Rupert Pennefather to leave RB

[capybara]

Pennefather was off for a good part of last season so no, or few, opportunities to garner plaudits for him. Muntagirov certainly gave some great performances  and enjoyed good reviews but I am not aware that Golding, in spite of turning up in virtually everything and being threatened in Symphonic Variations, garnered plaudits. I have nothing against him and he certainly has made me revise my opinion of Kish who is, at least, safe and dependable but it isn't just unfortunate casting decisions that leave me less than enthusiastic about Golding.

 

I did not intend to imply that Golding garnered plaudits. I share the many reservations about him expressed on here and wish that he was not partnered with Hayward in R&J.. However, I did think he made a good Onegin, a role that, for all the excellence of his Rudolf, Pennefaher was not given the opportunity to essay, alas.

[ElleC]

I am utterly miserable about this.  Having “woken up” to Rupert in the Tsunami Gala over 10 years ago, I then booked to see him with Tamara in La Sylphide.  From that time on, I made a point of seeing him in everything he danced.  As others have mentioned, his particular stand-out roles were Des Grieux, Crown Prince Rudolph and Beliaev with Sarah, Melissa and Zenaida respectively. Unforgettably thrilling, and these casts will take some beating for me (if ever there were cases of missed opportunities where casts were crying out to be filmed …).  He was my favourite Romeo, and a prince without equal in such things as Swan Lake and Giselle – regal, elegant, and intensely romantic but always with enough nuanced characterisation to make whatever noble he was playing a credible human being.  He was a strong, careful, caring partner, always ready to help his ballerinas shine and to take a step back from the limelight. Then there were his wonderful performances in abstract ballets such as Requiem, Concerto, Voluntaries, Serenade, Symphony in C, as well as the goose-bump inducing Diamonds with Alina which, again, will probably never be topped for me (together with the single performance of Cinderella he danced with Alina, safely tucked away and cherished in my memory bank – totally heart-warming).   So many wonderful performances.  I wish Rupert every happiness and success in whatever he does next.  I will miss him terribly.  

[Jamesrhblack]

Must have come as quite a surprise, their Twitter feed shows they were promoting him as the first night Romeo just a few days ago.

This does seem very sudden. I realise he had had quite a lot of time out with injury and that, despite the kudos, of the cinema Romeo, future casting wasn't looking very inspiring for him, a point on which somebody else commented when the casting was announced. I believe he and Sarah Lamb had asked to work together more after their success in Manon and it had looked as if, despite a seeming resistance to establishing regular partnerships, this was happening as they were cast together in Giselle, Nutcracker and Romeo. I guess, with a cinema broadcast involved, the initial question is whether there will be some juggling around of existing Romeos or if a chance will be taken. If that chance is considered too risky so early in the new season will there be a rethink as the season progresses or will Ms Lamb's senior status preclude a new partnership with a younger dancer (and apart from Matthew Ball and Reece Clarke who else is there?). I'll be sorry to see Rupert Pennefather leave: I still remember that first Beliaev, his first Siegfried with Cuthbertson (and the lovely accompanying masterclass video) and how unexpectedly powerful his Rudolf was. He wasn't necessarily a dancer I would book to see but I was always very pleased to see him and I think his virtues of elegant understatement may well have meant he was a little underestimated too.

[Wulff]

I have always been an admirer of Rupert's dancing, but I feel that I have often been in the minority when I recall the quite savage reception he has often had from critics and ballet enthusiasts. "Can't act, can't dance", "Bland and blank", are some of the many unfair comments that I have seen in the press and on the web. Now that he is leaving, nothing less than a chorus of praise from a fickle public.

 

But he has been unfortunate with injury and has had to cancel many performances as a result. For example he had to withdraw from a performance of Month in the Country with Zenaida in Cuba, which led to Jonny Cope being brought out of retirement. Whether he will wish to continue dancing in the light of his physical problems remains to be seen, but whatever he chooses to do I wish him well.

[barton22]

I have always been an admirer of Rupert's dancing, but I feel that I have often been in the minority when I recall the quite savage reception he has often had from critics and ballet enthusiasts. "Can't act, can't dance", "Bland and blank", are some of the many unfair comments that I have seen in the press and on the web. Now that he is leaving, nothing less than a chorus of praise from a fickle public.

