ROH 23/24 season announced

[Bruce Wall]

16 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

And Joonhyuk Jun, hopefully!

 

Personally, I'd love to see Joe Sissens tackle it. 

[jmhopton]

Am just catching up with the long ROH press release.

 

In the Cinema and stream section they unfortunately don't give out a complete list of cinema broadcasts but just say it is the largest season ever, with 13 broadcasts. Ballet wise they just mention Swan lake and Nutcracker which were obvious anyway. I'm keeping everything crossed that at least one Ashton performance is filmed for cinema and hopefully the other streamed. The gala would be good for cinema and hopefully get some publicity for Sarasota as well as Ashton.

 

Re streaming, it does say 24 more new productions will be added to the streaming offer. This is continuing the current 2 operas and ballets a month they currently do. I'm assuming that 'new' means new to streaming not necessarily new performances though it does specifically mention the new Cinderella will be a streaming offer at some point in the year though of course it has already been a cinema broadcast. Apparently the streaming will include works by Wayne Macgregor and Joseph Toonga (no comment!)

 

Looking forward to the 'commemorative displays of beautiful historical costumes including a celebration of the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis who designed sumptuous costumes for Kenneth MacMillan ballets including Manon and Mayerling'. 

 

Where is there an actual breakdown of days/dates of performances? People have commented on the few matinees, especially lack of Saturday Nutcracker matinees so it must be out there somewhere and I've just missed it. Matinees and linked performance days are so important when you're travelling long distances.

 

 

[Guest oncnp]

1 minute ago, jmhopton said:

 

 

Where is there an actual breakdown of days/dates of performances? People have commented on the few matinees, especially lack of Saturday Nutcracker matinees so it must be out there somewhere and I've just missed it. Matinees and linked performance days are so important when you're travelling long distances.

 

 

Calendar on website?

[Candleque]

22 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'd be interested in seeing some of de Valois' works - because they sound interesting rather than because she was female - but it doesn't look like the RB's likely to revive them any time soon (ever?). I have yet to see anything I like by any current female choreographers, but then I haven't liked much of what I've seen from current male choreographers either!

Tend to agree with the last part of the last sentence, at least at the ROH 🤣

Totally agree it would be interesting to see some of de Valois' works. Also having never seen anything by Nijinska, or even heard much about her before, I selfishly wish the Royal Ballet would join the ballet world in rediscovering her. In terms of modern female choreographers that deserve the main stage, obviously Twyla Tharp comes to mind. Hardly a risky choice and certainly a crowd pleaser. (Assume the RB have performed her dances in the past, but I don't personally remember.)

As a stretch goal, I'd personally love to see the ROH give someone like Arielle Smith a chance. Would be amazing to see her give an older classical work a makeover (i.e., the commission to Liam Scarlett for Swan Lake or Tamara Rojo's Ramonda). Not everyone needs to love the final product, just as not all of us are Wayne McGregor fans. And while things like Draft Works are great, it is the main stage that really counts imo.

People can certainly disagree that representation is important, but in ALL fields unless active steps are taking to measure and balance diversity, there is no progress. It does not happen on its own. You can see it in the recognition and growth of female film directors for example, or movements like OscarsSoWhite, or the bestseller The Story of Art without Men, etc. Am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong, but as far as I know (since de Valois) the RB have never had a woman as their Resident Choreographer or appointed to one of the other official positions. When they do (for her talent, not for box ticking) that will be progress and gender equality in my eyes.

[Ianlond]

A bit late to the party but here goes...

 

Firstly, many thanks to everyone who has posted details of the new season as well as given there insights - what an interesting and entertaining read! Secondly, sorry for what has turned out to be a long post...

 

My first, predictable, thought was what NO Nijinska at all? I'd love to know why (probably seen as not good at the box office, expensive to mount and too much time needed to rehearse). While I do agree that work on any stage by any company should ideally be there due to their merit as a work of art (both Les Noces and Les Biches surely do have considerable choreographic merit!), the fact that they were created by a woman choreographer is of significance and should be celebrated - as Candleque mentions above, representation is important. However, these works deserve to be on the main stage primarily on the choreographic strength. Ashton obviously thought so....

