Royal Ballet's Swan Lake (Spring 2022)

[bridiem]

18 minutes ago, miliosr said:

But it's precisely that judgmental criticism of elite professionals which separates a Margot Fonteyn from Margot Fonteyn's friend from the conservatory who also danced professionally. Ultimately, criticism is the means by which the practitioners, the professional critics and the audience arrive at a rough consensus as to who is truly extraordinary and who isn't. Arriving at that consensus may not be pretty but it's better than its alternative where praise is distributed indiscriminately and ends up having no meaning.

 

I agree about criticism, which necessarily involves judgement; but I think there's a danger in conflating judgement with being judgemental. The latter word always carries connotations of unfairness and of being over-critical, and of coming from an unreasonable and condemnatory stance. This is I think what the original objection was to comments that had been made (whether or not that was a valid objection). Judgement is fine and necessary; being judgemental isn't.

[Scheherezade]

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

 

They were in the right order 👼

 

Derivative, repetitive, bland …

Bland, repetitive …

Ditch that halo, Rob! 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Scheherezade

[LinMM]

There are certainly things I may say to certain ballet friends which I wouldn’t put into writing here. Not dreadful things or anything but feel that as we’ve done quite a lot of dancing ourselves  over the years we sort of can say we understand and know about the technical side of things at least but even so somehow talking about a Professional dancers performance on a public Forum is something I personally feel I should be more careful about as sometimes for example we can’t always explain why we each may prefer different dancers sometimes ….and even choose to see different casts as first choice etc. 

So I might say to a friend I don’t go to see ….that dancer so much because he/she leaves me cold…but wouldn’t reveal that here! 
Most of the RB dancers are pretty good technicians most of the time so it’s often more about interpretation or style that attracts you to certain performers and not so much to others. 
But when reporting here it is just my personal opinion so like to keep that in mind if wanting to say something not entirely positive so don’t go too overboard ( as most here don’t anyway) with criticism. 
Im much more likely to be negative about choreography or productions in general than individual dancers performances anyway.  
 

[taxi4ballet]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

 

I agree about criticism, which necessarily involves judgement; but I think there's a danger in conflating judgement with being judgemental. The latter word always carries connotations of unfairness and of being over-critical, and of coming from an unreasonable and condemnatory stance. This is I think what the original objection was to comments that had been made (whether or not that was a valid objection). Judgement is fine and necessary; being judgemental isn't.

Thank you, you've made the point I was trying (and failing!) to make yesterday, and done a far better job of it than I did...

[taxi4ballet]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

Talking about male dancers “spins” as it were I’m getting rather fed up with this current newish practice of bringing the leg down to the ankle in the middle of a pirouette sequence. 
It doesn’t look very good to me but whether this in fact helps turn it into an “ice skater like spin” rather than more classically perfected turns I’m not sure but it’s easier turning with a lowered leg not harder (in my limited experience) so otherwise not sure why this has become so fashionable in last few years 🤔

 

Perhaps that is a choice made by the choreographer rather than the dancer? Or maybe out of necessity for a long-legged dancer so she doesn't thwack her short-armed partner with her knee on the way round?🤣

[Scheherezade]

4 minutes ago, taxi4ballet said:

Thank you, you've made the point I was trying (and failing!) to make yesterday, and done a far better job of it than I did...

I totally agree (that Bridiem has highlighted the difference here). 
I don’t, by the way, think that there are many judgemental posters on this forum. 

[LinMM]

Well that’s one way of explaining it lol! 
But often I’ve seen it in men doing solos! 
I suppose “fed up” is a bit strong I just don’t like it so much aesthetically let’s say. 
Im also sure it’s crept into solo pieces where it wasn’t before ….where the dancers get a a bit of a choice on what to whack out there or not as it were!!! 

[art_enthusiast]

One thing I do wish is that more rehearsal footage of this Swan Lake run would be released on YouTube. Of course there are the rehearsal insights of Fumi and Federico with Zenaida Yanowsky coaching, which was excellent - but I believe Olga Evreinoff has also been coaching Claire Calvert/Lauren Cuthbertson (not sure who else). It would be great to have a longer rehearsal video with her.

A few clips were released in the "Why Swan Lake is one of the best loved ballets" YT video, but it would be very interesting to see more of different coaching styles with different dancers.

