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The Royal Ballet: La Bayadère, London, November 2018


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Gorgeous piccies again Don Q

I am just always so amazed when you see some dancers for real as it were like Takada how such tiny frames can produce such wonderful strength in performance. Makarova was one in the past who impressed me in this way too.

 

Sorry just want to mention something  Mary said (on the Mayerling thread) about Bayadere music.

Some bits are extremely catchy ...if not exactly the greatest music ever written ..and sometimes it's a small bit which you might not expect! Mary mentioned the Idol music....which ended up being a bit of an ear worm. Well for me too ....was its the lovely Shades bit going round in my head on the way home.....no it was that Idol music ...and it kept coming in over the next couple of days too!! 

 

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I went on Monday (Osipova/Corrales/Nunez) and Thursday (Nunez/Muntagirov/Osipova)...I really loved both but definitely Monday was my favourite.

 

So my thoughts on the Monday performance...

I thought Corrales was sensational in his debut.  I've only seen him perform once before in La Jeune Homme et la Mort where I thought he was great so was already looking forward to seeing him with RB but I think he even surpassed my expectations 😊  I thought he brought great power and presence to the stage and also had great chemistry with Osipova.

 

Osipova's Nikiya just about broke my heart.  I thought she really 'felt' the role and danced and acted the role beautifully.  I thought Nunez was magnificent as Gamzatti.  She brings a real sense of authority to this role, I love her interpretation.  She just walks on the stage and you know she's not to be messed with 😄  I really love Nunez but especially in the not so nice parts, she remains my favourite Myrtha and I love her Odile, for example.  She always seems to nail the nasty side of a character without going OTT.

 

And for Thursday...

Although I preferred Osipova and Nunez cast the other way round I still had a brilliant time.  Muntagirov was technically amazing, his solos were really wow but I just didn't feel the emotion in the first act but for me it was there in act 2 and 3.  Nunez danced beautifully and I thought it was a very heartfelt performance.  Osipova danced great but I think I wasn't so keen on her Gamzatti.  I think the character is just not such a natural fit for her or maybe I just prefer the Nunez interpretation.  She obviously danced very impressively.

 

It was great seeing Kingdom of Shades, the corps were amazing and I loved the Shades solos.  I thought Yuhui Choe particularly shone.  Anyway overall I really loved La Bayadere, the music, the corps work, a lot of exciting choreography and not just for the principals.  I've never seen it live before, just on the DVD and youtube so it was a real treat. 

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This post is about La Bayadere, though I'll set the context first...

My partner and I went to the 'Month of Sundays' afternoon today. What a brilliant deal for £5! As well as a showing of the Ballet Boyz 'Young Men', we got to see Matthew Ball rehearsing The Unknown Soldier in the Clore. Talk about up close and personal. It really brought home the sheer power of the physical forces at play as Matthew spun and jumped his way around the studio, working up a sweat and huffing and puffing. Marriott, Howells and O'Hare took questions afterwards; one was about the process of staging the work, and O'Hare mentioned, tongue in cheek, how he liked to keep the costs down. Well, as they cleared the studio my partner saw an opening and sidled up to Kevin with a few tongue in cheek questions related to cost; 'why, in Mayerling, is Stephanie presented with what appears to be a choice between a nightie, four pillow slips and a net curtain for her wedding night?' and 'why, in Mayerling, does Mary usually end up in a darned negligee?' 

But my partner also took the opportunity to tell Kevin just how good was the run of La Bayadere, how impressive was Osipova's reading of Gamzatti on opening night (complete infatuation with Solor), and how great it would be if she did that for the cinema broadcast. Now, I don't know how much influence Kevin has with the force of nature that is Osipova, but my partner wishes to lay claim to 'influencer' status (like Rob S with the scrim) if Osipova delivers that on Tuesday! 😁 

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Well I hope so too as now have a ticket for Tuesday's performance at the ROH!! Am looking forward to seeing the reversal of roles of Osipova and Nunez ( though I think  Osipova is more of a Nikiya than Gamzatti but will see) and to Muntagirov as Solor of course. Am hoping to remember to take my glasses with me as well this time so will actually be able to see their faces!! 

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I notice on the ROH web site this morning under La Bayadere casting/dates, that this week Magri is down for Gamzatti - is this an unscheduled debut?  I am sure she was not scheduled to dance this with Cuthbertson/Ball.  I checked ROH news, but no mention of cast change.  If anyone can elucidate that would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks

Amanda

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6 minutes ago, fashionista said:

I notice on the ROH web site this morning under La Bayadere casting/dates, that this week Magri is down for Gamzatti - is this an unscheduled debut?  I am sure she was not scheduled to dance this with Cuthbertson/Ball.  I checked ROH news, but no mention of cast change.  If anyone can elucidate that would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks

Amanda

 

Magri was in the original casting announced on 11 April.

