Royal Ballet 2016/17 season

[alison]

I would ensure that ballets like Les Patineurs and Les Rendezvous were danced virtually every season because they give opportunities for a lot of dancers to perform and they require a solid classical technique and afford no opportunity for dancers to fudge steps or edit the choreography.

[snip]

 

I think that we all need to remember that no principal dancer is equally good in every ballet in the company's repertory and that a season's repertory and the sequence in which ballets are performed will have an impact on which of the principals we see in performance and indeed should do so if we are not to see ballets undermined by miscasting.

 

[snip]

Ballet is essentially a young person's art form and dancers will say that just as they begin to really understand the great roles they begin to find that their physical ability to perform them is on the wane. The AD owes a duty to his entire company not just the select few.

 

Obviously but a key part of that duty is also to capitalise on the talent (burgeoning and established) at the AD's disposal at any given time. The phrase "use it or lose it" comes to mind a bit.

 

Quite.  Hence my frustration at not seeing certain ballets revived while dancers such as Leanne Benjamin were around to dance them.  An AD needs to look at his/her resources (I think I'll just refer to "he" in the rest of this for simplicity): what dancers (principals especially) he *has* got, what would be good for them (both in terms of what they would do well in and what they could do with improving on), what up-and-coming prospects he has (and not forgetting those who fall in between the two categories - because all dancers, of whatever rank and whatever prospects, need to feel fulfilled) and what failings if any need to be addressed - not to mention his financial and musical resources, of course.  It's no good waiting until dancer A is near the end of her career to bring in a ballet that would have suited her in her mid-20s, any more than it is until choreographer/coach/muse/role creator B is too old to mount a work/coach a role, or has even passed on.  It's no good looking back and wondering "Why on earth didn't I ...?"

[David]

I don't know, but I know I've seen her name in the casting somewhere - other than at the Barbican, I thought.

Are you thinking of MacMillan's Invitation this Summer?

[Fonty]

Fonty. The problem with the SPF is that it is incredibly challenging technically so you can't give it to anyone. It is one way of ensuring that the female principal dancers are up to the mark. Perhaps the female principals feel that if they don't dance SPF people will think that they can't.

 

 

 

Oh, I realise that, Floss.  I didn't think for one minute it wasn't.  On the other hand, I have seen some rather ordinary performances from principals who seem to have been cast simply because they were principals.  I am not referring to Nunez and Lamb when I say this, as I have never seen them in this role.  However, I am sure they will be wonderful; they never seem to give anything less than their best in everything they do.

 

However, looking at the casting, there is a fairly broad spread amongst principals and soloists.  It seems a trifle odd to me to give Stix-Brunell and Calvert just one go at the role. I am not sure if they have danced it before, I am assuming they haven't?  If so, surely they need at least two performances, given that they will probably be suffering from a few nerves on the first night.   Instead of bringing in a guest to do two, couldn't they have given another performance each to these ladies?  If they are considered good enough to do one, they should be able to manage two! 

[FLOSS]

Tabitha In an ideal world the management would want to programme Les Patineurs  because they recognised that it is a useful part of the company's active repertory and  not merely as part of a short run of an Ashton heritage mixed bill. Both Les Patineurs and Les Rendezvous are useful tools in maintaining a ballet company's technical standards a fact that seems to have escaped the notice of the current AD

 

On the face of it this season may be the first in nearly forty years in which programming may actually be directed  towards the needs of the young up and coming dancers rather than the established ones. Having seen so many young hopefuls join the company over the years only to have their careers shrivel and die through lack of opportunity I am pleased to see that some of the younger dancers in the company are being given a chance to dance. Much as I admire Yanowsky and Watson it can only be good for the company as a whole if talented dancers like Ball, Clarke, Dyer, ,Hayward, Naghdi ,Stix- Brunell, Heap, Katsura and O'Sullivan are given their opportunity while they are young enough not to be intimidated by major roles like Lise, SPF and Aurora.

 

I have seen a depressingly large number of apparently talented RB dancers only given the chance to dance major roles when the roles had become impossible for them to master because they had waited far too long for them. Dancers need to begin to dance them when they still have enough psychological resilience to cope with the possibility of partial rather than complete success at their first attempt. Nearly forty years ago Fonteyn said that she was lucky to have had her first encounter with the major classical roles when she was young enough not to be expected to succeed at the first attempt and that being able to fail she had been able to learn from her mistakes and develop as an artist.Giving the dancers who I have named their head will do wonders for the morale of the company much as Morera's promotion to principal did. Fortunately no one seems to get the make or break single Saturday matinee  which used to be the norm, with no likelihood of a second performance until the ballet in question came back into the repertory unless someone became ill or was injured.

