Press Release: English National Ballet announces its 2023-24 season, the first from Artistic Director Designate Aaron S. Watkin

[LinMM]

There’s nothing in my Friends emails just Creature booking Id have to check the website which is open to anyone to view. 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

Does anyone know when booking will open for the September SW run? It's not on the ENB website (it just says "Spring") but ENB Friends sometimes get told such things.

 

Specifically, I'd quite like to know whether there will be Saturday matinees.

 

It's very peculiar - Sadler's Well has shows on sale for dates beyond ENB's dates but the ENB shows are not even shown.  It looks like a great programme as well.

[Emeralds]

If they are debating and unsure how many shows to put on after being overly optimistic about Creature, I can tell them that a similar number to Ek/Forsythe/Quagebeur or more will sell, and please put on Saturday matinees. Also a Sunday matinee followed by an extra weekday of rest will be good. Eg Thursday to Sun, then Wed to Sat. Thursday opening will be respectable sales because it’s first night and press seats will be taken. Then Fri to Sun will get advance booking from the regulars or those coming from outside London will want to book for a weekend performance and won’t be bothered about waiting for reviews. Picking a Sunday and giving up a weekday also means they’re less likely to be hurt by a rail or tube strike on that Sunday.

 

While the public wait for the Sat, Sun and Monday newspaper reviews to find out about the show or decide whether to go, the dancers can have a rest on Mon & Tue, by which time sales will gain more momentum for Wed to Sat. I’d only schedule a weekday matinee (on Wed) if the dancers have that evening off, but mixed bills tend not to sell well on weekday afternoons. Have matinees on both Saturdays. It is term time, so they’ll get some families/parents with youngsters if there are Sat and Sun matinees. (But what do I know-I’ve only been watching dance and going to Sadler’s Wells even before some of the ENB team were born 😉). 

 

I can’t remember which forum member was desperately  wanting a Les Noces centenary celebration (I know someone did) so here it is! Ok it’s choreography by Andrea Miller and not Nijinska but it’s a start. I (and ENB Philharmonic, I bet) will be very excited to have such great music - Stravinsky’s Les Noces, Strauss’s Four Last Songs and Tchaikovsky’s Theme & Variations -  in a triple bill. Hopefully their publicity posters will also have the composer names and music titles, and ‘ENB Philharmonic’ written large to catch music fans as well as dance fans. (A lot of people assume dance is performed to recorded music unless explicitly stated otherwise!) And Aaron, please don’t take too long to announce the dancers’ casting! 🙂

Edited April 14, 2023 by Emeralds

[Dawnstar]

10 hours ago, Emeralds said:

(A lot of people assume dance is performed to recorded music unless explicitly stated otherwise!) And Aaron, please don’t take too long to announce the dancers’ casting! 🙂

 

I'm surprised to read that. I always assume ballet performances will have a live orchestra, unless it says it won't. Is it more modern dance rather than ballet that is often done to pre-recorded music? I agree with you about the casting notice.

[Pas de Quatre]

Rather disappointing we only get Nutcracker in Southampton. I am sure it will sell well for Christmas, but I won't be going.

[Emeralds]

16 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I'm surprised to read that. I always assume ballet performances will have a live orchestra, unless it says it won't. Is it more modern dance rather than ballet that is often done to pre-recorded music? I agree with you about the casting notice.

That’s because you’re very sophisticated, Dawnstar, and used to live music from watching opera, perhaps. Around the world (and the country, unless it is a BRB/ENB/NB/SB tour), many dance performance organisers can only afford recorded music to accompany dance.

