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

[Sophoife]

19 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Isn’t it more standard company practice for senior principals (eg Harris and Azoury) to be among the scheduled casts while artists/corps de ballet and senior artists (Australian Ballet’s equivalent of first soloists) cover for principals instead of the other way around?

 

Not at this company, no. There has been a change in artistic director, and he inherited all the principals except Callum Linnane and Sharni Spencer (and was responsible for hiring Joseph Caley). I'd regard dancers such as Amber Scott, Guo Chengwu, Ako Kondo as senior principals purely based on time in role. All the 2018-19 promotees have really only danced as principals for 2-3 years now, and Azoury also took six months off to take the lead role in An American in Paris.

 

If we look at that list I compiled, there are a number of dancers who have been elevated to senior artist by the "new" AD (Nathan Brook, Rina Nemoto, Imogen Chapman, Jill Ōgai).

 

Since Covid and the change in AD, the company has lost principals Ty King-Wall, Kevin Jackson, Adam Bull and Andrew Killian, plus senior artists Cris Martino, Dana Stephensen and Chris Rodgers-Wilson. Martino particularly could have been a dynamic principal (not to mention sexy for 100% of the audience 🤣), but he chose to retire really quite young.

 

Long-winded way of saying that casting under the current AD appears to be more ability- and suitability-based than seniority-based, and that's not a bad thing IMHO.

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, Sophoife said:

 

Not at this company, no. There has been a change in artistic director, and he inherited all the principals except Callum Linnane and Sharni Spencer (and was responsible for hiring Joseph Caley). I'd regard dancers such as Amber Scott, Guo Chengwu, Ako Kondo as senior principals purely based on time in role. All the 2018-19 promotees have really only danced as principals for 2-3 years now, and Azoury also took six months off to take the lead role in An American in Paris.

 

If we look at that list I compiled, there are a number of dancers who have been elevated to senior artist by the "new" AD (Nathan Brook, Rina Nemoto, Imogen Chapman, Jill Ōgai).

 

Since Covid and the change in AD, the company has lost principals Ty King-Wall, Kevin Jackson, Adam Bull and Andrew Killian, plus senior artists Cris Martino, Dana Stephensen and Chris Rodgers-Wilson. Martino particularly could have been a dynamic principal (not to mention sexy for 100% of the audience 🤣), but he chose to retire really quite young.

 

Long-winded way of saying that casting under the current AD appears to be more ability- and suitability-based than seniority-based, and that's not a bad thing IMHO.

I don’t know of any company that puts in a principal (who wasn’t already scheduled to dance the role) as a sub for a more junior artist, Sophoife. (Not including principals from other companies who are flown or driven in at last minute to cover an injury if nobody else in the company is available or ready, which is rare but can happen- it has happened before at RB). Were Chapman/Carroll that much better than Azoury or Harris in Emeralds? I can understand if both have never danced it, but both roles are actually not difficult to dance- they can be danced by any “type” (physique or technical) - a challenge to dance it really well, of course, but not a barrier to any dancer. 

 

I agree it’s best to cast the best person for a role rather than just the most highly ranked or most experienced dancers if they aren’t good in the role, but even so, it seems odd not to have a third cast for Jewels, especially when Spencer and Linnane are cast in almost every show apart from Friday night. An injury or illness in one or both  of them means recasting not just Emeralds but Diamonds as well. And it won’t be the first time that both first and second cast leads are injured/ill/indisposed at the same time even in a resident company, let alone a visiting company unaccustomed to unfamiliar studios and stage, with the long flight time and jet lag  compounding that risk. Having a third cast is not just better for AusBallet’s revenue, ROH audiences and the dancers, but would also be more prudent. 

[Sophoife]

@Emeralds I do so agree with you re a third cast, but for some unknown-to-me reason what's been posted is what's been posted. 

 

Have a look at the Sydney casting for Jewels (which was performed in repertory with the contemporary Identity mixed bill) and the Melbourne casting for Jewels, where it was performed as its own season. They make interesting reading.

 

As far as principals acting as cover for less-senior dancers, I'm sorry that what I said came across that way because it wasn't what I meant to say 😳 I think what I was trying to say was that, as they'd danced a few performances already in Australia, in case of injury or illness at least Azoury and Harris were available and present. It never even crossed my mind that they might end up replacing a corps member or a soloist 😂 - clearly I wasn't thinking coherently, sorry!

