Bruce Wall

Simon, I would love the ticket will send you a private message.  

9 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

I have to say that Linda would have been one of the first to pounce on that (and that makes me smile, bittersweet)!

And rightly so.  She also would have been wittily understanding.  That was part of her enormous gift.  It is, as stated, a sad loss.  A life certainly to be celebrated.  

30 minutes ago, SheilaC said:

As I went through the dates I was delighted at the number of matinees (great for those of us who live too far away to get home after an evening performance, and especially now that hotel prices in central London have gone up astronomically). Not counting schools matinees there are 22 matinees listed. But then I came to the standout programme for me, the Balanchine triple and, as JNC has posted, there is not a single matinee for this triple bill by one of the great choreographers. Unforgivable.

And why is there only one Ashton ballet, given that we have been told that we are in a five-year Ashton celebration? Some celebration!

 I'm with Sheila on this one.  The 'Ashton Festival' so called was I thought to right a balance.  I thought it was also sharing the defining work of other Company's on Ashton with the Royal's talents.  It seems clear this incentive has definitely been put on the RBOH's back burner.  More's the shame as far as I'm concerned.  

3 minutes ago, Sim said:

Barbara?

Thanks so for the prompt, Sim.  A simple matter of doing too many things at once .... Was preparing a programme for my project next year in Mexico - and the head of that is Barbara - was typing a note to her at the same time as I saw the sad news about Linda.  Will now have to check what I called her in that email!!!  Heaven only knows.  Again, thanks. 

Such passionate dedication with earnest regard, Linda's voice leaves a reasoned void but oh, so many vivid memories to cherish.  RIP.  

Thought the 24/25 Royal season is as good as we could have expected given the backdrop of the country's own economic challenges.  Indeed, a fairly healthy core of the rep had already been leaked; not least the highlight of the McGregor centrepiece.  The Balanchine rep is a happy addition.  I'm so pleased they are doing Prodigal as it is a piece which is best suited to the Royal's contemporary gifts as so ravishingly displayed in their core MacMillian and McGregor outings.  I wish they would have focused on smaller Balanchine works which would look more apt on the ROH's intimate stage.  (Prodigal definitely fits that remit.)  Here I'm thinking of joyful things like Square Dance, Allegro Brillante, Donizetti Variations, etc.  They give a chance to key principals to shine and a lot of the opportunities to younger dancers to best build balletic skills.  Think the Wheeldon triple will be fun - and again well sourced in terms of the Royal's current capacities.  Glad the American in Paris ballet from the second act of the musical will be featured ensuring a future life and the Two of Us PDD (made originally for the then dedicated couple from NYCB, Joe Gordon and Adrian Danchig-Waring, for a programme at NYC's City Center) is most evocative.  

This is a great loss, I fear.  McWhinney is a very special talent - especially given her versatility.  ENB is a very different company now.  I can understand her departure.  We all have to live within the boundaries of the time period we are dealt.  

1 hour ago, capybara said:

There are a few multiple entries, among them the impressive Tyler Peck. However, I do hope that the Best Dancer top slots will be awarded to artists who have contributed  substantially in the UK throughout the year rather than on a ‘flying visit’.

The name is 'Tiler' ... There is a Tyler in the current NYCB company - but that is Tyler Angle - who has sometimes partnered Tiler.  

My word that's a lot of nominations for Tiler.  I'm sure she'll be delighted - and surprised!  Very happy too that she's back dancing again in the NYCB Spring Season.  

@Jeannette, happily Ratmansky's Solitude - a true masterwork IMHO - will be repeated in the NYCB '24/25 season.  It is a work I'm confident will withstand any one nation's time; one whose rich choreographic heart will beat long beyond you and certainly me.  

20 minutes ago, alison said:

I must admit, it does amuse me rather to see "only" 7 performances of Coppelia scheduled - and no mention at all of the other full-length works.  Such a difference from e.g. the Royal Ballet!

I find seven a good (well, refreshing in comparison) number ... The SL is for two weeks (14 performances) at the end of the '25 NYCB Winter Season and MSND is - as per tradition - at the end of the Spring season (another 7 performance outing).   It is always The Nutcracker that arms itself to match the RB records.  It will - as usual - have 43 performances - all in one concentrated chunk giving the new NYCB intakes plenty of opportunity to show their fanciful wares.  

One definitely positive aspect to the new NYCB season is (a) the regimentation of all evening curtain times to 7.30 pm [previously the Friday and Saturday evening slots were 8pm] and - in response to NYCB audience requests - (b) a reduction - in the majority of cases - from two interval programmes to one.  This should ensure that the similar quality is delivered within a more minimum time frame.  I would imagine that this would mean the majority of performances will end just before or very near 10 pm from EVERYONE's perspective.  Very healthy for family and working life.  Well done, Wendy and Jonathan.  

Here's the NYT's coverage - but that will, of course, be covered by a paywall.  

Here's a Broadway World overview - I think this is available for most UK readers.  

Sure a press release will follow shortly.  The calendar is not a bad way to look at it.  You can click on the different programme's titles and see a list of the works to be performed.  

Sorry, @Estreiiita but - at least for me - this link is not working.  

Details here - includes new Ratmansky and new Peck and three full-lengths: Coppelia, Swan Lake and Midsummer Night's Dream.  