 

In the current season which ballets would you  replace and what would you programme for Yanowsky. Watson and Soares bearing in mind the development needs of the talented youngsters in the company? This is a genuine question, because given the age profile of the current crop of principals there may soon be gaps in the ranks. It would be a great shame if the AD was forced to buy in replacements as it would be clear and compelling evidence that the company is incapable of developing its dancers and would deter really talented dancers from joining it.

.

Edited May 8, 2016 by FLOSS

[MAB]

Just one flaw in that theory and that is that many people, especially those suffering the constraints of limited time/money have a strong preference to see dancers they know and enjoy.

[betterankles]

Going back to the repertory system would cause even more problems with inadequate rehearsal time....

[capybara]

I've now done an analysis of autumn season performances for the female Principals. This is in the order Fille; Anastasia; Chroma; New McGregor; Carbon Life; Nutcracker:

 

Lauren Cuthbertson: 0 – 4 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 3 = 15 (12 shows)

 

Sarah Lamb: 0 – 4 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 3 = 15 (12 shows)

 

Laura Morera: 2 – 3 – 0 – 0 – 0 -  2 = 7

 

Marianela Nunez: 2 – 3 – 0 – 3 – 3 – 3 = 14 (11 shows)

 

Natalia Osipova: 3 – 3 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 6

 

Zenaida Yanowsky: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 0

 

[Roberta Marquez: 2 Filles as guest]

 

[iana Salenko: 2 Nutcrackers as guest]

 

In my post above, I miscounted Matthew Golding's Nutcrackers: he has 3 not 2.

Edited May 9, 2016 by capybara

[capybara]

Capybara. I would try to restore a greater element of choice in the programming by trying to revert to the repertory system. What would your solution be? Wall to wall MacMillan would provide the opportunities for the principals to dance but it would not do the technical standard of the company as a whole that much good. Over the years the principal's needs have been met by the company but this has often been at the expense of the younger dancers and their career development. 

 

Now there’s a question, FLOSS!

If I were the AD, I would have a 5 year rolling programme which:

 

1.    plays to the company’s traditional strengths (Ashton; MacMillan in particular]

2.    includes more than sufficient classical ballets, not least in order to maintain technique

3.    achieves a balance among new and older work and among styles, avoiding (for example) McGregor overload in any one season or calendar year

4.    provides for new choreography of different kinds, some of which should push the boundaries and challenge both the dancers and their audience

5.    capitalises on the strengths of  the ‘stars’ the company has at any given moment

6.    nurtures rising talent and provides space for young dancers to take leading roles as appropriate

7.    utilises the 2 (3) performance spaces to advantage

8.    provides for partnership/collaboration with other dance troupes and other areas of the performing arts

9.    takes account of the possibilities for joint ventures and alternative sources of funding

10.  keeps an eye on Box Office imperatives; ‘listens’ to the audience

 

It has been recognised on this thread that numbers 5 and 6 are the most difficult to reconcile The addition of the revamped Linbury Theatre should help matters but, as AD, I would also want to map onto my schedule how what I was planning would impact on individual dancers – indeed, I would probably have in mind a development plan for certain dancers and make sure that that and my programming ambitions were ‘in sync’. In my dreams, also, I might want to think about conditions of employment which (with safeguards of course) enabled me  to ‘adjust’ my complement of dancers in promoted ranks.

 

None of this is easy to achieve, of course and I have great respect for the efforts of Kevin O’Hare.

[Lynette H]

As to where some of the "missing" principals might be appearing, note that Carlos Acosta is at the Royal Albert Hall Oct 3rd to Oct 7th appearing "with some of his closest contemporaries from the Royal Ballet" according to the Sadler's Wells website. 

 

http://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2016/carlos-acosta-the-classical-farewell/

[John Mallinson]

As to where some of the "missing" principals might be appearing, note that Carlos Acosta is at the Royal Albert Hall Oct 3rd to Oct 7th appearing "with some of his closest contemporaries from the Royal Ballet" according to the Sadler's Wells website. 

 

http://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/2016/carlos-acosta-the-classical-farewell/

 

Does that mean that only over 40s should apply?

