Press Release: THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET RETURNS TO ROYAL OPERA HOUSE AFTER 35-YEAR ABSENCE

[Beryl H]

Although I had booked to see it, I didn't feel excited about Kunstkamer, but know I will enjoy Jewels.

Strange way of going about it though!

 

 

[FionaM]

Personally I find Jewels boring and most companies now have it in their repertoire.  It’s the only ballet that sends me to sleep.  Every time.  
 

I fear that the ballet companies are becoming carbon copies of each other.  Each must have a Forsythe Blake’s Work, each a Crystal Pite, a Wheeldon, McGregor.   Where is the originality.  I worry for new choreographers struggling to break into this monopoly.  
 

I watched the livestream of Kunstkamer and having been impressed by the energy and variety in it, I was looking forward to seeing it live.  
 

Sigh.  

[Lizbie1]

2 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Personally I find Jewels boring and most companies now have it in their repertoire.  It’s the only ballet that sends me to sleep.  Every time.   

 

Long ago, before I'd seen much ballet at all or heard of Jewels, my (very cultured, New York native) flatmate talked about being taken to see it as a teenager and sitting there thinking, "when is this going to end?" That has rather coloured my view of Jewels ever since.

[SheilaC]

I've still not had an email about the change (just one asking me for feedback on last night's performance). Has anyone else not had one? 

The ROH also failed to send me an email 10 days ago to warn me that a SB tea and tour event I'd booked had been cancelled. I'd booked it partly because I was going to a performance that night. It didn't seem to occur to them that people would book the tour in tandem with a performance; or that people with a 400 mile round trip could easily switch.  I only found out as I later got an email changing the date to 2 days later. Given the huge hike in hotel prices since lockdown there's no way I'm going to stay on. The box office told me, when I complained, that I should have had an email from the Tours section. I can't help wondering if the Tours section bothered to email anyone on the list. Or maybe I was just unlucky.

[Jan McNulty]

42 minutes ago, SheilaC said:

I've still not had an email about the change (just one asking me for feedback on last night's performance). Has anyone else not had one? 

The ROH also failed to send me an email 10 days ago to warn me that a SB tea and tour event I'd booked had been cancelled. I'd booked it partly because I was going to a performance that night. It didn't seem to occur to them that people would book the tour in tandem with a performance; or that people with a 400 mile round trip could easily switch.  I only found out as I later got an email changing the date to 2 days later. Given the huge hike in hotel prices since lockdown there's no way I'm going to stay on. The box office told me, when I complained, that I should have had an email from the Tours section. I can't help wondering if the Tours section bothered to email anyone on the list. Or maybe I was just unlucky.

 

That's appalling Sheila.

[Dawnstar]

May I ask is anyone who has booking that has already opened is able to indicate if the prices for Jewels are the same or different to those advertised for Kunstkamer? When I look at the seating plan on the ROH's website it shows me all the different coloured dots but no key for what price each colour is.

[bridiem]

10 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

May I ask is anyone who has booking that has already opened is able to indicate if the prices for Jewels are the same or different to those advertised for Kunstkamer? When I look at the seating plan on the ROH's website it shows me all the different coloured dots but no key for what price each colour is.

 

They must be the same, because tickets already bought are just being transferred to Jewels.

[Dawnstar]

Thank you @bridiem. I thought they might have hoicked the prices up, given modern pieces usually are cheaper than more classical ones. Pleased to hear that they haven't.

[JNC]

I’m personally delighted, I appreciate others may have seen Jewels before but I haven’t! Have Australian ballet done this work before I assume.

 

Whilst I’m happy about this the way they’ve gone about it is very poor. I assumed this was an addition to the programme not a replacement so it’s a bit shocking. Particularly if they haven’t communicated to people who have booked for something different. It may be they’re happy with the change so I can see why they’re not doing automatic refunds but they definitely should send a very clear email with an easy “click here if you wish to refund at no cost” button. 
 

