Bruce Wall

The above video clip but in English .... pull through to about 3.20 .... here

Another opening of another show .... replete with a small video clip here. L. Cope reputedly tweeted that she 'was having the time of her life'. So looking forward to seeing this (sandwiched between the POB school presentation and a performance of POB's La Source both at the Palais Garnier.). That's my idea of an ideal Sunday in Paris. Rain certainly won't make any difference to my parade on 7th December.

There are two AiP video clips embedded in this article in French here ... The video clips have some of the same footage ... but they are substantially different in places .... and, yes, are en Francais. Enjoy ... L. Cope looks divine ...

Joan I have sometimes sat with a critic friend who is in a wheelchair at the back of the stalls on the sides at the Peacock ... and I've never had any trouble seeing .... You get a full stage view (close ups with field glasses in my case - opera glasses for the poor I call them) and benefit from a slight rake which lower down in the stalls is much less noticeable ... especially if you have a tall head standing in front of you. I think you'd be AOK with the £18 side specials. (Plus if it is not full ... which it often hasn't been in my experience ... you can seek a better alternative at the interval.) Just my take, Joan. Take it as you will. Cheers, Bruce

See you there, Alison. SO looking forward to it. Cheers, Bruce

There is an interview with ENB principal, Bridgett Zehr here. In it she notes that she has been seriously ill for some time but has now recovered. It appears she recently danced in a gala in Pisa.

The broadcast of the Bolshoi's Nutcracker is to star Anna Nikulina, Denis Rodkin and Andrei Merkuriev. http://bolshoi.ru/en...#20141221180000

Just wondered if this was the best forum for this item ..... Might it not get the most response from the 'doing dance' category? I may, of course, be very wrong. (Indeed, I frequently am.)

Fascinating interview with Wheeldon in FT today. Interesting that he talks about the impact the New York musical workshop for AiP (with both Cope and Fairchild) had on his narrative choreographic/directing skills/literacy (i.e., turning text into dance). You could very much see his advance in THE WINTER'S TALE which I, for just one, felt saw Wheeldon come into his narrative own/maturity at last and which creatively occurred immediately after the previously referenced Manhattan outing. Interesting to note that Polyphonia is to be on the POB slate next year as well as an already announced 'new' work and that he has already committed to a new 'narrative work' for POB in the following season. I heard a rumour - and I stress it is ONLY a rumour - that the RB revamp of SL a couple years hence is to be given to Scarlett. IF - and I wish to stress IF, indeed, this IS true, then I could understand - given Wheeldon's past history with SL stagings and his new found dramatic prowess - that he might well be a tad perturbed. He would have (to my thinking ... and MY thinking ONLY) been the fairly obvious choice - given his current skills set and seniority - the prime choice within the existing resident RB creative triumvirate for such an assignment. Also I would have thought the established combination of CW and Crowley would have been especially potent when taking a gamble with a long term - and vital - cash cow .... (sorry, 'heritage work') ... in what must be regarded as fiscally uncertain period in Europe.

It is interesting to note, Alison, that the Canadian cinemas showing the Royal Ballet screenings are now offering a ten per cent discount if you 'subscribe to the entire series' on top of their already substantially lesser charges than are charged in the RB's home country (e.g., here). It would be grand I think if British cinemas offered a similar incentive. It might help to even out some of the attendances ... and make the losses from screening such crucial events as an Ashton bill (for just one example) less potent. Also I don't know why they don't cross advertise other Arts screening presentations during the showings of different arts constituents. (I realise these may be different for different chains.) For example, I have never seen an ident at the Brixton Ritzy (Picturehouse chain) for the RB screenings during the NT, Met or Glynbourne cinema outings that I have attended or certainly none at the Bolshoi showings. (I have once seen a Bolshoi ident during an NT screening encore but that is all.) Of course this may just be the case in London. Perhaps in other areas of the country this sharing practice is much more prevalent. I wonder too - if the Vienna lead proves effective - if the RB (and their purchased off shoot, Opus Arte) might not move to pay-per-view which I think might be the best option as it would take out the considerable number of cinema chain middle(men/women/people). Part of me now thinks that - in the long term - this might prove the most profitable option (which is, of course, key in this regard as such screenings are apart from the concerns of tax-payer/lottery subsidy).

Source

A review more 'adorable' than most

Here's a clip from Flames of Paris which was filmed at the Koch Theatre in NYC this past week. It appears even from this that Vasiliev (ever robust) is not attending to his placement discrepancies in his (as personally stated) dedicated independent regime.

