Royal Ballet - 2012/13 booking period 4 - casting

[annamicro]

I can't get that link at all, Josephine: is there something wrong with it?  Anyway, despite a typo in the Dutch, that's how I read it.  ASsuming it's not a different Royal Ballet, of course.

The link works for me.

"28 en 29 mei 2013, haar debuut als gastsoliste bij The Royal Ballet in de Royal Opera House in Londen. De Jongh danst een van de hoofdrollen in Symphony in C. van George Balanchine."

I cannot think of a different Royal Ballet so similar to the one subject of this thread! :-) RB is often not very quick announcing cast changes: is this one of those many cases?

 

De Jongh has danced Symphony in C second movement with HET earlier this year.

Edited May 24, 2013 by annamicro

[Josephine]

Thanks, alison and annamicro, for this confirmation. I wonder why ROH has not announced this guesting news? Thank you also for the link to the cast change page, alison, which I'd not seen before.

[aileen]

Is De Jong replacing someone who is injured? Otherwise, it seems an odd decision.

[Tony Newcombe]

The person scheduled to dance the second movement on those dates has been off for some time

[aileen]

Who is that, Tony?

[Bruce Wall]

Then surely the RB could make an official announcement rather than leave it to a Dutch publication (assuming, of course, that this information is correct in the first place.)  If it was able to be announced there, why I wonder has it yet to be announced here?  Perhaps, of course, this is merely a rhetorical question and I should know better. 

Edited May 24, 2013 by Meunier

[John Mallinson]

It will be interesting to see who dances 2nd movement in today's general rehearsal - it should be that cast.

[bangorballetboy]

Igone de Jongh is dancing second movement in the general rehearsal today.

[Bruce Wall]

Well, will wonders never cease!  All best wishes to her (and not to the RB and the ROH for keeping their patrons up to date).  The service I think can speak for itself.  Enough said.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Meunier

[alison]

Well, considering who is supposed to be dancing second movement on those dates, I'd assumed she was supposed to be back by now.  She's still showing in Mayerling.

 

"Igone de Jongh is in korte tijd de tweede solist van Het Nationale Ballet die gasteert bij The Royal Ballet, onlangs maakte Matthew Golding zijn debuut bij The Royal Ballet in La Bayadère van Natalia Makarova."

 

Do I detect a hint of smugness there?  "It's the second time Het has had to help out the RB in the last few weeks", that sort of thing?  I know the RB historically has had problems casting the 2nd movement for as long as I've been going, but even so, it seems a shame that they have to look elsewhere.

[Beryl H]

Igone de Jongh is in korte tijd de tweede solist van Het Nationale Ballet die gasteert bij The Royal Ballet, onlangs maakte Matthew Golding zijn debuut bij The Royal Ballet in La Bayadère van Natalia Makarova."

 

Do I detect a hint of smugness there?  "It's the second time Het has had to help out the RB in the last few weeks", that sort of thing?  I know the RB historically has had problems casting the 2nd movement for as long as I've been going, but even so, it seems a shame that they have to look elsewhere.

I don't blame them for feeling smug, have just realised that she is the dancer I admire when I watch the Dutch Giselle DVD, she dances Myrtha, will be nice to see her, I presume she will dance the adagio with Rupert Pennefather?

[Nina G.]

Who is that, Tony?

According to ROH website, on 28 and 29th it's Alina C. dancing.  Igone de Jongh must have been brought in to replace her.

[mijosh]

Having now seen the very tall Igone de Jongh,I can't help wondering if she may not be the daughter of former dancer Betty(sp) de Jongh who for so long was one of the leading dancers with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. A handsome woman,she bears a very striking resemblance to Taylor's muse,who I remember in many of his ballets,in particular "Big Bertha" where her height was used to great effect.

As a side thought to this,isn't it way past the time that we should have a visit from the legendary Mr Taylor's company? I've loved his sometimes quirky but very distinctive ballets (usually danced barefoot) since I had my first view of his unique style when his ballet "Aureole" was part of the Fonteyn Gala at Drury Lane which also as the introduction to London of the newly defected Rudolph Nureyev.

[aileen]

Wasn't Matthew Golding brought in as a guest rather than a replacement for an injured dancer? I find it surprising that there wasn't at least one understudy given the uncertainty about Alina's fitness following an injury which ocurred some months ago. Is there really nobody else who can dance this part in the whole of the RB?

[Nina G.]

Wasn't Matthew Golding brought in as a guest rather than a replacement for an injured dancer? I find it surprising that there wasn't at least one understudy given the uncertainty about Alina's fitness following an injury which ocurred some months ago. Is there really nobody else who can dance this part in the whole of the RB?

