Royal Ballet: Beauty Mixed Programme, July 2021

[maryrosesatonapin]

7 minutes ago, Anna C said:

 

Having been privileged to see (and weep at) Naghdi’s debut as Aurora, I would respectfully disagree.  For me, Naghdi is *the * Aurora of her generation. 

Interesting how we all see things differently.  I found her rather over-careful and slightly wobbly, but maybe that improved with further performances.  She just didn't look the part to me, at all.

 

[Lizbie1]

46 minutes ago, Anna C said:

 

Having been privileged to see (and weep at) Naghdi’s debut as Aurora, I would respectfully disagree.  For me, Naghdi is *the * Aurora of her generation. 

 

I don't think Pas de Quatre was referring simply to Aurora?

 

On here we sometimes talk of Osipova as if she were an also-ran. I don't like her in everything, but IMO she is the most charismatic dancer at the RB.

[Pas de Quatre]

You are right Lizbie1 it wasn't just for the role of Aurora.  Everyone sees dancers differently.  There are certain individuals, well liked by members of this board, who simply leave me cold!  I won't mention the performers names as it may just start an argument.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Pas de Quatre

[Fonty]

The only reason I mentioned Fonteyn in the first place is because there is this idea that today's generation of dancers are so much better technically than those of Fonteyn's generation, an idea that the dancers themselves seem to uphold.  If you look at some of the comments on the Youtube link above, and other links, the younger posters will comment on how rubbish she is - horrible feet, poor extensions, no turnout.  Admittedly the style is different, but that has a lot to do with the pace of the music, I think.  You can't extend your leg that high in the time available, unless you kick it up like a Tiller girl.  

 

Also, it wasn't just Fonteyn who danced at that speed, they all did.  It just happens to be that there are a lot of clips of her available to view.  There are very few, if any, of Sibley, Park, Seymour, Shearer, and the others of that generation.  But I bet they all danced with that same verve.  

[Pas de Quatre]

Antoinette Sibley - rehearsal

 

I found this on Youtube, her pirouettes and fish dives are fast too!

[LinMM]

I think it’s the follow through of that second leg which makes the dive more exciting or not. When it’s brought over really fast the whole thing looks more dangerous. 
Im definitely with Osipova for the fish dives and the final Act but love Kaneko in the first Act whereas Nunez comes across a bit too mature.....but her dancing would never disappoint. I haven’t seen Naghdi in the role so can’t comment on her. 
I did see Fonteyn and she had that unique quality of bringing spontaneity to any role a very much in the moment dancer but training has changed so much it’s not really appropriate to compare technically dancers from different eras. 
Dance quality though is slightly different not completely linked to technique and Fonteyn certainly had that ....perhaps a good all round dancer ...so you’d want to see her in most roles. Just as today some dancers you would want to see in almost any role and others are more suited to particular roles. Probably why Fonteyn earned the title of Prima Ballerina Assoluta 

[Two Pigeons]

2 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Antoinette Sibley - rehearsal

 

I found this on Youtube, her pirouettes and fish dives are fast too!

 

 

Thank you so much for this link.  I Have never seen this extract before.

[Raven]

I actually like Nunez as Aurora, I think her style fits the role. However, it would be interesting to see Osipova doing the fishdives as she's a fast dancer

[LinMM]

Osipova can almost be too daring sometimes so you literally do find yourself on the edge of your seat!! In the right place she can be thrilling but not always the most relaxing dancer to watch. 

[maryrosesatonapin]

On 11/08/2021 at 10:31, bangorballetboy said:

 

I would respectfully disagree with that.  At the Royal alone (nevermind elsewhere) there are a number of dancers who pass this test with flying colours (I'm thinking particularly, but not exhaustively, of Kaneko and Naghdi), without any need to overact.

I'd have thought Francesca Hayward would also have the right youthful, feminine appearance and joyfulness but I've never seen her in the role of Aurora. As Juliet she is perfect.

[Jan McNulty]

2 hours ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I'd have thought Francesca Hayward would also have the right youthful, feminine appearance and joyfulness but I've never seen her in the role of Aurora. As Juliet she is perfect.

 

Over the years I have noticed that young dancers are not necessarily able to dance young and sometimes it takes the benefit of experience to be able to dance young.

