Emeralds

So basically it's now: Miki Mizutani and Max Maslen covering Thursday night Yu Kurihara and Lachlan Monaghan covering Saturday night. I am happy with the new casting- it works out well with the other cast I bought tickets for, and no repeats. Oh I do hope everything is OK with Alina and it's nothing terrible. The company announcement sounds like it's serious matters but not injury and illness. Hope all is well for her and her family. From what I remember of it (and my VHS recording of the production till it got worn out!) the Prince does get a good amount of dancing - similar to the RB production, @Dawnstar. Don't suppose you are able to take in two performances? I think you might like this version. Sadler's Wells needs advance notice to exchange dates - more than 24hours, plus an exchange fee (they will waive the fee if you exchange with -and pay the excess for- a pricier ticket though).

Just to add that you don't have to find work as a dancer if you train in dance or as an actor if you train in drama, for example. Many graduates in these subjects have self discipline, versatility and ongoing enthusiasm for learning new things, which makes them better employees and better potential leaders because of these skills which they honed as students of the performing arts. I've seen so many former dancers and actors prove themselves repeatedly in a whole variety of non-arts jobs and careers while graduates from humanities, business and science courses falter because many of the latter have always been told "just get good grades and opportunities will be handed to you on a plate". The hardest part may be convincing an employer to give you the first job to prove yourself, but nowadays that's the same for all new graduates. This is a narrow minded and erroneous decision from the government.

Sorry to bring part 2 of the review for last night's performance (4 April) a bit belatedly- was busy checking train updates about the overtime ban at the second interval, then had to rush to get home afterwards in case we got stranded! Different Drummer- we were at last night's performance principally to see the cast of Hayward and Sambe for Different Drummer, as the cast changes meant we'd actually seen many of the same cast for Danses Concertantes and Requiem already. Did consider returning tickets when the rail industrial action was announced but as DD might not be programmed again for ages, we just had to go as Hayward wasn't scheduled to dance Marie after the industrial action ends). Francesca Hayward, Marcelino Sambe and Francisco Serrano certainly triumphed as Marie, Woyzeck and Drum Major. Hayward has many of the same qualities that Ferri had as Marie. When she makes her entrance, they both had that same sashaying walk that tells you something about the character- for me, it was "uh oh, this girl is not going to be the supportive wife or the tower of strength for poor Woyzeck- she will also cause him grief". Hayward has that way of inhabiting the character- whether Juliet or Manon or Marie - that she no longer appears to act but every glance, pause or step IS the character. Marcelino Sambe brings his abilities as a virtuoso to the steps that MacMillan gave Woyzeck- the tragedy is heightened when this exploited, mistreated and cuckolded soldier dances with such eloquent grace. Sambe really highlights the grief, anguish and suffering that Woyzeck feels. At this point I want to mention Reece Clarke's portrayal from last week as I didn't have the space then to comment more. A very different portrayal to those of Sambe and Stephen Jefferies (the only other Woyzeck I've seen), Clarke highlights how painful the Doctor's experiments are and how gruelling the training by the Captain are, as well as the bullying from the two of them and the Drum Major are (helped by Gary Avis's excellent portrayal of the relentless, shouting Captain), with a stark, powerful portrayal of his descent into psychosis. With Sambe's portrayal you get more of a sense of Woyzeck's increasing anguish and distress tipping him over the edge to kill. They are both powerful performances but I found it easier to appreciate Clarke's interpretation after seeing a different one from Sambe. But the real surprise of the evening was Francisco Serrano's portrayal of Drum Major. A sympathetic Andres in the Clarke/Osipova cast, he really comes into his own as Drum Major here. The first Drum Major I've seen not to drop the Drum Major's mace accidentally (I was beginning to get a bit worried that I might be jinxing every Drum Major I see!) he not only is a dab hand (pun unintended) at the twirling but also the one-handed cartwheels, the leaps, the skilful partnering in his seduction of Marie- outstanding. Not at all overwhelmed by dancing opposite two principals, Serrano completely smashes it - he is convincing as the confident, arrogant and attractive Drum Major, and you can see why Hayward's Marie would be beguiled by him. Wowzer- I think we have a new soloist here! Thomas Whitehead (Captain) , Kevin Emerton (Doctor), Benjamin Ella (excellent as Woyzeck’s concernrd friend and fellow soldier Andres) and the rest of the cast provided brilliant support. The ballet has its shocking moments (as dictated by the plot) and some uneven moments- interspersed with unexpected, even jarring, moments of beauty: the score is sometimes too beautiful (especially when combined with the beautiful jetes and elegantly performed slides to the floor of the soldiers) but perhaps this is part of MacMillan's intention- to make us question, discuss and be unsettled by the cruelty and exploitation in the world going on alongside the beauty. We loved Requiem last week and it was a joy to see Sarah Lamb and Melissa Hamilton back, compelling as ever in the same roles with William Bracewell (Offertoire), Lukas B Brændsrød' (Sanctus) and Joseph Sissens (Libera Me) taking over from Ball, Hirano and Acri from last week. Kudos to Lamb and her partners Bracewell and Brændsrød for being able to present two gorgeous and moving pas de deux with limited rehearsal time when Lamb was called upon to replace Lauren Cuthbertson at short notice. Moving performances from Bracewell, Brændsrød and Sissens- so different from Ball, Hirano and Acri, yet so beautiful as well. The quartet of Zucchetti, Dixon, Dubreuil and Donnelly were once again stellar in the lifts and partnering in the Agnus Dei and other sections. Isabela Díaz and Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, the RO Chorus and the ROH Orchestra were magnificent once again in the performance of Fauré's stunning Requiem. The Royal Ballet in MacMillan's Requiem is soulful and stunning beauty this season- all credit to the dancers, singers, musicians and their stagers and coaches. I note that we have no recordings of the three ballets on DVD and Danses Concertantes and Different Drummer (possibly Requiem also) have never been on a cinema relay. All those who have tickets to the cinema relay or ROH performance next week (whether you decide to see or skip DD), or the Sat 13th April performance, are in for a special treat.

