PRESS RELEASE: Birmingham Royal Ballet announces international tours to Virginia and Japan in spring 2018

[Naomi M]

Birmingham Royal Ballet's Japan tour has been announced to subscribers. (not online yet)

 

Peter Wright's Sleeping Beauty

May 18th/20th Alina Cojocaru (guest from ENB)), Mathias Dingman

May 19th Delia Matthews, Brandon Laurence

 

La Fille mal gardee

May 25th/27th Momoko Hirata, Mathias Heymann (guest from POB)

May 26th Celine Gittens, Tyrone Singleton 

 

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan

 

not sure if there are performances outside Tokyo yet. 

[Lizbie1]

Is there any word about the Midscale tours in the email?  The Japan dates fall at about the same time as the Midscale tours were last year I note.

[Tony Newcombe]

I have heard that there will be no mid scale tours in 2018. Lack of usual funding from Arts Council!!!!

 

[Sim]

Wow I am thrilled that Delia and Brandon will be doing SB together.  Let's hope we get to see them in it here in the UK as we are being deprived of their Nut partnership this year (at least in London).

 

Wonder why Alina is guesting with them?  A famous name to bring in the audience, perhaps?  Same with Mathias Heymann?

[Lizbie1]

23 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said:

I have heard that there will be no mid scale tours in 2018. Lack of usual funding from Arts Council!!!!

 

 

That is very sad news if true.

[Naomi M]

45 minutes ago, Sim said:

Wonder why Alina is guesting with them?  A famous name to bring in the audience, perhaps?  Same with Mathias Heymann?

 

I think the reason is so. The promoter is doing The World Ballet Festival this summer, and the two dancers are likely to be participating there. Cojocaru is also guesting for Hamburg Ballet's Japan tour in February (Lady of the Camellias) 

[nottsballetlover]

2 hours ago, Tony Newcombe said:

I have heard that there will be no mid scale tours in 2018. Lack of usual funding from Arts Council!!!!

 

Oh no! Devastated if true as my home city of Nottingham has been blessed to have BRB coming for last few years and their performances so appreciated. 

 

[Tony Newcombe]

I have enjoyed my visits to Nottingham during the last two years to see BRB. 18 months ago it was to see an evening performance of R&J with Mathews and Bracewell. Theatre on one side of tram stop and hotel on other side. Such an easy trip.

[Jan McNulty]

I heard a while ago that there wouldn't be a midscale tour next year because it would have clashed with the Japan tour and possibly the dates in Virginia.  For me, that is devastating news.  I hope midscale resumes next year.

 

And oh what irony that the casting for Tokyo next May (ie 6 months in advance) has already been announced.

[Two Pigeons]

I agree completely Janet.

[Naomi M]

One performance outside Tokyo, Sleeping Beauty in Nagoya

 

May 15th  Samara Downs, Yasuo Atsuji

 

https://hicbc.com/event/nimf/41th/20180515/

[capybara]

On 11/16/2017 at 14:02, Sim said:

Wonder why Alina is guesting with them?  A famous name to bring in the audience, perhaps?  Same with Mathias Heymann?

 

Yes - 'names'  and ranks are a big issue in Japan apparently.  The promoters there clearly know what they want and get want they want!

And isn't it priceless that this uniquely early release of casting for BRB mentions Cojocaru before she reappears with ENB.

[Sharon]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

Yes - 'names'  and ranks are a big issue in Japan apparently.  The promoters there clearly know what they want and get want they want!

And isn't it priceless that this uniquely early release of casting for BRB mentions Cojocaru before she reappears with ENB.

Is Cojocaru rejoining ENB when her maternity leave is over - or is she to be yet another beloved dancer to leave this company?

[alison]

Why would she leave London for Birmingham?

[Tony Newcombe]

What’s wrong with Birmingham

 

[alison]

Nothing.  I just think Sharon is leaping to conclusions which wouldn't be supported by previous experience.

[Sim]

To be fair, Sharon didn't mention Birmingham!  

[alison]

True, she didn't - I just assumed that was what she was implying.  Either way, I don't see that the mere fact of Cojocaru guesting somewhere should lead to any such assumptions, given that she does it on such a regular basis.

[Sharon]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

To be fair, Sharon didn't mention Birmingham!  

No I didn't, thank you Sim.

Alison - you assumed I was meaning Birmingham; and you say I'm leaping to conclusions. But from the amount of dancers who have left ENB recently, I think mine was a fair question, and in any case that's all it was - a question.

[Jan McNulty]

And the official press release:   Birmingham Royal Ballet announces international tours to Virginia and Japan in spring 2018 The company will perform Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet at Virginia Arts Festival, and Peter Wright’s The Sleeping Beauty and Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée in Japan Alina Cojocaru will guest in The Sleeping Beauty, and Mathias Heymann will guest in La Fille mal gardée

The UK’s leading classical ballet touring company will be crossing two oceans in 2018, as Birmingham Royal Ballet announces extensive international touring to Virginia and Japan. The company will be flying across the Atlantic to perform Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet at Virginia Arts Festival (20-22 April 2018). Next, from 11 to 27 May, the Company heads east to perform in four cities across the southern region of Japan. Performing in Japan’s capital city of Tokyo, they will bring to life Sir Peter Wright’s The Sleeping Beauty and Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée, alongside further performances of The Sleeping Beauty in Nishinomiya, Shiga and Nagoya.