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Well, I won't get to see this production .... it’s a little far away for an easy commute, so this is just a general spray about Orientalism, with particular reference to LB. And my general reference is RB's DVD with Roja, Costa and Nunez.

In general, Orientaliasm means that the orient is all about sexuality and exoticism: LB all over. However,  let's start with the temple and its 'monks'. Temple dancers are restricted to Hindu temples, so no 'monks', and especially no monks wearing something vaguely reminiscent of Buddist robes. And the dancers would not be flaunting their naked middles - that's a European fantasy. The unrestrained sexuality of the east. In fact, temple dancers were respected members of society until the British came along, impoverished their aristocratic supporters and classified temple dancers as prostitutes.  LB dancers establish themselves as 'foreign' with their clothes and their hand gestures ... bent at the wrist so the hand is parallel to the floor. Where in the world does this come from? Certainly not from observations of any Indian dance form. And then there is the intrusion of 'African' dancers, especially in the POB and Bolshoi versions of the story, not to mention piccanninis, elephants and god knows what. The exotic ousing from every pour. 

But unbridaled sexuality leads to unbridaled jelousy ... I'm looking at you, Gamzetti. And desire for revenge. And snakes in baskets (all too reminiscent of Cleopatra, that other dangerous and exotic female) are definitely an exotic and un-European way of disposing of a rival.

Then we have the beautiful shades scene. But what is going on? A lovely opium dream. But Europeans don't smoke opium. Perish the thought. Only lascivious Easterners do so. Think of the opium dreams in ballet. Are any if them dreampt by good, upstanding Europeans? No they are not. At least as far as I know. 

And so we go on to the idol's dance. Bronze or gold, it doesn't matter, but the use of 'idol' is significant. And can I ask for once, just for once,  that when the 'idol' finally sits down, after a dance that says a good deal about the needs of western male dancers, but nothing at all about the reality of male Indian dancing, that he actually sit with his crossed legs parallel to the floor,  rather than his knees up around his ears. Anyone actually sitting in this position for meditation would be in agony in 10 minutes flat.

I am sorry to go on at such length, particularly as, when I can bring myself to ignore the ideology, and just focus on the ballet, I like it. Nor do I expect historical accuracy in ballet. But so many, particularly 19th century ballets are awash with orientalism (think Le Corsaire and Raymonda, not to mention the early 20th century Sheherazade) that this needs to be born in mind, just as Macmillan's Judas Tree is attracting more and more negative criticism. I suppose the repertoire of classical ballets is small, so we will be seeing LB for a long time to come, but it is imporrant to be aware of the insidious infliuence of largely unexamined assumptions.  

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I think La Bayadère is so laughably and obviously not related to anything that ever really existed on the Indian subcontinent that it says nothing about the place. It tells us a lot about European attitudes though: it's set in a European fantasy world, not India. The whole thing is a opium dream by a European.

 

I'd argue Le Corsaire is rather worse for being less fantastic.

 

4 minutes ago, jmb said:

that he actually sit with his crossed legs parallel to the floor,  rather than his knees up around his ears. Anyone actually sitting in this position for meditation would be in agony in 10 minutes flat.

 

Huh? That position is easy. I often meditate in that sort of position for much longer than ten minutes. In fact, the position the idol assumes on the temple steps in that recording constitutes a comfortable long term sitting position.

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Totally agree that LB is a European fantasy, as is Le Corsaire. But dangerous fantasies, it could be argued.

As for meditation positions, well, we'll just have to disagree 😊

 

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3 minutes ago, jmb said:

As for meditation positions, well, we'll just have to disagree 😊

 

No, we won't. It is not true to say that that position isn't a viable sitting position. 

 

4 minutes ago, jmb said:

Totally agree that LB is a European fantasy, as is Le Corsaire. But dangerous fantasies, it could be argued.

 

I'd agree Le Corsaire is potentially dangerous, in a "propaganda works" sort of way. I'm just not sure that La Bayadère is closely enough related to reality to be very dangerous.

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2 hours ago, jmb said:

 Think of the opium dreams in ballet. Are any if them dreampt by good, upstanding Europeans? No they are not. At least as far as I know. 

 

 

In Peter Darrell's production of Swan Lake for Scottish Ballet act 2 is Siegfried's opium induced dream.  Siegfried is a good upstanding aristocratic European...

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2 hours ago, jmb said:

Then we have the beautiful shades scene. But what is going on? A lovely opium dream. But Europeans don't smoke opium. Perish the thought. Only lascivious Easterners do so.

 

But Solor isn’t European, upstanding or otherwise, is he? 