I think @Geoff meant that the advisory should say "some content is unsuitable for audiences under 16" or "some content only suitable for age 16+". The wording for this triple bill wasn't up to their usual standard.

Dawnstar is our expert on the stalls circle bench seats 😊

I'm really hoping that James will be in Danses Concertantes next time round - either the solo man in yellow or the pas de trois man: both roles are so suited to his strengths. Also, the Libera Me role in Requiem. I wonder if James will be back as the doctor on 9th or 13th? Linnzi5, I haven't been able to find any books or interviews with Nicholas Georgiadis discussing the 1955 DC costumes (it doesn't mean there aren't any in existence- I just haven't found any) but watching it closely tonight, I think if the gold decoration is taken off, it makes the men's heads look like they blend into the set quite often, because the set has dark/black parts... which would look strange. If they take the black headpiece off completely, because the costume is quite streamlined, it has the effect of making their hair look messy especially next to the women. I'm guessing that the 3D arrow-like gold decoration was to match the arrows on their leotards. Actually, as the ballet progresses they actually blend in and look much nicer. They just aren't photogenic in pictures or when the wearer is standing still though! I agree, jury is still out.

Another delightful performance of Danses Concertantes so far- Marco Masciari and Liam Boswell virtually unrecognisable under the headpieces but excellent in their dancing and partnering, and it also took me a while to recognise Ashley Dean with her hair hidden under the black headpiece! The six ladies of the ensemble- Katsura, Lubach, Mullova-Barley, Nikelski, Roscoe, Tonkinson once again stellar in their unison and beautiful lines, while still dancing with musicality and wit. Taisuke Nakao revelling in the humour of his role, with some fine jumps. The pas de trois with Zucchetti, Maeda and Dean danced with so much wit, charm and virtuosity, but never overdoing it- bliss! Maeda has grown in confidence and polish since her last performance. Couldn't help feeling that maybe Zucchetti and Rovero might be a better fit if they swapped roles. Gasparini a delightful lead ballerina again. The music is gorgeous - beautifully played by the ROH Orchestra under the baton of Koen Kessels. Such a lovely ballet! Can we have it back in 2026?? (Back to the show...)

Great pictures (and jumps)! Alvin Ailey choreographed Pas de Duke, Vadim choreographed Pas de Duck. 😄 Very cute!

