New Year, New Season Ballet wishes

[jmhopton]

Happy New Year, everyone!!

 

As we're now officially in 2023 I'm going to start a thread for people's ballet wishes in the 2023/24 ballet season. As the new ballet seasons start being announced about April presumably most ADs will have finalised their programme but you never know, there may still be mixed programmes that haven't quite been decided on, or perhaps we can provide food for thought for 2024/25.

 

As you'll probably know my main wish will be more Ashton and Vadim!! But seriously, it would be great to have another mixed Ashton bill as the last one was so wonderful. Having seen the Ashton Foundation rehearsals featuring Daichi in Patineurs and Letitia Dias in Les Rendezvous I'd love to see both of them staged again.  I don't think I've seen Les Rendezvous live and it seems ages since Les Patineurs was done. Possibly both with the Dream or Symphonic Variations or Facade. Not sure if that would work timewise but there are loads of Ashton I'd love to see. Full length, La Fille would be wonderful as it's been absent for too long. Am wondering if releasing Sylvia for streaming means there is any chance we may see that again next season. One lot of performances in ages (and not filmed!) is terrible.

 

Other ballets, my favourite ballet is Onegin. I was thinking it wasn't that long since it was staged at the start of 2019 but of course that will be 4 years ago this spring. When I spoke to Kevin at the stage door last time he said he wouldn't leave it so long to stage it again (5 years last time, possibly) so it could be staged and the female ballerinas especially always say how much they enjoy it and so many new principals since 2019.

 

Of other ballets I'd like to see Don Q. I know BRB staged it this year but I don't see why RB couldn't stage it next season. There have been too few 'fun' ballets staged after covid.

 

I suppose we should be getting Manon if the rolling Macmillan programme continues which is fine as I'd enjoy seeing it again.

 

Be good if the RB could stage more Robbins like Afternoon of a Faun as I do like his choreography, possibly instead of more 'new' offerings but I suspect that's not going to happen even if the Robbins will be new to most ballet goers. Failing that would be good to see The Concert again.

 

Anyway, that's enough from me. I'll probably think of all sorts I'd forgotten when people start adding their own wish lists. Over to you!

[zxDaveM]

I'd like to see more Ashton too. Symphonic Variations always welcome, and another run of Scenes de Ballet wouldn't hurt. A Christmas mixed bill with Les Patineurs would be hugely welcome. Mixed feelings on Ondine - the parts where Ondine onstage are sublime; when she isn't, not so much. But I suppose after a mega run of Cinders, we're unlikely to get another full length Ashton (any of his other 3 would do for me!), unlike the treadmill of the MacMillans. Speaking of which, I'd rather see some of his glorious short works (e.g. Gloria, Concerto, Requiem, Rite of Spring) than yet another long run of R&J (yet again) or Manon (odds-on), or more of his ghastly 'real life is horrible' ballets.

I'd love to see Scarlett's Symphonic Dances, which we lost down to covid last year. If we are to have a MacGregor, let it please be one of the Max Richter scored ones.

I'd also like some more Balanchine please. Much more! Almost anything will do, except perhaps Prodigal Son, which I was never keen on.

I have the feeling Onegin is due, and Nutcracker compulsory (though with a triple bill running alongside in December would be lovely), plus Swan Lake to swell the coffers

If they do Giselle, I would be far from upset!

I'd guess Alice in Wonderland is due too - another coffers filler. Not on my wishlist though - nor would Like Water for Chocolate, which is due a 2nd run inside the next 18-24 months

It seems a lot harder these days to begin to guess the triple bills, as they are so few and far between, so makes it hard to compile a wishlist of them, as there are now so many to chose from, we've not seen in a good while...

[zxDaveM]

PS - just been reminded in another thread, that MaddAddam from MacGregor (and Richter) is probably heading our way before too long...

[jmhopton]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

PS - just been reminded in another thread, that MaddAddam from MacGregor (and Richter) is probably heading our way before too long...

