Press Release: Birmingham Royal Ballet Spring Tour of Carlos Acosta's New Production of Don Quixote

[Guest oncnp]

4 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

They may share the same board of governors but RB and BRB have been totally separate companies for donkeys years.

 

I know that. But if they are being "loaned"  their appearance may be covered by their RB salary (or the 80% of it they're still getting presumably) instead of the BRB paying a guesting fee. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by oncnp

[Odyssey]

I don’t think it’s detrimental to BRB dancers. Guesting is something that can be a win win. From listening to various dancers talk about this very topic, I think they gain too from watching these dancers at close hand. The extended tour provides quite a few opportunities for the home dancers to have several attempts at the main roles. I’ve  just emailed a friend who enjoys the occasional visit to Birmingham Hippodrome,  but wasn’t  planning to go to see Don Q . She’s seen Nela and Vadim in live screenings and can’t believe her luck she’s now got tickets to see them.

[Balletfanp]

There are 30 performances across the whole run of Don Q so I wouldn’t have thought two performances would make a lot of difference to BRB dancers’ opportunities.

[DanJL]

I like the idea of being able to see Nuñez and Muntagirov as guests - after seeing them on social media dancing around the world in different productions to those currently programmed at the ROH, it's nice to have a chance to experience them do the same in the UK. However, I completely understand the concern that this takes away chances from the BRB dancers. In an ideal world, maybe this could be a reciprocal arrangement, so that occasionally a couple of experienced BRB dancers guest at RB? This may not be the reason behind the Don Quixote casting, but it feels like it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both dancers and audiences. 

[Jan McNulty]

Just now, Balletfanp said:

There are 30 performances across the whole run of Don Q so I wouldn’t have thought two performances would make a lot of difference to BRB dancers’ opportunities.

 

But may do to BRB fans who want to see BRB dancers but may have limited opportunities so to do.

 

Years ago the Mariinsky were doing Fountain of Bakhisarai (sorry if spelt wrongly) at the Coli and I booked the midweek matinee.  I was so very lucky to see Altynai Asylmuratova performing the leading role.  Sylvie Guillem danced every other performance.  She was a wonderful performer but if I had booked for the Mariinsky I wanted to see Mariinsky dancers.

[Dawnstar]

4 minutes ago, DanJL said:

In an ideal world, maybe this could be a reciprocal arrangement, so that occasionally a couple of experienced BRB dancers guest at RB?

 

There was a blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearance by Morales and Hirata in that Ashton event back in the autumn but I wouldn't consider that a fair swap for 2 full performances!

[DanJL]

15 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

But may do to BRB fans who want to see BRB dancers but may have limited opportunities so to do.

Yes, this is a good point and especially given how late the casting was announced. If it was made obvious that one or two named performances would feature guests before tickets went on sale that would seem fairer. Although also making sure there were plenty of opportunities to see a full range of BRB dancers. 

[DanJL]

13 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

There was a blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearance by Morales and Hirata in that Ashton event back in the autumn but I wouldn't consider that a fair swap for 2 full performances!

Thanks Dawnstar, I'd forgotten that! Not a fair swap but maybe the start of a closer collaboration between the two companies? 

[Dawnstar]

47 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

But may do to BRB fans who want to see BRB dancers but may have limited opportunities so to do.

 

From that point of view it might have been nice if they'd invited Campbell to guest as Basilio, as presumably he still has many fans in Birmingham from his time with BRB.

[TSR101]

I personally think this is a massive coup for the BRB and its audience that get to see them for half the price of an RB ticket! None of the BRB's principals compare to either Nunez or Muntagirov in talent and ability. Nunez is particularly brilliant in this role, I have yet to see better. 

[Balletfanp]

Well, they both brought the house down at the ROH last time around. Nunez embodies Kitri and Muntagirov’s solos elicited audible gasps, plus he got to show off his considerable sense of humour. I can’t really imagine that the majority of the audience will feel disappointed! 🙂

[TSR101]

8 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

Well, they both brought the house down at the ROH last time around. Nunez embodies Kitri and Muntagirov’s solos elicited audible gasps, plus he got to show off his considerable sense of humour. I can’t really imagine that the majority of the audience will feel disappointed! 🙂

 

I remember that night very well. They were incredible. I have booked a trip to Brum to reminisce! There is no chance you could snap up good tickets for this during general booking at the RB!

