Missfrankiecat

11 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I was not suggesting that the first night casting was misplaced in performance terms, just that it would be nice to be able to read (newspaper) reviews of other casts given Nunez & Muntagirov have been reviewed several times previously.

I absolutely understand that you weren't questioning their performance and I agree it would be nice to see other performances in a run reviewed [and I am aware, from a freelance dance writer acquaintance, that, at least on occasion, potential reviewers are offered a choice of dates/comps to other than 1st night].  But I was simply disagreeing with any suggestion, perhaps misunderstood, that others should get 'first night' dibs on the basis that these two have been reviewed before in the roles.

Any suggestion that first night casting was misplaced surely laid to rest by the reviews so far in, since no Artistic Director in his right mind would want to forgo first night notices like these.  The Times and The Stage both giving 5 star ratings and superlative reviews of Nunez and Muntagirov (and everyone else).  I particularly like that both pay fulsome tribute to Liam Scarlett's choreography and vision.  I would link but I suspect we are meant to go to the Dance Links thread for the day.

1 minute ago, Rob S said:

 

Did you also miss the strange silhouette of Odette on top of the rock before she was supposed to be spot lit, she looked like she was having a conversation with someone on the ground  behind the rock

Yes that was unfortunate - I was in extreme right SC so my view was slightly obscured but I thought she was having a cosy chat with Gary Avis pending curtain calls!!  

I think, other than Nutcracker, SL is the most suitable classical ballet intro for children, especially if already into some form of dancing.  Wonderful music, traditional costumes and lots of visual interest apart from the 'pure' dancing.  Hope he has a wonderful time.

1 hour ago, emmarose said:

 

I feel the same, I treasure any chance.

 

After what happened last year when Marianela was out, well, I was lucky because I have no idea why but I'd bought tickets for the first night and then on the Friday rush I picked up some for their third night, no idea why. But when she wasn't able to dance the first night I had the third already (it was sold out)

 

This year that was very much in my mind so I got tickets for the first night and the third intending to return whatever one wasn't needed, but now I'm wondering if I should just go and see the magic again...

I'm the same.  Fully intended to return tickets for 6.4 (booked because I was unsure I would be able to make last night's mid-week performance) but now thinking that if there is a chance of last night's magic being repeated, I don't want to miss it.  There are so many excellent dancers in the company atm, it seems, on one level, ridiculous to watch one pairing more than once but last night reminded how exceptional these two are.

Just stupendous work from Nunez and Muntagirov tonight, jaw-dropping technique and musicality - they are in a different class to the rest.  I agree with Lindsay about Act 2 but some exquisite partnering from Vadim too.  And they both danced Act three with total relish.  Their dance chemistry is something special.

2 hours ago, Sim said:

I agree.  Calvin and Joe are both future principals, but not quite yet.  A few more big roles, another year of experience.  

I really like them both - Joe has the more obvious charisma, hard not to watch but Calvin is a great actor with real range.  Both really good technicians.  How lucky to have both waiting in the wings for stardom!

I don't think the reason is anything to do with the late Queen loving attending Covent Garden - I suspect the King has been a far more regular and enthusiastic supporter of opera and ballet over the years.

Just grabbed a seat for Friday's performance - back of amphitheatre but beggars can't be choosers etc.  Still worth haunting the website for returns.

Wonderful.  All three are favourites of mine, along, of course, with Swan Lake dream team Nela and Vadream plus Gary Avis as Rothbert.  What an opening night is in prospect tomorrow!

2 hours ago, PeterS said:

 

can you please provide documented evidence to back up this statement? 

a lot of ill will was generated in the autumn season by discussion of hearsay and the spreading of gossip about 'free seats to friends & family'  and the 'papering' of the house.  however, when requested forum members were unable to provide documented evidence to support these rumours.

I can't provide documents - who other than an employee whistle-blower could?  But I certainly spoke to a BRB dancer seated beside me (2nd Row Stalls Circle) for Woolf Works last year who was open that he and others had been comp'ed tickets that day if they could make it.  He plainly knew others who were seated in the balcony.  I should add, I have no issue with dancers and students getting free tix if not sold - frankly I think them more deserving than supporters who can afford regular paid attendance getting discounts - but it is pretty naive not to believe it is happening for the non-classical shows.

31 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

That was such a fun performance, Sophoife! He and Morera really captured the mercurial quality of Titania and Oberon. Sometimes dancers can be too focused on the technique (which is if course important- it wouldn't do to drop your partner or go splat on a jump: they're Fairies after all) and end up making them look more like humans. Campbell and Morera reminded us that they were Kkng and Queen but also Fairy beings and not people.

