Vanartus Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 Really enjoyed it - too tired to type! My fave was the MacMillan - a real find. Otherwise I’d mention the pieces by Vaganova and Robbins as being of great interest. But I liked all... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 A really enjoyable evening. So good to see such different and interesting fare at a gala. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 (edited) Thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully curated evening where the producer managed to keep (as Alison suggests) all of his promises. Well done Mr. Putrov. A hearty 'Bravo' and keen thanks from this quarter. I only wish there had been a larger audience for all your many months of hard work. Certainly there deserved to be. Yours was one evening where everyone left the theatre satisfied (as opposed, say, to another event at the same address the week previous.) Would that the audience capacities could have been reversed. In my book they deserved to be. Entirely so. My personal highlights from the evening were the Robbins. What a privilege it was to see Joaquin de Luz on a London stage - knowing that it won't happen again. There were several pieces in this programme that I actually had the good fortune to be at the premiere of and Suite of Dances was one of them. What a thrill it was to see it here and in its entirety. I remember Baryishnikov saying that Robbins' inspiration had been Chaplin and in these four interludes de Luz delivered the wit, soul and fiz of that mastermind all stitched together with his own - eternal - joie de vivre. The PDD from Robbins' In G Major was - without question - another highlight. This is an interlude celebrating the art of the balletic walk ... and the divine Ms. Kowrowski (shortly to retire) and Mr. Angle - a supreme partner - made it an amble up a stunning stairway to heaven. Her glorious 'gams' glistened here - much as they threaded a golden tale in and through Balanchine's scintillating Diamonds PDD opposite the surety of Marcello Gomes. That idyll too was aptly set aside the rise and rise of Ashton's effervescent Awakening PDD. Magri and Ball made a fine fist of this musical giant's gambol and in husbanding his resources in the demanding variation intricately stitched into the centre of this regal - and bullet speedy - magnificence Ball showed a maturity far beyond his years. Again, a heartfelt note of appreciation, Mr. Putrov. You did yourself and ALL proud. Well done. WELL DONE IN DEED. Edited April 8, 2019 by Bruce Wall 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Completely agree, Bruce. Importantly, Against the Stream introduced a London audience to works and world-renowned dancers most of us had not seen before. It was also a judicious mix of styles, as it was intended to be, with several elements clearly demonstrating the ground-breaking choreographic artistry of their creators. More, please, Mr Putrov - perhaps twice a year at Sadlers Wells? 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Starting this topic in the hope that the posts on the info. section (from Vanartus last night onwards) might be moved here. We owe Ivan Putrov's not inconsiderable triumph of an evening a proper post-performance thread. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Absolutely loved this show. Fabulous to see such wonderful dancers that do not normally grace a UK stage too. My stand out was Ivan Putrov's Ashton solo he was so beautiful. But everything was great a million times better than last week's Russian Icons. Had the privilege to meet most of the dancers after and thank them personally. They all seemed delighted to be here too. Ivan was so grateful to fans as well and hopes we'll all come again! Too right! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 13 hours ago, Vanartus said: Really enjoyed it - too tired to type! My fave was the MacMillan - a real find. Otherwise I’d mention the pieces by Vaganova and Robbins as being of great interest. But I liked all... I've been waiting years to see a revival of Images of Love, perhaps it will happen now. I would loved to have been there, the thought of a Sunday train service put me and probably lots of others off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Was it just an excerpt the RB danced back in the Nureyev celebration (2004?). I can't remember. Putrov, Edward Watson and ... Tamara Rojo. Took me a long time to remember that, because I was assuming it had been Leanne Benjamin or Mara Galeazzi, and wondered why I didn't recall them in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Yes, Edward Watson danced an excerpt at the Nureyev Gala, at the time I thought that he was the best of the male dancers at conjuring up the enigmatic spirit of