NEWS - Laura Morera to retire as Principal dancer of The Royal Ballet after 27 years

[Dawnstar]

That's a rather heartbreaking interview. Not just the section on Scarlett but also all the roles that she's never been allowed to do or got dropped from. I cannot understand why she's never been allowed to do Juliet, which she would surely have been amazing as, whereas other Principals are allowed to dance everything, whether suited to roles or not.

[Ondine]

My thoughts on reading that exactly. Such a long career and excluded from so much because... why? She wasn't seen as the right fit?

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

That's a rather heartbreaking interview. Not just the section on Scarlett but also all the roles that she's never been allowed to do or got dropped from. I cannot understand why she's never been allowed to do Juliet, which she would surely have been amazing as, whereas other Principals are allowed to dance everything, whether suited to roles or not.

 

Yes; it's also disturbing when she says that many dancers don't like dancing Ashton. Alexander Campbell said something a bit like that when he was doing an interview on a recent Insight - that dancers tend to think of Ashton as 'twee'. Something very wrong there...

[Bruce Wall]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

Going back to Liam Scarlett … I am beyond disappointed to read this extract from a Gramilano interview (Paul Arrowsmith) with Laura Morera …

 

“Will we see Scarlett's ballets at The Royal Ballet again?

I have asked the question, and the answer is a hard ‘no.' [Morera's eyes fill with tears]. But never say never. Other companies are making different choices.”

 

https://www.gramilano.com/2023/04/interview-authentic-passionate-laura-morera/?fbclid=IwAR1KCi_1FUvbAFHaeLo5RrRtc2bND2bRMumq0-sz8eh0tsC-1Bi399Lkti8

 

 

Give it four decades pr so.  This appears to be the same case as was applied it seems to Tudor.  

Edited April 29, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

That's a rather heartbreaking interview. Not just the section on Scarlett but also all the roles that she's never been allowed to do or got dropped from. I cannot understand why she's never been allowed to do Juliet, which she would surely have been amazing as, whereas other Principals are allowed to dance everything, whether suited to roles or not.

I would have loved to have seen Morera dance Juliet, preferably with Bonelli.  I have never understood why she wasn’t given the chance, especially since she has always been an exemplary MacMillan interpreter.  I think it’s been very mean of the ADs not to cast her even once in her whole career.  

[OnePigeon]

That was a very candid interview - good for her for being so honest!  Goodness knows what politics go on behind the scenes, but I fear it was ever thus.  I was supposed to see her in the latest run of Mayerling, but sadly she was injured so it’s been years since I saw her. I have no desire to see the triple bill for her farewell so feel sad I won’t get to see her final performance.  What a shame she didn’t get her wish to perform Two Pigeons instead.

 

That comment about Ashton is depressing, but I’m not actually surprised.  She gave such a great analogy about dancing Ashton being like learning a language.  It’s a shame to lose a dancer of such intelligence.

[Dawnstar]

53 minutes ago, Sim said:

I would have loved to have seen Morera dance Juliet, preferably with Bonelli.  I have never understood why she wasn’t given the chance, especially since she has always been an exemplary MacMillan interpreter.  I think it’s been very mean of the ADs not to cast her even once in her whole career.  

 

Checking the ROH database indicates that since 2007 when she became a Principal there have been somewhere in the region of 150 performances of R&J. Surely they could have let her do at least one of those! It's not as if it's a rarely-done piece that only a few dancers get to do. That she's still asking to do it just once & still isn't allowed to is almost unbelievable. Though admittedly it'd be frustrating for those of us who want to see her do it if she never did it in the UK then did a single performance in Japan!

[Peanut68]

On 28/04/2023 at 00:24, Dawnstar said:

@Sophoife Sadly not.

 

@jmhopton Yes, I wasn't interested in going until I found out it would be her last. I'm hoping to get a cheap Friday rush ticket as I don't want to pay much when I will probably skip at least one of the other parts, possibly even both.

Can you clarify which date/performance is scheduled to be Morera’s RB farewell please…I too get lost navigating the calendar/cast info often….

thank you!

[Benjamin]

5 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

Can you clarify which date/performance is scheduled to be Morera’s RB farewell please…I too get lost navigating the calendar/cast info often….

thank you!

Her final performance is Saturday the 17th of June, 7:30 In Anastasia Act III as part of triple bill, New Wayne McGregor/ Corybantic Games/ Anastasia Act III.

