Bruce Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 (edited) Foteini Christofilopoulou was at the photocall of Carlos Acosta and Acosta Danza's Rooster, which premiered last night at the Royal Albert Hall. A couple of shots for your delectation... Carlos Acosta in Rooster © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Julio Leon, Alejandro Silva, Carlos Acosta and Leticia Silva in Rooster © Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more...Foteini Christofilopoulou: Carlos Acosta and Acosta Danza in 'Rooster' GalleryCourtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Edited October 3, 2018 by Bruce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromthebalcony Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 What was the audience reaction? It is a fun ballet to watch, although I know many dancers who complain about dancing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 8 minutes ago, fromthebalcony said: What was the audience reaction? It is a fun ballet to watch, although I know many dancers who complain about dancing it. What is it that they complain about? (I haven't seen it so can't guess.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 I love Rooster; it is a modern classic with plenty of opportunity for the dancers performing in it! I wonder if perhaps, because of it's contemporary style, dancers mostly performing in the classical style have more issues when it is thrown into a mixed programme? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromthebalcony Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Well, I remember when they did it in Boston. The dancers said it was fun once it got to stage (and, of course, the music is great), but that some of them felt (mostly women) that it was not especially challenging, and almost a bit demeaning. I enjoyed watching it, but I did think the women were more like backdrop go-go dancers in much of the piece. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-itm-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=itm&p=christopher+bruce+rooster#id=6&vid=694470b82d7909abf265c606e5f8f5fa&action=view 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 31 minutes ago, fromthebalcony said: I enjoyed watching it, but I did think the women were more like backdrop go-go dancers in much of the piece. But perhaps that is the point? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromthebalcony Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 (edited) Yes, I am sure it is the point. That does not make it desirable. Edited October 3, 2018 by fromthebalcony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 11 minutes ago, fromthebalcony said: Yes, I am sure it is the point. That does not make it desirable. It is set to 60s music in an environment I remember from my youth where there were always background dancers (usually but not always women) on Top of the Pops. I can't remember how many times I've seen Rooster since I first saw it performed by London Contemporary Dance Theatre in 1994 and I've never seen it as anything other than a piece reflecting the time of the music it was made on. Your initial question was about the audience reaction. I didn't see the performance but on the many occasions I have seen it performed it has always brought the house down. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: It is set to 60s music in an environment I remember from my youth where there were always background dancers (usually but not always women) on Top of the Pops. I can't remember how many times I've seen Rooster since I first saw it performed by London Contemporary Dance Theatre in 1994 and I've never seen it as anything other than a piece reflecting the time of the music it was made on. Your initial question was about the audience reaction. I didn't see the performance but on the many occasions I have seen it performed it has always brought the house down. I didn't realise we were talking about THE Rooster - I had assumed from the wording that it was a new work (and if the costumes are the same, I didn't remember them - it's a long time since I've seen it). But I too have good memories of Rooster. Edited October 4, 2018 by bridiem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Rooster is simply a bit of fun (which we don't seem to be allowed to have anymore) which, as Jan correctly points out, is a reflection of a fun and much less uptight era than the one we are in now. This is the first time I have ever heard of such a thing in this ballet. How is it 'demeaning'? It is simply depicting a time that's past. Will the Boston Ballet female dancers never dance in 90% of MacMillan's ballets? Or Taming of the Shrew? Or any of the fairytale ballets where the woman is saved by the man? Can't we all just relax and take these things for what they are? I can, anyway. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Incidentally, wasn't Rooster created on a ballet company? Geneva Ballet, if I remember correctly. Either way, it may perhaps not be the most technically demanding piece in the repertoire, but it still requires plenty of stagecraft and stage personality to bring off well. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Yes it was created for Geneva Ballet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 We went last night and found it a brilliant and exhilarating dance experience. Costa was wonderful and his fellow dancers are so committed, skilful, artistic and frankly Hot in every sense! It was fascinating to see Marta Ortega transform from a mermaid (or drunken lady - not sure quite which) into someone who could stand on her own two feet, literally. Her movements were so clever and subtle. The Alrededor No Hay Nada piece was a spectacular exhibition of controlled, slick, breakneck dancing – so expressive and powerful, even though we couldn’t follow the accompanying Spanish poetry. Rooster was great fun; the girls were in no way demeaned, rather the joke is all on the over-preening boys. Finally Carmen is a much more effective piece, in my view, than some reviewers have concluded, especially seen live with this company performing. There were several changes from the original RB production. Acosta played the toreador, rather than Don Jose. A really feisty performance from Laura Treto (I think it was her) as Carmen, who played the role with a lot more venom, I thought, than Nunez did. We were lucky enough to be fairly near the front and we had a great view of the performers, but I can see why there has been some criticism of the RAH for ballet productions (when not in the round) in terms of viewing for those further away – including equally expensive stalls seats nearer the rear. Also praise today (at a time of criticism on another thread) to the ROH for keeping their ice cream at £3 - it is £4.50 at the RAH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Yes, but it is Loseley, and larger tubs! (Please don't give the ROH any more ideas!) OTOH, the Strawberries and Cream one was disappointing pallid. I don't usually bother with vanilla or chocolate unless desperate. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 (edited) I do prefer the ROH brand (I forget its name). Also there had been a run on the Salted Caramel at the RAH by the time I got there and the vanilla was also a bit pallid 😢 Were you there for the Acosta, Alison? Edited October 6, 2018 by Richard LH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Update...it is "Criterion" Ice Cream at the ROH. Stem Ginger is my fav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 9 hours ago, Richard LH said: I do prefer the ROH brand (I forget its name). Also there had been a run on the Salted Caramel at the RAH by the time I got there and the vanilla was also a bit pallid 😢 Were you there for the Acosta, Alison? No, this was Proms over the summer. Loseley make so much more interesting flavours than vanilla and strawberries and cream. The ROH have the same ice creams as Sadler's Wells - just a far narrower selection. I rarely eat ice creams at the ROH. Anyway, perhaps we should get back to the subject under discussion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 11 hours ago, alison said: Anyway, perhaps we should get back to the subject under discussion? Yes indeed - maybe ice cream should have its own thread! ....Anyway, did no-one else seen the Carlos Acosta event? It was perhaps one of the last chances to see this extraordinary dancer live. But even if he does not join them on stage in the future, his vibrant Acosta Danza company will be well worth seeing when next around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 With apologies... a correction to the above....I understand Carmen was performed by Laura Rodriguez, not Laura Treto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now