Royal Ballet Announces 2022/23 Season

[Scheherezade]

2 hours ago, FionaE said:

 

I’m disappointed in the volume of negativity here.  

 

I think that most of the negative posters - and I am happy to nail my colours to that particular mast - are disappointed at the uninspiring programmes on offer, the lack of any acknowledgment, let alone celebration, of the vast catalogue of the company’s heritage works and the craven cap-doffing to the cult of ‘new at any cost’.
 

The staggering number of untested new works screams of ‘never mind the quality, feel the width’ and I’m sorry, BBB but I think that most of us are able to speculate as to what we are likely to enjoy - or not, as the case may be - with a high degree of accuracy.

 

The coming season has more than a whiff of KOH’s pre-Covid threat of a season dedicated to 21st century works and none of the planned and very welcome heritage works set to air in the Linbury and banished due to lockdown.

 

I am far from being a naysayer when it comes to the new. Last night I spent a totally life-affirming evening at Sadler’s Wells, revelling in ENB’s wonderful performance of Forsythe’s Blake Works and Playlist and I can reel off any number of other new works programmed by this company - Jolly Folly, Broken Wings, to name but two. How is it that this company almost always manages to get it right and to showcase works that I immediately want to see again whereas, for me, I would consign most of the RB’s new works to a very deep dustbin. 
 

This isn’t true of everything. Valentino Zucchetti shows enormous promise, I enjoyed Woolf Works and would be interested to see the Dante Project, a revised Cellist and some of Scarlett and Wheeldon’s works again. There must be more but Corybantic Whatnot isn’t one of them.

 

I was, however, cheered at the mention of Pam Tanowitz and Stina Quagebeur, will look forward, as always, to Ballet Black, will look at Acosta Danza with interest and will keep my fingers crossed that William Bracewell, so utterly compelling as Hamlet to Hayward’s Ophelia in the Ashton Remembered programme, is cast as Crown Prince Rudolf. 

[Margaret]

I cannot find details of the Diamond Celebration on the ROH website, though it is listed on the News section.  I have tried various options with no success.

 

I would be grateful for help with this.

 

Margaret

[Josette]

I will be coming from Los Angeles to see Woolf Works and Cinderella. 

 

[Bluebird]

17 minutes ago, Margaret said:

I cannot find details of the Diamond Celebration on the ROH website, though it is listed on the News section.  I have tried various options with no success.

 

I would be grateful for help with this.

 

Margaret

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/the-royal-ballet-a-diamond-celebration-details

Edited April 6, 2022 by Bluebird

[Sim]

7 minutes ago, Josette said:

I will be coming from Los Angeles to see Woolf Works and Cinderella. 

 

Now that's what I call dedication!  

[Beryl H]

I agree those ballets, plus Mayerling, are the most exciting for me too!

[art_enthusiast]

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

Why does Mr O'Hare have to keep commissioning new works every season?   My perception is that we have had multitudes of new works over the past decade, hardly any of which have seen the light of day again.  I might be mistaken, of course.  I would have to see a list, but just going through the ones I can remember, I can't think of any apart from a couple that I would rush back to see, and those are one act ballets.  On the other hand, there are some fantastic ballets that are tried and trusted, but haven't been shown for a while, and would be new to a younger audience, if that is what the main aim is.

If the RB wanted to commission a new work, they could take a leaf out of ENB's book, and get something like Forsythe's Playlist.  Now that I would be overjoyed to see anytime. 🙂

Speaking as a younger audience member, I am thrilled for the opportunity to see Mayerling. I've never seen it live before. Never seen Cinderella either, so that sounds amazing.

The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet I am very familiar with - of course the music/Rose Adagio is extremely familiar to everyone, even those who have no knowledge of ballet at all - but I have never seen it live. So also interested in that as well.

 

As for modern works, I'm extremely open to trying them out. I do understand the frustration of people here who want to see some strong, original, unique Royal Ballet works brought back - as do I. However, I have also been very impressed by their recent modern works.

