BALLETCO FORUM MEMBERS' OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US ABOUT THEIR 2022 BALLET-WATCHING YEAR

[Jan McNulty]

BALLET CO FORUM MEMBERS’ REVIEW OF 2022

 

I thought I’d start this off.

 

 

Although Covid is still around, the ballet world gradually started to get back to normal with lots of enticing performances to enjoy.

 

One of my highlights was definitely DeNada Dance Theatre’s Mariposa which I saw at the Lowry in January.  It’s a modern-day transgender re-telling of Madam Butterfly and I found it intensely moving.  Harry Alexander, in the title role, was truly outstanding.

 

Northern Ballet’s children’s ballets are always a delight and the performance of Pinocchio I saw in Oldham in February was no exception.  These really are a fantastic introduction to ballet for young children.

 

Phoenix Dance Theatre’s 40th Anniversary celebration programme at Leeds Playhouse showed a good selection of the company rep and I really enjoyed that and the celebratory gala the following evening.  It made the news of Phoenix’ cessation all performances for a period of review somewhat perplexing and we still have no news of a way forward for the company.

 

February also brought Carlos Acosta’s production of Don Quixote to life by Birmingham Royal Ballet.  It is such a sunny, light ballet with lots of fabulous dancing and I loved the 9 performances I was able to catch over 3 venues.  Sadly Covid blighted the Lowry performances and Lachlan Monaghan, a magnificent Basilio in Birmingham, ended up as Espada at all the performances I saw at the Lowry.  Don Quixote brought a lightness back into my post-Covid ballet-watching that was very welcome.

 

Northern Ballet kicked off their season in March with some outstanding performances of Kenny Tindall’s Casanova.  I just couldn’t get enough of it!  The most special performance was at Sadler’s Wells in May, marking the retirement of leading man Javier Torres.  It was an incredibly emotional and memorable performance and Javier deserved all the plaudits he received at the curtain calls.

 

In March I also saw Alex Whitley’s latest offering and (finally) BalletBoyz’ Deluxe in Chester (Storyhouse in Chester is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area).  I particularly enjoyed the BalletBoyz performance.

 

Northern Ballet kicked off The Great Gatsby segment of the spring tour, starting off in Edinburgh in April (and what wonderful performances we saw there).  This ballet really is a joy to watch and who could resist tapping their feet during the Charleston number in Act 1.  I can’t wait to see more next Spring!

 

At the end of April I saw Akram Khan’s Jungle Book Reimagined, a clever update covering the climate crisis.  I can’t say that I will be seeking it out again!

 

May was all about more Northern Ballet, both Casanova and Great Gatsby.

 

June saw BRB performing a “Curated by Carlos” triple bill in Birmingham.  I thought that Juliano Nunes’ Interlinked was absolutely exquisite and I’m so pleased it’s coming back next June.  Lazuli Sky was worth seeing again.    Unfortunately 24 has to be the absolute nadir of nearly 40 years of ballet watching.  Even the water bottles being flung around had more choreography than the poor dancers.

 

In July, the Elmhurst End of Year Show showed the depth of the talented youngsters in the school and it was a super evening.

 

After a month’s hiatus my ballet watching started again in September with Norther Ballet’s triple bill at the Leeds Playhouse.  The company’s shows at this venue always seem special.  This year we saw the Made in Leeds triple bill featuring Wailers by Mthuthuzeli November, Nostalgia by Stina Quagebeur and Ma Vie by Dickson Mbi.  On first viewing the wild and wacky Ma Vie was the standout but over the couple of performances I saw I did find Wailers the most satisfying and moving.  Nostalgia was beautifully elegant.

 

Northern Ballet also started a short tour of The Little Mermaid at Sheffield.  I think the story is too downbeat for me but I very much enjoyed the quality of the performances I saw in Sheffield.

 

English National Ballet arrived in Liverpool with Derek Deane’s Swan Lake.  A special treat was seeing ex-NB favourite Lorenzo Trossello making his debut as Siegfried with the always wonderful Shiori Kase his Odette/Odile.

 

One of my absolute highlights of the year in October was Aakash Odedra’s mesmerising, astounding and outstanding Samara.  It just drew me in from the minute it started.

 

Sadly, Shobana Jeyasing’s Clorinda Agonistes started off brilliantly but descended into a pile of poo.

 

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s traditional Coppelia is a delight and I loved all six performances I was able to see between Plymouth and Birmingham.  The mixed programme in Birmingham (Forgotten Land, Hotel, The Seventh Symphony) was excellent although Hotel was not my cup of tea.

 

November was a quieter month of ballet-watching for me.  Northern Ballet’s Nutcracker in Nottingham was a delight.  It’s a touring production for smallish theatres and it is done without anything sinister.  Drosselmeyer is a benevolent Uncle.

 

I was very lucky to see Birmingham Royal Ballet’s best in the universe Nutcracker near the start of the run, being treated to a breath-taking performance from Brandon Lawrence, Reini Fuchigami and an incandescent Celine Gittens.

 

The following evening we were at The Lowry for Matthew Bourne’s take on Sleeping Beauty.  He is a master of putting a production together and I love his take on this.  Ashley Shaw really is outstanding as Aurora.

 

In December so far I've seen the always wonderful Ballet Black’s 20th Anniversary double bill and loved both Say it Loud and Black Sun.  Ballet Black never cease to thrill!

 

I also saw 3 more performances of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s refurbished Nutcracker - oh what a joy they were too!  Cesar Morales and Miki Mizutani were just sublime on the Wednesday evening with Rachele Pizzillo as an effecting Clara.

 

Before the end of the year, all being well, I will be seeing some more performances of NB’s Nutcracker and then that is it for me until 2023.

 

If I had to say what my absolute highlights over the whole year I would choose:

 

DeNada Dance Theatre’s Mariposa

Aakash Odedra’s Samsara

Northern Ballet’s Casanova - Javier Torres retirement performance

Ballet Black’s 20th Anniversary Programme

 

 

 

Over to everyone else…

[Tango Dancer]

I can't afford to see everything I'd want to see but I am really pleased with what I have seen this year.  

 

I started with the Dance for Ukraine gala in spring.  I thought it was an amazing set of performances and showcased the best ballet talent in some wonderful pieces.  It was too good to pick one particular thing out as being the best but I loved the whole evening and thought everyone was amazing.  

