ROH 23/24 season announced

[Ondine]

I can't see De Valois being revived TBH unless it was part of some anniversary season.  I wonder if they would attract audiences now.

[Dawnstar]

I can't either, but it doesn't stop me from wishing some of them would be. I'd be really interested to see Checkmate or Job or The Gods Go A-Begging. I wouldn't mind if I was the only person in the audience, though whichever company was performing obviously would!

[RHowarth]

2 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I can't either, but it doesn't stop me from wishing some of them would be. I'd be really interested to see Checkmate or Job or The Gods Go A-Begging. I wouldn't mind if I was the only person in the audience, though whichever company was performing obviously would!

I think that like me, Dawnstar, you want to see those ballets particularly because they featured so heavily in the Lorna Hill 'Wells' books! 

[ellyb]

1 minute ago, Dawnstar said:

I can't either, but it doesn't stop me from wishing some of them would be. I'd be really interested to see Checkmate or Job or The Gods Go A-Begging. I wouldn't mind if I was the only person in the audience, though whichever company was performing obviously would!

 

I'd be very interested in this too actually, would think it a perfect project for the Linbury - I think some at least were built for a smaller stage, and likely others could be adapted. They did do a video on the progression of ballet (available on YouTube) which I found fascinating, I'd love to see a few full performances. 

[Ondine]

Rake's Progress, depends on who is cast of course! 

 

I'd love to see revivals too but I think not very likely.

 

Ah the Wells books! 

 

I see I've used up my quota of LIKES for today. Hmm.

[Dawnstar]

11 minutes ago, RHowarth said:

I think that like me, Dawnstar, you want to see those ballets particularly because they featured so heavily in the Lorna Hill 'Wells' books! 

 

Exactly! She makes them sounds so interesting. Of course whether they actually are or not I don't know, but I'd like the opportunity to find out.

[Ondine]

Andree Howard's La fête étrange? 

[Jan McNulty]

My favourite of the couple of SWRB/BRB revivals of De Valois works that I have seen is, head and shoulder, Checkmate.  The company took Checkmate to Munich in 2012, where the stage is ENORMOUS and it looked fabulous.

 

I absolutely loathe Rake's Progress, but there again I loathed the Hogarth paintings when I saw them too.

 

Job is worth a view.

 

I didn't like The Prospect Before Us.

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, Sim said:

We care about what everyone says on this forum!!

💛💐(I used up my quota of likes 3 hours ago, Sim, so it’s a heart emoji and flowers for you instead!) 

[Ondine]

I've not seen Checkmate in years, of them all it seems to have been the keeper though.

 

It's actually bad isn't it that these are being neglected / lost?

Edited April 26, 2023 by Ondine

[MAX]

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jun/13/step-up-women-dance-female-choreographers

[Ondine]

However, given the current state of the finances, new works aren't going to be commissioned right now.

 

But the company isn't actually short on works by women.   It has very recently commissioned work by women. Given its history, it's not exactly averse to women as choreographers or indeed, Directors. Sadly, no women have choreographed anything to rival Don Q, Swan Lake or Nutcracker and at this point, those are needed to secure the future of the company.

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Ondine said:

I see I've used up my quota of LIKES for today. Hmm.

 

So have I! Very frustrating!

[Lizbie1]

I've argued quite strongly here that women choreographers, present and past, have been neglected of late by the RB. As there are no new main stage productions (a good decision IMO) the near absence of "present" female choreographers is difficult to complain about.

 

The ongoing neglect of de Valois and Nijinska does reflect badly on the current management but again I don't think this is the right season to kick up a fuss about it.

 

KO'H has done a very good job on the whole - the current stability and quality of the RB speaks to that. I just wish he would do something about his most obvious blind spot.

[AnneL]

As others have said, Les Noces would be something. I saw Checkmate when BRB did it , maybe just over a decade ago, and enjoyed it a lot. 
I also love the work of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa - what I have seen of it, but obviously it was not done by the RB. I would go as far as to say she is one of my favourite contemporary choreographers, regardless of gender. 

[Blossom]

Sarasota ballet is apparently bringing an Ashton programme to the Linbury as well. I can't find any info on the ROH site but I'm guessing it will be as covered here https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/arts-and-entertainment/2023/04/sarasota-ballet-royal-ballet-london

 

Seven whole performances in the Linbury including a gala performance!

