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The Royal Ballet: New Swan Lake Production, Summer 2018


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7 hours ago, JohnS said:

I’m still waiting for a fabulous Neopolitan dance. 

 

At the risk of being repetitive, have you tried Googling Wayne Sleep + Neapolitan? That brings up a famous recording showing one way this can go.

 

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7 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

At the risk of being repetitive, have you tried Googling Wayne Sleep + Neapolitan? That brings up a famous recording showing one way this can go.

 

 

Many thanks Geoff - I've seen this many times and it certainly sets a very high bar which I'd had in mind when seeing Swan Lake this run, not that I'm suggesting this is how it should be danced or the tambourines played (particularly before they're thrown to the catchers).  

This run I've found David Yudes the most impressive (at the Open Rehearsal) but have not yet been completely convinced by the pairs I've seen.

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I have many thoughts which I will post tomorrow, but Yasmine Naghdi - WOW. Sheer perfection. Her Odile was especially mesmerising. Disappointed by Kish, who paled in comparison. Loved Sambe as Benno, and a lovely performance from the cygnets. Naghdi’s sheer versatility never fails to amaze me - from her louche Mistress in Manon to her fragile, yearning Odette, she is a true star. I just wish she could have been partnered with Ball or Muntagirov. :(

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Finally able to get down to London to see Swan Lake. Of course I chose to watch the sublime Yasmine Nagdhi. What a truly gifted ballerina this young woman is. When she is on the stage your eyes are drawn to her - every movement she makes is special. Her technique is assured those balances and double fouettes tonight were proof of that - but Nagdhi is more than a  technician she also is a wonderful actress able to transmit feelings and moods from the stage. For me Nagdhi has it all. Which is why it was such a shame her partner was unable to perform as well. As mentioned by others here Kish is not an ideal partner for the expressive and technically outstanding Nagdhi. Her standard was so high that it showed how lacking  was his. The male technique and charisma came from Sambe tonight and quite a few of the other guys. Unfortunately not from the prince.  I hate to sound so critical or appear mean - maybe it was an off night for him?? But why....?!

The corps were so good - it was so nice to notice how quiet their footwork was. I am full of admiration for them.

A very expensive night but totally worth it.

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A stunning performance from Yasmine tonight.  I just cannot believe this is only the third time she has danced the role.  She is going to be one of the great O/O interpreters.  This was perfection, pure and beautiful, technically amazing, dramatically convincing....this very special artist has it all.  How lucky we are to have her.  

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Well what a night at the ROH. It was one of those very rare occasions I honestly didn't want to return to earth! 

 

The whole company danced beautifully, Koen Kessels directed the orchestra so masterly he received well deserved loud cheers from the audience. Reece Clark stood out amongst the male dancers in the Waltz and Polonaise dance (I hope he will be promoted to First Soloist very soon). 

But the real star of the show was Yasmine Naghdi. OMG her balance in Act 3 was just unbelievable!!!! She received applause on multiple occasions throughout Act 3. Her Odile was truly out of this world, simply amazing! As Odette she's a natural, the lyrical style suits her so well and she danced Act 1 with the greatest of ease. If this is only her third performance what will future performances of her O/O bring us all. I strongly feel this will be Yasmine Naghdi's signature role for the rest of her career: she is an outstanding classical technician and a great actress too.  Very lucky, for those of us who were there tonight, to have witnessed her stunning performance. I must try and get hold of a ticket for her 18th June performance with Frederico Bonelli!

(oh, and it is about time Mr O'Hare partners this very fine ballerina with a star dancer!)

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8 hours ago, Sim said:

A stunning performance from Yasmine tonight.  I just cannot believe this is only the third time she has danced the role.  She is going to be one of the great O/O interpreters.  This was perfection, pure and beautiful, technically amazing, dramatically convincing....this very special artist has it all.  How lucky we are to have her.  

 

The act 2 pdd transcended beauty - it was one of those moments when I knew why I come to the ballet

The act 3 gpdd was dazzling, Yasmine's Odile was alluring, and cunningly wicked. She is really stamping her charaterisation on the role, big time

The act 4 pdd moved me to tears, it was glorious, so full of pathos and yearning. (NB - I did manage to restrain myself from running up on the stage to comfort her myself, but it was a struggle!! 😉 )

I can, as we say in Wales, say 'I was there'

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Only limited access to wifi at moment as am travelling but loved it last night I just really loved everything about Naghdi's performance she was just stunning but more about whole production etc when more time but will have to say loved both her costumes especially in Act 3 and I didn't mind the end quite so much as I thought I would after reading the Forum but there were a few not so good things ....just my opinion...overall.....though largely a very successful production.

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I'm debating whether to go to one of the open air Big Screen showings tonight at Trafalgar Sq or Canary Wharf - does anyone know from past experience how busy they get?  I'd like to see it but I'm not really up for arriving an hour in advance to get a place..