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

I think the only problem with accepting a job in a company like the Royal Ballet is that it's now a company with stars or rising stars in all ranks, so it's harder to stand out and get opportunities and promotions. But the same would be true in any renowned company like NYCB, Paris Opera, ABT etc. 

I think NYCB is a definite exception to the above stated rule - and, quite frankly, always has been.  Apprentices are often thrown into the deep end VERY QUICKLY and DANCE A LOT - but then the Company dances more rep per annum than any other Company on earth.  That stamina is built into them at SAB - which is why Balanchine always insisted that any dancer joining the Company from outside (and they are extremely few and far between for very significant reason) would spend six months at SAB - just to be fair to them.  It is VERY different in that regard from any of the other Companies referenced.  

3 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

Speculate to accumulate! - just not in the UK

Dave, I fear this British attitude has long been the sad - but all too real - case.  Being actively involved in this area within this isle  - as well as being privileged to be active in many other parts of the world - I proactively see the results of this with vibrant effect.  I've simply given up here I fear and accepted what you write as now a simple fact of life - That way nothing really surprises.  The 'universal (British) THEY' have forced such sadly.  These things seem NOT to alter.  It is especially sad given this country's previous history of precedent setting.  Sadly, you can't live on that - as much as some STILL try.  Things really came into focus for me when Oxford made Shakespeare an 'elective' for English degrees in the latter part of the last century.  This is one of the few countries on earth where you can have a degree in the English language and - in practice - never actively have touched the Bard.  The results speak for themselves I fear - and will long after I'm gone.  There are some things that you simply can't 'buy back'. 

Source

This could be exciting for Companies in the UK - Perhaps, say, London City Ballet.  

There are many Robbins' works that have never been seen in this country.   I would be curious to see how much 'say' the Robbins' estate will have in the selection however.  Up until now they have been really quite strict.  

I went to the matinee after the Sadler's premiere.  It was all that I could get a ticket for and was grateful at that.  I had to rearrange my schedule to make it I remember.  I really wanted to like this after all the response here and the hype.  I really wanted it to be a hopeful marker for BRB's new leadership.  I found it tawdry and boring.  It was bitterly disappointing.  You'd have to pay me to see it again.   Best wishes to those who love it.  

Really admired this endeavour and it had so many imaginative touches and adorable spirit.  It's always wonderful to be able to really appreciate the core Petipa constructs.  We so often only see it obscured.  I was so grateful to be able to see the Paquita in Munich that Fullington worked on with Ratmansky.  It was such a lovely production which a later Russian Director of that Company sadly had destroyed.  I loved the use of demi-pointe to give speed.  Balanchine definitely played with this as well.  Thought the final principal couple were by some distance the strongest but all the 'Nikki's' were able dancers - and could 'move'.  The highlight for me was really Larry Moore's orchestrations.  No question.  I adored them.  Here was an idiosyncratic score that had been 'opened up' rather than obscured - or 'covered over' in the Martin West/Royal tradition.  The idea - let alone the buoyant reality - of this is a massive gift.  There is so much that should be tackled not just from an Asian perspective but from a 'Meetoo' one in these regards as well.  Blessedly our world IS - or certainly can and SHOULD BE - a different one.  I wonder, will people look back and see this as a kind of '19th Century Shakespeare' treatment moment?  I won't be about ... but I would so love to know. 

55 minutes ago, Geoff said:

@Roberta thank you so much, I’d love to see this. It is not yet 6am in the UK - but when I click on Schedule I only see events coming up later today and in the future. Have the links already been taken down or am I doing something wrong? 

Geoff, here is a note that Doug has put up on the American equivalent to BcoF (not sure that we are allowed to mention that name here) which will give you an answer: - 

Other performance will also be streamed (Saturday, March 30 @ 2:00 and 7:30 PM EDT), and I believe the streams (once edited) will be available for viewing on the same site for several weeks after the performances.

Some hereabouts might be interested in this Celebration of the late, great Arthur Mitchell - legendary NYCB dancer and founder of the Dance Theater of Harlem who would have turned 90 on 27th of this month.  This is one of the Studio 5 presentations from New York's City Center and is available for free on demand until 9th April.  It features the wonderful NYCB principal Chun Wei Chan doing the Agon PDD which Mitchell originated.  He's a lovely dancer.  It starts with a little film about Mr. Mitchell's involvement in inspiring the Chance to Dance programme for the Royal.

19 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Predictions: Cinderella, MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, Onegin a few more Ashton one act ballets to continue the Celebration from June 2024, a new Wheeldon or McGregor or both

Wishlist: MacMillan's Solitaire, Ashton's Daphnis and Chloe, and Symphonic Variations. 

(NB all guesses, not based on any  evidence or insider info from RB!) 

One thing I think we know - as I believe it has already been announced (albeit delayed from its original intention) - is Wayne McGregor's MADDADDAM, yet another co-production with the National Ballet of Canada.  Let's hope that this can/will prove the same success that Woolf Works and The Dante Project have been with their dedicated audiences and then the Royal Company will have a contemporary three-act triad to go with their established MacMillian triptych - one that so cleverly seeded the formation of the former.   That would be a major achievement no question - and one that will decorate the name of the current Director forever more in terms of dance history.