 

I'll get off my soap-box now!

 

Unsurprising to see lengthy runs of Don Q, Swan Lake and Nutcracker - KOH must have a difficult job balancing the books at the moment and they put bums on seats. I certainly have no interest in Don Q and rarely go to Nutcracker but hopefully some interesting casting might tempt me to Swan Lake; with so many performances, there will probably be some First Soloists/ Soloists cast as Odette/ Odile. (I'd like to think Claire Calvert might be back for the end of the season and perhaps Melissa Hamilton might be in with a shout?)

 

Manon is the least interesting MacMillan three-act ballet to me so will be saving money there.

 

The Dante Project - interested to see who is cast and will certainly be going. Although the third part seems choreographically uninspired and repetitive, there's enough in the other two parts to make up for it. I wonder if anything will have been adapted since its first run?

 

The Winter's Tale - really like this ballet (although the 'transformation' from statue to human always seems very prosaic to me!) and, like others have said, it will be interesting to see who steps into the shoes left by Watson/ Bonelli/ Soares - Matthew Ball and Vadim Muntagirov probably. Bracewell? 

 

Anemoi/ The Cellist - I'm afraid to say that nothing could make me go to see Anemoi again; I am mystified why something so derivative is on the ROH main stage (apologies if that offends anyone!) but might try The Cellist. I don't remember it being particularly satisfying but willing to give it another go. Interesting that two significant roles for Lauren Cuthbertson are being revived for her to return to. 

 

Excited to see what transpires regarding the festival of new choreography - watch this space I guess! 

 

MacMillan triple - very, very pleased to be able to see Danses Concertantes and Requiem once again and certainly intrigued by Different Drummer. Mostly, I'm pleased for some variety in programming that lets us appreciate MacMillan's undoubted gifts in more unfamiliar ballets. 

 

Finally the best: ASHTON! All is not lost, although it's dispiriting that there seems to be any idea that his works only need to be programmed together (why not put something on before The Cellist? There's certainly enough to pick from). Thrilled to have The Dream back as well have the company dance Les Rendezvous again even though it is, I think, intentionally old fashioned so needs to be viewed in this way. Like other have mentioned, Rhapsody seems to be being programmed a bit too frequently although it is undeniably enjoyable (I always find it treads a fine line between a bit too much and a fantastic showcase of dancing). What a treat, too, to have The Sarasota Ballet performing but I'm sure getting good seats will be painful! Hopefully Daphins and Chloe next year....I can dream I suppose! 

 

Disappointed that there are no new works announced on the main stage (I wonder when this last happened? When Anthony Dowell was in charge perhaps?) but can see that the company need to save some money and of course there is some new work being created on and around the dancers. No Balanchine is not great (although possibly deliberate since NYCB will be at Sadler's Wells) or Robbins. I would love them to get a new Robbins: Goldberg Variations? Fanfare? 

[jmhopton]

3 hours ago, oncnp said:

Calendar on website?

 

Ah, yes, thanks oncnp. The obvious places are usually the right ones! I was so obsessed about the season announcement I thought performance dates must be there somewhere and I'd missed it. I never thought of the calendar! Hours of fun trawling through there then, though of course not a huge amount of use without casting. Still, it will give me some idea to work on and plan round. if only we had the old calendar back, with every performance laid out in date order, with it's own link. It was so basic and useful of course the the ROH tech people had to remove it. Now, if you don't know the date of a performance you're looking for you have to wade through pages of irrelevancies, but don't get me started on that again!

[jmhopton]

3 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Am I the only person who didn't mind Frankenstein? Not that I loved it but I thought it was fine. If it was revived again I'd consider seeing it again, if it was a good cast. I feel as though every one else hates it though! The only other Scarlett pieces I've seen are The Cunning Little Vixen, which I really enjoyed, Asphodel Meadows & an extract from No Man's Land.

No I didn't mind it either, Dawnstar. Never going to be a favourite but I didn't dislike it and thought there was some good choreography in it, especially between Frankenstein and his fiancee. Some good pas de deux there. I've seen far worse ballets on the ROH stage, though admittedly most were part of triple bills that I knew I wasn't going to enjoy but endured them because of something I wanted to see. At least Kevin's current trend of grouping modern ballets separately to traditional ones means I don't often have that particular dilemma very often these days.