Edited May 23, 2022 by art_enthusiast

[Linnzi5]

33 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

One thing I do wish is that more rehearsal footage of this Swan Lake run would be released on YouTube. Of course there are the rehearsal insights of Fumi and Federico with Zenaida Yanowsky coaching, which was excellent - but I believe Olga Evreinoff has also been coaching Claire Calvert/Lauren Cuthbertson (not sure who else). It would be great to have a longer rehearsal video with her.

A few clips were released in the "Why Swan Lake is one of the best loved ballets" YT video, but it would be very interesting to see more of different coaching styles with different dancers.

I agree! I just love these videos and watch them all the time. I need more and I need them now!  

 

Very interesting posts here today. I've enjoyed reading them all.

 

I have never been to a RB performance and walked away feeling short-changed. Even if I haven't been blown away by a dancer's execution/interpretation there are always other things to love and admire. I love Swan Lake and would happily watch any pairing, though I have my favourite dancers.

 

I too, like to be positive - after all, I'm spending a lot of money to be entertained - and I want to see the best, not feel short-changed or negative because I have picked everything to pieces. That being said, what I like about this forum is that different perspectives are aired here - this really is enjoyable for me and has meant that I feel far more informed about aspects of dance. I have learnt technical aspects of dancing I previously didn't know about and that only enriches my knowledge and understanding. A performance doesn't have to be technically perfect for me to love it - it's the connection I feel to the dancing, story-telling and emotions expressed that is paramount. I think the latter is very subjective. It's also lovely for me to talk to other ballet fans and share thoughts and ideas - I have nobody in my family or circle of friends who is quite as passionate as I am, or who would be willing to suffer my ramblings!

 

I certainly don't always agree with different opinions to mine. In my opinion, Bracewell's Siegfried was one of the best I've seen in terms of characterisation and the emotions I felt with his performance - I really felt a strong connection- but I do understand another person's perspective and that they may not feel the same way as me and I don't care if they do or not. Maybe they are not looking for the same things as I am?  As long as someone isn't commenting on personal appearances - I really don't like seeing that. When we put ourselves on stage and perform to an audience, we also have to accept that not everyone will like what we do, or will disagree with our interpretations, or just like someone else more. Reading reviews can be hazardous for our self-belief/esteem or they can do the opposite.

 

What an interesting point about the choreographers. I suspect that, as they are not up in front of the lights, on stage, that they are more removed from the audience; it's easier to criticise someone whose face you may not even recognise? It shouldn't, however, make any difference, as it's still a review of their skill as a choreographer and their work is an expression of themselves and very personal to them. 

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Linnzi5
Typo!

[Fonty]

4 hours ago, miliosr said:

As the American dance critic Edwin Denby (perhaps the finest dance critic the United States has ever produced) wrote: "Criticism is a conversation that the audience has with itself, and if the performer wants to eavesdrop on the conversation, he does so at his own risk."

 

 

That is a fantastic quote.  Personally, I think a professional performer in any field should be very, very careful about reading social media, knowing that there is a possibility that their own name will be mentioned.  I think all the opinions expressed on here have been polite, and the moderators do a splendid job of making sure that anything that could be interpreted as offensive is removed.   However, the whole point of forums such as this one is that we should feel free to express our likes and dislikes without worrying about hurting someone's feelings.  People on here have said that dancers do read this forum.  If that is the case, they do so at their own peril.

Having said that, I am certain that each dancer is their own harshest critic, and nothing we say on here will be anything like as bad as the comments they might berate themselves with after they think they have performed at a level less than their personal best.  

[Lizbie1]

3 minutes ago, Fonty said:

Having said that, I am certain that each dancer is their own harshest critic, and nothing we say on here will be anything like as bad as the comments they might berate themselves with after they think they have performed at a level less than their personal best.  

 

And what's more, Matthew Ball said in the Men at the Barre documentary that sometimes people at the stage door point out things that they didn't feel were quite right to his face, straight after the show!

[art_enthusiast]

3 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

And what's more, Matthew Ball said in the Men at the Barre documentary that sometimes people at the stage door point out things that they didn't feel were quite right to his face, straight after the show!

Yes - I thought that was quite bizarre. Dancers must be so exhausted (mentally and physically) after a performance, so receiving corrections straight after feels quite harsh!

[Finnbarr]

If I could just say that in my original post on this topic I went out of my way to say that I booked another performance of Anna Rose O Sullivan after her debut because I thought the Act 3 slip may have been a one off. But her second performance was also disappointing and whatever moves other dancers may substitute ( eg see Odile doing all pique turns in the historic black and white footage of the Kirov) what we saw was decidedly unmusical and jarring. I would be interested to know if she pulled it off on her third performance but you were all being too polite to say!

