Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker Winter 2021/22

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Do you mean the gargouillades? They can look pretty odd but some dancers make them them look good I think. In any case, they're (I believe) survivors from Petipa, so that could be seen as justifying their inclusion. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

Or you may be talking about something else entirely!

Trying to think which steps could count as ugly and I agree with Lizbie the gargouillades are the most likely candidate. I believe the choreography in this production is actually the closest to the original Ivanov choreography, and gargouillades were more common in Petipa and Ivanov’s time. As they didn’t have such stiff pointe shoes or encourage 190 degree extensions/splits like we have nowadays, they tried to go for variety in the jumps. I notice that with Agrippina Vaganova’s method and even her uniform emphasising long limbs and slower movements, steps like the gargouillade gradually got edited out by Vaganova, Gorsky,  Vainonen, etc ....so much so that a lot of the choreographers who produce the popular productions in North America and Europe now probably might not even have seen the original Ivanov steps. (I think I once read an esteemed dance writer describe Nutcracker in the US as being a ballet that had thousands of different versions as far as choreography was concerned, all made up by their current choreographer and bearing virtually no resemblance to the original.)

 

I think the steps really do sort out the wheat from the chaff, so to speak- not that any dancers are chaff! But it just shows why the Sugar Plum Fairy role at the Royal Ballet is a proper tough, demanding lead role and not just an easy gig popping in for a twirl in one act. That pas de deux is hard graft, and when presented beautifully it is a work of high art. I used to love watching Lesley Collier and Miyako Yoshida perform it, today I love watching Iana Salenko and Fumi Kaneko, to pick just two.  

[emmarose]

Any reason for the braiding under one of Reece's knees?

[Fonty]

I saw Yoshida as the SPF, and even she couldn't persuade me that gargouillades are attractive, brilliant dancer though she was.  I was laughing over a comment on a Youtube film about this.  One dancer said her teacher told her "Try not to look like a dog at a lampost". 😄

[Emeralds]

6 minutes ago, emmarose said:

Any reason for the braiding under one of Reece's knees?

It’s the Prince’s outfit in this production and the princes all wear it. I must admit I’ve always wanted to ask the question: why is it only on one leg and not both? What is it supposed to be? (Looks almost like a loose bride’s garter, being only on one leg...!) Wonder if anyone has a quote from Julia Trevelyan Oman to enlighten us.

 

Another quirky bit of trivia: the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Prince (called her Cavalier in some versions) was originally named Prince Cough Drop in the original Ivanov production! (He’s obviously been working much harder this season!)

Edited December 5, 2021 by Emeralds

[maryrosesatonapin]

My favourite Sugar Plum, with what I think is the prettiest choreography, is Nina Kaptsova: 

 

[TSR101]

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

Yes, those are the ones.  I have very rarely, if ever, seen anyone execute them in a way that looks graceful.

 

I agree with you they aren't very nice in my opinion but I personally have never noticed them as being so ugly as when I saw Osipova doing them last night (I am a Osipova fan btw). They stood out as noticeably 'clunky' and I can't ever recall noticing them before. 

[Emeralds]

1 minute ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

My favourite Sugar Plum, with what I think is the prettiest choreography, is Nina Kaptsova: 

 

Love Nina in everything! I bet she could do beautiful gargouillades too. Her Phrygia alongside Carlos Acosta’s Spartacus was wonderful. 

[Lizbie1]

4 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

It’s the Prince’s outfit in this production and the princes all wear it. I must admit I’ve always wanted to ask the question: why is it only on one leg and not both? What is it supposed to be? (Looks almost like a loose bride’s garter, being only on one leg...!) Wonder if anyone has a quote from Julia Trevelyan Oman to enlighten us.

 

 

It suggests the Order of the Garter to me. Not sure why he would be a member though - perhaps it was an in joke?

[Emeralds]

Lol, Lizbie! 🤣

[emmarose]

9 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

It’s the Prince’s outfit in this production and the princes all wear it. I must admit I’ve always wanted to ask the question: why is it only on one leg and not both? What is it supposed to be? (Looks almost like a loose bride’s garter, being only on one leg...!) Wonder if anyone has a quote from Julia Trevelyan Oman to enlighten us.

