ENB Coliseum Sleeping Beauty Casting 2018

[Bluebird]

Principal casting for The Sleeping Beauty at the London Coliseum in June is now on the ENB Website

 

https://www.ballet.org.uk/production/sleeping-beauty/#cast-section

 

Wednesday 6 June, 7.30pm
Alina Cojocaru* and Joseph Caley*

Thursday 7 June, 2pm
Erina Takahashi and Aitor Arrieta*

Thursday 7 June, 7.30pm 
Maria Alexandrova*† and Aaron Robison*

Friday 8 June, 7.30pm
Alina Cojocaru and Joseph Caley

Saturday 9 June, 2.30pm
Jurgita Dronina* and Isaac Hernández*

Saturday 9 June, 7.30pm
Erina Takahashi and Aitor Arrieta

Tuesday 12 June, 7.30pm
Maria Alexandrova† and Aaron Robison

Wednesday 13 June, 7.30pm
Erina Takahashi and Aitor Arrieta

Thursday 14 June, 2pm
Alina Cojocaru and Joseph Caley

Thursday 14 June, 7.30pm
Jurgita Dronina and Isaac Hernández

Friday 15 June, 7.30pm
Maria Alexandrova† and Aaron Robison

Saturday 16 June, 2.30pm 
Shiori Kase* and Cesar Corrales*

Saturday 16 June, 7.30pm
Jurgita Dronina and Isaac Hernández

*Debut in role with English National Ballet
†Guest Artist

Edited April 30, 2018 by Bluebird

[Jan McNulty]

And the body of the press release:

 

English National Ballet 
The Sleeping Beauty 
London Coliseum 
Wednesday 06 June – Saturday 16 June 2018 
Tickets: from £14 
Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/sleeping-beauty

• Maria Alexandrova to guest with English National Ballet for the first time 
• Lead Principal Alina Cojocaru debuts in the role of Princess Aurora with English National Ballet  
• Further debuts include Lead Principals Jurgita Dronina, Joseph Caley, Isaac Hernández, and Aaron Robison 

This summer English National Ballet presents Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty at the London Coliseum (06 June - 16 June).  

Principal casting for The Sleeping Beauty sees Lead Principals Alina Cojocaru and Joseph Caley, Lead Principals Jurgita Dronina and Isaac Hernández, and Principals Shiori Kase and Cesar Corrales debut in the roles of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré respectively. Lead Principal Erina Takahashi reprises the role of Princess Aurora, dancing alongside last year’s joint winner of the Emerging Dancer Award, Soloist Aitor Arrieta, who debuts in the role of Prince Désiré. 

Also debuting in the lead roles are Lead Principal Aaron Robison and Guest Artist, Maria Alexandrova. Bringing world class talent to UK audiences, the renowned ballet star’s performances in The Sleeping Beauty are her first with a UK Company. Born in Moscow, Alexandrova trained at the Moscow Choreographic Academy. She won Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1997 and joined the Bolshoi Ballet shortly after, becoming Principal in 2004. 

With stunning sets by Peter Farmer and elaborate costumes by Nicholas Georgiadas, this classical version of the fairy-tale ballet features Tchaikovsky’s ravishing score played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. This revival of The Sleeping Beauty coincides with the recent anniversary of MacMillan’s death, and follows the Company’s performances of MacMillan’s masterpiece Song of the Earth in the autumn/winter.

Alongside performances of The Sleeping Beauty, English National Ballet will host a range of workshops and events, aimed to provide a gateway into the world of ballet. Activities include on-stage workshops for all ages, Live Drawing, Family Events, and behind-the-scenes talks. For more details, see https://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/    

 

[Lizbie1]

Sorry if I've missed something, but is Fernanda Oliveira injured? I note that she's not cast in the AK Giselle either.

[capybara]

4 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Sorry if I've missed something, but is Fernanda Oliveira injured? I note that she's not cast in the AK Giselle either.

 

I have sent you a PM, Lizbie.

[Don Q Fan]

Sad I can't make one of Alexandrovas performances trains from Liverpool are messed up in June hotel prices horrendous and that's before the ticket for the ballet so will have to pass it's just too expensive. 

[alison]

I'm trying to imagine Robison as Florimund.