Momoko Hirata as Juliet and Joseph Caley as Romeo; photo Andrew Ross

In April 2018, Birmingham Royal Ballet makes a welcome return to Virginia Arts Festival after seven years to set hearts alight with Kenneth MacMillan’s exquisite Romeo and Juliet. Love at first dance, forbidden passions, dangerous secrets and star-crossed fate combine in this exhilarating classic ballet. From the balcony scene’s ecstatic pas de deux, exploring love in all its soaring wonder, to the lovers’ heart-breaking ends, Romeo and Juliet is dance at its most poignant and beautiful.   Promoted by NBS Performing Arts Foundation based in Tokyo, the company’s tour to Japan celebrates two greats of British ballet with performances of Sir Peter Wright’s The Sleeping Beauty and Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée.    Dancing alongside Birmingham Royal Ballet principal Mathias Dingman, Alina Cojocaru will guest in two performances of The Sleeping Beauty in Tokyo (18 and 20 May). Born in Bucharest, Alina trained in Kiev for seven years before joining the Royal Ballet School in 1997. Upon completion of her training she returned to Kiev to join the company as a principal dancer. She joined the Royal Ballet in 1999, and was promoted to principal in 2001 after a performance of Giselle. Alina joined the English National Ballet in 2013 as a Lead Principal. She continues to perform with companies worldwide, and is a regular guest with the Hamburg Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. In February 2012 Alina premiered her Alina Cojocaru - Dream Project in Tokyo, Japan, which she directed and staged, featuring friends and colleagues from the Tokyo Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, ENB and Royal Ballet. Alina's second Dream Project took place in July 2014.   Mathias Heymann will guest in two performances of La Fille mal gardée in Tokyo (25 and 27 May) alongside Birmingham Royal Ballet principal Momoko Hirata. Mathias trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School, and joined the corps de ballet of the Paris Opera Ballet at the age of 17. In 2006, he was promoted to coryphée and awarded the Prix du Cercle Carpeaux and Prix AROP de la Danse. Following further promotions in 2007 and 2008, Mathias was made an étoile on 16 April 2009 following his debut performance as Lenski in John Cranko’s Onegin. In 2012, he was awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.          The Sleeping Beauty is one of the grandest ballets in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertory, with a classical score by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa. The opulent world of Imperial Russian ballet, with its marvellous mixture of virtuoso dance, fairy tale characters and dazzling spectacle, has delighted audiences for over a hundred years. Sir Peter Wright’s 1984 production for Birmingham Royal Ballet, with designs by Philip Prowse, is acclaimed as one of the best in the world.   Sir Frederick Ashton’s sunniest, funniest masterpiece, La Fille mal gardée (The Wayward Daughter) mixes spectacular classical ballet with finely wrought English comedy, colourful sets designed by cartoonist Osbert Lancaster, a clog-dancing dame and a super-cute miniature pony. It is based on a 1789 French ballet originally created by Jean Dauberval; John Lanchbery created the music for Ashton’s ballet from Ferdinand Hérold’s 1828 score. Inspired by Ashton’s love of the English countryside, La Fille mal gardée includes some of his most virtuoso, energetic choreography as well as elements of traditional folk dancing. NOTES TO EDITORS:   Virginia performance schedule Romeo and Juliet, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, Virginia Friday 20 April 2018, 7:30pm Saturday 21 April 2018, 7:30pm Sunday 22 April 2018, 2:30pm Casting to be confirmed.   Japan performance schedule The Sleeping Beauty Friday 11 May 2018, 6:30pm         Hyogo Performing Arts Centre, Nishinomiya Sunday 13 May 2018, 2pm            Biwako Hall, Shiga Tuesday 15 May 2018, 6:45pm     NTK Forest Hall, Nagoya Friday 18 May 2018, 6:30pm        Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall Saturday 19 May 2018, 2pm         Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall                                              Sunday 20 May 2018, 2pm           Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall    La Fille mal gardée                                         Friday 25 May 2018, 7pm             Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall                                              Saturday 26 May 2018, 2pm         Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall                                              Sunday 27 May 2018, 2pm           Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall                                           Japan principal casting The Sleeping Beauty Friday 11 May 2018, 6:30pm         Miki Mizutani / César Morales                                    Sunday 13 May 2018, 2pm            Delia Mathews / Brandon Lawrence                    Tuesday 15 May 2018, 6:45pm     Samara Downs / Yasuo Atsuji                                     Friday 18 May 2018, 6:30pm         Alina Cojocaru / Mathias Dingman                            Saturday 19 May 2018, 2pm         Delia Mathews / Brandon Lawrence                      Sunday 20 May 2018, 2pm            Alina Cojocaru / Mathias Dingman   La Fille mal gardée                           Friday 25 May 2018, 7pm              Momoko Hirata / Mathias Heymann                      Saturday 26 May 2018, 2pm         Céline Gittens / Tyrone Singleton                             Sunday 27 May 2018, 2pm            Momoko Hirata / Mathias Heymann                       Please note that all casting is provisional and subject to change. Birmingham Royal Ballet  Based at Birmingham Hippodrome since 1990, Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading classical ballet touring company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future.   The company’s Director is the award-winning David Bintley, CBE, Chief Executive is Jan Teo and Music Director is Koen Kessels. Birmingham Royal Ballet performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas.    The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Britain's busiest ballet orchestra, playing for Birmingham Royal Ballet's wide-ranging programme in the UK and abroad. The Sinfonia also plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and many of the world's other leading ballet companies, including regular performances with; The Royal Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.

[Sharon]

God I would love to see Cojocaru in this production of The Sleeping Beauty. You never know my boat might come in.....