Cesar Corrales resigns from ENB

[nycitybird]

7 hours ago, Sharon said:

He, Cesar, has along way to go in developing his acting skills/artistry. I think his fantastic technical ability will encourage the other dancers and they will probably be full of admiration. They should be secure in their own ability and let his arrival be an opportunity to sharpen their own technique.

I absolutely loved his acting in Khan's Giselle

[capybara]

13 hours ago, Sharon said:

He, Cesar, has along way to go in developing his acting skills/artistry. I think his fantastic technical ability will encourage the other dancers and they will probably be full of admiration. 

 

Ism't it interesting how we all see things differently? Yes, Cesar has great technical facility but, for me, it is his ability to completely 'own' a character and dramatically dominate the stage which is so impressive and so rare. I wish that he was transferring to the RB sooner so that we could see him dance Lescaut in Manon (yes, I know that the role is already strongly cast and I am only thinking in terms of his being a 'cover' !).

[Nicola H]

On 12/23/2017 at 10:42, John Mallinson said:

 

It's not unusual for dancers to drop a grade when joining the RB: Alexander Campbell, First Soloist to Soloist; Sarah Lamb and Alexandra Ansanelli, Principal to First Soloist; there must be others…

 

there is also the inconsistency of  titles between companies ,   as extreme examples in the UK  compare at the number of  dancers  RB  give the title of  'Principal' , and then compare that to the  2 Premier  Dancers ( javier T and Pippa M )  Northern Have , although it;s Leading  (and First ) Soloists  are  de facto  'principals '   in the way the Company refers to them and  presents the structure of the company in public facing materials ...

 

18 hours ago, aileen said:

I wonder why the announcement is being made at this early stage. It's six months until the end of ENB's season. One can speculate, perhaps, that he will be going on 'garden leave' or not appearing much in the rest of the season which would have provoked comment and discussion anyway.

 

As for tiring of touring, he's only 20 and had only done it for three years!

 

Regarding Rojo's feelings on the matter, I can't imagine that she isn't very disappointed as she has invested a lot in Corrales' artistic development. However, she did the same thing herself and so she can hardly complain. This situation does highlight the danger of putting too many eggs in too few dancer baskets. It's time for her to invest in a larger number of dancers, not just the chosen two or three. Unaccountably (IMO) she has neglected too many talented dancers who waited very patiently for opportunities and promotions but who eventually tired of being overlooked and moved on. 

tired of touring -  I think that;s a matter of the fit between the company and the  performer ...  some companies are ' on the road' a lot more  than others - and  RB  are more statics than  the other  ' big five' (  or  however many  it;s actually decided  the 'main companies ' in the UK are  -  as the 'big five'  (RB, ENB, BRB , Scottish and Northern ) for  the MacMillan stuff didn't include a Welsh company  and   (logically) didn;t include companies  centred around another choreographer/ creative producer  ( e.g. New Adventures  etc ) 

I've talked of pushes and  pulls in recruitment and retention in another thread on here before, and related  it to some of  my  'past life' in healthcare  settings ...  some people move  because they are being pulled by another job , others seek another job because their current employer is pushing them  way - whether that is actively or  passively.  Unless an individual comes  out and  blatantly states   why  ...  ( i do get the impression from others that ENB  is not necessarily a happy place  - i do know of someone who 'disappeared' following injury and another big life event  who is really  dismissive of them )

[LinMM]

Again somewhere it states ( probably some ballet feed into my Facebook page) that it was Caesar Corrales who approached Kevin O Hare and that he (Kevin) was fortunate to be able to offer him the job as a first soloist. 

So it does look as if Caesar wanted out if possible ....for whatever reason 

 

Considering that he has been fairly well nurtured by the ENB and given some quick promotions he cannot have been unhappy on that score so perhaps it was a repertoire issue?

Sorry I know we shouldn't be speculating so much about a dancer but perhaps because he does have such wonderful promise I do find this all a bit fascinating and am grateful we are not losing him to none UK company! 

 

 

[fromthebalcony]

Dancers move for many reasons and speculation always swirls.  Of course, I have watched from afar and have not witnessed much of Cesar's dancing.  I know he is super talented, but it seems that he was moved along maybe too quickly.  I have seen this occur with dancers in the U.S., and it can sometimes be dangerous.  There is a delicate balance between keeping a dancer challenged and giving them too much too soon.  It seems to me that at least doing a full year/season after being promoted to principal would show some respect for the company which nurtured him.  And, yes, I know many of you will disagree - that I don't know the British way, etc.  You are right, but I feel that respect in any field goes a long way.  Adding to the awkwardness of the situation (again, in my opinion), is the fact that Cesar's mother works at the ENB school.  That is certainly uncomfortable.  

