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Nikolaj Hübbe's new La Sylphide for the Royal Danish Ballet (streaming)

Jeannette
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Jeannette

Jeannette

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The big premiere of Hubbe’s newest (3rd?) La Sylphide will be this Saturday! Has precise casting been announced? (The website indicates dancers of three potential casts.) Is a telecast or streaming being planned?  Thanks for any & all insights.

Jane S

Jane S

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Yes, the casting is announced. The three Sylph/James couples (all of them making house debuts, I believe) are

 

Ida Praetorius/Jon Axel Fransson

Wilma Giglio/Andreas Kaas

Caroline Baldwin/Jonathan Chmelensky

 

and Kizzy Matiakis (who gives her farewell performance on November 14th) and Esther Lee Wilkinson share the role of Madge.

 

To see the night-by-night casting, go to this page and scroll down to the photos of the leading dancers; click on the little box saying ALLE DAGE and click on any of the list of dates that appears.

 

Guest oncnp

Guest oncnp

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3 minutes ago, Jane S said:

Yes, the casting is announced. The three Sylph/James couples (all of them making house debuts, I believe) are

 

Ida Praetorius/Jon Axel Fransson

Wilma Giglio/Andreas Kaas

Caroline Baldwin/Jonathan Chmelensky

 

and Kizzy Matiakis (who gives her farewell performance on November 14th) and Esther Lee Wilkinson share the role of Madge.

 

To see the night-by-night casting, go to this page and scroll down to the photos of the leading dancers; click on the little box saying ALLE DAGE and click on any of the list of dates that appears.

 

 

works on the English page as well  https://kglteater.dk/en/whats-on/season-20202021/ballet/la-sylphide/

Jeannette

Jeannette

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19 hours ago, Jane S said:

Lots of photographs now added, but so far only on the Danish page.

 

Colorful!

 

A “young hag” female Madge. Ok, ok.

 

Looking forward to seeing this some day.

Jane S

Jane S

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The RDB has just announced that they will be streaming the new production from November 25th. That's the last night of the live run but it's not entirely clear (to me) if it's that performance they will be showing.

 

I would guess it will be geoblocked, though.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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I'm actually on my way to Copenhagen to watch the last performance of "La Sylphide".  I saw already two performances this November, one - with Ida Praetorius/ Jon Axel Fransson and another - with Caroline Baldwin/ Jonathan Chmelensky" . The one with Ida Praetorius/ Jon Axel Fransson ( and Kizzy Matiakis as Madge) was fabulous, Ida so ethereal, the true creature of the other world! Jon Axel was excellent as James, and Kizzy was superb as always! She will have a baby in some months ( it's quite visible by now) and I was wondering, would she be able to create the image of a true Evil? Yes, she could and did it admiringly well. Also, there was a nice Effy ( Stephanie Chen Gundorf), very impressive Gurn ( Benjamin Buza) and a beautiful first Sylph - Astrid Elbo.
The second performance somehow didn't impress me; maybe because Caroline Baldwin looked a bit more "down to earth", too flourishing to me; and Jonathan Chmelensky looked too noble, almost Albrecht-kind. But they too danced very well. They had the same Gurn, who again was excellent but different Effy - this time it was Camilla Ruelykke Holst, and I liked her performance more, than Stephanie's. The first Sylph was Eleonora Morris, but personally I liked Astrid's performance more.
All in all, a beautiful performance and tonight I expect to see the third cast of performers: Wilma Giglio and Andreas Kaas.

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SheilaC

SheilaC

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Has anyone managed to see Sylphide? Jeannette's link didn't work for me and none of my attempts to find the screening on the RDB website has worked, either.

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Jeannette

Jeannette

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I watched without problems.

 

The very short review: Totally Love It!!! 💗

 

Specifically, love:

 

- the designs; even though un-traditional, beautiful! Late-1800s Glasgow-Charles Macintosh style grand hall for A1 and a pink cotton-candy forest for A2! (Sylphide tutus with perhaps too much fabric, but pretty.)

 

- the tweaks in the scenario, particularly making Madge (Matiakis, outstanding) a youngish hag, perhaps a poor village beauty once pursued by arrogant rich James?

 

- dancing- not perfect but acceptable Bournonville style...Praetorius (Sylphide) has really improved, with her sweet femininity & floaty port de bras...Frasson (James) and Buza (Gurn) unleashing their potential! Corps well synchronized and full of gusto.

