annamk

@Bruce Wall I just wanted to clarify, do you mean this NYCB London visit was set up pre pandemic and Rotunda was commissioned by Sadlers Wells, and then was to be followed by Paris Opera Ballet ?

I enjoyed this more than my lowish expectations (because of the programme choices) although the bigger part of the pleasure was in seeing the dancers of NYCB rather than the programme itself. Rotunda - I muddled this up with another Justin Peck I'd seen and was expecting a sneaker ballet so it was a positive surprise to find it was danced in ballet shoes and more neo classical in style. I didn't much like the music and overall I agree with @zxDaveM above that it was just not particularly memorable but the dancers were wonderful. I've seen Duo Concertante before and it's not one of my favourite Balanchine works but it was brilliantly danced. I quite enjoyed the Pam Tanowitz, unlike most of her other work I've seen at the RoH recently. It's her usual quirky choreography - the costumes were fabulous. I can see why Kyle Abraham's Love Letter (on shuffle) was programmed last. If you like James Blake music, funky costumes and lighting it will send you out on a high. It was not entirely contemporary in dance style unlike what I've seen of Abraham at the RoH. I did enjoy it, maybe because it reminded me so much of Forsythe's Blake Works I. Perhaps it was just the music, I'm not sure. Very much hope that this sold out run will mean that NYCB come back very soon for a longer stay and with more programming variety. I'd love to see some Ratmansky, Robbins and more Balanchine.

Ticket spoken for.

Message me if interested.

Both tx spoken for.

£14 each. Send me a message if interested. Anna

Thank you for posting this clip, it's utterly heart-rending.

Both tx spoken for.

D45 spoken for.

£14 each, message me if interested. Anna

A friend and I went to Birmingham for the first night of Sleeping Beauty, Neither of us had seen this Peter Wright production before and we were interested to compare it with the Royal Ballet version, being the one we are most familiar with. We loved the muted colour palette of the costumes and the staging which were very different to the some of vibrant colours seen at Covent Garden. The simple stage scenery is very attractive. The choreography and story telling are mostly familiar with relatively minor differences here and there: - we noted the absence of knitting ladies (a plus); - the Lilac fairy is a non dancing role (also a plus), this worked particularly effectively in the contrast between Carabosse and the Lilac Fairy in the scene leading up to the awakening; - there is no interminably meandering chariot to transport the Prince and the Lilac fairy through the forest to the castle in which Aurora lies sleeping, this whole scene was dispatched much more swiftly and was by the far the better for it; - Florestan and his sisters have become a pd4. So to the performances. Due to injury the opening night honours went to First Soloist Yu Kurihara and Principal Lachlan Monnaghan, both ex Royal Ballet School. I remember him from the graduate show in which he really impressed me although the last time I saw him I was slightly underwhelmed. My friend remembered Yu Kurihara from the school but I’ve not seen her dance before. Further up this thread @Pas de Quatre wrote some words about Yu’s debut in Southampton and I agree with them. Yu was absolutely delightful, confident, technically very good, particularly in the difficult solo which follows the Rose Adagio, she has a beautiful jump and a charming stage presence. Lachlan Monaghan gave a quality performance: he's unshowy, light on his feet, his solos were neat, his tours particularly well executed with tidy landings and he was a most warm, generous and secure partner. They had a lovely chemistry together. The overall standard of dancing was very good indeed, we were impressed by many of the soloists and corps - Reina Fuchigami’s Fairy of the Song, Riku Ito and Shuailun Wu in the pd4 to single out a few. Philip Ellis conducted the Royal Ballet Sinfonia at a terrific pace - it was truly thrilling to hear and it really added to the drama and the joy of the evening. I highly recommend catching this beautiful production at Sadlers Wells if Birmingham is not an option.

I agree with @Sim last night was a tremendous performance. I think it was the best thing I've seen either Lauren Cuthbertson or Matt Ball do. This is a partnership that absolutely works: they are an ideal match, not only physically but equally in their nuanced, detailed, powerful acting. They give themselves so completely to their characters that together they become more than the sum of them as individuals. A shout out too for Thomas Whitehead's jailor; a mini masterclass in playing, but not overplaying, an entirely revolting character.

I thought exactly that.

I agree with all of that Sim.