[Jan McNulty]

52 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Again somewhere it states ( probably some ballet feed into my Facebook page) that it was Caesar Corrales who approached Kevin O Hare and that he (Kevin) was fortunate to be able to offer him the job as a first soloist. 

So it does look as if Caesar wanted out if possible ....for whatever reason 

 

 

Kevin O'Hare says in the ROH press release that Corrales approached RB in October after he had resigned from ENB:

 

"Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet said 'Cesar approached me in October, having resigned from English National Ballet, about joining The Royal Ballet."

[FLOSS]

ENB like BRB can offer lots of opportunities to perform which is important in the earliest stages of a dancer's career. Ballet is a theatrical art form and however strong your technique is there really are things that you can only learn in performance in front of a live audience. Eagling almost certainly secured Muntagirov's services at ENB over all those who were competing to sign him because he promised him Albrecht  in his first season with the company.

 

Having the opportunity to dance a number of major roles in the nineteenth century repertory on at least a weekly basis is a wonderful development opportunity at the outset of a career as it builds stamina, stage experience and knowledge of the core repertory. In addition ENB's productions of Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake both have strong Royal Ballet connections as far as their text is concerned. Beauty is MacMillan's production while the Derek Deane production of Swan Lake seems to contain a fair number of the Ashton interpolations which were in the RB's productions between 1963 and the 1987 when Dowell's production received its first performance. There must come a time when the opportunity to dance in three full length ballets each season one of which is inevitably Nutcracker begins to feel limiting. I suspect that it is the fact that the RB performs six or seven full length works, or equivalent,each year which are not Nutcracker which is the lure for Corrales. The fact that there is a considerable overlap between ABT's and RB's full length repertory must be an added bonus for anyone whose stated ambition is to dance with ABT. It will be interesting to see whether the RB proves to be a permanent home or merely a useful staging post in this talented dancer's career. 

 

I don't think there is any point in speculating about the present health of ENB. It is an organisation in transition with the recent recruits to the upper ranks of the company settling in and perhaps a question mark hanging over whether those members of the company currently working in Munich will return to it. The RB can offer Corrales a much wider repertory some of which ABT shares with it; the opportunity to work with the three choreographers currently creating new works for it and the possibility of promotion to the rank of principal dancer when one or more of the senior male principals retire. Any one of these factors would be a strong inducement for a young ambitious talented dancer to feel that he needed a change of air. But there is the added bonus that being at Covent Garden means that his performances will be seen by critics and be reported on  in the specialist dance press.

 

Corrales' time with the company however long or short it proves to be should make the next few years at Covent Garden very interesting artistically as Ball and Hay, and Clarke and Bracewell who are only one rung below them, probably have their sights set on one of the likely vacancies. Please note these names are not intended as an exclusive list of those who may be in the running for promotion they are merely the first four who sprang to mind. A lot can happen in a year as a result of the director's choice of repertory and casts, decisions made by choreographers and illness and injury all of which may close down opportunities for some and open them up for others.

 

We certainly live in artistically interesting times and they look as if they are about to get even more interesting.

Edited December 24, 2017 by FLOSS

[Sharon]

19 hours ago, nycitybird said:

I absolutely loved his acting in Khan's Giselle

 

13 hours ago, capybara said:

 

Ism't it interesting how we all see things differently? Yes, Cesar has great technical facility but, for me, it is his ability to completely 'own' a character and dramatically dominate the stage which is so impressive and so rare. I wish that he was transferring to the RB sooner so that we could see him dance Lescaut in Manon (yes, I know that the role is already strongly cast and I am only thinking in terms of his being a 'cover' !).

Sorry I don't think I came across clearly - Cesar was excellent in Giselle, really clear and strong in his interpretation. I only meant to say as a young dancer he is still developing his acting skills which is of course normal, as I think acting/interpretive skills grow with experience. His enormous potential is obvious.

[Harwel]

Cesar is a fabulous dancer and has a great future.  I wish him every success in his new company and position.  Speculation can abound, but I am sure he has made a decision which will best suit his future both artistically and personally and I am sure can not have been an easy one.  From the outside it may appear he has been nurtured and given opportunities but only he knows the certain pressures which were placed upon him and whether the price was too high. 