 

Even Natalia Osipova’s shows with guest performers at Sadler’s Wells used recorded music, and Polunin and Kobborg’s one-night performance of Romeo and Juliet (with Cojocaru as Juliet) at the Royal Albert Hall used a recording! I nearly booked to see Cojocaru as she is a wonderful Juliet, despite the high prices, but when they announced it would be recorded music, I’m afraid that was a deal breaker for me. I was very impressed that when Alina Cojocaru staged her own show at Sadler’s Wells she chose to have live music (apart from one work which used recorded music because of its complexity) and her musicians were impressive artists in their own right: Charlie Siem, Sasha Grynyuk, Margarita Balanas. Even when Paris Opera Ballet toured overseas, they often had to use recorded music. It is usually down to costs. One ballet company abroad, when they finally managed to afford a live orchestra for their performances of Nutcracker, announced it like they’d just won the lottery! (In a sense, it is rather like a lottery win!)

 

We’re really very lucky in this country that we have not one but five ballet companies (not counting contemporary dance) that can afford to have their own high quality orchestra (although unfortunately some of those musicians will not have the security of a full time job but hired on a freelance hire basis by the ballet company). The difference watching dance with live music and with a recording is huge. It’s like the difference between having a hot freshly cooked meal (live music) and a cold sandwich made the day before (recordings). It’s also a joy (and a relief) when watching galas if they have a good orchestra (eg ENB Philharmonic, or BRB’s orchestra, RB Sinfonia)....it’s not always guaranteed, regardless of the ticket price.  

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

That’s because you’re very sophisticated, Dawnstar, and used to live music from watching opera, perhaps. Around the world (and the country, unless it is a BRB/ENB/NB/SB tour), many dance performance organisers can only afford recorded music to accompany dance.

 

I was very impressed that when Alina Cojocaru staged her own show at Sadler’s Wells she chose to have live music 

 

I wouldn't say I'm sophisticated but yes, I am very used to live music after yearly 20 years of operagoing. I suppose my ballet assumption is because, apart from galas, I've only see the biggest 3 UK ballet companies & theregore all my ballet-watching has been with orchestras.

 

Whereas when I saw that show I just took the live music as a matter of course!

 

Given your live vs recorded comments I am now decidebly apprehensive about the BRB2 performance I'm booked to see next month as that's recorded music.

[Emeralds]

10 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I wouldn't say I'm sophisticated but yes, I am very used to live music after yearly 20 years of operagoing. I suppose my ballet assumption is because, apart from galas, I've only see the biggest 3 UK ballet companies & theregore all my ballet-watching has been with orchestras.

 

Whereas when I saw that show I just took the live music as a matter of course!

 

Given your live vs recorded comments I am now decidebly apprehensive about the BRB2 performance I'm booked to see next month as that's recorded music.

You might not be as fussy as me, though. When I watch Jewels and Scenes de Ballet, I actually like to have seats where I can see the orchestra from time to time- it feels synergistic, like a 4D effect. I even (sacrilege) sometimes peer at the orchestra during Swan Lake performances not because it’s boring on the stage, but because it feels like I’m “feeling” the music as the dance is happening.

 

If the recording is of high quality, it should be OK, I think. We’ve sometimes heard very good quality recordings at the Akram Khan ballets from ENB (where it’s a mix of live orchestra plus recording) and the recording is so good that I’ve had to glance at the orchestra to see if they’re actually playing or whether it’s the recording I’m hearing! I’m hopeful that  Carlos Acosta and Kit Holder will have insisted on good quality recordings. Carlos especially has lots of experience staging shows. Let us know! I can’t actually make it for any  BRB2 performances at the moment  but my schedule might free up later on (I’m hoping I can see them!). 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Emeralds

[FionaM]

The smaller company tours (BRB2 etc) will often be to venues without orchestra pits.  Which is another reason for recorded music, in addition to the obviously prohibitive cost of live musicians.  The tour organiser has to take into account much lower ticket prices for these events AND smaller audience sizes in these venues. 
 

The big advantage of no orchestra, can be intimacy. The audience can be very close up to the dancers if there is no orchestra pit, or if it is covered by an extended dance floor.  A friend has just seen ABT Studio Company at a venue in Hong Kong where the front row were literally touching distance.  
 