 

Then in April I loved the Forsythe Evening that ENB ran and thought it was a thoroughly delightful evening, uplifting and a real feelgood piece. 

 

I thought Birmingham Royal Ballet did some really good repertoire this year as I loved their Don Quixote and Coppelia.  Both were really good and gave me some really fun evenings.  I saw Brandon Lawrence in both cases because I love watching him dance.    

 

I also enjoyed the Trocks at the Peacock Theatre, so much fun and enjoyment and a lot of laughter and some really talented chaps.  

 

Then I really enjoyed the United Ukrainian Ballet's version of Giselle.  It was a lovely performance and Alina Cojacaru was amazing to watch.  I could watch her for hours.  

 

I also enjoyed Nutcracker at the Royal Ballet which I saw as the cinema relay with the exquisite Fumi as Sugar Plum.  

[Jan McNulty]

Gosh, you've just reminded me that I saw The Trocks in Bradford in October and they were as wonderful as ever.  The Raymonda Act 3 was sheer brilliance!

 

My weekend in London in May was so stressful, courtesy of Avanti, that I haven't been to London since even though there were things I would like to have seen.

[MaddieRose]

I saw Northern Ballet's Casanova in March, with Lorenzo Trossello in the title role. I really enjoyed the ballet, especially the final scene (this sounds like a dig but it's not, I genuinely just found the final scene really moving and compelling). It was my first time seeing Northern Ballet, and the versatility of the company is very admirable. Trossello in the leading role was obviously the highlight, but my other favourite performances were Abigail Prudames as Bellino and Ashley Dixon as Bragadin. 
 

I also saw the Royal Ballet for the first time in their Ashton Triple Bill in April. I was so happy I made it down to London for this because I really really wanted to see Scènes de ballet in particular. My casts were Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov (Scènes de ballet), Marianela Nuñez and Matthew Ball (A Month in the Country) and Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé.  (Rhapsody). They were all brilliant, but my highlight was Marcelino Sambé in Rhapsody. 
 

In Nottingham in May I saw the BRB and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia's Evening of Music and Dance. It convinced me I need to see the full production of Coppélia, as Brandon Lawrence and Céline Gittens danced the Act III Pas de deux. Lawrence and Yijing Zhang were stunning in Ben Stevenson's End of Time Pas de deux, and I can replay the majority in my head I was that enthralled. The Spanish Majisimo (led by Yaoqian Shang and Mathias Dingman) was a wonderful ending to the evening. 
 

I then didn't see any ballet until September, when I saw the Nureyev Gala. Getting the opportunity to see Natalia Osipova and Alina Cojocaru (dancers who I idolised as a child) was brilliant. I also really enjoyed the range of pieces that were performed, and the audience favourite was Cesar Corrales, who I reckon could've jumped his way around the whole auditorium if he was given the opportunity). 
 

My last ballet trip of the year was Coppélia in Birmingham in October. While soured slightly by shoddy train journeys (Lincoln to Birmingham by train is not an experience I particularly want to repeat), I loved this ballet. Momoko Hirata and Tzu Chao-Chou were brilliant as Swanilda and Franz, as was Rory Mackay as Dr Coppelius, and the whole ensemble seemed to be on top form.
 

I unfortunately had to miss out on the Royal Ballet's Mayerling and Northen Ballet's Nutracker in November because of train problems (ironically neither were strike days), but I'm sure the opportunities to see those will crop up again sometime in the future. 
 

My top three highlights of the year: 

Brandon Lawrence and Yijing Zhang (BRB) in Ben Stevenson's End of Time Pas de deux. I was lucky enough to be sitting in the front row that evening, and I think it gave the piece such intimacy, which is useful as the two dancers are supposed to be last pair of humans left. 
Cesar Corrales (RB) in the Laurencia Pas de six and the Le Corsaire Pas de deux at the Nureyev Gala. 
The whole company in BRB's Coppélia. Everyone was a joy to watch on stage. 

[Blossom]

Looking back I've had quite a busy year!

 

In January I saw Raymonda by ENB. Despite not following the classic story and a weak narrative, I really enjoyed the costumes, dancing and exquisite music by Glazunov.

February was a thoroughly modern month - Acosta Danza was a diverse mix of dance with some exceptionally talented dancers, followed by equally talented NDT2 who blew me away.

March was Swan Lake - I saw O'Sullivan/Sambe, a delight to watch, and managed to head to a weekday matinee with Margri/Corrales where Magri's black swan was breathtaking.

March was also the Forsythe Evening -  I managed to convince my husband to join me having piqued his curiosity by playing the Playlist erm playlist. Thoroughly joyous evening and Precious Adams really stood out in Playlist.

April was the Ashton triple - absolute bliss as adore Ashton! Wish I could have seen this a second time. 

In June I saw Like Water for Chocolate, first seeing Naghdi/Corrales and a couple of days later managing to get hold of tickets for Hayward/Sambe. Interestingly, I much preferred Naghdi's interpretation.

More joy in July with BRB's Don Quixote - always thrilled when BRB brings their productions to London as they are a much more affordable way to take kids with (can sit in top price stalls for less than ROH amphi!!)

September brought the Ukrainian Giselle gala and another (likely last?) chance to see Alina who is my second favourite Giselle (after Osipova of course) and the Nureyev gala where I finally got to see Xander Parish live, but found Iana Salenko underwhelming. Enjoyed seeing Marianna Tsembenhoi representing the newer blood rising at the ROH (and was it Daichi she was dancing with?)

November - Crystal Pite's new and old - breathtaking, plus BRB's brilliant triple bill with the rather memorable and comedic piece Hotel. Last was ENB's mixed bill - I wasn't too keen to see Blake Works again and would have preferred Playlist and found Take Five Blues a little dull, but Ek's new Rite of Spring and Emily Suzuki was outstanding. November finished with Mayerling and was wowed by Matthew Ball's dramatic Rudolf. 

 

So far December has brought Nutcracker rehearsals, but off to Naghdi/Ball on Thursday and can't wait! Cast is perfection.

Looking forward to what next year brings but summer is still looking rather light as there's so little on at ROH and it doesn't look like BRB are returning to London in the summer as usual.

 

 

[Sophoife]

Like many of you in the UK, there is no ballet in my home town so I have to travel. I usually drive to Melbourne (3½ hours each way) as the trains are unreliable and even slower.