[Jan McNulty]

32 minutes ago, TSR101 said:

None of the BRB's principals compare to either Nunez or Muntagirov in talent and ability. Nunez is particularly brilliant in this role, I have yet to see better. 

 

Excuse me???

 

Are you serious?

[TSR101]

7 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Excuse me???

 

Are you serious?

 

BRB dancers are not as good as RB dancers. The RB is a better company than any of the other UK companies - it is one of the best in the world. 

 

I like that forum members champion smaller companies and the companies' dancers but it's just true, sorry.  

[capybara]

Maybe we should avoid comparisons between the Principals of each company.😊 So much depends on who we know and love.

Let’s just enjoy the feast of dancing which is Don Q .

[Jan McNulty]

31 minutes ago, TSR101 said:

 

BRB dancers are not as good as RB dancers. The RB is a better company than any of the other UK companies - it is one of the best in the world. 

 

I like that forum members champion smaller companies and the companies' dancers but it's just true, sorry.  

 

Capybara is right - we should not compare other companies but all our companies have merit of their own and do not deserve to be compared.

 

The fact that I believe you are mistaken is my opinion.

[alison]

On 28/01/2022 at 06:56, Jan McNulty said:

According to the Nutcracker programme, in the dancer listing Samara was shown as being on maternity leave.

 

Something on IG the other day leads me to believe that Cesar is recovering from injury.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZIj-pjlpTu/

 

I wonder if it's therefore an "emergency" measure rather than a deliberate policy?  I guess things will become clearer in due course.

[Two Pigeons]

2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

But may do to BRB fans who want to see BRB dancers but may have limited opportunities so to do.

 

Years ago the Mariinsky were doing Fountain of Bakhisarai (sorry if spelt wrongly) at the Coli and I booked the midweek matinee.  I was so very lucky to see Altynai Asylmuratova performing the leading role.  Sylvie Guillem danced every other performance.  She was a wonderful performer but if I had booked for the Mariinsky I wanted to see Mariinsky dancers.

I saw Altynai as 'the baddie' too with Zhanna Ayupova as 'the goody' playing her harp.  That was Ulanova's role originally I believe.  Creaky ballet but absolutely cracking dancing.

 

I think that may have been 1995, in which case we went from the Coli to the Opera House for Lesley Collier and Irek Mukhamedov in her final performance as Giselle.  

 

Gosh, what an utterly unforgettable day that was and all in a Summer heatwave!

[emmarose]

13 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Capybara is right - we should not compare other companies but all our companies have merit of their own and do not deserve to be compared.

 

The fact that I believe you are mistaken is my opinion.

 

To be honest,your opinion on this is more 'out there' than the previous one. Those two are pretty special in these roles.

BRB have amazing dancers, but those two are stars, just look at the gala when they performed the PDD, they got the biggest cheers of the night. People in general are more willing to go to see those two in the roles

[emmarose]

1 hour ago, TSR101 said:

 

I remember that night very well. They were incredible. I have booked a trip to Brum to reminisce! There is no chance you could snap up good tickets for this during general booking at the RB!

 

I have Cabaret tickets for then otherwise I'd be travelling up there to see them too, a huge coup!

[Jan McNulty]

Just now, emmarose said:

 

To be honest,your opinion on this is more 'out there' than the previous one. Those two are pretty special in these roles.

 

 

I don't understand this comment.

 

It strikes me that some dancers are "stars" because they get more publicity because of the company they dance with rather than because they are "better" than anyone else.

[emmarose]

Just now, Jan McNulty said:

 

I don't understand this comment.

 

It strikes me that some dancers are "stars" because they get more publicity because of the company they dance with rather than because they are "better" than anyone else.

 

Well, sometimes, but then other times they are kind of incomparable too.

[emmarose]

4 hours ago, capybara said:

Two nights running for the leads in DonQ is a BIG ask of any dancer.

 

Plus they'll be in rehearsal for Swan Lake and the next week opening it too! Superhuman effort from those two!

[Jan McNulty]

1 minute ago, emmarose said:

 

Well, sometimes, but then other times they are kind of incomparable too.

 

You haven't explained the comment I didn't understand.

[emmarose]

2 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

You haven't explained the comment I didn't understand.