 

Such a pity that The Dream has been out of the repertoire so long for the last 6 years apart from the pas de deux and a variation on the Covid lockdown streaming. Meanwhile we have had Corybantic Games and Dante Project twice (twice!!) in 6 years - which both bombed at the Box Office severely on their repeat outings.

 

Love Wheeldon and McGregor's talents but those were not their best works and not even a patch on The Dream. Nor Fille (Campbell= such a wonderful Colas. Always wanted to see him and Lamb in Fille. or him and Hayward in Fille. Preferably both!) Oh well....

I long to see a full version of Ashton's Dream - a gap in my viewing repertoire.  Francesca Hayward and Will Bracewell danced a pdd from it at the Ballet Icons gala last year and were enchanting - I thought they stole the show.

23 minutes ago, Legseleven said:

Perhaps those who left had enjoyed the matinee so much that seeing different dancers simply didn’t ‘do’ it for them in the same way? Of course I am sure from reading the reviews that Campbell and Hayward were amazing, but it seems that so too were Hirano and Lamb - and their performance may have touched those who left in the evening in a way that Campbell and Hayward didn’t, for whatever reason. 

Also, I feel for a lot of people (me included) it would be a bit of a reach to watch two performances of the same ballet consecutively - although I don't think I would have booked to do so!  However much I would wish to see the different dancers, there is a limit to how long I can sit still and, even more, how much concentration I can give to such emotional entertainment.  Rather like an art gallery visit - there are always more Grand Masters to see, but an hour or two at a time is enough if I am actually appreciating what I am seeing.  I know others on here watched both performances with pleasure but it's probably an acquired level of concentration and not for many.

@Rob S especially beautiful photos of this afternoon - the one where Lamb and Hirano are embracing is so touching.  I saw Marienela Nunez featured a similar shot from the Monday performance on her Insta congratulating them both and saying she knew how much they valued dancing with each other.

@Dawnstar what a lovely gesture to send those flowers to Donnelly to mark his debut.  I really enjoyed your review of Monday night.  I have seen Lamb in previous runs and loved her multi-layered interpretation of the role.  

I see there are a couple of [pricey] stalls tickets and two standing on the website (at 11.30am) for tonight if anyone fancies seeing the Fumi/Vadim cast.

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

I often find that if the first performance you see in a run is exceptional it’s very hard to get that out of your head at other performances and to engage to the same degree etc. 

Looking forward to this on Tuesday. 
 

Am intrigued by the “three stairs down” to the old part of the house …not sure where this is but sounds a bit “twilight zone” 😳

I wonder if this is the case for me - certainly in this run of Manon - because I could not help comparing Fumi's fairly standard interpretation of Manon [total innocence and pure love defiled by machinations of men] with Osipova's much more complex and nuanced creation [which I felt tried to examine Manon's own agency in her downfall and her conflicting desires far more than any of the other interpretations I have seen - though Sarah Lamb in previous years has also conveyed this to an extent].  Had I not seen Osipova (and she's not my usual first choice) I would probably be raving about Fumi too.  I thought she was technically excellent from beginning to end and I liked her chemistry with Vadim - the gorgeous Act 1 bedroom pdd was one of the most playful and charming I have ever seen.  However, I really missed the complexity of the dynamics of Manon's sibling relationship compared to the Osipova/Campbell outing and, ultimately, despite all the roughing up of her appearance and some solid artistry, Fumi remained a bit too ethereal for my tastes in this role.  Gorgeous dancer though.  Joseph Sissens made a very good debut but it was slightly one note villainy at this stage of his journey with the role.  For me, Vadim soared.  I agree with Richard LH that there were a couple of tiny, almost nervous, wobbles on arabesque in his first solo - I was so convinced by his acting that I was even prepared to consider they might be deliberate because I read his opening not as confident wooing but as diffidence slowly losing his self consciousness as the sincerity of his love overcame his shyness.  From there this performance soared.  I know from hearing him being interviewed that he considers that he struggles with the demands of MacMillan lifts but the cleanness of his lines however torturous the manoeuvre is breath-taking.  I found his acting on point throughout; I was particularly moved by the sense of his humiliation and degradation at being pulled into cheating at cards and it struck me that in many ways it is Des Grieux not Manon who is purity defiled in this story.  How I wish we could have seen his interpretation alongside Osipova and Campbell to really shift the axis of the story telling.

