Royal Ballet Promotions Predictions 2019

[Jane S]

5 hours ago, Thalia said:

Is anyone ever promoted up two levels or is it just one rung at a time?

 

 

The most famous occasion was when Nunez, and then Cojocaru were promoted 3 levels in one jump - artists to first soloists.

 

Simultaneous posting - sorry!

Edited May 19, 2019 by Jane S

[Balletfanp]

53 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

 

There were eight years of no female Principal promotion at all between Lauren Cuthbertson (2008) and Takada/Hayward (2016)/Naghdi (2017). For the males: Muntagirov in 2014, Hirano/Campbell 2016, Ball 2018

 

Muntagirov wasn’t promoted as such - he joined the RB then as a Principal having been Lead Principal at ENB.

[Xandra Newman]

It's interesting to look at all the Principals:

 

Bonelli: joined as a principal in 2003

Watson: became a principal in 2005 - it took him 11 years to go through all the ranks - White Lodge/Upper School

Soares: in 2006 (joined as a 1st Artist)

McRae: in 2009 - Upper School - gone through the ranks

Kish: joined as a principal in 2010

Vadim: joined as a principal in 2014

Hirano (Prix de Lausanne): 2016 - through the ranks

Campbell (joined as a soloist): 2016

Ball: 2018 - White Lodge and Upper School and through the ranks

 

4 (Ball, Hirano, McRae, Watson) male principals who went through all the ranks

2 ( Ball, Watson) of them all the way from White Lodge/Upper School/all ranks

 

The female principals:

Nunez: 2002 - did one year at the RBS Upper School (Graduate year) and skipped ranks

Lamb: 2006 joined as a first soloist

Morera: 2007 - White Lodge/Upper School - took 12 years to go through the ranks

Cuthbertson: 2008 - White Lodge/Upper School and through ranks but she skipped 1st artist rank

Osipova: 2013 joined as a principal 

Takada: 2016 - Prix the Laussane and gone through all the ranks

Hayward: 2016 - White Lodge/Upper School and gone through all the ranks

Naghdi: 2017 - White Lodge/Upper School and gone through all the ranks

 

4 (Naghdi, Hayward, Takada, Morera) female principals who went through all the ranks 

4 (Naghdi, Hayward, Cuthbertson, Morera) White Lodge/Upper School

Edited May 19, 2019 by Xandra Newman

[RuthE]

16 hours ago, Thalia said:

Is anyone ever promoted up two levels or is it just one rung at a time?

 

Fairly recently, I think Tierney Heap was promoted twice within a year (to First Artist in the end-of-season promotions and then quietly and apparently without further announcement to Soloist mid-season) though it was a few months apart rather than a jump.  And longer ago, Beatriz Stix-Brunell went straight from Artist to Soloist.

[RuthE]

13 hours ago, Xandra Newman said:

Hayward's promotion, before she danced any lead role in any of the RB's tutu classics, came about when the company went on tour to Japan in 2016 and Salenko (partner of McRae)  was injured: the Japanese Tour organisers contractually demand principals dance the lead roles so McRae had Hayward as a replacement partner.  Not that she didn't deserve it after her Manon and Rhapsody... but no she did not dance any tutu classics before she was promoted to principal (except Sugar Plum).

 

She hadn't done Sugar Plum until she was a Principal either. The December 2016 BBC documentary showed her preparing for her Sugar Plum debut, shortly after she had been promoted.

[bridiem]

Although it would be early in terms of leading roles danced, I would promote Beatriz Stix-Brunell now. I wouldn't have said that before her Juliet; but as Juliet she owned the stage like a principal.

 

And definitely Sambé, Sissens and O'Sullivan. But injuries have caused a real problem with the men; perhaps Bracewell and Corrales will simply continue to dance leading roles for a bit longer (which will be very necessary, as far as I can see) and if all goes well there could be promotions mid-season?

 

 

[alison]

Stix-Brunell has been dancing leading roles since Monica Mason's time, so in that respect I wouldn't say it was necessarily "early".

[RuthE]

1 minute ago, alison said:

Stix-Brunell has been dancing leading roles since Monica Mason's time, so in that respect I wouldn't say it was necessarily "early".

 

Not in the classics, though...

[alison]

True.  Although that hasn't always been an impediment to ballerinas becoming principals.