[DrewCo]

I bought my tickets way back in October -- and if nothing untoward interferes with my plans--I will be there the night Alexandrova is making her guest appearance. I'm eager to see the whole company (I haven't seen them since they were the Festival ballet and touring the U.S. with Nureyev) but I can't help but be kind of tickled!

[Bruce Wall]

11 hours ago, DrewCo said:

I bought my tickets way back in October -- and if nothing untoward interferes with my plans--I will be there the night Alexandrova is making her guest appearance. I'm eager to see the whole company (I haven't seen them since they were the Festival ballet and touring the U.S. with Nureyev) but I can't help but be kind of tickled!

 

Plus you get the wonderful Mr. Robison as the Prince.  You may have caught him in Houston or with SFB.  He's truly FANTASTIC!!!

[Geoff]

18 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

And the body of the press release:

 

English National Ballet 
The Sleeping Beauty 
London Coliseum 
Wednesday 06 June – Saturday 16 June 2018 
Tickets: from £14 
Box Office: 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/sleeping-beauty

• Maria Alexandrova to guest with English National Ballet for the first time 
• Lead Principal Alina Cojocaru debuts in the role of Princess Aurora with English National Ballet  
• Further debuts include Lead Principals Jurgita Dronina, Joseph Caley, Isaac Hernández, and Aaron Robison 

This summer English National Ballet presents Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty at the London Coliseum (06 June - 16 June).  

Principal casting for The Sleeping Beauty sees Lead Principals Alina Cojocaru and Joseph Caley, Lead Principals Jurgita Dronina and Isaac Hernández, and Principals Shiori Kase and Cesar Corrales debut in the roles of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré respectively. Lead Principal Erina Takahashi reprises the role of Princess Aurora, dancing alongside last year’s joint winner of the Emerging Dancer Award, Soloist Aitor Arrieta, who debuts in the role of Prince Désiré. 

Also debuting in the lead roles are Lead Principal Aaron Robison and Guest Artist, Maria Alexandrova. Bringing world class talent to UK audiences, the renowned ballet star’s performances in The Sleeping Beauty are her first with a UK Company. Born in Moscow, Alexandrova trained at the Moscow Choreographic Academy. She won Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1997 and joined the Bolshoi Ballet shortly after, becoming Principal in 2004. 

With stunning sets by Peter Farmer and elaborate costumes by Nicholas Georgiadas, this classical version of the fairy-tale ballet features Tchaikovsky’s ravishing score played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. This revival of The Sleeping Beauty coincides with the recent anniversary of MacMillan’s death, and follows the Company’s performances of MacMillan’s masterpiece Song of the Earth in the autumn/winter.

Alongside performances of The Sleeping Beauty, English National Ballet will host a range of workshops and events, aimed to provide a gateway into the world of ballet. Activities include on-stage workshops for all ages, Live Drawing, Family Events, and behind-the-scenes talks. For more details, see https://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/    

 

 

My eyes are old and tired but nowhere on this press release do I see the name Petipa mentioned, never mind the fact that this year is the 200th anniversary of his birth. It does mention the (I suppose in some people's eyes) far more important "anniversary of MacMillan's death", 26 years ago this October. Can't help feeling a bit disappointed.

[LinMM]

DrewCo hope you enjoy the performance!!

I have just booked for the 16th June matinee with Caesar Corrales and Shiori Kase can only afford to go once for this.

[Sim]

As I don't see ENB very often I have splurged on two shows:  7th (Maria) and 14th (Jurgita).  Really looking forward to it!

 

 

[capybara]

23 hours ago, alison said:

I'm trying to imagine Robison as Florimund.

 

Why? Do you have a problem with that, Alison?

He will be a splendid match-up with Alexandrova and excellent in his own right, I'm sure.

[alison]

It's just that it's such a different role from anything else I've seen him do that I can't as yet visualise him in it, that's all.

 

And he may have to stay un-visualised: I'm not sure whether I can make the Alexandrova dates.

[Geoff]

On 1 May 2018 at 10:49, Geoff said:

 

My eyes are old and tired but nowhere on this press release do I see the name Petipa mentioned, never mind the fact that this year is the 200th anniversary of his birth. It does mention the (I suppose in some people's eyes) far more important "anniversary of MacMillan's death", 26 years ago this October. Can't help feeling a bit disappointed.

