Don Q Fan

Here are a few photos from the gala:- Tsygankova, Stout, Khaniukova, MacKay, Naghdi, Sambe, Lacara, Ullate Caley, Krysanova, Vasiliev, Lamb, Watson, Kotchetkova, Simkin, Cabrera, Kaniskin Cabrera & Kaniskin, Bernal, Kornova & Holecek, Konovlaova & Picone, Semionova& Zaiteev, Kuranga & Cirio Krysanova and Caley Lamb and Watson Kuranga and Cirio Sambe and Naghdi Simkin, Cabrera, Kaniskin, Bernal, Kornova

Well I have to agree with pother posters this was a lacklustre show compared to SOME previous years. I think one attends the RI Gala with some degree of lowered expectation as every year there are notable no shows. However this year the Gala was on much later in the year than usual. It is usually much earlier in March or even February. Last year it was mid "Beast from the East" and I could not stand at stage door because I also had that horrible Australian flu! Therefore I feel that had the timetable been different a lot more big names might have appeared as it would not have clashed with the presumably more important Mariinsky festival. To have dedicated the show to Mr Hochhauser was a nice touch but I am afraid as someone said above it was far more Spanish than Russian this time round, not quite sure what Mr Hochhauser would have made of that!

To be honest Rothbart was there but I didn't find it a dominant part, lots of swirling with those wings. Jared is very good he often dances when I see DNB - here's couple of photos for you.

Well if Yevseyeva stood in for Osipova at Mariinsky on 28th. then they are lucky because I still remember Yevseyeva's performance as Kitri here last time they were here she was wonderful especially her gorgeous fouettes with arms held high above her head. Stunning.

The NYCB theatre is ok but very expensive - I think ABT are cheaper...anyway I think I probably sat in 3rd tier it was ok. Can you get to see ABT in Whipped Cream by Ratmanksy - I'd love to see that it's on 24-29 May? Top of The Rock is better than EBS as you can see the ESB and the lift is an amazing experience. If you are there when the Costume Institute annual exhibition is on at The Met that is usually worth a look if you like fashion (opens 9 May) I think they had done away with pay what you like entry now as well at the Met. Museum of the City of New York is a nice small museum, worth seeing what they have on and also the Natural History Museum has good collections - the butterflies are good on til end of May and I would have said the hall of gems but that's closed for renovation, think they have a planetarium too. Food wise - decent medium priced food is hard to find, best I found was the Italian restaurant Cafe Fiorello opposite the Lincoln centre is really nice and not too dear - I sat in Pavarotti's booth. Pizza by the slice from the shops in town are generally ok. And for the quirky there's a cup cake ATM on Lexington Avenue!! You can get a multi day travel card for transport unless you buy one of those tourist cards that includes museums as well - I love the buses as you can see a lot of the city that way unlike the subway which is underground. Also if I remember correctly if you are on a bus late at night after 10pm to you can request the driver to stop anywhere on the bus route not just at official stops. The road system is fairly straightforward with Avenues being mostly one way and streets also mostly one way so your return bus might be on a different avenue/street. Watch out for tipping drives me nuts! Above all ENJOY!!!

I saw Swan Lake on Sunday in Amsterdam. Odette/Odile - Maia Makhateli Siegfried - Daniel Camargo Rothbart - Jared Wright Alexander (Benno) - Semyon Velichko This Swan Lake was choreographed by Rudi Van Dantzig, after Petipa and Ivanov, and was beautifully staged with a lovely set and colourful costumes which enhanced the lovely peasant dances and the pas de trois of Act 1. There were also young dancers from the Ballet School in Act 1 which were very nice, but did make the stage seem rather crowded at times. I was looking out for, and pleased to see, Daniel Silva as one of the noblemen as he is known to a friend of mine and I must say he has a lovely line and an elegance to his dancing especially his hands and finishing of movements. The pas de trois was danced by Siegfried's friend Alexander (Semyon Velichko) with Daniel Camargo as Siegfried helping out in places. The 2 ladies were Yauanyaun Zhang and Aya Okumura who is actually to join Berlin next season. In this Swan Lake Odette represents Siegfried's high ideals and I was thrilled when I read Maia Makhateli was to dance the role of Odette/Odile in this performance as she is one of my favourite dancers. Maia did not disappoint and performed the role with great confidence and the right amount of empathy with Odette, as well as beautiful lines and arms. Maia is well partnered with Daniel Camargo and I have seen them dance together several times now. The swans all performed well with nice straight lines for the most part - and the 4 cygnets were great - I was pleased to see Riho Sakamoto in this piece. The 2 big swans were danced by Vera Tsyganova and Maria Chugai. On to Act 3 which was somewhat extended compared to most other Swan Lakes I have seen. Whilst it was colourful and well danced I found myself getting a little, dare I say it, bored?! The start of the Act features 6 princesses as would be brides for Siegfried, one of whom plays shy - yes it was funny, but was it really appropriate here hmm I'm not sure. I felt the drama that usually attaches to the entrance of Odile was lost a bit because of the over long pas de six. Odile seemed to arrive on stage quite well into the Act and I would have preferred to see her earlier and dance a bit more as a tease to Siegfried. The usual national dances were done - Spanish, Neapolitan and Hungarian Czardas, but the whole Act was somewhat dominated as I say by that overlong Pas de Six. It was nice to see Martin ten Kortenaar in the pd6 along with Floor Eimers and Timothy van Poucke who won the Alexandra Radius Prize this season. However when it finally, finally, came to the fouette section Maia Makhateli blew me away with her amazing, rock solid, tight fouettes, doubles mostly, and she must have whipped off close to 40 ending with huge applause from the audience. Then Camargo followed with his set of turns as well equally applause worthy and then he was finally betrayed - you could feel his shock and sorrow as Odile laughed in his face and dashed off stage with her Father. The final Act was beautifully danced by the corps de ballet swans in their various formations which were well executed. Siegfried meets Odette who forgives him. However he drowns despite defying Rothbart and Alexander finds Siegfried dead on the shore of the lake. Alexander carries Siegfried to the front of the stage and the curtains closed..... The orchestra were wonderful and conducted by Boris Gruzin. At 3.5 hours long this has to be the longest Swan Lake I have ever seen. That was certainly good value for money! It was worth the day trip to Amsterdam although that turned out to be a longer stay thanks to airline problems and I did not get home until the next day via London and trains up to Manchester Airport!! Some photos from the curtain call are below. Maia Makhateli and Daniel Camargo Boris Gruzin/Maia Makhateli/Daniel Camargo Ensemble of Swan Lake Some of the Swans at the curtain call - front centre is Riho Sakamoto.