 

Sometimes stars are stars because of the publicity they get alone, but other times they are just incomparable dancers and are something special and so have become stars because of those things and not due to publicity.

[Guest oncnp]

Mr. Acosta invited them (per Nunez IG) so perhaps complaints should be directed to him. 

 

And maybe he is using them to entice people who wouldn't normally come to the BRB to give them a try and hopefully become regulars. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by oncnp

[Jan McNulty]

12 minutes ago, emmarose said:

 

To be honest,your opinion on this is more 'out there' than the previous one. Those two are pretty special in these roles.

 

 

This is the comment I don't understand and you still haven't explained what it means.

[TSR101]

13 minutes ago, emmarose said:

 

I have Cabaret tickets for then otherwise I'd be travelling up there to see them too, a huge coup!

 

If you mean with Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley - that is equally superb show. 

[TSR101]

2 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

This is the comment I don't understand and you still haven't explained what it means.

 

Jan I don't want to argue over this issue because the more companies in the UK, producing more ballet dancers, dancing more ballets, the better - but this comment is what it says, most people would agree that the RB is better than the BRB and that the RB principals are better than the BRB principals. This is basically axiomatic. I do not think the BRB would even try and argue this point, not Carlos, and not the dancers. 

 

To suggest that any of the dancers can compare to Nunez or Muntagirov at the BRB is like saying your local mid table premier league side has players as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Its like saying the guy who wins and ATP  tour tennis tournament is as good as Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. 

 

[Jan McNulty]

1 minute ago, TSR101 said:

 

Jan I don't want to argue over this issue because the more companies in the UK, producing more ballet dancers, dancing more ballets, the better - but this comment is what it says, most people would agree that the RB is better than the BRB and that the RB principals are better than the BRB principals. This is basically axiomatic. I do not think the BRB would even try and argue this point, not Carlos, and not the dancers. 

 

To suggest that any of the dancers can compare to Nunez or Muntagirov at the BRB is like saying your local mid table premier league side has players as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Its like saying the guy who wins and ATP  tour tennis tournament is as good as Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. 

 

 

You do like to be inflammatory.

 

FYI - Ms Nunez does nothing for me on stage and Mr Muntagirov floats on water while he dances but is not as strong an actor as many other dancers I have seen.  And actually mid-league table football clubs can have exceptional players.

 

Emma Rose has not explained what she meant by her comment and you cannot explain it to me unless you are EmmaRose in disguise.

[bridiem]

3 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

There are 30 performances across the whole run of Don Q so I wouldn’t have thought two performances would make a lot of difference to BRB dancers’ opportunities.

 

I agree that 2 performances out of 30 is not too big a deal, and Nunez and Muntagirov are undoubtedly huge stars and it's great that audiences outside London will get to see them. My slight worry about this is rooted in the history of the two companies and the long journey BRB has travelled away from being seen as the 'second' RB company. Maybe such sensitivities are now in the past, but I'd be a bit surprised if that's the case. (I personally like the idea of the two companies being more closely linked again, but that hasn't been the direction of travel for a very long time now.)

[Jan McNulty]

Well I suppose N&M will be able to learn a lot from dancing with BRB.

[TSR101]

Just now, Jan McNulty said:

 

You do like to be inflammatory.

 

FYI - Ms Nunez does nothing for me on stage and Mr Muntagirov floats on water while he dances but is not as strong an actor as many other dancers I have seen.  And actually mid-league table football clubs can have exceptional players.

 

Emma Rose has not explained what she meant by her comment and you cannot explain it to me unless you are EmmaRose in disguise.

 

I suppose it's how you take it, I do not particularly seek to be inflammatory. I was trying to be rather conciliatory since your position to me is a rather extreme one. 

 

Nunez may do nothing for you on stage, but you are not in the majority. Prime seats at her shows sell out faster than anyone else's at the RB. Nunez's general popularity is evident from her Instagram (a pretty boring account actually with mostly just reposts of others) yet she has almost half a million followers - this dwarfs almost all other dancers. Clearly a lot of people like her. 

 

Her talent is evident from the fact she was offered a contract with the company at 15 (albeit she couldn't take it) and made principal of one of the great ballet companies at just 20. She gets rave reviews for her performances. She is in demand all over the world to come and dance because she's that good. 

 

Everyone has the right to their own opinions and to love whichever dancers they choose but in this case I am very much on the side of the majority.