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21 hours ago, LinMM said:

I am puzzled though as in the programme and cast list it doesn’t indicate that it was O’Sullivans debut....


Forgive the sidestep back into this discussion, but I think it fits as there are so many debuts happening (I think) across the multiple casts of Sleeping Beauty. I've seen several First Artists as Fairies, for example, and am just assuming we're witnessing a lovely milestone in their career.

 

I recently wrote to the Royal Ballet and got this detailed reply below from Rachel Hollings. Was very pleased she took the time to write and to know that fan input is at least being heard.

 

> It is a good point you raise about the role debuts.  They were listed in the recent past in the bimonthly publication casting.  We are exploring what alternative options there are now the bimonthly publication is not produced.

 

 

With regard to the online casting information, we have reservations about including a full list. The Director did explore in the past putting as much information up as possible but this proved tricky, particularly in the case of large ballets like The Sleeping Beauty when one change can cause a domino effect, meaning that a lot of places are altered and information would need to be updated quite regularly causing perhaps more frustration for audiences. It is lovely though for the dancers to have their supporters in place so your feedback is welcome; it's just rather a complex scheduling beast from initial casting to stage performance!


Thank you for taking the time to be in touch about this and for your support of our productions.<
 

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Thanks for that Candleque However  I wouldn’t be asking for every single debut in a role to be acknowledged just those in Principal roles like Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Odette in Swan Lake etc those sort of roles. 

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21 hours ago, alison said:

Sorry, Margaret.  I was trying to put Spoiler tags on your post, but it hasn't worked too well, and I can't see how to undo it :(

Alison, no apology needed. Whoever did what to it to allow hide/reveal following my "look away now" comment, brilliant, thank you 🙂 

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Another wonderful performance tonight from Naghdi/Ball.  Such beautiful dancing, such a wonderful partnership. 
 

The other highlights for me were Claire Calvert’s Lilac Fairy and the Florestan/Sisters of Zucchetti, O’Sullivan and Magri.  I was disappointed with the Bluebird/Florine of Choe and Acri.  It seemed perfunctory and underpowered.  
 

But the night belonged to the leads.  Miss Naghdi is simply and literally breathtaking as Aurora. 

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On 07/12/2019 at 23:47, Sim said:

Miss Naghdi is simply and literally breathtaking as Aurora. 

 

May be caught up in the buzz still - but having seen her dance the role 4 times this run, and improving every step, move and nuance every time, its almost got to the point where I have trouble imagining anyone else dancing it! (Or dancing it that well anyway). And I've seen some other lovely performances along the way which seemed great at the time, but are now forever overshadowed in my mind's eye.

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I only wish I could especially as it seems James Hay may be well enough to dance with her by then as well but having spent over £100 on last Thursdays ticket no way I can go again next week unfortunately!! 

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I have seen several Aurora's in this run and, as others have also stated, after dancing her 4th Aurora in this run Yasmine Naghdi has made this role her own, alongside her beautiful, blossoming partnership with Matthew Ball. The prolonged applause and cheers she got from the audience after her Rose Adagio spoke volumes. Naghdi's Aurora is at another level now. She has danced Aurora numerous times not only as a soloist but also as a Guest Principal of San Francisco Ballet last season and she has reached a high level of maturity, dancing with great ease and grace, her superb technical control giving her total freedom. Matthew Ball has gained maturity and he too was wonderful to watch. Mr. O'Hare really seems to nurture their partnership in the classics this season as they not only dance SB together but also Coppelia and Swan Lake. Romany Pajdak, Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Mayara Magri stood out yet again as Prologue Fairies, all three of them beautiful, alongside Claire Calvert's Lilac Fairy. I was disappointed too in Yuhui Choe/Luca Acri (Bluebird/Florine) and felt sorry for Choe who had an unfortunate fall but she got up quickly and carried on dancing as if nothing had happened. O'Sullivan and Magri, partnered by Zucchetti, were also lovely as Florestan and his Sisters.

 

I agree with Jenny Taylor, Anna Rose O'Sullivan made an impressive debut last week, she was really lovely.

 

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I agree with Xandra about Naghdi and Ball.  Naghdi is surely THE Aurora of her generation.  She was perfection last night and thanks to the wonderful chemistry she and Matthew Ball have and Ball’s gorgeous secure partnering, I was able to enjoy the wedding pdd without worrying about those fish dives.  What a glorious performance from them both.   They really should be filmed for posterity.