As another example, at Jamiel Laurence’s event in Canary Wharf ‘Ballet Nights’ he had a mixture of recorded music and a live concert pianist on stage, also meaning that the front row had their feet touching the edge of the dance floor.  You can’t get closer!
 

I would highly recommend these close-up experiences. 

[Dawnstar]

18 hours ago, Emeralds said:

You might not be as fussy as me, though. When I watch Jewels and Scenes de Ballet, I actually like to have seats where I can see the orchestra from time to time- it feels synergistic, like a 4D effect. I even (sacrilege) sometimes peer at the orchestra during Swan Lake performances not because it’s boring on the stage, but because it feels like I’m “feeling” the music as the dance is happening.

 

I'm afraid I only tend to notice what an orchestra is doing if there's nothing happening on stage or if orchestra members are doing something other than playing, like the way brass players often traipse in & out of the pit.

 

1 minute ago, FionaE said:

The smaller company tours (BRB2 etc) will often be to venues without orchestra pits.  Which is another reason for recorded music, in addition to the obviously prohibitive cost of live musicians.  The tour organiser has to take into account much lower ticket prices for these events AND smaller audience sizes in these venues. 
 

The big advantage of no orchestra, can be intimacy. The audience can be very close up to the dancers if there is no orchestra pit, or if it is covered by an extended dance floor.  A friend has just seen ABT Studio Company at a venue in Hong Kong where the front row were literally touching distance. 

 

I'm sitting front row for BRB2 so yes, I'm expecting it to be pretty up close. I've only been to the Peterborough theatre once before so I don't think it has an orchestra pit but can't recall for certain.

[Lizbie1]

On 14/04/2023 at 11:50, Lizbie1 said:

Does anyone know when booking will open for the September SW run? It's not on the ENB website (it just says "Spring") but ENB Friends sometimes get told such things.

 

Specifically, I'd quite like to know whether there will be Saturday matinees.

 

I asked via the website: I've had a reply to say there will be matinees on "both of the Saturdays" (I asked about all matinees, so I wouldn't count on there being a weekday one) and "tickets will go on sale later this month".

[Emeralds]

Well, with only just six days to first night of a four-day run, Aaron Watkin has only just announced casting for all the performances of Raymonda at Madrid’s Teatro Real today. From the website, ticket sales seem to have sold at a respectable level, but not as much as one would expect from a company of their calibre bringing a classical ballet production by a “local girl” (Tamara Rojo grew up in Madrid and trained there with Victor Ullate’s school and his company), backed by enthusiastic marketing on social media. 

 

With stiff competition from the Royal Ballet (possibly BRB as well if the Nutcracker run at Royal Albert Hall takes place again this year) performing at the same time in June, December and January,  he might not want to leave it as late to announce casting for Cinderella, Nutcracker and Giselle in case he loses audiences to other companies and theatres, especially as the Coliseum and Albert Hall are notoriously more difficult about exchanges and refunds than ROH. Even partial casting (ie announcing the casting of Cinderella, Guillaume, Clara, Nephew, Giselle and Albrecht first and announcing Benjamin, the Stepsisters, Nutcracker, Myrtha and Hilarion later) is better than none. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Emeralds

[FionaM]

I didn’t know that Isaac Hernandez would be back for this run of shows, partnering Shiori Kase at 2 of the 5 performances.  

Edited May 4, 2023 by FionaE

[capybara]

9 hours ago, FionaE said:

I didn’t know that Isaac Hernandez would be back for this run of shows, partnering Shiori Kase at 2 of the 5 performances.  

He was featuring his appearances on social media. 
Isaac’s return does rather highlight ENB’s paucity of Principal men. But no doubt the new AD will be sorting that.

[Emeralds]

20 hours ago, FionaE said:

I didn’t know that Isaac Hernandez would be back for this run of shows, partnering Shiori Kase at 2 of the 5 performances.  