 

The Sarasota Ballet has announced its first international tour to London at the invitation of The Royal Ballet’s director Kevin O’Hare. Over seven performances from June 4-9, 2024, the Sarasota Ballet will perform two programs that culminate with a gala performance during its one-week residency in the Linbury Theatre in London’s Royal Opera House. The performances are dedicated to and will feature the works of renowned choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton, former principal choreographer and director of the Royal Ballet.

“This first international tour by the company is very much a homecoming for both director Iain Webb and assistant director Margaret Barbieri,” says Joseph Volpe, Sarasota Ballet’s executive director. “Iain and Maggie’s remarkable careers on stage with The Royal Ballet have been a huge influence on the company and have catapulted The Sarasota Ballet’s transformation into the internationally recognized company it is today. This invitation by The Royal Ballet is a huge milestone in the history of our company.”

 

Their (local)  Ashton programming for this year includes Varii Capricci, Dante Sonata and Sinfonietta, but given they mention 2 programmes in the article above, I'm guessing we can expect more - and you can see their wider Ashton repertoire here

[Ondine]

Yes we discussed this further up.  Worth diving back in the posts!

 

 

[Blossom]

1 minute ago, Ondine said:

Yes we discussed this further up.  Worth diving back in the posts!

 

 

Thanks for flagging and sorry to repeat!! I somewhat lost track due to a busy day of work and trying to spreadsheet the info minus the dates I can't do ready for booking. 

[Ondine]

Yes there's an awfully looooong thread to catch up with!  🤩

[Emeralds]

3 hours ago, MAX said:

Well if you are glad with this Royal Ballet Season great for you, but if directors don't start NOW with adding female choreographers (from today or from the past) then WHEN ?

 

An effort must be made to put and end to this patriarchal hegemony, it seems to me that it is the responsability of an artistic director in 2023.

 

Do have a look at Cathy Marston's season in Zurich !

 

 

 

We’ve actually had lots of female choreographers encouraged at RB, Max. From Crystal Pite to Pam Tanowitz (both last season) to Cathy Marston (2020) and now Kristen McNally. Cathy Marston did make ballets for the Royal Ballet long before The Cellist too. And in fact because of her successes she now has a busy new job as boss of Zurich Ballet as well. You can’t demand every single company install lots of new ballets “immediately!” by a female choreographer just because you feel this box suddenly needs to be ticked.

 

Firstly, the female choreographers might all be too busy or have already said yes to another company. Secondly, although I want any choreographer -whether male or female, or of whatever race or background- to be given as much support and encouragement as anyone else, I don’t want to see a lot of bad works from choreographers who are given the job ahead of another choreographer whose work is better just to tick a box or because it’s fashionable to fill a quota. I’m female, and I find that more detrimental- because poor quality work and unfair bias just to push a quota gives the rest of us a bad name.

 

For the record, when Crystal Pite was invited to create a short ballet that became the acclaimed Flight Pattern and later on to do Light of Passage, she was given a lot of support and a warm welcome by the director and the dancers. He has also been supportive of Marston and Tanowitz, with generous performance slots before the ballets were seen. He commissioned a ballet from Twyla Tharp recently. I think you might be looking for a problem that doesn’t exist on the basis of just one season, which by the way, is fulfilling another ideal or wish that has also been asked for, so no, we don’t wish to let go of Mr O’Hare when he’s managed to fulfill important goals right now: a) revive Cinderella, b) revive and present Ashton works.  We currently have one male and one female choreographer confirmed to create new pieces so that’s 50-50 parity, and there are more new works on the way. Women aren’t being excluded or nor is there a patriarchal hegemony here (not when the company was founded by a woman!). 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Emeralds

[jmhopton]

7 hours ago, MAX said:

One female choreographer only in the main house ?  

 

I think Kevin O'Hare should make an effort, we are in 2023...

 

And not a single creation ?

 

I must say that I think it might be good for The Royal Ballet to think about having a new director, someone with fresh ideas and vision...  