[Shya100]

On 23/12/2017 at 19:02, Sharon said:

Tamara may well be miffed, who knows??

But I doubt that many of the young men at the RB will be. I have seen Cesar dance many times and he is fantastic, such a great technique. A bravura dancer - in the same vein as Steven McRae, but a lot younger. If anyone was inclined to be miffed it could be him. But I seriously doubt it. He, Cesar, has along way to go in developing his acting skills/artistry. I think his fantastic technical ability will encourage the other dancers and they will probably be full of admiration. They should be secure in their own ability and let his arrival be an opportunity to sharpen their own technique.

 

Well reality is Watson, McRae, Soares are coming up for retire in next few years as will Cut, Nunez, Lamb on female side. It is as it always is though. You need one eye on future. Great signing.

[FLOSS]

Male dancers don't normally continue performing into their forties unless they are demi character dancers like Alexander Grant who was still dancing roles like Alain at the age of fifty or character dancers like Leslie Edwards who went on appearing in ballets until a truly advanced age. Danseurs like Bonelli who began his dancing career in Zurich in 1996  do not usually continue dancing much into their forties. Watson is, I believe, forty or forty one.  It is Bonelli and Watson are the two men most likely to retire in the near future. I don't think that Soares is that old although some of his dancing last year suggested that he should retire it was so sloppy. McRae is only in his early thirties. He joined the company in 2003 

Edited December 25, 2017 by FLOSS

[Shya100]

Soares is 36/7 and I always thought McRae was older. Anyway there are inevitable retirements approaching. You need to think future.

[now voyager]

7 hours ago, Shya100 said:

 

Well reality is Watson, McRae, Soares are coming up for retire in next few years as will Cut, Nunez, Lamb on female side. It is as it always is though. You need one eye on future. Great signing.

I don't know what timeframe you have in mind with "next few years" but I, for one, would hope that (barring injury or the unforeseen) Nunez does NOT retire ANYTIME within what I understand them to be.

Of course, any good director should plan for the future in making staffing decisions, which I think is O'Hare is doing well.

I must be drawing a blank, but who is "Cut"?

[capybara]

8 hours ago, Shya100 said:

 

Well reality is Watson, McRae, Soares are coming up for retire in next few years as will Cut, Nunez, Lamb on female side. It is as it always is though. You need one eye on future. Great signing.

 

I don't think that Steven McRae will be very happy with you Shya!  He is only 31/32. According to posts on social media, his contemporary, Campbell, had his 31st birthday this week.

 

Watson is 42, I think, and Soares and Bonelli are 36/38. Interestingly, Soares has so far only been cast in Winter's Tale next year. Kish and Hirano are both in their mid thirties. Muntagirov is 27. Of the 'up and comings' mentioned on this thread, Hay is 28/29, Ball and Sambe are 23/24, and Clarke is 22/23.

 

Corrales is 21.

 

['Cut' must be Lauren Cuthbertson, Now Voyager. She is 33, isn't she? Morera is 40+, Lamb is 38, Nunez is 35/36, and Osipova is also over 30. Hayward, Naghdi and Takada are in their mid twenties.]

 

Kevin O'Hare is doing a great job of bringing on (and now signing) young talent.

 

Edited December 25, 2017 by capybara

[bangorballetboy]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

['Cut' must be Lauren Cuthbertson, Now Voyager. She is 33, isn't she? Morera is 40+, Lamb is 38, Nunez is 35/36, and Osipova is also over 30. Hayward, Naghdi and Takada are in their mid twenties.]

 

 

 

Cuthbertson is indeed 33, Lamb is 37, Osipova is 31, Núñez is 35 and Morera is, as you say, in her 40s. None of them are, in my opinion, anywhere near retirement.

[FLOSS]

I think that Morera only turned forty last month so it might be considered a trifle ungallant to describe her as " 40+ "  or "in her forties". I wonder whether Kevin has an age profile of his company readily to hand, and if he does, whether he studies it carefully at regular intervals so the he can make strategic decisions about casting and recruitment? Succession planning must be so much easier when you are running a company like the POB with a fixed retirement age. True you may miss out on the late flowering of a ballerina's career but you do at least have the certainty of knowing whom you are going to have to replace and exactly when you are going to have do it. Having dancers possibly staying on into their late forties with no idea exactly when they are going to retire,until they tell you, must make company recruitment, career development and succession planning something of a nightmare.