 

In January I saw a new small contemporary company, Project Animo. The group had started working together just before COVID hit and so it took two years to get on stage and even then due to government restrictions audience size was severely limited. Given that some of the choreography was by Alice Topp, creator of Aurum, I was never not going. Dancers included retired AusBallet principals Madeleine Eastoe and Andrew Killian, retired senior artist Rudy Hawkes, and current company member Jill Ogai. The mesmerising star of the show was Izzac Carroll (of Company Wayne McGregor). Apart from one solo that had me thinking my watch must have stopped, it was a magical afternoon and there was so much joy emanating from the stage.

 

Incidentally Carroll danced in two of Topp's works at the Grange festival in June.

 

The March offering by the Australian Ballet was the long-delayed Yuri Possokhov Anna Karenina, a co-production with the Joffrey Ballet. Interesting, with some good pas de deux and a closing solo for Levin which really evoked a spirit of hope and positivity after the darkness and gloom of the Anna/Vronsky/Karenin trio. My standout from the two performances I saw live was Chris Rodgers-Wilson as Levin. 

 

I had to wait until June for the very contemporary Kunstkamer , a Nederlands Dans Theater production that brought us the work of Paul Lightfoot, Sol León, Crystal Pite, and Marco Goecke. The musical choices were really fascinating, ranging from Beethoven through Joby Talbot to Janis Joplin! We were treated to guest artist Jorge Nozal (now 44), whose NDT retirement role this had been in 2019, alternating with TAB AD David Hallberg. Young cdb dancer Adam Elmes made me sit up and take notice.

 

Later in June saw Alexei Ratmansky's Harlequinade, from American Ballet Theater. Such a contrast! Frilly, fluffy, sugary, and basically boy meets girl, father hates boy, tricks and schemes, boy gets girl. Suited Benedicte Bemet down to the ground and Brett Chynoweth was gorgeous. Lots of children (several teams totalling 130+), wrangled by Miss Eastoe and Paul Knobloch, who said it was way more stressy than dancing himself!

 

Before driving home the next day I treated myself to Miss Cuthbertson and Mr Bracewell in the delayed cinema cast of Swan Lake. Treat was the word.

 

At the end of September, a triple bill called Instruments of Dance gave me Wayne McGregor's Obsidian Tear (movement interesting, noise masquerading as music absolutely awful), the aforementioned Alice Topp's Annealing (couple of gorgeous pdds, large corps not best used but I love her so much it's hard to be objective), and the very American Everywhere We Go by Justin Peck. Jazzy, never stopping, quite enjoyable. Standouts in the third piece were Joe Caley and Brett Chynoweth.

 

Finally, in October, John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet. I only saw one live performance and Chris Rodgers-Wilson and Rina Nemoto brought me to tears. The streamed performance the following night was Callum Linnane and Sharni Spencer who was luminous. Why has nobody removed that ridiculously long "bridesmaids' dance"? Seriously, any girls that unobservant would be stripped of their Teenager Badges. Otherwise, it is a production I love and which was danced very well in the lovely big Melbourne stage.

 

In 2023 the company plan to offer us Don Quixote, Jewels, Swan Lake, a mixed bill called Identity with two new works, and the Tokyo Ballet in Giselle (not sure why that is). Also in Sydney only an Ashton double bill of The Dream and Marguerite and Armand - a very short evening indeed.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Sophoife
Added Sydney Ashton bill.

[Sabine0308]

I make a short list, all ballets seen in Munich if not said otherwise.

 

March
Passagen (saw it twice): 

Dawson-superb Affairs of the heart, Ratmansky-Pictures at an exhibition with an over-the-top "abused" curtain call by Ratmansky in opening night,

Goecke-Sweet Bones' Melody, a very moving piece.

April

Cinderella (Wheeldon) Maria Baranova, Dmitry Vyskubeno

Giselle (Coralli/Perrot/Petipa);

debut as Giselle after a long wait for it due to Covid: Jeannette Kakareka (her mad scene was heartbreaking). Albrecht: her then  soon-to-be husband Jinhao Zhang

Coppelia (Petit)

Shale Wagman is always a very good reason to see but here, he had his full length ballet premiere in Munich as Franz alongside a wonderful Ksenia Ryzhkova, and the fun and brilliance was such a joy to see. 

May
Sleeping Beauty (Haydée) in Berlin, stage rehearsal and matinee talk  with the one and only Marcia Haydée, then B-Premiere with a superb Iana Salenko and Daniil Simkin

June
Sleeping Beauty in Berlin, David Soares' debut as Prince (was sort of disappointing), Ksenia Ovsyanik as Aurora; discovered a wonderful newbie as Alibaba (Yusei Kobayashi? Forgive me!)

September
Stage rehearsal in Berlin Giselle with David Soares and Ksenia Ovsyanik

Stuttgarter Ballett in Berlin with Pure Bliss (which wasn't actually a bliss for me, a Friedemann Vogel crossing very elegantly the stage on a scooter was the highlight).

October
Onegin in Berlin with Iana Salenko and husband Marian Walter as Tatjana and Onegin, was emotionally touching bc it was Marian Walter's first full length performance after suffering from Long Covid. He was in top form again! D. Simkin as Lensky

November
Finished my "ballet year" with 2 performances in Munich:

Romeo and Juliet (Cranko), watching Shale Wagman's debut as witty Mercutio and Maria Baranova as very convincing Juliet,  especially in 2nd act (it was her debut in Munich). 

Cinderella (Wheeldon), finally got to see Shale Wagman as brilliant Benjamin. Madison Young was a charming but not so fragile Cinderella, a strong young woman. I loved her take on the role. Julian Mackay as Prince was (technically) disappointing, especially when dancing alongside friend "Benjamin". However for most parts he was a reliable partner for M. Young.

 

For 2023, I'm looking forward to "Midsummernights Dream" in Munich and the productions "Ek/Ekman" and "Strawinsky" (Goecke, Bausch), and even to Messa da Requiem (Spuck) in Berlin.

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Jan McNulty
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[Sabine0308]

Jun Ishii was the wonderful Ali Baba in Marcia Haydee's Sleeping Beauty in Berlin!!

[Jan McNulty]

Just now, Sabine0308 said:

Jun Ishii was the wonderful Ali Baba in Marcia Haydee's Sleeping Beauty in Berlin!!

 

Jun Ishii has made a splendid start at Northern Ballet!

