RuthE Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) Does anyone dispute that Hayward was on schedule for promotion that year anyway? Surely the only suspicious timing about that was that it was announced a few weeks earlier than usual (as opposed to when the company returns from tour) and rushed through in order to fulfil contractual obligations in Japan. If the company found itself short of a principal man or woman for a tour in a year when a suitable candidate was not about to be promoted anyway, surely there would be a way around this by appointing a Guest Principal Artist from another company for the duration of the tour (edited to add: I can't imagine this would be unacceptable under the terms of the Japanese contracts, given that in the case of Salenko being replaced by Hayward, Salenko herself was not a permanent member of the Royal Ballet). I can't imagine the company would promote somebody just for the sake of it. Edited May 22, 2019 by RuthE 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 36 minutes ago, Fonty said: I am not sure I entirely approve of this "it-has-to-be-a-Principal-dancing-the-role-and-there-isn't-one-spare-so-we-have-to--promote-someone" idea! How many times has that happened? I believe it is stipulated for all companies. Miyako Yoshida was promoted to principal by BRB when Marion Tait was injured during a tour to Japan. IIRC Marion Tait mentioned this at a talk when she said she managed to perform Odette but someone had to take over as Odile due to the stipulation. Two Pigeons (if she is reading this) may remember better than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Well, Yoshida's promotion makes perfect sense. As does Hayward's. As others have said, they were undoubtedly going to be promoted anyway, and it was just a case of making it official a bit earlier. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 5 hours ago, ElleC said: I would have thought, he more than proved his ability to "carry a show" in his exceptional performances of Swan Lake with Akane at the end of last season (I'm praying they will be cast together in SL next season). Totally agree Elle. For me, they were the outstanding SL pairing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 22, 2019 Author Share Posted May 22, 2019 8 hours ago, ElleC said: I would have thought, he more than proved his ability to "carry a show" in his exceptional performances of Swan Lake with Akane at the end of last season (I'm praying they will be cast together in SL next season). Completely agree that William Bracewell is fantastic, can really 'carry a show' and is worthy of promotion. The only doubt, surely, is the timing. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I would certainly concur that William Bracewell should be promoted. I was hoping to see him this Saturday matinee in R&J but obviously that isn't to be. As he doesn't seem to have mentioned I would also put forward David Donnelly - as a First Artist he has probably been in everything I have seen over the past few years. He always seems to stand out (possibly being tall!) and certainly looks the part. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I just wanted to mention Tierney Heap in the context of possible future promotion at some stage. She is a really striking dancer and it is such a shame she has been out due to injury this season, for far too long. She has shared on social media that she has just had a successful operation (picture of bandaged leg), so let's wish her the quickest of possible recoveries so she can continue her powerful stage appearances. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 10 minutes ago, Richard LH said: I just wanted to mention Tierney Heap in the context of possible future promotion at some stage. She is a really striking dancer and it is such a shame she has been out due to injury this season, for far too long. She has shared on social media that she has just had a successful operation (picture of bandaged leg), so let's wish her the quickest of possible recoveries so she can continue her powerful stage appearances. Absolutely! So sad she won't be doing Firebird - I was really looking forward to seeing her do that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 8 hours ago, MJW said: I would certainly concur that William Bracewell should be promoted. I was hoping to see him this Saturday matinee in R&J but obviously that isn't to be. As he doesn't seem to have mentioned I would also put forward David Donnelly - as a First Artist he has probably been in everything I have seen over the past few years. He always seems to stand out (possibly being tall!) and certainly looks the part. I was so impressed with him in The Invitation a couple of years ago, and really hope he gets a chance at Lensky in next season’s Onegin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, Sim said: I was so impressed with him in The Invitation a couple of years ago, and really hope he gets a chance at Lensky in next season’s Onegin. Actually I think he, like Muntagirov, Sambe and Ball are ones that could well - even now - do both Lensky and Oneign with commanding justice. Ball truly has shown himself a principal for all and ever more varied seasons. Certainly I think ever rising artistes such as Naghdi, O'Sullivan and Hayward could certainly enact and dance both Olga and Titania with richly unique results. SUCH great assets. I would love to see Sissens, Hay and, perhaps, Dixon and Donnelly (given the number of performances) be given a crack at Lensky. On the cusp - and depending on his partnering stealth - I'd love to see Węgrzyn be given a Lensky shake. So much to look forward to. After what I think is a break-out season for him I would love to see Edmunds be given a chance at the title role perhaps aside (after her fine Juliet and Girl in Two Pigeons) Stix-Brunnell. I have a feeling he might well succeed in this. His partnering acuity has garnered considerable stealth recently. Edited May 24, 2019 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 I think that Teo Dubreuil would also make a lovely Lensky. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Are the RB actually short of Lenskys at the moment? (Ball, Muntagirov, ... not sure McRae would still want to do the role? ... can't remember off-hand who else danced it last time around) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 3 hours ago, Bruce Wall said: Actually I think he, like Muntagirov, Sambe and Ball are ones that could well - even now - do both Lensky and Oneign with commanding justice. Ball, absolutely. I can’t see either Muntagirov or Sambé as Onegin though, Bruce. Just my opinion, obviously, and perhaps both will prove me wrong in future but I can only picture these two as Lensky, not Onegin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 7 minutes ago, Anna C said: Ball, absolutely. I can’t see either Muntagirov or Sambé as Onegin though, Bruce. Just my opinion, obviously, and perhaps both will prove me wrong in future but I can only picture these two as Lensky, not Onegin. After his astonishing Winter Dreams, the next logical and developmental step is surely for Muntagirov to be given Onegin. All company members deserve to be challenged, not simply to re-visit roles such as Lensky (especially when, as Sim has pointed out, there are other candidates ready for that role too). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 22 minutes ago, alison said: Are the RB actually short of Lenskys at the moment? (Ball, Muntagirov, ... not sure McRae would still want to do the role? ... can't remember off-hand who else danced it last time around) I don't think so....we have been naming quite a few potential Lenskys here. Nicol Edmonds danced him last time, but was disappointing. However, I am sure that four years on he would make a great job of it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Just now, capybara said: After his astonishing Winter Dreams, the next logical and developmental step is surely for Muntagirov to be given Onegin. All company members deserve to be challenged, not simply to re-visit roles such as Lensky (especially when, as Sim has pointed out, there are other candidates ready for that role too). Fair enough, capybara - I saw Soares in Winter Dreams so missed Muntagirov. He’s a dancer I will always book for as Des Grieux, any and all of the Princes, in fact almost all roles as his dancing is so miraculous and his acting is maturing wonderfully. I just think there are dancers more suited to Onegin (and Rudolf, come to that). Perhaps it’s the ability to capture and express inner darkness? As I say, it’s just my opinion - and as much as, in theory, it would be ideal not to be shoehorned into revisiting certain roles, it still happens when certain Principals are asked to dance First Soloist roles in which they’ve excelled previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 The RB is definitely not short of Lenskys*.All the more reason for some previous Lenskys to be given a shot at Onegin. * Dubreuil; Dixon; Donnelly; Richardson to name some who have not danced Lensky before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_New Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 7 minutes ago, Anna C said: I just think there are dancers more suited to Onegin (and Rudolf, come to that). It's great that we all see things so differently - I see far more Lenskys than Onegins! ! But the run will be something to look forward to. Can't wait! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 47 minutes ago, Anna C said: I just think there are dancers more suited to Onegin (and Rudolf, come to that). Perhaps it’s the ability to capture and express inner darkness? You see - I’m more interested in Onegin’s inner idealism. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 40 minutes ago, J_New said: It's great that we all see things so differently - I see far more Lenskys than Onegins! ! But the run will be something to look forward to. Can't wait! Oh yes! I probably didn’t express myself very clearly - like you, I see lots of potential new Lenskys in the company. I meant that I see some dancers (like Muntagirov and Sambé) more as Lensky than as Onegin. As you say, it will definitely be something to look forward to! ☺️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 I think Sambe displays signs of deep emotional intelligence that could bode well for a future Onegin. His performances as Romeo and in Flight Pattern, although very different, showed tremendous potential as a dance actor. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 @Bruce Wall I tried to send you a PM but it said you cannot receive messages...I have a q for you that is irrelevant to this thread...please PM me? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 Does anyone know if it is still the case that the Stuttgart people either do the casting or at least have a power of veto? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesrhblack Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 17 hours ago, Richard LH said: I just wanted to mention Tierney Heap in the context of possible future promotion at some stage. She is a really striking dancer and it is such a shame she has been out due to injury this season, for far too long. She has shared on social media that she has just had a successful operation (picture of bandaged leg), so let's wish her the quickest of possible recoveries so she can continue her powerful stage appearances. I entirely agree. I’ve always really enjoyed her work since I first noticed her almost 1940’s style glamour in DGV (a little like Deirdre Eyden in that respect). I thought she was sensational in Corybantic Games and am really sorry she won’t be in Firebird, even though she still seems to be listed on the ROH website for that ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 3 hours ago, Jane S said: Does anyone know if it is still the case that the Stuttgart people either do the casting or at least have a power of veto? Pretty sure they do. Reid Anderson and the repetiteur(s) that is. If they don't want someone in a particular role even the company AD has very little chance of getting that person into that role and vice versa (I was told by a dancer who was cast despite his AD's apparently clearly expressed preference for someone else). Ashton repetiteurs have a strong position in casting too (when setting Ashton on "outside" companies, or so I was told by Australian dancers the last time we saw any...some people cast in lead roles or Symphonic Variations then have barely danced a solo step since). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Jamesrhblack said: I entirely agree. I’ve always really enjoyed her work since I first noticed her almost 1940’s style glamour in DGV (a little like Deirdre Eyden in that respect). I thought she was sensational in Corybantic Games and am really sorry she won’t be in Firebird, even though she still seems to be listed on the ROH website for that ... She always reminds me of a young Faye Dunaway.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 I got the impression Kevin O'Hare is deemed fairly trustworthy as far as casting Onegin is concerned. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 I have followed this thread with interest . I think nearly every name at first soloist level, including dancers who have been at this level in the company for a while such as Clare. Calvert, and those who have been out for sometime with injury like Tierney Heap, but no mention of Melissa Hamilton. I know there will be replies saying she hasn’t proved herself in classical roles, but has she been given the chance since her return? I am curious why people think her progression in the company appears to have stalled and whether she will be given any new roles next season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 28 minutes ago, Odyssey said: I have followed this thread with interest . I think nearly every name at first soloist level, including dancers who have been at this level in the company for a while such as Clare. Calvert, and those who have been out for sometime with injury like Tierney Heap, but no mention of Melissa Hamilton. I know there will be replies saying she hasn’t proved herself in classical roles, but has she been given the chance since her return? I am curious why people think her progression in the company appears to have stalled and whether she will be given any new roles next season. She seems to do a lot of external work with Bolle at La Scala...for whatever reason, do you think she has become somewhat semi-detached from the RB? It was great to see her in rehearsal for R&J in the Paul Hamlyn Hall by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesrhblack Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 1 hour ago, Odyssey said: I have followed this thread with interest . I think nearly every name at first soloist level, including dancers who have been at this level in the company for a while such as Clare. Calvert, and those who have been out for sometime with injury like Tierney Heap, but no mention of Melissa Hamilton. I know there will be replies saying she hasn’t proved herself in classical roles, but has she been given the chance since her return? I am curious why people think her progression in the company appears to have stalled and whether she will be given any new roles next season. And was taken out of Sugar Plum Fairy this season too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 This issue has been discussed previously in other posts so no need to go there again I think. Hamilton left the RB to dance abroad for a while and by the time she came back so many superb dancers had come up through the ranks and overshadowed her: Takada, Naghdi and Hayward were promoted to Principal and dancers such a Kaneko, Stix Brunell, Magri, and O'Sullivan (to name a few) had moved up the ranks too so the RB became top heavy with truly outstanding female dancers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springbourne3 Posted May 26, 2019 Share Posted May 26, 2019 On 25/05/2019 at 07:53, Odyssey said: I have followed this thread with interest . I think nearly every name at first soloist level, including dancers who have been at this level in the company for a while such as Clare. Calvert, and those who have been out for sometime with injury like Tierney Heap, but no mention of Melissa Hamilton. I know there will be replies saying she hasn’t proved herself in classical roles, but has she been given the chance since her return? I am curious why people think her progression in the company appears to have stalled and whether she will be given any new roles next season. Re - Melissa Hamilton, she’s certainly proved herself in the great Macmillan roles so far and I feel she would definitely of been promoted to a permanent Principal dancer by other ballet companies by now (e.g. Dresden being one of them of course). But, however, she seems to prefer to (loyally) stay with the company that nurtured her career (the Royal Ballet). Personally, I’m glad that she has as I generally enjoy her performances and seeing those beautiful feet....... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 31, 2019 Author Share Posted May 31, 2019 Being a bit naughty here but the re-casting of Don Q in Japan (now with Naghdi/Sambe x 2 and Magri (replacing Naghdi) with Campbell might be pointing to some good news????? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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