 

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8 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

In Peter Darrell's production of Swan Lake for Scottish Ballet act 2 is Siegfried's opium induced dream.  Siegfried is a good upstanding aristocratic European...

 

Let’s not forget that the opium based Laudanum was used as a painkiller and general remedy by anybody and everybody in the Victorian era; aristocracy and all.  

 

Anyway, we digress. 

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'it is imporrant to be aware of the insidious infliuence of largely unexamined assumptions.'

 

And there was me thinking political correctness was a peculiarly British disease.

 

We are all adults, not children.  Most of us are educated and a lot of us are widely travelled.  Just as I don't believe Jack had a Giant Beanstalk or Ali Baba a Magic Carpet, I am perfectly able to understand that Bayadere is a fairy story - even if it doesn't have any fairies.  

 

Must we be revisionist about everything, including fantasies?  As for these delightful ballets being dangerous - words fail me.  The only danger I can detect is that of treating art as something to be censored in case it leads to impure thoughts.

 

 

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4 hours ago, fashionista said:

I notice on the ROH web site this morning under La Bayadere casting/dates, that this week Magri is down for Gamzatti - is this an unscheduled debut?  I am sure she was not scheduled to dance this with Cuthbertson/Ball.  I checked ROH news, but no mention of cast change.  If anyone can elucidate that would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks

Amanda

 

If there had been a cast change, you wouldn't have found in on the news pages of the ROH website.  Last month, Chris Shipman, (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) ,posted the following on the ROH website. 

"Principal cast changes are now served via email communication to bookers. We've made this change to ensure that all bookers are made aware of such changes, rather than just those who visit these pages. Cast changes are also communicated on the evening via our new front of house digital screens"

Those who might have wanted to book to see the replacement dancer will therefore be at a distinct disadvantage.  I have to say that I find it hard to understand why they can't announce the changes on the news pages as well as in emails to bookers.

 

 

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14 hours ago, jmb said:

Well, I won't get to see this production .... it’s a little far away for an easy commute, so this is just a general spray about Orientalism, with particular reference to LB. And my general reference is RB's DVD with Roja, Costa and Nunez.

In general, Orientaliasm means that the orient is all about sexuality and exoticism: LB all over. However,  let's start with the temple and its 'monks'. Temple dancers are restricted to Hindu temples, so no 'monks', and especially no monks wearing something vaguely reminiscent of Buddist robes. And the dancers would not be flaunting their naked middles - that's a European fantasy. The unrestrained sexuality of the east. In fact, temple dancers were respected members of society until the British came along, impoverished their aristocratic supporters and classified temple dancers as prostitutes.  LB dancers establish themselves as 'foreign' with their clothes and their hand gestures ... bent at the wrist so the hand is parallel to the floor. Where in the world does this come from? Certainly not from observations of any Indian dance form. And then there is the intrusion of 'African' dancers, especially in the POB and Bolshoi versions of the story, not to mention piccanninis, elephants and god knows what. The exotic ousing from every pour. 

But unbridaled sexuality leads to unbridaled jelousy ... I'm looking at you, Gamzetti. And desire for revenge. And snakes in baskets (all too reminiscent of Cleopatra, that other dangerous and exotic female) are definitely an exotic and un-European way of disposing of a rival.

Then we have the beautiful shades scene. But what is going on? A lovely opium dream. But Europeans don't smoke opium. Perish the thought. Only lascivious Easterners do so. Think of the opium dreams in ballet. Are any if them dreampt by good, upstanding Europeans? No they are not. At least as far as I know. 

And so we go on to the idol's dance. Bronze or gold, it doesn't matter, but the use of 'idol' is significant. And can I ask for once, just for once,  that when the 'idol' finally sits down, after a dance that says a good deal about the needs of western male dancers, but nothing at all about the reality of male Indian dancing, that he actually sit with his crossed legs parallel to the floor,  rather than his knees up around his ears. Anyone actually sitting in this position for meditation would be in agony in 10 minutes flat.

I am sorry to go on at such length, particularly as, when I can bring myself to ignore the ideology, and just focus on the ballet, I like it. Nor do I expect historical accuracy in ballet. But so many, particularly 19th century ballets are awash with orientalism (think Le Corsaire and Raymonda, not to mention the early 20th century Sheherazade) that this needs to be born in mind, just as Macmillan's Judas Tree is attracting more and more negative criticism. I suppose the repertoire of classical ballets is small, so we will be seeing LB for a long time to come, but it is imporrant to be aware of the insidious infliuence of largely unexamined assumptions.  

"after a dance that says a good deal about the needs of western male dancers".  Of course it does....it was choreographed for western male dancers.  I look forward to your critique of Akram Khan using Kathak steps on western classical ballet....steps that perhaps say a good deal about the needs of Indian Kathak dancers, not the reality of classical ballet dancing.

