zxDaveM Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Foteini Christofilopoulou was at the dress rehearsal for the Royal Ballet's run of Manon (opens March 29th, through to midMay, 2018). Here are some photos: Christopher Saunders, Francesca Hayward, Alexander Campbell © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Francesca Hayward, Federico Bonelli © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Claire Calvert, Alexander Campbell © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set from DanceTabs: Royal Ballet - Manon Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr By kind Permission of The Royal Opera House 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillykins Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thank you for the beautiful pictures. Heartbroken as woke up with streaming cold and had to miss the dress rehearsal. Never mind I have tickets for 1st May, same cast I think. Meanwhile I can enjoy the photos and reviews to come. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Great photos, thanks. I have just grabbed a ticket, so looking forward very much to Opening Night tomorrow ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Good day for Manon today - picture in The Times and music played on Radio 3 plus an interview with Beatrix Stix-Brunell. Don't need any encouragement to look forward to tomorrow evening but still welcome. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodlandGladeFairy Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Lovely photos, so much looking forward to seeing Manon on 13th April with Natalia Osipova and Vladimir Shklyarov, not familiar with Vladimir Shklyarov as a dancer but should be an exciting evening plus it has Yasmine Naghdi, Marcelino Sambé and Gary Avis!!!! Last time I saw Manon was 2014 with Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov and that was a magical matinee performance (really glad they have been paired together again for this run, have also booked in for the cinema encore viewing of the ballet on 6th May). Its one of my favourite ballets, love the costumes and I adore the music, am counting down the days. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointetoes Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Wonderful afternoon with DD at the rehearsal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 21 minutes ago, ninamargaret said: Good day for Manon today - picture in The Times and music played on Radio 3 plus an interview with Beatrix Stix-Brunell. Don't need any encouragement to look forward to tomorrow evening but still welcome. It was Meghan Grace Hinkis interviewed on In Tune! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Wow, Bonelli and Hayward dancing the full ballet two days in a row?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 7 minutes ago, Sim said: It was Meghan Grace Hinkis interviewed on In Tune! thanks for the correctiozn, I missed the introduction and deduced wrongly! And yes, 'wow' to two performances in a row! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Sim said: Wow, Bonelli and Hayward dancing the full ballet two days in row?! I'm guessing that the lovely photos are from a Dress Rehearsal on an earlier date. It would be good to know which cast danced at today's General Rehearsal. Sadly I had to miss it. Edited March 28, 2018 by Josephine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 yes, the photos from Tuesday's pre-general rehearsal. The cast at today's (wednesday's)Friends rehearsal was Hamilton and Kish I believe 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 30 minutes ago, zxDaveM said: yes, the photos from Monday's pre-genral rehearsal. The cast at today's Friends rehearsal was Hamilton and Kish I believe Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 I was just editing to correct my days - I'm on a day off and completely lost what day of the week it is! (senior moment or what!) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 36 minutes ago, Josephine said: It would be good to know which cast danced at today's General Rehearsal. Sadly I had to miss it. Hamilton/Kish/Gartside/Hay/Hinkis/Avis 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thanks all. I thought it was a bit weird for them to be doing it twice in two days! 😱 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Just looking at casting- I see Morera is still down for one performance. Surely this isn’t correct - isn’t Hayward taking over all performances? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 As regards Laura Morera, the announcement covered just the first of her scheduled performances: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-changes-manon-spring-2018 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 16 hours ago, Sim said: It was Meghan Grace Hinkis interviewed on In Tune! Lovely interview with her. Like other young RB dancers, she seems so well grounded and happy in her work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Just out from a brilliant first night - superb staging, lovely costumes, poignant music, and fantastic dancers. Cannot think of many more superlatives for Francesca Hayward, and she was so well supported by Bonelli. I loved Alexander Campbell as Lescaut - he was so exuberant and also very amusing in the drunken dance scenes, along with Claire Calvert. Get tickets if you can ! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 I had a ticket but have a horrible flu-like virus so had to give my ticket away. My daughter just texted me to say that Hayward/Bonelli were amazing. So go on folks....anyone else want to make me feel even worse??!! 😂😳. I have to wait until their next performance to see them. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Hayward was exquisite..... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Sorry Sim Hope you are better soon. I had flu and missed the whole of Giselle. But oh... Francesca Hayward's delicate, fluid perfect lines tonight ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobR Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 She was, and Bonelli was terrific too. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 3 minutes ago, Sim said: I had a ticket but have a horrible flu-like virus so had to give my ticket away. My daughter just texted me to say that Hayward/Bonelli were amazing. So go on folks....anyone else want to make me feel even worse??!! 😂😳. I have to wait until their next performance to see them. So sorry Sim - hope you are better soon and I'm sure you will love their next performance. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 6 minutes ago, Sim said: I had a ticket but have a horrible flu-like virus so had to give my ticket away. My daughter just texted me to say that Hayward/Bonelli were amazing. So go on folks....anyone else want to make me feel even worse??!! 😂😳. I have to wait until their next performance to see them. Hope you feel better soon, Sim. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Thanks Richard, Mary and Bridie. I loved her Manon last time around, and I can imagine it's even better now! So pleased you all enjoyed it so much. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 8 minutes ago, Mary said: Sorry Sim Hope you are better soon. I had flu and missed the whole of Giselle. But oh... Francesca Hayward's delicate, fluid perfect lines tonight ! Indeed - she moves so beautifully, and her arms seem to have several more joints than us mere mortals! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Absolutely stunning! Even got me tearful, not an easy thing to do. Hayward was so delicate, displaying all the different facets of the character , Bonelli was ardent, very moving particularly in the last act. They looked good together and his partnering was superb. I loved Alexander Campbell, although I missed the nastiness that David Wall used to bring to the part. Needless to say, Gary Avis made the most unpleasant Gaoler! All in all a.marvellous evening. I'm sorry you missed it Sim, hope the dreaded bug goes quickly - you don't want to miss this! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theorist Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 I thought Hayward was even better tonight than I remember from her debut. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 A fabulous performance from the whole company, but Hayward was simply breathtaking. As others have mentioned, her movements are so fluid; one melting into the next - then when she clenches her hand the contrast makes such an incredibly strong impact. She elevated dance to something really special tonight. So glad I could witness it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 28 minutes ago, theorist said: I thought Hayward was even better tonight than I remember from her debut. Yes, she's really matured into the role now. I thought just about the whole company were on excellent form tonight. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 The company were indeed on good form - again- and although I don't have much time today I wanted to single out Alexander Campbell's very good Lescaut and Marcelino Sambe in the three -super- gentlemen, (between Bracewell and Ball I think) as well- and also the marvellous costumes, which add so much to this production in conjuring up a world. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 If you love the ballet Manon & would rather not read a different viewpoint, then you may prefer to skip this post. But first the positives about last night. I echo all the praise for Francesca Hayward – the quality of her performance gave me goosebumps & I enjoyed her partnership with Federico Bonelli. As other posters have said, I also felt that the company are on great form. The first time I saw Manon was in October 2014 & I haven’t seen it since. Last night, viewing from the amphi, the whole set felt tired to me, too cluttered, with too much going on – there were times when I lost track of the main protagonists in particular scenes. So that didn’t help my view of this ballet. But the main thing that I was conscious of watching Manon last night, was that this was a story about a woman facing major choices about what she wanted from love & life, up against a male-dominated society, but that this story was very much being told from the perspective of a male choreographer. I enjoyed Manon in 2014, so am very struck by how much I have changed my opinion. I think the change is due to the abuses of male power that have been uncovered since then & the #metoo movement. So, I started wondering what alterations to Manon I would wish to see. From articles I have read, I understand Kenneth MacMillan really pushed the boundaries of ballet in his time, including with Manon (1974). In the case of this particular ballet, I personally feel that it is time now for the trail-blazing baton to be handed on at the Royal Ballet; for a female choreographer to tell the story of Manon. I’m thinking of someone with not just the talent, but also the depth of humanity in their work, such as Crystal Pite. I feel she could really mine the complexities of the character of Manon herself & the experiences of other women in the ballet, plus bring out the relevance these have with our own times, without veering into stereotypes or melodrama. (The amount of time Kenneth MacMillan spends in Manon focussed on female prostitutes plying their trade & interacting with male clients now feels to me to be salacious; on the wrong side of titillating.) I appreciate that others will feel very differently to me. The above post is purely a very personal reaction to Manon & one that has taken me by surprise. As I’ve already bought tickets for as many other Manon casts as I could, I’m in a bit of a dilemma. I’d love to see those casts, but I really don’t know if I can sit through this production of Manon again. If I do, it will be purely because of my appreciation of the talent of the dancers currently in the Royal Ballet. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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