annamk

Maybe they ran out because what happened to me, happened to many other people too. I don't often buy them and I wasn't planning to for this but it was such a fantastic programme and such superb dancers I rushed straight out at the interval to get one. 

While looking at those additions above I see Cesar Corrales has been replaced by Matthew Ball on 29th March - w Yasmine Naghdi.

I just noticed on the RoH website that Nicol Edmonds replaces Marcelino Sambe as The Prince - dancing with Akane Takada - for all his dates in April. 

Hot on the heels of Tiler Peck joy at Sadlers Wells comes an utterly dispiriting afternoon at the RoH.

I didn't love Woolf Works in previous runs but wanted to give it another try so I saw the rehearsal and Parts 1 & 2 this pm. 

IMO when Wayne McGregor burst onto the dance scene he was original and interesting but it has been some years now since he has morphed into a choreographer who is all style and no substance. Strip away the artful staging and attractive lighting and I find I am watching tedious choreography full of tropes that tell me nothing about the characters. 

But by far the worst thing about WW that left me and my 25 year old daughter angry and upset this afternoon was the manner in which the female dancers in Orlando are endlessly manipulated by the men into a succession of one splayed and open crotch pose after another. Some of the positions are demeaning to the women and frankly downright embarrassing to watch. In 2023, the age of "me too" and more empowerment for women, how on earth is this appropriate on the stage of the Royal Opera House ? How does it make sense that ballets like Bayadere and Fille are unlikely to be performed in London in future because of cultural and other modern sensibilities and yet, and yet, this style of partnering is apparently fine ? 

I went back again last night and am still on the indescribable high that comes from the joy of watching great dance. 

What a brilliantly curated evening.

What brilliant dancers: all shapes and sizes, all different styles with one thing in common - boy can they move.

I only really knew Tiler Peck and Lauren Lovette before this evening and neither of them particularly well. I feel mean singling anyone out but I was blown away by Lex Ishimoto and his astounding fluidity; by Roman Mejia and his athletic virtuosity and of course by Tiler herself oh and Jillian Meyers and Lauren Lovette and and and ..... 

I'd go back again tonight if I could - deservedly sold out. 

Come back soon !

WOW just WOW !!!! What a thrilling evening. 

I loved it so much I bought a ticket for tomorrow evening too. 

A fantastic programme - the longest piece “Time Spell” is innovative and unique. The dancing is sensational and deservedly received enthusiastically by a packed Sadlers Wells. 

It would be amazing if this were to herald a return to London by New York City Ballet. 

46 minutes ago, FionaE said:

It’s naive to criticise the ballet world.  I wish this forum would desist. Perhaps it would help to open your eyes to what is happening.  For instance, there are many Western companies still operating in Russia despite sanctions … see this recent Financial Times article 

https://www.ft.com/content/1cea1f08-83ac-4471-9fa4-1cdfcc86fcb0

And there are many more still profiting from selling their products into Russia now via third party countries who haven’t signed up to sanctions.  Plus there are products the West relies on from Russia (not only energy) and hence these are exempt from sanctions.  The list of ongoing commercial relationships is endless.

 

I think we should refrain from commenting on the pros and cons of the political side of this new ballet production.   It would be good to discuss the dancing, choreo (mostly Petipa after all) and production generally.  

Of course we know all these things are going on thank you very much.

But I don't see at all why that makes it naive to criticise the ballet world in Russia. It is not as if this forum is constantly doing it and if you personally don't like it you don't have to read it. 

My daughter and I went this afternoon. 

I didn't feel engaged early on - I should have read the reviews to figure what to expect. But then it picked up for me and by the end I thought it was terrific, relevant (if a bit obvious) and unlike anything I've seen. I loved the use of mixed media, I thought it was very effectively and cleverly done. I also liked the music. All in all an excellent afternoon entertainment. The audience response was muted during the performance, there were no obvious clapping moments - but the curtain call was very enthusiastic with a number of people in the 1st circle standing. 