 

As a postscript, just noticed this morning how the MacMillan Estate characterises the production on their website so thought I'd copy it here:

 

https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/the-sleeping-beauty-1/

[bridiem]

4 minutes ago, Geoff said:

 

As a postscript, just noticed this morning how the MacMillan Estate characterises the production on their website so thought I'd copy it here:

 

https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/the-sleeping-beauty-1/

 

???  Is this really all there is to say of it??

[Lizbie1]

Crikey!

 

And am I missing something or is it a bit odd that MacMillan, who'd been AD of the Royal Ballet for two or three years by then (but apparently wasn't classified as "Covent Garden Management"), had no say in the intended designer? Does anyone know more about this?

[DrewCo]

Since I'm going to see this ENB production, I had recently looked up old reviews of it.  Both Judith Mackrell and Mark Monahan wrote that the ENB production is the 1986 Macmillan production for American Ballet Theatre -- which the company bought in 2005 -- and which I had inferred was not the same as the 1973 Royal production. (Monahan is pretty explicit about this, but doesn't specify the differences. He also says the ABT sets were eventually replaced with sets more suitable for touring.)

 

The Macmillan website sent me to a page about the 1973 production even when I clicked on a link to Sleeping Beauty from a list of ballets and productions from 1977-1992.  But when I did a separate search via Google I got to this page:

https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/the-sleeping-beauty-2/

 

Edited May 26, 2018 by DrewCo

[Lizbie1]

Thank you, DrewCo - I came up against the same problem as you but didn't persevere!

[alison]

1 hour ago, Geoff said:

 

As a postscript, just noticed this morning how the MacMillan Estate characterises the production on their website so thought I'd copy it here:

 

https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/the-sleeping-beauty-1/

 

I'd disregard that entirely: IIRC, the ABT/ENB version is a later one, and is deemed to hold up very well against Covent Garden's (although that's probably been redesigned since).

[SheilaC]

One of the performances I shall always remember was of Lynn Seymour and Peter Martins performing Sleeping Beauty with Festival Ballet at the Coliseum. At that stage she still had that unique luminous, melting quality to her dancing (quite as special as her dramatic genius, which is mostly what people still recall) and she truly was a wondrous vision in the vision scene. Macmillan was sat very close to us in the stalls and seemed as overwhelmed as we were.

(She has a passage about that performance in her autobiography, Lynn, when she states that she only did one performance, guesting at 2 days' notice. Although she was not noted for her Aurora, the Nureyev film I am a Dancer includes them both dancing the Act 3 pas de deux and it shows how wonderfully musical she was,)

[alison]

Our coverage of the previous, 2012-13, run, is here:

If you hunt back in the Links to autumn 2012-spring 2013, you'll presumably find the critics' thoughts on it somewhere.

 

[Bluebird]

46 minutes ago, DrewCo said:

I have tickets to see this ENB production and had recently looked up old reviews of it.  Both Judith Mackrell and Mark Monahan wrote that the ENB production is based on the 1987 Macmillan production for American Ballet Theatre -- which I had inferred was not the same as the 1973 Royal production. (Monahan is pretty explicit about this, but doesn't specify the differences.)

 

The Macmillan website sent me to a page about the 1973 production even when I clicked on a link to Sleeping Beauty from a list of ballets and productions from 1977-1992.  But when I did a separate search via Google I got to this page:

https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/the-sleeping-beauty-2/

 

 

It was, indeed, the ABT production that ENB bought in 2005.  I have been to many performances since they acquired it and have found it to be a beautiful production with many exquisite costumes.

When they first performed it, Sky Arts (or Artsworld as it was then known) did a 15 minute feature on the production.  I kept a recording of this feature and just watched it again.  Peter Farmer is interviewed and says that he created completely new sets for the ENB production.  He says that  he wanted to make the sets slightly more romantic.  Matz Skook (the ENB director at the time) comments that all the sets are in a garden like setting and that we’re never inside the palace itself.  They did, however, use the original ABT costumes but these required extensive refurbishment as they were almost 20 years old at the time. 

I've just managed to find a ballet.co.uk ENB thread from 2005.  It includes many reactions to the first season of ENB performances of this production:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060214150136/http://www.ballet.co.uk:80/dcforum/happening/5281.html

Edited May 26, 2018 by Bluebird

[Geoff]

19 minutes ago, alison said:

 

I'd disregard that entirely: IIRC, the ABT/ENB version is a later one, and is deemed to hold up very well against Covent Garden's (although that's probably been redesigned since).