[Emeralds]

8 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I think that most of the negative posters - and I am happy to nail my colours to that particular mast - are disappointed at the uninspiring programmes on offer, the lack of any acknowledgment, let alone celebration, of the vast catalogue of the company’s heritage works and the craven cap-doffing to the cult of ‘new at any cost’.
 

The staggering number of untested new works screams of ‘never mind the quality, feel the width’ and I’m sorry, BBB but I think that most of us are able to speculate as to what we are likely to enjoy - or not, as the case may be - with a high degree of accuracy.

 

The coming season has more than a whiff of KOH’s pre-Covid threat of a season dedicated to 21st century works and none of the planned and very welcome heritage works set to air in the Linbury and banished due to lockdown.

 

I am far from being a naysayer when it comes to the new. Last night I spent a totally life-affirming evening at Sadler’s Wells, revelling in ENB’s wonderful performance of Forsythe’s Blake Works and Playlist and I can reel off any number of other new works programmed by this company - Jolly Folly, Broken Wings, to name but two. How is it that this company almost always manages to get it right and to showcase works that I immediately want to see again whereas, for me, I would consign most of the RB’s new works to a very deep dustbin. 
 

This isn’t true of everything. Valentino Zucchetti shows enormous promise, I enjoyed Woolf Works and would be interested to see the Dante Project, a revised Cellist and some of Scarlett and Wheeldon’s works again. There must be more but Corybantic Whatnot isn’t one of them.

 

I was, however, cheered at the mention of Pam Tanowitz and Stina Quagebeur, will look forward, as always, to Ballet Black, will look at Acosta Danza with interest and will keep my fingers crossed that William Bracewell, so utterly compelling as Hamlet to Hayward’s Ophelia in the Ashton Remembered programme, is cast as Crown Prince Rudolf. 

I must admit I was disappointed that it was Corybantic Games that was the Wheeldon work chosen for revival rather than Fool’s Paradise. And the comparison is unfortunate, but if there was a work that needed  redesigning this season, it wasn’t Cinderella with the beautiful David Walker designs, but the unflattering ones for Corybantic Games (although I accept if the Cinderella redo was for legal reasons).

 

I’m looking forward to the Pam Tamowitz and Valentino Zucchetti creations as their last creations were good, and Crystal Pite tends to have a good record working with company members she has gotten to know, so I’m also looking forward to her creation. I can understand why she wanted to expand on the topic of forced migration and refugees given the current war and horrors that erupted on 24 Feb, and I think it will be a powerful piece, although it is not likely to be a cheery, jolly divertissement. 

 

Seeing as the Insight Evening revealed some outstanding performances of no longer seen Ashton works that were so enthusiastically received, I wonder why some of those (such as the Hamlet & Ophelia pas de deux) couldn’t be revived too? It feels like the heritage programming was “one long and one short” each of Ashton and MacMillan and no more. 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

If it’s ROH collections you’re using, they stopped several seasons ago and don’t include every single performance. Which database is it? I might use it if it’s one I haven’t seen before. 

 

I checked the ROH performance database & @Saodan's website. I just wasn't certain if there was a gap between the two where more recent Cinderella performances may have fallen, but evidently not.

[art_enthusiast]

4 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

I would love to have Les Noces again - perhaps too expensive with the required opera input sadly. Whole heartedly agree about Symphonic Variations v Corybantic knicker drawer (I'd have happily taken Symphonic Dances instead too). As for Mayerling, can't say it's one of my favourites, but there had to be a 3-act MacMillan, so there it is.

I suppose until the coffers replenished, variety will not be the spice of life at the Royal Ballet

Just wondering, why does it cost so much more to stage these original works? (In general)

Edited April 6, 2022 by art_enthusiast

[RHowarth]

1 hour ago, Ianlond said:

 

Does anyone know why one of the three big MacMillan ballets usually starts a season? 

I would guess two reasons - firstly that they are frequently performed and so known by many of the dancers, and so don't require as much rehearsal given that it's the start of the season and dancers have been on summer break. Secondly because in comparison with for e.g. Petipa, they are not the most demanding in terms of classical technique, which again is helpful after a long summer break.

[Jeannette]

Happy that Ashton’s Cinderella will return. Sorry about the trend towards modern.  That’s supposed to save ballet?

