Jump to content

Northern Ballet - A Celebration of Sir Kenneth MacMillan - October 2017 and March 2018, West Yorkshire


Recommended Posts

17 minutes ago, alison said:

And then we wonder why companies play safe with well-known 3-acters ... :(

 

... And then we get prospective audiences out of the habit of even thinking about mixed bills.  It can be a downwards spiral :(

Absolutely,  Alison. I've been fearless with mixed bills all my ballet-going life because I grew up in the days when Birmingham Royal Ballet still did split weeks in Sunderland - a mixed bill at the start of the week and a full length into the weekend. Of course, as we know, when Diaghilev put on his Sleeping Princess, it was a flop because his audiences were used to mixed bills and didn't want to see a full-length.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, alison said:

And then we wonder why companies play safe with well-known 3-acters ... :(

 

... And then we get prospective audiences out of the habit of even thinking about mixed bills.  It can be a downwards spiral :(

 

It is a downward spiral and I don't know what the answer is.

 

I started watching contemporary dance so am always excited at the prospect of mixed programmes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Better education (by all companies) of existing and potential audiences?  Less fixation by broadcasters (and everyone in general) on full-length ballets? - I mean, when did the BBC last show a mixed bill?  The Concerto/Judas Tree/Elite Syncopations bill a few (5?) years ago?  When they filmed the Les Patineurs/Beatrix Potter double, Patineurs never got shown.  Yet individual short pieces would fit far better into the schedules - if there was the will to show them.  I've expressed my concern at Northern Ballet's (in particular) reliance on full-length story ballets before for only reinforcing the impression that ballets are nothing unless they're full-evening works.  But really, I don't think the general public is even really aware of the fact that short ballets exist, and can be combined in one evening, or if they do there's a feeling of being sold short.  Some mixed bills can also, of course, be rather underwhelming prospects.  (I still regret the fact that that very short trailer didn't include the music, too - I always find dance shorn of its music a rather less-attractive proposition, and two of the pieces, at least, might have been recognised by some viewers).

 

The combination of, say, a couple of performances of a mixed bill with a full-length for the rest of the week ought to work - especially if either a discount is given for both or the mixed bill is priced lower - although I suspect that some people will go just because "the ballet" is here for a week, and will probably gravitate towards the full-length as usual, and/or will probably only go the once, either for financial reasons or for reasons of scheduling.  I remember my first exposure to a mixed bill was London Festival Ballet's 1985 offering of Night Creature/Don Q pdd/L'Arlesienne and Etudes, I think it may have been.  The bill was paired with La Sylphide, and as a newbie balletgoer at the time, I went for La Sylphide, as I'd heard of it and the mixed bill didn't seem to appeal that much (although it did have Don Q, which I was aware of).  I only went to the mixed bill because a German (less entrenched attitudes, perhaps?) I was friendly with wanted to go, and persuaded me to go along with her.  I was very glad she did, in the end, because I enjoyed it, but would never have gone off my own bat at that stage, even though the tickets were cheaper and/or there was a student discount.

 

Talking of students, there are a lot of universities around Northern's "home patch" - do they have some sort of "Student Ambassador" scheme like the ROH has?

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, alison said:

 

Talking of students, there are a lot of universities around Northern's "home patch" - do they have some sort of "Student Ambassador" scheme like the ROH has?

 

 

 

 

I will write to the Company and ask/suggest it.  

