Bruce Wall

Great news

In reference to Mr. McG's "non-linear narrative look at a long form piece of dance" .... (i) The Woolf references are - if nothing else - fragmentary in and of themselves ..... that being part of their glory and (ii) what I wonder does Mr. McGregor think that Balanchine was doing in 'Jewels'? .... I realise, of course, that the latter was based on an equally divergent selection of diverse novelties inspired by naught but a Van Cleef and Arpels Fifth Avenue picture window ... but, all the same, the resulting balletic master-work was, in and of itself, ultimately a "non-linear narrative look at a long form piece of dance" that came together without - at least to my knowledge and on popular record - so much associated verbiage. But then, of course, that was the 20th Century. Times were surely different in that period oh, so long ago. What I wonder would Georges have made of Wayne's noted dictates? Perhaps - being a man who did after all create 420 ballets - he simply may not have had time to respond. He might well have been creating. That seemed to be the way Balanchine, himself, met his own particular needs ... so different from those, say, of Mr. McGregor ... or that is, of course, how I picture it. I do think Balanchine would have enjoyed Max Richter, however. There too I may be well wrong, of course.

Bless you, Katherine. Your research is admirable. I suppose I could have meant 'success' in the sense that such an animal (to wit: undertaking) was happening in such an open/public forum now-a-days at all - and, specific to that point, in the good ol' US of A!

Bless you for that response, Janet. Much appreciated.

I'm surprised at this, Janet. Certainly the success of the Ashton Festival by Sarasota Ballet (and its related symposium) might argue against a lack of American interest in Ashton. I lived for 17.5 years in the USA - during that period at the end of the so-called 'dance boom' - and Ashton and MacMillan were - as far as I could tell - both hugely admired - in New York City at least. For a brief period during that time MacMillan actually reigned at ABT. The Joffrey also - then - did more Ashton than the Royal Ballet. I would hazard to guess there might be interest and I agree with the American poster who suggested that these audiences need to be built. I think the Bolshoi is gaining in this regard - certainly if the attendance at my local cinema of Marco Spada - (without hesitation a rarity) - was anything to go by.

http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/

Vis a vis my earlier comments re: the new season cinema broadcasts ... It is very interesting to reflect on some of our American friends who so look forward to those screenings: Another quote in response ... Agreed. In addition, ..... the RB has a very rich rep--let's see it! ---------------- I, myself, can't but help feel that there may be RB supporters (I use the word in reference to 'interest') in Cardiff and/or Preston, say, --- or Penzance --- who might well feel the same way. This is especially true as I believe all four items have been previously screened. That same can't be said of the full Bolshoi seasons which often have more than one cinema release premiere.

Wonderful to see Ferri returning for the new McG. Also wonderful to see the collaboration between Whelan and Watson, two extraordinary artists. Would love to see a Osipova/Muntagirov Month or a Hayward/Hay Fille or a Hayward/Muntagirov Faun. Sure there will be many delights in store. Only a shame that Ashton triple not being relayed in cinemas. That audience needs developing too methinks. Still it may be more a matter of rights than anything else.