Very curious as to such a big change and why…

 

Sorry for those that wanted to see the other programme but thinking cynically it’s even less likely for RB to do Jewels now, certainly next year and I don’t hold huge amount of hope for it in future years (unless this sells exceptionally well?) so I’m snapping at the chance to see it live. 

[Sophoife]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

I appreciate others may have seen Jewels before but I haven’t! Have Australian ballet done this work before I assume.

 

The full length Jewels is in fact a company première for AusBallet in 2023. The company will have performed it in Sydney and Melbourne before taking it to the ROH.

 

My guesses on Kunstkamer include that either one or more of the several choreographers whose work it is objected to it being performed in Europe by AusBallet or objected to the retention of the Goecke bits, or indeed that ROH management requested a change in programme for whatever reason, including the retention of the Goecke bits, or the musical requirements, or even music rights - said rights may only have been granted to AusBallet for performances in Australia. 

 

[Scheherezade]

8 hours ago, Mary said:

(To me,   the Pite  would look the same no matter who danced it.)

To me too, Mary.

[LACAD]

1 hour ago, Sophoife said:

 

The full length Jewels is in fact a company première for AusBallet in 2023. The company will have performed it in Sydney and Melbourne before taking it to the ROH.

 

My guesses on Kunstkamer include that either one or more of the several choreographers whose work it is objected to it being performed in Europe by AusBallet or objected to the retention of the Goecke bits, or indeed that ROH management requested a change in programme for whatever reason, including the retention of the Goecke bits, or the musical requirements, or even music rights - said rights may only have been granted to AusBallet for performances in Australia. 

 

I would presume they would’ve negotiated ahead of time before announcing the programming, I’m more inclined to think it has something to do with Goecke (but that’s just me). And to replace it with a work the company hasn’t even done yet feels especially off.

 

Maybe NDT want to bring it to London first, but they’re already touring here with a mixed bill later this month and I doubt they’ll come back straight away.  Perhaps I’m just a bit cynical as I was very excited to see the work, but also to see Aus Ballet tour abroad with a work that was quite the coup for them. It’s a little deflating to think they won’t get that chance.

Edited April 6, 2023 by LACAD
Spelling error

[Benjamin]

7 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Glad that they’re touring. Yet - No classics…no Harlequinade? I would’ve traveled for that or for Ratmansky’s Scuola di Ballo (to Boccherini…based on the comedic 1930s Massine-Ballet Russe work).

Lithuanian National ballet just had it on, So don’t know if it’s the same sets and costumes but we can assume they are, they are performing it again in December So they will probably keep the sets and costumes in between seasons. 

[Benjamin]

3 hours ago, JNC said:

I’m personally delighted, I appreciate others may have seen Jewels before but I haven’t! Have Australian ballet done this work before I assume.

 

Whilst I’m happy about this the way they’ve gone about it is very poor. I assumed this was an addition to the programme not a replacement so it’s a bit shocking. Particularly if they haven’t communicated to people who have booked for something different. It may be they’re happy with the change so I can see why they’re not doing automatic refunds but they definitely should send a very clear email with an easy “click here if you wish to refund at no cost” button. 
 

Very curious as to such a big change and why…

 

Sorry for those that wanted to see the other programme but thinking cynically it’s even less likely for RB to do Jewels now, certainly next year and I don’t hold huge amount of hope for it in future years (unless this sells exceptionally well?) so I’m snapping at the chance to see it live. 

They are first performing it this year in Their (delayed) 60th Anniversary Season, At the Sydney Opera House in May and Melbourne in June-July (There’s less than a month for them to ship the costumes and sets but they might skip out on the sets) I wish they told us why this has changed.

[Benjamin]

35 minutes ago, LACAD said:

I would presume they would’ve negotiated ahead of time before announcing the programming, I’m more inclined to think it has something to do with Goecke (but that’s just me). And to replace it with a work the company hasn’t even done yet feels especially off.

 

Maybe NDT want to bring it to London first, but they’re already touring here with a mixed bill later this month and I doubt they’ll come back straight away.  Perhaps I’m just a bit cynical as I was very excited to see the work, but also to see Aus Ballet tour abroad with a work that was quite the coup for them. It’s a little deflating to think they won’t get that chance.