 

Super performances from Calvert (whose Lilac is one of my all-time favourites), Avis, Magri, O’Sullivan, McNally and Pajdak.  Choe’s fairy was lovely but she struggled with Princess Florine even before her unfortunate slip.  Daughter and I couldn’t decide whether Choe’s shoes were bothering her or if she had a weakness in one ankle as she struggled with Florine’s hops en pointe.  What a shame; I did feel for her.

 

Isabella Gasparini and Leticia Dias stood out with their lovely stage presence and glorious smiles.  

 

I’m so glad Naghdi and Ball received such rapturous applause because they really were outstanding.  I love this partnership.

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I was at last night’s performance and entirely agree with previous comments regarding Naghdi - an Aurora full of joy and beautifully held balances throughout and a beautiful interpretation of the last act variation. I also enjoyed both Ball’s lyrical variations and he just looks like a prince.

Claire Calvert is my favourite Lilac Fairy weaving her magic confidently and securely throughout the performance - I would love to see her dance Aurora.

There were some great first act performances from O’Sullivan, Hamilton, Pajdak, Magri as fairies and McNally as Carabosse.  The garland waltz was beautifully danced and my stand out dancer was a smiling and confident Yu Hang (Corps) and again, in the Vision scene.  There’s much up-coming promise amongst the current corps.

I was disappointed with the Bluebird PDD and I agree with above comments regarding Choe and Acri (Florine and Bluebird) - he looked tense and I found his arms very stiff on the series of brisé volé which lost the ‘flying bird’ like quality.  Choe’s variation was below parr and I spotted a ‘sickled’ foot when she performed the little hops through retiré position into aresbesque. Her legs seemed ‘tired’ and it didn’t help with the slip up, but she did carry on with a beaming smile - it just wasn’t her night.  Lots of sympathetic cheering from the audience though.

The last act was the Royal Ballet at its best - the amazing trio of O’Sullivan, Zucchetti, Magri as Florestan and his sisters (my only criticism was that they seemed to just miss the timing at the end by being slightly behind the music), loved the stand-out White Cat of Ashley Dean (replacing Stock) and Kay - getting plenty of laughs from the audience.  Pajdak and Edmonds performing Red Riding Hood and the Wolf with much gusto - and then the showstopping final PDD of Naghdi and Ball - a real feast for the senses the whole act.

 

Other stand-out dancers for me on the night were Gasparini (as always), Dixon, Aumeer and Tonkinson.

 

 

 

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23 hours ago, Xandra Newman said:

I Naghdi's Aurora is at another level now. She has danced Aurora numerous times not only as a soloist but also as a Guest Principal of San Francisco Ballet last season

 

 

I think that was Lauren Cuthbertson, not Naghdi. 

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I saw Yasmine Naghdi's second performance as Aurora with the San Francisco Ballet last spring.  I was there to see the performance the previous night (with the beautiful, lyrical Mathilde Froustey) and stayed in town to see Ms. Naghdi.  She had a palpable effect on the audience the moment she entered in Act I, and swept through the Rose Adagio to thunderous applause at its end.  What struck me was her joyous effect on her four suitors in the Rose Adagio  - they looked so elated to be dancing with her and were  smiling from ear-to-ear, such that the atmosphere was electric on stage and was transferred to the entire opera house.  The audience loved her.  She gave a brilliant and technically sure performance, with beautiful carriage and port de bras. 

 

It has been a pleasure reading all your comments about Ms. Naghdi as Aurora and remembering the performance I saw. 

 

I will be in London in May and have tickets to see her in Swan Lake.  

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A query for any of the expert dancer-identifiers who are watching tonight: has Kristen McNally just been dancing one of the eight corps fairies in the Prologue? It looked like her but I wouldn't expect a Principal Character Artist to be doing a role like that & given I'm short-sighted & in a restricted view seat I might be wrong.

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51 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

A query for any of the expert dancer-identifiers who are watching tonight: has Kristen McNally just been dancing one of the eight corps fairies in the Prologue? It looked like her but I wouldn't expect a Principal Character Artist to be doing a role like that & given I'm short-sighted & in a restricted view seat I might be wrong.

 

Negative on that.

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2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Negative on that.

 

Thanks. Not sure who it is I think looks like her then. I spent most of the first interval trying to identify one of the male dancers in the garland dance: looked up every male Artist & none of the headshots seemed to be who I was after. I guess I'm really bad at dancer identification.

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14 minutes ago, alison said:

It might have been a student - on both counts?

 

I'd be very surprised if the female dancer was, as she looked well over 18. The male dancer I'd already noted as one of the beggars in Manon in October. Would a student be likely to do that size of role?

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