English National Ballet Raymonda Casting 22/23

[Lizbie1]

Casting for Bristol and Southampton appears to be up (though you might have trouble getting the page to load correctly, as I did).

 

https://www.ballet.org.uk/production/raymonda/#cast-section

Edited November 7, 2022 by Lizbie1
Better link

[capybara]

33 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Casting for Bristol and Southampton appears to be up (though you might have trouble getting the page to load correctly, as I did).

 

https://www.ballet.org.uk/production/raymonda/#cast-section

 

No Shiori Kase (who was the first cast Raymonda in London). No Katja Kaniukova. No Ken Saruhashi.

 

But lovely to see Rentaro Nakaaki getting a shot at Abdur Rahman.

[FionaM]

How odd … no Kase.   Did Katja perform the lead role last time around?  I don’t remember.  I know she did perform the substantial soloist roles.

 

I’m delighted with my casting for Bristol … Oliveira, Frola and Woolhouse! 
 

though I’d like to see the Hawes cast … might have to go again 😉

Edited November 7, 2022 by FionaE

[Emeralds]

Katja performed the role of Henriette, the extrovert and lively friend with the bright coloured dresses. Am a bit surprised that Shiori isn’t in the cast this time round. So glad I caught Joe Caley as John before he relocated to Australia! Not sure we can actually make it to Bristol or Southampton this year but will see if a space comes up on our schedule! Would love to see the production again. 

[MaddieRose]

Shiori Kase said in an Instagram post she had injured her foot (about a fortnight ago) so it could be because of that, as she's not performing in the Sadler's Wells mixed bill either. 

[Jan McNulty]

And the official press release.  Sorry for the late posting, I've been away.

 

English National Ballet 
Raymonda by Tamara Rojo
UK Tour 
23 November - 3 December 2022
www.ballet.org.uk/raymonda

 

English National Ballet is thrilled to announce Principal casting for Raymonda by Tamara Rojo CBE on tour. Following its critically acclaimed world premiere at the London Coliseum in January 2022, Raymonda comes to the Bristol Hippodrome (23 - 26 November 2022) and Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre (30 November - 3 December 2022).

Updating the ballet’s setting to the Crimean war and drawing inspiration from the ground-breaking spirit and work of the women supporting the war effort, including Florence Nightingale, Raymonda is recast as a young woman with a calling to become a nurse. Starring a huge cast of dancers, this critically acclaimed adaptation keeps the best of the 19th-century original including Alexander Glazunov’s score, adapted and edited by Gavin Sutherland and Lars Payne, and performed live by English National Ballet Philharmonic.

Principal casting sees Lead Principals Fernanda Oliveira and Erina Takahashi and Principals Emma Hawes and Natascha Mair* perform in the title role of Raymonda. 

The role of John de Bryan will be performed by Lead Principal Francesco Gabriele Frola, Guest Artist Brooklyn Mack*, Principal Aitor Arrieta and Junior Soloist Lorenzo Trossello*.

In role of Abdur Rahman are Soloists Fernando Carratalá Coloma, Daniel McCormickand Erik Woolhouse, and First Artist Rentaro Nakaaki, making his debut in the role. 

*debut in the role 

 

Full Principal Casting in the order of Raymonda, John de Bryan, Abdur Rahman 

 

Bristol Hippodrome 

Wed 23 Nov 2022, 7.30pm
Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Erik Woolhouse

 

Thu 24 Nov 2022, 2pm
Erina Takahashi, Lorenzo Trossello*, Daniel McCormick

 

Thu 24 Nov 2022, 7.30pm
Emma Hawes, Aitor Arrieta, Rentaro Nakaaki*

 

Fri 25 Nov 2022, 7.30pm
Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Erik Woolhouse

 

Bristol Hippodrome, Sat 26 Nov 2022, 2pm
Emma Hawes, Aitor Arrieta, Rentaro Nakaaki

 

Sat 26 Nov 2022, 7.30pm
Erina Takahashi, Lorenzo Trossello, Daniel McCormick

 

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton 

Wed 30 Nov 2022, 7.30pm
Emma Hawes, Aitor Arrieta, Rentaro Nakaaki

 

Thu 01 Dec 2022, 2pm
Natascha Mair*, Brooklyn Mack*^, Fernando Carratalá Coloma

 

Thu 01 Dec 2022, 7.30pm
Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Erik Woolhouse

 

Fri 02 Dec 2022, 7.30pm
Erina Takahashi, Lorenzo Trossello, Daniel McCormick

 

Sat 03 Dec 2022, 2pm
Fernanda Oliveira, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Erik Woolhouse

 

Sat 03 Dec 2022, 7.30pm
Natascha Mair, Brooklyn Mack, Fernando Carratalá Coloma

 

*Debut in the role 

^Guest Artist 

Please note, casting is subject to change. Please see www.ballet.org.uk for up to date casting. 

-ENDS- 

 

English National Ballet is grateful for the generous grant it has been awarded through the Government's Culture Recovery Fund, which allows it to continue to create, perform and serve its audiences.