Went to the Brixton Ritzy to see Marco Spada. The audience (including myself) clearly loved it .... So what if the storyline is a little north of Mayerling (and that certainly takes some doing!!!) This was a lot of fun ... primarily because it was ALL about the dancing .... and there was as much enticing variance in those oh, so many fleet of foot as there was in the truly stunning shades which enhanced the glorious set painting ... and zealous costumes where pastels vibrantly sat proudly atop their associated primary colours. I so admired ALL of the five principal dancers. The charisma charged David Hallberg and the radiant Evgenia Obraztsova clearly came into their own in the last act - although that adagio for their pas in the second - in which the partnering was SO difficult - was sublimely satin in its grace. Loved too the precise clarity of Smirnova and Chudin - (I raced back and watched them again in Diamonds and Oneign - he a wonderfully straight forward Lensky - She a fascinatingly cool Tatiana) - but was also delighted by Igor Tsvirko - so wonderful now that he is getting these broadcast opportunities - so well deserved. Tsvirko was as fantastic too in that Emeralds Trio in the last Bolshoi broadcast but one. I also treasured the riveting zeal of the vivacious Anastasia Stashkevich - the woman is such a gift in everything she does - and the ever immaculate Vyacheslav Lopatin - who had been such a fine James in Kobburg's Bolshoi La Sylphide - in the celebratory wedding pas during Act I. The Ritzy was well over 90% full on a sunny Sunday - and for such a rarity too. Maybe those 2 for 1s really paid off!! Might people be wanting more than the seasonal repeats of the Royal;s SL, R&J, Alice, etc. I couldn't say. Clearly, however, the Bolshoi/Pathe have this filming technique down pat now. No one in the market are otherwise able to touch them from my standpoint. (And that includes the French - and the two technical producers here are both Gallic in origin.). Apart from what others have quite rightly observed this team shoots the ballet from ALL levels. It REALLY pays off in terms of the immediacy for the cinematic viewer's theatrical perspective ... It is as electric as Ms. Novikova is now surely a Russian national treasure ... (if the Russian's have such an expression.) Certainly she is so much more at ease - and happily adept at putting us at ours - than that (now) television personality who the RB insists on employing to (attractively it must be said) gurgle. It was interesting this time to note that Ms. Novikova only translated her conversations into English and French, e.g., no Russian - and Marco Spada was being broadcast live on Russian Television. (I'm sure they must have been delighted to hear David Hallberg break twice into a little Russe!! I wished he had responded in French as well (which he is well capable of). Still, perhaps the Russians have a different feed. Perhaps the act breaks are filled with Crimean updates!!!. One thing I found most amusing: There is obviously - in that stunningly ornate lobby - a camera behind a mirror. (Tick box: 'Old trick'.) Most people didn't notice at all it seems - (quite right too). One woman, however, with her male escort in strict tow came directly in front of our view. She was on her phone. I could just hear her friend on the other end saying: 'Yes, yes. That's it. You've made it. You're looking right at me now ... and around the world. NOW SMILE'. She did ... oh, and waved. It may not have been nonchalant but then neither was the ballet. Still, it too garnered a happy laugh ... and the dancing was graced with much rapturous applause from the more than contented crowd I was surrounded by. One thing is certain: The WILL be back .... at least for the Bolshoi's more diverse programming. They clearly left wanting more. Well done the Bolshoi team.

Thanks, Katherine, as ever. Just wondering ... if NBoC enters into a co-production with the RB (say Alice or Winter's Tale) or with ABT (The Tempest) does that not still make it 'new' ... given that they were - from inception - one of the original producing partners??? Or can it ONLY be called 'new' when the original production is 'in situ'? This may, of course, just be a semantic debate.

What joy. Much thanks, Amelia

Thank heavens there was no structural damage. That could have been career threatening. I somehow suspect that she won't dance the other two SB in this particular run. I should think it would be wise not to. I only say that based on personal experience. When I was on my way to a Saturday night performance of Cranko's Taming of the Shrew by Stuttgart Ballet at the Wells last September I slipped on an icy patch (there had been a very cold rain shower immediately previous) just after that major crossing in the Angel in that small triangular cobblestone area surrounded by the flat pavement stones which otherwise prevail in the vicinity. I literately flew up horizontally into the air and then landed full force on my left thigh on that patch of cobbles. A young man who had seen my flight very kindly dashed over to ask if I was 'OK'. I assured him I was ... in some little discomfort ... (repression of emotion being a British national passtime) and went - somewhat stiffly it is true - on my way to the performance which I enjoyed very much. There was no doubt but that I was a little more painfully stiff the next day and the swelling was considerable. Indeed it took several days for the major bruising to appear (once the swelling had largely subsided) given the extent of the internal trauma. On the Monday I called my GP surgery for advice. (You don't get an appointment now unless you are on the point of death it seems - and even then it may well be debatable I am left to assume.) I was told to go to the hospital's A&E. I did so. No structural damage had been wrought (thank heavens - o lucky me) but a goodly amount of soft tissue umbrage had been taken. Certainly it took a good six (if not eight) weeks to allow the impacted blood to be reabsorbed and the mulit-coloured parade to finally fade. The pain quotient largely became negligible at the midway point. I of course pray for a more speedy recovery for Osipova and if anyone knows her I would HUGELY recommend the frequent application of Arnica Gel. (I wasn't told about that in the hospital. I wish I had been.) For me it was total magic and without hesitation helped to speed my recovery no end.

Oh, dear .... and here was I thinking that her cancellation at La Scala two weeks' ago 'due to a recurring injury' might have in some small light had something to do with her pairing with Vasiliev. Here's hoping Osipova has a miraculously speedy recovery. There is no question but that a burgeoning throng (myself included) will miss her abundant gifts during this sad interim. I wonder when they will announce if she will dance the other two SB dates.

Should - by rights - read 'the former' ..... The correction missed the BcoF clock. Drat!