 

But he has been unfortunate with injury and has had to cancel many performances as a result. For example he had to withdraw from a performance of Month in the Country with Zenaida in Cuba, which led to Jonny Cope being brought out of retirement. Whether he will wish to continue dancing in the light of his physical problems remains to be seen, but whatever he chooses to do I wish him well.

I think he could be very good when he was "on", but he so often seemed checked out; like his heart wasn't in it anymore.  His 30th birthday Des Grieux got people very excited, and it was good, but I think the main reason was that it was so unusual for him to put in such an involved performance in a dramatic role.

[FLOSS]

barton 22.

 

All dancers are variable some are more variable than others. It used to be said that there were two Desmond Kellys one who was marvelous and another who was less than marvelous.Someone I know used to describe the latter as "Dismal Desmond", but that didn't stop him buying tickets for Kelly's performances. He took his chance as to which one would turn up on the night. Consistency is a real issue for the performing arts generally and as far as singers were concerned used to revolve around whether you would rather hear Berit Lindholme who was consistently accurate but boring or Gwynneth Jones who was variable but incomparable on a good night.Most people I know, when given the choice, were prepared to take their chances rather than be bored to death.I know that Moira Shearer once said that as far as Fonteyn's reputation was concerned it wasn't just that her performances were outstanding it was that they were so consistent in quality;she did not seem to have off nights like other dancers do.

 

I don't doubt your experience of Pennefather's performances. Perhaps it was a question of who he was dancing with. I have to say that I did not experience the degree of variability in his performances that you allude to.I went out of my way to see him dance with Sarah Lamb because in La Sylphide and Manon they brought out the best in each other. Perhaps as far as the other performances that I saw are concerned I was extremely lucky because I don't recall seeing him going through the motions or on autopilot. Perhaps it depends on what you look for in a performer or performance. I am more than happy to watch a male dancer perform the princely roles as a danseur,with elegance, apparent lack of effort and impeccable partnering skills.In my book those who approach princely roles need to understand that ballet princes don't sweat only those dancing demi character roles do that.

 

Wulff, I don't think that Pennefather was entirely unappreciated by the critics although they often missed his performances because they were not the ones that critics were invited to attend. I expect that is why the first performances that they attended of Lamb and Pennefathet in Manon came as such a surprise. Luke Jennnings wrote very appreciatively of his ability to command the stage with stillness and his stage skills in those yearning,longing scenes that are scattered through Petipa's late ballets, probably to give Pavel Gerdt the opportunity to show the audience his profile.His comments could sound like damning with faint praise but I think that what Jennings was talking about was Pennefather's understanding that ballet is not simply about movement, but about the contrast between stillness and movement and his ability t and willingness to use stillness for effect rather than seeing it as a state in which the dancer is not doing his job which is simply to dance.

Edited August 16, 2015 by FLOSS

[barton22]

barton 22.

 

All dancers are variable some are more variable than others. It used to be said that there were two Desmond Kellys one who was marvelous and another who was less than marvelous.Someone I know used to describe the latter as "Dismal Desmond", but that didn't stop him buying tickets for Kelly's performances. He took his chance as to which one would turn up on the night. Consistency is a real issue for the performing arts generally and as far as singers were concerned used to revolve around whether you would rather hear Berit Lindholme who was consistently accurate but boring or Gwynneth Jones who was variable but incomparable on a good night.Most people I know, when given the choice, were prepared to take their chances rather than be bored to death.I know that Moira Shearer once said that as far as Fonteyn's reputation was concerned it wasn't just that her performances were outstanding it was that they were so consistent in quality;she did not seem to have off nights like other dancers do.

I know what you mean, but I thought Jones was always compelling dramatically even though she had her off days technically.  We have different views on RP and it has been interesting to read your thoughts on him.

[Jamesrhblack]

What a beautiful dancer. Just been watching some YouTube clips of Giselle (with Nunez) and Beauty and

Quixote (with Rojo). We will be the poorer without him.

[Denver]

Steven McRae will take over the Pennefather roles, in the first week of Romeo & Juliet this September. Three in one week! This just appeared on the Royal's web site:  http://www.roh.org.u...nneth-macmillan

[alison]

Three?  That's a lot, given how demanding the role is.