Now that would make a lot of sense, apparently NDT had plans to bring it to London but then covid happened, so maybe the have rescheduled it and Australia can’t perform it.

[Angela]

25 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

Now that would make a lot of sense, apparently NDT had plans to bring it to London but then covid happened, so maybe the have rescheduled it and Australia can’t perform it.

 

With Emily Molnar, NDT has a new director since 2020. Her predecessor was Paul Lightfoot, one of the choreographers of Kunstkamer. Instead of keeping some of the Lightfoot/León works that made the huge part of the repertoire of NDT in the years before, as it was announced previously, Molnar decided to throw them all out, NDT is currently not showing pieces by Lightfoot/León. It is not very likely that NDT will show Kunstkamer in the next years, and that Australian Ballet was granted all the rights including touring rights for a certain time by the four choreographers.

As Kunstkamer, which premiered in 2019 as farewell production of the Lightfoot/León period, should have been touring to Paris, London and other cities in 2020, which was all cancelled due to Covid, we may assume that the music rights for these countries were cleared already back then. So the only conclusion might be that Australian Ballet feared that London critics or audiences might reject Kunstkamer because of the Marco Goecke affair at Hanover; in the Netherlands, the Dutch critics forced NDT to cancel his works, and also some European companies did. Others continue to show his works, like Bavarian State Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Gauthier Dance (at least one piece, they cancelled others) and of course Hanover State Ballet. This also deprives London of the opportunity to see David Hallberg who had a very fascinating role in Kunstkamer - I assume he won't be in Jewels.

[Benjamin]

1 hour ago, Angela said:

 

With Emily Molnar, NDT has a new director since 2020. Her predecessor was Paul Lightfoot, one of the choreographers of Kunstkamer. Instead of keeping some of the Lightfoot/León works that made the huge part of the repertoire of NDT in the years before, as it was announced previously, Molnar decided to throw them all out, NDT is currently not showing pieces by Lightfoot/León. It is not very likely that NDT will show Kunstkamer in the next years, and that Australian Ballet was granted all the rights including touring rights for a certain time by the four choreographers.

As Kunstkamer, which premiered in 2019 as farewell production of the Lightfoot/León period, should have been touring to Paris, London and other cities in 2020, which was all cancelled due to Covid, we may assume that the music rights for these countries were cleared already back then. So the only conclusion might be that Australian Ballet feared that London critics or audiences might reject Kunstkamer because of the Marco Goecke affair at Hanover; in the Netherlands, the Dutch critics forced NDT to cancel his works, and also some European companies did. Others continue to show his works, like Bavarian State Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Gauthier Dance (at least one piece, they cancelled others) and of course Hanover State Ballet. This also deprives London of the opportunity to see David Hallberg who had a very fascinating role in Kunstkamer - I assume he won't be in Jewels.

Thank You for this, I don’t really keep up that’s much with NDT so this was interning to hear, I wonder if this means they will do an except say Crystal Pites section of kunstkamer in The 60th Anniversary Gala.

[Kanangra]

This is very disappointing. I loved Kunstkamer and was going to get my contemporary DD tickets to see it, but not sure she will want to trek to London for Jewels.

[Timmie]

I wonder if anyone has checked with the ROH Box Office if the ticket exchange for account credit is applicable to The Australian Ballet performances? I’ve messaged them but not expecting a rapid response over the Bank Holiday weekend. Jewels has tempted me to book, but August is a long way off so it would be good to know if the very useful exchange policy will work.

[Beryl H]

I seem to remember being able to exchange Bolshoi tickets for other Bolshoi tickets within the Summer Season, but I don't think you could get a refund, this was before the Gift Certificate days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Timmie]

I did get a prompt reply "Our standard credit/returns policy applies for this production".

[Timmie]

20 hours ago, Beryl H said:

I seem to remember being able to exchange Bolshoi tickets for other Bolshoi tickets within the Summer Season, but I don't think you could get a refund, this was before the Gift Certificate days.