You can see the curtain calls for all three ballets in the NYC triple bill by the Mikhailovsky here. Courtesy of our friends in Russia who do not shame at filming everything in sight - legally or not as the case may be - we can get a representative taste of Class Concert with the below referenced cast on the following links: Class Concert (Vaganova, Lebedev, Borchenko, Soboleva, Vorontsova, Osipova, Vasiliev, Sarafanov, Zaytsev) Something tells me they may not be returning to London for quite some time. Given the losses the last time they were in London - most performances being far from full at that expensive rental facility, the Coliseum - and the fact that Keckhman has largely lost his corporate fortune (being declared bankrupt in 2012) - as well as the collapse of the rouble - (although the latter from the UK perspective may be a benefit in terms of supporting them) I fear we may have a considerable interim. That would, of course, be a shame ... as with the Bolshoi. In the 'meanwhile' there will be just so many valuable artists who will slip through the proverbial net (from a Uk audience's perspective)..

.... and ... lest we forget .... has long been so. (Part of this article made it sound as if it was a relatively new enterprise. It's definitely not.) Thanks for this, Ian.

I believe the additional casting for DQ is now up.

I thought Deidre Chapman was - as I had before - ABSOLUTELY exquisite in CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE which I have come to admire (once the lights were adjusted after the initial ROH outings.) What a way to go out. There was part of me wishing that they had been able to film it with her in it. She was oh, so vivid.

A gallery of production photos can be found here.

A tiny (well, the tiniest) sneak peak from rehearsals previewed here.

Of course you are right, Alison. I didn't realise they had already gathered the capital funds for the completion of such ... and had assumed from what was said that they were intent on finding a way to 'muddle through'. Bless sense for coming to the fore.

If that is the case, I feel it most sad that we have not seen her dance such in London where she is as cherished as elsewhere. Perhaps that could be a gift of restoration/appeasement in approbation of those minds here (and seemingly elsewhere) exercised as well as in answer to that critical light here being fleetingly flashed upon the ENB brand. I'm certain such would be appreciated. That said I'm sure the thrill of the Summerscales' beam will do much to erase/appease the hurt expressed above tomorrow afternoon.

Went to the 'Anxiety' triple last night for a second time to see its second cast. I don't know if it was because my expectations were rather low - as they were - based on my rather sloping impressions of its premiere, but I came away much more satisfied than i had anticipated I would be - short of my take on AETERNUM which I continue to feel ambivalent about although I was most impressed with Sambe - in fine animalistic mode - in the middle solo segment created for Hay and the smooth, dramatic partnering of Underwood in the first. My responses to both 'Ceremony' and 'Anxiety' were much improved. In specific regards to 'CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE' the clarity of my new-found appreciation may in no small part be due to the fact that they simply turned up the lights. Literally. YEAH! T’was a triumph for the common man - or at least those poor people (like myself) heatedly clutching Amphitheatre standing tickets. T45 was a much more comfortable position last night. At the opening the stark lighting on the dancers - surrounded as they were/are by the ever fascinating illumination of the magnificently threatening cinematic projections - was rendered almost entirely from the sides. The resulting black shadows cut hollow caverns into the dancers' shape. The brilliant light was gouged out precipitously much as I imagine Philae - in its current lateral repose on that comet – must find in its forbidding surround. Undoubtedly each forages in an almighty monochrome mass. Unquestionably it is harsh. Indeed the battery which charges my own eyes was - similarly - seriously challenged at that time. What a difference a few days can make. Perhaps that doyen of theatrical illumination, Jennifer Tipton, (who, alongside Mark Stanley, simply rules - as they have done for decades – their field in granting audiences' that prized confidence in knowing that they will always be always able to see and, therefore, relax), spoke to the current powers that be at the ROH. In any case much was now able to be revealed to me that had been far from clear in the harsh gloom of CEREMONY’s initial ROH outing. At last I could see that the relationship between an older man (in whose mind I perceived this piece to be set) and his younger self was entirely secondary to their shared perception of dominance as rendered by their mother figure via her acts of domineering repression. Much - as from the sea - they never escaped. She succeeded in separating her kin from its kind and the waves were but her bell’s tow. Deirdre Chapman vividly dominated. She (for me) is the anchor that forces the roll of this piece whether she is on stage or not. She is the mastermind behind her innocents. This is her ceremony in our regard. Her effect never departs. it consistently stands firm. It was/is entirely right and fitting that Chapman should take pride of place in the final theatrical call. Brava I say to the brave. Man (as her character so skillfully engendered) could not relate outside the definitions of her bond. He would be as impotent in her stead as anyone else’s. ‘You mustn’t,’ she said and mummy’s boy obeyed. He follows but her palm. This universal 'he' is here a social zero long before the age of the iphone made such forwardly fashionable in certain quarters. While her world dances in its smile of seeming joy - and oh, for that glow of radiance that Kristen McNally beamed as she broke partner – her prodigal son (given that she wears the proverbial trousers) will be incarcerated in the grey of his mother’s sea. His mind’s clutch will be fixed to turn back black on her shore. This particular bite of 'Death in Aldeburgh' would have pleased Britten I’m sure. Certainly it was true to his vivid (and well played) score. Suddenly I found much of Brandstrap's manipulative movietone work masterful and would happily see it again. (I certainly didn't think I would EVER say that last week. I was, of course, then literally 'in the dark' as to its value.) I adored the fact that when the shadows first appear to our catalytic icon on that back wall – home to the only real (albeit fleeting) colour of the entire piece – they were full five in number from the mind of our mother Madonna. Our anti-hero (still wrought in Sambe's shape) figures on the outer cusp of that society’s foam. He blurs. Washed up he can only peer at the shades of others ecstasy as he perceives. It is reinforced in and by its repetition of purpose; a tactic endlessly employed by Mother Nature herself. The black tide of that back wall growls grey still on her shore. Here the repetition IS the point. Chapman’s performance gave – FOR ME – AND FROM THE COMMENTS ABOVE – SHORT OF THE KIND REFERENCES OF THAT AMAZING COUPLE THAT IS BRUCE AND ANNE MARRIOTT – ME ALONE - fulfillment AT LAST to the mind behind Gertrude Lawrence’s long forgotten cinematic Amanda in Williams’ masterwork. I have for much time been looking for that key to unlock her fussiness. It had I knew all too easily been critically dismissed. I have always felt confident an anchor to her mind must survive SOMEWHERE … and here AT LAST was HER ‘glass menagerie’. Gartside/Kay were but her imprisoned Tom set in he effective twists. Rise and mutely shine they did. We ourselves lapsed but as her Laura looking on. To paraphrase the title of the great British star’s (equally long forgotten) auto-biography: ‘A Shadow Danced’. I heartily joined in the thrill of the response of an enthralled audience on this occasion. I hadn’t the week previous. I will seek to muse further on ‘AN AGE OF ANXIETY’ should I find the time.