Well spotted! Who else bets Isaac might be back as a guest artist for Cinderella too? Options:

a) Issac will guest as Prince Guillaume,

b) Not Isaac, but someone else (or more than one “someones”) will be guesting as Guillaume because of the large number of performances and small number of current male principal,

c) no need for guests, just promote McCormick, Woolhouse and Coloma already, since they’ve taken on so many principal role responsibilities all year! 😉

I think Emily Suzuki, Francesca Velicu and Katja Khaniukova would make good Cinderellas in this production and it would be nice to see them make role debuts. They could also alternate as one of the Stepsisters, like Emma Hawes did last time round.

[Dawnstar]

I quite fancy option c, though it's probably the least likely of the three. And admittedly if I go it'll probably be to a Frola performance anyway!

[TSR101]

Personally, for Cinderella I think they could do with a bigger name ballerina for opening night to partner with Frola. As they did with Swan Lake to create more buzz - potentially Iana again? or just bring Cojocaru back one more time! 

[Emeralds]

14 hours ago, TSR101 said:

Personally, for Cinderella I think they could do with a bigger name ballerina for opening night to partner with Frola. As they did with Swan Lake to create more buzz - potentially Iana again? or just bring Cojocaru back one more time! 

I’d personally love to see Iana Salenko dance - any ballet - with ENB again, but I don’t think she was invited to guest last time because they needed a big name, as Swan Lake was on its way to selling out already.

She was invited due to Shiori Kate not being sufficiently recovered from injury to dance Odette/Odile, with all the other female principals already dancing Odette/Odile. The other company women from the newest artists to the most experienced first soloists, were needed in other roles and it’s not always easy to move them up to dance the leads. For ENB and for Deane’s production, if you get a first soloist or soloist to dance Odette/Odile, other dancers must then take on the national dances, princesses, pas de trios and corps swans roles she is already dancing.

 

As Swan Lake was being performed daily, twice daily on a few days (unlike the RB who alternate shows with the Royal Opera over a longer performing period), there is no rest or let up for the women- Swan Lake is a tiring and demanding run on all the dancers, but especially the female soloists and first soloists, who usually dance two or more roles at every show. An extra guest ballerina would help but the first priority is definitely to have sufficient men of principal calibre to dance Prince Guillaume, while having enough men to cover the roles of Benjamin, the Fates and lead Seasons. I’d be happy to see Alina Cojocaru again too.

[Dawnstar]

16 hours ago, TSR101 said:

Personally, for Cinderella I think they could do with a bigger name ballerina for opening night to partner with Frola. As they did with Swan Lake to create more buzz - potentially Iana again? or just bring Cojocaru back one more time! 

 

I see Berlin Staatsballett has a different choreographer's Cinderella in their rep so they presumably don't dance Wheeldon's and would Salenko necessarily want to learn an entirely new to her version for a couple of guest performances? After all, it's not like Swan Lake where Odette's choreography is fairly similar in most "traditional" productions. Bringing back Cojocaru seems to make more sense if they were to be short on leading ladies. Though being short on leading men seems to be a more likely problem for them.

[Emeralds]

4 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I see Berlin Staatsballett has a different choreographer's Cinderella in their rep so they presumably don't dance Wheeldon's and would Salenko necessarily want to learn an entirely new to her version for a couple of guest performances? After all, it's not like Swan Lake where Odette's choreography is fairly similar in most "traditional" productions. Bringing back Cojocaru seems to make more sense if they were to be short on leading ladies. Though being short on leading men seems to be a more likely problem for them.

Iana is quite the “ninja ballerina” (in the urban slang sense): she did just that in 2013, learning Acosta’s then brand new Don Quixote just for 2 performances with Steven McRae (who was originally scheduled to dance two shows with Cojocaru, then to partner Akane Takada for his remaining performances, but Cojocaru left 2 and a half months before the performances). I’m sure she can and would do it if she had the space in her schedule. I know it will be new choreography for her, but Dutch National and San Francisco Ballet also have the same production (although in the format of a traditional theatre production) so it could come in useful in future....! 