 

 yes, I remember that as well, so that's why I was wondering 🙂.

[alison]

It used to be that you could exchange within the individual company season, but not outside it.

[Emeralds]

I was disappointed to hear about the switch as I’d been looking forward to Kunstkamer itself, plus I’d also been looking forward to David Hallberg dancing in one of the casts for Kunstkamer.

 

But general public booking hasn’t been opened yet. Friends and other priority booking customers can still get refunds (ie by box office credit to pay for future bookings) if they no longer wish to see the shows that they have already booked.  

 

I will still book for Jewels (despite having seen the ballet umpteen times) and their mixed bill, as I’m happy to see Australian Ballet dance anything. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Emeralds

[JNC]

I’m sure it’ll be in the links but given it’s paywalled, for those wondering there is an interview with Hallberg in the Times today.

 

The takeaway is it seems it was Goecke’s incident that led Hallberg to reconsider the programming.

 

Hallberg also essentially confirms he’s retired and doesn’t expect to dance/perform again. 

[Benjamin]

Yes I just saw it this morning, thanks for taking about the rest of the article because I have to pay to get access, But from what I could see we know Kunstkamer was cancelled because of the controversy surrounding Marco Geocke. The Times is a sponsor of this tour so it makes sense that they are wrong about this. I wonder if we will ever get an offical Press Release from The Royal Opera House/ The Australian Ballet

Edited April 10, 2023 by Benjamin
Re write

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

I’m sure it’ll be in the links but given it’s paywalled, for those wondering there is an interview with Hallberg in the Times today.

 

I've now included the Times share token in the links too.  Share tokens seem to be valid for about 2 weeks.

 

 

[Benjamin]

8 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I've now included the Times share token in the links too.  Share tokens seem to be valid for about 2 weeks.

 

 

@Jan McNultyThank you so much for this! A very interesting article.

[LinMM]

Yes it is. I’m now going to get hold of Hallberg’s book. I’ve not particularly followed him as a dancer and only seen him perform once but looks like he has had a pretty eclectic career and am interested in that area of how dancers deal with injuries especially psychologically…..it’s bad enough in normal life …hanging on to that  one remaining walking stick much longer than is really required….it’s when you start leaving it in various places you know it’s time is up!! 
But I can’t see how dancers get back on stage to perform without a reliable and wise mentor. 
 

[Angela]

"In a way, the German did the Australians a favour."

I don't think so. Hallberg was extremely proud of Kunstkamer, it was a "momumental" success with Australian audiences, as he says in this video, his dancers loved it. And it brought him back to stage in a totally different style than what he did before. I'd really love to know if this was his decision or if there was pressure from the sponsors or even critics, as there was in the Netherlands - I'm sure we'll never know. So it's back to the same old classics again for London, instead of trying something new, something really, really exciting. 

 

 

[Benjamin]

9 minutes ago, Angela said:

"In a way, the German did the Australians a favour."

I don't think so. Hallberg was extremely proud of Kunstkamer, it was a "momumental" success with Australian audiences, as he says in this video, his dancers loved it. And it brought him back to stage in a totally different style than what he did before. I'd really love to know if this was his decision or if there was pressure from the sponsors or even critics, as there was in the Netherlands - I'm sure we'll never know. So it's back to the same old classics again for London, instead of trying something new, something really, really exciting. 

 

 

Quite unfortunately really, but understandable. Hopefully there will be another chance for this to come to London sometime soon.

[art_enthusiast]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Yes it is. I’m now going to get hold of Hallberg’s book. 

 

I love his book, a truly brilliant and insightful read.

[Blossom]

On 06/04/2023 at 18:29, Dawnstar said:

May I ask is anyone who has booking that has already opened is able to indicate if the prices for Jewels are the same or different to those advertised for Kunstkamer? When I look at the seating plan on the ROH's website it shows me all the different coloured dots but no key for what price each colour is.

The seat you had today would be £41 for Jewels