Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: London, September 2015

[Fiz]

I shouldn't think so.

[hfbrew]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching the Trocks again last night, they never disappoint.

 

But watching the Dying Swan I did wonder if there is any one out there lucky enough to have seen Pavlova perform the role originally?

[MAB]

Someone close to 100?

[Don Q Fan]

I was again thrilled to see 2 performances by the Trocks at The Lowry on Friday and Saturday.  The programme this time was Swan Lake Act 2, Patterns in Space, Go for Barocco, Dying Swan and Don Quixote.  All utterly fabulous and hilarious.  The dancing standard really is something else and I am sure that if you transplanted a dancer into a normal company you would not notice the difference!  On Saturday I had the privilege to attend a master class for the Dying Swan followed by a Make up master class. Raffaele Morra (Lariska Dumbchenko) took the Dying Swan class watched by Robert Carter (Olga Supphozova) and Joshua Thake (Eugenia Repelskii) - we started with warm up exercises relevant to the part and then we were taught the choreography for the Dying Swan.  OMG it is not easy and I left feeling nothing but admiration for dancers the world over - the amount of stuff they have to remember is phenomenal.  Admittedly having 20 people on the stage was a bit of a crowd so I felt I didn't really have the space to "perform" so I just made the best of it - I think I probably killed the swan anyway!!  It was quite an experience to be on a stage too and I was struck by how small the Lowry theatre is when you see it from the stage!  

For the make up classes we were split into 2 groups so I was with Robert Carter (Olga Supphozova) and he showed us his procedure for make up and after a good hour he completed his look and then donned his Swan Queen tutu for us and looked fabulous.  The session provided the opportunity to ask questions as well which was great.  

After this class someone in the group had asked if we might watch the Trocks in class and rehearsals and we were allowed into the auditorium to watch.  It was super to see all the dancers being coached by a guest teacher (Philip someone) and he was impressed with them.  After their class they moved onto rehearsals for Don Q and Swan Lake - it was like seeing the show all over again amazing.   I was delighted to see Chase Johnsey (Ekaterina Verbosavich) rehearsing Kitri and doing more than 32 fouettes right in front of me!  Carlos Hopuy (Alla Snizova) rehearsed Swan Lake with Paolo Cerverella (Viacheslav Legupski).  

The 2 shows were great fun too.  And although they were the same programme they were 2 totally different shows due to the fact that the roles had been swapped (with the exception of Dying Swan) so each dancer brought their own interpretations to it. In Swan Lake on Friday Odette was danced by the wonderful Philip Martin-Nielson (Nadia Doumiafeyva) and on Saturday by Carlos Hopuy (Alla Snizova) with Rothbart on both nights played by Robert Carter (Yuri Smirnov). I must mention the Cygnets in Swan Lake whose antics never cease to tickle ones humour  and I loved the look of disdain on Nina Immobilashvili's (Alberto Pretto) face when her neighbour misbehaved!  The Cygnets' timing was brilliant.  In Go for Barocco on Saturday Philip Martin-Nielson performed one of the 2 leads with Joshua Thake ( Eugenia Repelskii) and in one move he jumped really high and LANDED in the splits quite an amazing sight!  In Don Q on Friday Kitri (Carlos Hopuy) was partnered by Lazlo Major (Legupski) Lazlo is a strongly built dancer and executed the Bolshoi style one handed lifts perfectly whereas on Saturday Basilio was played by Matthew Poppe (Ilya Bobovnikov) who is much more slender and therefore there were no Bolshoi lifts at all despite Kitri (Chase Johnsey (Ekaterina Verbosavich)) being petite.  Carlos Hopuy was pretty good at holding his arabesques en pointe too.  On both evenings the wonderful Raffaele Morra (Lariska Dimbchenko) performed Dying Swan.  He is a beautiful dancer and I have followed him for years with the Trocks so it was great to see him in this role twice and also to dance with him earlier in the day.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Patterns in Space again with the hysterical musicians on the stage popping bubble wrap and making noise out of other everyday items! The Trocks have a well earned 2 month break after this tour ends in Birmingham on Wednesday before touring the USA and then Europe again in 2016.  I think I will be beating a path to Berlin in July to catch them there!

