The Royal Ballet Rehearses Swan Lake - Insight 15 Feb 2022

[bridiem]

I watched this Insight on YouTube - it was wonderful! Zenaida Yanowsky coaching Fumi Kaneko and Federico Bonelli in Swan Lake. Her début has been delayed for 2 years now but she is clearly more than ready and absolutely beautiful, and he is such a strong and considerate partner. Lovely to hear the appreciation for him in respect of his new appointment at Northern Ballet. Can't wait for their performance!

[AnticaFiamma]

Very lovely evening, I can't wait for their performance! And it really reminded me of this video 

 

 

[LinMM]

I’ve put my comment on this on the other thread on insights! 

 

Quote

Anyway that sorted I really enjoyed this insight….. nice to see Yanowsky still around and some interesting bits of info like the Tchaikovsky pas de deux music ( choreographed by Balanchine) was originally meant for Swan Lake!! 

Im always amazed when you see dancers as fragile looking as Fumi suddenly belt out all these amazing steps as strong as an ox …but of course with great beauty!  I can’t take my eyes of her feet they are so perfect!! 
Im lucky in that I’m going to see Fumi and Frederico in Swan Lake in a couple of weeks time and this insight showed it’s going to be brilliant performances from them both. If any tickets come up I’d definitely grab one anyway. 

 

EDIT: I've copied it over for you, Lin - Alison

Edited February 16, 2022 by alison
To copy comments over

[RuthE]

Just home from this! It was absolutely wonderful.

[zxDaveM]

12 minutes ago, RuthE said:

Just home from this! It was absolutely wonderful.

 

it was indeed! 🙂

 

[ninamargaret]

A real treat. Wish I had booked for this.

[Jamesrhblack]

I enjoyed this very much. Always good to see Lady Keenlyside with her wealth of insight and good to hear her flagging up musical issues too. I remember as a child being very confused as I tried to match what I heard on the LP’s I’d been bought (Antal Dorati conducting the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra on Fontana Special for the record) with my memories of the performances we’d been watching.

 

Good memories too (Deanne Bergsma / Donald Macleary, Monica Mason / Rudolf Nureyev and Alfreda Thorogood / David Ashmole, plus Lesley Collier’s debut, rather sniffily received at the time although she did get a Sunday Times Magazine cover the week before).

 

https://www.crazyaboutmagazines.com/ourshop/prod_4566264-The-Daily-Telegraph-magazine-Lesley-Collier-cover-27-July-1973.html

 

Such a pleasure to see the ever growing assurance of the oh so glamorous Fumi Kaneko and, most moving of all, to see Federico Bonelli, only a couple of shows away from retirement, still looking for ways to refine both his presentation and that of his ballerina.

 

I’m now on the hunt for a couple of tickets for 4 March…

[LianneEva]

I was in the audience for this too - I'd booked some time ago with the idea that it was likely to be Swan Lake because of the dates matching, but didn't know for sure!

 

What a gorgeous evening. Fumi and Federico are my two favourites (and the cast that I've booked to see in March) so all my ballet prayers were answered. The first run through of the White Swan PDD brought a tear to my eye - Fede is wonderful and Fumi is just breathtakingly gorgeous in this.

 

I felt very spoiled indeed getting to see some of my favourite ballet choreography performed by two stunning dancers at close range. I'd have quite happily stopped time yesterday evening!

 

 

[Rob S]

6 minutes ago, LianneEva said:

I was in the audience for this too - I'd booked some time ago with the idea that it was likely to be Swan Lake because of the dates matching, but didn't know for sure!

 

What a gorgeous evening. Fumi and Federico are my two favourites (and the cast that I've booked to see in March) so all my ballet prayers were answered. The first run through of the White Swan PDD brought a tear to my eye - Fede is wonderful and Fumi is just breathtakingly gorgeous in this.

 

I felt very spoiled indeed getting to see some of my favourite ballet choreography performed by two stunning dancers at close range. I'd have quite happily stopped time yesterday evening!

 

 

 

And was there bonus content for people there in person?

[zxDaveM]

Just now, Rob S said:

 

And was there bonus content for people there in person?

 

no, unless you count feasting your eyes from close range 🙂

[bangorballetboy]

To be honest, I think it's rather disrespectful to refer to a professional by a name that she herself does not use in public (or, for all we know, at all).