I'm with Sim in that choreographers should be selected on merit and nothing to do with their gender. Also, I've said before that with the RB huge back catalogue and many recent creations it's time to take a breather for a while and celebrate what we've already got. Also, if the RB isn't spending thousands of pounds on new creations perhaps they can keep the seat prices down a bit or at least stop them rocketting even more (OK I tend to slip into a fantasy world every now and then!) Hate to think what even the restricted SC seats I usually try and get will cost for Swan lake. I think Kevin has commissioned many new works, seemingly far more than any other AD I can remember, and I personally am thrilled he's asked Sarasota Ballet to come next season. To me, that's worth far more than any new creation because it shows at last that an AD is promoting our greatest choreographer who to me is worth more than all the RB big name new choreographers put together.

[Emeralds]

17 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

I'm with Sim in that choreographers should be selected on merit and nothing to do with their gender. Also, I've said before that with the RB huge back catalogue and many recent creations it's time to take a breather for a while and celebrate what we've already got. Also, if the RB isn't spending thousands of pounds on new creations perhaps they can keep the seat prices down a bit or at least stop them rocketting even more (OK I tend to slip into a fantasy world every now and then!) Hate to think what even the restricted SC seats I usually try and get will cost for Swan lake. I think Kevin has commissioned many new works, seemingly far more than any other AD I can remember, and I personally am thrilled he's asked Sarasota Ballet to come next season. To me, that's worth far more than any new creation because it shows at last that an AD is promoting our greatest choreographer who to me is worth more than all the RB big name new choreographers put together.

Hear, hear, jmhopton! 👍 (Sorry, I’ve  used up my likes earlier this afternoon. So am now quoting and doing emojis instead!) I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks that I think we may need a breather to from  the many new works - and also to enjoy the founder choreographer whose timeless creations were new works once! I agree re: keeping seat prices down. 

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, ellyb said:

 

I'd be very interested in this too actually, would think it a perfect project for the Linbury - I think some at least were built for a smaller stage, and likely others could be adapted. They did do a video on the progression of ballet (available on YouTube) which I found fascinating, I'd love to see a few full performances. 

It looks like with @Dawnstar, @Ondine, @Jan McNulty, @RHowarth, @ellyb, me and anyone else who has written their agreement but I haven’t managed (sorry) to tag, that there’s a sizeable audience wanting Checkmate already. 😊 I have two friends who loved it when they saw it ages ago too. I think it just needs to be put in somewhere. It doesn’t need to be an all de Valois bill. I personally think it sits quite nicely as a combination of Checkmate/The Statement/The Illustrated Farewell, which (rather coincidentally), becomes an all female choreographer bill (yes, sorry, I am possibly too fond of The Statement!-but Sissens/Dean/Richardson/McNally were so good in it).  Or perhaps Danses Concertantes/Checkmate/Birthday Offering (an all RB choreographer triple bill?) Job and Rakes Progress might need to be programmed as a special celebration thing. I would program them for just a limited few performances, perhaps also with an option to choose one or the other, book both, rather than being on the same bill. 

 

Just a quick word about Les Noces/Nijinska.... I know twelve months ago lots of people and journalists were lamenting that LN would get lost forever, but maybe because it’s the centenary, suddenly every city or country seems to have a company that wants to do Les Noces. Rather like the Beethoven anniversary where everybody suddenly decided they must observe this anniversary and perform Fidelio till there was a glut of Fidelios (especially tough when he only wrote one opera). I am dreading a glut of Les Noces and poor Stravinsky’s score being overplayed. Am sticking to my vote for RB to do Les Biches still, since ENB is already doing LN. Now LB plus Checkmate plus Marguerite and Armand could also work - no gimmick, no theme, just great music, great choreography, great dancing.

[alison]

 

Wheeeeeww!!  I was hoping I could get through this entire thread before it hit 200 posts!

 

I can take or leave most of the full-length ballets, but am delighted by the MacMillan triple (Will Bracewell and Francesca Hayward in Different Drummer?), and very pleased by the Ashtons, although I'd have preferred not to have seen Rhapsody again quite so soon when other alternatives are available.

 

12 hours ago, Jane S said:

No designer listed for Les Rendezvous, so maybe they've ditched the polka dots?

 

Please God ...  Can they use Sarasota's sets and costumes?