 

I think it must be very different attempting Odile’s final solo after  the ballerina has danced all of Odette in Act 2 and the Act 3 pas de deux and andante solo as compared to reeling off fouettés in the studio. Could more full dress rehearsals be helpful perhaps? 
 

 

[Clara_f]

12 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

Yes - I thought that was quite bizarre. Dancers must be so exhausted (mentally and physically) after a performance, so receiving corrections straight after feels quite harsh!

 

 

It's actually very common for dancers to receive corrections from coaches or ADs as soon as the curtain goes down so I think they're used to it

 

You have to have quite thick skin to be a dancer because you receive corrections from whatever age you start dancing. That's how you improve. If you can't handle feedback it will be hard to make it. They're professionals and it's part of their job.

 

 

 

[Richard LH]

8 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

Yes - I thought that was quite bizarre. Dancers must be so exhausted (mentally and physically) after a performance, so receiving corrections straight after feels quite harsh!

If dancers get "corrections" from their professional coaches etc. after a performance, that is one thing, but getting them from random members of the public at the Stage Door is another! I hope Matthew, and other principals, see this as mildly amusing, rather than anything to take to heart.

[Lizbie1]

5 minutes ago, Clara_f said:

 

 

It's actually very common for dancers to receive corrections from coaches or ADs as soon as the curtain goes down so I think they're used to it

 

You have to have quite thick skin to be a dancer because you receive corrections from whatever age you start dancing. That's how you improve. If you can't handle feedback it will be hard to make it. They're professionals and it's part of their job.

 

 

 

 

Well yes - but corrections from members of the public are something else!

Edited May 23, 2022 by Lizbie1
very minor edit

[art_enthusiast]

2 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

If dancers get "corrections" from their professional coaches etc. after a performance, that is one thing, but getting them from random members of the public at the Stage Door is another! I hope Matthew, and other principals, see this as mildly amusing, rather than anything to take to heart.

 

Indeed. For example if I did notice a mistake, saying it at the Stage Door would be the last thing I would do. Of course the professional coaches will have noticed it and made them aware - and dancers themselves, with their high attention to detail, would certainly be aware of it as well! It feels a bit inappropriate.

What I really like is when dancers make adjustments to the choreography that are so seamless you might not notice them (like for example the Odile piqué turns). It shows their heightened awareness of their capabilities and what they can do at that time. Of course it's live theatre, unpredictable things can happen, and being able to pre-empt that and make a choreographic change on the spur of the moment is a very admirable feat.

[art_enthusiast]

21 minutes ago, Finnbarr said:

 I would be interested to know if she pulled it off on her third performance but you were all being too polite to say!

 

I think it must be very different attempting Odile’s final solo after  the ballerina has danced all of Odette in Act 2 and the Act 3 pas de deux and andante solo as compared to reeling off fouettés in the studio. Could more full dress rehearsals be helpful perhaps? 

From my previous post: in her third performance I saw her greatly improved, almost hitting the complete number of fouettés without a single pause before adding some piqué turns to make up for the rest of the counts. I found her much more confident and relaxed in the role.

She very nearly hit them all, and she finished very elegantly. Her skill is definitely not the issue, I think it's a question of confidence and, as you point out, performing the entire ballet in full is a lot more strenuous.

I do agree with the point about more full length dress rehearsals. That would presumably help a lot, given the stamina required to get through the entirety of Act 2 and a significant portion of Act 3 before the coda.  Fouettés completed in isolation must be a lot more manageable. 

What I have noticed from this Swan Lake run is that this ballet (this version anyway) is very much focused on the female dancer, it seems that there is much more required from them compared to the male dancer (not saying he doesn't put in equal effort). When you look at it in its entirety, it also feels like Benno gets more to do than Siegfried (especially in Act One). 

I'm aware that Sleeping Beauty is similar as well - more is demanded of the female dancer, therefore more scrutiny will be placed on her in comparison to the male dancer. It's definitely a significant amount of pressure.

[MaddieRose]

'In common with many other ballerinas, she failed to accomplish the full thirty-two fouettés (indeed some famous ballerinas have cut them altogether, including Pavlova and Markova); but one felt that with her amazing determination she would succeed, and she has since done so'. 
 