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

It may depend on how far you have to travel to the ROH perhaps? 

 

I definitely agree with that. If I lived in London & could go to the ROH as otfen as I liked then I might be more inclined to give works I doubt I'd like a go. As it is I don't want to spend time & money (plus risk getting covid) going to performances unless I think I'm likely to enjoy them.

 

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

or finding new companies

 

Are there many major ballet companies nowadays that do focus primarily on classical ballet? I wouldn't say any of the other UK ballet companies are any better on that front than the RB & from what I've seen on the thread for 2022-3 seasons a lot of the European companies seem to have lots of contemporary works lined up too. Are the major US companies any more classically-focused?

[JNC]

I am in the camp of do we need one of the big three (or sometimes even two!) MacMillans every year? I admit whilst he’s not my favourite choreographer he is integral to the company but could we at least do some of his one act works in that case instead? I really liked Concerto and would like to see Song of the Earth and others. 

 

From what I recall last time Mayerling was on it didn’t sell well at all and so lots of seats went for £10 to young ROH people. Why are they bringing that back when it was on more recently than La Fille, Sylvia, Jewels etc .
 

I can understand why Balanchine is revived less often given it is not necessary core RB repertoire as a lot of his work is for NYCB, as much as I would love to see more Balanchine I understand why it’s not, but the core Ashton repertoire and other historic pieces are fading away, is it even core anymore? As founder choreographer I would expect to see more Ashton than anyone else, or at least him on an equal footing, I noted that on the cast sheets they list him and De Valois as founder but this is meaningless if the works aren’t performed. 
 

I think family friendly La Fille or classical Sylvia would sell better than than Mayerling or a full length Pite, and provide for those newly promoted to learn some new repertoire. There are many principals and soloists who haven’t had roles in La Fille, Sylvia and Balanchine works and without doing them every now and again the style will suffer surely? Management seems to sometimes assume “dark and edgy” works sell better (and play to critics better perhaps?) than lighter pieces that offer no social commentary. 
 

Nijinska, de Valois and Massine are all but forgotten and this season worries me about if we will ever see them return given how long it’s been. And if they do will it be for a measly 3-4 performances (but better than none!). 
 

Practically there does need to be a balance of profit and art. But reviving things that are not necessarily profitable and have been performed more recently than other valid works (which may actually be more profitable) is what I find odd. I am also not against new works (I enjoyed Khan’s Giselle and ENB’s contemporary mixed bill on WWI as well as She Persisted) but the new works RB commissions don’t excite me I’m afraid, although I’m glad to see Zuchetti getting more work - I haven’t see his previous work so perhaps I will make an effort to see the Diamonds bill (if I’m actually available on the limited dates and can get reasonable tickets!). I wonder if tickets will be available to Friends only if the performances run is so short, speaking as a friend this does seem unfair. 
 

I quite like Pam Tanowitz but she is being relegated to the Linbury again! So doubt I’ll be able to get tickets in any case. 

ultimately it will be impossible to please everyone but repetitively cycling 10 or so works for marathon runs of nearly 30 performances on a 2-3 year cycle is rather glum.
 

The marathon runs of certain works (see this year’s Romeo and Juliet and then the Nutcracker and next year of Cinderella, Nutcracker again and Sleeping Beauty) also mean less programme choices overall - there are only 8 (9 including the very short Diamonds bill) works for next year which doesn’t seem a lot? 

 

sorry I know I’m probably just repeating myself I’ll keep quiet now! Perhaps my annoyance is compounded by the fact that whilst I’m pleased to see a Cinderella revival and I know many on the forum are very happy, I admit I find the music jarring and so I don’t know if I’ll like it that much, but I’m hoping the choreography and some lovely costumes might save it (as well as lovely casting!).

 

I’ve also realised for the first time ever I may not be booking anything for the Autumn season which has rather shocked me! That combined with my rather lacklustre feelings for the ENB 22/23 season as well. It will be interesting to see what Bonelli does at Northern Ballet! 

