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Vienna State Ballet dancing Ashley Page, Vienna Phil New Year’s Day concert 2023


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Probably a post for the shortest ballet programme in the world, but since it’s available internationally, and available on i player for 11months in the UK, I thought I’d mention this annual performance for tv by the  Staatballett Wien (Vienna State Ballet). I’ve been watching this new year concert with family for decades since young, and am amazed at the quality and thought put into the dancing nowadays. The thoughts don’t always work (especially when the choreographer tries to go avant garde) but this year’s offering is full of classical dancing and charming performances so I wanted to recommend it here.

 

The choreography this year is by Ashley Page, previously artistic director of Scottish Ballet, who has choreographed for them as well as RB, San Francisco Ballet, and other companies. Page may be known for modern and groundbreaking choreography, but he is also a masterful choreographer for grand occasions and galas, able to produce the most elegant pieces of classical dance that show off the beauty of his dancers’ line and virtuosity.  

 

The pieces danced are a waltz by Josef Strauss called Pearls  of Love, a brisk and witty polka by  Eduard Strauss called Up and Away, and the famous Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss Jr. The dancers include their first soloists (ie principals at VSB) Hyo-Jung Kang (a wonderful dramatic ballerina who was a principal of Stuttgart Ballet for 10 years before heading to Vienna), Maria Yakovleva, Ketevan Papava (both previously from the Mariinsky), and Davide Dato (Milan and Vienna trained, and a popular gala invitee and guest artist). The dancing starts in the second half, but the non danced pieces are well worth watching too. 

 

 

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I watched it this morning and it was indeed lovely.  So were the costumes, designed by a British designer whose name I can’t remember.  The cherry on the cake was the stunning venues where they danced. I will be watching again!

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53 minutes ago, Sim said:

I watched it this morning and it was indeed lovely.  So were the costumes, designed by a British designer whose name I can’t remember.  The cherry on the cake was the stunning venues where they danced. I will be watching again!

The designer is Nottingham Trent graduate Emma Ryott, who has designed David Bintley’s Cinderella for Finnish National Ballet, and Christian Spuck’s Orlando and his version of  The Seagull, as well as for Longborough Festival Opera, ENO, the Met, Broadway etc etc. The presenter, Petroc Trelawney (love his commentary at this concert every year as well as on Radio 3 and the Proms) tells us she’s born in Leeds. 

 

I agree the venues were great too! 

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Am sure our sophisticated members don’t need this explanation, but for newbies who have never seen the iconic Vienna New Year’s Day concert, and are wondering where the dancers actually are from our comments- the dancing is filmed separately, usually in summer,  sometimes outdoors, but usually in some palace or  historical building, then the recording is played for tv audiences on 1 January. The audience in the concert hall doesn’t get to see the dance during the show, but they could always record it on timer and watch it when they go home. A DVD & CD is also produced of the concert, which goes on sale quite soon after. 

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I watched this when it was aired. It was lovely. I've watched this each year since I was a child. I thought the costumes were particularly lovely this year. Though the Strausses' music (which is primarily featured each year) is not my favourite, the concert has become a New Year's tradition for me and the dancing is lovely. It's well worth a watch, in my opinion.

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6 hours ago, Emeralds said:

The audience in the concert hall doesn’t get to see the dance during the show


Although very occasionally dancers have performed in the auditorium aisles for Blue Danube and if I recall dancers/choir? have given flowers to audience members. 

 

4 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

the concert has become a New Year's tradition for me


Agreed. An elderly neighbour would always phone to remind us that the concert was starting when only part 2 was televised and would be surprised to hear that part 1 had already been broadcast on Radio 3 (or occasionally was being broadcast).

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7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

The designer is Nottingham Trent graduate Emma Ryott, who has designed David Bintley’s Cinderella for Finnish National Ballet, and Christian Spuck’s Orlando and his version of  The Seagull,

 

Emma Ryott designed the costumes for almost all of Christian Spuck's ballets from his famous Lulu at Stuttgart until now, and often also the stage - that's why they look all the same after a while, to be honest. But Spuck never made The Seagull, I guess you mean his Anna Karenina, which he made for Zurich, before it was staged at Oslo, Bavarian State Ballet and the Stanislavsky.

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11 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Probably a post for the shortest ballet programme in the world, but since it’s available internationally, and available on i player for 11months in the UK, I thought I’d mention this annual performance for tv by the  Staatballett Wien (Vienna State Ballet). I’ve been watching this new year concert with family for decades since young, and am amazed at the quality and thought put into the dancing nowadays. The thoughts don’t always work (especially when the choreographer tries to go avant garde) but this year’s offering is full of classical dancing and charming performances so I wanted to recommend it here.

 

The choreography this year is by Ashley Page, previously artistic director of Scottish Ballet, who has choreographed for them as well as RB, San Francisco Ballet, and other companies. Page may be known for modern and groundbreaking choreography, but he is also a masterful choreographer for grand occasions and galas, able to produce the most elegant pieces of classical dance that show off the beauty of his dancers’ line and virtuosity.  

 

The pieces danced are a waltz by Josef Strauss called Pearls  of Love, a brisk and witty polka by  Eduard Strauss called Up and Away, and the famous Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss Jr. The dancers include their first soloists (ie principals at VSB) Hyo-Jung Kang (a wonderful dramatic ballerina who was a principal of Stuttgart Ballet for 10 years before heading to Vienna), Maria Yakovleva, Ketevan Papava (both previously from the Mariinsky), and Davide Dato (Milan and Vienna trained, and a popular gala invitee and guest artist). The dancing starts in the second half, but the non danced pieces are well worth watching too. 