 

Regarding the use of opium/laudanum in LB, this has nothing to do with Solor being perceived as a "lascivious Easterner".  He smokes the hookah to relieve the pain of his guilt, to escape his circumstances.  This paints him as a human being who is suffering.   People all over the world have been using drugs of one kind or another to escape from pain (mental and physical) for millennia.  In some countries it would be alcohol, in some countries, perhaps where alcohol is banned, it would be drugs of one kind or another.  Either way, plenty of Europeans have been portrayed in all forms of art as raving alcoholics or drug addicts...by other Europeans.  Sometimes it's true, sometimes it isn't.  So what?  If we were to start ripping historic portrayals apart in the search for veracity, many of Shakespeare's plays, many movies (including Bollywood), many books, many operas would all have to be torn apart at the core and left an empty shell.  Le Corsaire and La Bayadere   'dangerous'??  Wow, if that's the case, let's use them to start the revolution right now.

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5 hours ago, jmb said:

Think of the opium dreams in ballet. Are any if them dreampt by good, upstanding Europeans? No they are not. At least as far as I know. 

 

Isn't The Pharoah's Daughter the opium dream of the British explorer Lord Wilson?

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BRAVO Sim, I think it's about time we all stand up against the PC brigade (or whatever they want to be or should be called).

It's all going too far now, we have zipped up long enough! So much so I am sick and tired of it.  Soon all museums will have to take down their Orientalist paintings, and many many others. 

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The broadcast discussion between Indian choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh and Olga Evreinoff is very interesting in relation to thoughts about authenticity, cultural stereotypes and so on. Jeyasingh is very emphatic that the ballet (which she seems to enjoy) has very little to do with India, everything to do with 19th Century fascination with exotic orientalist fantasy.

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5 hours ago, John Mallinson said:

The broadcast discussion between Indian choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh and Olga Evreinoff is very interesting in relation to thoughts about authenticity, cultural stereotypes and so on. Jeyasingh is very emphatic that the ballet (which she seems to enjoy) has very little to do with India, everything to do with 19th Century fascination with exotic orientalist fantasy.

Exactly....as Penelope Simpson said above, no-one seriously believes that this is supposed to be an accurate depiction of The East.  It is simply an homage to what people more than 100 years ago liked to think the East was.  Anyway, like most clichés, some of it is based on truth.  No-one would have pulled all of this stuff out of thin air.  None of us was there, so I don't think we are in a position to decide how much these ballets have to do with what did or didn't go on in these places at these times.  Some of it is based on truth, some of it isn't.  So what?  It's called fantasy, escapism, fun, joy.  It would seem these days that we aren't supposed to be allowed those things anymore.  

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To be honest, I'm happy to "take it as I find it" storywise as I'm far more focused on the wonderful dancing we are being treated to.

But I was mighty relieved that the Fakirs were dirty with ash from their tending of the fires, rather than 'blacked-up' in any way.

 

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Capybara, I posted this on the Insights thread a few days back, probably worth putting here as well:

 

I watched the RB La Bayadere Blu-ray today and the Fakirs really are grey rather than ‘blacked up’ so I thought I’d have a quick Google. ‘The Mystics, Ascetics and Saints of India’, 1903, by John Campbell Oman, says that Sadhus (Hindu version of Fakir as far as I can tell) rub their skin all over with ashes for protection from the sun’s rays and insects. The ash is sifted down to a fine powder so gives a good covering.

Google says this about the book I referred to: “This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.”

 

If you Google 'Sadhus' you'll find lots of relevant images showing it's not blacking-up.

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2 hours ago, Bluebird said:

 

If there had been a cast change, you wouldn't have found in on the news pages of the ROH website.  Last month, Chris Shipman, (Head of Brand Engagement and Social Media) ,posted the following on the ROH website. 

"Principal cast changes are now served via email communication to bookers. We've made this change to ensure that all bookers are made aware of such changes, rather than just those who visit these pages. Cast changes are also communicated on the evening via our new front of house digital screens"

Those who might have wanted to book to see the replacement dancer will therefore be at a distinct disadvantage.  I have to say that I find it hard to understand why they can't announce the changes on the news pages as well as in emails to bookers.

 

 

Thanks for this information.  I have never once received an email despite the fact that I am a Friend Plus.  I think it is far better to announce on the ROH web site.  Oh dear, more changes and not cast changes !!!!  

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On a different tack...the lovely photos reinforce my view that the bare midriff, see through baggy trousered costumes are deeply unflattering on a lot of the dancers.  

 

I remember seeing this production years ago, and I couldn't take my eyes off the ribs of the female lead.  I almost expected Solor to lay her down and start picking out a tune on them with a set of wooden mallets.     .  

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