[capybara]

23 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

To be honest, I think it's rather disrespectful to refer to a professional by a name that she herself does not use in public (or, for all we know, at all).

 

Agree. The great coach I saw online was Zenaida Yanowsky. Also, many people on here will not necessarily be familiar with who she is married to.

[Fonty]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

To be honest, I think it's rather disrespectful to refer to a professional by a name that she herself does not use in public (or, for all we know, at all).

 

I am not sure I would go so far as to say it is disrespectful, but I for one had to do a quick search to find out who it was.  Always easier to refer to people by the name they used when performing, then we all know who is being referred to.  

[Jamesrhblack]

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

To be honest, I think it's rather disrespectful to refer to a professional by a name that she herself does not use in public (or, for all we know, at all).

I’m sorry if you consider it disrespectful. I have the highest regard for Zenaida Yanowsky. One of my artists coaches regularly with her husband and it’s how we always refer to her in conversation when discussing his sessions. Indeed, he actually appeared with her in her last Royal Ballet project at The Barbican.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Jamesrhblack

[TSR101]

It really isn't disrespectful at all to refer to someone by their name or title even if as above it would be more recognisable to use their name rather than title. Unless you are the person in question or the person in question has stated explicitly their desire to not use a name or title then no one else has right to decide what people should or should not be called.

 

Rather perversely, strictly speaking by tradition its actually disrespectful not to use someones title unless they have chosen not to use it - albeit this is not a convention followed much today. 

[Dawnstar]

I liked her reference to Odile being similar to Don Giovanni in terms of the audience reaction to them, evidently a reference inspired by her being married to one of the greatest Don Giovannis of his generation.

[ImmySE]

It was such a treat to see my absolute favourite Odette/Odile, Zenaida Yanowsky, coaching in this wonderful insight!

Federico Bonelli talking about his mixture of emotions about leaving the Royal Ballet brought more than a year to my eye-lucky Northern Ballet!  He is such a beautiful dancer and seems to be an extremely lovely and modest person. Fumi Kaneko was as exquisite as Odette/Odile as she was as Juliet-what expressive arms she has. If only I’d booked to see them! 🥲

[Jan McNulty]

18 minutes ago, ImogenSE said:

It was such a treat to see my absolute favourite Odette/Odile, Zenaida Yanowsky, coaching in this wonderful insight!

Federico Bonelli talking about his mixture of emotions about leaving the Royal Ballet brought more than a year to my eye-lucky Northern Ballet!  He is such a beautiful dancer and seems to be an extremely lovely and modest person. Fumi Kaneko was as exquisite as Odette/Odile as she was as Juliet-what expressive arms she has. If only I’d booked to see them! 🥲

 

Hello Imogen and welcome out of the lurking shadows!

[FionaM]

I got very emotional watching this … what with Fumi’s debut being delayed by two years (COVID has had an awful impact on these dancers’ careers) and then also Federico coming to the end of his dancing days, but clearly relishing starting his new job shortly, and showing it by joining the coaching effort in this insight.  

[FionaM]

@Jan McNulty As an aside I’ve been meaning to say … your sign off “watching ballet keeps me sane” makes me smile every time I see it!  Thank you 🙏

[Sim]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

@Jan McNulty As an aside I’ve been meaning to say … your sign off “watching ballet keeps me sane” makes me smile every time I see it!  Thank you 🙏

I think that wonderful sign-off speaks for us all!

[JNC]

What a lovely Insight, probably the best one in a long while - amazing to see Zenaida Yanowsky’s research and insight into the role and coaching. 
 

And Fumi and Federico were stunning - beautiful dancing and technique from both, different stages of their careers but both on top form. Such a shame they only have one public performance. 
 

Slightly off topic but if Federico is starting in his new role at Northern Ballet in May I assume the Ashton bill will be his retirement from the RB? Do they tend to publicly announce retirement performances in advance? 
 

Really appreciate ROH live streaming them and leaving on you tube a bit to allow everyone the chance to see these things! 

[AnticaFiamma]

15 minutes ago, JNC said:

Slightly off topic but if Federico is starting in his new role at Northern Ballet in May I assume the Ashton bill will be his retirement from the RB? Do they tend to publicly announce retirement performances in advance? 

 

There is a discussion on this in another thread, but long story short we don't really know. In the announcement of his retirement they say that "details of Bonelli’s final performance with The Royal Ballet will be announced in due course". I booked just in case!