[HelenLoveAppleJuice]

I am more concerned on the male side. 

2018-19 season was heavy on male requirement. (Mayerling Manon DQ R&J Frankenstein) and we did really see a last man standing situation.

RB is very blessed on a rich list of great or great-to-be male dancers. I would love to see some promoted and some imported made...

I am not saying that RB's current male dancers do not make me happy. But I sometimes feel that the current set is a little very Royal Ballet style and I do want to see some different element. 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, HelenLoveAppleJuice said:

But I sometimes feel that the current set is a little very Royal Ballet style and I do want to see some different element. 

That's because it's the Royal Ballet.  There has been some concern over the past few years that with all the 'mixing and matching' that was going on the RB was in danger of losing their unique style (for example, Ashton not being able to be danced properly anymore).    I think it's very important to keep and maintain its style, just like the Russian companies, Royal Danish Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet do.  If the current crop of dancers are reverting to being able to dance the RB style, that is great news to me.  We can see different elements elsewhere, although I believe that the RB do a very good job with modern choreography and, say, Balanchine (although of course they wouldn't do it like NYCB does, because that is what the NYCB style is).

[MAX]

Well I agree with you Sim but I must say that, sadly, Paris Opera Ballet has been unable to maintain some parts of their repertoire (Lifar for instance). They even seem to be a second NDT at the moment by the way ! 

[Sim]

4 minutes ago, MAX said:

Well I agree with you Sim but I must say that, sadly, Paris Opera Ballet has been unable to maintain some parts of their repertoire (Lifar for instance). They even seem to be a second NDT at the moment by the way ! 

Sacre bleu!!  

[Douglas Allen]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

they wouldn't do like NYCB does, because that is what the NYCB style is).

 In theory that is perfectly correct, Sim, I would add, though, that (in my view anyway) that the current state of City Ballet is very depressing, especially on the male side. I've never known the lack of talent at senior levels of that company to be so obvious. The current Spring season has been depressing - there have been performances where simply to get through to the end of a ballet has seemed like an achievement. At the same time, the younger male dancers show great potential. The women are stronger, if not great. Paradoxically, the presentation and preservation of an authentic Balanchine tradition seems secure with much more of the coaching back in the hands of distinguished former dancers (both male and female)

This ties in with my view of the Royal, don't wait for people to "get experience"/"work through the ranks"/demonstrate an injury-free period" before promoting to principal level. The director should grasp the opportunity of having some younger dancers who are showing enormous potential at the moment and promote now.The Royal has, in my view anyway, some of the most promising young dancers it has ever had and I fear that if they are not promoted quickly, they won't develop fully and be stifled by dancing their umpteenth pas de trois in Swan Lake and we will be left to consider the "if only..." thoughts. If we worry too much about if someone is ready and opt for so-called safety by waiting for another year to give them more time, then we likely will lose some potentially great dancers.

I believe there isn't a fixed number of principals - it seems to be a matter of finance. Historically, the Royal Ballet used to have rather more principals than has recently been the case and certainly the numbers of principals as a proportion of the whole company is far lower now than it used to be. Perhaps reducing the numbers in media, marketing and website development would help fund a few more principals (a joke, but I wish it were serious!).

Additionally, I would also like to see a rejection of the idea that every principal dancer gets to dance the lead in every full-length ballet. It's one of the more-stupid ideas that seems to have developed recently.

Apologies to have strayed (slightly) off-topic - but if you want names, my suggestions would be O'Sullivan, Gasparini, Stix-Brunell, Sambe, Corrales, Sissens and Hay - for starters.

[capybara]

The dancers who I would tip for promotion are:
To become Principals although not necessarily this year :

Current First Soloists: William Bracewell; Cesar Corrales; Fumi Kaneko, Mayara Magri, Marcelino Sambe

Current Soloists: Reece Clarke; Anna Rose O'Sullivan

Current First Artist: Joseph Sissens

Current Artist: Sae Maeda

Current Aud Jebsen: Yu Hang

To be promoted from their current rank this year: Marcelino Sambe; Anna Rose O'Sullivan; Teo Dubreuil; Romany Pajdak; Joseph Sissens; Lukas Bjorneboe Braendsrod; Ashley Dean, Leticia Dias, Leo Dixon, Sae Maeda

 

 

[Richard LH]

 

53 minutes ago, capybara said:

To become Principals ......Current Aud Jebsen: Yu Hang

 

Wow that is quite a bold prediction this far out, capybara! But why not...going by this clip, for example...lovely control and poise, I thought, at just 16.

