Bruce Wall

Hi Alison - Thanks so much - I found the iTunes University with the recordings - I did not know about them before. I have been listening all afternoon while working .... Laura Morera could have a second career as a stand-up - she's truly hilarious ...Thanks again ...

Do they Alison? ... How wonderful. Could you give us a link to this stream ... It would mean so much .... to, say, the 'In Conversation with' programmes? Please forgive my own personal ignorance in this regard. This is wonderful news; TRULY WONDERFUL. It so reverses much of what many of have said about these prorgammes in the past. Thanks so much for your support and keen knowledge.

Thanks so for this, John. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the educational programmes by the RB and RO in, say, the Clore could be streamed in a similar fashion so that they could reach many more peopie and share the education with many more that could not afford it. One remembers that the British companies receive many times more funding than do their American counterparts.

Yes, she did. Although it was impossible to fathom much from the segment. Had to smile when the BBC reported that the RB had '200 ballerinas' ..... All that and a 15% cut in subsidy .... An Olympian slight of hand if there ever was one. It was truly a 'happy and glorious' games ... Only it was the sport that offered the real theatre; the real choreography ... and that is exactly as it should be ... and where the heart deserved to be lodged in remembrance of this event.

I just saw this listing on the Tours en l'air website as one of their trips: Tuesday 16 April – Sunday 21 April 2013 London 3 performances National Ballet of Canada: Romeo and Juliet (Ratmansky) Royal Ballet: Mayerling (MacMillan) La Bayadère I assume that the National Ballet of Canada would be appearing at the Coliseum .... Does anyone know about this? The Ratmansky production of R&J got excellent reviews ... Would love to see it .... Wonder if they will bring anything else? OK, SO I JUST ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION .... THIS MUST HAVE BEEN POSTED HERE ... BUT I JUST DIDN'T READ ABOUT THESE PERFORMANCES AT SADLERS WELLS .. http://national.ballet.ca/uploadedFiles/MediaReleases/Romeo%20and%20Juliet%20Tours%20to%20London,%20England.pdf SORRY TO TROUBLE YOU .... THIS MUST BE A REPEAT LISTING ... GRATEFUL IF IT COULD BE DESTROYED.

Mjosh, I don't think I have EVER read such a glorious tribute. Bless you.

Bless you for this, Angela ... Bless you. Marcia Haydée was with him. Surely the essence of the Shakespearean 'community' - which roots the universal humility of ALL of the Bard's work - made real. . In the truest sense ... divine!

Here is a video posted last year in which Cragun talks about rehearsing Cranko: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ueiGG84o0 What a shame he wasn't able to work with the RB dancers. One can but feel they could have profited from such work vis a vis, say, Oneign. He is so, so very clear about being dramatically 'specific' .... and his own performances ... 'lived it' ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZm8Sv_IQuo

For those (younger people of whom I'm aware there are an ever burgeoning many) who may not have had the great joy of seeing Mr. Cragun ... here he is with Ms. Haydee ... in the awakening pas de deux in Cranko's R&J, such as was so gloriously created for them ... Some things DO stand the test of time ... blessedly ... and without hesitation I know they will live on in their unquestioned inspiration ...

My first, and - as far as I'm concerned - BEST 'all round' Romeo ... and that estimation being drawn from a now vast array of differing interpretations .... The memory of Cragun's personal glory - especially in tandem with Haydee - will reign eternal. What joy this man proffered with such seeming ease. Perhaps that was key to his brilliance: Certainly In ALL it proffered an enormous gift. Nothing more ever needed to be said: It spoke for itself. Thank heavens an essence of his characterful elegance and musicality remains on film ... Bless you NOW and FOREVER, Richard Cragun. Bless you for a life WELL LIVED. I but for one was proud to be able to share in but a very small part of its ebullience.

I assume that we'll be getting the O&V show for the DQ .... wonder if the SL will feature O & Marcello Gomes now that both he and O are shared principals between that Company and ABT.