 

Though technically her Final performance is on their Japan Tour, Sunday June 25th 1:00 at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Performing in A Month in the Country, alongside Vadim Muntagirov as part of the “A Royal Celebration” gala.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Benjamin
New sentence.

[San Perregrino]

5 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

Can you clarify which date/performance is scheduled to be Morera’s RB farewell please…I too get lost navigating the calendar/cast info often….

thank you!

At the ROH it is scheduled to be this:

17 JUNE 2023

SATURDAY, 7.30PM

MAIN STAGE

GUIDANCE: Suitable for ages 12+

Conducted by Koen Kessels

 

NEW WAYNE MCGREGOR

CAST

 

 

CORYBANTIC GAMES

CAST

Fumi Kaneko, Ryoichi Hirano, Claire Calvert, Annette Buvoli, Matthew Ball

 

ANASTASIA ACT III

CAST

Laura Morera

£4–£105

100+ TICKETS AVAILABLE

Edited April 30, 2023 by PeterS

[capybara]

6 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

Though technically her Final performance is on their Japan Tour, Sunday June 25th 1:00 at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Performing in A Month in the Country, alongside Vadim Muntagirov as part of the “A Royal Celebration” gala.

Which needs to be filmed. Best overall cast by some distance in Spring 2022 but the opportunity missed.

Interestingly, the three partners Laura mentioned in her recent London Ballet Circle were, as expected, Ricardo Cervera and Federico Bonelli - but also Vadim.

[capybara]

11 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

That's a rather heartbreaking interview. Not just the section on Scarlett but also all the roles that she's never been allowed to do or got dropped from. I cannot understand why she's never been allowed to do Juliet, which she would surely have been amazing as, whereas other Principals are allowed to dance everything, whether suited to roles or not.

I so connect with that last sentence, Dawnstar.

[capybara]

10 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

Yes; it's also disturbing when she says that many dancers don't like dancing Ashton. Alexander Campbell said something a bit like that when he was doing an interview on a recent Insight - that dancers tend to think of Ashton as 'twee'. Something very wrong there...

 
Well, if Alex feels that way, he doesn’t need to dance any Ashton. 
I do think that the Cinderella run has shown us how deceptively difficult his choreography is since, to be honest, there has been some slightly under par dancing alongside some glorious performances.

And, as for being ‘too twee’, why was it then that two out the Princes didn’t land a single one of their double tours anywhere near properly? That, surely, was down to technique, not Ashton!

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by capybara

[bridiem]

14 minutes ago, capybara said:

 Well, if Alex feels that way, he doesn’t need to dance any Ashton. 
I do think that the Cinderella run has shown us how deceptively difficult his choreography is since, to be honest, there has been some slightly under par dancing alongside some glorious performances.

And, as for being ‘too twee’, why was it then that two out the Princes didn’t land a single one of their double tours anywhere near properly? That, surely, was down to technique, not Ashton!

 

To be fair, I don't think he was saying that was his view - he was effectively putting it up there so that his interviewee (I think KOH) could shoot it down. But he did say that it tended to be what dancers thought (which tbh I thought was very impolitic - even if true, from the company's point of view he shouldn't have said it). Maybe he just expressed himself badly...

 

But I do think it's true that to dance Ashton as it should be danced is more difficult than anything else that is asked of the dancers. I think it's more difficult than Petipa, much more difficult than MacMillan, vastly more difficult than McGregor; but without necessarily giving dancers the big technical sign-offs that get audiences whooping. But equally, I think that Ashton danced at its best is more rewarding for audiences (and I would have hoped for dancers) than any other choreography.

[capybara]

27 minutes ago, bridiem said:

To be fair, I don't think he was saying that was his view - he was effectively putting it up there so that his interviewee (I think KOH) could shoot it down. But he did say that it tended to be what dancers thought (which tbh I thought was very impolitic - even if true, from the company's point of view he shouldn't have said it). Maybe he just expressed himself badly...

Yes - ‘public’ Q & As can be a minefield and offering a collective view (which may or may not represent one’s own) is one of the traps! 

[Lizbie1]

41 minutes ago, bridiem said:

But I do think it's true that to dance Ashton as it should be danced is more difficult than anything else that is asked of the dancers. I think it's more difficult than Petipa, much more difficult than MacMillan, vastly more difficult than McGregor; but without necessarily giving dancers the big technical sign-offs that get audiences whooping. But equally, I think that Ashton danced at its best is more rewarding for audiences (and I would have hoped for dancers) than any other choreography.