[LACAD]

I’ve just rounded off my first full year living in London, and got to watch a hefty amount of dance this year!

 

January:

Raymonda - Not the strongest story to redramatise, but I nevertheless applaud Rojo for bringing this ballet with its gorgeous variations and music into a new light.

 

March:

I enjoyed two programmes from the Van Cleef & Arpels festival; 

⭐️Dance - Lucinda Child’s revolutionary work deftly performed by the Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon in Sadler’s Wells. It simultaneously puts you in a trance and knocks your socks off with its simple but highly effective choreography and projection work.

⭐️Fase - Another legendary work, this by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and performed in the Linbury. What more can be said about this work, gorgeous!

⭐️The Forsythe Evening - One of the best nights I’ve had in the theatre all year, leaves you wanting more!

Mixed Bill - at the Royal Ballet, a great work by Pite, not so great by Abraham and Wheeldon.

 

April

Eleesha Drennan Dance - some really compelling work from this up and coming choreographer, loved her solo piece ‘Whiskers 2’.

Solera - Had some brilliant flamenco in its first act. But (naturally) the focus was on the big draw of the night, the top billed guitarist Paco Peña.

June

The Crucible - Scottish Ballet really struck gold with this piece, and opened my eyes to the talents of choreographer Helen Pickett.

 

July

An Ode to Time - was really and ode to the mastery of Maria Pages, flamenco royalty. A beautiful piece.

Don Quixote - My first encounter with BRB, and with the absolutely superhuman Tsu Chao Chou. A perfect production for the summertime.

 

September 

The Burnt City - not as compelling perhaps as Punch Drunk’s seminal ‘Sleep No More’, but nobody does immersive theatre quite like them (I’m counting it as a dance work as there’s many sequences involving physical theatre and dance).

The Trocks - great fun, as always! 
 

October

Navy Blue - my Irish heart smiled seeing the great reception this work by Oona Doherty received. But if you thought the Forsythe evening was short, try 45 mins only!

Alice - my first experience with Jasmin Vardimon. Bizarre, acrobatic, inventive, heart-aching, maybe not fully my cup of tea but something I’ve truly never seen before!

November 

⭐️Light of Passage - a stunning, stunning work. Please bring it back Mr. O Hare!

Instruments of Dance - wasn’t super keen on Scholz’s piece, but liked Hotel and loved Forgotten Land.

Mixed Bill - from ENB, definitely very mixed! Loved Blake Works I, Quagebeur is still full of promise, was so so with Ek’s work as much as I admire him.

 

December

⭐️Ruination - one of my favourite works of the year. Definitely not to miss if you want something a little cheekier than the nutcracker, but still packs and emotional punch. 

[Silver Capricorn]

2022 for me:

 

Februar

La Bayadére Gala in Brno, Czech Republic with Yasmine Naghdi, Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov. For me the first opportunity to see world ballet stars live.

 

March

Swan Lake in Brno again,  and again Vadim Muntagirov. Amazing experience!

 

April

Munich and Coppélia with great Shale Wagman.

 

Juni

Wiener Staatsoper and Nureyev Gala, the  most interestng for me Friedemann Vogel in Mahler's Songs of the Wandering Journeyman.

Stuttgart and my first meeting with Mayerling - with Fiedemann Vogel' s Prince Rudolph.

 

Juli

L' Opéra National de Paris, Giselle with Myriam Ould Braham,  Germain Louvet and an amazing technically perfect corp de ballet.

 

September

London and Nureyev Legend and Legacy, the chance to see a number of world ballet stars.

 

October

Berlin, Giselle and unique Daniil Simkin.

L' Opéra National de Paris, the second time Mayerling, finally live see Dorothée Gilbert and especially Hugo Marchand.

 

November

London, ROH, for the third time Mayerling, this time with Vadim Muntagirov, a breathtaking experience and for me the absolute TOP 2022.

 

I live in Prague in Czech Republic, so for me attending ballet performances means planning tickets, flights, hotels... But I don' t regret anything and I´m already looking forward to 2023.

 

 

[Guest oncnp]

As my in-person ballet experience has been very disappointing this year, my highlight would be this forum where I can come to be educated, entertained and occasionally infuriated.

 

Thank you everyone and happy holidays 🎄

[Jan McNulty]

22 minutes ago, oncnp said:

As my in-person ballet experience has been very disappointing this year, my highlight would be this forum where I can come to be educated, entertained and occasionally infuriated.

 

Thank you everyone and happy holidays 🎄

 

So sorry your in-person ballet experience has been disappointing this year but thank you so much for your contributions to the Forum.  You seem to dig out all sorts of interest to notify us of.

 

Very best wishes for the festive season and here's to a more exciting ballet experience in 2023!

[Sim]

46 minutes ago, oncnp said:

As my in-person ballet experience has been very disappointing this year, my highlight would be this forum where I can come to be educated, entertained and occasionally infuriated.

 

Thank you everyone and happy holidays 🎄

The bit about the forum is lovely to hear.  Thanks so much, and for your contributions through the year. Happy holidays to you too!  🥂⭐️🎄❄️

[Sophoife]

Oh I forgot. There is one last ballet experience for December 2022 on my plate. In a couple of days I'm going back to Melbourne to see The Nutcracker - the delayed cinema relay from the Royal Ballet. I'm very much looking forward to a cast completely different from the last several relays.

[Richard LH]

Wow, from some of the above contributions,  with their eclectic mix of performances seen from diverse Companies at home and abroad, I see I still have a long way to go to become a true ballet fan!

Merry Christmas and  a  Happy New Ballet Year to all. 