I found myself watching this performance by ABT of Theme and Variations again ... http://toursenlair.b...erformance.html I wanted to share this here because the two principals participating (G Kirland; M Baryishnikov) then resident with ABT (in the midst of the so called 'dance boom') did guest with the Royal Ballet at different stages and did, I think, bring much to the RB company - without, I think, robbing any particular RB company dancer/principal of any (well, certainly too much I hope) opportunity. (Please do correct me if I'm wrong here, Alison as I was not always here to so closely follow those things like yourself - living, as I then was, in New York. Bless you for your wonderfully detailed knowledge in this regard.) How wonderful here to see this performance again; one that I remember as being - certainly in terms of my own appreciation of ballet - 'defining' - and to know that one's memory is not entirely playing tricks with perceived reality. That is most refreshing. Also I thought the filming techniques employed therein were truly superb in answering the demands of the ballet. (Of course, Balanchine, himself, we should remember would still have been alive and I'm certain consulted.) Indeed, I thought some of the current techniques employed variously by several major companies today could perhaps benefit from this particular example- as well as that of the interview skills at the end in the segment with Ms. Kirkland. When she talked about her respect for Makarova it made me think of Osipova and Semenyaka. When artists are held in world stature like G Kirkland, M Baryishnikov, N Osipova and I Vasiliev surely they belong to time rather than any one particular performance space. I was also touched to see the broadcaster ask people to write in FOR FREE to receive the company (here ABT) magazine. This tradition is, of course, one carried on today (as it was then) by the Metropolitan Opera whose very broadcasts, lest we forget, are far older than the Royal Opera itself is as an institution. Surely the entire world has but benefited from that. Certainly I know I did as a child growing up here - as, without question, did my parents who first introduced me to it.

I have no idea as to the patrality ... but Semenyaka - who I SOOOOO admired as a dancer - was Osipova's first coach --- and you can see that artistry built into her DNA even now .... The world it does turn for all of our benefit.

That is a shame, but perhaps they both have exciting news in terms of their future prospects. It is often understandable when a transition is a difficult one - as by common consent I think Tamara's is seen to be - that it start with a clean slate. Perhaps that is the advice that has been offered to Tamara in terms of most effectively dealing with the combative cuts which we know are concrete. If there is to be blood letting surely it is best delivered with a short sharp shock rather than the drip-drip effect currently dividing Europe and depressing the world. I am certain everyone on this Board wishes ALL the very best wishes and greatest admiration. We are in each of their considerable debt. Sadly, these things were NEVER going to be easy.

Programme - Act I A moving tribute to his father curtain front by Andris ... with a warming (and not too long) video tribute to Liepa ... Well cut to hold the interest ... Sayaka Takuda, Andrey Batalov (HE was very good) - Le Corsaire Pas de deux Whitney Jensen & Paulo Arrais (Boston Ballet soloists) both very fine in Harlequinade Pas de deux (Saw Dame Monica applauding this enthusiastically) Paulo went to both ENB and Royal Ballet Schools - sad he didn't end up here .... Mikhail Lobukhin - very fine - in All is Going Wrong - Choreography Morihiro Ivata - All seemed to go right in a piece that would have very much appealed to Maris Liepa one might think Maria Semenyachenko and Denis Rodkin in (a rather ordinary from my perspective) White Swan pas de deux. Interesting to note that Tsiskaridze IS Rodkin's tutor as the young lad carries himself very much in the fashion of his master. Ilze Liepa blazed dramatically opposite a very telling Dmitry Gudanov in The Pique Dame - which seemed much more balanced than it did in the Bolshoi's entire outing with the above mentioned Tsiskaridze. Thought Gudanov made much more sense of the dramatic whole - You can see WHY he so appealed to Chris Wheldon. AN INTERVAL TIMED TO 20 MINUTES - PLEASE TAKE NOTE ROH ... (thank you) ... Act II A wonderfully dramatic whole of a piece created for the screen for the SUBLIME Maris Liepa (as fine a dancer as an actor as reminded by his son) in the 60's or 70's was shown .... One remembered just HOW glorious he was ... and just what we were there to celebrate - WITHOUT SENTIMENT. This is so important for the young people in the audience - otherwise it is just chat - and rather meaningless chat at that. No commentary was needed here (so refreshing) ... You could SEE ALL through the dance .... This WAS the sum of its very fine parts. GLORIOUS ... The audience responded in grateful appreciation. Sayaka Takuda and Andrey Batalov (He again = VERY good) in The Nutcracker pas - Choreo: Vasily Vainonen Maria Semenyachenko in a solid piece called Sad Bird with Music by Ravel and Choreo by Golezovsky - She seemed much more at home with with this than the demands of the Petipa. Whitney Jensen and Paulo Arrais in a fine piece called WORK IN PROGRESS with Choreo by Arrais and music by Glass. The audience clearly felt this was the highlight of the evening. I agree. It effectively began in silence and had some very effective/musical partnering. Think the Royal Ballet should invite Mr. Arrais back to do a developmental piece in one of their workshops. Certainly worth exploring/worthy of the subsidy ... and what a fine and wonderfully musical/dramatic performer he is and she gloriously musical/precise as well. Dmitry Gudanov in a solo piece by Ratmansky to a variety of Japanese musical artists. T'was telling ... would I for one would certainly like to see more of this ... Well executed by the very talented Mr. Gudanov Ilze Liepa obviously enjoying a split personality/burlesque piece choreographed for her by J. Smoriginas to Michel Legrand called THE MEETING ... A good humoured 'turn' The EXCELLENT ludmila Konovalova and the very talented Mikhail Lobukhin came zealously together in the Gorsky version of the Don Q pas de deux .... She showed wonderful musicality and clean, clear feet. He did not over-extend in either his partnering or variations which was refreshing to see. A fine programme over all ...NO QUESTION ... Bring on the next ... Saw Ms Gielgud and Mr. Eagling applauding joyfully throughout