Good question!

[Bruce Wall]

If they were needing to look for someone outside of the RB why not look to NYCB with all their experience in dancing Balanchine.  Would dearly love to see Sara Mearns (@nycballetstar2b) so hailed for her 2nd movement recently.  A long shot I know ... but still one can dream.  In the old days I remember seeing Merrill Ashley in Sleeping Beauty at the RB.  .  

Edited May 24, 2013 by Meunier

[now voyager]

Meunier, Sara Mearns (who has herself been out some) is scheduled to perform with NYC Ballet on the 28th and 29th, so it  would have been a very very long shot...

[Bruce Wall]

As I said, now voyager, a dream ... Who knows, maybe a future reality ... Would be great if a seed could be planted  

[alison]

As a side thought to this,isn't it way past the time that we should have a visit from the legendary Mr Taylor's company?

 

Way, way, way past the time

 

I find it surprising that there wasn't at least one understudy given the uncertainty about Alina's fitness following an injury which ocurred some months ago. Is there really nobody else who can dance this part in the whole of the RB?

 

You'd think so, wouldn't you?  (Okay, that doesn't actually make sense in response to your question, but I'm sure you know what I mean)

 

If they were needing to look for someone outside of the RB why not look to NYCB with all their experience in dancing Balanchine.  

 

Probably because they're 6 (?) hours across the Atlantic, whereas DNB are a lot nearer, I'd guess.

[Josephine]

ROH website now shows Nunez/Soares in all three performances of Symphony in C on 28 and 29 May.

[chrischris]

That's a shame. Pennefather has been really unfortunate recently with his partners getting injured.

[blackdove]

It would appear that Igone de Jongh is injured and will now be replaced in Symphony In C by Marianela Nunez.

[Bruce Wall]

So that will leave Ms. Nunez dancing them ALL.  How ironic.  

[aileen]

Well, she didn't last long (sorry if that sounds unsympathetic). What's going to happen if Marienela is injured or unwell? Come on, RB, get better organised and coach some understudies so that they can step in if needed! I can't believe that in a big company with lots of talent there are only two ballerinas who can dance this particular role.

[Bruce Wall]

Obviously Osipova is a step in a right direction ... Wonder where the others will come from?  Can't help but feel that by next season the RB principal male shortage (certainly in the classical ranks) is going to be (a) potentially dire (injuries permitting) and ( challenge the Royal Ballet's international rating.  No time like the present, huh. 

[Nina G.]

Question indeed: aren't there any 2nd Movement understudies at all? They brought in a Dutch National Principal to replace an injured Alina so the weight would not fall on Nela for most (or all) of the performances, but now Miss de Jongh is injured as well.

Same situation occurred with "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Miss Cuthbertson and Stix-Brunell were injured, only Lamb was fit to dance "Alice" and Yuhui Choe (understudy) had to dance most of the performances (shared with Lamb). No 2nd or 3rd "Alice" understudy was coached? Guess there is just not enough time in the rehearsal schedule...

[aileen]

Apparently, Osipova didn't impress in Symphony in C in New York recently.

[bangorballetboy]

No 2nd or 3rd "Alice" understudy was coached? Guess there is just not enough time in the rehearsal schedule...

 

Or the choreographer was not happy with the understudies...

[Bruce Wall]

Apparently, Osipova didn't impress in Symphony in C in New York recently.

 

 

Grateful, Aileen, if you could please site your specific references in this regard.  Certainly I read ones where Vasiliev was criticized but a good number which praised Osipova in her third movement performance.  In these instances (especially in a case where one cannot see the performance for oneself) I personally always feel it is best to try to gain an ample cross-section before trying to weigh in myself.)  As it was just now I was rather relieved to see Judith Mackrell note in an additional comment on her review of Friday night's RB performance of the same ballet that she 'didn't think the company's dancing was as charged and accurate as it can be Marianela Nunez was luxuriant and commanding in the lyrical second section, however, and Steven McRae and Yuhui Choe a blithe partnership in the fast, fizzing third.'  That was, in fact, entirely how I felt.  The first movement had I thought certain inaccuracies which Merrill Ashley (who staged it for ABT and who I was privileged to see dance that movement many times with NYCB) simply would not I think have allowed.  Still, of course, that was but my perspective and must, of necessity, stand alone as such.  As ever, the piece itself thrills. 

 

still I had to smile ... What goes around ... comes around and it ALWAYS will it seems.  There is the following item in Hagland's Heel.  I quote:

 

ABT – Guest artist still injured

Today the Royal Ballet pulled Alina Cojocaru from her next scheduled performances following her latest injury layoff.  She had been scheduled to dance in Symphony in C on May 28 & 29 but is unable to perform due to injury.