This was written by Gordon Anthony of a Swan Lake performance on the 21st December 1937, at which Margot Fonteyn debuted in the full-length ballet. I have a book of his photos of her, in which he's quite blunt about her shortcomings, but also writes of how she either conquered or worked around them, and how her interpretations of her roles grew. I assume she was getting more regular Swan Lakes than today's Principal's are (the positive of this is a less heavy workload, the negative is that there might not be a chance to develop in the role), but still, I think determination and confidence is the key. 

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

If dancers get "corrections" from their professional coaches etc. after a performance, that is one thing, but getting them from random members of the public at the Stage Door is another! I hope Matthew, and other principals, see this as mildly amusing, rather than anything to take to heart.

I’ve been witness to some of those kinds of remarks at the Stage Door. Some seem to be borne of people being starstruck and not knowing what to say - apart from mentioning an on-stage incident.

[emmarose]

20 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

Yes - I thought that was quite bizarre. Dancers must be so exhausted (mentally and physically) after a performance, so receiving corrections straight after feels quite harsh!

 

Especially as they've probably just had it backstage, or know they'll be getting corrections from their coaches/directors/teachers. I can't fathom waiting backstage to meet the performers just to be critical! How awful!

[Pas de Quatre]

Principals will often get a quick debrief immediately. More detailed "notes" for the whole company will be given at the next rehearsal. A member of the public should never comment unless there are special  connections.

 

I too have a book, of Massine, by Gordon Anthony. He was Ninette de Valois's brother so counts as part of the ballet establishment.

[Jorgeb]

First of all, I'd like to say how grateful I am that this forum exists.

My first Swan Lake live in a theater was in 1987, with Silvie Guillem and Manuel Legris, in Lisbon.

I went to the livestream on Thursday night. Living in Lisbon, these broadcasts are highly anticipated.

Lauren Cuthbertson was a lovely Odette and I particularly liked her white acts. I enjoyed her Act III, but I found myself more impressed by Marianella`s Odile.

I loved William Bracewell, his lyrical dancing, so graceful and expressive. A beautiful artist and a real pleasure to watch.

It seemed to me that Siegfried's entry on scene in Act IV took place a few seconds too soon. There are also two lifts in act IV where I have some doubts about the second lift, but as I can't review it, it's probably just an impression without foundation since no one else has commented.

I'm really happy with the news of Bracewell's promotion.

Luca Acri was excellent.

Isabella Gasparini was wonderful as always, but I'm sorry to say that I'm not a fan of Meaghan Grace Hinkis - the problem will be mine, I suppose.

I particularly liked the Spanish dance.

It was a joy.

About horns and other wind instruments, it's an old problem. Just listen to Prince Siegfried's entry on Act IV - Anthony Dowell / Natalia Makarova's 1980.

Thank you so much balletcoforum.

Please be patient with my poor English.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ian Macmillan]

Jorge:  You have no need to be concerned about your English.  I suspect that few of us would do anything like as well on a Portuguese language forum. 

[Jorgeb]

20 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

Jorge:  You have no need to be concerned about your English.  I suspect that few of us would do anything like as well on a Portuguese language forum. 

Thank you. Muito obrigado.

[Linnzi5]

3 hours ago, Jorgeb said:

First of all, I'd like to say how grateful I am that this forum exists.

My first Swan Lake live in a theater was in 1987, with Silvie Guillem and Manuel Legris, in Lisbon.

I went to the livestream on Thursday night. Living in Lisbon, these broadcasts are highly anticipated.

Lauren Cuthbertson was a lovely Odette and I particularly liked her white acts. I enjoyed her Act III, but I found myself more impressed by Marianella`s Odile.

I loved William Bracewell, his lyrical dancing, so graceful and expressive. A beautiful artist and a real pleasure to watch.

It seemed to me that Siegfried's entry on scene in Act IV took place a few seconds too soon. There are also two lifts in act IV where I have some doubts about the second lift, but as I can't review it, it's probably just an impression without foundation since no one else has commented.

I'm really happy with the news of Bracewell's promotion.

Luca Acri was excellent.

Isabella Gasparini was wonderful as always, but I'm sorry to say that I'm not a fan of Meaghan Grace Hinkis - the problem will be mine, I suppose.

I particularly liked the Spanish dance.

It was a joy.

About horns and other wind instruments, it's an old problem. Just listen to Prince Siegfried's entry on Act IV - Anthony Dowell / Natalia Makarova's 1980.

Thank you so much balletcoforum.

Please be patient with my poor English.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Jorgeb! Your English is excellent!

