Royal Ballet Promotions 2022

[FionaM]

1 hour ago, Finnbarr said:

The Sunday Times has a story in the early editions that William Bracewell and Reece Clarke have both been promoted to principal

Hooray 👏👏👏

[Jorgeb]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[FionaM]

Hooray!  finally!

 

photo from The Sunday Times 22.5.22

 

[photo of Reece Clarke and William Bracewell with caption confirming their promotion to principal at RB deleted by mods]

 

 

[Bellini Pointe]

Well done both !!

[Jorgeb]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[bridiem]

Not at all unexpected, but absolutely wonderful! (I wonder if the ST has jumped the gun? Wouldn't there normally be a press release to announce this properly first?). 

[Guest oncnp]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

Wouldn't there normally be a press release to announce this properly first?). 

 

'Would have thought so. The Time's story is quite brief and will be in the links today, I'm sure. 

 

I wonder if this indicates someone other than Bonelli is leaving or the RB is just getting even more top heavy. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by oncnp

[art_enthusiast]

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

I wonder if this indicates someone other than Bonelli is leaving or the RB is just getting even more top heavy. 

 

Surely none of the other male principals are at retirement age? (I hope not anyway!)

I understand that they could leave for other reasons as well.

Edited May 22, 2022 by art_enthusiast

[Guest oncnp]

1 minute ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Surely none of the other male principals are at retirement age? (I hope not anyway!)

 

Perhaps not but people leave for other reason (like not enough opportunities to perform)

[JNC]

Fantastic news and not a surprise but great to see the dancers rewarded! Congratulations and well deserved after many wonderful performances. 

 

Currently I count seven male principals (now Watson and Bonelli have retired), so with Clarke and Bracewell a total of nine. 
 

Currently there are eleven female principals so I doubt any other males are leaving anytime soon! 
 

I don’t think any others are close to retirement, with the exception of perhaps Morera (a shame and I hope she has at least another two years left in her). 
 

with nine principal couples if every one were to dance each performance twice you’d have 18 performances which is still rather a lot, not including opportunities for first soloists. However not every principal should necessarily dance every role and I’d like to see some being able to dance roles more than once or twice so feel numbers probably are right if not everyone dances everything every revival. Ultimately if the number of programmes increased every principal wouldn’t need to dance each programme (to avoid months where they might not be on the ROH stage next year I imagine nearly all probably will dance the longer runs I imagine). 
 

I’d like to see more promotions into the first soloist and soloist ranks, the first soloists in particular are now rather thin on the ground - there are only ten now so we have double the number of principals! 
 

Sissens must get promoted to first soloist surely. 
 

And I imagine/hope a lot of the artists in the Ashton triple (particularly the men who did double duty on scenes and rhapsody) should be recognised.  

[Odyssey]

So pleased to hear these richly deserved promotions . Look forward to hearing about the other levels. 

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

Currently I count seven male principals (now Watson and Bonelli have retired), so with Clarke and Bracewell a total of nine. 
 

Currently there are eleven female principals so I doubt any other males are leaving anytime soon! 

 

Is this historically a high number? I should know this, but don't. It does feel to me as if the company is rather top-heavy at the moment; the problem being that there are so many outstandingly talented dancers that they keep deserving promotions!! This actually applies at all levels; there are dancers who are still currently artists who are clearly already soloist material (not to mention First Artists who deserve promotion). But the company does need a corps de ballet. A nice problem to have, I realise...

Edited May 22, 2022 by bridiem

[Jamesrhblack]

So pleased for William Bracewell and Reece Clarke: absolutely merited.
 

Promotions will be as hotly speculated as ever I think, especially because, as Bridiem points out, there’s a huge amount of talent in the lower ranks.

 

I agree that Joseph Sissens should be promoted to First Soloist, but I can’t see anybody else at Soloist level that quite merits that, meaning that the First Soloist level (minus Heap, Bracewell and Clarke) will be somewhat thin.

 

Perhaps there will be a double rank promotion: Leticia Dias and Leo Dixon have consistently caught my eye across a range of repertoire for starters…

 

Obviously, personal observation and all opinions my own…

[San Perregrino]

3 hours ago, oncnp said:

 

'Would have thought so. The Time's story is quite brief and will be in the links today, I'm sure. 

 

I wonder if this indicates someone other than Bonelli is leaving or the RB is just getting even more top heavy. 

Surely Ed Watson & Fed Bonelli have both left this season so that has opened up two empty slots for William & Reece to fill? Both well deserved promotions imho.

Edited May 22, 2022 by PeterS

[JNC]

11 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

Is this historically a high number? I should know this, but don't. It does feel to me as if the company is rather top-heavy at the moment; the problem being that there are so many outstandingly talented dancers that they keep deserving promotions!! This actually applies at all levels; there are dancers who are still currently artists who are clearly already soloist material (not to mention First Artists who deserve promotion). But the company does need a corps de ballet. A nice problem to have, I realise...

I wondered this also. For comparison in Paris there are ten female etoiles (though I think one is shortly due to retire) and seven male etoiles (one is retiring this month however). At least it appears (from a small sample size!) it is more common to have more female principals?

 

I doubt we’ll see any principal promotions for a few years now on the female side. On the male side there may be more scope perhaps. 