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, art_enthusiast said:

Just wondering, why does it cost so much more to stage these original works? (In general)

 

I don't know - opera chorus must cost more than corps de ballet (in Les Noces' case) I guess.

I remember an Insight Evening when Monica Mason was questioned why Les Noces wasn't put on more frequently (back when she put it on), and I remember 'cost' being one of the sticking points, for just one part of a triple bill

[zxDaveM]

35 minutes ago, JNC said:

I am in the camp of do we need one of the big three (or sometimes even two!) MacMillans every year? I admit whilst he’s not my favourite choreographer he is integral to the company but could we at least do some of his one act works in that case instead? I really liked Concerto and would like to see Song of the Earth and others.

 

or indeed, Requiem, or Gloria, or Rite of Spring, etc. - there are a few of his short works I like a lot. He does seem to be given a lot more coverage than Ashton, on the whole, and especially his 'unpleasant' (human?) ballets.

Worth noting though, that last time Fille was on, tickets didn't fly out of the box office, perhaps because it had only been performed within 18-24 months of it's last run (I can't remember exactly), and perhaps too many were scheduled. I for one, would love to see that back for sure!

[JNC]

Yes @zxDaveM see those names don’t come naturally to me as I haven’t seen those works ever! Part of the problem perhaps…

[zxDaveM]

1 minute ago, JNC said:

Yes @zxDaveM see those names don’t come naturally to me as I haven’t seen those works ever! Part of the problem perhaps…

 

I'm hoping to see again, most of the ones I mentioned before these ol' cloggs get popped. There are quite a few now that I will be sitting out when they appear in a triple bill (as appear they will 😞  ). And should they appear as an entire triple, that is a triple I'll be avoiding and remain ticketless for....

[zxDaveM]

2 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

Me neither.  I don't care for the music greatly, although I love the ballet itself. 

 

there are parts of the score that are stunningly beautiful - but an awful lot of gallumping about for the sisters too, making it a bit of a mish-mash

[LinMM]

JNC I agree very much with your above post. 
I was just looking at BRB Autumn programme and am thinking of doing a Thursday matinee at Hippodrome of Coppelia something nice and cheery for October 

However their triple bill the week before looks very interesting too but as far as I can see has only three performances …over TWO days. 
Honestly with the best will in the World how can they encourage new audiences with so few performances!!! 
 

[Ian Macmillan]

Dave:  Les Noces - opera chorus AND 4 first-rate pianists.  Plus a language coach - we had the ROH Russian coach for a bit back when we (Cambridge Phil) did Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky.  I asked him about Les Noces and he said it was set in old Russian and suggested it needed a bit of extra coaching. 

[Dawnstar]

3 hours ago, Ianlond said:

am glad it’s just the one act Anastasia being done (farewell performances for Laura Morera?) rather than the over-long, overblown three act version.

Most of the ‘Diamonds’ programme sounds interesting but a shame it’s so few; could they not have included another triple bill with Diamonds as part of it? I do hope there are still plans for Prodigal Son and the Bintley (Tombeaux?) that were cancelled due to covid, at some point.

 

I hope Anastasia isn't going to be Morera's farewell or I'll be spending rather a lot of time sitting in the ROH foyer that evening!

I too was hoping Prodigal Son would get rescheduled as I was really looking forward to seeing that but as there's still no sign of it 2 seasons in I'm losing hope.

 

I was also really hoping the exerpts done in the 2019 Fonteyn Gala would be built on & we'd get to see some of the works in full such as Ondine, Facade, Apparitions and Daphnis & Chloe, but again, now it's several seasons on & no sign of them so unfortunately it's not looking likely.

 

1 hour ago, JNC said:

Nijinska, de Valois and Massine are all but forgotten and this season worries me about if we will ever see them return given how long it’s been. And if they do will it be for a measly 3-4 performances (but better than none!).