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34 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

The act 2 pdd transcended beauty - it was one of those moments when I knew why I come to the ballet

The act 3 gpdd was dazzling, Yasmine's Odile was alluring, and cunningly wicked. She is really stamping her charaterisation on the role, big time

The act 4 pdd moved me to tears, it was glorious, so full of pathos and yearning. (NB - I did manage to restrain myself from running up on the stage to comfort her myself, but it was a struggle!! 😉 )

I can, as we say in Wales, say 'I was there'

 

I was there too, and totally agree with Dave - it was a very special performance.

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25 minutes ago, Quintus said:

I'm debating whether to go to one of the open air Big Screen showings tonight at Trafalgar Sq or Canary Wharf - does anyone know from past experience how busy they get?  I'd like to see it but I'm not really up for arriving an hour in advance to get a place..

 

Given that it's Swan Lake, I would expect it to be very full, and that you'd need to get there very early.  I hope this mugginess has dissipated by then, or it's going to be really unpleasant.

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2 hours ago, Quintus said:

I'm debating whether to go to one of the open air Big Screen showings tonight at Trafalgar Sq or Canary Wharf - does anyone know from past experience how busy they get?  I'd like to see it but I'm not really up for arriving an hour in advance to get a place..

 

I went to Trafalgar Square (a while ago) and it was fine because the screen was enormous and the arena has various levels to perch on.

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Think I"ll do this in cribs and drabs!

First role of Siegfried and Benno.

its lovely that there is another male role with more dancing but does this Swan Lake go a little over the top in this I'm thinking?

I just cannot take to the Siegfried in this production...he is such a wimp!

its not just that there is not a whole lot of dancing for him to do earlier in the ballet but in the final act when he is just lying most of the time on the stage ....come on ....surely he can have a bit of a go at Rothbart....poor Odette has to do it all on her own!!

I thought about this and decided( rightly or wrongly)  that Scarlett cannot be so entrenched in the past that it's the usual old story of self sacrifice by the female!! SO perhaps he has created a deliberately strong Odette ( eg has more guts than Siegfried) as sort of saying she is not dependent on the male for salvation? 

For people completely new to Swan Lake I would say that they would be confused in the first Act especially and could think that Benno was the Prince!! 

Last night in the dancing of these roles Sambe danced Benno and he was terrific some lovely dancing from him ...he's a super jumper and lovely in the air AND he has a strong personality on stage( if I had been one of the Princesses I would definitely have been after Benno last night rather than Siegfried....but money and power and all that.....

Nehemiah Kish was Siegfried and I've never seen him in a main role before. Is he nearing the end of his career? Perhaps he wanted a final go at Siegfried if been with the Company as a Principal for a long time so in a way why not? But unfortunately he has a subdued presence on stage ....yes part of the role as well...but even in Swan Lake you need a bit of light as well as shade.  His dancing wasn't bad just did not have any wow factor for me whereas Naghdi had the wow factor in spades.

It is interesting why he has been partnered with the luscious Naghdi .....perhaps they get on very well as dancing partners and she could rely on him absolutely .....his partnering was exemplary in fact...he could certainly teach a few about those skills....so for her first go at the role chose to have a more mature partner etc.

Im sure the Nagdhi / Ball Swan Lake will come along before long and by then both will have developed in the roles.

Again I just need to say it ..... Naghdi was truely beautiful in her dancing last night.

More on costumes etc ....wifi running out!!

 

 

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Having only seen one Siegfried - Kish, I wondered if Scarlett meant Siegfried to appear so weak, he even appeared sulky in Act 1 - I wasn't sure if that was Kish's interpretation or if he was following directions. I will have another prince tonight to watch. In any case I agree with @LinMM I had no idea why the princess's and to a certain extent Odette herself, would be interested in this weak man.....

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42 minutes ago, Sharon said:

 I had no idea why the princess's and to a certain extent Odette herself, would be interested in this weak man.....

 

It depends on the cast, Sharon, although I feel that the role of Benno has been overwritten at no little disadvantage to the Prince.

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1 hour ago, Sharon said:

Having only seen one Siegfried - Kish, I wondered if Scarlett meant Siegfried to appear so weak, he even appeared sulky in Act 1 - I wasn't sure if that was Kish's interpretation or if he was following directions. I will have another prince tonight to watch. In any case I agree with @LinMM I had no idea why the princess's and to a certain extent Odette herself, would be interested in this weak man.....

 

That's interesting because I could completely understand why Princesses and Swan Princesses alike would fall for Bonelli's Siegfried! No hint of sulkiness or weakness; nowhere near enough to do in Act 1 but his portrayal was melancholy and wary, never sulky.  It'll be interesting to see how Muntagirov plays it this evening. 

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