BRB2 - Carlos Acosta's Classical Selection

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, annamk said:

 

I was curious about this too but when I googled him I found to my surprise that he has written a book about Diaghilev and has been following dance for many years. Wiki says he was the Mail on Sunday dance critic but I don't remember seeing his name against any dance reviews before the Spectator. 

 

https://www.faber.co.uk/journal/behind-the-book-diaghilevs-empire-by-rupert-christiansen/

 

 

 

 

I remember many years ago that Altynai Assylmuratova and Konstantin Zaklinsky guested with RB.  

 

On our way home from holiday (sadly not including a trip to ROH) the day after the performance my friend and I bought a Mail on Sunday to give us plenty of reading on the way home.  Rupert Christiansen had reviewed their performance - 3 words:

 

"It was magic".

 

(Hope I've spelt the names correctly and I think it was in 1990.)

[Emeralds]

I read the review via the Dance Links and it sounds like Christiansen was grumpy about going to Peterborough in the first place, and starts off by judging the audience for being the wrong skin colour or the wrong sex. Or both. Does it matter? No. Is it sociologically or economically a significant point? No. The same “demographic” goes to rugby, leads the country and attends board meetings. We are not in the 16th century any more! Who cares if the audience at one show is “not particularly diverse”- did he attend every show and travel to every other venue on the tour? No. As a statistical record it is itself flawed, so it is a nonsensical thing to print....unless one has an agenda.

 

Then he goes on to judge another dancer for her physical appearance - very rudely. And after all that nitpicking, there’s the beam in his own eye of a glaring basic grammar error in the last paragraph. Hard to believe his criticisms of the Sylphide, Carmen and other items as he seems to be in grumpy and agenda driven mode.  I’ll be going by my fellow forum members’ feedback with regard to this tour instead. 

[LinMM]

I thought he was unforgivably rude about the Swan Lake dancer. 
I did wonder if he had understood the purpose of this new young Company. 
One of them is to give younger dancers more opportunities to perform and explore Repertoire (of all kinds) but he seemed to be caught up in somehow the people of Peterborough were being short changed. 
These young dancers are no slaggards!! Certainly better to have them than no ballet at all though I don’t know whether Peterborough has other main Companies ( say like ENB) dancing at the venue. 

[Peanut68]

Sadly won't get a chance to see this (& am familiar with a few dancers having seen some in their youth at things like YBSS over the years when in training so would be great to see their steps into the profession).

Was intrigued to read the review that so many (rightly) have deemed poor....

Well, to start with  the title as 

'Patronising to the people of Peterborough'

was one thing...but to then basically go on to utterly patronise & make baseless & frankly shameful judgmental comments about the city of Peterborough (calling it 'Troubled'....did I miss a recent newsworthy bout of riots there???? I think not!), about the dispersal of tickets (implied sold or given away or only marketed to certain demographics?) & thus suggesting that the theatre & the BRB marketing teams had not done their jobs properly 

'Fulfilling its sacred duty to serve regions that higher culture tends to avoid, Birmingham Royal Ballet made a midweek visit to the troubled city of Peterborough'

this is just ugh....it gives such a chill & it's these sort of words that inexcusably turn audiences away from ballet & theatre in general....lets face it, who would want to be alongside such a narrow minded & frankly rude individual as Mr Christiansen!! 

This all IMHO

Clearly if ticket sales are low, then yes, maybe marketing teams do need to look again at how they work this for future shows....but to slam a city & also to suggest BRB short changed them anyhow? Clearly he didn't understand the brief of BRB2 (clues in the title....not BRB but BRB 2....so second....so add on company...not the main full shebang.....get it?? Yep, not nice to be patronised is it Mr Christianson? - deliberate spelling error to go along with the theme 😉

 

[Ondine]

Whatever you think of Rupert Christiansen's opinions and reviewing, I don't think there's any doubt about his knowledge of and commitment to ballet. I can't speak about his Diaghilev book as though I have bought it, it's still in the 'to read' pile and I've got little further than a flick through and the preface. (Currently I'm re-reading Judith Kavanagh's Ashton bio, Secret Muses, it's been a long time, and I may be a while, so Diaghilev is having to wait his turn.) 

 

The preface is worth reading, note especially the footnote about Edward Gorey and his devotion to NYCB.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Diaghilev_s_Empire/MA5jEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PP10&printsec=frontcover

 

I thought the Spectator review was measured and had some possibly pertinent things to say, and praise was given where it was due, TBH.  If you're charging money and people are investing their time going to watch, especially in areas where ballet is in short supply, then second best possibly isn't good enough, and a more suitable programme for young & inexperienced dancers could have been devised.