 

There are several de Valois works that I really would like to see (Job, Checkmate, The Gods Go A-Begging, The Rake's Progress) & as she founded the RB I feel they should feel an obligation to revive her works. Has the RB done anything by de Valois other than Coppelia in the last decade? If the RB doesn't have the confidence to programme them on the main stage nowadays then they could at least do them in the Linbury, given they were mostly choreographed for Sadler's Wells so presumably don't need a vast stage. I'm afraid I don't know much about Nijinska or Massine's works but I'd certainly go if the RB was to schedule any of them. However given none of their works were, as far as I know, created for the RB, I don't feel the RB has the same responsibility to stage them in the way I feel they should for de Valois.

[JNC]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

 

I don't know - opera chorus must cost more than corps de ballet (in Les Noces' case) I guess.

I remember an Insight Evening when Monica Mason was questioned why Les Noces wasn't put on more frequently (back when she put it on), and I remember 'cost' being one of the sticking points, for just one part of a triple bill

Surely cheaper than commissioning a whole new work with sets and costumes and potentially a whole new score? (Although this may explain why much contemporary work is practically set-less and costumes not particularly elaborate.) 

 

(not being facetious would be genuinely interested to know how much it costs and what the biggest outlays are in both revivals and new works) 

[JNC]

Re Nijinska and Massine I don’t think the works were choreographed for RB (as it didn’t exist then?) but my understanding is RB is the rightful ‘owner’ of many of those works as many of those who had performed those works worked directly with the RB so they did come into the rep in a fairly faithful way. As far as I’m aware no other company has a relationship with these works so if RB doesn’t do them nobody will.

 

I caveat that with I think ENB also has a link to this heritage as well through Markova and particularly working with Massine so perhaps it’s unfair to rest it solely on RB.

I’m not a expert on this so apologies if I’ve got the history wrong or assumed things incorrectly! But I’d be very surprised to see, for example, Paris Opera do Les Noces so really if RB doesn’t perform it I fear that work (and others) will be lost. 

 

Perhaps the new ENB director could explore this heritage a little more? I think Rojo was great at reviving ENB and bringing new works and choreographers in and producing interested and varied programming. But perhaps if anything was missing it was this link to their founding. If RB aren’t going to do these works perhaps ENB could? I have no idea about the rights of the work and who owns what though.
 

I fear it is unlikely in any case, but sometimes I post on here in a wishful state thinking if people like O’Hare or whoever the new ENB director might be reading comments here they will get thinking…

[Jan McNulty]

In the past BRB have danced various heritage ballets such as Choreartium (Massine, absolutely loved it), The Rake's Progress (de Valois - I thought it was awful and I don't like the paintings either), Checkmate (de Valois, which I really like), The Prospect Before Us (de Valois, didn't like) and even Nijinsky's Rite of Spring (which I gather was extremely hard on the dancers because it is parallel and turned in rather than turned out).  From 2 zoom talks that Acosta gave I can't see any of them coming back during his tenure.

 

I find with some of the early works they are most definitely of their time and look very old fashioned and not to my taste but some of them are timeless to me (Choreartium and Checkmate).

[bridiem]

I can see that Les Noces is particularly expensive (as one-acts go) but it could be mounted with cheaper works. (e.g. the first ballet I ever went to was a triple bill of Enigma Variations/Symphonic Variations/Les Noces.)

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

Re Nijinska and Massine I don’t think the works were choreographed for RB (as it didn’t exist then?) but my understanding is RB is the rightful ‘owner’ of many of those works as many of those who had performed those works worked directly with the RB so they did come into the rep in a fairly faithful way. As far as I’m aware no other company has a relationship with these works so if RB doesn’t do them nobody will.

 

I caveat that with I think ENB also has a link to this heritage as well through Markova and particularly working with Massine so perhaps it’s unfair to rest it solely on RB.

I’m not a expert on this so apologies if I’ve got the history wrong or assumed things incorrectly! But I’d be very surprised to see, for example, Paris Opera do Les Noces so really if RB doesn’t perform it I fear that work (and others) will be lost. 

 

Perhaps the new ENB director could explore this heritage a little more? I think Rojo was great at reviving ENB and bringing new works and choreographers in and producing interested and varied programming. But perhaps if anything was missing it was this link to their founding. If RB aren’t going to do these works perhaps ENB could? I have no idea about the rights of the work and who owns what though.
 