 

Obviously it would not be quite the same as the ROH scheme as NB is a touring company and couldn't necessarily offer the same benefits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wasn't sure what benefits the ROH offered, but I know they do target students quite assiduously as the next generation of potential audiences.  I was thinking it might not be a bad idea for NB to do the same - some usefully-placed students who could encourage others to attend.  I am wondering, though, if a half-price ticket offer is the best way of targeting people who are notoriously short on funds?  Perhaps there's an existing student discount?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

claiming Northern  concentrate solely on full length pieces is a little disingenuous in my opinion.  and  for the record , although most people know this i am a bit of a Northern Ballet Fan Girl   

which other companies have produced , almost  entirely in-house   as a  Nursery slope  for  choreography/ direction  for company dancers)  half a dozen or so of their own new one act  pieces  in  the last decade  ?  or don't   the  ' little  ballets for little  audiences' count ?  -  often developed  from ideas within their annual in house cheorographic  development activities  ... 

 as a touring companies and given their origins it's not surprising that  Northern  do focus on  the three act  pieces,  beut  equally   they  don;t necessarily  rely on bankers  -  vs  new  pieces    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Northern Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Ballet gave up touring mixed programmes either "up North" or everywhere some years ago.  It is a sad fact that mixed programmes tend not to sell outside London.

 

It is to be applauded that Northern Ballet have reintroduced mixed programmes at their home base in Leeds and will now be performing one in Doncaster.

 

It is to be applauded that Birmingham Royal Ballet still perform mixed programmes in Birmingham and Plymouth although I do miss them at The Lowry and Sunderland.

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

1 hour ago, Nicola H said:

claiming Northern  concentrate solely on full length pieces is a little disingenuous in my opinion. 

 

Well, it might be if anyone had done so.  And anyway, look what happens when they don't, which is the direction I thought this discussion was taking - poor sales, regardless of the quality of the pieces on offer.

 

1 hour ago, Nicola H said:

which other companies have produced , almost  entirely in-house   as a  Nursery slope  for  choreography/ direction  for company dancers)  half a dozen or so of their own new one act  pieces  in  the last decade  ?  or don't   the  ' little  ballets for little  audiences' count ? 

 

For the purposes of this discussion, no.  Unless, of course, NB has been putting them on together to make a full evening of choreography for adults, and I haven't noticed.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, alison said:

 

For the purposes of this discussion, no.  Unless, of course, NB has been putting them on together to make a full evening of choreography for adults, and I haven't noticed.

 


there hasn;t been performances of  more than one at a time , but  when theyare performed they d o explicitly sate you don;t need to be bringing children to watch ! 

also  Northern do like  to do new  works for their   full length pieces   rather than relying on bankers of even  their  ( company  or   senior staff) back catalogues 
 

Edited by Nicola H
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen all the Northern Ballet ballets for little people and without children (which will change when my great-nephew is old enough to go).  They have provided opportunities for the dancers to dip their toes into choreographic waters.  The company has also held in-house choreographic workshops, mostly unsung, for some time and I am looking forward to the choreographic showing this coming Saturday.

 

Northern Ballet do also rely on bankers - Swan Lake, Nutcracker, R&J for example.

 

However it would be unfair not to mention that BRB and ENB has also nurtured the aspirations of young choreographers such as Kit Holder, Ruth Brill and George Williamson.

 

In these days of constant cuts all our ballet companies (and that includes the Royal) have to have their bankers regularly performed to keep their income up.  Each of the companies has their own style - Northern Ballet has a particular style for telling story ballets but then so does RB, BRB and ENB.

 

Back to the MacMillan programme - I am really excited to be seeing this programme again in Leeds and think it would be wonderful if the company could do something similar to commemorate Sir Frederick Ashton...

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

Back to the MacMillan programme - I am really excited to be seeing this programme again in Leeds and think it would be wonderful if the company could do something similar to commemorate Sir Frederick Ashton...

An Ashton Season with the 'big  five / six' companies would be fab , and  if that works as well as the Macmillan season  , then  colloborative  stuff  like this will have been 'proven ' 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I was supposed to be going to Leeds today to see the matinee performance of this programme, but with the dire weather forecast for the Pennines today decided to brave the Friday traffic on the M62 and get a ticket for last night. So glad I did, as it gave me the chance to see Zenaida Yanowsky in Las Hermanas.  She was wonderfully dramatic as would be expected and drew out the best in the rest of the cast, especially Javier Torres as the Man, portrayed as a total sleaze ball.  The audience shock when the Younger Sister is seen hanging at the end was tangible. My view on the rest of the programme was unchanged since I saw it in Bradford - Concerto great fun but just a little ragged, and Gloria stunning, but missing the added drama of a live orchestra and chorus for Poulenc's beautiful music.  I hope everyone who's booked for today and tomorrow manages to get there!

