Sim

Irmgard has posted a lovely tribute and started a thread elsewhere , so I will lock this and merge your post with that one.

Barbara?

Yes, this. But as I said above somewhere, I am trying to see the positives in that I will be saving a lot of money so will hopefully be able to afford to go to Zurich and Amsterdam, long held dreams of mine. I have been to both cities, but have never seen their ballet companies. Having thought about it long and hard, next season will consist of one or two Cinderellas, and a few viewings each of Onegin, R&J and the Balanchine triple. Very sad....out of a whole season there are only three and a half (meaning just one or maybe two Cinderellas) productions that I want to see. Oh well, I hope for the future of the company that if this is the direction they are going in, that they sell tickets. I just won't be buying many anymore if this is how the seasons are going to look. But that's just me.

For those who are going to miss the RB Nut this Christmas, don't forget that ENB are going to present a new version. I can only hope it's a vast improvement on the current one (just my own opinion, of course).

The statement is: this will be a bland and boring season, with a few exceptions.

Probably next season now. Hopefully with Giselle in there as well. Hmmm...says a lot about next season that I am already getting my wish list for the 25/26 season together in my head.

Thanks Lizbie. I would love it if that were the cast.

Wow. They have managed to squeeze in just about every 'bums on seats' opera in the repertoire. I hope the casting is good for Semele as I missed it last time around.

How I wish they would all do that.

How I envy you, seeing Onegin for the first time!! 🥰

I wonder if we will ever get Sylvia or Ondine back? I don't much like Ondine, but would love to see a couple of current principals in the role, namely Frankie Hayward and Yasmine Naghdi.

Ah well. No RB for me until Cinderella then (unless everyone raves about the McGregor). Good...I can use the saved money towards trips to Zurich or Amsterdam to see those companies!

No surprises there then! Wish we didn't have to wait until the New Year for both of these ballets.

I saw a production many years ago by the Stanislavsky Ballet and they did a similar prologue, showing a young princess being captured and turned into a swan. That one worked very well.

No. Will danced it with Fumi (unforgettable) and Frankie with Cesar (didn’t move me half as much as their first go in the previous run).

Please may I remind you that we actively discourage putting private email addresses on the forum. It is open and visible to anyone. This is for our members’ protection. Thanks.

I have just seen on Facebook via Ballet News that Alison McWhinney is leaving ENB to return to Australia as a Senior Soloist with Queensland Ballet at the end of July. Wishing her the best of luck and every happiness.

A few of us seem to have had issues accessing the forum today. Our technical genius Dave advised us to clear/delete the site-specific cookies via your browser. If you don't know how to do this, google it, naming your specific browser....e.g. "How to remove site-specific cookies on [browser name]" I did this, and it worked. Seems that forum is sick of cookies today!!

KVN Dance Company Coppelia **** Marylebone Theatre, London, 24 April 2024 Michael Downing as Dr Coppelius, Rosie Southall as Coppelia, Zach Parkin as Franz. Photo credit: Hettie Pearson Whilst many people were watching the Royal Ballet in Swan Lake last night, I headed down to the Marylebone Theatre, just a few doors away from the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street. The mystery here is how I had never heard of this lovely little venue, having worked nearby and lived quite nearby for years! Nor had I previously heard of the KVN Dance Company. Founded by Kevan Allen, their aim is to attract new audiences to dance by expanding its possibilities and making it fun and accessible. If their production of Coppelia is anything to go by, they are succeeding beautifully. The programme states on its cover “Coppelia, Classic Remixed: Classic Reborn”. I usually roll my eyes when I see the words ‘reimagined for contemporary audiences’ or suchlike; last night I entered the theatre with an open but slightly dubious mind, and left it having had a delightful and eye-opening two hours of theatre and dance. Zach Parkin as Franz, Rosie Soutall as Coppelia. Photo credit: Hettie Pearson The reason this reimagining of Coppelia works so well is that the original score and ballet/story are all treated with respect. The music and choreography are deconstructed and rebuilt into a narrative that works. Delibes’ glorious music is used extensively, but is expanded and added to by Swedish musician Rickard Berg. Allen didn’t feel the need to revise the ending nor change the basic story, for which I am very grateful. The piece opens with the villagers galivanting in the square, and Dr Coppelius is introduced as the eccentric we know from the original. From there, the story moves on apace, and the combination of wit and pathos remains. The choreography is fun and clever, the costumes (by Wendy Olver) a delight, and the set (by Justin Williams) is light and buoyant in the outside scenes, dark and broody in Dr Coppelius’ lab. The other toys in the attic are gorgeously dressed and come to life with sparkle and zest. Praise also goes to Mike Robertson’s atmospheric lighting, especially in Coppelius’ workshop. I was even more impressed with the costumes and set when I read in the programme that the company is almost entirely sustainable, and everything is made from second-hand materials that have been acquired and donated. Ellie Fergusson as Swanilda. Photo credit: Hettie Pearson As for the cast, the company is made up of 12 dancers, all of whom were clearly having a ball onstage. Most of them are from theatre schools and thus were able to handle various styles of dance and make them all meld into one delightful work. Rosie Southall as Coppelia was a very convincing doll, transformed from her original raggedy state into a gorgeous girl with just a skirt and toreador ruffled blouse. She made it easy to believe that foolish Franz could be attracted to her and be duped into thinking she was real. Michael Downing as Coppelius and Zach Parkin as Franz both gave notable performances, striking just the right balance between comedy and drama. Ellie Ferguson as Swanhilda was innately balletic and gave us a feisty but ultimately kind, empathetic and forgiving young bride. She was happy and wanted Dr Coppelius to be, too. Her insistence that the villagers accept him into their society made for a joyous ending, celebrating both a wedding and life itself. Ellie Fergusson as Swanilda, Zack Parkin as Franz. Photo credit: Hettie Pearson This reimagining of a classic works on all fronts, and like Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake I can imagine that this one has the potential to inspire many people, especially young ones, to want to see the original, classical version. I know that Bourne’s Lake was the route to a love of classical ballet for many people back in the 90s; maybe this will be the case for this generation via Coppelia, albeit on a smaller scale. Sophie Tierney as Mrs Pumpernickel. Photo credit: Hettie Pearson Speaking of scale, this company is self-funded and deserves to continue and to be seen as widely as possible. They are at the Marylebone Theatre until April 27th and are touring around the country (details on their website) until the end of June. Catch them if you can. Last night they made my cold, grey day a whole lot brighter and warmer with this innovative, fun and bold production.

This is a very good point. Why would Odette immediately be passionate and warm to this guy who has just come along, when the last guy who just came along turned her into a captive bird? I would also be very wary and take my time to loosen up and open my heart to him.

Interesting to read such varied views. I haven’t seen tonight’s performance yet but from this cast’s first two performances I was totally emotionally engaged and found the lead couple inhabited their characters in a pure and natural way…I didn’t find anything calculated about either of them. As I have said before, art is subjective so everyone has their own perspective and perception of what they see. Very interesting!

Not to mention his debut as Oberon in The Dream on 19th June...

Yes, they do try to get the four cygnets at pretty much the same height.

Marcelino Sambe is not long legged and he is playing the prince. Joon-Hyuk Jun, playing Benno, is tall and long legged. Ditto Teo Dubreuil.

I never sit near enough to them to hear them....but if I did, I wouldn't want to hear them anymore than I would want to hear an audience member!