 

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/patronising-to-the-people-of-peterborough-brb2s-carlos-acosta-classical-selections-reviewed-2/

 

"But what stood out most positively for me was the American-born Jack Easton...  this coltish Royal Ballet School graduate seemed to be dancing because he had to, not because of what he’d been told or learnt. There was musicality and imagination there, and a dash of personal style lacking among his colleagues. He has just the sort of talent that BRB needs to invest in right now."

 

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

20 minutes ago, Ondine said:

 

I thought the Spectator review was measured and had some possibly pertinent things to say, and praise was given where it was due, TBH.  If you're charging money and people are investing their time going to watch, especially in areas where ballet is in short supply, then second best possibly isn't good enough, and a more suitable programme for young & inexperienced dancers could have been devised.

 

 

All the other reviews I read (scroll through links) were 4* and 3*, which indicates that its horses for courses in terms of opinion.

 

So are you implying here that all the second companies eg ABT's Studio Company, DNB's junior company and NDT2 are second best??

 

For your information, this year all the dancers in BRB2 (bar 1 who is an apprentice) are actually full company members, 2 of whom (IMHO) will probably get to the top rank within the company.

[Peanut68]

opinions are well, just that - opinions & personal to the individual expressing them....

I totally get that a reviewer is quite entitled to share these in his feedback of a performance & - not having seen he show - i couldn't possibly commnet on the performance/dancers etc...

It was his baseline views & assumptions about Peterborough, the audience that were there & their abilities to comprehend what was on offer (!!! - I paste what I frankly find utterly offensve below!)& the potential audience that were not there....

Talk about trashing a place & people! An almost blanket assumption that the majority of the audience had never seen or heard of ballet before!! 

Rude, rude, rude! And it is the likes of this that falsely perpetuate any elitist aura around the open to all (with some effort of course !)world of ballet! 

wouldn’t it help to have a live compère warming up the atmosphere by introducing each number and providing some background (explaining, for instance, the dramatic context and mimed gestures of the 19th-century extracts)? Ballet can seem deeply encoded, a mystery enacted on an altar – a deacon is needed to initiate newcomers.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Peanut68

[Ondine]

27 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

All the other reviews I read (scroll through links) were 4* and 3*, which indicates that its horses for courses in terms of opinion.

 

So are you implying here that all the second companies eg ABT's Studio Company, DNB's junior company and NDT2 are second best??

 

For your information, this year all the dancers in BRB2 (bar 1 who is an apprentice) are actually full company members, 2 of whom (IMHO) will probably get to the top rank within the company.

 

 I'm not implying anything, I  haven't mentioned those companies,  I'm suggesting that some serious consideration of what he says about BRB2 is possibly worthwhile as he isn't a local rag hack, who rarely attends ballet, but a seasoned balletgoer, and that further thought is given to how this company presents its rep and that the rep itself possibly requires careful consideration before a second tour is planned.  Being a critic at times means you have to be critical when you feel it is deserved?

 

Yes I am fully aware of what and who BRB2 is.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Ondine
Typo

[Ondine]

7 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

opinions are well, just that - opinions & personal to the individual expressing them....

I totally get that a reviewer is quite entitled to share these in his feedback of a performance & - not having seen he show - i couldn't possibly commnet on the performance/dancers etc...

It was his baseline views & assumptions about Peterborough, the audience that were there & their abilities to comprehend what was on offer (!!! - I paste what I frankly find utterly offensve below!)& the potential audience that were not there....

Talk about trashing a place & people! An almost blanket assumption that the majority of the audience had never seen or heard of ballet before!! 

Rude, rude, rude! And it is the likes of this that falsely perpetuate any elitist aura around the open to all (with some effort of course !)world of ballet! 

wouldn’t it help to have a live compère warming up the atmosphere by introducing each number and providing some background (explaining, for instance, the dramatic context and mimed gestures of the 19th-century extracts)? Ballet can seem deeply encoded, a mystery enacted on an altar – a deacon is needed to initiate newcomers.

 

Ballet For All used to do that.  I recall it being warmly received.

 

 

[Guest oncnp]

4 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

opinions are well, just that - opinions & personal to the individual expressing them....

 

wouldn’t it help to have a live compère warming up the atmosphere by introducing each number and providing some background (explaining, for instance, the dramatic context and mimed gestures of the 19th-century extracts)? Ballet can seem deeply encoded, a mystery enacted on an altar – a deacon is needed to initiate newcomers.

 

and another opinion....wouldn't a lot of ballet performances benefit from the above for the vast majority (myself included) of people who know little/nothing about ballet and make up the vast majority of the audiences? Some companies hold pre-performance talks covering this type of information. 