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, jmhopton said:

At least Kevin's current trend of grouping modern ballets separately to traditional ones means I don't often have that particular dilemma very often these days.

 

I think the triple bill ending this season presents that dilemma to some people, myself included.

 

I said on the predictions thread that if Melissa Hamilton didn't get a public performance as Manon I'd complain to Kevin O'Hare in person. This evening I tried to pre-empt any need to complain by putting in a request when I saw him at the stage door!

 

 

[Sophoife]

Well done @Dawnstar! See, Covent Garden station being temporarily closed was a good thing 😘 Hope you got your train and not a rail replacement bus.

[jmhopton]

1 minute ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I think the triple bill ending this season presents that dilemma to some people, myself included.

 

I said on the predictions thread that if Melissa Hamilton didn't get a public performance as Manon I'd complain to Kevin O'Hare in person. This evening I tried to pre-empt any need to complain by putting in a request when I saw him at the stage door!

 

 

Wonderful, Dawnstar, that's the way to do it! I buttonholed him myself, possibly on the same day, to ask him about last year's Ashton stream and was told it was in hand and hopefully not too long before it's on the streaming platform.

 

Re the summer triple, isn't the dilemma more whether to go just because it's Morera's final performance at the ROH? The triple bill is what I call modern, with Macmillan, especially the one act Anastasia, rather walking a tightrope between classical and modern. It's certainly not a ballet that appeals to me enough to spend a large sum on transport and accommodation, not to mention ticket, even with it being Morera's final ROH performance. For me, her final performance will be as Cinderella next weekend and I'm sure I'll really enjoy it. Something I can't say for Anastasia. (Though I'm still clinging to the hope that somehow her Month in the Country in Japan will be filmed. That's my idea of a suitable send off for her.)

[Dawnstar]

@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.

[Benjamin]

13 hours ago, jmhopton said:

Am just catching up with the long ROH press release.

 

In the Cinema and stream section they unfortunately don't give out a complete list of cinema broadcasts but just say it is the largest season ever, with 13 broadcasts. Ballet wise they just mention Swan lake and Nutcracker which were obvious anyway. I'm keeping everything crossed that at least one Ashton performance is filmed for cinema and hopefully the other streamed. The gala would be good for cinema and hopefully get some publicity for Sarasota as well as Ashton.

 

Re streaming, it does say 24 more new productions will be added to the streaming offer. This is continuing the current 2 operas and ballets a month they currently do. I'm assuming that 'new' means new to streaming not necessarily new performances though it does specifically mention the new Cinderella will be a streaming offer at some point in the year though of course it has already been a cinema broadcast. Apparently the streaming will include works by Wayne Macgregor and Joseph Toonga (no comment!)

 

Looking forward to the 'commemorative displays of beautiful historical costumes including a celebration of the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis who designed sumptuous costumes for Kenneth MacMillan ballets including Manon and Mayerling'. 

 

Where is there an actual breakdown of days/dates of performances? People have commented on the few matinees, especially lack of Saturday Nutcracker matinees so it must be out there somewhere and I've just missed it. Matinees and linked performance days are so important when you're travelling long distances.

 

 

I made this the other day, hope it comes in handy: 

The Nutcracker 

Wednesday 6 December 12:30 (invited)

Wednesday 6 December 7:30

Thursday 7 December 12:30 (invited)

Thursday 7 December 7:30

Saturday 9 December 1:00 (invited)

Saturday 9 December 7:00

Tuesday 12 December 7:30

Thursday 14 December 7:30

Monday 18 December 7:30

Tuesday 19 December 7:30

Wednesday 20 December 12:30

Thursday 21 December 1:30

Thursday 21 December 7:30

Friday 22 December 1:30

Friday 22 December 7:30

Saturday 23 December 12:30

Wednesday 27 December 1:30

Wednesday 27 December 7:30

Friday 29 December 7:30

Monday 1 January 1:30

Monday 1 January 7:30

Wednesday 3 January 7:30

Thursday 4 January 7:30

Friday 5 January 7:30

Tuesday 9 January 7:30

Wednesday 10 January 7:30

Thursday 11 January 7:30

Saturday 13 January 7:30

[bangorballetboy]