 

Not Aurora, but I have never forgotten the one performance I saw of Marion Tait dancing Juliet.  It was right at the end of her principal career so she would have been at least mid-40s and to this day she is the most convincing 14yo I have seen!

 

[Anna C]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

Over the years I have noticed that young dancers are not necessarily able to dance young and sometimes it takes the benefit of experience to be able to dance young.

 

Yes, I agree.  Something Lauren Cuthbertson can do extremely well as Juliet, I’ve noticed. 

[Rachel H]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Over the years I have noticed that young dancers are not necessarily able to dance young and sometimes it takes the benefit of experience to be able to dance young.

 

Not Aurora, but I have never forgotten the one performance I saw of Marion Tait dancing Juliet.  It was right at the end of her principal career so she would have been at least mid-40s and to this day she is the most convincing 14yo I have seen!

 

 

Ditto Leanne Benjamin. In her late 40's when she retired from the stage, but one of the most convincing teenagers I have seen, both as Juliet, and Mary Vetsera in 'Mayerling.'

[Bruce Wall]

6 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Over the years I have noticed that young dancers are not necessarily able to dance young and sometimes it takes the benefit of experience to be able to dance young.

 

 

 

Couldn't agree more, Jan.  For me Marcia Haydee was an eternal teenager.  She was my first Juliet ... and I had the privilege to see her last performance in the role.  As fresh - if not more so - than the first.  

[ninamargaret]

I think it was said, of Peggy Ashcroft, that she was the most convincing Juliet even when she was well into her maturity. The explanation was that age and experience made her performance more credible. Fonteyn, of course, was a prime example. I saw both her Juliet and Aurora towards the end of her career and they were performances to treasure. It isn't always the youngest actors or dancers who have the experience to be able to portray youth on the stage. 

[Amelia]

In an interview with Barbara Newman in "Striking A Balance", Antoinette Sibley recalled how in 1956, as a new member of the Royal Ballet corps, she went with the rest of the company to watch the visiting Boshoi Ballet at Covent Garden in a rehearsal of "Romeo and Juliet". She noticed a middle-aged woman in the stalls, without make-up, wrapping herself in a coat:

"This little gray-haired person all covered in woolies came up onstage from the stalls, and started pointing to things.  We thought, Oh, she’s obviously the ballet mistress….and this little old woman with the gray hair went up to the balcony onstage and took off the woolies and was sixteen years old.  Just like that in front of us.  No makeup, no costume.  It was a miracle in front of our very eyes… I have never seen a similar reincarnation in my life.” 
The “little gray-haired person” whom Sibley observed was the great Galina Ulanova, who was almost 47 at that time...

Edited August 17, 2021 by Amelia
typo

[LinMM]

Many thanks for that Amelia!! 
One of my treasured teachers who unfortunately died earlier this year was a great admirer of Ulanova and had a photo of her on the cover of a book he wrote....I’m pretty sure this was of her in the Juliet role. 

[Fonty]

Antoinette Sibley sounds as though she is describing a woman of 67, not 47!

[LinMM]

Well Fonty she must have been pretty young back then so 47 did seem like 67 to her!!! 

[Scheherezade]

On 19/08/2021 at 20:07, Fonty said:

Antoinette Sibley sounds as though she is describing a woman of 67, not 47!

My thoughts exactly, Fonty. Although I might have been tempted to say 87 rather than 67. 

[Raven]

I know this is very late, but I'm going to write my thoughts anyway. I didn't watch the contemporaries. I thought Winter Dreams wasn't so desperate especially near the ending and that last kiss. Morera is great acting wise and Hirano was also pretty good, but his dancing was a bit wooden and not very desperate. I love Voices of Spring. O'Sullivan and Sambe are lovely pairing, really love their performance. So joyful and their chemistry is so on point. Unfortunately, I'm quite disappointed with Sleeping Beauty. It's probably because I'm spoiled with Nunez and Muntagirov's performance back in the 2017 stream. Their solos are great, but overall I love their previous performance more and it seems that Vadim has problems with his double cabrioles that day (?) It almost looks like single cabrioles. Also the orchestra was way too slow in Sleeping Beauty. The highlight for me in Sleeping Beauty however is Hinkis. Her Princess Florine's variation is so musical!