Dance Turkey of the Year

[penelopesimpson]

Sorry Fiona, but The Telegraph awards this spot to Polunin at The Paladium.  I hope it is alright to put the comment in but I am sure Mods will remove if it is breaking the rules:

 

'Was there anything more dispiriting than the sight of the Ukrainian bad boy Sergei Polunin stumbling like a drunkard through the insipid and ludicrous choreography of his self-curated Palladium show?  Once a star at the Royal Ballet, he was reduced to over-emoting to compensate for his loss of dignity as an artist.  Vanity projects by famous dancers often go awry, but this one hit a new low.'

 

I didn't attend as I have long since given up on this previously wonderful dancer but doubtless his fans will tell me they were standing in the aisles cheering in wonder - without any trace of irony that this is a huge part of the problem.

[loveclassics]

Actually, this is in the Times.  The comment is by Debra Crain, a well-respected dance critic.

 

[penelopesimpson]

Quite right, my apologies

[Dora]

I personally think the lDance Turkey of the Year” award should be given to ROH’s MEDUSA.

It was awful!

[bridiem]

My vote would go (unfortunately) to the RB's new work/new music programme in the Linbury in February. It was dire, and exacerbated by realising on my first visit to the new Linbury that the sightlines were terrible. (Though given what we were looking at, perhaps it was a blessing to be unable to see so much of it.)

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Dora and welcome to the Forum!

 

I liked Medusa (apart from the men's costumes) and would not consider it a turkey.  Although I don't have the range of dance performances to attend that I would living in the London area I can't think of anything that I have seen that I would describe as a turkey in 2019 (compared to some years when I have been spoilt for choice!).

[FionaM]

Oh dear!   Whatever I say will be dismissed as me being one of those ‘blind fans’.  I am wholeheartedly a fan of what he is trying to do.

 

Regarding RASPUTIN perhaps the proof is in the facts of subsequent performances ....

 

1.  Performances in Zurich (2) in November 2019.  Both SOLD OUT

2.  Performance in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in November 2019.  SOLD OUT and outdoor screens erected for extra viewers.

3.  Performances in Hong Kong in February 2020.  Already SOLD OUT

4.  Performance in Parma in May 2020.  Practically SOLD OUT 6 months in advance! (only restricted view remain ... it’s a beautiful old theatre with many blind spots).

 

Further performances for 2020 have been announced in the last few weeks for

Milan (3) in April 2020

Singapore (3) in May 2020

Israel ... in the huge Caesarea amphitheatre in May 2020

 

A further performance for March 2020 has been announced only today, to be the huge auditorium of Crocus City Hall in Moscow and that will be the first to be performed to live rather than recorded music.

 

As we all know, the cost of a live orchestra is substantial and is often unaffordable by small companies.  So this is a real sign of financial strength of his company.

 

Perhaps these audiences and theatres prefer to agree with Graham Watts’ review of Rasputin at the Palladium which is entitled  

“Polunin is Rasputin: a titanic, totemic performance at the Palladium”. 

https://bachtrack.com/review-rasputin-sergei-polunin-london-palladium-june-2019

 

My only real pain in all this is that the dismissive nature of many UK journalists regarding Sergei Polunin may mean that some UK theatres will be reluctant to book him and so he is even less likely to dance anything here, and that will be a real loss for me and others who would like to see what he is doing now. 

[FionaM]

The turkey of the year is awarded by The Guardian to Sergei

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/dec/30/sarah-crompton-best-dance-of-2019

In this article, Sarah Crompton says:

“Polunin emoted badly in Rasputin, which didn’t show a fraction of his once glorious classical technique. His fans don’t care, but I do. It was a great waste of his talent.”

 

Actually she wasn’t looking closely enough.  There were plenty of barrel turns, double tours and pirouettes at fabulous speed, height, placement and finish.  Yes they are partially hidden by costume ... trousers rather than tights .... masking what he is doing.  Anyone can find them on YouTube.   Sergei would seem to be more interested in storytelling than displaying his technique.  He is not a gala “show pony”. (Thank goodness).

 

And this journalist obviously didn’t go to Verona to see his wonderful technique and acting skills on display in that fine Romeo and Juliet.  

 

So it boils down to it being her own selfish lament that he is wasting his talent.  How is it her decision to decide what he does with his career?  Claudia Dean left to teach.  No doubt there are many others.  He’s not the first to choose to do something different from staying with the Royal Ballet.  

[Fiz]

Claudia Dean went home because her mother was fighting cancer and subsequently died. She left because she felt she had spent too much time away from her family. Then she took up teaching. The two cases are not comparable.

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

 

So it boils down to it being her own selfish lament that he is wasting his talent.  How is it her decision to decide what he does with his career?  Claudia Dean left to teach.  No doubt there are many others.  He’s not the first to choose to do something different from staying with the Royal Ballet.  

 

 

Sarah Crompton is a respected dance critic who is entitled to her opinion just as much as the rest of us.

[FionaM]

47 minutes ago, Fiz said:

Claudia Dean went home because her mother was fighting cancer and subsequently died. She left because she felt she had spent too much time away from her family. Then she took up teaching. The two cases are not comparable.

 

I wasn’t suggesting they were comparable, just that life has many different turns for people.  I certainly lament that Claudia didn’t return to professional dancing.  I loved her performances and felt she should have been promoted earlier.  If she had been, the outcome may have been different.