7 hours ago, Sim said:

Fumi and Will were stunning yesterday. Beauty personified. I can’t wait for their Cinderella, and am praying to the ballet gods with every fibre of my being that they do Manon together next season. 🙏

I agree with every word Sim.

Individually they are consummate performers, but together they are the sublime partnership that finally fill the immense hole left by Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg. 

L1 First Circle described as restricted view because of the overhang but I find it fine. £27.50

I will give it back to the BO at 12.30 

Tickets are spoken for.

I think this is an excellent first season programming from the new AD. Enough to make me renew my friend membership ! 

D43,44,45 £10 each

Message me if interested and  post here to say you've done so. 

I don't understand why James hasn't been given the opportunity to dance Siegfried or the Prince in Nutcracker; he is one of the company's finest classical dancers. 

Returned to BO

Selling SCS D13 £12, message me if interested. 
Anna

I also really have nothing to add to Sim and Scheherezade's comments about the matinee today but I'm going to anyway  simply to acknowledge a consummate performance. 

I agree with Scheherezade about Salenko and the RB, today she was transcendent. And in the flawless Frola she had a partner of peerless quality. 

I absolutely love this production.  In particular Act IV with the monumental drum roll heralding Siegfried's desperate run on stage to the lakeside (which Frola does to perfection) and the apotheosis which fits the music like a glove - IMO in these two respects the current RB production is a crime against ballet. 

I think the performance yesterday served to remind me how difficult a ballet Sleeping Beauty is, particularly the role of Aurora and so how even more amazing Marianela Nunez and her prince Vadim Muntgariov were on Monday evening. They sailed gloriously, graciously and effortlessly through every step, smiling as if all the effort was nothing. Marianela Nunez was even more remarkable considering she is in the twilight of her career.  Alongside them Fumi Kaneko was an Impeccable Lilac Fairy. 

Yesterday evening, Mayara Magri got off to a shaky start. In the first section of the rose adagio she tried to hold the balances and unfortunately she wobbled quite badly which seemed to affect her confidence for the rest of Act 1. It was a curious choice ( I assume it was a choice because not everyone does it) to decide to do that in your debut, it always seems so unnecessary to me anyway and more often than not it just looks awkward because it's incredibly difficult to hold without wobbling, so much better not to bother. She danced Acts 2 and 3 well but unsurprisingly she seemed tense. I didn't feel much chemistry between her and Cesar Corrales, also making his debut and returning from injury - impossible to give a stellar performance with all that going on. 

The highlight of the evening for me was Letitia Dias and Joonhyuk Jun as Princess Florine and the Bluebird. Sensational. 

Returned to the BO

12 hours ago, SimonJC said:

 

Thank you Henry and FionaE.

 

Noted about Katja's hair Henry - although FionaE thinks it was Francesca.

 

I have already emailed ENB and will now ask them about the further changes FionaE has raised. FionaE when you get back next week please could you kindly let me know what the notes on your sheet are - sounds like you can recognise all the girls better than me.

 

I will post whatever ENB says.

It was definitely Francesca Velicu in the Neapolitan on Sunday. 

I'm selling D47 £12, message me if interested. 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/the-sleeping-beauty-by-marius-petipa/cast-list/51329

Lucky you Sim, !

It was this late yesterday too - not much before 6pm

Beautifully done ENB. 

As with the opening night the entire company was on sparkling form, the swans being particularly superb.

The icing on the cake this afternoon was astonishingly classy performances from the leads Salenko and Frola. A spectacular black act with jaw droppingly good pdd and solos, (Frola's variations were quite simply sensational) and immaculate, tender, sensitive white acts. 

57 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

It just comes down to whether one prefers Aitor’s less-is-more approach where he lets his elegant classicism do the talking and focuses on presenting his ballerina, or not.

Spot on