Linnzi5

It's live on the 8th December - Kaneko/Bracewell paring. I stupidly booked to see it at ROH for that performance, thinking the live cinema relay was the week after! Never mind! https://www.roh.org.uk/cinemas. I've just realised there are encore performances, so I can watch again at a later date. Go down the list, don't look at the first Nutcracker from July - you need to scroll down and all the live relays are listed.

Congratulations to all those who have been promoted. Wishing all those who are leaving to pursue new careers, or retiring, every happiness.

Wow! I am in absolute awe. This is breathtaking - what amazing artists these two brilliant performers are. Thanks so much for sharing - this has made my day!

I just found a short video of William Bracewell and Marianela Nunez rehearsing Grand Pas Classique on YouTube! (from a couple of days ago, courtesy of Dancer's Diary - so I am a bit late to the party!) I'm presuming this is for the Gala in Japan. I tried to link it here but the whole video clip shows and I know we are obviously not allowed to post videos, so sorry, I can't link it. There probably is a way to link it without the video, but I can't seem to do it. I found it by accident after looking for Grand Pas Classique videos. All I can say is - wow! I am even more envious now. My two favourite dancers! 😍

Romeo and Juliet - Bracewell and Kaneko - just divine! - I loved every second and felt quite emotional at the end. As I was with my husband for the performances, I managed to stifle my tears! I adore Bracewell's dancing, but Fumi has really developed as an artist. She has always been, in my opinion, a technically brilliant dancer but her lyricism and her ability to emote has really meant that, for me, she is a beautiful dancer who has it all! Nutcracker - Nunez and Muntagirov - I just love these two and they never disappoint me. Nunez is an icon and her grace and musicality always touch my heart. She is just beautiful in every way. Swan Lake - two pairings, twice for the latter- Bracewell and Hayward, Bracewell and Cuthbertson. William Bracewell has just captivated me this year (and previously, to be fair). He is such a lyrical and musical performer - those arms and the fluidity of his dancing are just a joy to watch. I was thrilled that he finally has been promoted to principal! Cuthbertson was just the best I have seen her! I had never seen her in Swan Lake and I was so impressed. She dazzled and in her 20th year. What an achievement. The Ashton triple bill. Never seen these at a live performance before. My favourite of the three was Rhapsody - Rob Clark, wow, he was amazing on the piano, I loved every second of his performance. I loved Stephen McRrae - he had so much fire and was technically superb after returning from injury - bravo! I loved Yasmine Naghidi in Scenes de ballet. Though I didn't love the ballet itself (it was interesting and I'd see it again, but wasn't a favourite) I loved Yasmine - she is an elegant dancer. I will endeavour to watch more of her performances next season. Laura Morera. What a beautiful dancer. Her characterisations are brilliant! Overall, I have enjoyed this season more than any other. The Corps has been outstanding too. There is a wealth of talent which bodes well for the future. I can't wait for the next season to begin!

I would love to see these performances - I love the pairings! I am most envious of those who can attend

Thank you for this! It is quite lovely. I agree with what some have said about the placement of the tree and dancers. I understand how important the projections were to this performance - they were stunning - but still feel it was a shame for the dancers (both the principals and RBS dancers) not to be seen in the overall TV coverage more. It was, overall, a visually spectacular evening and I am sure being there live was thrilling and the sense of atmosphere unique and wonderful.

My love of ballet originally came from me loving music, though my mother loved ballet as a child she has told me and did as an adult too (still does!). I didn't have the opportunity to take ballet lessons as a child and suspect I would have been terrible but I made sure both my young daughters had the opportunity to experience ballet lessons. However, I was musical and trained as a violinist. As a child, playing in a youth orchestra, we played the Swan Lake Suite. I then became interested in finding out about ballet and how the art forms of music and dance combined and complemented each other. From then on, I have always loved ballet and certainly as an adult, seen as many live performances as possible. I've been going to ROH (and other venues) particularly for the last decade, but over lockdown, I became totally obsessed with the RB. I watched as many YouTube clips as I could, bought loads of dvds, live-streamed what I could and read loads. It really helped me to find something to occupy myself with and really just took me out of the rather scary Covid world at the time and into a safe and comforting place. The more I have seen, the more I have appreciated ballet. Swan Lake remains my favourite ballet, though I love many more, of course.

Thanks, Ian. This really made me smile! 😀 I was very disappointed with the fact that there was hardly any close-ups of the dancers - non-event sums it up nicely! I felt very frustrated. I have to say, the lowlight of the whole event was the rather out of tune singing in a fair few places - it's amazing (not in a good way!) how a relatively simple melody disappears when some attempt to sing it! 😱As for Rod Stewart and 'Sweet Caroline'... Oh dear! I feared for Diana Ross in that dress - I am also not convinced that she was doing a lot of actual singing, which is probably a blessing! 🤣 Nearly forgot to give a special mention to Jason Donavan - no, just NO!! I cringed throughout his performance. As a lover of musicals, I had to mute the tv, I'm afraid!

Yes, I agree. I understand that producing DVDs is probably expensive and they wouldn't sell enough to make a profit, but online streaming is surely the way forward? I'd think somewhere like Amazon could be a good place to sell them? Or even just the usual steaming service they offer?

I emailed ROH customer services to find out if the recent Swan Lake live cinema relay would result in a dvd - the very polite answer was no, because there is already a 2018 dvd (I already own that, as well as an earlier version). I did ask about online streaming being a possibility but that part of my email wasn't answered, so I've emailed again for clarification on that. I am quite disappointed, but wonder if the sales don't justify releasing DVDs very often? Anyway, I'm definitely sulking now! 😡

Rob S - lovely photos! Thank you!

I googled and this is online on BBC News! Thanks for the heads up!

I really hope so too! I am desperate to see either of the filmed performances again!

