annamk

17 minutes ago, Patricia said:

 I can only say that Saturday's performance touched my heart and soul in a way I cannot explain. 

I know what you mean, it did that to me too. It's so rare but when it happens it stays with me for days afterwards, then I spend years going to performances, hoping for the feeling again. 

22 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Is anybody on here actually going to see his shows?  

 

Or is it only me?  And the 8,000+ other people (I am estimating low, as I don’t have access to accurate figures) who have bought tickets to this week?

I'm not going. I've given up. After he left the RB I saw him dance live in Moscow (Other Dances),  Munich (Bayadere), Sadlers Wells for the show with Osipova and on live relay screening (Giselle). His dancing is a shadow of what it was, he isn't as fit as he needs to be and I find his choice of repertory poor. 

20 minutes ago, Sim said:

I am praying to the ballet gods for their Manon, followed by SL and SB......  In my dreams, probably.  

 

 

 

 

Lovely review Sim  I’m joining in your prayers ! Coppelia too !

4 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

 

Wow, what lovely lovely photos ! Thank you. 

Raw, true, incredibly passionate, and utterly believable performances this evening just left me completely drained. Corrales, Hayward, Sambe, Hay & Ball were phenomenal. Probably the finest Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen. 

Since we've drifted back on to Campbell here is the other view.  I find him perfectly fine and he has a warm stage presence but he has never really moved me.  I didn't think his acting in 2 Pigeons hit the right note and I really didn't enjoy his Albrecht, so I was not bothered that he wasn't cast as Romeo. I find his dancing and partnering is certainly a very good standard but not superlative. As thighs have been raised I'll say they don't overly bother me although his lack of line does sometimes.

10 minutes ago, HappyTurk said:

I think it is all a matter of what style one is accustomed to. I, for one, am still trying to get accustomed to the RB style. And because I tend to use Osipova as the standard of dancing, I tend to find the RB style too reserved and am left dissapointed -- wishing the RB dancers would take more theatrical liberties when I do visit (especially in R&J, Mayerling, Giselle, and Don Quixote). For those accustomed to the RB style, I would imagine that one would find her theatrical style too much. So, honestly, I do think it just comes down to what one is used to viewing as a ballet watcher over the course of their watching "tenure."

I do see more of the RB than other companies but I also travel to watch dance and see visiting companies here in London and Paris. I absolutely don't agree that the RB style is "too reserved" .... could anyone who saw Matthew Ball's recent Tybalt call that reserved ? Or Marcellino Sambe's Mercutio ? Or Cesar Corrales Romeo ? Or Laura Morera's Mary Vetsera with Federico Bonelli's Prince Rudolf ? Or Lauren Cuthbertson's recent Kitri ? Personally, I think it's far more a question of what the individual dancer is about. Vadim Muntagirov is more often reserved as is Sarah Lamb but surely not the RB as a company. 

I haven't always found Osipova's theatrical style too much; I certainly think she has become more theatrical and I think last night was the most theatrical I've seen her but as I said I think it would have felt to me like a more balanced performance with a more charismatic Romeo. 

1 hour ago, Lindsay said:

The poster that  thought there was no emotional connection between them must have been watching a different performance or maybe one becomes accustomed after a while to the "usual" RB interpretation so that any change is simply jarring?

I am as baffled by those who felt an emotional connection between them as you are by my not feeling it but I don't think the answer is about a "usual" RB interpretation, it's entirely about the individual pairs, I find some RB couples have chemistry and others don't. I think the performance would have worked better for me if Osipova had had a different partner - although I didn't really like some of the wilder aspects of Osipova's performance it did have a power and Hallberg was unfortunately not an emotional match for that. 

I was at the back of the stalls circle and I had binoculars which I used intermittently. 

5 minutes ago, capybara said:

Hallberg is due to dance Beliaev in Month in the Country but, on this showing, I don't think that the Royal Ballet needs him for anything else - certainly not at the expense of providing prized opportunities to the RB's own dancers.

Exactly what I was thinking last night - and the possibility looms large that he might be invited back next season, I really hope not. 

Another Romeo & Juliet this time the starry cast and fabled partnership of Osipova and Hallberg which I'm sorry didn't work on many levels. 

I've enjoyed Osipova's interpretations for years and I admire and like that she has always brings something of herself to the roles she dances, but more recently this individuality is in danger of being at the expense of faithfulness to the choreography. Her first scene tonight set the tone for the rest of the performance which although powerful in places was also sometimes wild, sometimes exaggerated, with fussy hand gestures and unnecessary embellishments.

By contrast, Hallberg's Romeo was bordering on the bland end of understated (his princely demeanour would have been more at home in Swan Lake) so I found the partnership rather unbalanced and without chemistry. Hallberg danced and partnered well enough but his acting lacked depth and nuance, many of the small gestures were not properly finished. He failed to establish any sense of camaraderie with Mercutio (Hay, excellent as usual) and Benvolio (Dyer). Perhaps,  he was nervous given his injury interrupted last performance. 

The audience gave them a huge ovation so I was clearly in a minority finding fault, partly I think I have been spoiled by the more genuine performances I saw from Sambe/O'Sullivan and Corrales/Hayward. 

What has happened to Osipova's pointe shoes ? It looked as though they'd been attacked by wild dogs !  

Ticket is spoken for. 

Still looking if anyone has a spare .....

Message me if interested. It's an eticket.

3 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Promotions can surely only occur if vacancies arise. That raises the risk of speculations that none of us would feel comfortable making on a public forum....

We already know there are some vacancies: Soares has left, Kobayashi has retired ........ 

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Assuming spaces are available, I would say Sambe, O’Sullivan for sure, and maybe Sissens.  Fumi Kaneko is definitely Principal-bound, but perhaps in a year’s time when she has been given a chance to lead SB and SL and other three-acters.  

 

Sadly Corrales will probably have to wait (although I would promote him just on the basis of his Solor and his Romeo!).   Same goes for Bracewell.   

I agree with your picks Sim and 

Mayara Magri is also a possibility when there is a vacancy although like Fumi Kaneko maybe she needs another three-acter ?

I guess Reece Clarke will have to wait because of missed opportunities due to injury. 

Lower down, definitely Leo Dixon, possibly Harry Churches and Sae Maeda. 

Still looking 

I have, I will pm you. 

Bump, bump 

Ticket spoken for. 

It's an ticket, message me if interested. Anna

Looking for a SCS for the last Corrales/Hayward if anyone has a spare or can't make it. Please message me. Anna

To the extent there were any minor imperfections at the Saturday matinee with this same cast (thinking Corrales slightly falling out of turns in the masks pd3 and Ball dropping his sword) these were ironed out this evening and it was a sublime performance with a charismatic and exciting young cast who danced and acted their roles exceptionally well. 

It is years since I've seen the masks pd 3 danced with such precise timing and control. 

I disagree with Bruce above that Ball had been talked out of his Saturday matinee Tybalt interpretation, rather I thought he had retained much of that but added a touch of extra aggression - he was superb. His Tybalt has opened my eyes to his versatility - I thought he was a Lensky but he is definitely already an Onegin too  

For me, the leads were simply sublime: wonderful acting, dancing and most importantly sensational chemistry between them, I couldn't ask for more.

6 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

and quite a few shows too (14 I think) - perhaps Kevin trying to get those dancers who missed out last time, a go at it...

Let's hope so -  would be nice to have some new Manons and Des Grieux. 

Very happy that the Ratmansky 24 Preludes is being revived. Will be interesting to see how he reworks it and with which dancers given that  many of the original cast have left.  

Ticket has gone.

E ticket. Message me if interested.