 

- orchestra -powerful, under conductor David Levi. 

 

- and, last but not least - at the end, a true Copenhagen opening night tradition: the bows first to the Royal Loge (assume the Queen in attendance?), then to the audience. Sigh...bringing back memories of my own times at the Royal Theatre on Kongens Nytorv... Bournonville Fest and such.

 

What a way to kick off the holidays! Thank you, Denmark! 🇩🇰 

 

 

Edited by Jeannette
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  • alison changed the title to Nikolaj Hübbe's new La Sylphide for the Royal Danish Ballet (streaming)
Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin

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I saw this tonight. Gorgeous! Ida Praetorius and Jon Axel Fransson were lovely. It's so different from the last Hubbe production. Just what I needed.

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Beryl H

Beryl H

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I've just watched the first 20 minutes of this and agree it is gorgeous, could anyone please tell me how long it will be available, the readable programme and photos are excellent too!

Jane S

Jane S

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There is nothing to say how long it will be available - just 'from November 25th'.

 

But I plan to watch it very soon, just in case.

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annamk

annamk

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A huge thank you everyone who posted about this otherwise I would not have found it; it looks gorgeous, particularly Act 2 and the dancing is fabulous ! A real tonic. 

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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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I've seen the last "La Sylphide" with Wilma Giglio and Andreas Kaas and, though they both left a good impression, something seemed to be missing from the performance. Wilma Giglio seemed to me to be too tragical in her role, too cautious, not quite enjoying her life as sylph and Andreas Kaas is probably still on the way to complete recovery and retraining after his injury, some jumps looked a bit unsteady.
  Stephanie Chen Gundorf was Effy in this performance and was very touching but Nico Janssen as Gurn looked much too young and wasn't as impressive as Benjamin Buza in the same role. Madge ( Esther Lee Wilkinson) was superb.
  So, out of the three casts I saw, I prefer the one with Ida Praetorius and Jon Axel Fransson, the one we all can luckily watch as a film.
 

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RobR

RobR

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Well, it all sounds very nice but who’s dancing ‘Little girl’? 
image.jpeg.bc75812276ad5317663da515863876d9.jpeg

 

Edited by RobR
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LACAD

LACAD

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Posted

Kizzy was the highlight of the performance for me, she really commanded the stage. I liked the idea of an ageless witch rather than an aged hag. Ida brought a special take to the Sylph in act one, self aware of how desirable she is and eagerly watching the effect she has on James. Jon was a good James, good in the sense that I’d love to give him a slap- so job well done! While I enjoyed the characterisation I noticed the dancing left me feeling a bit flat. Very effortless and natural, so true to the Bournonville style- but I missed that additional sense of spring and weightlessness in their jump. That being said strong jumps are the first to go and the last to come back, and lockdown has probably taken its toll. 

 

I must say I didn't take too well to the design but commend the company for trying something different with one of their trademark pieces, while I really liked the lighting and stagecraft in act one I felt the bright pastels of act two made the wonderful corps blend into the background in quite a literal sense. Overall I enjoyed it, its not my favourite iteration of the work but I liked the added layer of Grimm-like macabre.

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Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin

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Serious question: has anyone ever tried to dance La Sylphide exactly the way Marie Taglioni would have danced it, WITHOUT the modern pointe shoe? Here are her ballet slippers and there is no hard block at all. Curious if modern ballerinas could hold themselves up purely with their foot strength like Marie:

 

ZSR1IQXQhuRTmQCN-l9tHmFr5Q1N6oWCFJiFeRuK

Jan McNulty

Jan McNulty

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I've spent a happy time watching La Sylphide this evening and really enjoyed it.  I wasn't sure about the men's tartan jackets - I thought they would have been better plain but I loved the Sylphs' costumes.

 

I love the Bournonville style and this production was right up my street.  That solo of James in Act 2 where he virtually explodes across the stage gets me every time.  Ida Praetorius seemed more aware of her charm that I have seen other Sylphs but she was lovely and the contrast with her tragic end (cue attack of hay fever) was terrific.  Jon Axel Fransson was super as James and I really liked the dancers who performed Effy and Gurn.  Kizzy Matiakis was truly scary as Madge - what a wonderful role for her to retire on.

 

So thank you to Jane S for bringing to streaming to my attention!

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