Sim

Yep!

I thought she perfectly didn’t!

An amazing milestone! Huge thanks to John, Janet and Ian, whose dedication to creating this valuable resource for the past seven years is very much appreciated.

I sure hope so... just like both companies perform Fille. 🤞😀

The quality of dance criticism has really plummeted recently, in the Telegraph and elsewhere. Over and over again they can’t even be bothered to get the photo right. Then the text will often contain errors, or is written by someone who knows little about the art form. Maybe with the advent of social media they just aren’t bothering any more.

I also agree with Bridie’s comments and have said so in threads about those ballets, so these comments are not out of the blue. I think Scarlett is very talented, but for me he is hit and miss. I think he needs to find his own choreographic voice; I find a lot of his work very derivative, especially of MacMillan.

Thanks so much for that wonderful review, Odyssey!

Another example of a “professional “ critic not knowing their stuff: Mark Monahan in The Telegraph casts aspersions on the standard of dancing at the RBS, saying it’s worrying that not one of the 21 finalists in this year’s Prix de Lausanne hailed from the school. That, Mr Monahan, is because they aren’t allowed to enter, NOT because they aren’t good enough. A bit of research wouldn’t go amiss before making such implications. 😤😤

Agree with all the above comments. Everyone on that stage tonight ensured that it was a very special occasion.

The wrong score was on his music stand so he had to dash back in and get the right one.

Enjoy it Northstar, and please report back!

I agree Mary. And to be honest, every production of DonQ that I have seen has been silly or naff or both. I just go along for the fun and sun and don’t take it too seriously. Having said which, there is some very difficult dancing in it!

Well I actually like this DonQ and am looking forward to seeing all the casts. I can do this from the money saved on Frankenstein!

I agree. I don’t think it was broad, or over, acting. For anything narrative that involves humans to be successful, there has to be some sort of developmental arc. By the end of Act 1, the young girl’s transformation has already begun, and the contrast between silly and dejected really worked last night. Earlier in the act, you could see the unease and panic cross Naghdi’s face like a dark shadow over the light of the sun, a portent of the pain to come. As played by Campbell, the young man’s transformation starts as soon as he is thrown through the gate of the gypsy camp. He finally understands how it feels to be rejected and deceived, and the weight of the realisation that he has done to his girl what the gypsies have done to him manifests itself physically because he is so crushed. The softness, contrition, the joy that results from forgiveness, the move into deep and mature love....if there’s no contrast to the immaturity of Act 1, it just doesn’t work. In contrast to JaneS, both of these artists made me care deeply about the characters. All this aside, let’s not forget that what happens on stage needs to project right up to the rafters so that everyone can get it.

They also danced the final pdd from 2P in a gala in Japan last year.

Wow Jane....it seems that you saw a different performance from everyone else! 😀. Always good to hear the different point of view.

Tonight was so special. Alexander and Yasmine were equal in every way: technically, dramatically, emotionally. I said to my daughter as we walked out at the end that if anyone ever needed forgiveness explained to them, all they have to do is watch Alex and Yasmine dance that final pdd. It says everything, without a word being spoken. I am sure many tears were shed tonight. Fumi Kaneko was superb as the Gypsy Girl...not only a strong and impressive technical aspect, but fun and flirtatious as well. She is surely destined to be a Principal. Valentino Zucchetti was wonderful as her arrogant lover, and Luca Acri gave a great turn as the Gypsy Boy. I thought Vixen was sweet although even having read the synopsis I found it hard to follow the narrative. Somehow it didn’t matter; this was a school show and they did themselves proud. I was very pleased to see HRH applauding enthusiastically until the lights came up. When it comes down to it, he is a human being who was clearly as touched by this superb evening as much as the rest of us were.

I even got a leftover Friday Rush balcony standing for tomorrow night’s show! Bought this afternoon. Just imagine, if they succeed in elbowing out all the faithful regulars who (shock! horror!) go to multiple performances, how many fewer tickets would be sold for these slow burners!

I hope he stays long enough to see Miss Naghdi’s debut in 2P!

I will now be at The House tomorrow night too, to hand over the tickets if anyone would like them.

Bumping this up to the top!