[Bluebird]

• The full cast list for the 60th Anniversary Celebration (August 6) is now on the website of the Australian Ballet:

• Harlequinade (Excerpt)

  Columbine: Sharni Spencer
  Harlequin: Marcus Morelli
  Larks: Lilly Maskery, Karina Arimura, Hannah Sergi, Evie Ferris , Grace Carroll , Katherine Sonnekus, Amy Ronnfeldt, Mio Bayly, Annabelle Watt, Larissa Kiyoto-Ward, Belle Urwin and Saranja Crowe

• Concerto (Excerpt)

  Amy Harris and Nathan Brook

• I New Then (Excerpt)

  QUENTIN Adam Elmes
  MYRTHE Jill Ogai
  SPENSER Callum Linnane
  CHUCK Brett Chynoweth
  MARNE Timothy Coleman
  CHLOE Coco Mathieson
  MENG-KE Benedicte Bemet
  ASTRID Imogen Chapman
  OLIVER Thomas Gannon

• Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux

  Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo

• Everywhere We Go (Excerpt)

  ROBBIE Drew Hedditch
  AMAR Mason Lovegrove
  ANDY Brett Chynoweth
  TESS Larissa Kiyoto-Ward
  TILER Dana Stephensen
  STERLING Yuumi Yamada
  REBECCA Imogen Chapman
  With Artists of The Australian Ballet

• Anna Karenina

  Amy Harris and Nathan Brook

• Watermark

  Callum Linnane, Adam Elmes, Mason Lovegrove, Rohan Furnell, Brodie James, Thomas Gannon, Drew Hedditch, Timothy Coleman, Jacob De Groot, Lucien Xu, George-Murray Nightingale, Benjamin Garrett, Alain Juelg, Yichuan Wang, Imogen Chapman, Coco Mathieson and Jill Ogai

• Little Atlas

  Dimity Azoury, Jarryd Madden and Jake Mangakahia

• Don Quixote

  Kitri Benedicte Bemet
  Basilio Joseph Caley
  Leading Fandangos
  Dana Stephensen and Joseph Romancewicz
  Lead Bridesmaid Jade Wood
  With Artists of The Australian Ballet

https://australianballet.com.au/performances/international-tour/60th-anniversary-celebration

[alison]

I came in partway through the discussion, so may have got this a bit wrong, but I think AD David Hallberg and Music Director (or whatever his title is) Jonathan Lo are on BBC Radio 3's In Tune programme somewhere between 5 and 7 this evening.

[LBC]

Reminder that Laura Day (former BRB dancer, choreographer and repetiteur) and currently repetiteur with Australian National Ballet will be the LBC’s guest on Monday next week.  
 

Monday 31 July at 7pm via zoom.  
 

And interviewed by former BRB colleague Brandon Lawrence.  

[Bluebird]

On 26/07/2023 at 08:42, Sophoife said:

 

 

Since Covid and the change in AD, the company has lost principals Ty King-Wall, Kevin Jackson, Adam Bull and Andrew Killian, plus senior artists Cris Martino, Dana Stephensen and Chris Rodgers-Wilson.

 

Dana Stephensen is scheduled to be a lead Fandango dancer in next Sunday's 60th Anniversary Celebration.  Has she not yet left the Company or is she coming back as a guest?

[DD Driver]

Dana Stephensen retires after the London tour.

[Sophoife]

Thanks @Bluebird for the question and @DD Driver for answering it! 

 

I was indeed a leetle premature about Dana Stephensen - she has danced her last Australian show but yes, London is her final appearance. It's just that my list was entirely of senior men!

 

On a positive note, I hope everyone with tickets to the ROH AusBallet performances a) gets to the theatre (grr rail unions v rail operators) and b) enjoys the shows!

 

Do take note of Yuumi Yamada (she's teeny tiny weeny, you can't miss her) and Drew Hedditch (red hair) in Everywhere We Go.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Sophoife
Added last paragraph

[Dawnstar]

4 hours ago, Sophoife said:

On a positive note, I hope everyone with tickets to the ROH AusBallet performances a) gets to the theatre (grr rail unions v rail operators) and b) enjoys the shows!

 

You may be the only person who will appreciate my dismay when I realised that the World Championship men's road race is on Sunday & I'm booked for Australian Ballet's gala!

[Sophoife]

Oh @Dawnstar NO!! Understandable that you wouldn't have expected it though, as the men's elite is always the last road race of Worlds but for some unknown reason this year is a whole week before the women's race! Also, I have at least two friends here who'll also sympathise.

 

Happily however, given your alternative preoccupation, you'll be able to avoid spoilers for the race until you watch the replay 😘

 

[Emeralds]

Thank you for all the tips and nuggets of info, @Sophoife. I’ll be prepped with my rail industrial action train timetables painstakingly written out and stored in my pocket in case the signal/WiFi fails (happened before), bottle of water, energy bars and a compass (ok just kidding about that last one) in case we get stranded again! Not looking forward to the stress and disruption, but very much looking forward to seeing the company’s glorious dancers again. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Emeralds

[jm365]

I shall wear my Julian Alaphilippe t-shirt to the performance!