I was particularly impressed by the finesse of both Whitney Jensen and Paulo Arrais, both soloist level at the Boston Ballet. I thought they performed admirably 'through' the music - was was especially keen on the choreography by Mr. Arrais to the Glass segment (also used by Robbins in 'Glass Pieces'). The latter seemed too to be the audience favourite. Overall, a very good outing ... Bravo Andris for pulling this all together ... Certainly a VERY refreshing change from the relative depression of the week previous ...

Alison, I was merely suggesting that that O&V might be considered as guests ... that's all ... I wouldn't want to tamper with the home team's opportunities ... (given that I myself will be most interested in seeing them step forward in glory in whatever capacity the master choreographer - in this case Maestro Acosta - sees best fit and comes up with ... One thing of which I'm certain: it will have a wide range of differing traditions thrown in ... which will, of course, certainly honour that piece's particular history. Thanks so for your kindly considered words, Alison. I so value your input: Always. You are always such a wonderful writer, and always so gloriously supportive of others. Bless you for ALL the hard work you do on behalf of us (and here I include myself) all .... This board is such a wonderful buoy. I am so pleased that the good work of this forum - seeded so fantastically by Bruce - has been able to be continued .... It makes such a notable difference for what I'm sure (well I hope) is an ever burgeoning many to balance a wide variety of views. Indeed: Bless you and ALL for this great achievement, it is truly humbling. With sincere thanks.

Oh, and I don't think Osipova's fouettes were speeded up at all ... That woman not only dances with her feet .... those glorious feet .... she instructs ... with radiance ....

Who knows, if the suggestion I made about using the 'principal guest contract' to cover a variety of international sources as guests with the RB - (instead of but one soul artist - understandable when created for Guillem) we might have the pleasure of seeing Osipova and Vasiliev with the RB company. That would be grand I think and surely a benefit for all ALL-ROUND.

No, Alison - I simply meant that the access (as an educational benefit) was free to all ... which is most refreshing ... much like the NYCB or POB educational programmes (again given in large part in free access) ... which have been so successful in building educated audiences over the long-term ... Strange, too, that they are the two companies whose schools (at least outside of Russia) are MOST identified with the company style and their own specifically identified professional core. Just remarking on and in appreciation of this tradition. Enjoyed the first act - but felt some of the camera-work missed some important elements - especially vis a vis Vasiliev ... I wonder if the camera team had been present at the performance the two gave earlier in the week.

And it is FREE ... unlike some other major companies that I can think of ....

Anne said: I'm curious, Meunier - why Takada in particular for 'Bugaku'? Dear Anne, I didn't mention Bugaku as far as I can recall. Sorry about that .... For me Bugaku was always about some rather eccentric performances by Heather Watts .... and a divine one (one of the few I ever saw her give) by Allegra Kent. It would not be in my very top list of Balanchine ballets for the Royal Ballet, however. What about La Source?

Knowing how much the RB thrive with children's ballets ... why not have them stage the delightful Harlequinade by Balanchine... Such a fantastic piece - It is a two act story ballet ... with so much glorious dancing for young people ... something that could go a long way to giving young students at the RBS (be they British born or otherwise) much and very valued experience ... Oh, and nowhere does a dancer have to wear an animal masque - so refreshing - and thereby protecting them against that element of injury. Just a suggestion.

Oh, and if Vasiliev and Osipova were ever to guest together .... the last movement of Stars and Stripes would be wunderbar ... Wouid so love to see Nunez in the opening movement ... Somehow I think she would give great 'baton'!!!

I put my dibs in for Liebeslieder Walzer .... SUCH A STUNNING BALLET. . When asked about it not too long ago Dame Monica apparently simply rolled her eyes skyward .... Perhaps now with a new administration there will be a different wisp of imagination about .... Course can't please all of the people all of the time ... Who knows ... Perhaps the Liebeslieder's time has come ... Fingers et al crossed from this end