Amphi row E79 & D80, £11 each. I will be at ROH on Weds so can hand over, or send by 1st class post if sold by tomorrow. Please send me a DM if interested. Thanks, Sim

I have a few doses coming up this week, Darlex! 👍😍

Anna, my friend and I were also tempted to leave in the interval, but someone told us that the second half was better than the first. It was, but it was a low bar to rise above. Here we had six new pieces of choreography and music, something that should have been exciting and promising. I do always appreciate when ballet companies branch out and try these things, so kudos to the RB for commissioning this programme. However, instead of feeling excitement and hope for the future of dance and music when I left, I just felt deflated and devoid of any feelings other than gloom. Why? Gloom seemed to be the running theme throughout the pieces, with the exception of Calvin Richardson's piece and to a lesser extent, Aletta Collins's. So, one by one, briefly: Based on 'a' true story (Kristen McNally): I have enjoyed Kristen McNally's pieces in the past, so was looking forward to this one. However, it was darkly lit (and I was sitting near the stage) and the music was dull and boring. Sadly, so was the choreography. There were clearly the changing dynamics of a relationship here, but it didn't speak to me in any way at all. This wasn't through lack of trying by Harry Churches and Nadia Mullova-Barley, who danced very well and emoted as much as they could. Circular Ruins (Goyo Montero): It is always nice to see dancers up close and personal, but flaws are also more apparent in that setting. This piece was another one about the changing dynamics in a relationship, with control being passed from one to the other and back again. Once again, dark lighting and gloomy music cast a pall over what could/should have been a lovely pdd between Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares. Uncanny Valley (Alexander Whitley): With such a wonderful cast (Luca Acri, Leo Dixon, Joseph Sissens, Joseph Aumeer and Tristan Dyer), I was really looking forward to this one. Yet again, the stage was in semi-darkness for the whole piece. There were circles of light for each of the five dancers to stand/move in, but as they stood there in their space costumes all I could think was 'beam me up, Scotty.' I wish I could have been beamed up at that point. As always, the dancers did their best with what they had, but this piece was repetitive, over-long, semi-visible and a waste of great talent. The theme of dystopia, of humans and AI becoming inter-changeable, is a good one and very relevant today, but sadly I lost interest early on because I was bored. I tried so hard not to be, but I just couldn't help it. Interval Two Sides Of (Juliano Nunes): This was my favourite piece of the afternoon and, judging by the audience reaction, that of many others, as well. Why? Because it was well lit and we could see every move, and every facial expression. We had real, tuneful music. Most importantly, we had lovely choreography that was deeply felt by both dancers (Lauren Cuthbertson and Marcellino Sambe) because they both gave such emotional performances. It was clear what was happening here; we had two sides of the same story, and both sides were deeply moving. I really liked this piece and would happily watch it again, many times. Something Borrowed (Calvin Richardson) : I quite enjoyed this because it was fun, uplifting, brightly lit and exciting with lots of movement. I can't pretend that it is very interesting choreography, but the dancers were clearly having a great time, and this made me feel happy for about the first time in the afternoon. Blue Moon (Aletta Collins) : This was very slow to get started, for anything to happen. The music was, for me, the most dull of the afternoon, and in some places I had to suppress some giggles because it was so unappealing to me. The whole piece was very slow-moving (it was apparently about women in control of what is happening to them on the stage, and their relationship to the music) and didn't grab my interest at all. There were some nice individual moments, but on the whole it was one of those pieces where I kept thinking 'ok, now it's going to really start' or 'ok, we have had the introduction, now it will get going.' But it never got going, despite the best efforts of the dancers. Some general comments: On the whole, the costumes for the women were incredibly unflattering throughout, and some of them were so skin tight that nothing was left to the imagination. Maybe this wasn't the case for those sitting further back or up higher, but it sure was for those of us sitting near the stage. Once again, we have a group of choreographers who, on the whole, seem to think that shrouding the stage in semi-darkness is the way to give deep meaning to their work. No, it isn't. Give deep meaning to your work by producing good and effective choreography, and then let the audience actually see it. Having read the choreographers' explanations of the meaning and/or genesis of their works after the show, I must say I didn't recognise much of their words in what I had just seen. It is probably better for them to keep their thoughts to themselves and let the choreography do the talking (even if it doesn't say much). This pseudo-intellectualisation of their work usually doesn't enlighten me; I would rather come to my own conclusions, even if they are depressing. There were long gaps in between some of the pieces while the orchestra pit was re-arranged. The musicians then had to walk through the audience, carrying their instruments, to get back in. Others have said it and I agree....why no exit from the pit under the stage? Finally, when are aspiring choreographers going to learn that it is just as difficult, and just as meaningful, to make a successful happy and joyous piece of work? They need look no further than Ashton to see that this is the case. We are reminded a lot more every day how miserable life can be than how happy and fun it can be, so a few works that do just that would be very welcome to most people. Art can, does and should reflect all aspects of the human condition, not just the depressing side. Yes, we can be dark, deep and depressed. But we can also be happy, helpful and hopeful, and personally I would love to see more of that side of us reflected in new choreography and new music.

Previous post removed as requested. Thanks for this, Bluebird.