 

Another quirky bit of trivia: the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Prince (called her Cavalier in some versions) was originally named Prince Cough Drop in the original Ivanov production! (He’s obviously been working much harder this season!)

 

Thank you for this, I thought it was part of the costume and thought I remembered seeing it before, and then I looked back on other photos and couldn't see it.

[Emeralds]

5 minutes ago, emmarose said:

 

Thank you for this, I thought it was part of the costume and thought I remembered seeing it before, and then I looked back on other photos and couldn't see it.

How odd- I’ve always seen the Princes wearing it at curtain calls, or so I thought....but Vadim isn’t wearing it in Rob’s photos or in the pas de deux in the DVD (meaning he didn’t wear it at that cinema relay). Doing a quick Google search, Steven McRae didn’t wear it in photocalls while dancing, but I have photos of him at curtain calls wearing it! (That’s when I first noticed it!). Matthew Ball is wearing it in the pas de deux at another photo call. Has Vadim’s Prince been demoted? So many questions....lol. 

[emmarose]

24 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

How odd- I’ve always seen the Princes wearing it at curtain calls, or so I thought....but Vadim isn’t wearing it in Rob’s photos or in the pas de deux in the DVD (meaning he didn’t wear it at that cinema relay). Doing a quick Google search, Steven McRae didn’t wear it in photocalls while dancing, but I have photos of him at curtain calls wearing it! (That’s when I first noticed it!). Matthew Ball is wearing it in the pas de deux at another photo call. Has Vadim’s Prince been demoted? So many questions....lol. 

 

How strange, we must get to the bottom of this!

That's what I was thinking though, that the photos of Vadim didn't have it and he doesn't wear it on the recording, I don't think Fede wears it either.

Edited to add that Fede does wear it sometimes and at others he doesn't. 

 

Personally I prefer it without as I don't like how it cuts the line of the leg, but that's just me.

Edited December 5, 2021 by emmarose

[Emeralds]

The plot thickens: the Waltz of Flowers men (Rose Fairy escorts) are wearing  it on one leg too (all left leg). Reece wears his on the right. Wonder if right leg or left leg signifies anything? I prefer without too, for the same reason- cutting the line of the leg. 

[Shade]

3 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Do you mean the gargouillades? They can look pretty odd but some dancers make them them look good I think. In any case, they're (I believe) survivors from Petipa, so that could be seen as justifying their inclusion. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

Or you may be talking about something else entirely!

I call those the bunny hops - v weird to my eyes. I do recall Osipova having no problem with them back in 2013 I think, although her expression was more of a grimace! Has she danced this role at RB since then?

[Blossom]

Last night I picked up a programme which I am just devouring now which contains a very interesting article by Sarah Lenton about the changes made to Nutcracker to make it Covid safe last year. So many arrangements made for only a handful of performances to actually go ahead - thankfully I made one of them AND the rehearsal. It covers things like managing casts, wigs and even how many people handled the angel brought by Drosslemeyer’s assistant in addition to changes in choreography. The snowflakes are mentioned - apparently fewer snowflakes means you can see the patterns better - and that it’s expected in the future that numbers will go back to ‘normal’. 
 

In terms of the battle scene, she writes ‘Last year it was thought too risky to have huge numbers of youngsters on stage, and even this year, one positive test could mean a whole group might be isolated’. 

 

Nutcracker has never been my first choice of ballet but the magic has definitely returned for me given our Covid experiences and I do think for this reason I am unlikely to miss a season. I just need to plan ahead to see my dream cast next year!!

[Rob S]

Looks like Yasmine Naghdi is replacing Akane Takada for tomorrow and Thursday.

[Sim]

38 minutes ago, Rob S said:

Looks like Yasmine Naghdi is replacing Akane Takada for tomorrow and Thursday.

Yes she definitely is.  Yasmine and Cesar...should be lovely!  

[LinMM]

Thanks for your “Arabian” answer Emeralds. 
Im not that familiar with Nicol Edmonds so didn’t recognise who he was. 
 

I hope Cesar is still dancing on Thursday but am happy to see Yasmine  as never seen her in the role either. 

Edited December 5, 2021 by LinMM

[Sim]

2 minutes ago, LinMM said:

am happy to see Yasmine  as never seen her in the role either. 

