JohnS Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 1 hour ago, penelopesimpson said: The three people who aren't in Cats 20 minutes ago, Rob S said: So that means Boris Gruzin, Dave the cloakroom attendant and the bloke that does the curtains 🙂 And we have on good authority that Peregrine isn't in Cats. Or perhaps he waves Boris Gruzin's stick - so long as he doesn't eat any bouquets when taking his bow but should hopefully be able to stay on his feet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, graemew said: Failed the audition - he couldn't sing (he was a little hoarse). Ha ha ! Graeme you should be banned for that ...😃 Today is now officially Funny Friday... Edited November 16, 2018 by Richard LH 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springbourne3 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 5 hours ago, Timmie said: And, back on topic, any insights on who the three shades will be tonight? I believe Melissa Hamilton will also be dancing one of the Shades tonight according to her Instagram account Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 15 hours ago, redshoesgirl2 said: pardon my jumping in, but is there a DVD in the works? Apparently so............. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 13 minutes ago, Springbourne3 said: I believe Melissa Hamilton will also be dancing one of the Shades tonight according to her Instagram account Better late than never, then................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 I thought someone said she hadn't been around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 6 minutes ago, alison said: I thought someone said she hadn't been around? They did. She's been guesting in 'galas' with Bolle, apparently. But the RB is her home company and I feel that it's a pity that she has not been seen so far during the run of Bayadere. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 32 minutes ago, alison said: I thought someone said she hadn't been around? She got lost on one of the Levels 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobR Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 1 hour ago, penelopesimpson said: She got lost on one of the Levels Easily done 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graemew Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 1 hour ago, penelopesimpson said: She got lost on one of the Levels I know some of us are finding levels and doors on "our" side confusing but a back stage tour reveals the nightmare of levels and colour "guides" behind the scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmeralda Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 9 minutes ago, graemew said: I know some of us are finding levels and doors on "our" side confusing but a back stage tour reveals the nightmare of levels and colour "guides" behind the scenes. True! And even at smaller opera houses as the ROH there are sometimes really confusing and weird ways, where you can get lost quite easily...but the artists are used to this, the (maybe even regular) visitor not... For anyone who is interested: the ROH Instagram account posted a short video about the Bronze Idol with Marcelinho Sambe and what it does need to get the look of a statue: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Glad that Melissa is back with her home company. Hope to hear good things of her solo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Need to be a true stalwart of a professional I think to take on this role!! Firstly the age to put the makeup on. Then a Dance.....a good one but....it's only what 3-4 mins Then a somewhat quick and ignominious discreet stage exit behind the High Brahmin! Then another hour to get the makeup off again!! Think they should get double pay that night! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 Silly question but why is The Bronze Idol painted gold? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Not a silly question, I wondered that myself! Perhaps the Bronze Idol is gold-plated! 🙂 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graemew Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 It amused me the way the paint is carefully poked into the ear! That will be a problem to remove. Presumably done for patrons in the boxes with extreme side views. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 The Russian versions call this character The Golden Idol and he dances in what is their Act 2 (the betrothal scene). Marcelino was very good tonight. To my eye, Melissa Hamilton's return was not auspicious but both Naghdi and Kaneko, who have danced the second solo most of the time, are more compact - and maybe that helps. Both O'Sullivan and Calvert reprised their excellent Shade solos. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 My thoughts exactly, Capybara. But when there’s Vadim, not much else matters. He was surely born to play Solor and tonight he shone. Not the least of his many attributes is his ability to make the audience feel that whatever else may go wrong, his performance will be faultless. What a dancer. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Is it my computer, or does that video cut out partway through? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 5 hours ago, Odyssey said: Glad that Melissa is back with her home company. Hope to hear good things of her solo. Not really, I’m afraid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clara_f Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, Odyssey said: Glad that Melissa is back with her home company. Hope to hear good things of her solo. Melissa Hamilton seemed a bit off and wooden this evening, hope everything was OK with her. The shade solos 2 (and 3) also seem to be quite unforgiving though so maybe not the best vehicle for her? She seems to shine more in the macmillan / mcgregor stuff. Did anyone ever see her when she performed in Germany in Swan Lake etc? Edited November 17, 2018 by Clara_f 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmeralda Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 7 hours ago, alison said: Is it my computer, or does that video cut out partway through? I wonered about it too, but I think videos on Instagram have a time restiction and because of this I went also to the RB Facebook page. There is the video too but actually longer. Since I am not longer at FB I see no updates there anymore, otherwise I would have posted this video directly. This is the link for the FB video. https://www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse/videos/484678558721928/ 6 hours ago, Clara_f said: Melissa Hamilton seemed a bit off and wooden this evening, hope everything was OK with her. The shade solos 2 (and 3) also seem to be quite unforgiving though so maybe not the best vehicle for her? She seems to shine more in the macmillan / mcgregor stuff. Did anyone ever see her when she performed in Germany in Swan Lake etc? I have and I agree with you completely that she fits better at the more "modern" stuff. She was wonderful in Dresden, no question! But it was Dresden (a great company but also going more in the modern direction) and simply just not the RB. Not really comparable. I just really don´t see her at RB at the classical direction, there are dancers - even in low(er) ranks - who I would prefer to see in classical variations. 