 

 


So glad that you’ve posted this thread-review, Emeralds. I’ve watched - and taped/DVD’ed - all dance segments every year since 1987! Considering what we’ve all been through, watching mostly-pared-down, modernized and “wonked” ballets this past year, it was a pure joy to savior three ballets, all with gorgeous Imperial-style costumes and pointe shoes for the women. It was a light and bright traditional dream come true. 
 

I especially adored the short blue butterfly tutu, and blue pointe shoes, on Maria Yakovleva, during the Up and Away polka. Even Marius Petipa would have approved!

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Thank you for the review, Emeralds. I enjoy watching the concert every year and usually text my Dad to see if he’s watching too - part of my NYD ritual. The dance was as beautiful as ever this year and I especially liked Pearls of Love. 

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14 hours ago, Angela said:

 

Emma Ryott designed the costumes for almost all of Christian Spuck's ballets from his famous Lulu at Stuttgart until now, and often also the stage - that's why they look all the same after a while, to be honest. But Spuck never made The Seagull, I guess you mean his Anna Karenina, which he made for Zurich, before it was staged at Oslo, Bavarian State Ballet and the Stanislavsky.

Too many co-productions and awards confusing me in the bio supplied by one of the opera companies! (Apologies to Yuri Possokhov, whose ballet it actually was.) 

 

Thank you Angela.

 

It should read, “Christian Spuck’s Orlando and Yuri Possokhov’s The Seagull.” And as Angela rightly states, “and also other ballets by Spuck such as Lulu, Anna Karenina, Leonce and Lena, The Return of Ulysses, Verdi’s Requiem, Woyzeck, Der Sandmann, etc etc.

 

 I think it’s high time a ballet company/choreographer in Britain hired Emma Ryott for a new production- she has worked for British theatre and opera but not a major ballet company. (A ballet by Ashley Page for Royal Ballet of Flanders was presented at Aldeburgh Festival but isn’t in the repertoire of a British company).

 

I've always thought Spuck’s ballers looked beautifully designed and handsome on stage (never seen one live but only excepts  on tv/digitally) so now I know who is responsible for the elegant look of the ballets- Ryott.

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15 hours ago, JohnS said:


Although very occasionally dancers have performed in the auditorium aisles for Blue Danube and if I recall dancers/choir? have given flowers to audience members. 

 


Agreed. An elderly neighbour would always phone to remind us that the concert was starting when only part 2 was televised and would be surprised to hear that part 1 had already been broadcast on Radio 3 (or occasionally was being broadcast).

Ah yes- you’re right, JohnS! I do remember the dancers once coming up the aisles to dance in person one year as a novelty. I have missed some years in the late 90s and early 2000s when I had to work on New Year’s Day (and  never had time to set it to record beforehand).

 

My family used to record the show on video when I was a child, and even though we watched it during the broadcast, I’d play back the ballet sections repeatedly till the tape almost wore out!

11 hours ago, Jeannette said:


So glad that you’ve posted this thread-review, Emeralds. I’ve watched - and taped/DVD’ed - all dance segments every year since 1987! Considering what we’ve all been through, watching mostly-pared-down, modernized and “wonked” ballets this past year, it was a pure joy to savior three ballets, all with gorgeous Imperial-style costumes and pointe shoes for the women. It was a light and bright traditional dream come true. 
 

I especially adored the short blue butterfly tutu, and blue pointe shoes, on Maria Yakovleva, during the Up and Away polka. Even Marius Petipa would have approved!

Thanks Jeannette! I really liked the Up and Away polka too- it was witty, beautifully danced and so funny! I wouldn’t have normally liked blue pointe shoes, but with that gorgeous butterfly tutu, cute miniature hat and black tights, it really works.  It is so right for Yakovleva and Davide Dato. I agree we need some traditional classical gorgeousness after all that the world has been through (and still going through). 

 

I also enjoyed the one with Natascha Mair (of ENB) and Denys Cherevychko a few years ago (choreography by Jose Martinez), and one recently  with Liudmila Konovalova filmed outdoors to be Covid compliant.  Not so keen on the years they tried contemporary dance! ....ballet seems to suit the Strausses and their  fellow composers eg Lehar, von Suppe, etc of that era so much better. 

 

Another round of applause for Ashley Page and colleagues for this much needed dose of gorgeousness this winter. 

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4 hours ago, jm365 said:

I was very glad to see that Ashley Page is still choreographing such enjoyable works.  Does anyone know where he is based these days?  I still remember him as a dancer with RB.

I think Ashley Page is freelancing now. He did a ballet for Joffrey Ballet in Chicago in 2017, choreographed a production of the musical On the Town in Japan in 2019, and in 2018 he choreographed a production of the opera Eugene Onegin for Scottish Opera, which was highly acclaimed and directed by none other than Oliver Mears, who is now Director of Opera at ROH, ie Kevin O’Hare’s counterpart for opera. Ooh, perhaps they could invite him to choreograph some gala pieces like these Vienna ones for RB & ROH. And invite Emma Ryott to do the designs. 🙂😀

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