Notes to Editors

English National Ballet is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England. 
Ballymore is Principal Building Partner of English National Ballet.

 

About English National Ballet
English National Ballet has a long and distinguished history. Founded in 1950 as London Festival Ballet by the great English Dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, it has been at the forefront of ballet's growth and evolution ever since.

English National Ballet brings world-class ballet to the widest possible audience through live performances across the UK and on eminent international stages; its digital platforms Ballet on Demand and BalletActive; its distinguished orchestra, English National Ballet Philharmonic; and being a UK leader in creative learning and engagement practice, building innovative partnerships to deliver flagship programmes such as English National Ballet's Dance for Parkinson's.

 

Under the artistic directorship of Tamara Rojo CBE, English National Ballet has introduced ground-breaking new works to the Company's repertoire whilst continuing to honour the tradition of great classical ballet, gaining acclaim for artistic excellence and creativity. 2019 saw English National Ballet enter a new chapter in its history when it moved into a purpose-built state-of-the-art home in east London, Mulryan Centre for Dance, bringing a renewed commitment to, and freedom for, creativity, ambition, and connection to more people, near and far, than ever before. www.ballet.org.uk  

 

About Arts Council England 
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let's Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government's Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector. 

Edited November 23, 2022 by alison
To partially indicate cast change

[alison]

As reported elsewhere, Erina Takahashi won't be dancing her scheduled Bristol performances

[Sabine0308]

Julia Conway as Raymonda??🤔

[LinMM]

Looking at that casting I’m a bit concerned about Swan Lake when it starts in London in January. Have ENB lost a few of their female Principals or are some of them injured. 
There are only two above I would book for the lead role in Swan Lake to be honest. 

[capybara]

Shiori Kase, Natascha Mair and Erina Takahashi are missing from the casting.

 

But Natascha is posting on IG that she’s on in Southampton.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by capybara

[Dawnstar]

6 hours ago, LinMM said:

There are only two above I would book for the lead role in Swan Lake to be honest. 

 

May I ask which two?

[Emeralds]

Hope Shiori will be back in time for Nutcracker and Swan Lake- or at least just Swan Lake if not Nutcracker, which can be taken on by young confident soloists or first artists. And Eagling’s Nutcracker actually has two male leads with both having quite a lot to do in both acts, unlike many productions where the Prince/Cavalier generally does one grand pas de deux and a bit of lifting and smiling in Act 2 and that’s it! 

 

I think Mair was never down to do Raymonda in Bristol-she and Brooklyn Mack and Fernando Carratala Coloma were only cast in Raymonda for Southampton (2 shows). Erina Takahashi is still down for her one show Southampton so hopefully if it’s injury or illness she will be recovered in time.  John de Bryan still gets quite a lot of dancing in this version so it would be another nice principal part for Lorenzo Trossello, whom I’m still waiting to see! Am rather bemused that Trossello and Minju Kang have been hired from Northern Ballet as Soloist and Artist respectively, but are really dancing as principal and first soloist respectively! Minju is wonderful- I’ve managed to see her - and I think she could easily be promoted to first soloist or soloist and take on the responsibility of corps and solo work of both ranks. 

 

My wish list new casts for Nutcracker alongside the established casts from previous seasons are Ivana Bueno and Emily Suzuki  as Clara, and  Junor Souza, Daniel McCormick (I can’t remember if his debut in the role got cancelled by the Covid closures or whether it happened in the end) and Lorenzo Trossello as Nephew. It’s not an exhaustive list, just a few people I had in mind. 

[Sabine0308]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Hope Shiori will be back in time for Nutcracker and Swan Lake- or at least just Swan Lake if not Nutcracker, which can be taken on by young confident soloists or first artists. And Eagling’s Nutcracker actually has two male leads with both having quite a lot to do in both acts, unlike many productions where the Prince/Cavalier generally does one grand pas de deux and a bit of lifting and smiling in Act 2 and that’s it! 

.........

My wish list new casts for Nutcracker alongside the established casts from previous seasons are Ivana Bueno and Emily Suzuki  as Clara, .... 

I would love to see a Nutcracker where the Prince has more to do than what you said, @Emeralds

And yes to Ivana Bueno as Clara. She won Emerging Dancer (highly deserved) in 2020 but it seems to me that since then, she has been ignored for more prominent roles, who knows why. At least, she was promoted to 1st artist this year (and might deserve a higher rank, in my opinion) but at least she hopped a rank higher. She has a fine technique.

[capybara]

The reasons why the likes of Ivana Bueno, Francesca Velicu, Emily Suzuki and Katja Kaniukova don’t get opportunities remain a mystery, especially when another dancer unaccountably gets cast as Raymonda.

Hopefully, the new Director will stir things up a bit and a new order will emerge.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by capybara

[LinMM]

Dawnstar…in the above casting for Southampton only 

Erina Takahashi or Emma Hawes. 
But there were some of those dancers listed by Capybara above like Khaniukova and Velicu who I would rather see plus Shiori Kase Alison McWhinney and Rina Kanehara 

Edited November 23, 2022 by LinMM

[LinMM]

I can’t get my original post to go at the moment! 

