northstar Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) Went to a very special Nutcracker last night in Berlin. It was really quite exceptional. Yuria Isaka and Daniil Simkin were the leads. Desperately trying to workout how to embed images in posts and failing miserably. Oh, think I finally suceeded. # Edited December 4, 2018 by northstar 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
now voyager Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 12 minutes ago, northstar said: Went to a very special Nutcracker last night in Berlin. It was really quite exceptional. Yuria Isaka and Daniil Simkin were the leads. Desperately trying to workout how to embed images in posts and failing miserably. Oh, think I finally suceeded. I think that production is the most beautiful Nutcracker production I’ve ever seen, and I am looking forward to revisiting it later this month. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Thank you, northstar. Who was dancing? Edit: Ah, I guess you managed to edit that out when you reposted. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted December 4, 2018 Author Share Posted December 4, 2018 Yuria Isaka and Daniil Simkin were the leads, there didn't seem to be cast sheets and the web page casting only gives the leads, will try to find out somehow because there were so many brilliant dancers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 I love that in Berlin everyone takes a bow! I saw the Patrice Bart Swan Lake there last year and all the court and peeps from the third act took bows as well as the swans, the Queen, Rothbart, Siegfried and Odette/Odile. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Wonder whether the dancers do, or whether they'd rather be at home batheing their aching feet after Act III? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 An ex-Australian Ballet dancer now in Berlin said they often ice as soon as they get off stage, then just whizz back into costume for the bows! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmeralda Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Northstar, thank you for posting the photos - it is really a lovely production, one of my favourites! I am very happy that I can see it again on Christmas day (and next day La Bayadere - what a fantastic christmas it will be!). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esmeralda Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 9 minutes ago, Sophoife said: An ex-Australian Ballet dancer now in Berlin said they often ice as soon as they get off stage, then just whizz back into costume for the bows! Yes, hears it from a few dancers there too. Most dancers really love to get applause - it is so important like food to them. Also some dancers who will dance their entire life in the corps de ballet won´t have so many chances to get it like Soloists, principals etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted December 4, 2018 Author Share Posted December 4, 2018 Quote Northstar, thank you for posting the photos - it is really a lovely production, one of my favourites! I am very happy that I can see it again on Christmas day (and next day La Bayadere - what a fantastic christmas it will be!). That does sound amazing Esmeralda I didn't know they performed on Christmas day. Does anyone know how to find out the full cast for Staatsballet performances? I didn't see any programmes/cast sheet at the Deutsche Oper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Esmeralda said: Also some dancers who will dance their entire life in the corps de ballet won´t have so many chances to get it like Soloists, principals etc... So very true. I was so surprised and pleased when they all came out, as they also did in Stuttgart, because it's definitely not a thing they do at Australian Ballet. Oh and in response to @northstar on my visit last year I bought a programme and it contained a trifold A4 double-sided photocopied sheet listing the creatives, full cast including every swan and courtier, company management etc, theatre staff, orchestra members, and a very detailed synopsis! I'm sure @Esmeralda can give you more up to date info? Edited December 4, 2018 by Sophoife Added a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 Thanks Sophoife for the information, looks like I missed the chance to get a programme, I should have asked one of the ushers. Just to describe the performance if anyone is interested, it was the sheer quality that ultimately impressed me. It was a production and performance that was sumptuous and exquisite. For me, only Birmingham Royal Ballet's Sir Peter Wright productions have been similar to this. The main memories are the incredibly beautiful snowflake ensemble, with headdresses like snowy peacock fans; the stunning and sudden illumination of the kingdom of the sweets; the lead male dancer in the arabian dance with arabesques and developees as graceful as any prima ballerina; the perfection and verve of the leads' pdds and solos. And also the whole thing seemed to capture the gothic Hoffman-esque atmosphere of the Nutcracker more than any other production I've seen. Maybe this is just me investing my experience with this, having seen it in Berlin. Not cheap, but worth every Euro-cent. