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Mandy Kent

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    Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, 2018-2019

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    I am so pleased that I got to watch Max Westwell as the Swan/ Stranger this afternoon with Liam Mower as the Prince. 

    It was my first time to watch Max in the lead role and I was not disappointed. He has a physicality and presence that holds the eye and his ballet training ( ex ENB) is evident from his beautiful pointed feet to his strong feral leaps. His Swan was very powerful and fierce.His Stranger was HOT ! Oh my ! The Tango between the Stranger and the Prince was full of tension and menace.

    Liam Mower is one of the best Princes I’ve ever seen, in my view up there with Scott Ambler ( rip) and Matthew Hart. He moved me to tears and his dancing is so light , effortless, and balletic... more so than the original choreography made on Scott. I usually concentrate on the Swan in the pdd between Swan and Prince, but today I was focusing more on Liam , not to detract from Max , but Liam is just so good .

    Back for more this evening with Will Bozier and Dominic North. 

    I didn’t find the recorded music a problem But the tempo seemed faster at times than the live orchestra at Sadlers Wells... not sure ! 

    • Like 2

    The Mother by Arthur Pita at The Southbank Centre

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    A powerful narrative dance production based on Hans Christian Andersen's dark tale, choreographed by Arthur Pita and starring Natalia Osipova.

    International dance superstar Osipova, principal of the Royal Ballet, stars alongside multi-award winning dancer Jonathan Goddard. The Mother is set to original live music by Frank Moon and Dave Price and is choreographed by Arthur Pita, the choreographer of critically acclaimed productions The Metamorphosis and The Glass Menagerie.

    As a young single mother sets out to save her child, she must face fantastic creatures, impossible trials and cross the line between life and death itself. Will she succumb to the forces of evil, or will the power of motherhood prevail?

    With an original score by Frank Moon and Dave Price, design by Yann Seabra, lighting by David Plater and dramaturgy by Anna Rulevskaya. Produced by Alexandrina Markvo.

    Presented by Bird & Carrot.

    20 Jun 2019 - 22 Jun 2019 
    WHERE  Queen Elizabeth Hall 

    PRICING

    £30 - £70 
    Booking fee: £3.00 (Members £0.00) 
     
    • Like 1

    Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, 2018-2019

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    12 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

    Matthew Ball is just about to feature on North West Tonight.  Local news programmes are usually only available for 24 hours after broadcast on the iPlayer.

    Thanks for the heads-up Jan. I just watched the interview with Matty 🤩

    It's around 13 mins in from the start and can still be downloaded from the BBC North West news programme. Lovely to see some rehearsal clips and to hear how Matthew and his parents feel about bringing Swan Lake, starring Matthew, to his home town. And they said tickets are STILL AVAILABLE ! 

    • Like 1

    The Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Spring 2019

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted · Edited by Mandy Kent
    Typo

    Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite ballets. Last night’s performance went beyond ‘ an old favourite’ to the realm of living and breathing the tragic story step by step, note by note, breath by breath

     

     This was due to the superb dancing and acting skills of all the lead roles, the wonderful orchestra playing Prokofiev’s beautiful music plus a large sprinkling of fairy dust, of fire and spice, of magic and mystery. Just one of those very special nights.

     

    Matthew Ball’s Romeo was heartfelt, his dancing a joy to watch, his emotions clearly portrayed as they moved across his handsome features, his supportive partnering giving Lauren Cuthbertson the freedom to fully explore the role of Juliet knowing how well he would look after her.

    Lauren’s Juliet was so nuanced, from the delightful child dancing with her nurse, to the young lover and then the desperation and hopelessness of her final scene.

    Lauren’s dancing was so light and fluid , her acting skills faultless. She paid attention to every detail required to tell her story.

    In a very stellar cast, Gary Avis stood out as a ferocious Tybalt, adding a level of inebriation to his wrath in the duelling scene which fuelled the drama.

    Valentino  Zucchetti was a lively mischievous Mercutio with James Hay as Benvolio . Itziar Mendizabel danced a frolicsome lead Harlot with great zest. Ryiochi Hirano showed us a baffled Paris who could not understand Juliet’s disdain for him, his grief at the end sincere, his murder unjust. 

    Marcelino Sambe was an expressive and energetic Mandolin Dancer .

    So many other characters gave their all. So many of the audience were in tears as the red curtains fell.

    Bravo the Royal Ballet !  