Sylvia last staged in Nov-Dec 2017 so you're right, @jmhopton. I agree it should be filmed again (preferably with Nunez in the lead role). Thank you for writing in to ask. I guessed no Fille from RB this season because of BRB dancing it at Sadler's Wells (I think even if one company is only doing 2 or 3 performances of a ballet in London the other RB company tries not to do the same ballet in the same season - the only exception being Nutcracker at Royal Albert Hall as there seems to be no shortage of people buying up all the Nutcracker tickets at Christmas in London. And the two Nutcrackers are very different productions even if both staged by Peter Wright!) If Kevin could bring Fille back for 2025-26 that would be ace. Hope all our members and readers are able to make it to London for the RB Ashton ballets since there won't be any streaming/cinema relay/etc. Fingers crossed no industrial action nor travel disruption too.

It feels a bit slapdash- the system of caat sheet on the walls and QR codes or website cast lists has been going on for over a year. Surely they could invest in a few inexpensive boards (like what ROH has) to slip a new sheet into at every performance. I wonder if the afternoon shift forgot to print them out. If they had a board or stand at every level then it would prompt the front of house staff to remember to get them printed off. Even just one cast list on one board on the ground floor is better than not having any,if they can't afford three.

I liked the Georgiadis costumes but didn't like the headpieces for the men. The women's costumes and headpieces were great. Unfortunately I don't think the men's headpieces can be discarded or altered now that Mr Georgiadis is no longer with us to ask his permission (or ask him to redesign them). I don’t know if the designs are the reason why Danses Concertantes is so seldom performed....I can't see any other reason why it isn’t staged more frequently. It has such beautiful choreography.

Ah, I guessed it probably wasn't, @Scheherezade- this seems to be a showcase for young newly graduated singers and other performers. I found a bit of information on Scherzo Ensemble's FB page, @alison - they have now listed the dancers taking part as well as the vocal soloists. Still no mention of the type of dance, but am guessing from the post it isn't classical ballet. Could be contemporary, jazz dance, street, folk or a fusion of a few or all of the above? Looks like an enjoyable event for those who are interested in unusual presentations of familiar pieces like The Creation, or those with young family members training in music, singing or dance. Here's the text of their post: "In our unique production of Haydn’s Creation, each of the archangels, as well as Adam and Eve, is represented by a dancer. Allow us to introduce our dancers! Abbie Thompson Elliot Minogue-Stone Malachi Briant Mercedes Prevatt Riz Golden "

They are highly unlikely to switch the running order of the 3 ballets - I've never seen that happen for mixed bills at ROH - but very very rarely, a middle ballet has had to be cancelled if there is some unforeseen situation they can't fix. They can present a ballet with no set or modify/improvise a prop or costume or replace a dancer so those won't be the issue. Once a McGregor ballet (Tetractys- the Art of Fugue) had to be cancelled because Natalia Osipova had sustained a concussion while rehearsing. But they had advance notice of that before the day of the show. If someone (eg the conductor or a lead dancer) falls ill or gets an injury, they delay the start to get someone else to replace them rather than switching the running order. So I would say it's 99.5% OK to go off for dinner but probably cannot say 100%:for certain! I did once sit out a middle ballet with small relatives for the same reason as you, but we ate in the opera house so we could hear all the announcements (eg "The ballet X will start in 5 minutes', "Please take your seats, X is about to begin") so I was aware of any changes no matter how unlikely. Also, do allocate plenty of time to return and get to your seats.

They used to tape a cast sheet to the wall on each auditorium level. Has that disappeared now? That's not good. Rather than giving away a printed cast sheet to each person who asks, they should pin them up. You can get the full cast list from the ENB website without using a QR code on the day, but I agree it's not great if one doesn't have a smartphone or internet access at the theatre. The cast list link is: https://www.ballet.org.uk/blog-detail/daily-performance-casting-for-carmen/

Yes, it was a period setting, and the set recalled public baths from the past. Found a little info from kennethmacmillan.com- "In 1991, Ian Spurling set the ballet in a tiled set reminiscent of the public baths, making it seem a completely different ballet."

Thanks, @San Perregrino, I saw his bio online but it doesn't really tell us whether he is using folk, contemporary, or even ballet or another genre, for this one-off performance as he sounds very versatile and open to different styles. I expect the dancers are probably hired as freelancers for this one-off performance. @alison, I checked- Scherzo Ensemble is the name of the organisation (they call themselves a platform....hmm, ok) who has put together a choir of young singers.