 

The comparison isn't exact, but I think it might be a bit like modern lyric sopranos and Mozart: it's very demanding technically and they often start off with his operas, then they get cast in Puccini and never return because it's relatively easy money and a well signposted big moment.

 

(I like Puccini but he absolutely knew what singers wanted from him.)

[Sim]

I was talking to one of the current Fairy Godmothers and she told me that she is delighted to be dancing Ashton again.  

[Guest oncnp]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

 

To be fair, I don't think he was saying that was his view - he was effectively putting it up there so that his interviewee (I think KOH) could shoot it down. But he did say that it tended to be what dancers thought (which tbh I thought was very impolitic - even if true, from the company's point of view he shouldn't have said it). Maybe he just expressed himself badly...

 

 

 

The comment in context..... he then goes on to say how "tricky"  it is..... 

~ 7:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alx_d7Tj-mY

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by oncnp

[capybara]

56 minutes ago, capybara said:

Yes - ‘public’ Q & As can be a minefield and offering a collective view (which may or may not represent one’s own) is one of the traps! 

Apologies for quoting myself, but I need to be fair to Alex and point out that, in her Gramilano interview (see links), Laura Morera refers to dancers not being so keen on Ashton - and proceeds to unpick that.

 

The interview is really worth a full read.

[Benjamin]

2 hours ago, Benjamin said:

Her final performance is Saturday the 17th of June, 7:30 In Anastasia Act III as part of triple bill, New Wayne McGregor/ Corybantic Games/ Anastasia Act III.

 

Though technically her Final performance is on their Japan Tour, Sunday June 25th 1:00 at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Performing in A Month in the Country, alongside Vadim Muntagirov as part of the “A Royal Celebration” gala.

Forgot about her Final, Final performance in Himeji (Japan) on Saturday 8th July.

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

 

The comment in context..... he then goes on to say how "tricky"  it is..... 

~ 7:49 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alx_d7Tj-mY

 

 

Hmm. Actually even worse than I'd remembered!

[Fonty]

When I was at school, we had certain classes in the Cecchetti method.  I adored the teacher, but I can't really remember much about how different the classes were.  

 

I saw Morera in Onegin and thought she was marvellous.  I did wonder why she was never cast again.  Having said that, she is in good company.  I also saw Rojo, and she was prevented from dancing it in later runs.  

 

Not being cast as Juliet is a disgrace for Laura.  I remember her saying she danced part of it with Cervera in front of Monica Mason.  Mason agreed they were great in it, but said she was "too useful" in other roles to cast as a lead in anything.  This was before Morera was made Principal.  I would have loved to have seen her in Swan Lake, her dramatic skills would have created a wonderful contrast between Odette and Odile.  

[balletfanatic]

8 minutes ago, Fonty said:

When I was at school, we had certain classes in the Cecchetti method.  I adored the teacher, but I can't really remember much about how different the classes were.  

 

I saw Morera in Onegin and thought she was marvellous.  I did wonder why she was never cast again.  Having said that, she is in good company.  I also saw Rojo, and she was prevented from dancing it in later runs.  

 

Not being cast as Juliet is a disgrace for Laura.  I remember her saying she danced part of it with Cervera in front of Monica Mason.  Mason agreed they were great in it, but said she was "too useful" in other roles to cast as a lead in anything.  This was before Morera was made Principal.  I would have loved to have seen her in Swan Lake, her dramatic skills would have created a wonderful contrast between Odette and Odile.  

She would have been a lovely Aurora too..another role she never had the chance to do I believe 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that nobody will dance Lise’s solo in the Fanny Elssler pas de deux in La Fille mal Gardee correctly with the backbend to the side during the grand jete any more- it’s invariably done as an upright grand jete (even photographed like that, yikes), making it no different from any “show off” solo used as competition fodder.

 

Brenda Last, former principal at BRB (under its old names) and former artistic director of Norwegian National Ballet, said some years ago that dancers were beginning to leave out important Ashton details like that because they were too difficult (to either remember or to add in) and they were starting to get forgotten in performances and coaching, and not look like Ashton’s creation any more (words to that effect). 