Gosh @capybara that is a rather unkind comment given all that Dame Darcey Bussell has done to promote ballet to the wider public. It is well known that she suffers from dyslexia, surely audiences these days are more sympathetic these days to disabilities, not everyone has to be a pitch perfect presenter. As for her getting in the way of the current generation I don't understand your point at all.

Personally I really don't care what nationality a dancer is, (it's not football where I will have my flag out cheering on my home team); nationality simply doesn't inform my response to the artistic qualities of a dancer, whether it does for the British media or other fans here I couldn't say.

I hadn't noticed this interview so thank you for highlighting it. I really enjoyed listening to her.

I see your point but I think it's more difficult than pensioning off your "missing names" - I look at Leanne Benjamin who didn't retire until she was 48 and some of the performances in the latter part of her career were truly astonishing - a completely convincing Juliet in her late 40's; and - Lauren Cuthbertson will be 40 this year but her Manon (at the rehearsal) was one of the best things I've seen her do and one of the most memorable performances of Manon I've seen; - Alina Cojocaru at 42 is still bringing her unique artistry to roles; - when ticket sales are slow retiring Marienela Nunez or Natalia Osipova might not be an appealing prospect to the powers that be. It seems to me that the following a dancer generates is more about them and less about the RoH putting them in the limelight. Some artists are unique: the audience know it when they see it and once they've seen it they return time and time again. For myself, I only had to see Johan Kobborg and Alina Cojocaru together once and I was hooked, I wouldn't miss a performance; same with young Natalia Osipova, same with Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell. Maybe there need to be more performances, or maybe time for a rethink when it comes to casting every principal dancer in every principal role regardless of suitability. It's all very difficult .... I wouldn't care to be in Kevin O'Hare's shoes.

Exactly what I was thinking thinking.

Other than occasionally watching some clips of the final I've never watched much of the Prix in the past but this year I've managed to catch quite a bit and am really enjoying it. There's so much on offer I have found it more rewarding to focus on what really interests me which so far has been - the individual coaching sessions for the classical variations. I am bowled over by the wonderful Nicolas Le Riche coaching the boys: what a superb coach: articulate, expressive, encouraging, spot on in his eye for detail; and - Elizabeth Patel's class for the girls.

I went to an encore showing - only 4 of us in a small screen in North London. I saw it live in Amsterdam and it was fabulous to see again with all the close ups allowing me to appreciate more detail. DNB's world class dancers were on display: the superb Olga Smirnova, beautifully partnered by Jacopo Tissi's understated and divinely elegant Albrecht and their foil, Hilarion, the eye catching, simply jaw dropping, Giorgi Potskhishvili. There is impressive talent at other levels too: Floor Eimeer's Myrtha was terrific with incredibly beautiful bourees; the pd4 dancers impressed as did all the willis. The production is gorgeous and really suits the company. I agree with @Blossom further up this thread, DNB are a brilliant company and worthy of a summer invite.

Definitely; I booked tickets yesterday because it was much more sold than last time I looked.

Well that is that for Mary Skeaping's Giselle and as far as I'm concerned it can't come back soon enough. Two weekend matinee performances of exceptional quality ended my run. Saturday with Shiori Kase and Francesco Gabriele Frola. What beautiful dancers they are with impeccable technique and what a strong and believable connection they had. A detail new to me emerged as I was sitting on the left side of the auditorium - after the royal party have retired to the cottage when Albrecht reappears on stage, he sees the necklace Giselle is wearing and a shadow so subtly passes across his face .... he knows trouble is coming. On Sunday the final performance was given wonderfully by the ethereal Katja Khaniukova (what incredible arms she has) and the noble Aitor Arrieta. Interestingly at this performance Katja chose to dance the diagonal - as did Shiori Kase on Saturday. At both performances the pd2 dancers were Ivana Bueno and Daniel McCormick. They were exceptional; he was notable in that difficult, stamina sapping first solo. I wish I had seen his Albrecht and surely Ivana will dance Giselle before too long. The future of the company is in great hands. A final word for the superb corps - no sagging in quality even after 39 Nutcrackers and 13 Giselles. Remarkable.

IMO no way was she marking anything at the rehearsal: quite simply she was outstanding and gave a masterclass in how to do Manon.

I couldn't resist !