 

You’re right, though, that it’s the shortage of principal men which is the most pressing problem for this month of Cinderellas. Wonder if they would invite Mathias Dingman again like they did for Nutcracker once? There’s also Brooklyn Mack. Both are very welcome as always, if they have are free. I was also hoping for a guest who has appeared with them very successfully before- Friedemann Vogel of Stuttgart Ballet, if he is available. (He was in a hit in Romeo and Juliet in he round with them- at least he would know the theatre already!) 

[Dawnstar]

If they got Vogel I might even be tempted to see him rather than Frola (with the high ticket prices I don't think I can afford more than one viewing).

[San Perregrino]

10 hours ago, Emeralds said:

it’s the shortage of principal men which is the most pressing problem for this month of Cinderellas.

14 performances over 11 days including a day off in the middle isn’t quite a month so let’s keep this in perspective.

 

Ranking and fitness issues aside I think that there is sufficient strength and depth in the ranks of the ENB without going outside. Let’s not forget that Frola doubled up on his Siegfried performances and seemed to thrive by doing so. Aitor Arrieta is every inch a Prince. Similarly new recruit from NB Lorenzo Trossello became the surprise ‘hot ticket’ Siegfried during the run of Swan Lake and it wouldn’t surprise me if he dances Prince Guillaume. There are seasoned and exciting upcoming dancers in all ranks capable of dancing Guillaume or Benjamin.

 

Notwithstanding, guest artists could help publicity and ticket sales. e.g. there are 8 RB Prince Charmings who have just finished at the ROH who might make a suitable pool of suitors. 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by PeterS

[Emeralds]

25 minutes ago, PeterS said:

14 performances over 11 days including a day off in the middle isn’t quite a month so let’s keep this in perspective.

 

Ranking and fitness issues aside I think that there is sufficient strength and depth in the ranks of the ENB without going outside. Let’s not forget that Frola doubled up on his Siegfried performances and seemed to thrive by doing so. Aitor Arrieta is every inch a Prince. Similarly new recruit from NB Lorenzo Trossello became the surprise ‘hot ticket’ Siegfried during the run of Swan Lake and it wouldn’t surprise me if he dances Prince Guillaume. There are seasoned and exciting upcoming dancers in all ranks capable of dancing Guillaume or Benjamin.

 

Notwithstanding, guest artists could help publicity and ticket sales. e.g. there are 8 RB Prince Charmings who have just finished at the ROH who might make a suitable pool of suitors. 

 

 

 

“this month”- I meant next month! (ie June) I did type in “Cinderella” but no idea why autocorrect changed it to plural. Thanks for noticing! 

[FionaM]

Which other companies have the Wheeldon Cinderella … Munich, Canada National Ballet, Dutch National (others?).   Those would be the places to look for emergency cover for Cinderella (male and female leads), if ENB won’t take a risk on their eminently capable soloists.  
 

The Wheeldon choreography, story and stage construct is very different (and much better in my view) than RB.  It would be a stretch for any dancer unfamiliar with this ballet to take on a lead role.  (Much like the stretch of Tissi, Camargo, Andrijschenko taking on MacMillan’s Romeo at RB some years ago.)

 

I’m waiting for casting info before booking RAH

Edited May 7, 2023 by FionaE
Add last sentence

[annamk]

4 minutes ago, FionaE said:

The Wheeldon choreography, story and stage construct is very different (and much better in my view) than RB.  It would be a stretch for any dancer unfamiliar with this ballet to take on a lead role.  (Much like the stretch of Tissi, Camargo, Andrijschenko taking on MacMillan’s Romeo at RB some years ago.)

 

 

Personally I don't think Wheeldon's Cinderella requires anything like the partnering or acting skills of MacMillan's Romeo. 

[FionaM]

3 minutes ago, annamk said:

 

Personally I don't think Wheeldon's Cinderella requires anything like the partnering or acting skills of MacMillan's Romeo. 

that’s true!