Rudolf Nureyev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 I gave up going to galas many years ago as they were usually overpriced, over-long, under-rehearsed and the standard of dancing was not always as good as the names suggested. However, as I am a huge admirer of Katja Khaniukova, and the programme looked more interesting than most, I attended Ivan Putrov’s gala last night. Fresh from her triumphant debut in “Broken Wings”, for me, Khaniukova stole the show, not just with her brilliant dancing but also with her stage presence which lit up the vast auditorium. Admittedly, she and Dmitry Zagrebin gave us the only two real “party pieces” of the evening, those wonderful twentieth century warhorses “Flames of Paris” and “Diana and Actaeon” but what fabulous party pieces they are when danced with such exquisite technique and panache. Khaniukova gave us an immaculate set of thirty-two fouettés in each of the solos, starting each with a dazzling double and perhaps adding a few extra at the end. Equally impressive were her ballonnés en pointe in the ‘Flames’ solo, and all done with her totally disarming smile and the most beautiful relevés. Indeed, she appears to have been born en pointe, such was the ease and security with which she performed even the most fiendish of steps. Likewise, Zagrebin gave us plenty of fireworks and partnered her to perfection. As to the other pieces, some not seen on the London stage for many years, it is difficult to judge the performances objectively, having seen some of them performed by the dancers on whom they were created. Joaquin de Luz gave an especially entertaining rendition of Jerome Robbins’s “Suite of dances” but could not quite shake off the memory of Baryshnikov’s witty, seamless performance, but then who could?! Likewise, Putrov himself made a good attempt at Ashton’s “Dance of the blessed spirits” but I missed the purity of line and exceptional grace of its creator, Anthony Dowell. I do not remember having seen “In G pas” before and it was danced with cool elegance by Maria Kowroski and Tyler Angle but I cannot hear that music without remembering the middle section of MacMillan’s “Fin de Jour” with Merle Park and Jennifer Penny being carried aloft and manipulated by the corps de ballet of men. Maria Kowroski also brought her cool elegance to ‘Diamonds’, partnered by Marcelo Gomes, but for me it did not sparkle quite enough as I did not feel they felt Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music throughout their bodies. “Sinatra Suite” was a joy, although with all pieces by Twyla Tharp, it goes on just a bit too long for my taste. However, the comedy and insouciance of it were well captured by Marcelo Gomes and Kate-Lynn Robichaux. From the Royal Ballet, we had the lovely Mayara Magri in “Images of Love” and, in a complete change of pace, in the beautiful Awakening pas de deux by Ashton. She is an exceptionally graceful, musical dancer and I only wish someone had given her a more beautiful costume for Aurora! It may have been the original design but it badly needed replacing! Matthew Ball was her partner in the pas de deux but I felt he fared better in the ‘Images’ pas de trois with Magri and Putrov, as his style seemed more suited to MacMillan. It was a treat to see this piece as, apart from photographs, it was completely new to me. The weakest link in the programme was Hannah O’Neill but I wonder if this may have been because she was a replacement (I don’t know how last-minute) for the advertised Eleonora Abbagnato (the only no-show!). For me, she did not have the beauty of line (her back foot in arabesque in particular) or the sense of chic for the “Suite en blanc” pas de deux and there seemed to be a few partnering difficulties in the pas de deux from Nureyev’s “Cinderella”. She was partnered in both by Mathieu Ganio and I wondered if perhaps they were not used to dancing together or perhaps he was just a tiny bit too short for her (this seemed to be the case for the ‘finger’ pirouettes). However, this is a small gripe in a thoroughly enjoyable evening which offered something for everyone and gave us a delightfully different evening from the galas I have avoided in the past! Despite over-running by about half an hour from the advertised finishing time, this was still a perfect length of programme, leaving us wanting more rather than wondering when the whole thing would be over! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Against the Stream London Coliseum 7 April 2019 As many of you might know, I long ago stopped going to galas because they became repetitive and ridiculously expensive, and seemed to be less and less about the art itself. If only all galas were as thoughtfully put together, and as beautfully danced, as Ivan Putrov's Against the Stream. Designed to illustrate how the best choreographers swam against the artistic tides of their eras and took risks (risks that paid off and still loudly resonate today), this was a showcase of what ballet can do in all its different variations. The dancers were matched perfectly with each piece, most of them having a direct connection to the piece they were dancing, thus ensuring intelligent performances that were in the DNA but emanated from the soul of each person on that stage. For those who didn't have a programme, I will put the original cast for each extract danced because it is interesting to see who today's dancers are up against. I will say that with these large ballet shoes to fill, every dancer on that stage acquitted themselves beautifully and can be proud of how they are perpetuating the artistic legacies they have inherited. The evening opened with Suite en Blanc by Lifar; danced with joy by Mathieu Ganio and Hannah O'Neill of Paris Opera Ballet. This paean to the classical pdd should be seen more often. (1943, Chauvire/Lifar) For those wanting balletic fireworks, most of these were provided by Dimitry Zagrebin and Katja Kaniukova (Royal Swedish Ballet and English National Ballet) in Flames of Paris (Vainonen) and the Diana and Actaeon grand pdd (Vaganova). Zagrebin has a huge jump, by turn forceful and languid, and covers a lot of air whilst he is up there. Khaniukova has a beautiful line and her Ukrainian training is evident in her whip-like turns (starting, at one point, with a triple or quadruple with no build up). Although she is a bit tall for Zagrebin when en pointe, it didn't matter a jot. (1932, Iordan/Chabukiani) Suite of Dances, to four of Bach's cello suites, was danced with subtle wit by Joaquin de Luz. This could have dragged for some people, but its slow build up and humour kept me very interested. Originally created on Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1994 toward the end of his career, de Luz was a worthy successor. Immediately following Suite of Dances, we were treated to another rarely-seen Jerome Robbins piece: In G Pas. It was danced with grace and class by Maria Kowroski and Tyler Angle of NYCB. These two understand Robbins as a Royal Ballet dancer understands MacMillan. He is there, always present in much of what they do, they have grown up with him from their smallest balletic steps, and here they were displaying Robbins' take on formal classical walks and steps. Danced like this, with such clarity and finesse, it was a joy to watch. The first half finished with MacMillan's Images of Love. I have never seen it (nor any extract from it) before, and the fascinating choreography as interpreted by Matthew Ball, Mayara Magri (both Royal Ballet) and Ivan Putrov makes me itch to see more. The piece was made in 1964, and continues the MacMillan theme of jealousy, sexuality, and other human emotions (not all of them good) that he later became so adept at portaying through dance. The urgency with which it was danced fascinated me and I have since been imagining how incredible the original cast (Seymour, Gable and Nureyev) must have been in it. Part Two began with Ivan Putrov dancing Frederick Ashton's Dance of the Blessed Spirits. It was another treat to see Putrov dance again. He is in good form and having spent so much time at the Royal Ballet (school and company) he really gets Ashton. He has the epaulement and the bending flexibility required to pull off the choreography properly, and this he did. (1978, Anthony Dowell) Diamonds (from George Balanchine's Jewels) was expertly danced by Maria Kowroski (again, Balanchine is in her blood and in her soul) and Marcelo Gomes, who partnered ably. (1967, Farrell/d'Amboise) Rudolf Nureyev's Cinderella was created on himself and his then protegee Sylvie Guillem for Paris Opera Ballet in 1986. I have never seen this version before, and Mathieu Ganio and Hannah O'Neill, once again representing POB so beautfully, captured the joy of young love to such an extent that I would like to see the whole ballet (as a rule I don't like Cinderella so that is quite an achievement!). O'Neill seemed a bit nervy at the beginning of this piece, but both dancers soon relaxed into it. It is only fair to mention that O'Neill was a replacement for the only advertised dancer who did not turn up. The two Royal Ballet dancers, Matthew Ball and Mayara Magri, were lovely in Ashton's Awakening Pas de Deux (1970, Sibley/Dowell) and again made a good fist of the choreography. One of the things I really admire about Ashton's choreography is its subtle difficulty, and I admire even more the dancers who can really interpret it. These two did a fine job.....but I must admit I was a bit baffled by the costumes. Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite was danced with the appropriate cool and pizazz needed to accompany The Voice. Here Marcelo Gomes had his chance to shine, and shine he did, both in his partnering of Kate-Lynn Robichaux of Orlando Ballet, and especially in his solo to "It's a quarter to three, no-one in the joint except you and me...." Any song that begins with that line has to have something cool, classy but not exaggerated accompanying it. Tharp understood this and made a really smooth solo on Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1983. With his Latin good looks and American-influenced flair, Gomes carried this off perfectly, and I really wished I could have watched it again. The programme finished with the fireworks of the Diana and Actaeon grand pas (Agrippina Vaganova, 1935, Ulanova/Chabukiani). As mentioned earlier, this was a fun and uplifting way to end a fascinating evening. Such jumps! Such quick maneges around the stage! Such amazing fouettes! It was much appreciated by the audience, as was the whole evening. There were huge cheers for all the dancers at the curtain calls. This gala was such a success because it was thoughtfully put together, it was clever the way the dancers all had a direct connection to the pieces they danced in, it opened the eyes of a London audience to ballets we haven't seen for a long time (if ever), and to dancers that many of us haven't seen perform live before. And even better, all of them except one turned up! I for one will definitely attend Against the Stream Part Two. Let's just hope that we don't have to wait too long for it. Below: Mayara Magri, Matthew Ball and Ivan Putrov in Kenneth MacMillan's Images of Love All photos by Andrej Uspenski Centre: Ball and Magri in Frederick Ashton's Awakening Pas de Deux Bottom: Dimitry Zagrebin in Flames of Paris 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAX Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Hannah O'Neill the weakest link ? I don't think she and Ganio dance very often together and she was off for the entire first part of the 18 / 19 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 39 minutes ago, MAX said: Hannah O'Neill the weakest link ? I don't think she and Ganio dance very often together and she was off for the entire first part of the 18 / 19 season. Well that could explain it, but it is just MY opinion. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 49 minutes ago, Sim said: The evening finished with the fireworks of the Diana and Actaeon grand pas (Agrippina Vaganova, 1935, Ulanova/Chabukiani). As mentioned earlier, this was a fun and uplifting way to end a fascinating evening. Such jumps! Such quick maneges around the stage! Such amazing fouettes! Yes but... I found myself thinking “was that it?” It’s not a piece I am familiar with, and it seemed to go straight from the opening duet into a coda. Having seen a lot of Swan Lakes and Don Qs recently, I was expecting there to be a variation for each of the dancers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 There are variations in the original choreography, but I guess they just cut it out for time purposes perhaps. We did have the full pdd in Flames of Paris. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Irmgard said: Well that could explain it, but it is just MY opinion. And I agree with you (about Hannah O'Neill), especially in Suite en Blanc which many of us have seen comparatively recently danced by ENB. Edited April 8, 2019 by capybara 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Irmgard said: The weakest link in the programme was Hannah O’Neill but I wonder if this may have been because she was a replacement (I don’t know how last-minute) for the advertised Eleonora Abbagnato (the only no-show!). Not very last-minute: a flyer I picked up a while ago has her listed on the front along with everyone else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Brilliant photos, Sim. Were those the ones being taken by Tyrone Singleton? I saw him on the sides and about with a very flashly camera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 2 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said: Brilliant photos, Sim. Were those the ones being taken by Tyrone Singleton? I saw him on the sides and about with a very flashly camera No, they were taken by Andrej Uspenski, as credited at the top of the photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 (edited) Brilliant ... You can feel the dancer's knowledge in his frames ... I missed your credit - having just looked at the photos - and not having gone back - given that I had already read your fine review. Thanks for ALL. Edited April 8, 2019 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Thanks Bruce! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Photos? Am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 At the end of my review there are three photos.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 That's odd. Only one of them was displaying when I originally posted that - and the credits weren't there either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 24 minutes ago, alison said: That's odd. Only one of them was displaying when I originally posted that - and the credits weren't there either. They were all 'missing' for a while - now restored!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Allen Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 7 hours ago, Sim said: I was a bit baffled by the costumes. Sim, Many thanks for your full and informative account. I really enjoyed reading it, especially as I wasn't at the performance. I wasn't sure what was your puzzlement about the costumes mentioned above. From the photo they look like the 1970 tweaking of the 1968 costumes. The 1968 production was set in a more medieval period than previous productions and several of the Auroras (and some of the prologue fairies) felt that the tutus were too full and slightly too bell-shaped and too heavily embroidered (leading to some stiffness). They felt that this caused some of the attitudes and poses to be obscured so the designs (or some of them) were modified for the 1970 revival to what Magri was wearing in the picture. The Florimund costume was always like that (perhaps slightly more textured in 1968). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share Posted April 8, 2019 (edited) In the De Valois 1977 SB production the inclusion of the Ashton pdd was criticised by Mary Clarke. (I hope the sp of her name is correct.) She felt that it was stylistically wrong. Other critics felt Ashton had actually given Aurora something to wake up for and to. David Walker’s designs were liked but not loved, but the dress worn by Aurora for the Ashton Awakening pdd was described by one critic as being like an M&S nightie....hence my surprise at the Lila di Nobili (sp?) costumes from the earlier medieval production used for the gala. Edited April 8, 2019 by Vanartus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 7 hours ago, Vanartus said: In the De Valois 1977 SB production the inclusion of the Ashton pdd was criticised by Mary Clarke. (I hope the sp of her name is correct.) She felt that it was stylistically wrong. Other critics felt Ashton had actually given Aurora something to wake up for and to. David Walker’s designs were liked but not loved, but the dress worn by Aurora for the Ashton Awakening pdd was described by one critic as being like an M&S nightie....hence my surprise at the Lila di Nobili (sp?) costumes from the earlier medieval production used for the gala. I loved the 'nightie'! I remember Lesley Collier dancing in it, and being for me the epitome of gentleness, grace and sweetness. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 I thought that the design of Aurora's tutu was strange in that it made poor Mayara look a bit barrel-chested, which of course she isn't. I also think the prince's outfit is very bizarre....it looks to me a bit like something out of Star Trek. Not that Matthew didn't look good in it....I just think they are strange costumes for such a classical ballet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 I can't remember what the prince's outfit looked like. Mayara's costume reminded me of a costume from something else but I couldn't place what. I agree it didn't flatter her athletic physique, but I'm now mentally picturing it on dancers of other builds and I really can't think who it WOULD flatter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Actually, I think line-wise the medieval prince's costume is very flattering, even if dark brown isn't perhaps the most conventionally balletic colour. I suppose Aurora's costume is medieval-ish, but with a shortened skirt and sleeves. Presumably the white vertical stripes are ermine ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, RuthE said: I can't remember what the prince's outfit looked like. Have a look at the photo at the end of my review, RuthE. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 (edited) A few pics from the curtain call - the light was very strong so they're not great, but this one is everyone bar the ENBS students. Zagrebin, Khaniukova, Gomes, Robichaux, Ball, Conductor, Magri, Putrov, Kowroski, Angle, Ganio, O'Neill, DeLuz Hannah O'Neill and Mathieu Ganio (Paris) Katya Khaniukova and Dimitry Zagrebin Maria Kowroski, Tyler Angle, Mathieu Ganio, Hannah O'Neill, Joaquin DeLuz, 2 ladies of the ENBS Edited April 9, 2019 by Don Q Fan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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