[Guest oncnp]

21 minutes ago, JNC said:

I wondered this also. For comparison in Paris there are ten female etoiles (though I think one is shortly due to retire) and seven male etoiles (one is retiring this month however). At least it appears (from a small sample size!) it is more common to have more female principals?

 

The POB lists 155 dancers on its site to the RB's approximately 95 (counting retirements and may not be apples to apples comparison admittedly). Their top rank represents ~10.6% of the total company, the RB ~20%. That's the top heavy I was referring to. 

[JohnS]

Very pleased to see Ian MacMillan’s comment in today’s Dance Links and trust the Royal Ballet quickly issues a formal announcement. Excellent news although I wish it hadn’t been sprung in this way.

[MJW]

Congratulations to both Reece Clarke and William Bracewell - thoroughly deserved. 

 

As others have said it seems a bit of a shame for the news to leak out this way through an article in the Sunday Times, rather than a formal press announcement from the ROH first. Didn't this happen when Marcelino Sambe was promoted to principal?

[Guest oncnp]

10 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Very pleased to see Ian MacMillan’s comment in today’s Dance Links and trust the Royal Ballet quickly issues a formal announcement. Excellent news although I wish it hadn’t been sprung in this way.

' Bet someone got the date wrong and this was supposed to be/will be announced tomorrow. 

 

But it's a bit early in the year for joiners/leavers and perhaps like Marci Sambe, it is (or should have been) announced now d/t their participation in the Japan tour. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by oncnp

[capybara]

Actually feeling quite emotional about the news of Reece and William becoming Principals. It was obviously going to happen but it’s thrilling to have it confirmed.

Huge congratulations to both of them!

A bit of a shame that there’s been a leak, though.

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by capybara

[emmarose]

8 hours ago, Finnbarr said:

The Sunday Times has a story in the early editions that William Bracewell and Reece Clarke have both been promoted to principal

 

About time! Both so deserving, in my mind they already were principals, just didn't have the official title.

[John Graham]

Wonderful news!! Very well deserved promotions for Reece and William! Both have been hindered from promotion due to injuries then the pandemic, and now thoroughly merit their elevation to Principal. They have both been giving excellent performances in Principal roles for several years. I first noticed Reece in 2014 partnering Marianela Nuñez in Symphonic Variations and his performance then, soon after coming from Royal Ballet School, was exceptional!

 

Heartiest congratulations, Reece and William!!

[Linnzi5]

8 hours ago, Finnbarr said:

The Sunday Times has a story in the early editions that William Bracewell and Reece Clarke have both been promoted to principal

Really? That is excellent news. Reece Clarke is most deserving as well, I think. Thank you for posting this. I don't subscribe to The Sunday Times and am not able to read! Most frustrating! 

[Lizbie1]

I don't see why everything has to come via a press release. The Times and Sunday Times have IMO consistently given the most attention to ballet of all the national press, so the ROH Press Office might have decided to place this story with them to ensure coverage - if so, that wouldn't be a "leak".

 

Anyway, I'm delighted they were able to promote both of them.

[Linnzi5]

7 hours ago, FionaE said:

Hooray!  finally!

 

photo from The Sunday Times 22.5.22

 

[photo of Reece Clarke and William Bracewell with caption confirming their promotion to principal at RB deleted by mods]

 

 

Hooray! About time, too! Huge congratulations to both - Clarke is most deserving and I simply adore Bracewell's dancing, so am thrilled for them. I don't subscribe to the Sunday Times, so am unable to read. I'm grateful for this being posted, thank you! 

[bridiem]

27 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

I don't see why everything has to come via a press release. The Times and Sunday Times have IMO consistently given the most attention to ballet of all the national press, so the ROH Press Office might have decided to place this story with them to ensure coverage - if so, that wouldn't be a "leak".

 

Anyway, I'm delighted they were able to promote both of them.

 

Well, a press release ensures that everyone who is interested finds out at the same time, and with the words of acclaim that should accompany a promotion to principal. A lot of people won't see the ST and so will now only hear of this by accident rather than with the 'fanfare' that is appropriate. (But maybe the ROH has indeed approved this - I don't know.) But yes, delighted about both promotions!

[MJW]

From Reece Clarke's Instagram - 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd2vjjxIqGt/

 

From William Bracewell's

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd2w-u3I0sN/

Edited May 22, 2022 by MJW

[Rob S]

Reece Clarke has now posted the news of both promotions on his Instagram 

[AnticaFiamma]

Are they promoted with immediate effect? Not that it changes anything, they've been principals de facto for the whole season 

[LinMM]

Just caught up with this wonderful news well done to both and very well deserved!! 🍾🥂🍾🥂🌟🌟

[Ian Macmillan]

Hearing of those Instagram announcements, do I take it that there are no female promotions?  

[Balletfanp]

Excellent news (a surprise to anyone??) - congratulations to both!

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

Well, a press release ensures that everyone who is interested finds out at the same time, and with the words of acclaim that should accompany a promotion to principal. A lot of people won't see the ST and so will now only hear of this by accident rather than with the 'fanfare' that is appropriate. (But maybe the ROH has indeed approved this - I don't know.) But yes, delighted about both promotions!

 

Also everyone would be able to read a press release. I've tried to access the Sunday Times article but can only read the first few sentences, which is rather frustrating. I can only assume from the comments here that the article is only about Bracewell & Clarke and doesn't mention any other promotions but if it did then I wouldn't be able to read about them.