Benjamin

22 minutes ago, Mary said:

I woke up wondering if i had dreamt that Sarasota ballet are visiting us (as in my fantasy wish list on this forum earlier this year) - but no, I see it is true.

 

Perhaps we should revive a charming old custom and meet them at the airport with floral garlands....

 

Has anyone answered the question about the Ashton celebration- is it pegged to any particular aniversary? and will BRB or other companies be involved (as with the Macmillan celebration) ?

 

Should we make a new forum Discussing the Ashton Celebration?

Interested to see the new Ring, hopefully it’s traditional not like Barrie Kosky’s other productions. A new Carmen sounds great. Also Is it just me or does La Boheme have way less performances, is it not a good seller or is it the usual amount?

1 minute ago, zxDaveM said:

Perhaps the Dante Project back, as Maddaddam wasn't 'ready' for ROH?

I don’t know and it’s unlikely but maybe they pulled it, too controversial, inappropriate?

Here’s my thoughts: Glad to see Manon and Don Q, Not surprised but not disappointed by Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Winters tale also sounds great. I’m pretty disappointed by The Dante Project and am surprised not to see Maddaddam. The Bills are interesting so here’s my ranking for all of the individual works:

Happy to see: Les Rendezvous, The Cellist, 

Sure: The Dream, Rhapsody, Anemoi, Requiem 

Wish was something else: Danses concertanes, Different Drummer

1 minute ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

It's a monster!!  I've now been working on the formatting for 45 minutes!

You could probably cut all the operas but that might take longer…

This season is pretty bad, no new production, Half the Season is a Ashton or Macmillan Celebration (whatever that means), The Dante project, again! Obviously swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Manon. Happy to see Don Q.

2 minutes ago, emmarose said:

So we have Don Q to open

The Nutcracker

Swan Lake

Manon

The Dante Project

The Winter's Tale

Wait is the season or your hopes/ predictions?

A great season, I have always admired Northen Ballets programming and It’s looks like Frederic Bonelli is heading ina good direction. Is there 2 Romeo and Juliet’s, one modern and one more classical or is my mind just making that up?

13 minutes ago, JennyTaylor said:

I've also heard the dancers say they really like being able to guest elsewhere. It gives them different opportunities and also the chance to shine and show what they can do. 

 

It’s makes a lot of sense and I wish these opportunities were available to more dancers.

11 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

Dancers have left companies over guesting issues so no, I don't think it's just "marketing"

It’s not just marketing but I always wonder if that is one of the aspects. I assume the artistic side is more the driving force.

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

 

In the past, RB dancers have been quoted as saying his liberal guesting policy is one advantage of being in the company. 

Like that’s good, but isn’t it slightly marketing?

Just now, Benjamin said:

The Royal Ballets 2023/24 season will be announced tomorrow (presumably in the morning) So it’s time to put in your final guesses.

Here are my guesses (hopes):

Don Quixote, Manon, Maddaddam, The Nutcracker, Ashton Bill, Swan Lake, New Production of Something, La Fille Mal Gardee, and 2 more bills of some sort.

The Royal Ballets 2023/24 season will be announced tomorrow (presumably in the morning) So it’s time to put in your final guesses.

4 minutes ago, MildConcern said:

As though to whet the appetite for next season, Bolle has posted a short clip on his instagram story of Kaneko and Muntagirov rehearsing Don Q for his upcoming Friends show. Unlikely they are cast together on ROH stage, but it seems they have started getting rehearsal time in!

Sounds good! I feel like there’s definitely a possibility for Don Q.

On 23/04/2023 at 23:49, alison said:

Where's enb getting four pianists from?

Maybe they have a piano company sponsoring them? They would want to have one. 

4 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

Sadly, can't see any of them staging it Emeralds, much as I'd like one of them to do so. I thought ages ago (before Tamara) that ENB were rumoured to be thinking of staging it but when I later asked Tamara about this she said it was too old fashioned, and unfortunately, that sums up the attitude of many ADs today. They can commision way out ballets such as Like Water for Chocolate and The Creature, but give them an established ballet with traditional music and most of them shudder and refuse (or at least that's what it seems like). Although it's a twentieth century ballet the music is nineteenth century and that and the traditional costumes seem to put off modern ADs which is an awful shame as I'm sure if any ADs were looking for a new crowd pleaser this would be it. I could see any of the 3 English Companies being able to field casts galore, no problem, (don't know enough about Scottish ballet) but sadly the trend seems to be for modern ballets or classics. Just hope the RB have some good acting or 'heritage' (ASHTON!) ballets in their new programme and don't just rely on endless swan lakes and Nutcrackers with possibly Don Q (another 19th century ballet) as well.