 

Why does that detail and others matter? Aside from the fact that it’s Ashton’s work and shouldn’t be altered in his absence without his permission, it gives a different flavour and meaning to the character and the ballet. They’re details that you don’t really think about while watching the show, but when they’re not there, you know something doesn’t quite look complete. I always thought the bend in Lise’s jete showed how happy she was to be out in the picnic with Colas without her mother interrupting or stopping them. Without the bend, it’s “look at me, low how high I can jump”, with the bend, it’s “Yippee! Such joy and bliss! To be free and with Colas at last!” There’s Nadia Nerina’s original Lise on DVD and if anyone copied Brenda Last’s Lise on the Ballet For All documentary on YouTube, the differences with today’s performances (whether in the U.K. or international companies) are obvious. Even when Miyako Yoshida and Kevin O’Hare were principals at BRB, the bend in the jetes were still being performed.....but not now.

None of this will matter anymore if we aren't shown the ballet again in the UK.  Even if we get to see it again, it might take a long time, and the more the years pass, the more of the Ashton style will be lost if it isn't danced on a regular basis.  Very sad.  The 60th anniversary of Fille was in 2020.  Of course that was during the first lockdown, but why have we not had a commemorative run of shows in the time since?  Very disappointing.

[Sim]

2 minutes ago, balletfanatic said:

She would have been a lovely Aurora too..another role she never had the chance to do I believe 

Correct.  No Aurora, no Swan Queen, no Juliet....no comment.

[Sim]

Just now, Ondine said:

'Certian classes' though doesn't inculcate in the body what needs to be there to do things automatically, and build the core strength while being able to er... BEND freely above it all, use epaulment, position the arms, the head, and move the feet fleetly below!  It's not just a syllabus. It's an entire way of moving really.

 

I note that, in the interview with Morera, Paul Arrowsmith says Fonteyn 'created' the role of Juliet at the same age as Morera is now. No Fonteyn, as we all know, did not. That was Lynn Seymour, wwho was robbed of her opening night along with Gable as Fonteyn & Nureyev were seens as the box office big hitters. Seymour was relegated to fourth cast, and I don't think she ever really recovered from the shock & disappointment.  Let's not rewrite history, even if it suits the interview.

Yes.  Fonteyn might have danced the role at the same age as Laura, but she certainly didn't create it.

[balletfanatic]

2 minutes ago, Sim said:

Correct.  No Aurora, no Swan Queen, no Juliet....no comment.

Surely there is another company which could ask her to guest in one of these roles. Seems so sad that she never had these key opportunities 

[Fonty]

@Ondine  When I talked about Cecchetti and certain classes, I was only a child at the time!  About 10 or 11 if I remember correctly.  I wasn't suggesting for one minute that professionals could get by on that type of class once in a while. 

 

I think it is also a shame that Laura was always cast as the Gypsy in the Two Pigeons, and never as the main Girl.  I think she would have brought real character and depth to the main role.  

 

With regard to Swan Lake and SB, do you think part of the problem is that some dancers are more pushy and demanding? Or is it that the powers that be are mainly concerned with the Box Office?  Are the casting directors being swayed by a certain amount of self publicity on the part of individual dancers?   I am sure we can all think of dancers who are/were guaranteed to fill the house, even if there are others who might have been a much better fit for the roles. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Fonty

[Balletfanp]

5 hours ago, capybara said:

Which needs to be filmed. Best overall cast by some distance in Spring 2022 but the opportunity missed.

Interestingly, the three partners Laura mentioned in her recent London Ballet Circle were, as expected, Ricardo Cervera and Federico Bonelli - but also Vadim.

Laura and Vadim have only danced together on a few occasions and, on paper, seem like an unlikely partnership - but they seem to have a special spark when they dance together and I think it’s a huge shame they didn’t have more opportunities to do so. They were wonderful in Fille, and as for their Month in the Country, that was easily one of the most moving performances I have ever seen. I didn’t want it to end.

 

It’s so sad thinking about all the roles Laura would have been fantastic in, but for some mad reason wasn’t ever given the opportunity.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Balletfanp
Typo

[Guest oncnp]

12 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 I am sure we can all think of dancers who are/were guaranteed to fill the house, even if there are others who might have been a much better fit for the roles. 