Interesting. I didn't see anything specifically - I just knew something was amiss. I would agree that they did well to recover from it so well. Certainly, it did not detract from a wonderful performance and experience for me. I did enjoy the previous performance (on the previous Friday at ROH) better and felt it was perfect from where I sat. It is perhaps not fair to compare a performance at ROH to a live cinema relay Act IV at ROH just was so moving.

What a wonderful review!

Hi Jorgeb! Your English is excellent! I too had doubts about one of the second lifts in Act IV (it was a close-up shot, but it looked like the lift should have gone higher) but I wasn't certain- as nobody has mentioned it I thought it could be me mistaking what the second lift should be, but at the time I thought it wasn't quite right. It didn't worry me at all but I did notice. As I am not a technical expert, I thought I must have been wrong and I still may be. I thought Isabella Gasparini was delightful - she is a delicate dancer and very graceful. Meaghan Grace Hinkis, though clearly a good dancer, didn't have that 'extra something' I crave in a dancer but I did feel she was very competent. The problem for me, is that I always compare any sisters to those of Francesca Hayward and Akane Takada, which isn't fair as they were both principals when they danced those roles in 2018, I think it was? In my opinion, I haven't seen anyone match their performances yet, though I have enjoyed the others since, of course. Brass instruments, particularly French horns, often crack their notes - they are notoriously difficult to play. I do notice when it happens but am so used to it that it doesn't worry me. I really hope that one of the filmed performances is released on dvd as I'd love to watch either again.

I agree! I just love these videos and watch them all the time. I need more and I need them now! Very interesting posts here today. I've enjoyed reading them all. I have never been to a RB performance and walked away feeling short-changed. Even if I haven't been blown away by a dancer's execution/interpretation there are always other things to love and admire. I love Swan Lake and would happily watch any pairing, though I have my favourite dancers. I too, like to be positive - after all, I'm spending a lot of money to be entertained - and I want to see the best, not feel short-changed or negative because I have picked everything to pieces. That being said, what I like about this forum is that different perspectives are aired here - this really is enjoyable for me and has meant that I feel far more informed about aspects of dance. I have learnt technical aspects of dancing I previously didn't know about and that only enriches my knowledge and understanding. A performance doesn't have to be technically perfect for me to love it - it's the connection I feel to the dancing, story-telling and emotions expressed that is paramount. I think the latter is very subjective. It's also lovely for me to talk to other ballet fans and share thoughts and ideas - I have nobody in my family or circle of friends who is quite as passionate as I am, or who would be willing to suffer my ramblings! I certainly don't always agree with different opinions to mine. In my opinion, Bracewell's Siegfried was one of the best I've seen in terms of characterisation and the emotions I felt with his performance - I really felt a strong connection- but I do understand another person's perspective and that they may not feel the same way as me and I don't care if they do or not. Maybe they are not looking for the same things as I am? As long as someone isn't commenting on personal appearances - I really don't like seeing that. When we put ourselves on stage and perform to an audience, we also have to accept that not everyone will like what we do, or will disagree with our interpretations, or just like someone else more. Reading reviews can be hazardous for our self-belief/esteem or they can do the opposite. What an interesting point about the choreographers. I suspect that, as they are not up in front of the lights, on stage, that they are more removed from the audience; it's easier to criticise someone whose face you may not even recognise? It shouldn't, however, make any difference, as it's still a review of their skill as a choreographer and their work is an expression of themselves and very personal to them.

No need for that! 😊 I don't agree with your opinion but totally respect it. We all see different things and have different likes and dislikes and that is how it should be. It'd be pretty boring if we all thought the same things all the time.

Good point!

I have to admit, I was a little surprised at the headline. It was rather 'tabloidesque' and made me groan!

I agree. I have loved many of Hayward's performances and admire many aspects of her as a dancer. She was amazing in Rhapsody! I can only imagine how hard Odette/Odile are to perform and it may not be every dancer's forte. I still really loved her and Bracewell in Swan Lake though - I just have preferred other interpretations of Odette, particularly. I loved Cuthbertson's interpretation. It's different from others I have seen, yet I really appreciated it - she really impressed me. I do enjoy seeing different pairings, which is why I try to go to as many performances as I can. There are usually different things I like about each interpretation. However, one performance has to include William Bracewell! Incidentally, I have seen a few mishaps over the years and the only thing I feel is concern for the dancer it's happened to. It is part and parcel of live performance that things don't always go the way you would want them to. In the short video I saw at the live cinema relay, William Bracewell was talking about Act III, saying it was a chance to 'show off - if it all goes to plan!' I would think that dancers (and musicians) accept this - certainly, as a musician, I always have. Doesn't feel nice when things go wrong, but that's life! I must say I really enjoyed the orchestra when I saw the Friday, 13th performance at ROH - the cinema live relay last Thursday sounded great too, but not as wonderful as hearing them live, in person, at ROH. I felt the strings were particularly on top form and I liked the general pace of the music, too. I know there was the odd blip in the brass section, but those instruments are prone to that, in my experience, and I expect it.

It made me giggle! The Welsh dragon headline is a little ridiculous and I felt your one about the haggis was equally so as you were making a point.

Hi Rob. I hadn’t mentioned Reece Clarke before and have been rather effusive (slight understatement !!) about Bracewell’s dancing here. In fact, he is my favourite male principal (yay! Spelt it correctly!). I did also say ‘Reece Clarke as well’. But I take your point about other posters taking different things from the written words of others. As far as technical expertise, I have none in the ballet area, but am able to tell when something is glaringly not as it should be and do notice different steps (some dancers perform variations I have noticed). As far as whether steps/moves/ sequences are executed correctly - I am clueless! 🤣

Thanks. I have just tried and it does work on anything but my MacBook!