Isn’t it supposed to be old fashioned? It’s set in 1905, and the sets and costumes are in a period style. I don’t understand… Isn’t Swan Lake, Don Q, The Sleeping Beauty set before that?

12 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I've been fantasising for years about a company bringing Merry Widow over here but I don't know if it will happen as Sadlers Wells is the obvious venue and they do mainly modern ballet. Having said that, Stuttgart came about 10 years ago and did Taming of the Shrew. Merry Widow is the one favourite ballet I've never seen live and I would love to see it. Have several recordings; Canadian and 2 Australian ones, but my favourite is the Argentinian one with Marianela.  She is so wonderful in the title role. 

Marianela did one of the pas de duex with Roberto Bolle on His TV Dancing show this years New Year’s Day. They were both beautiful and it was such a stunning pas de duex, I wish more complains did it. All I can think of is The Australian Ballet (Original Producer), The National Ballet of Canada and Hong Kong Ballet. Are there any others?

9 hours ago, Lesley said:

A principal was asked at the Stage Door when he could be seen again and mentioned Don Q in the Autumn!

So does that mean that that Don Q will open the season, before Manon and Maddaddam? And obviously before the nutcracker. 

1 minute ago, Sim said:

We don’t know yet…🤔

We know that Marianela is, from The Ig post, but I wonder if there’s any other Royal Ballet Dancers.

15 minutes ago, oncnp said:

Based on a Principal's IG reply, there may be hope for DonQ

I hope so! On what post? Would love to see this for myself. 

9 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Imagining I am Kevin O'Hare for the moment, for the coming season (assuming no further promotions to Principal) I expect to have 9 ladies and 9 gentlemen to pair up for major  perfomances such as Manon, Swan Lake,  Nutcracker etc... (plus Cuthbertson if she returns from maternity leave during the year).

 

Of course nothing is set in stone but arguably I  have the following 6 settled, successful and popular  partnerships (alphabetical order) which I could pencil in straightaway:

Hayward/Campbell

Kaneko/Bracewell

Lamb/McRae

Naghdi/Ball

Nunez/Muntagirov

Osipova/Clarke

 

That leaves Magri, O'Sullivan, and Takada  for the ladies and Corrales, Hirano and Sambe for the gentlemen.

How should I proceed, dear forum members, and why?

 

They are horrible at switching partnerships up (I guess what works, works!) But these make a lot of sense, for the other 6 I would do…

Magri and Corrales

O’Sullivan and Hirano

Takada and Sambe 

(Not that O’Sullivan and Hirano have ever danced together, I don’t think but there where no more dancers left.)

On 18/04/2023 at 23:05, FionaE said:

I am surprised to see The Dante Project being syndicated more widely so soon.   

I am quite surprised too, I wonder if ROH and Paris Opera spent too much on it, or it didn’t sell well (Maybe just for Paris, McGregor is a big name in the uk) and need to get some cash back. Interesting!

3 hours ago, Beryl H said:

Looks like the intervals have been reduced to 25 minutes, hurrah!

Finally! I wondered why they we thirty minutes, maybe because of the set change? But that was an hour total of interval is now 50 mins.

I assume they’ve got the sets all worked out and they can do it quicker?

On 17/04/2023 at 22:06, Stevie said:

Like Water for Chocolate, Royal Ballet is now listed for a 23rd June release on DVD and Blu Ray, on Amazon.

Phew! It’s only taken so long… Just wish it on ROH Stream. I assume it’s June 23rd because ABT opens it at the met opera house June 22nd.

Here to confirm that The Royal Opera House 23/24 season will be announced in a week, Confirmed Via Socials, here’s the post:

There’s just one week to go until we announce our 2023/24 Season! 
 

We have so many exciting things in store. Keep an eye on our socials for the announcement.