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 (edited) Hi Northstar I'm going next week seeing your cast. In Berlin you buy the cast list for 50cents or the full programme which also contains one. I'll be getting at least a cast list so I'd be happy to photograph it for you it will probably be similar. If you want a programme bringing back let me know by PM as I'm off to Hamburg tomorrow for the Balanchine x 2! Edited December 7, 2018 by Don Q Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 On 07/12/2018 at 20:23, northstar said: the lead male dancer in the arabian dance with arabesques and developees as graceful as any prima ballerina; the perfection and verve of the leads' pdds and solos. First, let me say hello to all of you, I joined the forum just recently. This is my first post and I am happy to read how much the Staatsballett production is praised here. It is indeed beautiful and I am happy that they brought this production back on stage (after Duato left). The male dancer in the Arabian Dance is Gregor Glocke. One of my favorite young dancers here. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I can post the programme with the entire cast from December 3rd. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 Hello Sabine0308 and welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 Thank you Janet! ❤ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 (edited) Quote The male dancer in the Arabian Dance is Gregor Glocke. One of my favorite young dancers here. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I can post the programme with the entire cast from December 3rd. Hello to you too Sabine0308! Thank you so much for the information, I am most grateful to you. I am still savouring the memory of the Staatsballet Nutcracker performance. I am based in the northwest of England where I see some fabulous touring companies, and have never been to the UK Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, I've only seen cinema relays of performances. What was so special in the Staatsballet Nutcracker I saw was the outstanding quality and commitment in every aspect of the performance, everyone giving everything with such flair and beauty. And as I mentioned the distinctive flavour, atmosphere, style evoking a tale of Hoffman so strongly. The Nutcracker was what made me obsessed with ballet 20 years ago (English National Ballet at the Coliseum, London), but I would say after seeing more than 10 Nutcracker performances since then, and maybe 4-5 different productions, it was the performance I saw in Berlin on 3rd December that stands out more than any other (even the Royal Ballet version which I admit I've not seen live-in-theatre). There's an old quote from a ballet critic Richard Buckle - 'We are one Nutcracker nearer death' which to me implies the stale, jaded reaction to the ballet as we grow older and dutifully attend this masterpiece, hoping to recreate the thrill we first felt, but sometimes not achieving it. The thrill the Staatsballet Nutcracker gave me was a complete surprise and awakened all those fresh original feelings that have made me love ballet. An image of the cast sheet would be great Sabine0308. It does seem rather tricky to post images on this forum, I struggled trying to use photobucket which eventually seemed to work. I think what might be easier, for sharing cast sheet scans, is the ImgBB.com website. ImgBB.com allows you to upload images and share them without having to sign up for an account. Welcome to the forum Sabine0308 and please feel free to discuss Staatsballet performances on here, if you would like to. Edited December 15, 2018 by northstar 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 (edited) Hello northstar, thank you for the warm welcome and oh what a pity…I realized we’ve been to the same performance! Seems I joined a bit too late here ;-). I am so happy that you loved this Nutcracker. When I realized that they would bring back this particular production, I booked my ticket immediately and will do so next year again. As you wrote, it is remarkable how much love and effort was put into the details. Especially the costumes. Tatjana Noginova spent weeks in archives to find out as much information as possible on the original production from 1892. The program tells a lot about this process. I assume it is custom in the UK to have “just” the cast sheets available for the audience? Here, you’ve got to buy a program (brochure) which holds of course the cast sheet of the actual performance. I think the stage settings looked like pages of a book of fairytales, so it was perfect for this ballet and the time of the year – time for the sugarplum fairy 🙂 There is also a close cooperation between Staatsballett and the State Ballet School, so many young students participate in this production and is always so nice to see their excitement and commitment in the pretty costumes which almost outshines the professional dancers. Gregor Glocke, who was the male dancer in the Oriental Dance, graduated from this school 2 years ago. I went to this performance to see my favorite dancer, Daniil Simkin (Nutcracker). I am so glad that he joined Staatsballett this year, coming