 

[Xandra Newman]

Sylvie Guillem once said in an interview" ... talent alone is not enough to get to the top."

 

[penelopesimpson]

Yes, Sergei, we mean you.

[penelopesimpson]

4 hours ago, HelenLoveAppleJuice said:

I am more concerned on the male side. 

2018-19 season was heavy on male requirement. (Mayerling Manon DQ R&J Frankenstein) and we did really see a last man standing situation.

RB is very blessed on a rich list of great or great-to-be male dancers. I would love to see some promoted and some imported made...

I am not saying that RB's current male dancers do not make me happy. But I sometimes feel that the current set is a little very Royal Ballet style and I do want to see some different element. 

Don't want to be disagreeable, Helen, but if I book to see the Royal Ballet, I expect to see dancers who epitomise the Royal Ballet style.  I happen to think its the best around but, even if I didn't, its what I would expect to see.  Prosaically, I don't go for a Chinese and start longing for Chicken Vindaloo!

[Richard LH]

Could I add a vote for Leo Dixon for promotion from Artist, and even as a tip for eventual principal? 

Also Nicol  Edmonds from soloist, and again an eventual principal.

Definitely William Bracewell for principal too.

Going somewhat downwards in terms of size, we may add Corrales, and then of course Sambe and Hay, thus securing  the  outstanding three amigos from the current R&J.

I am not sure any of the male first soloists will be made principal next season though.

 

I am pretty much at  a loss regarding female promotions..they all seem so good to my inexpert eye.

 

Having said that, edited to add surely Romany Pajdak's  promotion is long overdue, and is now further supported by her performances as lead-out Shade, and for putting up with all those annoying teenagers as Nurse in R&J.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Richard LH

[Anna C]

I agree, Richard.  Like Gasparini, Pajdak is a dancer who always draws my eye when she’s onstage.  Both beautiful dancers and deserving of promotion IMHO.

[Anna C]

@Douglas Allen I agree; we don’t want potential principals left languishing as Artists/First Artists but if you look at ENB, male dancers seem to be imported into the company and promoted to Lead Principal at breathtaking speed - sometimes before their acting skills have caught up with their ballet technique.  I wouldn’t like to see that at Royal so perhaps a happy medium can be found.

[Lizbie1]

4 hours ago, Douglas Allen said:

Additionally, I would also like to see a rejection of the idea that every principal dancer gets to dance the lead in every full-length ballet. It's one of the more-stupid ideas that seems to have developed recently.

 

I agree - I don’t like this “Buggins’ turn” system, which can stifle development in the lower ranks. I know some people are attached to the idea of ballet hierarchy but IMO there’s a better balance to be made between recognising experience and box office draw on the one hand and bringing on talent and casting on merit for each role on the other. (I find the “three Juliets for a principal, two for other ranks” formula which was pointed out in the current run frankly dispiriting, setting aside their individual merits.)

Edited May 20, 2019 by Lizbie1
Autocorrect-induced greengrocer’s apostrophe

[penelopesimpson]

So agree Lizbie.  Juliet, possibly more than any other ballet, gives wonderful opportunities for young dancers and I would like to see the more mature Principals held back from this one.  There is so much other stuff for them to do.

[Sim]

The wonderful performance of Anna-Rose O’Sullivan is a great example of this.  

[alison]

1 hour ago, penelopesimpson said:

 I would like to see the more mature Principals held back from this one.  There is so much other stuff for them to do.

 

Sometimes.

[Sharon]

Remember those old black & white musicals where the chorus line/understudy is unexpectantly thrown into the starring role? When I think of the artists, 1st artists, soloists - there are certain dancers who immediately spring to mind who I know without a shadow of doubt would be able to not only carry the show but undoubtedly shine in the unexpected opportunity. Romany Padjak is such a dancer. She is always beautiful and her opportunity is long overdue. 

Although I would be SO pleased if Padjak were promoted I think it will probably be Sambe, Kaneko or Stix-Brunell to principal or O'Sullivan & Clarke to 1st Soloist. I think that Joseph Sissens should definitely be promoted to Soloist - along with Gasparini and of course the lovely Romany Padjak.