[zxDaveM]

 

January

RB Romeo & Juliet - sad not to see Akane Takada, but super-sub Yasmine Naghdi was wonderful with Alex Campbell. Struggled with ENB’s Raymonda; I didn’t like it as much as I’d wanted to. Especially that ending

 

February

pretty much a blank month

 

March

RB Swan Lake - Fumi Kaneko and Federico Bonelli, sublime!
Think I was more caught up in the 6 Nations rugby, despite Wales’ dismal form, in Feb/March

 

April

The so-so mixed bill by the RB in March/April (liked Solo Echo, DGV was pretty good, the Abrahams wasn’t my cuppa), was followed by the supreme, utterly sublime, Ashton triple bill. I think I loved every single moment

 

May

More RB Swan Lakes, notably the ‘4Ukraine’ performance, with 4 different lead Odettes/Odile (and Princes). Felt it could have been a bit of a car crash, but it went really well. The excitement of novelty. Went to see Ballet Black in Stratford (east London) of which I enjoyed 75% of, the second piece lost it a bit for me the further it went along. First time in that theatre, so enjoyed the novelty too

 

June

RB Like Water for Chocolate - bit of a mixed bag for me, won’t go down as a favourite

 

July

BRB’s rendition of Carlos Acosta’s Don Q at the start of the month - enjoyed hugely! Rest of July, and all of August, a blank period

 

September

The ‘for Ukraine’ Giselles in the Coliseum were well worth seeing, both artistically and politically. The sad death of The Queen cast a gloom over the month for many

 

October

Autumn sort of belonged to Mayerling (I only saw the RB’s version), which kicked off this month (and went well into November). I had become rather ‘tired’ of Mayerling over the years, but some scintillating performances got me going again. For me, the Steven McRae and Sarah Lamb combination, Matthew Ball and Laura Morera, and especially the Vadim Muntagirov and Yasmine Naghdi combo, did it for me
Also in October was Crystal Pite’s ‘Light of Passage’ for the RB, which moved me to the core. An astounding piece, and I’m so glad they completed the symphony (of sorrowful songs) after Flight Pattern’s previous success

 

November

A busy and mixed month. Northern Ballet’s mixed bill in the Linbury a disappointment; BRB’s mixed bill at Sadler’s Wells a delight. ENB’s mixed bill also at Sadlers was superb.
Also this month was the Diamond celebration (of ROH Friends) mixed bill, most of which was marvellous (though I really disliked the costumes in Prima)

 

December

is of course Christmas and Nutcracker time. Yasmine Naghdi on the opening night gave one of those performances that will stay with me a long time - unhurried, yet always able to add half a second onto a pose and yet still be responsive to and within the music - breathtaking!

 

[Sabine0308]

Man I want to see Mayerling so badly. And lots of other ballets mentioned in this thread. I'll have to hop over to London again next year, so it seems 😉

[Sim]

2 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

Man I want to see Mayerling so badly. And lots of other ballets mentioned in this thread. I'll have to hop over to London again next year, so it seems 😉

Sadly you will probably have to wait two or three years to see Mayerling again. 😥

[Sabine0308]

@Sim ohhh! 😭

[FionaM]

4 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

@Sim ohhh! 😭

That’s the way the RB works … a long run of each ballet … so that most lead casts get 2+ shows.   And then that  ballet is not repeated for 2-3 years (or longer).    
 

Except Nutcracker, that seems to be an annual fixture now.  

[JohnS]

10 hours ago, Sim said:

Sadly you will probably have to wait two or three years to see Mayerling again. 😥

I’d like to think there’s a case for repeating the pattern when Mayerling had two runs in 18 months (May 2017 and October 2018). There were a number of injuries and I hope we haven’t inadvertently seen final performances from some experienced dancers. And there were so many debutants who I’d love to see again and other dancers who I’d like to see making their debuts. Wishful thinking on my part I know.

[jmhopton]

Well, I'm coming rather late to the party but I have seen some truly stunning ballets and performances in 2022.

 

First up was BRB's revamped Don Q at the Birmingham Hippodrome in Feb. I thought the new sets and costumes (especially the sets) were terrific and far better than the larger, more cumbersome ones at the ROH, especially the vision scene where I thought the simple fronds far more effective than the garish flowers at the ROH. The idea of having Amour danced by a man was quite intriguing too. I thought Alexander Yap was fabulous as the matador. Couldn't believe he was just an Artist. sadly he has now left BRB to be a soloist in Hong Kong ballet. He will be missed. I saw Vadim Muntagirov and Marianela Nunez guesting with BRB and they were terrific in the roles; a great start to my ballet going year. I'd have liked to see Brandon Lawrence as Basil but sadly not to be. A treat for the future.

 

One of the highlights was the Ashton triple bill in April and May. Saw 6 performances (probably a record for me, certainly for a mixed bill) and really enjoyed them all. The highlight was definitely the Morera/Muntagirov performances in Month in the Country. This was made even more special as they danced all their performances together after Lauren Cuthbertson was forced to pull out. Why have they never danced together before? They were absolutely terrific, reducing me to tears every performance. I still get very angry they weren't filmed in it and hope there is still time though I suspect probably not, as sadly there will be no reason to film it again in the near future. Sambe in Rhapsody too was also very special though I think James Hay and Francesca Hayward would be my overall favourite choice. It was great seeing Scenes de ballet as I don't know if I've ever seen it live. All in all a very well balanced, exciting triple bill and I hope something similar will be programmed in the next season as there seems to have been a lack of traditional mixed bills in this season.

 

One of the September highlights was undoubtedly the Nureyev tribute organised by Nehemiah Kish at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. A very interesting selection of known and lesser known pieces highlighting many different facets of Nureyev's career both as a classical and character dancer and also as a choreographer. I especially liked the Laurencia pas de six (great to see some younger RB dancers here)  and also the Flower festival pas de deux which I really like and seldom see.

 

The other September highlight was the Ukraine Giselle and another chance to see the supreme Alina Cojacaru play the lead role. There is no one who does Giselle like Alina. It was an emotional evening anyway, coming so soon after the death of the Queen. We started off by singing God Save the King which itself felt very strange, and an extra reminder of the loss of the only monarch most of us had known. Alina was wonderful as always as was her Albrecht and the evening ended on another emotional high with the Ukranian National Anthem.

 

October brought ENBs Raymonda in Bristol. Haven't  been to Bristol or seen this Raymonda before and was pleasantly impressed with both. I think it's a big improvement on the traditional Raymonda which I saw the Bolshoi do at the Coliseum in 1999. The sets and costumes were great and loved the choreography and was impressed with ENBs dancers. The Crimean war seemed rather marginal and not sure about the ending which seemed rather rushed, but a great effort from Tamara in breathing new life into a rather dusty old war horse.