 

I too had doubts about one of the second lifts in Act IV (it was a close-up shot, but it looked like the lift should have gone higher) but I wasn't certain- as nobody has mentioned it I thought it could be me mistaking what the second lift should be, but at the time I thought it wasn't quite right. It didn't worry me at all but I did notice. As I am not a technical expert, I thought I must have been wrong and I still may be.

 

I thought Isabella Gasparini was delightful - she is a delicate dancer and very graceful.  Meaghan Grace Hinkis, though clearly a good dancer, didn't have that 'extra something' I crave in a dancer but I did feel she was very competent. The problem for me, is that I always compare any sisters to those of Francesca Hayward and Akane Takada, which isn't fair as they were both principals when they danced those roles in 2018, I think it was?  In my opinion, I haven't seen anyone match their performances yet, though I have enjoyed the others since, of course. 

 

Brass instruments, particularly French horns, often crack their notes - they are notoriously difficult to play. I do notice when it happens but am so used to it that it doesn't worry me. 

 

I really hope that one of the filmed performances is released on dvd as I'd love to watch either again. 

 

 

 

 

[alison]

9 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

 

I too had doubts about one of the second lifts in Act IV (it was a close-up shot, but it looked like the lift should have gone higher) but I wasn't certain- as nobody has mentioned it I thought it could be me mistaking what the second lift should be, but at the time I thought it wasn't quite right. It didn't worry me at all but I did notice. As I am not a technical expert, I thought I must have been wrong and I still may be.

 

 

Now you mention it, I did wonder, too.  Oh well, lucky there's a backup film, should the powers that be be intending to issue a DVD ...

[Emeralds]

A bit of a late review of 2 performances here as I was busy for a fortnight and unable to post. My best friend and I went off to watch two separate performances as we couldn’t make the same dates, so she watched the cinema screening on 19 May with a buddy, and I went to ROH for the show on 17 May with another pal.

 

My friend’s review of 19 May (Cuthbertson/Bracewell):

“I previously saw the Mariinsky Ballet (Tereshkina, cannot remember who danced Siegfried) and thought they were excellent. The Royal Ballet’s was equally wonderful, and in addition it was great to see close ups thanks to the camera filming. Their acting was excellent! I also enjoyed the backstage interviews with the dancers. Such a talented company!”  

 

(My best friend is an experienced dancer in a different genre-not ballet- and refuses to look for mistakes and doesn’t  “follow” dancers, preferring just to take whoever is performing that day. She has actually seen William Bracewell before in another show, but refuses to compare his two performances. I like her approach too. 😊) She went to an Everyman cinema which had no technical issues and could see feet, closeups, etc. She also mentioned they had sofa seats for a higher price if you want to treat yourself, eg going with family, children, a date etc, and said hers was very comfortable although she would have enjoyed it from any seat. 

 

As there are still cinemas around the country presenting encore screenings this week and next week, I thought I’d share what she said. 

 

My review of 17 May (Lamb, Hirano):

I’d been waiting 2 years (and 2 months!) to see Sarah Lamb and Ryoichi Hirano in this as their performance was cancelled due to Covid in March 2020, so it was a thrill to see them at last. I’d seen Nunez and Muntagirov in this production when it was first mounted, and Kaneko and Bonelli earlier this year, and we’ve been lucky with this Swan Lake that we’ve had magnificent, glorious performances. Sarah and Ryo are dance actors with eloquence and great detail in every arm gesture, turn of the head, movement of the back, even the angle of a shoulder....they can speak volumes just with a flicker of a muscle or blink of an eye, along with their beautiful lines and technical virtuosity. I love the difference in styles and strengths of the three couples we’ve watched.

 

Joseph Sissens was brilliant as Benno, with impressive elevation and turns - his Act 1 solo was a highlight of the show! Bennet Gartside was also a memorable villain next to the eloquent acting of Lamb and Hirano,  impressive at  conveying spine chilling evil without being hammy.  Madison Bailey and Liam Boswell also made a delightful debut in the Neapolitan Dance this season- ebullient and energetic with great jumps and neat footwork. I thought the character dances were so beautifully danced at this performance- among the best I’ve seen in any Swan Lake. Sumina Sasaki, Katharina Nikelski, David Yudes, Nadia Mullova-Barley, David Donnelly, Bailey and Boswell, and their colleagues, made Act 3 so enjoyable with the passion and excitement they conveyed. (My only negative is that I’m not a fan of the choreography or costumes for the four “prospective bride” princesses in this version.) The corps de ballet swans, cygnets and Two Swans were beautiful as always. 

