LinMM Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Yes great to see you too yesterday Janet. I also bumped into a non forum friend who had been in class with me years ago and we had a bit of a reminisce about that! Sadlers wells seems to be a good meeting place as last time I was there I bumped into someone (or rather we stared at each other with that I know you from somewhere ...but where....look) again an old dancing friend who I hadn't seen for over twenty years or more! And Brandon Lawrence is just eye catchingly gorgeous for all the right dance reasons (and probably some non dance ones as well!) He caught my attention for the first time a year ago at the Wells so have started to look out for him now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I hadn't seen The King Dances and deliberately haven't watched the TV programme yet because I wanted to see it live first. So I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was spectacular! Visually stunning, beautiful choreography and powerful, interesting music. Because the back of the stage was so dark and the stage so reflective it almost looked as if they were dancing in space, so it really conveyed the sense of timelessness (as well as a specific time in the past). And, to me, it seemed to speak of not just the birth of ballet but the birth of life itself. William Bracewell was terrific and so charismatic. Congratulations and thanks to David Bintley and BRB. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Hello Bridiem and welcome to the Forum! I hope we'll hear more from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Thank you Janet. It's a great forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I meant to say that in Theme and Variations the dancer who really took my eye, and seemed to me to have the style absolutely right was Brandon Lawrence ( worked that out after poring over the cast sheet and looking up the website). I shall be looking out for him again. As a non expert in BRB dancers, and a humble learner, I expect to be told I am a bit late noticing him! Better a little late than never, Mary! Just think of all the enjoyment you can have following his career from now on. As a no-too-frequent RBS matinee-goer, I think I spotted him while he was in the last year at White Lodge. I'm not sure whether my oft-repeated comment that I wanted to be there when he made his Siegfried debut (which as it happened I missed ) dates from then, or whether it was after he was in the Upper School. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackles Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I also bumped into a non forum friend who had been in class with me years ago and we had a bit of a reminisce about that! I am a forum member Lin! I just don't post very often although I am a regular reader. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackles Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Whoops! I hit send before I'd finished. I had meant to add that The King dances programme on the BBC is available on You Tube. I went in to re-watch it through the ROH link. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianaMountford Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) I am a newbie who watched the brilliant program "The King Who Invented Ballet" on tv and was enthralled. I had to watch the program again and thought I had recorded it. Just to see the way they danced at court was fascinating. So having seen the ballet on tv I booked to see the production at Sadlers Wells. It was truly wonderful - two people near me said it was "stunning". I absolutely loved the dancing, the music, the choreography, the costumes and staging. Sadly Plymouth is too far away from me so that I could get to see it again soon. I thought William Bracewell was outstanding as the King and Tyrone Singleton gave a great performance as Mazarin. However I was sorry not to see Iain McKay as Mazarin, who appeared in the tv production and was very threatening and aggressive. Sadly a shoulder injury has prevented him from dancing recently. David Bintley has been so clever with the choreography and one needs to know more about the original Ballet de la Nuit to know how he embodied so much of the various stages in his ballet. The tv production informed that illustrations of the numerous characters are at Waddesdon Manor in the UK in an antique book, some appearing in David Bintley's ballet in the nightmare scene. Now I am devastated as the iPlayer of the programme ceased before the London production and I had not recorded it. Also you cannot get a recording of Stephen Montague's music. I would gladly pay for both! All one can hope is that they show "The King Who Invented Ballet" again for all our sakes. Edited October 25, 2015 by DianaMountford 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petunia Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I've just now discovered it on youtube! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 LinM, I found a version of the programme, including the ballet, on YouTube. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 I am a newbie who watched the brilliant program "The King Who Invented Ballet" on tv and was enthralled. I had to watch the program again and thought I had recorded it. Just to see the way they danced at court was fascinating. So having seen the ballet on tv I booked to see the production at Sadlers Wells. LinM, I found a version of the programme, including the ballet, on YouTube. Hello Diana and Colman and welcome to the Forum both of you! I do hope you will continue to join in. I've just had a look at Youtube and there seems to have been a number of people who have uploaded the full documentary. You just need to type the name into the search. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianaMountford Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 I would just like to thank you all for helping me get to YouTube. I have now seen the tv program "The King Who Invented Ballet" again and that has meant a lot to me. Now all I need is Stephen Montague's music! I emailed Birmingham Royal Ballet about this but so far no reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 If you have a techie friend they may be able to "rip" the music from the documentary to a CD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delph Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Hello - long time "observer" here - I don't come here very often, and have only posted once or twice. I only arrived at the forums today because I was Googling, to try to find out more about Rupert Pennefather's departure from the RB. The forums are excellent for that kind of thing! I wondered if one of you may be able to help with this query. I saw the BRB Triple Bill at SW on 16th October and enjoyed all three ballets very much. Interesting to read some of the comments on here about The King Dances. I had been surprised by an Ismene Brown review of an earlier performance in which she called it a "silly cabaret" and the music "brash unloveliness". I loved the music, and the only part of the ballet I didn't like was the nightmare scene - I thought the nightmare-creatures did too much jumping around and would have been more effective, and sinister, if they had been much more subtle in the way they tormented the king. And I thought the sun costume was a little..... yellow! Overall though, lovely. My question is about the cast for The King Dances. I thought William Bracewell was superb as the King, but one of the corps caught my eye and to me was a real scene-stealer. He was in the final scene before the king comes on in his king-bling. He was a tall dancer with a precise and elegant movement quality and wonderful lines. Does anyone who knows BRB well have any idea who he might be? I'd never seen BRB before but hope to be able to catch them again. Delph 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Pigeons Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I bet you anything you like it was Brandon Lawrence. He is pretty much the tallest member of the company. The other dancer to look out for is Matthias Dingman but he is not as tall as Brandon. They are both stars of the company and each has a very keen following. I am very pleased you enjoyed the triple bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delph Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Thank you two Pigeons! I've just looked them both up and it does seem likely it was Brandon. I'm looking forward to seeing more of BRB one day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Pigeons Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 You are very welcome. After Tyrone Singleton Brandon is my favourite male dancer. It is rare I can take my eyes off him either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delph Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 A rare combination of talent and stage presence. I see I'm not the first to claim him as one to watch! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 A rare combination of talent and stage presence. I see I'm not the first to claim him as one to watch! By no means! Brandon already has an enormous fan club (as does Tyrone). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delph Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Janet - at least I know my perceptions are not out of step with those of "the regulars"! By the way how is Lachlan Monaghan getting on? I noticed him at the RBS summer performance in the Linbury, whichever year he was in it (2012?) It was good to see him go straight into BRB. Happened to see him outside SW before the performance a couple of weeks ago. Also spotted Anthony Dowell - who was in the first cast of Enigma Variations. So interesting to go, in a few yards of pavement, from someone near the beginning of their career to someone who has become legendary. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 Lachlan is doing very well. He had a period of injury but is coming back better than ever! Lewis Turner, of the young gentlemen of the company is also well worth looking out for. Of the younger ladies I always enjoy watching Laura Day, Karla Dorbar, Miki Mizutani and Yaoqian Shang. Actually, the whole company is looking on great form at the moment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delph Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I'll have to venture up to Birmingham some time. I fancy seeing their R&J especially. I see from reading the thread again that Brandon, Tyrone et al have already been mentioned..... sounds like they (and the others you mentioned Janet) have a bright future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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