ENB Casting - Nutcracker 2021 and Raymonda

[LinMM]

Yes I like Frola and McCormick as well. 
Often when I’ve been watching ENB class as a Friend you see dancers and think “who is that” as you’ve not seen them actually in performances!! 
Im pretty sure that’s how I discovered Frola lol but luckily he is doing well at the moment. 
Isabella Brouwers is another one who is absolutely lovely in class ...she seemed to be making good progress ( Emerging Dancer etc) at one point but receded into the ranks again a bit recently. 

And fancy losing Shale Wagman! 
Perhaps he chose to go but ENB’s loss is Munich’s gain!  

And thank goodness we didn’t lose Cesar to a Company abroad after he left ENB. 
I sometimes wonder with a touring Company like ENB that reliability becomes more important than sheer talent. Those dancers that don’t seem to get injured a great deal for example can become very valuable. Just a thought anyway...definitely not easy running a ballet company!! 
 

[Jan McNulty]

ENB can hardly be classed as a UK touring company these days.

[capybara]

21 minutes ago, LinMM said:

And fancy losing Shale Wagman! 
Perhaps he chose to go but ENB’s loss is Munich’s gain!  

 

I believe that Shale came to ENB on a one year contract arising out of the Prix de Lausanne.

It's obviously sensible for dancers in that position to review their options as that span of time nears its end and, by then, Shale was having a taste of wider opportunities.

[TSR101]

10 hours ago, prs59 said:

I’m sorry but I find it highly insulting if not simply offensive to both parties and the ENB itself to suggest that the Artistic Director of one of the UK’s leading ballet companies has cast a dancer on the basis that she shares a bed with him. 

 

I would call you comments, naive to the extreme. Come on! This isn't about ballet, this typical of human nature. 

 

*Cough* Prix Benois de la Danse *Cough*

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by TSR101

[Jan McNulty]

23 hours ago, TSR101 said:

 

I think the first night cast looks very much like Hernandez and Kochetkova. All the clips are these two and the trailer. It also seems very unlikely that Rojo, would not create this ballet on her partner. Additionally, Kochetkova was ENB big signing and states on their website "I would love to have the opportunity to work with choreographers on creating new roles and ballets" - you would think she would have sought to create this role when negotiating joining.

 

10 hours ago, prs59 said:

I’m sorry but I find it highly insulting if not simply offensive to both parties and the ENB itself to suggest that the Artistic Director of one of the UK’s leading ballet companies has cast a dancer on the basis that she shares a bed with him. 

 

TSR101, your comment was, to me, somewhat unsavoury and I agree with prs59.  I find your latest riposte rather harsh in tone.

 

[LinMM]

Agree Janet 

[TSR101]

Just now, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

TSR101, your comment was, to me, somewhat unsavoury and I agree with prs59.  I find your latest riposte rather harsh in tone.

 

 

I can't help the naïveté. This is the real world, not a fantasy ballet. People look after they care for, people have preferences. The unsavouriness was to suggest I was being offensive.  The idea you find it strange that she would not choose her partner to create on who is in the company, a principal, who would surely, like any dancer want to create a role is just incredible to me. 

 

Look no one knows at this stage but I'd be happy to wager he's there on opening night (if he hopefully remains fit and healthy).  

[capybara]

Just interested in what I see on stage.......

 

I think that Rojo has given her John more to dance than the 'original' Jean had/has, which is a good thing as Jean is/was such a bland character.

 

Much of the interest in terms of casting for me will be the dancers playing Abdur. I can envisage some stunning portrayals from the likes of Jeffrey Cirio, Ken Saruhashi, Daniel McCormick, Erik Woolhouse, Fernando Carratala Coloma and Rentaro Nakaaki if they are all fit and well.

[Jan McNulty]

2 minutes ago, capybara said:

Just interested in what I see on stage.......

 

I think that Rojo has given her John more to dance than the 'original' Jean had/has, which is a good thing as Jean is/was such a bland character.

 

Much of the interest in terms of casting for me will be the dancers playing Abdur. I can envisage some stunning portrayals from the likes of Jeffrey Cirio, Ken Saruhashi, Daniel McCormick, Erik Woolhouse, Fernando Carratala Coloma and Rentaro Nakaaki if they are all fit and well.

