her full potential) as Annie, and it was great to see Alexander Campbell back on stage as the equivocal figure of Jack, who I take to be the dark side of the human consciousness. Superb musical performance too. Some worryingly young children in the audience, some of whom didn't return after the Scarlett. Do parents really not check the content of the programmes for which they are booking? It would seem not. DGV is a great joy and a thrilling musical (although the timpani were out on both occasions towards the end, I'm sure this isn't intentional ) and choreographic experience: audience screamed their approval today. Wheeldon's ever inventive choreography seems to inspire the dancers to total intensity of response leaving us if not them breathless. The ensemble was terrific as were the principals, although at both performances I was unconvinced by Matthew Golding's choice of facial expression - I can't think how else to put it and have no wish to cause offence or the attention of a moderator. Of course, Zemaida Yanowsky, Eric Underwood, Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Marianle Nunez, Thiago Soares, Laura Morera and Valeri Hristov (great yet again, as he had also been as Polixenes) were outstanding in the first cast, but even more exciting this afternoon were Tierney Heap's theatrical glamour contrasting with Ryoichi Hirano's steady command, Beatrix Stix-Brunell's combination of freshness and ever greater assurance with Valentino Zucchetti's exuberant zest, and, above all, the sheer physical thrill of Akane Takada and Tristan Dyer, at one point sailing across the stage in a grand jeté matched in angle, physicality and musicality. She is already on her way to ballerina roles. I am not sure what his journey will be, but he was fantastic this afternoon.

There was no laughter yesterday and I don't see that irrational jealousy with potentially lethal consequences can ever have been intended as comic whether by Shakespeare or Wheeldon, it's the lack of basis for Leontes' imaginings that makes it frightening and very far from comic.

To my party of four it definitely came across in the Stalls as a drop - there was a definite bang as Ms Nunez hit the deck and I was delighted she recovered so quickly. One can but record one's impressions and I did cover myself by using the word "seem" so sm pleased to be corrected. I hope that my more than positive response to the afternoon will have made clear that it did not affect my realise to the work and I should also have reported that Ms Nunez was beaming as she ousted Gartside forward for a solo stage call and that he blew her a kiss and they embraced at their red runner - evidently, no hard feelings there.

Came away from this afternoon's performance moved almost beyond words. It's such an astonishing play, at least in its earlier scenes. To this day, I remember seeing it at the Oxford Playhouse over thirty years ago on a school pre University trip, knowing nothing of it and being totally gripped. It is to the credit of Christopher. Wheeldon and his team that this marvellous ballet has the same edge of seat intensity. Perhaps a second viewing would affirm or contradict this initial impression but for now I can only marvel at the achievement. It would be interesting to see the first cast on whom the work was built but no complaints about what was on stage today. As standingticket points out there are many Watsonisms in the choreography for Leontes and agreeing with aileen it seemed that Bennet Gartside dropped Marianela Nunez during the trail scene. In the last pas de deux, there is also an echo of Lauren Cuthbertsin's magical slowing of a turning arabesque for Hermione. However, the sense of an entire creative team from choreographer and composer (loved the score) to design and staging working together produced an overwhelming effect. Valeri Hristov danced with such athletic power and precision in Act One and some of the corps choreography in Act 2, as well as that for Perdita and Florizel had me gasping with delight. Perhaps some of the last Act seems a little rushed in its pacing, but the final Duet, which achieves no easy end, is absolutely exquisite and Laura Morera's desolation at the end truly moving too. There is no reconciliation here for her shattered life.

I think she is still dancing but as Annie in First Cast and Marie in Second, just not Emily which she created so vividly...

I can understand that she must feel a bit stuck...

I think there is a lot if truth in what James Sinclair writes and it did occur to me that the weight gain was probably related to lack of performances. It is odd that Rojo seems so persistently determined not to use her, even if that is an AD's prerogative...

Not wishing to be disrespectful, but is Elena not rather mature for Swanilda and, apologies to seem ungallant, she did seem to be carrying quite a lot of weight at the Russian Icons Gala last month. I was rather taken aback....

So, Marquez out of Symphonic. Looks to be a thin season for her so far...

I thought Dust was one of the most astonishing things I have ever seen. Days afterwards (I went on Friday) the music and images continue to haunt me.

I absolutely agree. I don't condone Maria Miller's expenses but she managed to ensure that cuts in the Arts budget were smaller than in some other departments. You don't necessarily need empathy and if you're arguing a case the arms length principal can be beneficial. In times of austerity when there isn't a lot of public money thanks to the last incumbents spending all the money and then eating all the pies it is inevitable that cuts will need to be imposed - the alternative is higher taxation which nobody welcome,

I'd also intimate that despite Yuhui Choe's replacing Osipova again, Francesca Hayward's casting in two principal roles against Choe's know suggests that management is still ambivalent to promotion for Choe.

Gosh, Francesca Hayward is being fast tracked. One should never speculate, but does anybody else think Zenaida Yanowsky is being allowed to return to Manon (and with Roberto Bolle) as a valedictory treat in a final season....

But which principal? Cuthbertson is up to her ears with the Wheeleon and has already been pulled from one Beauty and you don't want to see Nunez. Marquez is surely too small for Golding and her replacing of Cojocaru in Bayadère wasn't well received by all. Indeed, Marquez seems increasingly marginalised after a brief flurry as Steven McRae's principal partner dancing a smaller number of performances than many other dancers and in a more narrow repertoire.