The Royal Ballet's The Weathering / Solo Echo / DGV: Danse à grande vitesse: 24 March to 07 April 2022

[JNC]

11 minutes ago, MJW said:

I don’t want to prejudge the mixed bill as I’m not going until the 2nd but as a very general question - what input/control does Kevin O’Hare/Royal Ballet have over newly commissioned works?

 

this is a tricky one - surely choreographers should have free reign and O’Hare shouldn’t be dictating things. 
 

It’s probably worth a conversation before a commission as to what the ‘vision’ might be but things often change and I think any choreographer would push back on creative control being reigned in and overseen. (And rightly so.) 
 

I think the only thing that might be done is after the performance to review whether it worked and give feedback, and then an overall decision to be made about whether that choreographer would or should be commissioned again in future. 
 

I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes but to be honest I think the ultimate responsibility lies with O’Hare. Unless it is a completely new choreographer, there will always be examples of their work available to see and presumably any new work wouldn’t stray too far away from that artistically. I am not familiar with other works of Abraham but from last night in my opinion I would say he is not a good fit for the Royal Ballet. 
 

I sense Wheeldon at least (whether you like him or not, I am pretty mixed and undecided at this point) does fit the Royal Ballet, although whether it’s necessary a direction I would want them to go in I am not sure. 

[Richard LH]

33 minutes ago, JNC said:

Whilst I did overall enjoy the bill on balance I do echo a lot of the disappointment.

Not a Solo echo then......!

[JNC]

3 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Not a Solo echo then......!

ha! Quite…

 

on one hand I’m reassured that others feel the same about the bill (in particular the disappointment of Abraham) on the other it is not particularly a good place for RB to be in. 
 

ENB have been quite strong under Rojo at putting on good contemporary bills and a good mix of commissioning appropriate work whilst also securing suitable work too. Even for pieces I haven’t liked (Khan’s Creature I hated, sorry) it always felt like it fitted the company. 

[Shade]

54 minutes ago, JNC said:

Whilst I did overall enjoy the bill on balance I do echo a lot of the disappointment. 
 

would I want to go see any of these works again, either during this run or in a future run - no.
 

I think there is merit in commissioning new work and they have to be experimental as well so of course some works will inevitably fail. But it’s worrying that much new output seems to fall into this category for me at least. 
 

A similar question is would I go and see a contemporary mixed bill at ROH again when I know it’s just going to be variations on this again? I don’t know but if lots of people were disappointed by this evening the answer is likely to be no and that’s quite worrying with regard to the sustainability (both artistically and financially) of new works. 
 

Where are the Ashtons and Balanchines of our time? 

Mr Ratmansky - cannot think of another

[AnnabelCharles]

I absolutely loved this triple bill. I knew very little about any of the pieces and didn't buy a programme - I just went along and experienced them as dance, putting my own interpretation on each one. To me, they were all about the connection or otherwise between people - and I could see links between them, but also a development through the three which contributed to an emotional coherence for the whole programme.

 

For me The Weathering was playful, quirky and tender, with standout performances from William Bracewell and Fumi Kaneko - I found their duet particularly touching. I also enjoyed the sections with Liam Boswell and Joshua Junker - and the fact the piece was a showcase for male dancers. The moving lamps created a simple, but I thought very effective setting. I had seen Solo Echo before - but only onscreen - and the dark costumes against a dark background did make it difficult to see. On stage (and I deliberately choose a seat near the front),  the snow against the dark was stunningly beautiful and I found the choreography both compelling and very clever. The teamwork of this as an ensemble piece I thought was particularly strong. I couldn't identify particular dancers that stood out - it was their commitment to working together to create an extraordinary sense of the interconnectedness of people that was noticeable. DGV was an exhilarating finish - with the urgency of continuous movement sometimes coordinated, sometimes not, creating a sense of momentum - interposed with extraordinarily complicated and exciting lifts - and some more leisurely moments of reflection. Matthew Ball and Gina Storm-Jensen and Marianela Nunez and Ryoichi Hirano stood out in this piece, I thought, though again, the impact lay in the collective performance.

 

Overall, I was impressed - as always - by the versatility, talent and commitment of the dancers. I love the fact that in contemporary pieces like these, it is more about the ensemble than the individual dancer and the piece rather than the performers.  The minute it ended I wanted to see it all over again.