 

I've seen a couple of different productions of Raymonda over the years and I've always thought that Abdur(akman) was the main lead character and Jean was a bit of a wimp.  I've always been surprised that Raymonda didn't run off with Abdur!  I agree that the casting of Abdur is what would interest me more.

[Sabine0308]

12 hours ago, capybara said:

 

I believe that Shale came to ENB on a one year contract arising out of the Prix de Lausanne.

It's obviously sensible for dancers in that position to review their options as that span of time nears its end and, by then, Shale was having a taste of wider opportunities.

Yes indeed. The ranking system at ENB is quite..ummm . strange to me. I doubt he would have given the same bigger opportunities at ENB than BSB gave him from day one. Joining as a Corps member again due to the Covid circumstances, but dancing immediately solo parts. And got info on promotion after the first performance. They value him.👍

[Sabine0308]

18 hours ago, LinMM said:

Thanks Lizbie!! Yes that’s her name. 
I always thought she would start to make more progress through the Company but sadly not it seems. 

I am still waiting to see Ivana Bueno on a cast sheet in a bigger role. She won Emerging Dancer this year, after all. And I think she is a very good dancer. But it seems I never see her in trailers or rehearsal shootings. Or I missed it.🤔

[LinMM]

Well it may be similar for Isabella Brouwer 

She was an emerging dancer finalist in 2015 and 2016 ....but of course 2016 was the year Cesar Corrales won it!! I did vote for her in one of the years she was in it.  
But often with these “competitions” you don’t hear that much about the dancers progression after that. 
Still I suppose getting some extra exposure doesn’t do any harm. 
 

[Sabine0308]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

Well it may be similar for Isabella Brouwer 

She was an emerging dancer finalist in 2015 and 2016 ....but of course 2016 was the year Cesar Corrales won it!! I did vote for her in one of the years she was in it.  
But often with these “competitions” you don’t hear that much about the dancers progression after that. 
Still I suppose getting some extra exposure doesn’t do any harm. 
 

Well Julia Conway gets her roles but there's more reason to it, I know. 🙄 I have an issue with such a "competition" within a company anyway. Ivana did great so I hope she will be valued better in the near future.

[Emeralds]

And .....still no casting on the Raymonda page! I am now wondering if it was due to injury/illness/Covid or whatever kept Joseph Caley from dancing the first night of Nutcracker.  But even provisional casting eg Raymonda only, or names for the three leads with a few “TBA” among the names is better than no names!  

[FionaM]

I too think the comment on Isaac Hernandez’s casting in Raymonda is way out of order.   He is an exceptional internationally renowned dancer and came to ENB as a principal having already been a principal at Dutch National Ballet for 2 years.   Not many principals get to guest at Paris Opera.  He has.  Those facts are good enough for me.  
 

if Tamara was going to especially favour him for new ballets why wasn’t he cast opposite her in AK Giselle?  Instead he partnered Alina Cojocaru and James Streeter partnered Tamara in that ballet.    I think Tamara has been very careful not to favour him over other principals despite him having the most classically pure and beautiful technique.

 

One might argue it would be better for his own career to seek opportunities elsewhere.  I note he already does ... appearing in movies and ballet initiatives in Mexico, plus this new Carmen with Osipova in Edinburgh just this week.  

[Bruce Wall]

15 hours ago, FionaE said:

I too think the comment on Isaac Hernandez’s casting in Raymonda is way out of order.   He is an exceptional internationally renowned dancer and came to ENB as a principal having already been a principal at Dutch National Ballet for 2 years.   Not many principals get to guest at Paris Opera.  He has.  Those facts are good enough for me.  
 

 

 

Not forgetting his time with SFB - where his brother is now a principal ... 