 

Saved the best to last, The RB Mayerling in October and November. Saw 5 performances, all excellent and it transformed my attitude to a ballet I've never really rated that much. I must admit to being slightly disappointed that Laura Morera wasn't partnering Vadim as they were so wonderful together in Month in the Country and I thought her experience and acting ability would be great for him in his debut in such a demanding role. I saw Laura with Bonelli last time it was staged and that really started to change my attitude to the ballet as a whole as they were just such an emotional pairing together, each encouraging the other to give a really great performance. This time Laura gave an equally searing performance with Matthew Ball whom I didn't see last time so seeing him as Rudolf was a debut performance for me. He is obviously becoming one of the RBs great dance/actors, possibly in time inheriting the mantle left by Ed Watson. Every performance he gives he seems to go further in this aspect of his career and I would love to see his Onegin (hopefully fairly soon) I also saw Ryio and Melissa Hamilton. I'd seen him in the cinema broadcast with Osipova and thought them both really terrific but I really wanted to see Melissa Hamilton as Mary as I really rate her as a dancer but (like James Hay) she doesn't seem to get the big roles that she deserves so this was a rare chance to see her in a major role and she didn't disappoint, throwing herself into the role of Mary with reckless abandon. Saw Sambe/Hayward also. Was intrigued by Sambe as Rudolf as I wasn't sure what to expect but he gave a very detailed, emotional performance as did Hayward who was amazing as Mary. The RB dancers are so good these days it is often very difficult to tell the difference between a debut performance and an established one as the debut performances look like they've being doing the role for years. Which brings me to my final Mayerling cast featuring Muntagirov/Naghdi. Debut roles for both of them and Yasmine had the added stress of also debuting as Larisch and stepping into partnering Vadim late on after Cuthbertson had to pull out because of pregnancy. I didn't know what to expect from Vadim as the character of Rudolf seems totally alien to him and I didn't know how he would interpret and convey Rudolf's torment and mental deterioration; would he be capable of it? The answer was a resounding yes! I sat totally spellbound through both performances and didn't want them to end. He somehow managed to find and channel his inner Rudolf and gave 2 performances of searing intensity. I was totally drained just watching him, yet an hour after the performance he breezed out of the stage door as if it hadn't been anything much at all, just being his usual pleasant, chatty self. Such a shame it wasn't filmed. It must be filmed at the next performance. Like JohnS  I just hope we don't have to wait another 3 years for another. It was an amazing performance to end a great ballet going year and I'm already looking forward to the RB Sleeping Beauties and Cinderellas I've booked for next year (trains permitting!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jamesrhblack]

I enjoyed reading jmhopton’s account of their dance watching year.

 

i agree that Morera and Muntagirov were superb together in A Month in the Country. They did dance two runs of La fille mal gardée together in 14/15 and 15/16 but that’s a while back now, and I agree they would have been an intriguing partnership in Mayerling.

 

So many riches on which to reflect: I’ve get to get my own thoughts in shape on this one…

 

 

[Jamesrhblack]

So, grasping the nettle (and, hopefully, not running the gauntlet: these things are entirely subjective and all opinions my own), with the proviso that, with the exception of two Galas, my experiences were entirely Royal Ballet at The Royal Opera house based (something i intend to remedy in the New Year, a visit to Northern Ballet being a particular priority), some thoughts on 2022.

 

My most sheerly joyous dance watching experience this year was seeing Francesco Gabriele Frola in Flower Festival at Genzano at the Nureyev Legend and Legacy Gala. Neatness, yet brilliance, of execution, delightful choreography and an endearing partnership with Emma Hawes. 

 

Dancer of the Year for me was William Bracewell, who seemed fully to come into artistic bloom. Whether nursing either an eloquently mature, but occasionally tiring, or an unexpectedly tense and unsure partner through the rigours of 19th Century classicism, dancing solos with seemingly new assurance and technical brio, or bringing complete conviction as an actor, every movement valid and expressive, he was consistently impressive and his promotion richly deserved.

 

Otherwise, it was very much a year of partnerships, combined artistry heightening the experience: Alexander Campbell and Yasmine Naghdi in Romeo and Juliet (the curtain coming down in complete silence); Fumi Kameko (inevitably much to refine in terms of interpretation but thrillingly abandoned) and Federico Bonelli (embers still burning bright) in Swan Lake; Laura Morera and Vadim Muntagirov just about perfect in A Month in the Country (this surely was the cast that should have been filmed): Akane Takada and Alexander Campbell in Like Water for Chocolate (is it a cliché to write they were incandescent, and not just at the end); Matthew Ball and Joseph Sissens in Wheeldon’s Us at the Men in Motion Gala: Matthew Ball and Laura Morera, and then Marcellino Sambé and Francesca Hayward, powerful but also moving, in Mayerling (with a nod to Sarah Lamb, not usually a favourite, who was stupendous as Larisch).

 

It was good to see James Hay back on stage, gloriously fluent and musical, whether in For Four or as Bratfisch; Leticia Dias, Leo Dixon, Calvin Richardson and Joseph Sissens consolidated their place on the cast list as dancers I’m increasingly inclined to book to see; Ashley Dean, Mariko Sasaki, Liam Boswell and Francisco Serrano have all made an impact making me eager to see them again.

 

However, in memory, the performance that glows the most is Claire Calvert’s debut as Odette / Odile with Nicol Edmunds as Siegfried. Her grave beauty and serenity, her musicianship, her ability to execute every technical challenge with an ease and musicality that eluded some of her more obviously starry colleagues, and a sense, again in partnership, of subsuming self to a bigger whole, together with a feeling of love and pride both from those on stage and in the audience that was almost palpable, made for a, possibly unexpectedly, moving evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DanJL]

Looking back, I've had a really wonderful year for ballet. Some highlights below.

 

Three incredible performances of Romeo and Juliet - the extraordinary romance of O'Sullivan and Sambé, and then the wonderfully powerful and heartbreaking performances of Nuñez and Hamilton. The latter two visibly benefitting from the coaching of Alessandra Ferri.

 

Really great to see Acosta's new production of Don Quixote at BRB. Wonderfully rich, full of dancing and highly enjoyable. And fantastic performances from the whole company in Birmingham. 

 

My first in-person viewings of the Scarlett production of Swan Lake - all were outstanding, very much including the cinema relay. But in person I particularly enjoyed Gasparini as one of the sisters, Nuñez and Muntagirov with their "usual" - yet always different and it seems always improving - superlative performances. Nuñez seemed to be conducting the music with her lyrical movements! And finally the beauty of Sarah Lamb's Odette / Odile.