7 hours ago, capybara said: The Russian versions call this character The Golden Idol and he dances in what is their Act 2 (the betrothal scene). Marcelino was very good tonight. To my eye, Melissa Hamilton's return was not auspicious but both Naghdi and Kaneko, who have danced the second solo most of the time, are more compact - and maybe that helps. Both O'Sullivan and Calvert reprised their excellent Shade solos. Wasn´t Acri scheduled to dance the Idol? Or am I totally confused? With all the cast changes and switches I am mixing everything together... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 The three Shade solos demand an absolute mastery of classical technic, especially the very slow solo no.2. Danced by Naghdi (Magri also danced it) she made it look easy, performing such a slow paced solo needs very strong control and a solid, impeccable technic. Such fine classical solos are perhaps not the best choice for Hamilton to dance. She struggled too when I saw her dance in Swan Lake as one of the princesses. Hamilton is a McGregor dancer and seems more at easy dancing roles in MacMillan ballets, such as Judas Tree, but when it comes to dancing pure classical roles she often struggles. She is no longer dancing the ultra classical Sugar Plum, she wasn't cast in "La Bayadere", is not cast in "Infra" nor in "Symphony in C" nor in Winter Dream but she is cast in The Concert. With Kaneko, Magri, Stix-Brunell, Calvert in the First Soloist rank and O'Sullivan in the Soloist rank (all much stronger classical dancers) the repertoire now on offer to Hamilton has become rather limited. Imo she didn't manage to up her (classical) game whilst away from the RB dancing with Semperover Dresden. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Esmeralda said: This is the link for the FB video. https://www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse/videos/484678558721928/ Gosh, I hadn't realised there was quite so much gold paint involved! I thought there must be some gold bodystocking in there somewhere. I pity the dancers having to have this put on and then taking it off afterwards. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 10 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: Silly question but why is The Bronze Idol painted gold? From time to time you’ll get someone on Antiques Roadshow that’s turned up with a bronze that’s been ruined by being polished to a near gold look. They always get told they should’ve left it alone and I’ve no doubt that if the Bronze Idol turned up he’d be told to stop rubbing himself. 🙂 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 On 15/11/2018 at 18:32, Fonty said: Regarding this very important question on how the Shades change to the alternate leg, there is a lovely clip on the ROH website which shows them rehearsing this. They all start on the ramp on the right leg, taking 2 steps and into the arabesque. Once they come off the ramp, as they are turning the lady swapping to the left leg for arabesque does 1 extra step, so that she does 3 steps into the arabesque. The one remaining on the right leg does the normal 2 steps. When each dancer gets to the end of a row, they put in 3 steps as they are turning to swap legs. Glad I have sorted that out! 🙂 For this beginner, there remains something which is not quite sorted out: the Shades alternate (every other one does the arabesque on the right leg, interwoven with all the others on their left) How does that work, why is it done and what is the impact (visually as well as physically)? Here is a relevant link to another part of the ROH website (haven’t found the clip you mentioned, Fonty, can you help with this as well?:- https://www.roh.org.uk/news/behind-the-scenes-rehearsing-la-bayaderes-kingdom-of-the-shades Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graemew Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 16 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Gosh, I hadn't realised there was quite so much gold paint involved! I thought there must be some gold bodystocking in there somewhere. I pity the dancers having to have this put on and then taking it off afterwards. I guess it depends whether you travel home on the bus as to whether you can leave it on. You would get away with it on the Tube 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Or you could stand around in the piazza afterwards and collect change in a hat..... I must say I think it is worth the effort as all the young men concerned have looked utterly stunning and left an impression on the mind's eye. This kind of loving detail and extra effort is what makes ROH productions special isn't it. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 8 minutes ago, Mary said: Or you could stand around in the piazza afterwards and collect change in a hat..... I must say I think it is worth the effort as all the young men concerned have looked utterly stunning and left an impression on the mind's eye. This kind of loving detail and extra effort is what makes ROH productions special isn't it. I don't disagree but could that also be what can contribute to the cost of tickets... I remember having to agree to disagree with a friend some years ago. A friend's sister worked in the costume department at ROH and, at the time, was sowing 105 bows (or something of that ilk) onto each pageboy costume for the pageboys who appeared in the Rose Adagio of the Makarova production of Sleeping Beauty. What an incredible waste of money. Surely the costumes could have been made more economically and still look sumptuous! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 I see what you mean- but don't they keep and re-use the costumes? Personally I don't mind them spending a lot of money on costumes, sets- and especially one hopes dancers, music etc etc etc. I love to see lavish, beautiful productions. What annoys me is money spent on daft unnecessary things like- what we've all been discussing for weeks so I won't go on! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graemew Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 My wife Barbara gets great pleasure from seeing the costumes, particularly when she can get an opportunity to see them in close up. She is not too taken with the typical "M&S vest and pants" of Waynes sartorial choices (although probably 10 times the price) but for productions like Swan Lake she can study and enjoy them for hours. You see, there are so many facets to ballet that mean different things to different people. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankH Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 26 minutes ago, Mary said: I see what you mean- but don't they keep and re-use the costumes? Personally I don't mind them spending a lot of money on costumes, sets- and especially one hopes dancers, music etc etc etc. I love to see lavish, beautiful productions. What annoys me is money spent on daft unnecessary things like- what we've all been discussing for weeks so I won't go on! They should have spent more on the tiger. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graemew Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 16 minutes ago, FrankH said: They should have spent more on the tiger. ........ on moth spray! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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