[Fonty]

Is there room for another female principal?  People already complain when the casting comes out that So-and-So has only been given one or two performances of such and such, while Somebody Else has been given 2 or 3. 

 

  

 

[Xandra Newman]

There are eight female principals. Let's say one is injured, one is guesting abroad, one is not suited to dance a particular role that leaves five principals who will be cast to dance at least twice if not three times the leading role.

That makes a run of at least 10 to 15 performances and Mr. O'Hare likes to give a first soloist and/or a soloist a chance too.

There we are: a run of 12 to 15 performances (and some people complain certain runs are too long).

Therefore I think there is currently no room for another one.

[bridiem]

4 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

There are eight female principals. Let's say one is injured, one is guesting abroad, one is not suited to dance a particular role that leaves five principals who will be cast to dance at least twice if not three times the leading role.

That makes a run of at least 10 to 15 performances and Mr. O'Hare likes to give a first soloist and/or a soloist a chance too.

There we are: a run of 12 to 15 performances (and some people complain certain runs are too long).

Therefore I think there is currently no room for another one.

 

Well with the classics, I'm in favour of quite long runs since they're the backbone of the repertoire. With other productions, there could perhaps be more selectivity as to who dances what.

 

But, I do agree that we already have a good number of talented female principals!

[Lizbie1]

11 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

There are eight female principals. Let's say one is injured, one is guesting abroad, one is not suited to dance a particular role that leaves five principals who will be cast to dance at least twice if not three times the leading role.

That makes a run of at least 10 to 15 performances and Mr. O'Hare likes to give a first soloist and/or a soloist a chance too.

There we are: a run of 12 to 15 performances (and some people complain certain runs are too long).

Therefore I think there is currently no room for another one.

 

But this brings us back to Douglas Allen’s point: why do we start from the assumption that all available principals will dance the lead at least twice in a run? Is it written in tablets of stone somewhere? My memory isn’t as good or as long as some others here but I don’t think it’s always been thus at the RB.

 

(FWIW, though, I’m comfortable with the current number of principals.)

[Fonty]

33 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

There are eight female principals. Let's say one is injured, one is guesting abroad, one is not suited to dance a particular role that leaves five principals who will be cast to dance at least twice if not three times the leading role.

 

 

At the moment, my perception is that female principals would be expected to cope with any leading role, whether it be classic, dramatic or modern.  Is there any dancer at the moment who is not considered suitable for a particular role?  I know Morera has never been cast as Juliet.  The reason why she never danced it in the past is mystifying, given her spectacular performances in the other two main MacMillan ballets, which prove she would certainly have been more than suited to the role if she had been given the chance.   Sadly, she is probably considered to be too old to be given a debut in that role now.  Apart from that, I think they all do everything, don't they?

 

In fact, I am speculating here, but would any lady be promoted if it was thought she couldn't cope with the entire rep? The days when certain dancers were considered to be ones that excelled specifically in soubrette roles, for example, have long gone, haven't they?  I know we all have our personal preferences, but they are simply that - personal opinions.  

 

There might be another topic for discussion concerning whether or not the RB should have principals who are specialists in certain styles.  Ashton, perhaps.  Or McGregor.......

 

[Xandra Newman]

58 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

But this brings us back to Douglas Allen’s point: why do we start from the assumption that all available principals will dance the lead at least twice in a run? Is it written in tablets of stone somewhere? My memory isn’t as good or as long as some others here but I don’t think it’s always been thus at the RB.

 

(FWIW, though, I’m comfortable with the current number of principals.)

 

As Mr. O'Hare is in charge of fostering the career of his principles and knows best what they need in order to advance their career he is the best placed "judge". He has to keep his principals happy and occupied too (and not only his soloists).

 

https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/interviews/2019/royal-ballet-director-kevin-ohare-we-have-a-breadth-of-new-talent-i-cant-help-but-be-a-proud-parent/

 

In the above interview link he says: 

“I didn’t realise the commitment you need to have, and want to have, to each of the individuals. It is fascinating to see how dancers develop and their individual careers blossom. People like Francesca [Hayward] and Yasmine [Naghdi] came out of the company and are now principals. You can’t help but be a proud parent.”