According to the Lincoln Centre Festival brochure the following Bolshoi principals will participate the 2014 NYC tour: Maria Alexandrova Ekaterina Krysanova Anna Nikulina Ekaterina Shipulina Olga Smirnova Maria Vinogradova Svetlana Zakharova Artemy Beliakov Yury Baranov David Hallberg Vladislav Lantratov Mikhail Lobukhin Artem Ovcharenko Ruslan Skvortsov Denis Rodkin Alexander Volchkov No NYC Bolshoi Lunkina on this round, Amelia - sadly - it would seem - for the moment at least - (or, indeed, Vasiliev as a 'guest principal' in his breath-taking Spartacus such as is a part of the Bolshoi season proper in Moscow next month). Still NYC has two performances of Vasiliev with ABT and nine with the Mikhailovsky to enjoy this year ... and I suppose a greater chance to see Lunkina in full length works with her newly adopted Canadian National Ballet - especially after the reviews that greeted the NBoC's (Ratmansky) Romeo and Juliet when they were last here. (I see NBoC are taking their current R&J later this year to LA after the success that greeted them last year with Wheeldon's Alice.) There is too, of course, the not so small matter of regional proximity. A bit like 'as Paris is to London' ... not that such a fact helps London audiences enjoy more POB productions, say. Ironically POB has been seen more frequently off the Lincoln Centre plaza than it ever has, say, at Sadler's Wells, Spalding's projected 'world mecca for dance'. Go figure. Perhaps NYC/LA audiences will see Lunkina too as Paulina (I should think she might well be well suited to that role) in The Winter's Tale - given that such is a co-production between the NBoC and the RB, with the latter holding the North American rights. ('Ah, that Karen Kain, a gifted and bright lady,' I hear you murmur, Amelia.) I see Ratmansky is doing a new work for NBoC in their next season as well and they have banked also some the Neumeier full length cornerstones (e.g., Seagul, Nijinsky, etc.,) as well. All here, of course, are just imagined projections on my part ... nothing more. The mere jottings of an aged - and ever aging - mind. They beg your indulgence, Amelia.

She is now a guest principal with the Canadian National Ballet.

I'm with you on this, James. Makarova would also make a very witty host. Both of those ladies are erudite while being down to earth. If only the Royal Ballet could clone Tamara Rojo in this regard. (That would be another neat trick.) Oh, and while we are about it --- if you wanted to keep it on native turf ... what about a certain Ms. M. Porter????

See the Osipova / Acosta RB Giselle is to be broadcast on Sky Arts 2 next week. Get those recorders at the ready

A flood of red was seen in the balcony for last night's KINGS OF DANCE programme. Perhaps everyone was at the Royal's cinema relay. Overall it was an enjoyable affair by some truly wonderful dancers. Sad that they moved Le Jeune Homme et la Mort into the middle act of three as it meant two intervals of 35 minutes each to set/strike the set. As seen on the Coliseum stage before Vasiliev was riveting in his performance as that desparate young man, rife with his ever changeable Chaplin-like gaze, one that can both bolt and placate by choice. This was, I thought, the piece that suffered most in being performed to a recording of the score. Petit almost demands that the instruments should breathe alongside his dancers; that they too should be one in their domination. So wonderful to see Lunkina, here placing her temptress of death on a very fine and wittily Gallic wire. She sawed; Vasiliev lunged. Remanso, making up the first act, while well danced, has dated not so well I thought. The third act held the most interest with a programme of largely new items being shared amongst this extraordinary group. In Prototype Roberto Bolle multiplied, fought and caressed himself against an amazing video display which was - refreshingly - EVEN available to those sitting in the upper reaches. It was so wonderful to see the Proust pas set aside its enticing prologue, here dazzlingly etched by Denis Matvienko and Marcelo Gomez. Matvienko was every centimeter the troubled innocent and Gomes, here made his male tempter - so strong in his technique and yet simple but direct in his dramatic impetus - alluring and frighteningly cool. Gomez toyed masterfully utilising the simplest of terms as only a master can. He singed Matvienko's delicate edges with his black eye'd lazer sharp precision. It was only fitting that the audience should make up in sound what they seemingly lacked in numbers in their appreciative response. Tue was what we sometimes know as Vestris and was, of course, part of what won Baryishnikov that gold medal at Varna which largely launched his international career oh, so many years ago. As much as I adore Sarafanov's delicate prowess I have, I fear, seen this better animated. I'm not entirely sure this was the best choice for this exquisite dancer. That didn't, however, stop Vasiliev from returning to SIZZLE in the Labyrinth of Solitude. While I didn't think the choreography by Tomaso Antoio Vitali was anything that would set the world on fire, Ivan Vasiliev - in his determination - made it seem as if it might (as was acknowledged by the audience's explosion at the end). His hands empowered as much as the brickwork force of his feet held sway in their forward trust. He literally took off and yet somehow tied all unto that innocence that one instinctively has come to feel is part of Vasiliev's intensely personal make-up. Here hurt and painful resolution met in this one person and paraded through the ever twisting shapes of his back. They painted their own labyrinth of fleeting images and depicted no less than a wounded animal fighting to beat back the searing pain of his own personal shingles. I was so pleased Vasiliev came down to the very lip of the Coliseum's stage to receive his audience's (as that is what they were by then) deserved acclaim. He looked for a moment genuinely shocked. Still he had here - sometimes determinedly, sometimes single handedly - kept this somewhat wayward and overlong piece together. He had tamed this particular shrew in style At moments he even made her sing. How he managed to come back but less than a minute later to take part - with such animated style - in the closing jaunt, KO'd, staged by Gomez to music by another dancer 'king', Guillaume Cote of the National Ballet of Canada - (who, like Gomez, is a former RB guest) - is anyone's guess. Adrenaline clearly counts for much. I was, myself, only a tad concerned to see Vasiliev fleetingly clutch his lower back during the joy-filled and relaxed group curtain call much as he had done in more formal style last Saturday after Rubies at La Scala in Milan. One thing was unique here, however. At no point did such stand in the way of his overall commitment to perform. Vasiliev delivered and, boy, how this audience - that which was there at any rate - lapped it up.