Oh dear!

 

Yes Dave a Christmas triple would be great as would Coppelia instead of Nutcracker though perhaps Nutcracker is still needed to swell the ROH coffers.

 

I too wondered about more Balanchine, I'd love to see Symphony in C again; brings back lovely memories of seeing it in a great triple with Firebird and Month in the Country. Was that 2019. I'm with you about Prodigal Son, Dave.

 

I do like the way these days Kevin has differentiated between triple content, tending to go for all modern or all traditional. Going back 10 years or more, triples seemed to inevitably contain something I really wanted to see, something just about OK and something I didn't want to see at all. I much prefer his new programming and hope it continues into the new season.

 

 

[zxDaveM]

It could be really good - you never know! 😉

Yes, I prefer the 'themed' triples, to the utterly random ones - the love one, endure one, sit the other in the bar types! (the triple in June this year isn't one I'm looking forward to, I can't deny)

 

And huge yes for S in C - the ballet you can't believe can get better as it goes along - until it does!

Unlikely to see it, but would love Jewels too - Emeralds is just meltingly gorgeous, Rubies makes you look for your socks somewhere 3-4 rows in front of you, and the first 3 movements of Diamonds sublime (the finale is still good, but not quite as good as what came before). Darn - where's that dvd, has to be watched! 🙂

[Sabine0308]

Next season, Staatsballett Berlin has a new AD, Christian Spuck. I honestly have no idea what to expect. There will be a lot of change, principals already leaving resp. got new contracts as guest dancer only. Among the 11 fellows who joined last year are many from Zurich. I haven't seen a ballet created by Spuck, so I am open to new encounters. His "Messa da Requiem" will be the first production we will get to see in May.

I hope that they keep the classical focus of SBB. My greatest wish is that the wonderful "Nutcracker" production will be shown again. Which is probably unrealistic, because Spuck has his own creation. Ah well...

Also, I look forward to the Stravinsky evening, with Marco Goecke's "Petroushka" and Pina Bausch's "Rite of spring". This sounds interesting.

 

Aside from Berlin, I want to go to Munich again (Midsummernights Dream and Bayadere), and will probably check out Romeo and Juliet in Dresden.

Edited January 1, 2023 by Sabine0308

[Jan McNulty]

I would love to see Birmingham Royal Ballet revive Hobson's Choice, Madding Crowd and one of Sir David Bintley's jazz triples - especially if it included The Orpheus Suite.

 

I hope we will see them perform more Ashton - obviously Fille, Dream, Two Pigeons but also Facade, Scènes de Ballet and Symphonic Variations.  Perhaps Rhapsody could be introduced into the Rep.

 

As we've got Apollo coming up in the summer triple perhaps we will see more Balanchine.  I have fond memories of the company performing Agon, Western Symphony and Symphony in Three Movements.

 

I'd also like to see more new choreography introduced of the standard of Juliano Nunes Interlinked (which I can't wait to see again).

 

For Northern Ballet, I am looking forward to seeing which direction Federico Bonelli takes them.

 

I would also love for the Gable/Morricone productions of Romeo and Juliet and Christmas Carol to be revived. Of David Nixon's work I would love to see Madame Butterfly, Wuthering Heights and A Midsummer Night's Dream revived.

 

I would like to see Kenny Tindall's production of Carmen (which he has just created on Tulsa Ballet) and also for Geisha to be revived.

 

I would like to see some more triple bills from the company.

 

I appreciate that for both BRB and NB I have probably listed several years worth of work!

 

 

[Don Q Fan]

Well Onegin would be a top choice for me both at ROH and Dutch National Ballet (even ENB if it could come back into rep). For DNB this is closely followed by Frida and Jewels plus DonQ if Ted Bransen is feeling generous! 

Ashton and Balanchine are always welcome by me anywhere. 