[LinMM]

Try again! 
Dawnstar from the above Southampton list only two: Erina Takahashi and Emma Hawes. 
I would rather see say Khaniukova Velicu Shiori Kase Rina Kanehara or Alison McWhinney than the Southampton casting. 
I haven’t looked at Nutcracker casting as not going to ENB nutcracker but hope some of the above available for Swan Lake! 

[Dawnstar]

Thanks for your reply @LinMM. Assuming the pairings stay the same as the SL performances earlier this autumn then Takahashi/Frola & Hawes/Arrieta will be the 2 casts I'll be trying to see so I'm pleased to find the ladies are considered good by an experienced ballet-viewer!

[LinMM]

Well sometimes you want to see a dancer who is tried and tested in a role and sometimes you want to see a newbie ( so not necessarily a Principal) in a big role but who you  consider a good dancer or one with promise or a dancer you think may be particularly suited to a role they’ve not been cast in yet. 

 

[Dawnstar]

I'm just going for dancers who I've liked in previous performances.

[alison]

4 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

I would love to see a Nutcracker where the Prince has more to do than what you said, @Emeralds

 

It's a shame you didn't see Derek Deane's production (the "Liquorice Allsorts" one) for ENB, then, Sabine.  The Prince came on from the transformation scene onwards, and had quite a lot more to do than "normal", if I recall correctly (as, I think, does the one in BRB's Nutcracker?).  I definitely prefer it when he has (considerably) more of a role than simply dancing the grand pas de deux.

[LACAD]

While I would happily see Khaniukova or Velicu take on SL, I would quite like to see  Adams. Her arms go on forever!
 

With Kase out for the foreseeable and Kanehara seemingly still off with injury, there’s only four Odette/Odile’s ready to go if I’m not mistaken. And three goes per Odette/Odile in such a short amount of time seems like a lot for the dancers (as capable as they are).

[LinMM]

Do you know what’s the matter with Shiori Kase then? 

[Jan McNulty]

5 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

I would love to see a Nutcracker where the Prince has more to do than what you said, @Emeralds

And yes to Ivana Bueno as Clara. She won Emerging Dancer (highly deserved) in 2020 but it seems to me that since then, she has been ignored for more prominent roles, who knows why. At least, she was promoted to 1st artist this year (and might deserve a higher rank, in my opinion) but at least she hopped a rank higher. She has a fine technique.

 

Come and see BRB's Nutcracker (which is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!!!) where the Prince comes on in human form at the end of the battle and has the most ravishing duet with Clara.

[LinMM]

I absolutely LOVE that music!! 

[Dawnstar]

Same here. For me musically the best part of the Nutcracker is from the transformation scene to the end of Act I. Nothing in Act II is as good.

[alison]

Totally agree.  Forget the Nutcracker Suite, give me the Transformation Scene any day!

 

Erm ... this thread did start off about Raymonda some time ago

[Emeralds]

12 hours ago, LinMM said:

Do you know what’s the matter with Shiori Kase then? 

Foot injury, sadly. She missed the Sadler’s Wells triple bill too. She herself was initially down to dance Henriette but was moved up to Raymonda on opening when Maria Kochetkova left to go back to freelancing. 

[LinMM]

Thankyou for that Emeralds.
Hope she’s better soon I began to wonder if there had been some sort of mass exodus suddenly!! 

[Bruce Wall]

Wonder - if there is a sort term shortage of O/O's for ENB in January - if they might invite Jurgita Dronina back to guest.  She (a) knows/has danced the production; (b) would certainly know senior ENB company members; (c) has danced with Frola (and indeed Emma Hawes) in Canada and (d) said - on leaving - that she hoped there might be occasion for a guest return to the Company.  Also I think she left ENB on good terms, going back to her prime NBoC commitment for understandable family reasons.  I would suggest Lauretta Summerscales - but don't entirely know where she might lie on the latter scale.  

[FionaM]

I most especially want to see Emma Hawes in this role.  
 

is there a shortage of O/O?   They have Erina Takahshi, Fernanda Oliviera, Emma Hawes, Natascha Mair (who performed Swan Lake with Isaac Hernandez in Russia under Tamara’s tuition) and hopefully Shiori Kase will be recovered by then. 
 

Soloists who could step-up are Alison McWhinney, Precious Adams, and no doubt others. Plenty with the technical capabilities to do this role … Julia Conway, Haruhi Otani, Ivana Bueno, ….

[LinMM]

I’d love to see Lauretta Summerscales again! I wonder if she will do an occasional guest spot when the new Director comes in although she looks very busy over there in Munich! 
I can’t say I like the dancing of Natascha Mair to date at any rate having seen her twice now but she is pretty strong so could probably cope with Swan Lake. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by LinMM

[Dawnstar]

4 hours ago, LinMM said:

Thankyou for that Emeralds.
Hope she’s better soon I began to wonder if there had been some sort of mass exodus suddenly!! 

 

The recent mass exodus was on the male side, 3 of the 4 male Lead Principals, so it's ironic if they're now running short on the female side.