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well what a weekend!

 

Northern Ballet and MacMillan fans are made of stern stuff and I spoke to people who had come from lots of places outside Yorkshire to see this programme.  Some of us had to stay unexpectedly in Leeds overnight but it was most definitely worth it.

 

Las Hermanas shows off Northern Ballet's dramatic abilities to full effect.  Zenaida Yanowsky was just magnificent as the eldest sister and the whole cast really gelled.  Javier Torres was a total Latin sleaze ball and tiny Pippa Moore, as the jealous sister, really commanded the stage and at one point made Zenaida look small!  Ailen Ramos Betancourt was a delight as the flirty sister.  Victoria Sibson has got to be one of the best dance actresses around today and she was formidable as the mother.

 

The cast on Saturday afternoon was so different from Friday night's cast.  Hannah Bateman was outstanding as the repressed oldest sister with every tiny gesture and facial expression giving meaning to her character.  Ashley Dixon was making his debut as the man and was just so very vicious!  Sarah Chun as the jealous sister and Minju Kang as the flirty sister were also excellent.  Mariana Rodrigues gave a very powerful performance as the mother.

 

I think it would be wonderful if Zenaida Yanowsky could continue to guest with the company.

 

I love Concerto and think Northern Ballet performed it very well.  On Saturday night Antoinette Brooks Daw and Kevin Poeung lit up the stage with joy in the first movement.  Abigail Prudames and Joseph Taylor were just sublime together in the central duet in another cast.  Both Dominique Larose and Ayami Miyata were excellent as the third lady.  Rachael Gillespie, Ayami Miyata and Miki Akuta were totally sublime as the soloist ladies.

 

Gloria is such a powerful and emotional piece.  I thought the recorded score sounded better than it had in Bradford but I regret that we did not have the live orchestra and chorus.  I have never seen Gloria performed by another company but, for me, Northern Ballet gave it a beautiful gravitas and were sincere and emotional in their performances.  The rake on the stage at Leeds Grand must have added difficulty to the performance.

 

On Friday evening Sean Bates made his debut in the leading male role and I found his performance profoundly moving (as indeed I did again on Saturday afternoon).  Antoinette Brooks Daw and Javier Torres were outstanding too.  In the evening Mlindi Kulashe was making his debut as the leading man and Joseph Taylor his in the duet.  Again they were very moving in their roles with Minju Kang as the leading lady.  This ballet is both emotional and uplifting and I just loved all three performances I saw at the weekend.

 

Lady MacMillan attended all 3 performances and I hope she felt that Northern Ballet did her husband proud.  I also hope her attendance will pave the way for more MacMillan works to enter Northern Ballet's rep.

 

 

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw the Saturday evening ,  my friend Louise and I having  fought our way  up the M1 from Derby  ...  wonderful performances  all round ...   i agree Javier was Gloriously  Sleazy as the Fiance ... 

this was the first time Louise had seen any ballet in the flesh  ( although she;d seen  various bits on You tube and saw Bourne's  Cinderella when it was on the Telly over christmas)   she was utterly enthralled and   she  thought the three pieces make a great introduction to  live Ballet  ,  with a Narrative piece ( las Hermanas), a pure dance piece  (Concerto) and an abstracted narrative  piece  (gloria).  

 ( and we fought  our  way back down the M1 as well after ) 

also  nice to  see  Gavin McCaig  and Andrew Dunlop  doing  their 'day jobs'  rather than  when i usually see them  as part of the   the  crazy 'ballet family'  that is The Ballet Retreat 

Edited by Nicola H
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...