Edited December 25, 2017 by FLOSS

[LinMM]

Yes probably true Floss!! 

But for me although may be more of a headache for AD's ..is still preferable to any sort of enforced retirement age!

 

We are all different.... and although many dancers may be relieved to be able to go at a required age ( and maybe even some can't wait!) others may feel they are at their peak and "have a good few years yet"

Of course the obvious example is Fonteyn ....who found something new in herself once partnered by Nureyev... and I am very grateful for this....but even outside the dance world I think people should have some degree of decision in when exactly they retire.

I chose to work till 64. Most of my friends went at 60 ( all teachers) Other friends went on till 65 etc etc.

I still attend a ballet class where the teacher will be 90 in February...but still one of the best around....and again very grateful for this association! His knowledge is now invaluable with such a depth of links to original sources but with his own unique take on things balletic! 

Thanks Floss for your posts by the way they are always so interesting! 

 

[bridiem]

But dancers don't always have complete freedom of choice as to when they retire, do they? I'm thinking particularly of Fiona Chadwick, who 'retired' from the RB in 1995 when she must have been about 35 and was basically in the prime of her career. That was a terrible decision in my view. But I assume an AD can still 'ask' someone to retire whether they want to go or not?!

 

NOT, I hasten to add, that I'm suggesting this will or would or should happen to ANY of the dancers mentioned above!! Just raising the general question.

Edited December 25, 2017 by bridiem
Added two sentences.

[Shya100]

Poor auld McRae. Opps. But yes. Campbell looks very much younger. It is just the baby face. Nunez is spending more and more time in South America. But then Osipova is not really there full time either really. I am afraid I brought up quite a morbid topic. 

[Fonty]

19 hours ago, FLOSS said:

Having dancers possibly staying on into their late forties with no idea exactly when they are going to retire,until they tell you, must make company recruitment, career development and succession planning something of a nightmare.

 

Well, Leanne Benjamin must have been well into her 40s before she retired.  I have no idea how old she was, but I am so glad to have had the chance to see her in various roles.  She was still one of the best when she finally retired IMO.

[Shya100]

39 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

Well, Leanne Benjamin must have been well into her 40s before she retired.  I have no idea how old she was, but I am so glad to have had the chance to see her in various roles.  She was still one of the best when she finally retired IMO.

 

She was 48/49. A very long and successful career. 

[Don Q Fan]

Carlos Acosta was ex ENB too. 

[cavycapers]

It has been my impression for a long time, that Tamara Rojo chooses to be partnered herself by guest artists, rather than using a younger permanent dancer of the ENB, (I know people will find exceptions such as in Khan's Giselle!) especially when we know what the partnering of an experinced ballerina with a younger inexperienced partner can produce (Klimentova/Muntagirov).  I have often wondered if this gives the impression to the male dancers in her company, as it does to me, that she doesn't have full confidence in them.  

Edited December 26, 2017 by cavycapers

[capybara]

26 minutes ago, cavycapers said:

It has been my impression for a long time, that Tamara Rojo chooses to be partnered herself by guest artists, rather than using a younger permanent dancer of the ENB, (I know people will find exceptions such as in Khan's Giselle!) especially when we know what the partnering of an experinced ballerina with a younger inexperienced partner can produce (Klimentova/Muntagirov).  I have often wondered if this gives the impression to the male dancers in her company, as it does to me, that she doesn't have full confidence in them.  

 

It is the case that Tamara Rojo is cast with Ivan Vasiliev in Jeune Homme and that she usually dances with experienced partners. However, it is worth noting that, in the period since September, she has been partnered as follows:

• with James Streeter in Khan's Giselle
• with Joseph Caley (and Jeffrey Cirio (guest) or Aaron Robison as The Messenger) in Song of the Earth; and
• with Isaac Hernandez in The Nutcracker (with Aitor Arrieta (a young dancer) as her Nutcracker)

She has not cast herself in La Sylphide and she did not dance in Romeo and Juliet.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2017 by capybara

[cavycapers]

Hmm, still not convinced that these few exceptions disperse an impression I have built up over the last few years.  I don't understand why she is not dancing with members of the ENB exclusively, even at the risk of not always appearing at her very best herself.

[capybara]

8 hours ago, cavycapers said:

Hmm, still not convinced that these few exceptions disperse an impression I have built up over the last few years.  I don't understand why she is not dancing with members of the ENB exclusively, even at the risk of not always appearing at her very best herself.