So, is ABT going to continue to hold open Herman Cornejo's all-important June 21st performance of Swan Lake for a perpetually injured guest artist while they have homegrown dancers who could deliver better performances in the first place?  Or maybe they have some Grade B regional company dancer they want to import as another guest artist or hokey "exchange dancer" instead of allowing the company's own brilliant artists to shine.

Let Sarah Lane dance Swan Lake.

 

I laughed as you could change the names and very much see this listing on the Balletco forum methinks.  Our dear balletic world gets,in a sense, ever smaller. In a strange sort of way that's rather comforting.  

[aileen]

Meunier, it was one of the reviews posted in yesterday's links. I've read Haglund's Heel from time to time and a common thread running through his/her (I don't know whether it's a man or a woman) reviews/blogs is the inferiority (in his/her opinion) of the guest dancers who are brought in unnecessarily and at the expense of the company's home dancers who are not being nurtured etc, etc. As you say, we've heard this complaint somewhere before! Actually, I'm beginning to feel that I'm going to try to avoid guest dancers. They rarely deliver as much as, let alone more than, the home dancers. The one recent exception (IMO) was Nicolas le Riche who was dancing one of his signature roles but even he didn't manage to coax a nuanced performance out of Tamara (IMO and in the opinion of a number of the critics).

[Nina G.]

I am just wondering...

"flying" in a Guest Artist - as a short term solution to a shortage of dancers who can dance these roles - must be cheaper and less time consuming compared to paying experienced Company coaches to prepare talented dancers to take over at short notice, perhaps those dancers are too busy dancing the many different "Corps" roles as First Artists/Soloists and there is not enough time for them to be coached and nurtured artistically? 

 

Reading Meunier's posted link "ABT-Guest artist still injured": goodness me, some unhappy voices there in NY (no doubt they have valid reasons).

[alison]

Same situation occurred with "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Miss Cuthbertson and Stix-Brunell were injured, only Lamb was fit to dance "Alice" and Yuhui Choe (understudy) had to dance most of the performances (shared with Lamb). No 2nd or 3rd "Alice" understudy was coached? Guess there is just not enough time in the rehearsal schedule...

 

Stix-Brunell did do one performance, because I saw her.  And as I understand, the understudies from previous years weren't available either (not that they were used last year when there was a casting problem, come to think of it - the choice was given to principals).

 

Can't help but feel that by next season the RB principal male shortage (certainly in the classical ranks) is going to be (a) potentially dire (injuries permitting) and ( challenge the Royal Ballet's international rating.  

 

Well, look at the present situation.  Kish and Bonelli currently out, Kobborg out since the beginning of the year (although fingers crossed) - and I'm wondering how fit all the others are.  Not good.

[Bruce Wall]

Meunier, it was one of the reviews posted in yesterday's links. I've read Haglund's Heel from time to time and a common thread running through his/her (I don't know whether it's a man or a woman) reviews/blogs is the inferiority (in his/her opinion) of the guest dancers who are brought in unnecessarily and at the expense of the company's home dancers who are not being nurtured etc, etc. As you say, we've heard this complaint somewhere before! Actually, I'm beginning to feel that I'm going to try to avoid guest dancers. They rarely deliver as much as, let alone more than, the home dancers. The one recent exception (IMO) was Nicolas le Riche who was dancing one of his signature roles but even he didn't manage to coax a nuanced performance out of Tamara (IMO and in the opinion of a number of the critics).

 

 

Dear Aileen, Thanks for your considered response.  It is much appreciated.  I think your choice to 'avoid' guest performers is a good/prudent one if you wish to make a meaningful statement should you regard a lack of appropriate opportunities being given to resident dancers of ANY company.  That will speak where it ultimately will be most effectively heard.  Strangely enough, guest dancers can sometimes invite me into companies that I would not otherwise attend ... or to performances of resident (or even guest companies) that I might not otherwise have wished to purchase.  I well remember going to an Oneign performance so wanting to see Johan and Alina (as I had so enjoyed their previous performances in this work).  I was disappointed when Jason Reilly was listed as a replacement.  I needn't have been.  He literally blew me away and I thought they danced together wonderfully.  I ended up seeing his other three performances in the role.  I CERTAINLY would not have missed La Riche's performances at ENB no matter WHO he was dancing with.  Again I saw one ... and ended up going to all three.  I was totally entranced by his work.  How wonderful it is that we all are inspired by different attributes.  What a dull world it would be if we were't.