[jm365]

I do so agree with Janet McNulty's choices for BRB.  I used to come up fairly regularly when Bintley was AD, but so far haven't been tempted by anything Acosta has programmed.

[Candleque]

Sylvia tops my wish list every year. So many Royal Ballet dancers would smash the title role imo, so hope the powers that be hear my prayers 🙏

Rather than have a year without Nutcracker — I'm a forever fan, plus it gives so many opportunities to all ranks — I'll risk blasphemous behaviour by hoping against hope for a year off from the MacMillan big three. It would free up a slot for something from the vault I've never seen like Ondine 🧜‍♀️

[Dawnstar]

I think @jmhopton has already mentioned most of what I'd like the RB to do next season. Seeing the skaters at the start of ENB's Nutcracker the other night made me want to see Les Patineurs again & I'd be happy to see it either with the same other ballets as at the end of 2018 or with 2 other Ashtons. If Onegin is done then hopefully Muntagirov will actually do the title role this time. If Manon is done then please, please can Hamilton get a public performance as I'm still annoyed that I couldn't see her in 2019. I'd like to see Bracewell, Corrales & Richardson makes Des Grieux debuts (even though it'll bankrupt me!) & I suppose Naghdi is next in line for the title role though there must be less scope for debuts on the female side as all last run's Manons are still dancing, unlike the men.

 

I'd add La Bayadere, though I fear it's highly unlikely it'll happen as it's probably considered not politically correct enough now. I'm still hoping for some de Valois, especially Checkmate or Job, but that's probably even less likely. Maybe some sort of gala similar to the Fonteyn Gala where some extracts from older ballets could be performed would be a slightly more realistic prospect.

 

I'd love ENB to do Romeo & Juliet, partly because I've only seen their production once back in something like 2004 but mostly because I'd like to see Frola & Arrieta as Romeo and Hawes & McWhinney as Juliet.

[jmhopton]

Yes I agree with much that Janet has to say about BRB and Northern Ballet.

Like JM365, up until now I haven't seen a lot to tempt myself to Birmingham with what Carlos has programmed. I'd love all of the Ashton suggested by Janet. David Bintley was always very protective of his balletic heritage, especially Ashton and De Valois and programmed them regularly. Carlos hasn't done that until now but times have been difficult and he's early days into his tenure. Hobsons Choice would also be good.

For Northern Ballet I too would love to see the Gable Christmas Carol and Romeo, also the Giselle they did in 1990 which I thought really terrific, far better than the Kirov version I saw a few months later. Unfortunately it was superceded by other NB versions I wasn't so keen on so it would be great to see it again. 

[Ian Macmillan]

I shall be wishing Cathy Marston all the very best as she takes over as Director in Zurich later this year.

[RobR]

+1 for Les Patineurs

Edited January 1, 2023 by RobR
Predictive spelling typo

[JennyTaylor]

My wish is simple for the Royal Ballet. Proper ballet rather than dance, with beautiful music and decent costumes as opposed to vest and pants.  Triple bills that I love rather than endure, or simply don't bother with.  No clangy, ghastly indecipherable modern scores and plotless choreography.   

[zxDaveM]

19 hours ago, JennyTaylor said:

My wish is simple for the Royal Ballet. Proper ballet rather than dance, with beautiful music and decent costumes as opposed to vest and pants.  Triple bills that I love rather than endure, or simply don't bother with.  No clangy, ghastly indecipherable modern scores and plotless choreography.   

 

Agree with almost all, except I don't mind some of the plotless short ballets (see my examples above)

[Emeralds]

From RB: more Ashton. Sylvia. Some of MacMillan’s more classical pieces that haven’t been performed as often lately, eg Solitaire, Danses Concertantes. Any original de Valois ballets like Checkmate or The Rake’s Progress. 

 

From BRB: some of their Balanchine and Cranko ballets that other British companies don’t have in their repertory, eg Mozartiana, Pineapple Poll. And Bintley’s Flowers of the Forest, Galanteries.