Oh, as an additional sidelight to my jottings above, here is a story of courage tied in and around Balanchine and one NYCB dancer, the recently retired Janie Taylor. Truly deserving of the epithet: 'amazing'. http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/echo-balanchine_784907.html

Vis a vis Vasiliev ... Saw Vasiliev on Saturday afternoon in the principal role of Rubies at La Scala with the Company of that truly grand theatre's name. The performance of Jewels was a decidedly mixed affair. In many instances the company seemed to lack the precision of exact focus that is demanded. They didn't appear (at least on this one outing) to have that strength in their ranks which - at any particular time - must define a truly great ensemble. The opening movement of Emeralds held more promise than would otherwise prove to be the case elsewhere. Certainly Vittoria Valerio (in the V. Verdy role) was more at home in that movement - noting that she would later replace Osipova in the principal female assignment in Rubies - than she appeared to be elsewhere. Her sense/strength of 'off balance' was blurred and that would really tell in the latter piece where at no point could she simply relax and enjoy herself. So different from the entrancing Ms. Osipova in the same role. A Shame. In each instance this was the third performance this particular cast was giving. I was looking forward to this showing because it would at last be something different to see Vasiliev in apart from all those other massive outings such as have been otherwise itemised herein which I, too, have enjoyed seeing him decorate since I first spied him when he was 17. His slyly forward thrusts at the opening of the Rubies pas were embellished with that delightfully mischievous smile that he is wont to spring but otherwise his overall lack of placement defeated him in Balanchine's challenges I fear (the stamps in the first quarter round were virtually non-extant) and his partnering was more than cavalier shall we say. Indeed there was little sense of a relationship between him and anyone or anything else but his own determination to follow through. Those devilish building churns - so redolent in my own memory when delivered, say, by the likes of Damian Woetzel, Robert Fairchild and, most recently, the wonderful Steven MacRae - where here not even completed. In fact mid-way through Vasiliev virtually stopped and ran off stage. He seemed to be in obvious pain when he returned in his one final campaign to complete the ballet. At the very end when he lunged to his knee I could see his left hand clutching his lower back. The scrawl burning on his face was excruciating in the extreme. His response in the curtain calls - usually so ardent in its somewhat child-like thrill - was notably restrained. Indeed he looked for all the world drawn in concern as if to say: 'What now?' . It made me wonder if we will, in fact, see him in this week's Kings of Dance performances in London. My heart went out to his concern. Perhaps he has just been doing too much in too many different places. Polina Seminova of ABT and Friedemann Vogelmann (a principal with Stuttgart) in that consummate achievement that is Diamonds proved to be the real thrill. Vogelmann as ever proved to be a chevalier of any ballerina's dreams. It was intriguing to watch Seminova in her chosen transformations (more cool in their roundness than anywhere sharp) in THAT FABULOUS adagio were so different - but no less telling - than those of Marianella Nunez the week before in London's 'Russian Icons' gala. The large orchestra swelled in its precision here - as did the overall company - and the final promenade was made even more heady simply by virtue of being in the physical surrounds of such glorious splendour such as rightfully surrounded that overall picture. A sidelight: I had never been to La Scala as I had only ever passed through Milan on my way to other Italian landmarks. This day trip was a thrill. I would recommend it to anyone. (Helped that the sun was shinning too.) It was also very cost effective. I had caught a cheap return flight to Milan from London on Ryanair (£19.99/$33.18) and got a relatively cheap seat in the second gallery at La Scala in the front row of one of its side divisions (fourth from the nearest stage end) at a cost of 15 Euros (£12.45/$20.66). A good 95% of the stage could be seen (which is far more than you would get in a similar position at Covent Garden). The entire door-to-door cost of this particular jaunt was only £61/$101.26 and that included my food and entry to the La Scala museum (highly recommended). In the museum you not only get to go into your choice of several of the central boxes in the grand La Scala but you can see a marble bust of Nijinsky which virtually speaks, stunning paintings of Patti and one glorious one of Tebaldi and death masks of Verdi, (as well as his piano and an open hand-written score for the Requiem), Puccini and Toscanini. I became intrigued my the locks of hair of each - and especially that of Mozart. It virtually glistened - much like his music; being a flaming golden brown. There was also a special exhibition on featuring the costumes worn by Corelli on the second floor. In one lower case on the ground floor there were items belonging to Verdi. These had been extracted from his suite at the Grand Hotel where he lived and ultimately died. So interesting to peer at the stamps and the writing instruments of the time. Later I would make a detour in my whirlwind run around the city and go to the Grand Hotel et Milano itself. It is suitably grand I must say but I was shocked that there was no reference that I could see that the great man himself had ever existed. Very strange. I even checked with the front desk staff in my broken Italian that I was, in fact, in the right place. They politely assured me that I was. Time is a strange thing - but the splendours of La Scala defeat the clock itself even now. If you haven't had the pleasure I would highly recommend it. Well worth the journey from any prospective I felt.