Oh yes, thanks for the reminder @JNC and @Linnzi5- I'd forgotten about the Nov 2019 debut with Reece Clarke just over a month before. There was the interview in The Times with them both and glowing reviews. Glad you enjoyed the performance too, JNC! 😊

Was it the same choreographer, @Scheherezade?

It used to be the same production, down to the same designer - Nicholas Georgiadis (both Nureyev and MacMillan liked collaborating with him). But the Paris Opera changed the designs recently, and commissioned new sets from Alexandre Beliaev and new costume designs from Elena Rivkina.

Did find something interesting for this thread on Danses Concertantes etc while trying to search for the Hatley/Bussell substitution story! In this gallery of black and white photos about Bussell and RB colleagues there is a photo of Belinda Hatley (in either Hinkis or Maeda's role) in Danses Concertantes with the previous Ian Spurling designs. It's the 3rd photo from the bottom or the 15th photo from the top. Sadly the pictures aren't in colour but thought readers who hadn't seen the previous production might be interested. I think the men come off better and the corps de ballet ladies have some nice outfits, but I think the three leading women get nicer costumes from Georgiadis. Sorry there aren't more. If we find some colour ones maybe members might like to vote (straw poll?) which ones they like more - Georgiadis or Spurling? BTW, tomorrow's performance is also the first show with the second cast of Danses Concertantes (although Isabella Gasparini is in both casts of course). https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2020/oct/24/darcey-bussell-explodes-royal-ballet-black-and-white-in-pictures

Trying to rack my brains but I can't recall this exactly although you probably are right as you usually are with these recollections, Alison! Was it Sleeping Beauty also or another ballet? (Certainly wasn't a performance I was at, unfortunately/fortunately. ) Tried to do an online search but cyberspace isn't helping either!

Lauren Cuthbertson started the performance (the show just before the cinema relay) but Fumi Kaneko (who was Lilac Fairy) stepped in halfway due to Cuthbertson sustaining an injury during the performance. Kaneko then went on to do the subsequent cinema relay in the end as well because Cuthbertson wasn't fully recovered in time. So you're sort of right both ways actually! (Or people can reread the whole thread from 2019 too 😀 ). Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball, who had previously danced Aurora and Florimund before, were scheduled to dance Bluebird pdd for the cinema relay as part of a "super luxury cast" with so many principals, and although I did wonder if they would be moved up to reprise Aurora and Florimund for the cinema relay, it was decided to keep them as Bluebird and Florine (they were brilliant) and have Kaneko making her full debut (as opposed to just part of the ballet!) as Aurora on live cinema relay to UK and international audiences....no pressure then! The same thing also happened to Darcey Bussell once- injury during the ballet - and her Lilac Fairy, Marianela Nunez (who was scheduled to dance Aurora later in the run, I think), stepped in to dance the rest of the ballet for her. Ended up on the front page of a few newspapers! But it wasn't a cinema relay though- before the days of live cinema relays.

No problem 😊.

Yes, he is still listed in the cast for 13 April. As @capybara posted (somewhere!) it sounds like he is withdrawing for planned treatment in late April and May rather than some injury or illness that has sidelined him completely.

That's a good question (and observation) . I suppose if one wanted a "perfect" recording and relay one would have the same dancer on both nights. Here's a funny anecdote - I don't know if it has been discussed on the forum before as it was wayyyy before I joined: on the RB La Bayadere recording with Rojo/Acosta/Nunez in the lead roles (available on DVD and previously broadcast frequently on the Sky Arts channel), there are actually two different dancers performing the role of the third shade (the one with the solo beginning slowly and finishes with fast runs on pointe across the stage to the wings). When they start dancing together with the other Shades, the role is danced by Hikaru Kobayashi, but the solo is danced by Lauren Cuthbertson. Can't remember who is recorded dancing the coda. I wasn't at the performance- I can only guess that there was injury/illness and one of them replaced the other at one of the performances. I suppose there are 2 options- 1) have Sarah dance both 4 & 9 April and offer Lauren 13 April if she is available/well and ready to dance on 13th, or 2) proceed with Sarah on 4 & 13 and Lauren on 9 and use discreet camera angles and editing where necessary if recorded footage has to be used, since there's a precedent from Bayadere (it would be the digital equivalent of "the show must go on"!) 😀