 

From ENB: Christopher Bruce’s Swansong. Their production of Coppelia by Ronald Hynd. Suite en Blanc. La Sylphide. Mary Skeaping’s Giselle.

 

Any company: Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies. Fokine’s Les Sylphides

 

Any theatre/impresario: To bring National Ballet of Canada back after Covid cancelled their ROH visit. Australian Ballet, NYCB, ABT and Royal Danish Ballet to visit again! United Ukrainian Ballet to come for another visit. 

[Jan McNulty]

5 hours ago, Emeralds said:

 

 

From BRB: some of their Balanchine and Cranko ballets that other British companies don’t have in their repertory, eg Mozartiana, Pineapple Poll. And Bintley’s Flowers of the Forest, Galanteries.

 

 

Oh please not Mozartiana!!!

 

I agree with the rest of your post though Emeralds.

[akh]

8 hours ago, Emeralds said:

From RB: more Ashton. Sylvia. Some of MacMillan’s more classical pieces that haven’t been performed as often lately, eg Solitaire, Danses Concertantes. Any original de Valois ballets like Checkmate or The Rake’s Progress. 

 

From BRB: some of their Balanchine and Cranko ballets that other British companies don’t have in their repertory, eg Mozartiana, Pineapple Poll. And Bintley’s Flowers of the Forest, Galanteries.

 

From ENB: Christopher Bruce’s Swansong. Their production of Coppelia by Ronald Hynd. Suite en Blanc. La Sylphide. Mary Skeaping’s Giselle.

 

Any company: Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies. Fokine’s Les Sylphides

 

Any theatre/impresario: To bring National Ballet of Canada back after Covid cancelled their ROH visit. Australian Ballet, NYCB, ABT and Royal Danish Ballet to visit again! United Ukrainian Ballet to come for another visit. 

Rambert used to do Dark Elegies, loved it.

 

[Jeannette]

I’m hoping for more paid streams, as Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is doing, as I’ve retired to Puerto Rico, where there’s minimal live professional ballet. That’s all - sweet and simple.

[alison]

Would you like to keep us updated with those, Jeannette?  I for one wasn't aware of them.

 

And all the best for your retirement.

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Jeannette said:

I’m hoping for more paid streams, as Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is doing, as I’ve retired to Puerto Rico, where there’s minimal live professional ballet. That’s all - sweet and simple.

 

Very best wishes for your retirement Jeanette.

[Sim]

Wishing you a long, happy and healthy retirement, Jeanette!

[TSR101]

RB: Sylvia, Anastasia (not stupidly adding it to a triple), La Fille Mal Gardee; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (surely good enough for Christmas)

 

ENB: Swan Lake in the Round and a new full length for the repertoire. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by TSR101

[zxDaveM]

5 minutes ago, TSR101 said:

RB: Sylvia, Anastasia (not stupidly adding it to a triple), La Fille Mal Gardee; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (surely good enough for Christmas)

 

ENB: Swan Lake in the Round and a new full length for the repertoire. 

 

they are already doing the 3rd act of Anatasia this season, so doubt the whole piece will make it next (same reasoning for no Jewels as we've had 'Diamonds'). I know I'm in  minority, but I actually preferred Acts 1 & 2; act 3 veers from ugly to camp silliness in my eyes

Alice will probably return, along with Manon, Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Like Water for Chocolate, maybe Onegin - they'd be my 'select x from' guesses, plus the new McGregor 'MaddAddam'. Plus a couple of triples, contents yet to be guessed at, though hoping a few of my wishlist make it...

[alison]

I must admit, I've been wondering why Alice hasn't returned before now: it seems to me it would be a guaranteed seller, which the ROH obviously needs in the current times. 

[Jeannette]

12 hours ago, alison said:

Would you like to keep us updated with those, Jeannette?  I for one wasn't aware of them.