 

I do understand your point of view, cavycapers.

 

Interestingly, the combination of an experienced ballerina (Fernanda Oliviera) with Aitor Arrieta (Man) and Ken Saruhashi (Messenger) produced, for me, the best performances of Song of the Earth which ENB has given to date. Erina Takahashi has also danced regularly with more junior partners.

[Kate_N]

On 24/12/2017 at 13:47, fromthebalcony said:

Dancers move for many reasons and speculation always swirls.  

 

Indeed. And the speculation is often under-informed. Discussing this with several members of my family who work in the theatre/ballet world as performers/dancers and in other areas as theatre professionals, it's often that performers simply want a change; it's good for their art & development. My actress mother used to change companies every couple of years just to learn more and work with different directors (but in those days jobs were more plentiful).

 

I think it's unreasonable to read anything more into it than that.

 

Shouldn't we be applauding the ENB for investing in & developing such a dancer? 

[Legseleven]

I think we should indeed be applauding ENB for investing in Corrales, although I confess that Tamara Rojo’s statement on his departure,  which mentions only the work put in by ENB rather than any reference to the young man himself, makes me rather less likely to do so. There is a lack of graciousness in there which is rather grating. 

[SwissBalletFan]

10 minutes ago, Legseleven said:

I think we should indeed be applauding ENB for investing in Corrales, although I confess that Tamara Rojo’s statement on his departure,  which mentions only the work put in by ENB rather than any reference to the young man himself, makes me feel rather less inclined to do so. There is a lack of graciousness in there which is rather grating. 

 

Which when you look at the comments and statements of dancers who have left ENB, I think there is a clear reason for not being happy at ENB in general. However of course promotions, and repertoire can keep a dancer otherwise happy, which seemed to be the case. His resignation so soon after promotion is a bit of a signal.

Congratulations to Royal Ballet, to Mr Corrales himself, and I hope that Ms Rojo keeps finding such gifted young dancers to replace the many that leave, as she (or someone in her team) is of course really doing a great job in finding talented young dancers. Questions are asked about why the most talented leave (on and off the stage), but that is up to the management of ENB to deal with, if they are so inclined.

[fromthebalcony]

1 hour ago, Kate_N said:

 

Indeed. And the speculation is often under-informed. Discussing this with several members of my family who work in the theatre/ballet world as performers/dancers and in other areas as theatre professionals, it's often that performers simply want a change; it's good for their art & development. My actress mother used to change companies every couple of years just to learn more and work with different directors (but in those days jobs were more plentiful).

 

I think it's unreasonable to read anything more into it than that.

 

Shouldn't we be applauding the ENB for investing in & developing such a dancer? 

We definitely should be applauding ENB for investing and developing dancers, as we should any company which does so.  I also have no problem with dancers/performers changing companies, and, as you said, there are many reasons for making a change.  I have two children involved in the dance profession and another who is on a college dance team.  Having been involved in the industry for quite awhile, my point was and still is that gratitude goes a long way.  

[Nina G.]

In the current issue of Dance Europe ex-ENB principals Lauretta Summerscales and Jonah Acosta reveal -  LS: " You start to realise...your CV is still the same after several years....you need a break to learn new things..." and Jonah Acosta:"...been there six and a half years and did all the repertoire they had...I also had a problem with Tamara (Rojo) , we were fighting a lot because I wanted to be freer to do my own things". 

 

The limited repertoire and dancer/AD issue(s) seem to be the reason why these two dancers left ENB, I can only guess the reason(s) why so many other dancers left ENB last Season.

 

[nevsky]

28 minutes ago, fromthebalcony said:

We definitely should be applauding ENB for investing and developing dancers, as we should any company which does so.  I also have no problem with dancers/performers changing companies, and, as you said, there are many reasons for making a change.  I have two children involved in the dance profession and another who is on a college dance team.  Having been involved in the industry for quite awhile, my point was and still is that gratitude goes a long way.  

 

I find that respect and gratitude is a 'two-way' street.

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by nevsky

[aileen]

Interesting to read the comments by Summerscales who benefitted greatly from Rojo's directorship in the form of both casting and promotions; early on she was, I recollect, promoted from artist to soloist or first soloist. Rojo didn't manage to keep her either (I very much doubt that she will return if her husband remains in Munich) but, regardless of repertoire, it was probably inevitable that she would leave when her husband left for a company abroad.