I fear it is unlikely in any case, but sometimes I post on here in a wishful state thinking if people like O’Hare or whoever the new ENB director might be reading comments here they will get thinking…

Nijinska and Massine choreographed for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (and its various incarnations over time). And of course there’s a link from them to the Royal Ballet as RB founder Ninette de Valois danced with them, Ashton was inspired one of their earliest stars Anna Pavlova (who left to form her  troupe) to take up ballet, and their prima ballerina Karsavina (the first Firebird, Les Sylphides lead, Spectre de la Rose female lead, Petrushka female lead etc) came to coach the dancers and staff (I guess nowadays she’d be called a “consultant”/“advisor “)  of the fledgling Royal Ballet. ENB does have a more tenuous link via Markova and Dolin, but they always wanted to bring ballet to wider audiences; it wasn’t so much about hanging in to their Ballets Russes past.

 

In the past more more companies would have mounted these works regularly. We lost a treasure when the Joffrey Ballet, who with the Royal Ballet used to maintain and perform these ballets, was changed from a New York specialist dance company to a standard regional company serving the Chicago area with the usual Nutcrackers, Don Qs, Giselles, etc. Even Paris Opera Ballet  used to perform more of these historic works (especially those by Lifar). Nureyev introduced  a few contemporary choreographers (Merce Cunningham, William Forsythe) when he directed the company, but it became more of a “contemporary plus classical” company when Brigitte Lefevre became their artistic director- and stayed for 19 years. 

 

Everyone wants their company to be “hip” and make the headlines and feel they offer their dancers a complete experience of the biggest names in the dance world- it’s sad that the individual unique characteristics of various companies eg RB, Royal Danish Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre (Antony Tudor), New York City Ballet start to disappear or get eroded away, and everyone performs almost the same repertoire.  I think only NYCB has preserved their unique history and characteristics and haven’t been inclined to replace their Balanchine and Robbins classics with Don Q, La Fille mal Gardee or Cinderella, like every company/artistic director  feels they must “have” nowadays. 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

18 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

In the past BRB have danced various heritage ballets such as Choreartium (Massine, absolutely loved it), The Rake's Progress (de Valois - I thought it was awful and I don't like the paintings either), Checkmate (de Valois, which I really like), The Prospect Before Us (de Valois, didn't like) and even Nijinsky's Rite of Spring (which I gather was extremely hard on the dancers because it is parallel and turned in rather than turned out).  From 2 zoom talks that Acosta gave I can't see any of them coming back during his tenure.

 

I find with some of the early works they are most definitely of their time and look very old fashioned and not to my taste but some of them are timeless to me (Choreartium and Checkmate).

I loved Choreartium (Samira Saidi dancing the slow movement and having the entire theatre in the palm of her hand was sheer heaven and theatrical magic... both the first time ballet goer and balletomane who came with me were spellbound) and I think Checkmate is genius! BRB under Peter Wright and David Bintley presented so many varied repertoire treasures- from Paul Taylor’s Airs to Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements to MacMillan’s Solitaire that other directors would have said were box office risks....but they got it done! And you know, audiences loved them and the theatres were sold out- because I remember it being so cramped and crammed with fans....lol. The fans knew how to find them. Also impressed how Bintley managed to acquire Mozartiana and only wished I’d been able to clone myself to get there to see it despite clashing work schedules!

 

One of my London friends said I was addicted to BRB in those earlier days, and he was probably right....lol.

[Fonty]

48 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

In the past BRB have danced various heritage ballets such as Choreartium (Massine, absolutely loved it), The Rake's Progress (de Valois - I thought it was awful and I don't like the paintings either), Checkmate (de Valois, which I really like), The Prospect Before Us (de Valois, didn't like) and even Nijinsky's Rite of Spring (which I gather was extremely hard on the dancers because it is parallel and turned in rather than turned out).  From 2 zoom talks that Acosta gave I can't see any of them coming back during his tenure.

 

I find with some of the early works they are most definitely of their time and look very old fashioned and not to my taste but some of them are timeless to me (Choreartium and Checkmate).