[hfbrew]

Jealous,jealous,jealous. I'd love to attend master classes like that!

 

Saw them at Sadlers Wells and they were as good as always. Ds has a day off his own tour tomorrow and is seeing them in Birmingham along with his company.

 

Years ago the Trocks all signed a programme for him and gave him much needed words of encouragement during a low point in his training.

 

Obviously the company has changed dancers many times but they are still brilliant.

[nottsballetlover]

DQF - the classes with The Trocks sounds absolutely fabulous! I'm extremely jealous!! I got to see both their shows in Nottingham as well as the open rehearsal. Tomorrow I will be in Birmingham for both the matinee and evening show so hopefully the dancers will come out to greet people after the matinee. It's their last UK show tomorrow night  ! Like you, I may need to travel to Europe to see them as I don;t think I can wait another 2 to 3 years for them to come back to the UK!!

 

They have been a sheer delight for every performance I have seen. 

[Don Q Fan]

Hfbrew and Nottsballetlover the classes were great fun and a great insight into a hard life...it was only £15 for the classes or £40 including top ticket for the show - bargain of the year!!! I hope all enjoy the shows today/tomorrow - wish I could be seeing them again too!

"Sheer delight" is so true!!! I've had a ball with them!

Edited November 10, 2015 by Don Q Fan

[Jan McNulty]

I was at the performance on Friday and it was brilliant.

 

Carlos Hupoy was amazing as Kitri .. worth the entrance money on his own.  His fouettes would run Momoko Hirata a close second!

 

There was a great post-performance discussion with the AD too.

 

I can't wait for The Trocks next visit now!

[Lisa O`Brien]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching the Trocks again last night, they never disappoint.

 

But watching the Dying Swan I did wonder if there is any one out there lucky enough to have seen Pavlova perform the role originally?

I had an elderly neighbour,when I lived with my mum in Stockport who saw Pavlova dance the Dying Swan when our neighbour was a little girl. She said she didn`t know anything at all about ballet and had never seen a performance before or since. But she said Pavlova was astonishing. She said her arms; you thought you were watching a real animal. She could remember it so vividly and was almost in tears speaking about seeing her dance. I felt honoured to have spoken to this elderly lady and for her to have recalled that to me. I adore Pavlova,above all other dancers. So for me to hear someone describe seeing her dance was just wonderful.

[Don Q Fan]

How lovely to have that story and for sharing it with us!

[nottsballetlover]

Well, this afternoon matinee in Birmingham was incredible. Swan Queen was the divine Carlos Hupoy. Kitri was Chase Johnsey, dazzling performances from both. Well frankly, astounding performances from the whole company on this last day of their UK tour.

I was somewhat surprised to be the only person at stage door after today's matinee. Had huge hugs and great chat with some of the Trocks. I had really good chat with Phillip Martin Neilson. He was just lovely.I run a charity and he wants to start one also for kids with autism. It was lovely talking to them. They are all looking forward to their thanksgiving & Xmas break. They are just joy on a plate, on and off stage.

[Don Q Fan]

^^ Now I'm the jealous one how lovely you met them at stage door again and had them to yourself! I just love them.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Don Q Fan

[nottsballetlover]

Oh DQF. How lovely they are! I was profuse in thanking them for this wonderful uk tour and they just hugged me!

 

Both shows today were utterly brilliant. Jaw droppingly amazing. Both Kitris stunning: Chase Johnsey and Carlos Hupoy. Words fail.

[Don Q Fan]

Yup...they could teach some mainstream company dancers a thing or two!! I saw those 2 in the Saturday evening show but had earlier watched Chase rehearse Kitri...32+ fouettes right in front of me, and Carlos did Odette. It was fab!