[Sim]

Wow…such a diverse and interesting range of opinions on the mixed bill!  I look forward to seeing it soon.  

[alison]

I'd seen Solo Echo, from a distinctly restricted-view seat, last summer in one of the RB's "post-Covid" mixed bills and, I think, missed quite a bit of it.  This time, I made sure to have a full, albeit distant, view, and it was the stand-out for me of this bill - I agree with Annabel here.  DGV I have seen danced better, and more impactfully, in the past - but then I think we need to cut the RB some slack here, as they've obviously had to cope with a number of late cast changes, and one very much last-minute.  I didn't find the music for The Weathering particularly "danceable", and I think that may have affected my view of the piece as a whole - I also found it too long.  There were some great individual performances, but it didn't do a lot for me.

[Dawnstar]

6 minutes ago, Sim said:

Wow…such a diverse and interesting range of opinions on the mixed bill!  I look forward to seeing it soon.  

 

I'm afraid I had the opposite reaction: I read all the opinions & thought "Thank goodness I didn't book"!

[Sim]

1 minute ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I'm afraid I had the opposite reaction: I read all the opinions & thought "Thank goodness I didn't book"!

Some of the opinions are positive, some negative.  If they were all negative I’d be worrying!

[Dawnstar]

14 minutes ago, Sim said:

Some of the opinions are positive, some negative.  If they were all negative I’d be worrying!

 

Even the positive opinions make it clear to me that it's not an evening I'd enjoy myself. I can read 5 star rave reviews of productions & still know I don't want to see them!

[LinMM]

I wasn’t going to go to this triple but then booked last week for the second cast so as to use it for an opportunity to get to know some of the younger dancers so not going until the last night. 
I’ve seen pictures of the costumes and they do look a bit drab to be honest but at least there will be some variety in the music so won’t be the worst production I will have experienced this season!! 

[Richard LH]

35 minutes ago, LinMM said:

won’t be the worst production I will have experienced this season!! 

For myself I would have to class this as the least enjoyable evening I have had to date at the RB in terms of the production itself, not assisted by being in a rather fragile state  amidst recovery from surgery, and being very disappointed for Akane, who sustained  a last minute  injury at the rehearsal which has ruled her out of DGV this time round. Coming after several months off, missing the Nutcracker and R&J, this is very hard for her fans and must be even more so for her. 

 

I did very much like Fumi Kaneko and  Will Bracewell, and Anna Rose O'Sullivan, in The Weathering but otherwise I could not get much inspiration from the choreography or this  piece, or from the choice of music. Certainly too long, and ending with  a rather interminable male solo which left me feeling pretty flat. 

 

I did enjoy Solo Echo  more than when I saw it before - some interesting combinations of movement, and held positions,  when the dancers were together (and weren't just running at full speed across the floor and skidding to a halt).  The music is great but as JohnS  points  out it may not be the most appropriate for this  tense, downbeat piece. 

 

DGV was more uplifting and did bring the evening to a close on a better note.

 

However the best part of the evening for me was finally meeting JohnS in the foyer!

[LinMM]

Sorry to hear you have had to have surgery Richard LH hoping you have  a full recovery from it very soon. 
My comment was for Ballet across the board not just RB.. …well I wasn’t going to mention it ….but don’t think it can be worse than ENB Creature for me!! It’s always great to meet someone from the Forum for the first time too!! 
As it happens Im meeting a friend I’ve not seen for months on the 7th at ROH  ( and only briefly since Covid started) so if nothing else we can enjoy the meet up …which may give us a rosier view of this Triple in the end lol! 

[JohnS]

2 hours ago, Richard LH said:

However the best part of the evening for me was finally meeting JohnS in the foyer!

Very good to meet you and your wife too Richard. A first to be compared to an element of a Royal Ballet triple bill and I’m quite sure I set a very low bar.

[Jan McNulty]

A number of reviews are in!  Check them out in Today's Links:

 

 

Don't forget that if you register for The Times you can read 2 free article per week (the week starts on a Monday).  Where limited numbers of articles are free to view and you have more than one email you could try registering each email.

[DanJL]

Thanks Jan, looks like largely positive reviews in the press. I'm looking forward to watching the second cast next week 🙂

[Fonty]

On 25/03/2022 at 11:05, JNC said:

A similar question is would I go and see a contemporary mixed bill at ROH again when I know it’s just going to be variations on this again? I don’t know but if lots of people were disappointed by this evening the answer is likely to be no and that’s quite worrying with regard to the sustainability (both artistically and financially) of new works. 
 