 

What did you dislike about The Rake's Progress and The Prospect, Jan?  I know the latter is a comedy, was it just not funny?  I liked Checkmate when the RB did it, but I thought Bussell was miscast as the Black Queen.  

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Fonty

[Dawnstar]

33 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I loved Choreartium (Samira Saidi dancing the slow movement and having the entire theatre in the palm of her hand was sheer heaven and theatrical magic... both the first time ballet goer and balletomane who came with me were spellbound) and I think Checkmate is genius! BRB under Peter Wright and David Bintley presented so many varied repertoire treasures- from Paul Taylor’s Airs to Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements to MacMillan’s Solitaire that other directors would have said were box office risks....but they got it done! And you know, audiences loved them and the theatres were sold out- because I remember it being so cramped and crammed with fans....lol. The fans knew how to find them. Also impressed how Bintley managed to acquire Mozartiana and only wished I’d been able to clone myself to get there to see it despite clashing work schedules!

 

One of my London friends said I was addicted to BRB in those earlier days, and he was probably right....lol.

 

I feel as though I've chosen the wrong time to get interested in ballet. Why did I have to come upon a period when it seems all the ADs want to stage masses of modern works & very few heritage ones!

 

I'm looking at Checkmate casts on the ROH performance database & from a future choreographers point of view this cast from 1950 is quite something: Gillian Lynne as the Black Queen and both Cranko & MacMillan as Red Castles! https://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=11039&row=5

Edited April 6, 2022 by Dawnstar

[alison]

Well, when I finally managed to log into the forum this afternoon I was stunned to see a new thread with over 100 replies already - then I realised it was the RB season announcement!  My reaction was that rather too much of it was "too much, too little, too late":

 

Mayerling - just after the company has lost its two best Rudolfs   Obviously, Bonelli's departure announcement presumably came too late to make a difference, but I'm wondering about the other Rudolfs, because I wouldn't have thought the company was particularly strong in them at the moment - the Mary Vetsera situation is, I think, rather better - but I'm really hoping Francesca Hayward will finally be cast in that role.  I'm hoping for Bracewell as Rudolf.

 

On the "too late" front: I've been wanting Anastasia Act III for years, primarily because it had become clear to me that the Husband wasn't going to get his rightful part restored in the 3-act version.  However, a primary reason for wanting that was to see Ed Watson in the role, because he's never danced the "proper" version - I think the reduced version was brought in the season in which he made his debut in the role - so, too late  

 

Cinderella: delighted to see that the problems with a redesign have finally been sorted, and hoping that the new version will be better than the old.  I can think of several dancers I want to see in the title role.

 

I'm a bit concerned about the number of performances of some of the "big name" ballets: after all, I guess it was thought that Romeo & Juliet would sell, and yet tickets proved hard to shift for a number of performances.  I hope the same thing isn't going to happen again.

 

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

30 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

What did you dislike about The Rake's Progress and The Prospect, Jan?  I know the latter is a comedy, was it just not funny?  I liked Checkmate when the RB did it, but I thought Bussell was miscast as the Black Queen.  

 

 

I just thought Prospect looked very dated.  I don’t like the story of Rake - it is just too bleak and dour for me.

 

I forgot to mention Job, which I enjoyed.

 

I suppose that the problem for me with some of these older works is that they are more tableau than dance (except for the genius known as Sir Frederick Ashton).  I loathe the tableau in Firebird.

 

My favourite performance of Checkmate was with Vicky Marr as the Black Queen and Chi as the Red Knight.  What an electrifying performance that was!

 

 

[Dawnstar]

35 minutes ago, alison said:

Mayerling - just after the company has lost its two best Rudolfs   Obviously, Bonelli's departure announcement presumably came too late to make a difference, but I'm wondering about the other Rudolfs, because I wouldn't have thought the company was particularly strong in them at the moment - the Mary Vetsera situation is, I think, rather better - but I'm really hoping Francesca Hayward will finally be cast in that role.

 

Do you think there will be any oportunities for new Mary Vetseras? Given the 6 dancers who did the role in the last run are all still there. (I hope Melissa Hamilton, as the only non-Principal, won't get sidelined like she did for the last Manon revival.)