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I believe that I've read somewhere that McRae is guesting away from the RB during September. Has anyone else seen this?

 

 

Found it!

 

According to information on a recent post from Bruce Wall, MacRae is dancing in New York on the 2nd and 3rd October - a piece he has choreographed himself.

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And with regard to these "single" performances: how many of them are genuinely that, I wonder, or is it just that they are cast in other performances which we either don't know about or can't see the casting for? 

 

Not autumn casting but following on......I seem to remember that an early version of the list for Giselle showed Pennefather and Lamb dancing Giselle at a Family Matinee. But Bluebird is the expert on these things !!!!

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I agree with aileen that there is no need to bring in men from outside the company to dance Rupert's few scheduled performances this coming season.  Especially dancers who are not yet at principal rank in their own companies.  I think that, among other things, that could be terrible for morale in the Royal.

 

The first couple of Romeos are a problem as they are soon and there is not much time to prepare someone who doesn't know the role in the Royal's production.  They are also opening night of the season and a cinema relay and it would send an unfortunate message to broadcast one of the company's key works with an outsider in the lead male role and thereby imply that the company lacks depth in its male ranks.  I think it has to be one of the other male principals and it has to be the same man for both opening night and the relay so he has had a stage performance to work out any kinks before the broadcast performance.

 

For the other ballets in which Pennefather was cast, there is ample time to prepare one or more non-principal men from the Royal to take those shows.  They have already given several Nutcracker princes to non-principals and could give those same men some more or give another non-principal man a chance.  (Nut prince also seems an odd role to have a guest in as it is such a short role - it seemed so odd that they used Cory Stearns in this role last time he was here.)  I was anticipating that Ball might get a Nutcracker prince or two before the casting came out and it is a role he would do well in.  Zucchetti only seems to have one performance and another wouldn't do any harm and would allow him to get to grips with the role a bit better than the one make or break show.  Hirano, Campbell, and Hristov would probably appreciate the chance to dance another performance.  Pennefather's single Albrecht could be another good opportunity for a non-principal (and there is loads of time to prepare for it) or could surely easily picked up by another of the existing principal men.  I suppose some this will depend on how willing Lamb is to dance with less experienced men.

 

I agree that there is really no need to bring in guest principals to replace Pennefather in Romeo.  I think it would be grand if the likes of Reece Clarke (health permitting) were given an opportunity, say, under these specific circumstances - having shown such fine progress in Ashton's Symphonic Variations.  If Golding WAS to partner Sarah Lamb - and I think that could be a potent combination - much as he was, say, with Osipova in Oneign - and a guest WAS felt to be necessary ... then why not have the ABT principal, Herman Cornejo.  (I agree that if ANY dancer is brought in for this specific instance they should be [a] of noted principal rank and certainly experienced in the production at hand.  On that score I wonder why Salenko, for example, is being brought in for Two Pigeons when you have a Francesca Hayward, say, - perfect as the young girl - and when the Ashton has been out of the RB's rep for so long... but that is another kettle of fish.)  Cornejo danced MacMillan's Romeo this season at ABT opposite Obraztsova to acclaim and has not I think ever been seen in a leading principal role in a full length ballet in London.  I think the combination of him and the wonderful Francesca Hayward would be sublime - and not just in terms of the height balance.  (She is just SO magical.  That said I too think it is important that Ms. Hayward should have an experienced partner who is a noted principal on the occasion of her debut)  Certainly Cornejo would be around in late September and October to rehearse whilst he was performing in Cheri ... which he has already done commercially in New York... but that, too, of course may be impractical (given ABT rehearsals for the two week winter season at the Koch) and - as I said - unnecessary.    

 

Just a note also to say that Stearns was in London on that occasion (i.e., doing The Nutcracker) to balance out a previously organised dancer exchange between the Royal and ABT during which McRae performed in Corsaire with ABT that particular summer in New York.   The dancer exchange did not continue with the RB but did between ABT and the RDB ... and now Lendorf is an ABT principal.  It will be interesting to see if it goes forward between ABT and the RDB again after that revelation.  

Edited by Bruce Wall
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So, do you (or management for that matter) seriously believe that many people have booked the Hayward/Golding cast in order to see Golding?

 

Everyone on here, my personal friends and people encountered in the context of ballet performances have booked for Frankie with an air of resignation (at best) about her Romeo. There would be dancing in the streets if O'Hare announced a change to Campbell or Watson for her.

No. Love Hayward but Golding leaves me cold.  So often the pairings at the moment seem to be one front ranker and another not so loved.  Annoying when one considers the cost of seats.  

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Not autumn casting but following on......I seem to remember that an early version of the list for Giselle showed Pennefather and Lamb dancing Giselle at a Family Matinee. But Bluebird is the expert on these things !!!!

 

Sorry to disappoint you, Capybara, but the casting on the ROH website was the only version I saw and I didn't see any mention of a Family Matinée. Having said that,  I think you're probably right. Partnerships who are only down for one public performance, almost always do either a schools or a family matinée.  

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Bruce Wall Post 135  ".....That said I too think it is important that Ms. Hayward should have an experienced partner who is a noted principal on the occasion of her debut)".  

 

Ms Naghdi is also dancing her debut as you surely know Mr. Wall. Doesn't she too deserve an experienced partner who is a noted principal on the occasion of her debut?  

 

I am wondering if it has ever happened before at the RB that a Soloist has to dance her Principal debut with a recently promoted First Artist, dancing his debut in a Principal role? 

 

Don't get me wrong, I adore young Matthew Ball and the gorgeous Naghdi/Ball pair look stunning together! I am very much looking forward to their performance, they are one of the loveliest pairings I have seen over the years at the RB. 