I would imagine certainly that Osipova will dance less and less with Vasiliev and vice versa. He was a no-show in Japan with their ABT contract (he only has two performances - both Don Q in the same week - in the entire 2014 Met ABT season - He had only a matter of days before that long scheduled Japan ABT appearance cancellation danced in a gala celebrating his talents at the Mikhailovsky - ref: http://www.mikhailovsky.ru/en/media/video/ivan_vasiliev_gala/ [Hard to think of him as an ABT principal in anything but name now. There are ABT guest artists with (i) more performances and (ii) a greater variety of roles] - and Osipova has just cancelled dancing with him at La Scala in Rubies in Jewels this week due to 'recurring injury'. The nature of the 'injury' is understandably not defined. I would think both have a certain understandable devotion to Messerer and therefore I imagine will maintain the link to the same. Funny, I seem to recall the number of scheduled performances at ABT between Kirkland and Baryishnikov being similarly curtailed after a certain rupture in their personal chemistry. However, both did continue in their assignments to ABT in that case, only with different partners. Given the number of performances Osipova is scheduled for I don't think her devotion to the Royal could in any way be questioned however.

Oh, lucky New Yorkers ... especially for the Osipova / Sarafanov Giselle .... TWICE .... casting made in heaven. Messerer's Flames looks exciting too in its casting construct. Let's hope that the Mikhailovsky comes back to London with similar force soon.

Kevin O'Hare spoke highly at the LBC meeting of Justin Peck. Perhaps we might get a peek at Peck's 'The Year of the Rabbit' or something else new hopping out by him. Also with Muntagirov on board would be great to throw in a revival of 'Song of a Wayfarer'. Would love to see him do it with Watson. A first act of Ballo (with Hayward and Hay perhaps) and Song of Wayfarer would I think be grand .... followed by a new McGregor. Think it safe to say that Art of the Fugue will be reprised as it too is on their USA tour schedule and, of course, sold out all of its initial performances. Agree with the SL comments above. Bruce is quite right. Thinking about it, tax payer monies should be reserved for new things. Perhaps they could just alter some of the really toying bits in the current RB SL - like the cassock lifting opening of Act III. Don't know about anyone else but it makes my stomach churn as does so much of Act I's drunken tutor antics. If nothing else it's simply a waste of such glorious music that could be employed for story telling through dance.

We know that there is a new one-act piece by Liam Scarlett as it is on the bill for the NYC showing. Agree about SL. They simply CAN'T thrust that production forward again ... Surely!! It has more than served its time. Perhaps - since they are in dancer-mount-mode - and had Acosta do the Don Q ... They might consider bringing in Mukhamedov (himself formerly a leading RB principal - and before that Bolshoi) - to do a version of his fine production of SL - much as he did for that talented company in Warsaw.