11 hours ago, jmhopton said:

 

Ah, yes, thanks oncnp. The obvious places are usually the right ones! I was so obsessed about the season announcement I thought performance dates must be there somewhere and I'd missed it. I never thought of the calendar! Hours of fun trawling through there then, though of course not a huge amount of use without casting. Still, it will give me some idea to work on and plan round. if only we had the old calendar back, with every performance laid out in date order, with it's own link. It was so basic and useful of course the the ROH tech people had to remove it. Now, if you don't know the date of a performance you're looking for you have to wade through pages of irrelevancies, but don't get me started on that again!

 

It's really quite easy, go to the what's on page then you can filter by booking period (all of the 23/24 periods are there).  From there you get links to all the productions in that period and all the dates and times are on the production pages.

 

Friends of Covent Garden do, of course, get a written calendar for each booking period in the magazine (which is also available to them online) and, if I recall correctly, the dates are in the season guide sent to Friends.

[Emeralds]

Thank you to @bridiem and everyone else who put in their recommendations and feedback about the Scarlett works. I ran out of “likes” again today so couldn’t react to everyone!  (Trying to leave his premature passing and the non-choreography related incidents aside), I just wanted to bring up his creations as an example of how long and how many attempts it takes for a choreographer to get a reasonable number of excellent and well liked creations on stage.

 

Rather like the story of Edison’s many attempts to perfect a light bulb, unfortunately there are many unsuccessful works that have to be staged by a choreographer before we end up with successful ones. And of course, even among the successes that get restaged frequently and sell well, they won’t be liked or liked to the same degree by everyone. I picked Scarlett because his development and most of his creations were recent enough to have been seen by most members- I could also have picked David Bintley, but many members won’t have seen his older works (many of which were very, very good). 

 

Even Ashton, Balanchine, Robbins, MacMillan, Cranko, Forsythe etc etc had their failures or unsuccessful works (including some that they themselves wouldn’t rush to restate). I’m actually surprised that RB has a relatively lucky hit rate with Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter and Twyla Tharp.....or some might choose Wheeldon and McGregor instead as one or two premieres  each might not count as a “rate”.

 

Speaking of Tharp, I thought her middle section of Mr Worldly Wise was worth reviving as a plotless ballet on its own as it was inventive and beautiful- I don’t know if she would agree to lift it out and do it on its own, but it would be a pity to lose it forever. In the same way, a few of the Victor and Elizabeth pas de deux from Frankenstein were also lovely as standalone pieces.

 

Thanks for adding Cunning Little Vixen, @Dawnstar- I agree that was a good ballet too, including the costumes, sets and music arrangement. My favourites of the list are Asphodel Meadows, No Man’s Land, Hummingbird, but I would see Viscera and Age of Anxiety again too. Would be interested to check out the many other ballets he did for other companies eg the Carmen online that @FionaE helpfully found. 

[Emeralds]

Typo: rush to restage (not restate-naughty Autocorrect!)

[Benjamin]

4 hours ago, Benjamin said:

I made this the other day, hope it comes in handy: 

The Nutcracker 

Wednesday 6 December 12:30 (invited)

Wednesday 6 December 7:30

Thursday 7 December 12:30 (invited)

Thursday 7 December 7:30

Saturday 9 December 1:00 (invited)

Saturday 9 December 7:00

Tuesday 12 December 7:30

Thursday 14 December 7:30

Monday 18 December 7:30

Tuesday 19 December 7:30

Wednesday 20 December 12:30

Thursday 21 December 1:30

Thursday 21 December 7:30

Friday 22 December 1:30

Friday 22 December 7:30

Saturday 23 December 12:30

Wednesday 27 December 1:30

Wednesday 27 December 7:30

Friday 29 December 7:30

Monday 1 January 1:30

Monday 1 January 7:30

Wednesday 3 January 7:30

Thursday 4 January 7:30

Friday 5 January 7:30

Tuesday 9 January 7:30

Wednesday 10 January 7:30

Thursday 11 January 7:30

Saturday 13 January 7:30

If anyone wants the dates of the rest of The Royal Ballets performances I can post them.