 

12 hours ago, Pulcinella said:

Part of Ashton Worldwide, the Frederick Ashton Foundation’s international festival 2024 —

2028

 

Whooopeee! - had this been announced previously?  I don't remember it.  I wonder why they picked now, in particular - there's no major anniversary that I can think of.  But anyway, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth ...

 

12 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

I've decided to publish this so I didn't feel as though I'd wasted a couple of hours of my life formatting it!

 

 

Many thanks for all your hard work, Jan!

 

10 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Swan Lake:             30 (including 1 not for general public)   ..is this a record? 

 

I fear so

 

Quote

On Wednesday 1 November, World Ballet Day, a much-loved global celebration that brings together over 50 of the world's leading ballet and dance companies, celebrates its tenth anniversary.

In the diary already!

 

Quote

Message In A Bottle, the acclaimed dance theatre production by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of Grammy Award-winning artist Sting, has also been filmed for cinema release in May 2024, in partnership with Sadler's Wells and Universal Music UK. The international refugee crisis is at the centre of this production – an imagined story about one displaced family, and a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love. Songs including 'Every Breath You Take', 'Roxanne', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' and 'Fields of Gold' feature in new arrangements.

 

Not sure what this has to do with the ROH?

 

Quote

Young ROH goes from strength-to-strength in its third year, with 10,000 tickets made available to 16–25-year-olds for just £30. The scheme has helped attract younger audiences, which now make up the single largest audience group at the Royal Opera House.

 

Well, that's good to know.  OTOH, if other age groups were offered tickets at that sort of price, perhaps they'd attend more frequently too.

 

Quote

The Royal Ballet

THE NUTCRACKER

Main Stage
6 December 2023 – 13 January 2024

 

I misread this on my phone, and got all excited because I thought I might actually get something other than Nutcracker on my birthday for once.  Sadly, no

 

 

6 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

I do hope the prices don't increase too much. I thought they were hiked up considerably this season, so I'm crossing fingers that doesn't happen again.

 

I hope not, too, but am I misinterpreting this?

Quote

Join us in person, watch in cinemas, via ROH Stream, or experience our work through programmes country wide. Tickets are from £9 across the Season.

 

If those are the prices for the cheapest (i.e. amphi) standing, for the cheapest programmes, that doesn't bode well for the rest of the prices.

 

4 hours ago, Ondine said:

Andree Howard's La fête étrange? 

 

After the last revival, I think I'm hoping not.

 

[Sophoife]

With reference to the locked prediction thread and the programme as announced, I must say as loudly as possible that Natalia Osipova in Don Quixote should be on anyone's bucket list. She and Vasiliev guested with AusBallet in 2013 and I was privileged to see the dress rehearsal as well as one of their shows. She is incredibly fast, she absolutely dazzles, and all in all it's an absolute must-see.

 

So much Ashton, I'm so envious. Wonder if Mr Hallberg will programme some, including the COVID-cancelled A Month in the Country? Won't know until September at least...

[Mary]

I woke up wondering if i had dreamt that Sarasota ballet are visiting us (as in my fantasy wish list on this forum earlier this year) - but no, I see it is true.

 

Perhaps we should revive a charming old custom and meet them at the airport with floral garlands....

 

Has anyone answered the question about the Ashton celebration- is it pegged to any particular aniversary? and will BRB or other companies be involved (as with the Macmillan celebration) ?

 

[bangorballetboy]

15 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

Apropos booking, unless I've misread the website there only seem to be 3 booking periods next year rather than the usual 4. I can only find 2nd August, 11th January and 27th March as public booking dates.

There are four booking periods as usual. The second date for public booking is 4 October.

[JNC]

Did Osipova not get cast as Kitri in the 2019 revival as I vaguely recall? Imagine her performances will sell incredibly well!

 

I have also used up all my likes but reading this thread with interest. There’s so much great repertoire out there that I’d love to see in future years, including Checkmate! 

[Benjamin]

22 minutes ago, Mary said:

I woke up wondering if i had dreamt that Sarasota ballet are visiting us (as in my fantasy wish list on this forum earlier this year) - but no, I see it is true.

 

Perhaps we should revive a charming old custom and meet them at the airport with floral garlands....

 

Has anyone answered the question about the Ashton celebration- is it pegged to any particular aniversary? and will BRB or other companies be involved (as with the Macmillan celebration) ?