[TSR101]

20 hours ago, FionaE said:

I too think the comment on Isaac Hernandez’s casting in Raymonda is way out of order.   He is an exceptional internationally renowned dancer and came to ENB as a principal having already been a principal at Dutch National Ballet for 2 years.   Not many principals get to guest at Paris Opera.  He has.  Those facts are good enough for me.  
 

if Tamara was going to especially favour him for new ballets why wasn’t he cast opposite her in AK Giselle?  Instead he partnered Alina Cojocaru and James Streeter partnered Tamara in that ballet.    I think Tamara has been very careful not to favour him over other principals despite him having the most classically pure and beautiful technique.

 

One might argue it would be better for his own career to seek opportunities elsewhere.  I note he already does ... appearing in movies and ballet initiatives in Mexico, plus this new Carmen with Osipova in Edinburgh just this week.  

 

I am not saying she hasn't been but whats the basis for the assertion she has been very careful? My understanding from public comments on their relationship is that they weren't together in 2016 when Giselle premiered so that seems irrelevant. 

 

This forum is a splendid place, but I am sorry, many of the comments are sycophantic. It is not ridiculous that someone would favour their own partner, given all the evidence of human civilisation of people doing just that. That Isaac is himself a great dancer, would only make it easier to favour him. Yet I did not even suggest she would 'favour him' in some nefarious manner, I said it was also unlikely that she would not choose to create on him. Choreographers have often chosen who they wanted to work with to create - the history of ballet is full of it (not to mention full of protégées of choreographers - all evidence of an industry where favour matters). So actually 'favour' certainly does come into it. She would have had to actively choose not to use her partner to create, what is I think her first major ballet - I remain of the opinion, that that is unlikely.  

 

My original point was evidenced in three ways, I didn't make my point based on this evidence alone and together it makes a compelling narrative for that being the likely opening night cast. I intend to say no more on this issue as its clear that people are unable to have a reasoned discussion without overly dramatic claims that I have in someway impugned the honour of the ENB and its AD. 

 

p.s. partnering with Alina over herself is hardly a sign of disfavour! 

 

 

[Lizbie1]

I don't think it's sycophantic, it's just that this really isn't a gossipy forum.

 

I for one welcome dancers' personal lives being kept out of the discussion here. It's none of my business.

[LinMM]

I’ve just had an email from ENB with casting for the three main roles in Raymonda but not full casting. 
However they are cancelling some performances ( on very nights I was planning to go lol) 18/19 and 20th matinee are cancelled. 
Cant reveal as under embargo until 10 am on 22nd Dec. 
But some difficult choices now less performances....as can’t get the two dancers together I want!! 
 

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by LinMM

[Rob S]

Just received the email about the cancellation of 18/1 performance☹️ Looks like we have to wait up to three days for the credit note to be able to book an alternative so that'll be something to do on Christmas Day

Edited December 22, 2021 by Rob S

[Bluebird]

14 hours ago, LinMM said:

I’ve just had an email from ENB with casting for the three main roles in Raymonda but not full casting. 
However they are cancelling some performances ( on very nights I was planning to go lol) 18/19 and 20th matinee are cancelled. 
Cant reveal as under embargo until 10 am on 22nd Dec. 
 

 

Since it's now after 10am, I assume it's OK to post the scheduled Raymonda casting (which is, as usual, subject to change):

 

Thursday 13 January, 7.30pm Raymonda Shiori Kase John de Bryan Isaac Hernández Abdur Rahman Jeffrey Cirio

 

Friday 14 January, 2pm* Raymonda Emma Hawes John de Bryan Aitor Arrieta Abdur Rahman Junor Souza

 

Friday 14 January, 7.30pm Raymonda Erina Takahashi John de Bryan Joseph Caley Abdur Rahman Daniel McCormick

 

 Saturday 15 January, 2pm Raymonda Shiori Kase John de Bryan Isaac Hernández Abdur Rahman Jeffrey Cirio

 

Saturday 15 January, 7.30pm Raymonda Fernanda Oliveira John de Bryan Francesco Gabriele Frola Abdur Rahman Erik Woolhouse

 

Sunday 16 January, 2pm Raymonda Erina Takahashi John de Bryan Joseph Caley Abdur Rahman Daniel McCormick

 

Thursday 20 January, 7.30pm Raymonda TBC John de Bryan Jeffrey Cirio Abdur Rahman Fernando Carratalá Coloma

 