 

I may be the only person here to have much preferred the modern triple bill to the Ashton. Both casts were wonderful. Solo Echo is one of my favourite ballets and it was great to see DGV for the first time. Of the Ashton triple, I only had chance for one viewing and was hoping the streaming would give chance for a reappraisal (in truth I didn't really get Scènes de ballet as a first encounter with it, and Month in the country threw me by being quite different from my own, possibly flawed, reading of the play) - but still waiting for that of course!

 

As always, Northern Ballet were incredible on their annual visit to Cardiff. Definitely missed them in the pandemic years! This time, they brought Great Gatsby - a wonderfully inventive interpretation, full of magnificent dancing and great storytelling.

 

I was very happy to be at the premiere of Like water for chocolate. A huge success in my eyes and can't wait for the cinema broadcast next month! Wheeldon's inventiveness and beautiful choreography matched perfectly with the magical realism. Hayward danced beautifully, amongst a really great cast.

 

Unfortunately the new season brought increased costs - not just tickets, but trains and hotels as well. Consequently I've only been able to see a few things. But I started with a very rare treat - a well-timed holiday to Italy gave me chance to see Bolle and Nuñez in Onegin with La Scala (and I was particularly thrilled that my favourite of the regular La Scala dancers, Martina Arduino, danced Olga). A really great performance and experience.

 

Back at the ROH I enjoyed one performance of Mayerling - Sambé with Hayward and Lamb, all of whom performed and acted the roles devastatingly well. Also very impressed by Gasparini's Princess Stephanie. And finished the year with a magical Nutcracker just before Christmas - Ashley Dean was a lovely Clara and I finally got to see Sarah Lamb as Sugar Plum Fairy. Tricky performance for her with a very late change of partner (fantastic job by Muntagirov), but she still danced beautifully - if anything the extra care gave her opportunity to emphasise the glamour of the role even further. 

[Dawnstar]

I had to wait until the last day of the year to do this as I attended my last performance of the year last night. I've calculated that 65% of the theatre performances I have attended this year were ballet, which is certainly not something I would have predicted before the latter part of 2018. It's awfully addictive with the multiple casts. Most of the performances I saw were the RB so in my comments below please assume RB unless another company/theatre is specified.

 

Having lost the two Nutcrackers I had booked in December 2021 to covid cancellations, January started out unexpectedly well when due to last minute cast changes I was able to see both the debuts I'd wanted to see that season, Mayara Magri as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Romany Pajdak as Clara, at the same performance. That was followed a week later by seeing Alexander Campbell's excellent Romeo RB debut. Then ENB's Raymonda, which I'm afraid I was so-so about dramatically though the performances were very good.

 

February had three more Romeo and Juliets, two of which were significant for opposite reasons: Federico Bonelli's last Romeo, when his retirement had just been announced, and Mayara Magri & Calvin Richardson both making their debuts. I was also far more impressed by Marianela Nunez's Juliet, opposite Bonelli, than I had been by her in 2019. Amazing that a dancer can still be improving her interpretation of a role just before turning 40.

 

At the start of March I saw my first ever live Swan Lake (not having managed to see it in 2020 before covid closed the theatres). I don't think I could have picked a more memorable performance if I had tried for years: Federico Bonelli's farewell and Fumi Kaneko's debut. Four more Swan Lakes followed within the month, including seeing Mayara Magri's third debut in as many months, this time alongside an also debuting Cesar Corrales. There was also the very moving Dance For Ukraine gala at the Coliseum. While there were many appropriately sombre pieces danced, I'm afraid my favourites were the more standard gala fare of Mayara Magri & Francesco Gabriele Frola in the Le Corsaide pdd (I loved seeing two of my favourite dancers from different companies dance together) and Marianela Nunez & Reece Clarke in the Tchaikovsky pdd.

 

In April I saw the Ashton triple bill twice. I would have liked to have seen it more but with only a few performances & them all being close together I couldn't manage it. I felt the complexity of Scenes de Ballet probably requires many viewings in order to grasp it fully. While I enjoyed all three pieces with both of the casts I saw, Laura Morera & Vadim Muntagirov in Month in the Country were my undoubted highlight. (I'm still waiting to see the third cast as the ROH still haven't shown the filmed performance!)

 

May started with an extra Swan Lake with the quadruple-cast performance for Ukraine. All the female principals who appeared & two of the four males were ones who I hadn't booked to see in full performances, which was good in one way but also made me want to see several of them in full performances so that's on the to do list for the next revival! Then one more "normal" Swan Lake to see Claire Calvert & Nicol Edmonds debuts.

 

I should have seen two performances of Like Water For Chocolate in June but unfortunately I caught covid for the first time just beforehand so no ballet for me that month.

 

In July I very much enjoyed BRB's Don Quixote at Sadler's Well, especially Lachlan Monaghan as Basilio and Laura Day as the first female Sancho Panza. It's such a lovely warm ballet. I hope that the RB still also continue to perform it now Acosta has re-staged it for BRB.

 

The new season in September started with seeing ballet for the first time at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with the Nuryev Gala. Lovely to have a gala where every piece was "classical" (no modern dance to sit through!) and several of them rarer pieces. While I enjoyed every piece, highlights for me included the Flower Festival at Genzano with Ida Praetorius & Francesco Gabriele Frola, Laurencia with Natalia Osipova & Cesar Corrales, and the Le Corsaire pdd with Yasmine Naghdi & Cesar Corrales. It was also a bit of a preview of Alexandr Trusch alongside Alina Cojocaru before seeing them in the United Ukraine Ballet's Giselle at the Coliseum a couple of weeks later, I was very pleased to get to see Cojocaru in one of her signature roles, and only the second full-length role I've seen her in, and only wish Trusch was based somewhere nearer than Hamburg so I could see more of him.

 

I'm dealing with October and November together as both of them were dominated by Mayerling. Having intended to see five performances, I ended up seeing eight! Mayerling in the 2018 run was the first time I saw the Royal Ballet live and I only saw it once plus the cinecast that time (I've been kicking myself ever since I didn't see more casts then) so it was great to be able to get to know the ballet much better seeing multiple performances amd casts this time. While there were many excellent performances, the highlight had to be Vadim Muntagirov's astonishing Crown Prince Rudolf debut. So good I went back for his second performance! Unfortunately I did also have one major disappointment in not getting to see Laura Morera as Mary Vetsera, knowing I'll probably now never get to see her in the role. Amidst all the Mayerlings I also saw the Diamond Celebration. Unfortunately apart from the two opening pdds from La Fille Mal Gardee and Manon, plus Diamonds itself at the end, the rest of the pieces were not to my taste.