 

Should we make a new forum Discussing the Ashton Celebration?

Edited April 27, 2023 by Benjamin
Forgot a word.

[Jamesrhblack]

12 hours ago, Ondine said:

Andree Howard's La fête étrange? 

With that ravishing Fauré score…

[Lizbie1]

10 hours ago, Emeralds said:

We’ve actually had lots of female choreographers encouraged at RB, Max. From Crystal Pite to Pam Tanowitz (both last season) to Cathy Marston (2020) and now Kristen McNally. Cathy Marston did make ballets for the Royal Ballet long before The Cellist too. And in fact because of her successes she now has a busy new job as boss of Zurich Ballet as well. You can’t demand every single company install lots of new ballets “immediately!” by a female choreographer just because you feel this box suddenly needs to be ticked.

 

Firstly, the female choreographers might all be too busy or have already said yes to another company. Secondly, although I want any choreographer -whether male or female, or of whatever race or background- to be given as much support and encouragement as anyone else, I don’t want to see a lot of bad works from choreographers who are given the job ahead of another choreographer whose work is better just to tick a box or because it’s fashionable to fill a quota. I’m female, and I find that more detrimental- because poor quality work and unfair bias just to push a quota gives the rest of us a bad name.

 

For the record, when Crystal Pite was invited to create a short ballet that became the acclaimed Flight Pattern and later on to do Light of Passage, she was given a lot of support and a warm welcome by the director and the dancers. He has also been supportive of Marston and Tanowitz, with generous performance slots before the ballets were seen. He commissioned a ballet from Twyla Tharp recently. I think you might be looking for a problem that doesn’t exist on the basis of just one season, which by the way, is fulfilling another ideal or wish that has also been asked for, so no, we don’t wish to let go of Mr O’Hare when he’s managed to fulfill important goals right now: a) revive Cinderella, b) revive and present Ashton works.  We currently have one male and one female choreographer confirmed to create new pieces so that’s 50-50 parity, and there are more new works on the way. Women aren’t being excluded or nor is there a patriarchal hegemony here (not when the company was founded by a woman!). 

 

Those main stage commissions were a very long time coming - and only did come after the press started asking questions. Prior to that, under O'Hare and I think Mason also (I don't exempt her from criticism) female choreographers were relegated to other stages and spaces. This would have been less glaring had the quality of work from many of the male choreographers who received main stage commissions during the same period been higher.

[FionaM]

I’d be delighted to Rhapsody again … but with new casts only.  
 

This comment by Paul Arrowsmith (Formerly Dancing Times) in Gramilano peaked my interest

 

“Now, for me, a jester is one of those irrepressibly grating characters that any ballet can manage well without. Daichi Ikarashi's insouciant performance almost convinced me otherwise. Next stop for him – please – would be the lead role in Ashton's Rhapsody, so that ballet may regain its nonchalant wit, long missing.”

 

source 

https://www.gramilano.com/2023/04/review-royal-ballet-cinderella-2/?fbclid=IwAR1Ym2pV0BowleOVMh4wZCioMHd6ks4-C35K0sFcjZhrOwzhfVaEOYWgH3Q

 

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

Those main stage commissions were a very long time coming - and only did come after the press started asking questions. Prior to that, under O'Hare and I think Mason also (I don't exempt her from criticism) female choreographers were relegated to other stages and spaces. This would have been less glaring had the quality of work from many of the male choreographers who received main stage commissions during the same period been higher.

 

Well it's true that the quality of many of the new works has been disappointing; but I'm afraid I don't rate Cathy Marston as highly as many others do, and although Crystal Pite is excellent her style seems to be quite repetitive and she is very much on the contemporary dance end of the spectrum (as is Pam Tanowitz). The only work of Kristen McNally's I've seen or heard of has not filled me with confidence (though I'd like to be proved wrong). So it doesn't seem to me that there are lots of talented female choreographers out there who are deliberately being ignored. Anyone who wants to choreograph should be encouraged (at least at first!), but to me the only thing that matters is the quality of what is produced. (My criticism of KOH would be more on those grounds than on the sex of those who have been commissioned. And I personally would include e.g. The Cellist in the list of disappointing works.)