Why do i think the change won't make a substantial difference. For those very special (largely operatic) performances with ticket-selling names - e.g., kaufmann, Domingo, etc. - there will ALWAYS be ticket limits I think. For the majority of other events it will be merely business as usual ... and, of course, the ACE mandate (given that is a substantial portion of one quarter of the overall ROH budget) will STILL require that 20% of the house be reserved/retained for the 'general booking' period.

These are (i) Diana Vishneva; On the Edge - (another outing by the producer of Kings of Dance and Solo for Two) in April - and perhaps more excitingly - (ii) Ballet Folklorico de Mexico in July. The Balcony is currently closed for both (although there is a £15 bottom for the latter which is considerably lower than for the former). Given the date span of the items now being shown for next (e.g., 2015) summer it very much looks unlikely that any one of the major Russian companies (e.g., Bolshoi, Mariinsky, Mikhailovsky, Stanislavsky) will be appearing at the Coliseum as had been rumoured in some quarters hereabouts especially knowing that the ROH is unavailable to the Hochhausers over the period of the next two summers as it will be under the specific oversight of the ROH/RB itself. I wonder - (i) having shown itself such a potent fiscal (e.g., money-making) entity when the Hochhauser's last presented it at the ROH and (ii) knowing that the RB enjoyed such a keen success at the Bolshoi Theatre this past summer - if the RB ITSELF might not present the Bolshoi Ballet as a capital (fund raising) venture for the charity during part of one of those summer programmes. It would be understandable (i) from the sense of calculated risk; (ii0 knowing that they have an ACE funding level cut over the next three years and (iii) - as noted here recently by Sim - their determination to discover more independent ways of seeking funding for the institution itself. (In such circumstances the initial producing funds would, of course, have to be independently raised.) I believe in one of those videos that were briefly posted on BcoF during the period of the RB 2014 summer tour that K. O'Hare (in and amongst the translation into Russian) spoke of closer ties and possible cooperative links with the Bolshoi and Mr. Urin. Such, I'm sure, would be keenly appreciated by the Russian giant especially given the drastic fall of the rouble over the past two weeks. Friends of mine in Russia have said that the fear quotient in that regard is currently massive.

Oh, dear, Jane. I don't think I was thinking too much about the specific usage of language/terminology. (I have to do that oh, so much in my day job as it is ... lest the lawyers come knocking.) Please don't read too much into it. Perhaps 'called in' was a bad choice. I should have stuck just to 'replacing'. I simply wanted to let people know about the change in casting for the Saturday matinee. That is all .... especially as the casting has not yet - or had not yet - been altered on the ENB web and I read of this change in Moscow elsewhere.