Edited by Nina G.
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It might have been wiser to pair Ball with an experienced ballerina. After all, that's what happened to Vadim at ENB and we all know how well that worked out. It does need a ballerina with the patience, good humour and generosity of Daria Klimentova though. Regarding Naghdi, an obvious solution was to have paired her with McRae but O'Hare has chosen to bring Salenko in as a partner for him.

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Obviously Naghdi was partnered with Ball because of their "Onegin" performance. I am very excited to see them dance together as Juliet and Romeo but for these young dancers (one already more experienced than the other) it is a huge challenge. If they each had been partnered with experienced Principals it would have been to their advantage.

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Bruce Wall Post 135  ".....That said I too think it is important that Ms. Hayward should have an experienced partner who is a noted principal on the occasion of her debut)".  

 

Ms Naghdi is also dancing her debut as you surely know Mr. Wall. Doesn't she too deserve an experienced partner who is a noted principal on the occasion of her debut?  

 

 

Ms. G, I did.  Still, having seen them dance together so gorgeously in Oneign they would seem to be a pairing made in heaven.  Fate, methinks, played a part in this one.

 

Why scupper it if it ain't broken.  Perhaps that's what Mr. O'Hare was thinking. ... His prudence has assured that they will get the student performance ... and, who knows, perhaps even the dress rehearsal too as dry runs.   

 

I have a feeling .... at this point at any rate ... that I'll forgive them (almost) everything ... :) 

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I am wondering if it has ever happened before at the RB that a Soloist has to dance her Principal debut with a recently promoted First Artist, dancing his debut in a Principal role? 

 

What were Sarah Wildor and Michael Nunn when they made their R&J debuts?

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Sarah Wildor must have been a First Artist (her Juliet debut was in '93 and she was promoted to Soloist in '95. Seems odd to me she had to wait two years after her Juliet debut to be promoted to Soloist (?) ).

Michael Nunn was promoted to First Soloist in '97 so he was a Soloist (or First Artist too?) when he danced Romeo. 

Edited by Nina G.
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I think that it is a great idea to have these two young dancers debut together. It will give a very fresh look to the ballet, which will reflect what they are doing: two young people trying to find their way through something they have never experienced before. To have one mature lead against a young debutant/e can work, but I think it sometimes unbalances the dramatic side. I very much look forward to seeing Yasmine and Matthew in this ballet. They clearly love dancing together, and trust each other implicitly. They are doing the school performance which will give them a first go.

 

I always remember watching Ed and Lauren debut together in R&J in the mid-noughties. It might not have been technically perfect, but dramatically it was excellent and we saw, IMHO, the best company Juliet of the next ten years being formed during that matinee. I don't expect technical perfection and/or the pinnacle of dramatic interpretation from anyone on a first showing of this ballet. What I always look for is potential to develop into the role/s as the years go by and experience deepens.

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There seemed to be a real rapport between Nagdhi's Olga and Ball's Lensky which bodes really well for their R&J.

 

Didn't Stuart Cassidy and Dana Fouras also dance R&J when relatively junior in rank?

 

Yes, I saw them in Birmingham on one of those very rare occasions when RB "toured" England and was so bowled over by them that I went to see them again at ROH.

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Oh, was that who he danced Romeo with?  I never knew that - slightly before my time.  Yes, almost certainly.  Cass was very new to the company, I believe - maybe only a year or so in?

 

Although Cassidy did dance Romeo with Fouras at her London debut (she had already danced the role a couple of times on tour, I believe) he was a soloist by then and had made his own debut 18 months earler, dancing with Vivian Durante, in his second year in the company.

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I think that it is a great idea to have these two young dancers debut together. It will give a very fresh look to the ballet, which will reflect what they are doing: two young people trying to find their way through something they have never experienced before. To have one mature lead against a young debutant/e can work, but I think it sometimes unbalances the dramatic side. I very much look forward to seeing Yasmine and Matthew in this ballet. They clearly love dancing together, and trust each other implicitly. They are doing the school performance which will give them a first go.

 

I always remember watching Ed and Lauren debut together in R&J in the mid-noughties. It might not have been technically perfect, but dramatically it was excellent and we saw, IMHO, the best company Juliet of the next ten years being formed during that matinee. I don't expect technical perfection and/or the pinnacle of dramatic interpretation from anyone on a first showing of this ballet. What I always look for is potential to develop into the role/s as the years go by and experience deepens.

 

I didn't think of it this way and I appreciate your very valid points of view. 

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I think that it is a great idea to have these two young dancers debut together. It will give a very fresh look to the ballet, which will reflect what they are doing: two young people trying to find their way through something they have never experienced before. To have one mature lead against a young debutant/e can work, but I think it sometimes unbalances the dramatic side. I very much look forward to seeing Yasmine and Matthew in this ballet.

Totally agree Sim, and very nicely put. Nagdhi/Ball were my only must-buy ticket for the autumn season.
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On the topic of whether it is a good idea to have two inexperienced dancers making a joint debut it is interesting to note what Muntagirov has to say about the benefits of making a debut with an experienced dancer in his recent interview published in this month's Dancing Times. He seems to be in favour of one experienced, cool head as part of the duo.Just a thought, particularly as Romeo is a marathon.It has always seemed to me that the reason why the jollifications in the market place go on as long as they do is to give Romeo a breather and to ensure that he is still standing for the last scene.It is strange how the company has oscillated between the experienced pair of hands approach and the joint debut approach over the years.

 

I wonder how long it will be before the company finds itself able to tell the public about cast changes? As Lamb and Pennefather were due to have their performance broadcast it will be interesting to see who the management chooses as the replacement Romeo, and whether that choice leads to further cast changes.

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Anyone who remembers the double debut of Lesley Collier and Wayne Eagling in Romeo and Juliet, both in their early 20's will regard Muntagirov's views as simply a personal theory.

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