Where are the Ashtons and Balanchines of our time? 

 

Well, the chances of getting one seem remote while the Royal Ballet continues to employ a Resident Choreographer who is unashamedly contemporary.  I am amazed, in fact, that he still holds this post.  Nothing against McGregor personally, and I know there are some people on this forum that are real fans of his stuff.  If the RB was to commission the occasional new piece from him, then fine.  But he is never, ever going to be the next Ashton or Balanchine, and the only way to get that is to employ a new resident choreography who understands and is able to produce new classical works. 

[zxDaveM]

I'm 50/50 with McGregor - some of his works I love a lot, others, not so much. But agree the resident choreographer for a classical company should be producing classical style works.

[ninamargaret]

7 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

I'm 50/50 with McGregor - some of his works I love a lot, others, not so much. But agree the resident choreographer for a classical company should be producing classical style works.

Who do you suggest? Ashtons or Balanchines seem to be a bit thin on the ground these days! It seems to me that so many current choreographers are so concerned with producing work that is 'relevant'  or 'accessible' that coming up with a ballet that simply tells a story,or just celebrates dance is alien to them.

[zxDaveM]

9 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

Who do you suggest? Ashtons or Balanchines seem to be a bit thin on the ground these days!

 

As they have ever been!

Wheeldon or Ratmansky would be the nearest (for me)

[jmhopton]

2 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

As they have ever been!

Wheeldon or Ratmansky would be the nearest (for me)

Valentino Zucchetti would do it for me.

I know he's not a big name like Wheeldon or Ratmansky but he does understand classical choreography and I've really enjoyed the choreography of his that I've seen.  Although recognisably modern, his ballets are also recognisably classical, which seems to be quite a difficult combination to achieve. As I think I've said before, apart from Liam Scarlett, he is the only current RB choreographer I would pay to go and see (current in the sense of fairly contemporary and current rep). 

Also, didn't Liam have an official Artist in Residense post? Perhaps Valentino could have a similar official or semi official role depending on how he wanted to divide his time between his dancing and choreography roles.

 

The RB should have a classical choreographer as well as (or even instead of) a contemporary one though I think we have to accept that barring a miracle, the days of genius choreographers like Ashton and Macmillan may have gone. 

[AnneL]

I have enjoyed what I have seen of the work of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa although I admit I haven’t seen that much, just A Streetcar Named Desire by the Scottish Ballet and Broken Wings, which of course was done by ENB. I will certainly look out for her work being performed in future. I am missing the current contemporary triple bill at the ROH,  so can’t comment on that. I usually like Wheeldon’s work, however. (But with Swan Lake and Peter Grimes this month I couldn’t fit in another Covent Garden trip.)

[zxDaveM]

45 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

Valentino Zucchetti would do it for me.

I know he's not a big name like Wheeldon or Ratmansky but he does understand classical choreography and I've really enjoyed the choreography of his that I've seen. 

 

yes indeed, he's well on the way isn't he - I didn't include him yet, as he has only had the one piece on the main stage

[emmarose]

29 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

yes indeed, he's well on the way isn't he - I didn't include him yet, as he has only had the one piece on the main stage

 

I agree that he would fit the role eventually, but it seems a bit early in his career to place him in such a big role and may actually stifle his work in a way to put that pressure on him too soon. I think he'll grow to excel in the position.

[Scheherezade]

59 minutes ago, AnneL said:

 

I have enjoyed what I have seen of the work of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

 

Me too, AnneL. And Arielle Smith’s joyous Jolly Folly, but it’s hard to think of many others that have been anything more than box-ticking exercises.
 

I want to emerge from a new work having enjoyed the experience: entertained, moved or intrigued and wanting to see more. I don’t want to be preached at and I don’t want the all too common reaction of: “seen that, won’t be going again in a hurry”. 

[DanJL]

After The Weathering I was entertained, moved and intrigued enough to buy a ticket for the second cast. The triple bill obviously wasn't to everyone's tastes, but that doesn't mean it's without value to the people who did enjoy it 🙂

 

I'd love to see more new classical choreography too, but I think there's plenty of space for both. 