 

10 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

 

It was, indeed, the ABT production that ENB bought in 2005.  I have been to many performances since they acquired it and have found it to be a beautiful production with many exquisite costumes.

When they first performed it, Sky Arts (or Artsworld as it was then known) did a 15 minute feature on the production.  I kept a recording of this feature and just watched it again.  Peter Farmer is interviewed and says that he created completely new sets for the ENB production.  He says that  he wanted to make the sets slightly more romantic.  Matz Skook (the ENB director at the time) comments that all the sets are in a garden like setting and that they’re never inside the palace itself.  They did, however, use the original ABT costumes but these required extensive refurbishment as they were almost 20 years old at the time. 

 

Many thanks. My confusion arose from seeing that the ENB has designs by Peter Farmer. Peter Farmer did not do the original ABT MacMillan production (that was designed by Nicholas Georgiadis), so - obviously too hastily - I assumed this was RB 1973, as designed by Farmer. 

 

On a quick skim Jann Parry's 2009 biography of MacMillan does not appear to mention ENB 2005, so where might one find more detail on the journey from ABT Georgiadis to ENB Farmer?

Edited May 26, 2018 by Geoff

[alison]

Well, there's a bit more on the ENB website https://www.ballet.org.uk/production/sleeping-beauty/, but otherwise I think you might need to look for press articles/reviews - or possibly, if you have access to Westminster Reference Library, try back issues of the dance magazines.

[Bluebird]

40 minutes ago, Geoff said:

On a quick skim Jann Parry's 2009 biography of MacMillan does not appear to mention ENB 2005, so where might one find more detail on the journey from ABT Georgiadis to ENB Farmer?

 

If you look at Ian Palmer's contributions to the old ballet.co.uk ENB thread I quoted above, he goes into many details of the production. For ease of reference, here's the link again:

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20060214150136/http://www.ballet.co.uk:80/dcforum/happening/5281.html

 

It's a very long thread but the Sleeping Beauty posts are clearly indicated.

 

Edited to add that Ian's most detailed posts are Posts 60 and 66 in that thread

Edited May 26, 2018 by Bluebird

[alison]

You must tell me sometime how to get hold of old ballet.co pages, Bluebird - I didn't save the URLs for most of mine, so I don't know how else to find them on the Wayback Machine.

[Ian Macmillan]

I feel quite nostalgic for the reply formatting back on ballet.co - great to see it again.

[alison]

Formatting, or the tree structure?  IIRC, that was one of Bruce's main reasons for selecting that software, and it makes it a lot easier to follow the various digressions on the thread.  Just imagine if the current RB Swan Lake thread had that, how much easier it would be!

[Bluebird]

11 hours ago, alison said:

You must tell me sometime how to get hold of old ballet.co pages, Bluebird - I didn't save the URLs for most of mine, so I don't know how else to find them on the Wayback Machine.

 

I'm afraid it's a matter of trial and error, Alison.  You just go to the year in question, work out which available date is closest to the item you're looking for and 'cross your fingers'!

 

Edited to add the link to the Wayback Machine: 

http://web.archive.org/web/*/ballet.co.uk

Edited May 27, 2018 by Bluebird

[Ian Macmillan]

Alison - yes, it was the tree structure that I had in mind and, using it, this reply would have sat nicely under your question!

[alison]

Quite, Ian!

[alison]

On ‎30‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 16:03, Bluebird said:

Saturday 16 June, 2.30pm 
Shiori Kase* and Cesar Corrales*
 

 

Nooooooooo!!  Just realised the date - I'm already triple-booked that afternoon  

[cavycapers]

I am finding it quite hard to reconcile myself with the idea of supporting a company whose management style I have had concerns with for a while now.  Yet I have been a huge fan of the ENB for so long now, and am excited by some of the casting for SB: Alina is back!  Aaron Robison was exciting in everything I have seen him in.  Cesar Corrales has a performance before he goes off to partner Osipova in the Autumn!  Ultimately though,  I suppose it is the dancers who will suffer if those of us who feel like this stop buying tickets.  One thing is certain though, I won't be watching Mr. Hernandez despite the fact that he is dancing with the exquisite Jurgita Dronina.....