[Sim]

I've now done an analysis of autumn season performances for the female Principals. This is in the order Fille; Anastasia; Chroma; New McGregor; Carbon Life; Nutcracker:

 

Lauren Cuthbertson: 0 – 4 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 3 = 15 (12 shows)

 

Sarah Lamb: 0 – 4 – 5 – 3 – 0 – 3 = 15 (12 shows)

 

Laura Morera: 2 – 3 – 0 – 0 – 0 -  2 = 7

 

Marianela Nunez: 2 – 3 – 0 – 3 – 3 – 3 = 14 (11 shows)

 

Natalia Osipova: 3 – 3 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 6

 

Zenaida Yanowsky: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 0

 

[Roberta Marquez: 2 Filles as guest]

 

[iana Salenko: 2 Nutcrackers as guest]

 

In my post above, I miscounted Matthew Golding's Nutcrackers: he has 3 not 2.

So....Osipova, the company's biggest star and the one that many non-regulars want to see, only has six performances for the whole autumn season??  What a pity she isn't getting a crack at Chroma, nor dancing SPF at all.

[aileen]

Reading the Judith Mackrell interview it looks as if Osipova wants to do other projects (as well as dancing with the RB). For a start, her Wells programme is being reprised in September. She wasn't cast in Nutcracker last Christmas either and I rather think that that was her choice (I believe that she had guest appearances then).

[alison]

I too had the impression that it was her choice not to do SPF - she's indicated her desire to move away from the Classical repertory, hasn't she? I wonder if she will be cast as Aurora this time round?

[Lenore]

I too had the impression that it was her choice not to do SPF - she's indicated her desire to move away from the Classical repertory, hasn't she? I wonder if she will be cast as Aurora this time round?

I was under the impression that one of the factors for her move to the RB was to have a chance to dance more of the classics? And her recent articles express her desire to branch out into different styles whilst she's in her prime, but not necessarily to move away from the classics.

 

I'm definitely much more interested in the casting for next year anyway.

 

Incidentally... Has anyone ever looked at the principal casting in recent years for bias? I can't help but wonder if it's nothing unusual, but I've never really thought too much about it.

[alison]

It's not *that* unusual, certainly - however, I'd also be prepared to bet that there are some principal dancers who virtually never get anything like a raw deal.

[FLOSS]

 Here are some questions that I think are important in the context of the concerns expressed about the AD's failure to make equal use of the company's principals during the first booking period.

 

1) How much is programming influenced by the company's need to cover its costs?

 

2) What part does the company's core repertory play in the AD's decisions to recruit specific dancers?

 

3) A change of AD can have a profound impact on the career prospects of every dancer in a company as the new director   may favour a different type of dancer and repertory from his predecessor, how much has  Kevin O'Hare's directorship affected the Royal Ballet's repertory and personnel?

 

4) When should the company's need to renew itself take precedence over the needs of dancers who have had long and distinguished careers?

 

5) When, if ever, do programming decisions become a vehicle for bias?

 

I don't feel able to answer these questions but if we are going to pick over the entrails of the casting decisions for a single booking period for evidence of bias then they are questions that we should consider.

 

 During Dowelll's directorship he showed much more interest in scheduling the MacMillan blockbusters than ensuring that the Ashton repertory was given the exposure needed to keep it in the company's active repertory. The choice of the ballets to be danced each season continues to show a particular bias in favour of a vary limited range of works by these choreographers. In MacMillan's case the ballets tend to be the successful three act works plus Song of the Earth, The Rite of Spring, Gloria and Requiem  with the occasional dance drama rather than his classically based works such as Dances Concertantes and Solitaire. The only Ashton works that seem to be treated as essential to the company's core repertory are Fille, The Dream and A Month in the Country. His other works tend to come and go for no apparent reason..

 

Now the AD could have kept us all happy this season by programming Manon or Mayerling for weeks on end at the beginning of the season but much as I enjoy these ballets they are not that good for the technical standards of the company as a whole. Perhaps that does not matter.

 

It would be interesting to know how much freedom the AD really has when it comes to casting

individual ballets. We don't know what guesting and other commitments the principals may have. We don't know what works they may, or may not, want to appear in or what other works they may be involved in preparing either as dancers or as coaches. Counting up the number of roles that each of the principals has been allocated does not make a lot of sense to me when you know that Fille is not a ballet that everyone can be expected to dance. Ashton is not everyone's repertory of choice and this ballet makes technical demands that not every dancer can meet. Removing every ballet from the repertory which only suits some of the principals seems a bit drastic to me. I also think that we need to remember that some of the dancers whose names are missing are coming to the end of their careers. When Benjamin approached the later years of her career she abandoned the classical roles that no longer suited her, which she thought that younger dancers should have the opportunity to dance, while she concentrated on a limited number of MacMillan works and new choreography. I don't know whether the "missing" dancers have the same cunning plan. Do you?