[FionaM]

52 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

Sarah Crompton is a respected dance critic who is entitled to her opinion just as much as the rest of us.

 

Indeed thank you for reminding me!

Interestingly, Sarah Crompton does also positively note his contribution to the move ‘The White Crow’.  So that’s something to be thankful for.

 

Anyone willing to comment on the worldwide bookings, sold out theatres and obvious success of RASPUTIN outside Sarah Crompton’s experience? 

 

Personally for me it could do with some tweaks to the choreography.  All choreographers (the greats included) tweak their creations on subsequent performances.  Also, I note that the show has changed from a dance drama to more of a narrative ballet, now that a Vaganova-trained ballerina, Ksenia Ryzhkova (Principal at Stanislavsky, Bavarian State Ballet and now at Zürich Ballet) has taken on the Tsarina role. 

 

I hope you find this information useful.

[alison]

Sell-out performances, unfortunately, are not necessarily a guarantee of quality.

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, alison said:

Sell-out performances, unfortunately, are not necessarily a guarantee of quality.

 

You beat me to it Alison!

 

And, of course, Sarah Crompton is not the only critic who described the Palladium venture as turkey of the year (first post in this thread refers).

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

 

 

 

I hope you find this information useful.

 

Sorry, no I didn't.

[Fiz]

2 hours ago, FionaE said:

 

I wasn’t suggesting they were comparable, just that life has many different turns for people.  I certainly lament that Claudia didn’t return to professional dancing.  I loved her performances and felt she should have been promoted earlier.  If she had been, the outcome may have been different.

It certainly seemed to me as if you were comparing Claudia’s actions to those of Polunin. 

[Sharon]

12 hours ago, Dora said:

I personally think the lDance Turkey of the Year” award should be given to ROH’s MEDUSA.

It was awful!

I totally agree! It was awful. Bad choreography, terrible costumes - a waste of the talent on the stage. Didn't know if to laugh or cry??? Best thing about was the music - to enjoy with your eyes closed!

[FionaM]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

Sorry, no I didn't.

 

As a moderator, that comment is beneath you.  It’s rude.  

[BalletcoForum Moderators]

A post on this thread has been hidden whilst the moderators determine whether it complies with AUP.

[Jan McNulty]

26 minutes ago, FionaE said:

 

As a moderator, that comment is beneath you.  It’s rude.  

You asked me if I found the information you provided useful.  I answered truthfully that I didn’t.  

[FionaM]

5 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

You asked me if I found the information you provided useful.  I answered truthfully that I didn’t.  

 

I think it would best if someone else moderated this chat, if you cannot be honest about your intention.  

[Jan McNulty]

9 minutes ago, FionaE said:

 

I think it would best if someone else moderated this chat, if you cannot be honest about your intention.  

 

Sorry but I don't understand your comment.  What is not honest about saying truthfully that the information you provided did not interest me?

[MrsBBB]

My turkeys of the year: most disliked piece was Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes, I hated every second of it.  Most disliked performance was, yes him again, Polunin in the Gillian Lynne tribute. I hadn’t seen him in years & certainly wouldn’t book one of his shows. 

[Tango Dancer]

For me it would be Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet.  I know it got good reviews but I hated it.  I hated that I couldn't tell the people apart because they all dressed the same so it was impossible to identify who was who or build up any feeling for any of them..  I hated the fact that the ending made no logical sense to me. 

 

I liked some of the ideas but found the delivery rather a letdown.  I think Matthew Bourne has done some amazing pieces of work but I don't think this is one of them.  Apologies to anyone who loved the piece.  One of the people I saw it with loved it, but I'm afraid it wasn't good for me. 

[FionaM]

Just now, Tango Dancer said:

For me it would be Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet.  I know it got good reviews but I hated it.  I hated that I couldn't tell the people apart because they all dressed the same so it was impossible to identify who was who or build up any feeling for any of them..  I hated the fact that the ending made no logical sense to me. 

 

I liked some of the ideas but found the delivery rather a letdown.  I think Matthew Bourne has done some amazing pieces of work but I don't think this is one of them.  Apologies to anyone who loved the piece.  One of the people I saw it with loved it, but I'm afraid it wasn't good for me. 

 

Interestingly I was sure I wouldn’t like the MB R&J, having been just 48 hours earlier to see the wonderful new R&J by Johan Kobborg for Alina Cojocaru and Sergei Polunin in the Arena Di Verona.  10,000+ audience!  That was very emotional.

 

But I found I did like Matthew Bourne’s R&J especially the lovers pas de deux with their heads joined.  Very clever.  And his group dances are always theatrical and musical.  The only thing I didn’t like was the gay couple (Mercutio and Balthasar), I thought it an unnecessary add-on.  But perhaps in this world where gayness is not widely accepted even yet, perhaps it’s up to people like Matthew to keep being inclusive.    

[FionaM]

30 minutes ago, MrsBBB said:

My turkeys of the year: most disliked piece was Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes, I hated every second of it.  Most disliked performance was, yes him again, Polunin in the Gillian Lynne tribute. I hadn’t seen him in years & certainly wouldn’t book one of his shows. 

 

Sergei Polunin’s ‘Take Me To Church’ got the biggest applause of the night  .... as mentioned by Peter Land.   I guess his dancing style is no longer to your taste.