RB Birthday Offering triple bill

[Ann Williams]

Just in from tonight's performance, a gift package of three particularly brilliant ballets. 'Birthday Offering' was a feast of blissful dancing from its opening waltz to the delicious solos for the ballerinas. Like Ian, I am unburdened with any memories of the original creators of these solos, so I was more than happy with tonight's interpreters; if forced to choose a favourite I'd say Yuhui Choe, as much for Ashton's deliberately cheeky 'dainty little ballerina' choreography as for Choe's immaculate performance. On 'Month' I agree with the comments above about Alina's rather muted performance as Natalia, although her dancing was as perfect as it usually is. She may simply have been attempting to tone down some of Ashton's extravagant 'romantic' exaggeration, but in my opinion that's what makes this ballet work.

 

'Noces' was the highlight of the evening for me. I've always loved this extraordinary work - the match of Stravinsky's choral music (strongly sung by Elizabeth Sikora, Rosalind Waters, Jon English and Thomas Barnard) with Nijinska's great blocks of stamping, rythmic, linear movement is as thrilling as anything to be seen on any stage. It was tightly performed by the entire cast tonight, the men probably having the edge in this performance. 'Noces', finally, is such a perfectly constructed work that it can fairly be described as architectural, so that's what I see it as - a beautiful piece of architecture.

[aileen]

I also saw this very good programme tonight. I enjoyed all three ballets. Like Anne, the highlight for me was Les Noces which I thought was an extraordinary piece. I've never seen anything like it before although I suppose it had a flavour of Rite of Spring. Regarding Birthday Offering, perhaps my judgment was affected by my slightly restricted view but I'm afraid that I was not particularly impressed by the dancing in the variations. I thought that most of the ballerinas slightly struggled with the fleet footwork and graceful darting movements required by the Ashton choreography. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of 'Month' was quite badly affected by the restricted view and so I'm not sure that I can offer much of an opinion on it. I found it a bit Brief Encounter in the Russian countryside. There didn't seem to be much chemistry between Cojacaru and Bonelli and I found Bonelli a little bland but perhaps the character is supposed to be like that. I'd happily see all three ballets again.

[zxDaveM]

I have been enjoying this triple bill enormously, having been lucky enough to see them all. In Birthday Offering I just love the 7 variations for the female dancers - stand outs for me were both the ones Sarah Lamb did (is there nothing that young woman can't do!), Yuhui Choe being as cute as sixpence, and Marianela Nunez precision and sparkle. In the big pdd, Tamara Rojo/Federico Bonelli just gleamed in yellow. Month in the Country was a ballet it took me a while to warm to, but now it must be up there amongst my faves. A perfect distillation of 4 weeks in 44 minutes. Some of the music is just sublime (such as when the boy is 'flying' his kite around the room; or for the big pdd). As Ian said above, Zenaida Yanowski's showing was remarkable, well supported by the ever improving Rupert Pennefather; Alina Cojocaru's was utterly compelling in a different way, very subtle and reigned in - yet at the end of her pdd with Federico Bonelli, with head back in a laws-of-biology defying back-bend, her arm dropped to her side in submission to her yearning - I all but shed a tear. Think you needed to be close up, or zoned in with binoculars to catch it though.

As for Les Noces - I really can't do it justice. Superb! Last night the whole cast was on fire, seemingly dancing as one. The arm twist, and drop on the 'clang' towards the end, after the bride and groom retire to the bedchamber, as the tableau 'reset' (for the next wedding?) haunts me even as I type.

[Don Q Fan]

I saw both casts on Friday and Saturday and enjoyed them all.

I could watch Birthday over and over I loved that with all the variations and lovely costumes, just my cup of tea.

Big contrast between Alina and Zenaida in Month in the Country Alina I found did Month in a more comedic way and there was audible laughter from the audience. Alina made quivering leg movements in her pdds which were more or less non existent in Zenaidia's performance but overall Zenaida was hands down the better of the 2 in the role she was just fabulous.

Les Noces - I am intrigued to know what it is people like so much about this ballet. It is dramatic and has interesting/unusual formations but I can't seem to get anything more out of it