Edited May 10, 2016 by FLOSS

[Jane S]

Now the AD could have kept us all happy this season by programming Manon or Mayerling for weeks on end at the beginning of the season

 

Mm....no he couldn't.

[John Mallinson]

For what it's worth, and maybe in practice it doesn't make much difference, Kevin O'Hare is not Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet, he is simply Director.

 

I may be wrong but I seem to remember that around the time of his appointment there was talk of artistic triumvirate of O'Hare, Wheeldon and McGregor.

[Fonty]

If someone is a principal with the RB, and dances elsewhere, does the other company pay the RB for their services? 

[capybara]

It would be interesting to know how much freedom the AD really has when it comes to casting individual ballets. We don't know what guesting and other commitments the principals may have. 

 

But, surely, guesting and other commitments would be with the agreement of the Director and only at times which fitted in with the prior needs of the RB?

[penelopesimpson]

So....Osipova, the company's biggest star and the one that many non-regulars want to see, only has six performances for the whole autumn season??  What a pity she isn't getting a crack at Chroma, nor dancing SPF at all.

My impression is that due to injury and other commitments, we have hardly seen her at all at ROH.  I did manage to catch her one Giselle and saw her in Woolf Works, but that's my lot!

[SwissBalletFan]

If someone is a principal with the RB, and dances elsewhere, does the other company pay the RB for their services? 

 

 

My understanding Fonty, is that they are not paid for the days they are away (pro rata) and the dancer gets the fee. 

[penelopesimpson]

Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker (sighs heavily) companies should only be allowed to do one or the other each year!

Oh, I do agree.  Wish they had at least put Alice in instead of one of these two.  I know they are v.popular but...

[JennyTaylor]

Thanks for the suggestion, will give those seats a try for one production - might treat myself to pricier seats for Fille if I am going on my own! Never seen it live if you can believe it!

I'm not sure what your price range is but try the side seats in the Orch Stalls if you want to be close to the stage and they are slightly cheaper.  I go there myself and they are also often available in singles quite late on.  I attend on my own too, so am happy to meet up.

 

You MUST see La Fille.  The best ever ballet 

[alison]

I too had the impression that it was her choice not to do SPF - she's indicated her desire to move away from the Classical repertory, hasn't she?

 

Apparently not according to this latest interview, courtesy of the Links page:

 

“Now that I am a mature dancer I really want to concentrate deeply on some of the classics like Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.”

 

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/may/08/natalia-osipova-and-sergei-polunin-interview

[Fonty]

I though one of the reasons Osipova joined the RB was to perform more of the Ashton rep?  I am sure I read that mentioned specifically somewhere, or I have I just imagined it?

 

I only mention it, because while I am a fan of some of things she does, I do think she takes the most appalling liberties with the music of quite a lot of the classics I have seen her in so far.  I hope her idea of concentrating deeply is not to simply adjust the speed to suit herself and show off her own strengths at the expense of the overall piece. 

[billboyd]

I believe that Natalia Osipova's professionalism and dedication are of the highest order.

[MAB]

Taking liberties with the music began with Markarova and a very large number have followed suit.  I think it is unfair to single out Osipova in that respect.

[VickyPage]

Reading the Judith Mackrell interview it looks as if Osipova wants to do other projects (as well as dancing with the RB). For a start, her Wells programme is being reprised in September. She wasn't cast in Nutcracker last Christmas either and I rather think that that was her choice (I believe that she had guest appearances then).

 

She didn't do The Nutcracker at Christmas because she was still recovering from the injury that kept her out of last autumn's season (won't repeat the rumours I've heard about that).

[bangorballetboy]

Can we please stop talking about Osipova on this thread. 

[billboyd]

Agreed

 

But, I felt post 257 needed a response.

[alison]

She didn't do The Nutcracker at Christmas because she was still recovering from the injury that kept her out of last autumn's season.

She wasn't scheduled to dance it in the first place.

 

But yes, let's get back to the subject of the thread.

[Fonty]

And I was just commenting on the link posted in 256.