from ABT in New York. His beautiful turns are so controlled it’s “unreal”. Clara was performed by Yuria Isaka, she’s only 18 years old and graduated this year from Academie Princess Grace in Monaco. Which brings me to her partner as students and the reason why my love for ballet has been brought back to life so strongly this year: by accident I stumbled across the live broadcasting of the Prix de Lausanne competition, saw some young dancers and was unimpressed, when suddenly a young Canadian stepped onto stage and I was floored: Shale Wagman, who later won the Gold Medal and Nureyev Prize. He also graduated from APG this year and is now with the ENB and I am happy with every soloist part he already gets to dance, having joined in September only. He was already mentioned here and so I found out about the forum, and I am sure he will go far with his career. I try to post the sheets now, cross your fingers. Also, I will later post something about Ratmansky’s “La Bayadere” and the contemporary pieces we recently saw. https://ibb.co/T8wwPn3 https://ibb.co/fV3zg6H Edited December 17, 2018 by Sabine0308 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 Thanks so much Sabine0308 for these cast sheet images, you have made my day. Thanks also for your thoughts on this Nutcracker, and praise of the leads which I completely agree with. Also very interesting to hear the information on the production. Actually, something reminded me of the recent Ratmansky ABT Sleeping Beauty (I saw it in 2015) in the brilliance and colour of the costumes. I understand he made a similar effort to find the original costume designs. The Nutracker costumes were also so vivid and colourful. But I must say I had reservations about the Ratmansky staging/costumes as somewhat over-the-top, whereas the Staatsballet Nutcrackler it all just seemed to work perfectly. Perhaps this is unfair, and undoubtedly very subjective, and I know many others have praised Ratmansky's design highly. It's great to have the cast sheet to add to my ballet scrapbook. Yes in UK, at least in the theatres I go to, you can get a cast sheet for free. Actually Don Q Fan indicated above that at the Staatsballet you could get a cast sheet for a few eurocents. I didn't see any when I was there and I was too pathetic to ask. So thank you again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
now voyager Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 3 hours ago, northstar said: Actually, something reminded me of the recent Ratmansky ABT Sleeping Beauty (I saw it in 2015) in the brilliance and colour of the costumes. I understand he made a similar effort to find the original costume designs. The Nutracker costumes were also so vivid and colourful. If I recall correctly (I’m not at home and can’t check my programs) the costumes for the Ratmansky Beauty production were inspired by, but not replicas of, the Diaghilev Bakst production, and were in no way a reconstruction of the original costumes (for Petipa’s production). for those, you should try to see the Vikharev production, recently restored to the Mariinsky’s rep. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 (edited) Quote If I recall correctly (I’m not at home and can’t check my programs) the costumes for the Ratmansky Beauty production were inspired by, but not replicas of, the Diaghilev Bakst production, and were in no way a reconstruction of the original costumes (for Petipa’s production). for those, you should try to see the Vikharev production, recently restored to the Mariinsky’s rep. Thank you now voygager for this, indeed I was just posting my thoughts/memories of information rather sloppily without checking carefully. I freely admit I'm not a well-versed in ballet production history. A quick google search leads to Guardian article which confirms what you say. Indeed, probably other threads on this forum discussing the Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty would also confirm it. Thanks for your correction! However 'authentic' the Staatsballet Nutcracker version is, I cannot judge - but I did think the colourful nature of the design extremely effective. So I was just musing about why I didn't find the colour in the Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty worked quite so well, even though I felt there were some similarites to the Staatsballet Nutcracker I saw. It could just be me of course. Just to add some information about the Nutcracker production in addition to what Sabine0308 wrote about the costumes, from the Staatsballet website: "Vasily Medvedev and Yuri Burlaka, two Russian choreographers and connoisseurs of the ballet tradition, have created a version for the Staatsballett Berlin based on the scenery and choreography used at its world premiere in 1892" Edited December 19, 2018 by northstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
now voyager Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I believe the scenery and costumes ARE reconstructions of the original production, and to the (limited) extent that the original choreography has not been lost, that, too, has been reconstructed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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