Friday 21 January, 7.30pm Raymonda Fernanda Oliveira John de Bryan Francesco Gabriele Frola Abdur Rahman Erik Woolhouse

 

Saturday 22 January, 2pm Raymonda Emma Hawes John de Bryan Aitor Arrieta Abdur Rahman Junor Souza

 

Saturday 22 January, 7.30pm Raymonda Shiori Kase John de Bryan Isaac Hernández Abdur Rahman Rentaro Nakaaki

 

Sunday 23 January, 2pm Raymonda TBC John de Bryan Jeffrey Cirio Abdur Rahman Fernando Carratalá Coloma

 

*Please note that this is a Relaxed Performance

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by Bluebird

[FionaM]

There are some TBCs in Raymonda casting … Kochetkova and Mair perhaps?

Edited December 22, 2021 by FionaE

[capybara]

Thrilled for Shiori Kase that she has the opening night of this new production.

But all the casts will light up the stage, especially when the other four main characters (Henriette, Sister Clementine, and the two lead Soldiers) are put into the mix.

[Emeralds]

Thank you, Bluebird! 

 

As usual ENB website is very tardy to their own party and not terribly helpful to the company’s ticket sales. 

 

The big question is, if Maria Kochetkova was fit enough to dance the lead in yesterday’s show, why isn’t she in any of the named (ie not TBC) casting? We have both Natascha Mair and Maria Kochetkova to guess/predict where they will go and if both are well enough/available to proceed. I’m happy with half the tickets I booked in advance without casting information. Will think about whether I should change the other half. 

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by Emeralds

[Bluebird]

34 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Thank you, Bluebird! 

 

As usual ENB website is very tardy to their own party and not terribly helpful to the company’s ticket sales. 

 

I suppose it's possible that the delay in putting the casting on their website might mean that it's changed since they sent it to Friends yesterday!

[Emeralds]

9 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

 

I suppose it's possible that the delay in putting the casting on their website might mean that it's changed since they sent it to Friends yesterday!

Fingers crossed it’s not because more people have become unwell or injured. 

[capybara]

42 minutes ago, Bluebird said:

 

I suppose it's possible that the delay in putting the casting on their website might mean that it's changed since they sent it to Friends yesterday!

 

ENB's admin. staff are working from home.

The fromtheboxoffice website is still offering 58% reductions on tickets: https://www.fromtheboxoffice.com/city/2957-london/1DREL-raymonda/ 

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

The press release came out an hour ago.  I don't know if there are any changes from what was issued to Friends yesterday:

 

English National Ballet 
WORLD PREMIERE of Raymonda by Tamara Rojo
London Coliseum
13 - 23 January 2022
ballet.org.uk/raymonda

English National Ballet has today announced principal casting for Raymonda by Tamara Rojo CBE, after Marius Petipa, which receives its eagerly awaited world premiere at the London Coliseum from 13 – 23 January 2022. 

 

Marking her debut in choreography and direction, Rojo adapts this 19th-century classic for today’s audiences, revisiting this important but rarely performed work of the ballet canon which is not, in its entirety, in any other UK dance companies’ repertoire.

Bringing the story into the setting of the Crimean war and drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking spirit and work of the women supporting the war effort, including Florence Nightingale, Raymonda is recast as a young woman with a calling to become a nurse. With a new narrative and developed characterisation bringing women’s voices to the fore, Rojo’s Raymonda introduces a heroine in command of her own destiny.

 

Full principal casting in the order of Raymonda, John de Bryan and Abdur Rahman: 

Thursday 13 January (Press Night) 
Shiori Kase, Isaac Hernández, Jeffrey Cirio

Friday 14 January, matinee*
Emma Hawes, Aitor Arrieta, Junor Souza

Friday 14 January 
Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Daniel McCormick

Saturday 15 January, matinee 
Shiori Kase, Isaac Hernández, Jeffrey Cirio

Saturday 15 January
Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Erik Woolhouse

Sunday 16 January, matinee 
Erina Takahashi, Joseph Caley, Daniel McCormick

Thursday 20 January 
TBC, Jeffrey Cirio, Fernando Carratalá Coloma 

Friday 21 January 
Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Erik Woolhouse

Saturday 22 January, matinee
Emma Hawes, Aitor Arrieta, Junor Souza

Saturday 22 January 
Shiori Kase, Isaac Hernández, Rentaro Nakaaki

Sunday 23 January, matinee
TBC, Jeffrey Cirio, Fernando Carratalá Coloma 

*Relaxed performance.