 

And all the best for your retirement.

Thanks!

re PNB - Information on digital subscription is here:

https://order.pnb.org/packages/fixed/1080

 

Luckily, they’re offering a partial-season subscription to the four remaining winter/spring presentations…full reconstructed Giselle, full Balanchine Midsummer Dream and two mixed bills. It’s all in the above link. Each stream is just after the final live performance…usually a film of the first-night’s cast.

 

It’s pricey but in high resolution. A gem for people living far from world-class live ballet. If more companies did this, I’d be subscribing a lot.

[Ian Macmillan]

Jeannette, I gladly add to the best wishes above - but I hope you'll excuse me as, on seeing your mention of Puerto Rico, I was immediately thinking of West Side Story.  "I know a boat you can get on" and all those great Sondheim lyrics.  "I love the island Manhattan, smoke on your pipe and put that in!" has to be high up in the list of best lines ever, along with Cole Porter's "If the Harris pat means a Paris hat, he may." 

 

 

[Linnzi5]

My ballet wishes are simple. Giselle, Manon (please!), more Nutcracker (this is the start of Christmas for me). Alice appeals to me. More Ashton. I'd happily see Swan Lake again. - rather unlikely next season, I know, but I just adore Liam Scarlett's version. Though I appreciate my taste is classical ballet orientated, I don't mind more modern dance (in a mixed programme), but wouldn't choose to see too much and am fussy as to what I like. For example, The Carousel 'If I loved you' PDD (Ball and Magri) was delightful and I'd watch that over and over again  - oh wait, I do that on YouTube! I'm still undecided about the Tanowitz 'Dispatch Duet' I saw at the Diamond Celebration. Loved the dancers, who were absolutely brilliant, though interesting, I just didn't love it. I wouldn't choose to see that sort of dance again, but wouldn't mind in a mixed programme. 

[Emeralds]

On 05/01/2023 at 07:01, Jan McNulty said:

 

Oh please not Mozartiana!!!

 

I agree with the rest of your post though Emeralds.

Ah, Janet, you at least got to see it once! I’ve even flown to New York to catch NYCB.....saw some great performances of Balanchine ballets we didn’t have in London but no Mozartiana! (I like the music, and also Suzanne Farrell and Ib Andersen, whom Balanchine created the ballet on). Just thinking....it may be logistically tricky to have students in the ballet if BRB are touring to London.....perhaps RB could stage it and cast RBS students who are London based. I’ll swap Agon or Symphony in Three Movements with you instead 😊 - those two are performed in London a lot so Birmingham can have those two and London can have Mozartiana. 

[bridiem]

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I’ll swap Agon or Symphony in Three Movements with you instead 😊 - those two are performed in London a lot so Birmingham can have those two and London can have Mozartiana. 

 

I want all three in London!! (Stamps foot.)

[Emeralds]

37 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I want all three in London!! (Stamps foot.)

I’m happy to have all three as long as I can have Mozartiana. Actually I will take a triple or mixed bill with anything so long as there is Mozartiana! 😄 

[Tango Dancer]

I'd love to have more Ashton, definitely La Fille by any company that wants to run it.  It's my favourite ballet of all times.  I'd also love The Dream and Symphonic Variations again as both are lovely. 

 

I'd like to see Pineapple Poll because I like the music and haven't seen it as a ballet.  I'd love to see some more of David Bintley's work. I also really enjoyed the Forsythe Evening that ENB ran, I'd love to see more Forsythe because his mix of traditional choreography and modern music was fascinating.  

 

I love anything with traditional music and proper tutus and tights and am not keen on modern music and depressing costumes.  

 

I'd love to see the United Ukrainian ballet company again.  I loved their Giselle and I'd like to see what they can do with a bit more time to work together on something and grow as a company.  I'd also love another gala like the Ukrainian one that Alina and Ivan organised because it was really good.