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

Sissens

Thanks - I was struggling to get the predictive spelling to accept an apostrophe and missed the spell correct.

29 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Anyone getting excited about Fumi's debut tonight? 😃

Yes - very excited to see what Fumi makes of this role.  Very excited to see Joe Sisson's debut as Lescault.  Most of all looking forward to seeing Vadim's peerless lines again.  So much to look forward to.

A few observations from last night.  All the new works held my attention until the end - which isn't always the case with non-narrative dance.  I thought the evening was very well thought out and presented in terms of the stylistic spread, music etc and the projected intros were really helpful in drawing me in to each project by high-lighting the creator's thoughts and aims.  It seems like opinion is most divided on here re Never Known and For What it's Worth.  Given it was the most contemporary piece and with conceptual music (neither of which I generally favour] I was surprised I preferred Never Known.  Others have compared it to Pite but it reminded me somewhat of Ashram Khan's work.  While I wouldn't rush to listen to the music again, I did find cohesion and interest with the movement and I thought this piece was really well performed.   I was probably slightly influenced by the obvious delight of the performers at the positive audience reception and the glee of Joshua Junker's reaction - it must be special to perform your colleague's vision and kudos to the RB for making this possible for a talented company member.  Liam Boswell and (I think) Francisco Serrano impressed with their solo.  I felt far more ambivalent about For What it's Worth.  I'm conscious it is presumptuous for a white woman to question a black man's success in incorporating S African street dance into more classical mode but I have to say the piece felt to me like a bland Euro-centric imitation of African dance rhythms.  It was perfectly entertaining to watch as movement to music (kudos to the drummer by the way) but I also felt of all the pieces that it made the least demands on the skills of the very skilled dancers used.  Apart from some pointe work and the noticeable turn-out of the women (jarring since there could be nothing less African than balletic turn-out), technique wise, there was nothing going on that couldn't have been performed by Burn the Floor or similar.  Twinkle is an almost unbearably twee title and some of the steps were a bit twee too but saved by charm and humour.  Glorious piano, pretty costumes and bravura performances.  I always notice Viola Pantuso's gorgeous arms and neck (though she was off balance at one point) and can't wait to see her do some Ashton.  Fumi's incandescent smile made her perfect star casting.

12 minutes ago, Roberta said:

 

Yes. And while audiences will miss him, it's a fresh beginning for him, building on all he has achieved in his dance career, on and off the stage.  At 38, bodies begin to ache more, niggling injuries don't heal so readily, and possibly, the appetite to carry on day by day pushing yourself as a dancer, doing class, rehearsing, performing begins to dim.  So many different opportunities in this role for him.  I'm very pleased for him, and it must be a relief for Claire too to know one part of their family's future is secure.  

 

It's a short life is dancing, and finding what to do next never easy.  Wise man. There's a whole new ballet related life ahead. He's given so much pleasure as a top class performer. Let's be pleased for him. Let's be delighted that he's been given this opportunity to give to others. 

Agree with all you say here.  And, while I maintain 38 is young to retire from top flight performance career, 38 is very young to land a fairly prestigious strategic role, so Alex is now well positioned for rapid career advancement in those areas.  Timing is all.

Funnily enough, I was watching all the focus interviews with principals up on the ROH streaming last night and it was striking how much Alex's talked about projects away from classical dance [it was obviously recorded before The Limit was performed] and about possibilities for 'giving back' after his active dance career was over.  He spoke a lot about his growing confidence that he had something to offer in roles other than performing, so it has obviously been on his mind for a while.  Sorry to see him go so soon - a final Les Grieux with Frankie Haywood as Manon will be epic [they were my favourite Clara and Peter].  I envy those with tix on Friday next.

15 minutes ago, MAB said:

I went to the Curzon, Mayfair on Sunday afternoon.  A very good turnout and a surprise bonus at the end when Reece Clarke made a personal appearance.for an interview.  I've been to a few of these screenings over the years, but it's the first time I've been to one where a member of the cast turned up.

What a treat!  Did he tell anything new and interesting about the performance?

22 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I succumbed to temptation & picked up a rush ticket for Cuthbertson/Ball on Wednesday. I entirely blame Forum members' comments, both in writing & in person, for this!

Be sure to let us know how you find it, please.  I haven't seen Cuthbertson in a leading role for a long time, so am very curious but there were just too many pairings I wanted to see this time.

3 hours ago, Sim said:

I saw Susan Hampshire but wasn’t sure if it was her.  She is often there.  Missed Ralph!  

Susan was at the Sat matinee.