Please note, casting is subject to change. Please see www.ballet.org.uk for up to date casting. 

Rojo brings together a stellar production team for Raymonda with costume and set design by Antony McDonald, lighting design by Mark Henderson, dramaturgy by Lucinda Coxon, character dances by Vadim Sirotin, and choreology research and advice on the Sergeyev notation by Doug Fullington. Alexander Glazunov’s original score, adapted and edited by Gavin Sutherland and Lars Payne, will be performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic. 

 

Raymonda is a Co-Production between English National Ballet and Finnish National Opera and Ballet. Following its world premiere run at the London Coliseum from 13 - 23 January 2022, it will be performed on tour at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre from 30 November – 03 December 2022. 

-ENDS-

 

Notes to Editors
 
English National Ballet is grateful for the generous grant it has been awarded through the Government's Culture Recovery Fund, which allows it to continue to create, perform and serve its audiences.

 English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. 
 
NatWest is Principal Partner of English National Ballet.

Ballymore is Principal Building Partner of English National Ballet. 

Raymonda by Tamara Rojo, after Marius Petipa
A Co-Production between English National Ballet and Finnish National Opera and Ballet
Production Partner: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Production Sponsor: Cunard

 

Listings: 

Raymonda WORLD PREMIERE  
London Coliseum 
13 – 23 January 2022
www.ballet.org.uk/raymonda

 

Raymonda 
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
30 November – 03 December 2022
www.ballet.org.uk/raymonda

 

 

About English National Ballet 
English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet’s growth and evolution ever since. 

English National Ballet brings world-class ballet to the widest possible audience through live performances across the UK and on eminent international stages including The Bolshoi Theatre and Palais Garnier; its digital platforms Ballet on Demand and BalletActive; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s.

Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company’s repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history when it moved into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in east London, Mulryan Centre for Dance, bringing a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before.
www.ballet.org.uk

 

About Arts Council England 
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19

[FionaM]

Maybe it’s time to adjust ourselves to Bolshoi/Mariinsky casting timings … they are announced only a few weeks beforehand?   

[Jan McNulty]

2 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Maybe it’s time to adjust ourselves to Bolshoi/Mariinsky casting timings … they are announced only a few weeks beforehand?   

 

If you follow NB and BRB those timescales for casting seem like luxury!

[LinMM]

Just to make clear in the email sent to Friends there was a statement that the performances on 18th and 19th evenings and 20th matinee have been cancelled. 
This was explained as Covid precautions. 
 

Am not sure why those three days should make a difference where Covid is concerned but perhaps they are “bubbling” the casts?? 

[Dawnstar]

It's a pity they've cancelled the mid-week performances as I was eyeing those, subject to casting, as the trains home would be quieter. Anyway, I've now booked Friday 21st, as that cast includes Frola. I would have quite liked to see the Hawes/Arrieta cast too but I don't want to attend a Saturday matinee & their other performance is a relaxed one, which I would hate. Now I'll be busy praying I don't pick up covid on 21st, as that would scupper the RB R&J I have booked for 1st February. Of course that assumes that all the RB & ENB performances in January & February will take place, something which seems far from certain!

 

I booked using the From The Box Office offer but hit the infutiating you-can't-leave-a-single-seat issue. I had to go to the Coliseum's website & put the seat I didn't want out of the pair into my basket there so the From The Box Office website would let me book the seat out of the pair that I did want, before then releasing the other seat. The extra difficulties that are so often put in the way of single theatregoing are so annoying.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Dawnstar

[SheilaC]

I've just had my tickets for the matinee on Friday 14 January refunded, without explanation. I don't think that was one of the cancelled dates. Makes me wonder about cancelling the other dates that weekend, not least as LNER has already cancelled my train back North on the Sunday.