[art_enthusiast]

20 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

Personally, I'd love to see Joe Sissens tackle it. 

 

Oh I 100% agree, he'd be brilliant.

 

Hoping he also gets a chance to do Prince Siegfried, given how many performances there are!

[Emeralds]

53 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Oh I 100% agree, he'd be brilliant.

 

Hoping he also gets a chance to do Prince Siegfried, given how many performances there are!

I agree- so many shows to be cast!   Sissens for Siegfried! 

 

Just going to toss in my wishlist/suggestions for other shows too:

Naghdi and Corrales for Kitri and Basilio (Don Quixote) 

O’Sullivan and Sissens for Kitri and Basilio

Hamilton and Hirano for Swan Lake 

Lamb & McRae for Swan Lake

O’Sullivan & Hay for Swan Lake

[Emeralds]

Oh wow-my “like” supply has been topped up! I thought one had to wait till the next day! 😃

[art_enthusiast]

20 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I agree- so many shows to be cast!   Sissens for Siegfried! 

 

Just going to toss in my wishlist/suggestions for other shows too:

Naghdi and Corrales for Kitri and Basilio (Don Quixote) 

O’Sullivan and Sissens for Kitri and Basilio

Hamilton and Hirano for Swan Lake 

Lamb & McRae for Swan Lake

O’Sullivan & Hay for Swan Lake

Definitely agree with all of these - I also have a feeling Mariko Sasaki would make a wonderful Odette/Odile.

 

So are O’Sullivan and Naghdi the only female principals who haven’t done Kitri yet?

[Fonty]

4 hours ago, Emeralds said:

 

Speaking of Tharp, I thought her middle section of Mr Worldly Wise was worth reviving as a plotless ballet on its own as it was inventive and beautiful- I don’t know if she would agree to lift it out and do it on its own, but it would be a pity to lose it forever. In the same way, a few of the Victor and Elizabeth pas de deux from Frankenstein were also lovely as standalone pieces.

 

 

I agree and was going to mention it but you got in first!  I thought this part was lovely, and would really like to see it again.

 

I love Onegin, and on that basis I would really like to see more of Cranko's other works.  I know BRB do Pineapple Poll which I think is delightful and would fit wonderfully into a triple ballet as the amusing ballet to finish the programme with.  Has anyone seen any of his other full length ballets?  I would be fascinated to see his Romeo and Juliet, and see how it compares to MacMillan's, but I think the chances of the RB performing that would be somewhere between fat chance and no chance.

 

Am I allowed to say that when I saw Les Noces I thought it was rather dull?  My husband still refers to it as that one about the prancing potato farmers! 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Fonty
Left out Cranko's name

[Jane S]

10 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

I agree and was going to mention it but you got in first!  I thought this part was lovely, and would really like to see it again.

 

 

 

Hot competition, I'd guess, for Mukhamedov's role - so far as I remember he spent the entire act sitting on a bench at the side of the stage watching the others work!

[Fonty]

1 minute ago, Jane S said:

 

Hot competition, I'd guess, for Mukhamedov's role - so far as I remember he spent the entire act sitting on a bench at the side of the stage watching the others work!

 

Probably needed a rest after dealing with all those dancing vegetables in the first act.  

[Bluebird]

35 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

So are O’Sullivan and Naghdi the only female principals who haven’t done Kitri yet?

 

Yasmine Naghdi danced Kitri in the 2018/19 Season (with Marcelino Sambé as Basilio)

Here's the cast list for March 2 2019:

https://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=33044&row=40

[Sim]

54 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

I agree and was going to mention it but you got in first!  I thought this part was lovely, and would really like to see it again.

 

I love Onegin, and on that basis I would really like to see more of Cranko's other works.  I know BRB do Pineapple Poll which I think is delightful and would fit wonderfully into a triple ballet as the amusing ballet to finish the programme with.  Has anyone seen any of his other full length ballets?  I would be fascinated to see his Romeo and Juliet, and see how it compares to MacMillan's, but I think the chances of the RB performing that would be somewhere between fat chance and no chance.