[Dawnstar]

59 minutes ago, FionaE said:

The Wheeldon choreography, story and stage construct is very different (and much better in my view) than RB.  It would be a stretch for any dancer unfamiliar with this ballet to take on a lead role.  (Much like the stretch of Tissi, Camargo, Andrijschenko taking on MacMillan’s Romeo at RB some years ago.)

 

I’m waiting for casting info before booking RAH

 

I thought Andrijschenko rose brilliantly to the challenge, Tissi not quite a much. Didn't Camargo step into Don Q rather than R&J?

 

Same here, so I hope they announce it a reasonable time before performances. I also hope each cast does at least 2 performances, because you can bet the cast I most want to see will be on for the only performance I definitely can't make!

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, FionaE said:

Which other companies have the Wheeldon Cinderella … Munich, Canada National Ballet, Dutch National (others?).   Those would be the places to look for emergency cover for Cinderella (male and female leads), if ENB won’t take a risk on their eminently capable soloists.  
 

The Wheeldon choreography, story and stage construct is very different (and much better in my view) than RB.  It would be a stretch for any dancer unfamiliar with this ballet to take on a lead role.  (Much like the stretch of Tissi, Camargo, Andrijschenko taking on MacMillan’s Romeo at RB some years ago.)

 

I’m waiting for casting info before booking RAH

I think you meant San Francisco Ballet, FionaE, 😉as National Ballet of Canada have Kudelka’s Cinderella rather than Wheeldon’s. 

 

Did Daniel Camargo swoop in quietly to dance Romeo too? I thought he only came over for Don Quixote to replace Corrales (for the performances with Kaneko- Muntagirov covered the ones with Osipova). 

 

I was just counting the number of principals and first soloists who had danced Cinderella and Guillaume or Benjamin, and while they have sufficient women for Cinderella (Alison McWhinney danced both Cinderella and Edwina successfully before), even if one were (touch wood) to become indisposed, but even if Saruhashi, Martin, Woolhouse, Coloma and Trossello all stepped up to join Frola and Arrieta to dance Guillaume and Benjamin, it’s still very tight for the men, as good soloists and partners are needed for the Four Fates- some of their partnering work is very difficult, possibly more so than that for Guillaume, as they need to coordinate with each other and their Cinderella. I think they may need at least one guest danseur. 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Emeralds

[FionaM]

Apologies for the incorrect info in my post … re it being San Francisco not Canada having Wheeldon Cinderella, and Camargo performing Romeo not Guillaume 🙄.   (Poor memory)

Edited May 8, 2023 by FionaE

[FionaM]

Maybe I can redeem myself by proposing Daniel Camargo for Guillaume?   According to his bio he has performed Wheeldon’s Cinderella before … presumably at Dutch National.  

[Dawnstar]

13 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I was just counting the number of principals and first soloists who had danced Cinderella and Guillaume or Benjamin, and while they have sufficient women for Cinderella (Alison McWhinney danced both Cinderella and Edwina successfully before), even if one were (touch wood) to become indisposed

 

Is Alison McWhinney dancing this season? There's been no mention of her doing any solo roles in any of ENB's performances so far this season, so I wondered if she was out long-term with an injury or something.

[Bluebird]

53 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Is Alison McWhinney dancing this season? There's been no mention of her doing any solo roles in any of ENB's performances so far this season, so I wondered if she was out long-term with an injury or something.

Since she’s posted pictures on Instagram, I assume it’s OK to report that she gave birth to a baby girl in March. 

[capybara]

57 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Is Alison McWhinney dancing this season? There's been no mention of her doing any solo roles in any of ENB's performances so far this season, so I wondered if she was out long-term with an injury or something.

Yes - the “or something” and many congratulations to her and Laurent.

Here’s hoping that Alison will be back on stage next season.

 

(Edited to apologise for simultaneous posting with Bluebird!)

Edited May 8, 2023 by capybara