    • Like 17

    Russian Ballet Icons Gala, London - 31 March 2019

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    Despite the general complaints here on the lack of Russian Icons , I thoroughly enjoyed this mixed bag of sweets and fireworks ...with the occasional dud . It was worth the expensive ticket price just to see Watson back on stage and reading the many heartwarming welcome back messages on his Instagram page from dancers and fans alike shows just how much we were all thrilled and , yes,relieved to see him back on stage, commanding the McGregor choreography as only Ed can. Sarah Lamb was an exceptional partner in the Qualia pdd.

     

    Did anyone else find Julian MacKay’s lurching Flames of Paris embarrassing to watch ? His gurning and his messy lunges were so off putting but I liked his partner Khaniukova who danced with brio yet with delicacy .

     

    Bernal’s Zapateado had us eating out of his hand... his footwork was extraordinary, his hands beautiful and his shading of expression sublime. 

     

    What to say about Daniil  Simkin other than he is a joy, and his partner Maria Kochetkova was a scheming minx of a Sylphide. Perfect timing and execution of

    the Bournonville choreography. 

     

    I am skipping over some of the pieces which did not resonate with me, however the final one of the first half was the much celebrated partnership of Naghdi and Sambe in the DonQ pdd which brought the house down. Sambe has the Acosta ability to hang in the air, defying the laws of gravity. He could calmly have a cup of tea up there then land gracefully without spilling a drop. Naghdi radiates charm and her execution was brilliant. 

     

    After an interval of being dazzled by some of the ladies in the audience’s couture gowns... we returned to Scheherazade with Krysanova, resplendent in her sea green tutu , and Vasiliev who impressed me with his dancing despite a very slight slip on one landing and despite a rather unflattering costume. It made him look chunky and he is not a tall dancer, although still graceful .

     

    Carmen by Victor  Ullate and danced by his son Josue with the stunning Lucia Lacarra was for me a true highlight of the gala. Carmen is about sex and power and these dancers showed us that they understood the very essence of the piece. I would like to see the entire work based on this short gala piece, it had the wow factor for sure.

     

    After that the Black Swan pdd danced by Misa Kuranaga and Jeffrey Cirio provided plenty of dazzling dancing which was warmly received .

    . Simkin returned to the stage in a solo Pacopepepluto which gave him free rein to show off his comic timing and talent. It was my first occasion to watch Daniil dance ,other than on film, and I thoroughly enjoyed both his performances.

     

    The evening finished with La Bayadere danced well by Konivalova and Picone.

     

    It may have disappointed all those who had paid for the chance to see the ‘Names who Appeared Not’ but I was more than happy with my evening.

     

    As an aside I had the pleasure of meeting young up and coming future star Shale Wagman who was a delight and had come to support his ENB friends . Certainly one to watch. 

     

     

    • Like 6

    Northern Ballet : Victoria by Cathy Marston, First Run

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

    The casting is up for all except Saturday night at SW.

     

    https://northernballet.com/victoria/cast-list

     

    I just decided not to bother about which child was which and the same thing for spouses and politicians.  It made it much easier for me Mandy!  I continue to think that there has been a big error of judgement in printing such a complex synopsis and character list - it takes away from the essence of the ballet.

    My point , with due respect to the very talented Cathy Marston, is that one shouldn't have to let the details 'wash over' one, or just accept that they are all spouses, children or indeed cardinals. A little ( or a hefty dose of ) editing would have brought greater clarity without over simplification of the biography. I'm sure, having read the programme( £5) afterwards, that a lot of culling was done by Cathy Marston and her dramaturge. But I hadn't read up on my history beforehand or watched the TV programme 'The Young Victoria' and I was rather lost which I found detracted from my enjoyment.

    • Like 4

    Northern Ballet : Victoria by Cathy Marston, First Run

    in Performances seen & general discussions

    Posted

    I have mixed thoughts about this ballet. It tries to tell the story of Queen Victoria through the eyes of her youngest daughter Beatrice and through insights from the Queen’s many diaries, she kept hundreds of volumes. I think Cathy Marston should have tried to distill the essence of Victoria’s life instead of baffling us with the details. Did all her eight children need to be represented, AND their spouses ? In Act 2 did each and every labour and childbirth HAVE to be represented? The latter episode became quite comical to me and perhaps that was intended ? Anyway the Act 2 love pdd between Victoria and Albert was superb and the standout piece of this ballet . Strongly danced by Abigail Prudames and Joseph Taylor the pdd showed both emotional and carnal love in Macmillan influenced passion and was a triumph. 
    Would I recommend it? Yes with reservations...excellent dancing, lovely music, beautifully danced with some original choreographic ideas ... just confusing in the narration of the tale.

    • Like 4
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