 

Am I allowed to say that when I saw Les Noces I thought it was rather dull?  My husband still refers to it as that one about the prancing potato farmers! 

I have seen his R&J a few times (Stuttgart Ballet brought it to London a few years ago) and I like it.  Much of it is similar to MacMillan's.  I think the latter drew on Cranko's and then expanded it (and added his gorgeous pdd).  There is a story (maybe apocryphal) that Cranko took a friend to see MacMillan's R&J early on.  The friend said to Cranko 'I liked it, but I also want to see yours.'  'You just have', replied Cranko.  Ouch!

[balletfanatic]

1 hour ago, art_enthusiast said:

Definitely agree with all of these - I also have a feeling Mariko Sasaki would make a wonderful Odette/Odile.

 

So are O’Sullivan and Naghdi the only female principals who haven’t done Kitri yet?

Francesca Hayward hasn't 

[capybara]

14 minutes ago, balletfanatic said:

Francesca Hayward hasn't 

 

I think that Frankie would find Kitri a bit of a technical challenge and, from what she posted on her IG account, it would appear that she will be 'sitting it out' this year.

 

[Sim]

9 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

I think that Frankie would find Kitri a bit of a technical challenge and, from what she posted on her IG account, it would appear that she will be 'sitting it out' this year.

 

I don't think she will dance Kitri...I also think that it is too technically challenging for her.  

[JNC]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

I don't think she will dance Kitri...I also think that it is too technically challenging for her.  

 

I also don't think it will suit her at all, this aside (which I agree with). I can't see her as Gamzatti either for example. 

[Lizbie1]

I agree that Kitri wouldn't suit Hayward. But then (as another poster above said) I don't think Don Q suits the RB generally.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Lizbie1

[balletfanatic]

It's interesting that a principal of the Royal Ballet would find a role too challenging. What part of the role specifically? 

I think she's an absolutely wonderful dancer by the way, totally deserving of principal status, I'm just curious 

[Jan McNulty]

3 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

 

I love Onegin, and on that basis I would really like to see more of Cranko's other works.  I know BRB do Pineapple Poll which I think is delightful and would fit wonderfully into a triple ballet as the amusing ballet to finish the programme with.  Has anyone seen any of his other full length ballets?  I would be fascinated to see his Romeo and Juliet, and see how it compares to MacMillan's, but I think the chances of the RB performing that would be somewhere between fat chance and no chance.

 

 

 

Scottish Ballet used to perform Cranko's R&J and I think I saw it when Stuttgart brought it over too.

 

With the benefit of hindsight I can see how MacMillan was influenced by it ... but then who isn't influenced by what they see around them?

 

I only told this particular story to someone the other day.  I saw Northern Ballet's Gable/Morricone production during its first run at Blackpool Grand.  I had gone on my own and was sat next to an elderly lady with whom I got talking.  It turns out she had known Sir Kenneth MacMillan and had obviously seen a heck of a lot of ballet when she was younger (she was then living in Barrow).  At the end of the (wonderful) performance she turned to me and said "Well that was very Johnny Cranko"!  So there is continuity from Cranko to MacMillan to Gable.

 

In more recent years BRB performed Taming of the Shrew.  Elisha Willis (in her retirement season) and Samara Downs were (IMHO) shoe-ins as Kate but the real surprise was Nao Sakuma who was utterly subsumed into the role.

 

 

[Fonty]

4 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

In more recent years BRB performed Taming of the Shrew.  Elisha Willis (in her retirement season) and Samara Downs were (IMHO) shoe-ins as Kate but the real surprise was Nao Sakuma who was utterly subsumed into the role.

 

 

 

The Taming of the Shrew is one I would love to see.  However, I wonder if the same issues about the content that the Shakespeare drama has suffered from would apply to the ballet?  Personally I think the story is very funny, and as a woman I do not take it personally at all, but apparently it is deemed so offensive that it seems no company dares to perform the play. 

 

Yes, I find it curious that someone such as Hayward, who has performed Odette/Odile, would not be happy with Kitri?  I've never seen the ballet, but I am assuming that it is a role for a dancer who can be very fiery and flamboyant?  I can imagine on that basis that Osipova would be marvellous in the role.