You are in for a treat.  She is beauty personified in the classical roles, and this one is no exception. 

 

[Mary]

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

The plot thickens: the Waltz of Flowers men (Rose Fairy escorts) are wearing  it on one leg too (all left leg). Reece wears his on the right. Wonder if right leg or left leg signifies anything? I prefer without too, for the same reason- cutting the line of the leg. 

hmm is this something to do with the Masons? 😄

[bangorballetboy]

46 minutes ago, Mary said:

hmm is this something to do with the Masons? 😄

No. Neither Dame Monica nor any other masons.

[LinMM]

😂😂

[art_enthusiast]

20 hours ago, TSR101 said:

I sense a quick switch from Giselle for the Corps probably didn't help.

That's probably true - given the immense work needed for the Wilis in Act 2, and the fact that they also had a Nutcracker matinée yesterday as well as an evening performance, I believe?

I certainly hope they get some time to rest. I assume that the corps are usually on every night unless injured, and it's the principals/first soloists/soloists that might get more reprieve time, although they obviously have their own very challenging work.

Just wondering, with ballets, I assume they could be performed any day of the week except Sunday, which is presumably always their hard-earned day off? Whereas operas could be any day of the week, as I've seen there are performances scheduled for Sundays. In general, Sunday performances seem quite rare?

[alison]

There are the occasional Sunday matinee ballet performances - but I seem to remember Monica Mason saying that they threw out the schedule for the next day.

[Jan McNulty]

9 hours ago, alison said:

There are the occasional Sunday matinee ballet performances - but I seem to remember Monica Mason saying that they threw out the schedule for the next day.

 

 

I once saw a Sunday matinee of Coppelia (let's not go there with travelling long distance by train on a Sunday!).  The other companies in the UK seem to restrict Sunday matinees to the Christmas/near Christmas performances in their "home". theatres.  The Royal Ballet is unique in the Uk in having a home theatre that they can be based in year round.

[Richard LH]

17 hours ago, Rob S said:

Looks like Yasmine Naghdi is replacing Akane Takada for tomorrow and Thursday.

Oh dear....not another injury for Akane?   so disappointed......😟

[capybara]

The SPF solo makes very different demands on a ballerina’s body to those for Giselle.

Very sad for Akane, especially as the cinema broadcast is involved, but nice for Yasmine to have two ‘streamings’ in a row.

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alison]

Ah, so there was a Nutcracker tonight!  I couldn't persuade the ROH calendar to confirm that.

[Ingrid]

14 hours ago, capybara said:

The SPF solo makes very different demands on a ballerina’s body to those for Giselle.

Very sad for Akane, especially as the cinema broadcast is involved, but nice for Yasmine to have two ‘streamings’ in a row.

Has it been confirmed she is going to be on the Nutcracker stream? 

[bangorballetboy]

5 hours ago, Ingrid said:

Has it been confirmed she is going to be on the Nutcracker stream? 

 

[Sim]

Would someone please report on last night’s performance?  Thanks!

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Would someone please report on last night’s performance?  Thanks!

 

Very briefly 🙂

My first of the season, and though disappointed no Akane, having Yasmine as the 'super-sub' was pretty good! Partnering with Cesar went pretty well (no calamities, but maybe a bit cautious, which is understandable). He jumps very high and athletically, but gravity does cost him as he can come down again on the ball of his heel with a bit of a clump. Yasmine's SPF was simply gorgeous (look forward to her 'proper' performances later this month, for sure). So assured, so beautiful.

Other highlights - Isabella Gaspirini a radiant Clara, she seems to bring such joy to the stage. Luca Acri danced his role well. Leticia Dias as Vivandiere is another that seems to radiate joy when dancing, and nailed those tricky turns. Can't say I missed the other two fellas in the Arabian dance, with Mica Bradbury and Tomas Mock suitably sinuous. Sae Maeda kept catching the eye as a Mirliton, though all were good. The lead flowers, and corps flowers (and attached cavaliers), in the Rose Waltz all gelled well, making it then easy for Yuhui Choe as Rose herself. (I know I'm in a very small minority on this, but I still find her a little anonymous at times; does nothing wrong and always looks elegant, just fails to 'excite' when she dances).