[Fonty]

13 minutes ago, DanJL said:

After The Weathering I was entertained, moved and intrigued enough to buy a ticket for the second cast. The triple bill obviously wasn't to everyone's tastes, but that doesn't mean it's without value to the people who did enjoy it 🙂

 

I'd love to see more new classical choreography too, but I think there's plenty of space for both. 

 

I agree there is plenty of space for both.  However, I do feel that the balance is skewed heavily in favour of contemporary dance when it comes to new works. 

[DanJL]

Yes, fair enough. Hopefully that can be addressed to give more balance in future. 

[jmhopton]

5 hours ago, emmarose said:

 

I agree that he would fit the role eventually, but it seems a bit early in his career to place him in such a big role and may actually stifle his work in a way to put that pressure on him too soon. I think he'll grow to excel in the position.

I'm sure you're right Emma Rose but I wasn't really thinking of Valentino in a major role imminently.  Despite me not really enjoying his choreography I suspect Wayne Macgregor is here to stay (at least in the short term) so if the RB wanted a more classical choreographer it would probably have to be under an 'Artist in Residence' sort of title. That way, Valentino could divide his time between dancing and choreography until such time as he felt able to commit more to choreography. It's a shame he's never had more chances at a dancer, never really given many opportunities at the more romantic or classical roles. He made it clear in the Men at the Barre documentary that he thought he'd been rather underused as a dancer which is  possibly why he turned to choreography. Perhaps he will make his name through choreography.  It will be interest to see his next attempt. I certainly want to see it so I hope its not buried in a mixed bill of ballets I dont want to see!

[emmarose]

13 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I'm sure you're right Emma Rose but I wasn't really thinking of Valentino in a major role imminently.  Despite me not really enjoying his choreography I suspect Wayne Macgregor is here to stay (at least in the short term) so if the RB wanted a more classical choreographer it would probably have to be under an 'Artist in Residence' sort of title. That way, Valentino could divide his time between dancing and choreography until such time as he felt able to commit more to choreography. It's a shame he's never had more chances at a dancer, never really given many opportunities at the more romantic or classical roles. He made it clear in the Men at the Barre documentary that he thought he'd been rather underused as a dancer which is  possibly why he turned to choreography. Perhaps he will make his name through choreography.  It will be interest to see his next attempt. I certainly want to see it so I hope its not buried in a mixed bill of ballets I dont want to see!

 

I understand, I thought it was suggested he be an imminent replacement. But it would be good to see Valentino promoted to a new role and develop in that way.

 

Honestly, I wish Wayne would be replaced, I don't enjoy his work and I don't enjoy listening to him speak about dance either, which is rare for me as I enjoy listening to most people within the world of dance in any capacity. I feel like he doesn't have any business being there, the company has some of the most beautiful classical dancers and we have someone who is only contemporary. It feels like they're really missing something here. 

 

Hopefully they continue to nurture Valentino. 

[DanJL]

This is partly why I made my point about there being space for everything. Surely there's no need to remove Wayne McGregor - Royal Ballet has benefitted from some wonderful works and hopefully will continue to do so. The real issue is that there is no-one working with the company to regularly produce new classical works. Wouldn't it be possible to have two resident posts, with one focusing on classical? 

[Lizbie1]

A few belated thoughts from me on Thursday's performance:

 

The Weathering: thought this was OK-ish but definitely too long. I liked that we saw some junior dancers featured - Liam Boswell stood out for me. I was sufficiently pleased that they weren't in greige underwear to overlook O'Sullivan's slightly odd outfit.

 

Solo Echo: didn't see this last year. The best thing about it was the music (Brahms Cello sonata no 1) so it didn't much matter what was going on on stage, which just seemed to be the usual Crystal Pite fare. Nice snowy backdrop too!

 

DGV: hadn't seen this before, and I can safely say it's my favourite thing by Wheeldon (which isn't saying much). On the plus side: nice use of the corps, a good choice of score, good set used well; minuses were: ugly designs for the lead dancers (the corps had better), a bit repetitive, and as someone else has mentioned, I thought the way female dancers were carted in and out like so many shop mannequins jarring and less than respectful.

 

All in all, not a dead loss and it just about washed its face - but I wouldn't make any effort to see it again.

[DoctorDerry]

Thank you all for so much commentary on the triple bill. I did not fancy it or think it worth the effort of coming to London as I am not a major fan of contemporary works. So feeling glad not to have missed something special. I am so looking forward to the Ashton triple bill.