 

If the cast this Saturday with Lamb and Hirano are the same or mostly the same dancers as the 17th, the audience are in for a treat. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Emeralds

[Suffolkgal]

Just responding to some of the comments higher up in this thread ... Liam Scarlett, like Gary Avis, were/is Suffolk lads and both responsible for so much support for ballet in the county. (Ashton’s county!). Liam is a great loss and a tragic one, but I still don’t like some of the decisions in the production.
 

For me it is best ended with the Corps folded up like powder puffs as the music ebbs and the lovers, united, sail off in a great big swan boat! The current ending is so weird and doesn’t really make sense as has been said. Mind you in about 1990 I was in Leningrad as was watching the Kirov as was, with Altynai Asylmuratova as Odette/Odile. Everyone lived except rothbart! (We are Russian and like a happy ending said our guide which is one of the oddest things I’ve ever heard). 

 

Not that I haven’t really enjoyed seeing several performances...

Edited May 25, 2022 by Suffolkgal
Typo

[art_enthusiast]

48 minutes ago, Suffolkgal said:

Just responding to some of the comments higher up in this thread ... Liam Scarlett, like Gary Avis, were/is Suffolk lads and both responsible for so much support for ballet in the county. (Ashton’s county!). Liam is a great loss and a tragic one, but I still don’t like some of the decisions in the production.

Indeed - I think that on the whole, the production and its choreography are excellent but I have a slight issue with the somewhat repetitive character dances in Act Three, and the opening Valse of Act One. It's of course very exciting, energetic choreography which is great for the opening waltz, but I sometimes feel as if the stage is slightly overcrowded. Particularly the part where there are female dancers turning forwards, and male dancers leaping in the other direction - I sometimes get worried that there might be a collision.

I do actually love the ending though. I agree that it is very tragic (and somewhat similar to Giselle with the recurring theme of females sacrificing themselves) but I do love the part where her 'apparition' rises above Siegfried as he walks forward during the final notes. Very emotionally stirring.

Edited May 25, 2022 by art_enthusiast

[Jorgeb]

Personally I prefer the “tragic” ending to the “happy” ending when they both die and remain united for eternity.

The classic Kirov /MariinsKy production (revised choreography Konstantin Sergeyev) includes the “happy” ending in the final act where Siegfried fights and ultimately defeats von Rothbart and is happily reunited with Odette. I have the videos with Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky in 1990 and the one in 2007 with Ulyana Lopatkina and Danil Korsuntsev.

The ending in Liam Scarlett's version isn't entirely satisfying, but as I said in another post I actually prefer the Royal Ballet version to the Bolshoi version - Yuri Grigorovich, in which Odete seems to die behind a gauze curtain and Prince Siegfried simply sinks onto the stage. I think it's too mute and doesn't do justice to the beautiful and passionate emotion of the score.

In the current version of the Royal Ballet, Odette dies and regains her humanity while Siegfried, with Odette's body in his arms, will have to face the future with the consequences of betraying his vow.

[Fiona]

43 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

Indeed - I think that on the whole, the production and its choreography are excellent but I have a slight issue with the somewhat repetitive character dances in Act Three, and the opening Valse of Act One. It's of course very exciting, energetic choreography which is great for the opening waltz, but I sometimes feel as if the stage is slightly overcrowded. Particularly the part where there are female dancers turning forwards, and male dancers leaping in the other direction - I sometimes get worried that there might be a collision.

I do actually love the ending though. I agree that it is very tragic (and somewhat similar to Giselle with the recurring theme of females sacrificing themselves) but I do love the part where her 'apparition' rises above Siegfried as he walks forward during the final notes. Very emotionally stirring.

 

Yes, I always feel that the dancing area in Act 1 is cramped.  The scenery seems to encroach too much, and there is too much of it.  Personally, I was very impressed with Lauren Cuthbertson's Odile.  I thought she came on stage for the pdd with all guns blazing!  I loved Nadia Mullova-Barley's Spanish dance, also I always enjoy Isabella Gasparini whenever she performs. Her smile lights up the stage!

[Suffolkgal]

I love that we all have strong opinions what’s the point of the creative arts otherwise? It’s very Hamletian this production don’t you think? Grieving damaged young Prince, mother paying far too much credence to another man, and why isn’t Siegfried on the throne anyway? This is surely a 19th century patriarchy? Ghostly apparitions and all that ...