 

Two planned Nutcrackers in December became three when I paid an extra visit to see Madison Bailey make her Clara debut and I then got three debuts for two when Liam Boswell did his first public Hans-Peter in the same performance that Leticia Dias & Calvin Richardson did their first public performances as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince. I then finished the year by seeing ENB's Nutcracker for the first time.

Edited December 31, 2022 by Dawnstar
Consistency of style

[DVDfan]

I recently took out a subscription to ROH streaming, so my ballet watching has been concentrated into December and confined to their offering. I was able to see the Ball/Naghdi Giselle and the Kaneko/Bonelli SB, both of them highly praised on the forum. Now I know why! I also enjoyed Dances at a Gathering, Enigma Variations and Within the Golden Hour. I was amazed at WTGH as I had no idea Wheeldon could choreograph something of that quality - his work seems to me to have a kind of relentless superficiality. Mostly.

 

However, the big surprise was the Dante Project. I thought, I'll just have a look, I've seen the reviews and some still photos, so I'll just look at the first half hour to learn what it's about. I was rivetted, and had to watch right through to the end. I agree with many of the criticisms - it was annoying not to know who or what the different groups of sinners were, and the first act was the best, the ballet lost sense and momentum as it went on into Paradise, which I think needs more work. On the other hand, this is also a feature of the poem - Paradise makes less sense and is less interesting than Hell or Purgatory. I was also puzzled at the relative absence of Virgil in many of the scenes. (Of course he is absent from Paradise in the poem, as  being a pagan he dwells in limbo and cannot be raised into Heaven.) But in the other two realms he is Dante's constant companion and support. Using the Purgatory section to explore Dante's love for Beatrice (a young woman he never spoke to but adored with great passion from afar) was interesting and in keeping with the ideas about love in the poem, though not literally expressing them, I thought.

On the other hand, to me the costumes made sense, much more so than period costumes would have done, and they look much better in motion than in the stills. I could see why no props were used, which might have labelled the various souls, but would also have looked twee and out of place. I thought the scenery for Hell, described in the poem as a great funnel leading downwards, was splendid. The tree in a modern street for Purgatory was very interesting, (was it in Florence by any chance?) suggesting that the current life is a form of spiritual test, with the opportunity to travel towards blessedness. It was also pleasant, which seemed right to me. The final set wasn't so evocative, though the overwhelming light at the end was a good way to finish, and correct to the poem. The narrative drive was powerful, as I say, once I'd started watching I couldn't stop. I feel that the choreographer has learned to use classical movements to express his ideas well, and I'd love to see this with more work put into the  Paradise section. I feel that more purely classical movements would express the blessed nature of the souls - but maybe for Wayne that would be suggesting that there is something sinful about contemporary movement.

[bridiem]

16 minutes ago, DVDfan said:

However, the big surprise was the Dante Project. I thought, I'll just have a look, I've seen the reviews and some still photos, so I'll just look at the first half hour to learn what it's about. I was rivetted, and had to watch right through to the end. I agree with many of the criticisms - it was annoying not to know who or what the different groups of sinners were, and the first act was the best, the ballet lost sense and momentum as it went on into Paradise, which I think needs more work. On the other hand, this is also a feature of the poem - Paradise makes less sense and is less interesting than Hell or Purgatory. I was also puzzled at the relative absence of Virgil in many of the scenes. (Of course he is absent from Paradise in the poem, as  being a pagan he dwells in limbo and cannot be raised into Heaven.) But in the other two realms he is Dante's constant companion and support. Using the Purgatory section to explore Dante's love for Beatrice (a young woman he never spoke to but adored with great passion from afar) was interesting and in keeping with the ideas about love in the poem, though not literally expressing them, I thought.

On the other hand, to me the costumes made sense, much more so than period costumes would have done, and they look much better in motion than in the stills. I could see why no props were used, which might have labelled the various souls, but would also have looked twee and out of place. I thought the scenery for Hell, described in the poem as a great funnel leading downwards, was splendid. The tree in a modern street for Purgatory was very interesting, (was it in Florence by any chance?) suggesting that the current life is a form of spiritual test, with the opportunity to travel towards blessedness. It was also pleasant, which seemed right to me. The final set wasn't so evocative, though the overwhelming light at the end was a good way to finish, and correct to the poem. The narrative drive was powerful, as I say, once I'd started watching I couldn't stop. I feel that the choreographer has learned to use classical movements to express his ideas well, and I'd love to see this with more work put into the  Paradise section. I feel that more purely classical movements would express the blessed nature of the souls - but maybe for Wayne that would be suggesting that there is something sinful about contemporary movement.

 

Thank you for your really interesting and insightful comments, DVDfan!

[San Perregrino]

Too numerous to mention individually, anything  and everything that was danced by the Royal Ballet at home at the ROH. Additionally anything danced by RB members as a part of galas and special appearances. We truly have a World class and world beating company to amaze, delight, enthral, challenge and surprise us each time it takes to the stage whether dancing the classics, revivals or new works.

 

Additionally I’ve seen in London and also travelled the length of the country to watch ENB, BRB, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet in multiple productions. Again high standards and together with the RB these companies need to be cherished, supported and nurtured for future audiences to enjoy. 

There did seem to be a relative dearth of non-Russian top flight visiting companies to enjoy, perhaps a hangover from the pandemic which will right itself in due course.

 

[maurfran]

Saw 'The Nutcracker' in Norwich, Nov 22nd. Beautiful performance. 

I'm hosting an Ukrainian refugee and she had always wanted to see the ballet- too expensive for her in Kyiv. She was completely delighted.

 

We had booked tickets for 'Swan Lake' Coliseum but worries over transport ( from Norfolk) I sold the tickets.

 

Last night I booked us to see the Varna ballet company, in Norwich Feb 8th, 'Swan Lake' so we got our wish!!

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Maurfan and welcome to the Forum!

[Richard LH]

7 hours ago, DVDfan said:

I feel that more purely classical movements would express the blessed nature of the souls - but maybe for Wayne that would be suggesting that there is something sinful about contemporary movement

Whilst I don't think contemporary movement can be regarded as  sinful, it sometimes makes me feel I am going through purgatory 🤣....whilst classical ballet can certainly be heavenly!