 

And perhaps filling the house, especially these days, is part, and perhaps not a small part, of being considered "fit for the role"

Edited April 30, 2023 by oncnp

[Ondine]

Naming no names I was told many years ago by a teacher at the Royal Ballet School who is has long departed to the great studio in the sky that Monica Mason would never be given Aurora though she was Lilac Fairy (a role she said herself she didn't think partcularly suited her) and of course she was Carabosse as her physique was wrong for Aurora, broad in the back etc.

 

I think people are seen by the Powers That Be as suited / not suited to particular roles for various reasons, not always ones we would agree with perhaps.

 

Monica Mason was a brillant Myrtha. Perhaps excelling in evil women was her strength! Mwhahahaha etc.

 

BTW I've run out of LIKES again so if I don't like posts it's not indifference.

[Emeralds]

18 minutes ago, Fonty said:

@Ondine  When I talked about Cecchetti and certain classes, I was only a child at the time!  About 10 or 11 if I remember correctly.  I wasn't suggesting for one minute that professionals could get by on that type of class once in a while. 

 

I think it is also a shame that Laura was always cast as the Gypsy in the Two Pigeons, and never as the main Girl.  I think she would have brought real character and depth to the main role.  

 

With regard to Swan Lake and SB, do you think part of the problem is that some dancers are more pushy and demanding? Or is it that the powers that be are mainly concerned with the Box Office?  Are the casting directors being swayed by a certain amount of self publicity on the part of individual dancers?   I am sure we can all think of dancers who are/were guaranteed to fill the house, even if there are others who might have been a much better fit for the roles. 

I would have loved to see Laura “do the double” of both Young Girl and Gypsy Girl! (Just like dancers doing both Nikiya and Gamzatti during the same run.) The technical and aesthetic elements of the Young Girl role would have been no problem for her. The acting would of course be superlative. 

 

I think some dancers do ask for certain roles in roles in their interviews and appointments with their ADs. One principal at ENB also described how she actually asked Rojo, I want to become principal, how should I go about doing that? - and was given advice on what to work on to achieve her goals and get cast. (But ENB does do multiple consecutive shows in different cities, so the opportunities to dance leads in the classics are greater.) 

 

I would like to have seen Laura as Juliet, and the fact that she could dance Tatiana and Manon successfully makes Juliet a logical choice. I bet, seeing as Laura has hinted she would contemplate making a comeback for certain roles and that she isn’t stopping her dancing, if they programmed Romeo and Juliet in autumn 2024 and cast Laura as Juliet as a guest artist, her performances would be the first to leave the “100+ seats remaining” and then sell out. That would be a fairly radical move for RB to make, but it would be great box office! She is loved and respected by many former dancers, current dancers as well as fans. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Emeralds

[JNC]

1 minute ago, oncnp said:

 

And perhaps filling the house, especially these days, is part and parcel of being considered "fit for the role"

apart from Osipova and Nunez who do seem to have very large followings, are there enough audience members who really care about casting (to the mass of filling the house?). I imagine at least 50%, if not more of each audience to not be so bothered by casting and more about dates that are convenient to them. 
 

For example I can’t see even Hayward (who perhaps gets the most PR with her dabbling in modelling and also acting with Cats) filling a house over and above say Naghdi or others. 

 

I’m not sure if I’m just naive or incorrect but I think the point is perhaps casting someone like Morera (or anyone else!) in my view isn’t going to make that much difference to ticket sales, positively or negatively (with perhaps the Osipova and Nunez exceptions as I think they may have the largest followings from what I have seen on ticket sales numbers on ROH website). 
 

So I can’t see why ticket sales would or should have factored into Morera (or others) being cast or not, at such a significant level. But that’s just my opinion/guess. 
 

And I’d take a gather that those who do care about casting are likely to be among us regulars who probably see more than one performance if we can, which will then even out those that aren’t bothered by casting to pick dates with more favourable tickets perhaps? 
 

If I’m wrong and sales do shift significantly depending on casting then I still don’t think it’s reason enough to stop casting or alternatively casting those who aren’t right for roles above others. 
 

It is very sad Morera wasn’t given opportunity to dance many key roles during her career. Having seen her Cinderella I think she would have been a fantastic Aurora and Juliet (among many others!). I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure if I see her as Odile/Odette but that’s not to say she shouldn’t have been given the chance given her rank - as already mentioned given how frequently swan lake comes around they could have let her have one run of it at least. It’s also very odd she wasn’t cast as Tatiana again.