Berlin https://www.staatsballett-berlin.de/en/programmvorschau

I'm just glad Jewels is on again!

I actually like ENBs Nutcracker. My immediate thought on Creature was oh why do the same as Royal Ballet. Seems a duplication. However Khan is nothing like Scarlett so... I've already got my tickets this morning for Nutcracker and Cinderella on ATG priority booking and looking forward to both. Can't wait to hear about the gala show...looks like there will be a matinee on the Saturday as 3 Perfs but only Friday Saturday date given👍👍 I am thrilled that Brooklyn Mack will return hope I can get to see him.

I found the amphitheatre at Garnier hellish. Seats are hard benches with your knees in the neck of person in front. Did it once never ever again.

I would like to see Raymonda and the Balanchine at the Bastille if I can get a ticket. Plenty of matinees on the Balanchine run too which is great for a day trip. Was going to pass on Mayerling but the thought of Alu as Rudolph might change my mind but again without advance casting it's hard to book anything for specific dancers as tickets so fast as well plus if it's the Garnier I will think twice anyway as it's so uncomfortable.

Lovely to read about the Onegins in Munich thank you. I am shortly to see Onegin in Berlin and shall report back! In the meantime I see Osipova and Hallberg are guesting in Onegin on 13th April - the ballet festival week in Munich. I am really hoping Onegin will be revived at the Royal Ballet for 19/20 and I personally put a "bid in" for Onegin with Mr O'Hare when I got a chance recently!

Very happy to see a Dutch Ballet thread. I'm seeing Swan Lake shortly.

I got the survey too but it was very short and I found nowhere to leave my thoughts on ticket prices. There were more questions about gender age etc than about the theatre! I thought it a waste of time because it asked so little.

Yes I saw there is gala but did you see the ticket PRICES😯😯😯

A documentary has been shown on German TV about John Neumeier for his 80th birthday you can watch it here, albeit mostly in german. https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/John-Neumeier-Unterwegs,doku1370.html

Its usually lively at ROH in my experience and The Bolshoi attract huge crowds too - but La Scala Milan can give a run for your money especially when Roberto Bolle is performing !! I can remember one Bolshoi visit after the stupendous matinee of DonQ with Osipova/Vasiliev when they ended up having to sit behind the security man's desk to sign autographs as there were so many fans - we were allowed in in small groups as there we SO many people that year but it worked much better because they didn't get crushed and we got our autographs in a calm and orderly fashion!

Exactly what I was thinking as I was bitterly disappointed when NYCB were going to perform it in Paris but then it was pulled because of the music. I saw Vienna Waltzes once in new York and absolutely loved it. And yes I agree it would be a perfect fit for Hamburg given their recent performances of the Liebeslieder Waltzes and Brahms Schoenberg Quartet. Here's hoping🤞🤞

I haven't seen the relay but the first DonQ I saw a couple of years ago was very dark. You would have thought the boffins would have sorted it this time round and lit the stage more brightly this time. They never seem to "get it" at ROH.

I saw it and it made me want to visit Buenos Aires. Lovely to see ex/retired ABT star Paloma Herrera now Artistic Director teaching the dancers at Teatro Colon.

Anyone able to see the Paris Swan Lake tonight? I couldn't get access.

Thank you for the heads up. The 2 Saturday Spartacus perfs look tempting although the ticket prices had me ruling that one out. One of the Bright Streams looks ok. Having seen Vasiliev in his earlier prime I am not sure I want to see him this time round. Quite a few new names on the DonQ rota, I was a really hoping for husband and wife team Anna Tikhomirova and Artem Ovcharenko in DonQ but alas it's not to be. I fear the ticket cost will restrict me to just a couple of perfs rather than the whole lot this time. It's not what I would call a sparkling selection especially as no Alexandrova. The only big name lady I'd like to see is Shipulina.

For ease of reference Hamburg Ballet have a PDF calendar on one page covering the 19/20 performances! https://www.hamburgballett.de/downloads/kalender/spielzeit_19_20.pdf Marvellous - I wish all companies did these. Looking forward to Monday now as Dutch National Ballet announce their 19/20 season!!

Munich's Bavarian StaatsBallet are live streaming the Jewels performance on 11 April which stars guest Ashley Bouder from NYCB in Rubies.

Absolutely! I have seen him many times in Amsterdam where he is a Principal. He's nice and tall too. I've always enjoyed his performances e.g. DonQ and La Dame aux Camellias most recently my only slight reservation is perhaps I don't get much expression/emotion off him. Dance wise he's very good. I think he'll be fine in DonQ here.