 

BTW the Diaghilev book was excellent

[Peanut68]

I agree that providing info - should an audience member wish to seek it out - is absolutely great to assist in anyone wanting to gain most form a production....though I do think in most cases the info at booking (online/advertising flyers/local advertorials etc), online synopsis or programs (yes - a cost I appreciate) & opportunities to attend pre/post talks are all generally provided....though I take the point that this is not always the case & yes, all feedback from audience members - including industry renowned critics - is useful to companies/theatres for future planning performances & any add-on events/activities/marketing materials/online info etc.

IMHO - I personally felt there was a sniffy tone - suggesting a 'live compere warming up the atmosphere' was required....like it was an audience for a TV panel or talk show filming or a 'holiday camp' show. 

Has he never been to the environs of Peterborough or explored the many delights & culture available close by? And I am quite sure that many locals regularly travel in to sample the delights of the ROH & other cultural establishments with the (usually) good fast train link to London!

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Peanut68

[MaddieRose]

None of the performances I saw could ever be classed as 'second best'. Having seen some of these pieces performed by both BRB and BRB2 I think they were on equal level in technical ability. And one of the things I liked most about the performance was that the dancers were so compelling they made me actually like pieces I would hate if they weren't danced by someone with so much passion and charisma. Much of the audience in Nottingham were people who regularly went to the ballet, so much so that I had a chat with some of them who had seen the Acosta and Friends shows, and we were talking comparison in the presentation. 
 

I think there definitely could be room for a compère, like the 'An Evening of Music and Dance' shows, but I suppose the framing of the warm-up barre would have to be lost along the way. I will say, however, that I attended with people who had never been to the ballet, and the only one of the pieces they found confusing was Nisi Dominus, which I was a bit puzzled by as well. 

[Lizbie1]

My reading of the word "troubled" in the quote provided above is that it was meant ironically.

[Fonty]

23 hours ago, FLOSS said:

 He suggests that Acosta's choice of excerpts is based on the  sort of programme that might have been seen in an Acosta and Friends programme which was essentially a star vehicle. Anyone with any sense would recognise that a showcase of ballet for young dancers would need a very different choice of excerpts from that for a star vehicle. It is not as if BRB does not have a range of works that could have been pressed into service in such circumstances. The only problem is that the works I am thinking of are from the company;s historic repertory which perhaps  Acosta's appointment was intended to consign to history.

 

 

 

I really do hope this is not the case, but sadly I wonder if you are right.  BRB were (and hopefully still are) an exceptional classical ballet company with a superb classical ballet rep.  I don't get to see them as much as I would like, but when I have in the past, I have been overjoyed by not only the ballets they chose to perform, but also the wonderful technical expertise they displayed. 

 

Nobody has said that BRB have been struggling financially and playing to half empty houses, so presumably there is no need to change their rep substantially?  Unless they are in worse trouble than any other company after covid, and I haven't noticed articles stating that?   I know the Acosta programme was designed to showcase younger talent, but reading the reviews it does sound as though a fair bit of it is not actually classical? 

 

 Acosta is a very high profile appointment, but I would be extremely upset if he felt the need to jettison the traditional in favour of the trendy.  Rojo was also a very high profile appointment for ENB, but she managed a careful and canny mix of tried and trusted ballets together with newer pieces.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Fonty

[Dawnstar]

I don't know about the audience at the performance Rupert Christiansen attended but at the performance I was at (they must have been different performances as some of the casting was different) the audience included a group of teenagers who were clearly ballet students and a woman who I'm pretty sure was Daria Klimetova. Hardly people who are ignorant about ballet! Also going by the conversation I overheard from the group of 3 women sat one side of me at least one of them did ballet recreationally & all of them were used to seeing ballet. So Christiansen probably shouldn't be assuming that the audiences in Peterborough were ignorant about ballet.

 

I also find his complaint about a lack of scenery odd. None of the ballet performances I've seen that have been made up of a number of short extracts have included scenery. Did audiences at the Fonteyn Gala, the Dance For Ukraine Gala or the Nuryev Gala feel shortchanged by a lack of scenery? I doubt it.

[Mary]

1 minute ago, Dawnstar said:

Christiansen probably shouldn't be assuming that the audiences in Peterborough were ignorant about ballet.

Indeed-hear, hear! - he talks about patronising the people, ...well he should know.

 

It's true the provinces don't get as much ballet as we would like. I think we could cope without the scenery if we got a good mix of old and new on a regular basis.

 

[Jan McNulty]

24 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

I really do hope this is not the case, but sadly I wonder if you are right.  BRB were (and hopefully still are) an exceptional classical ballet company with a superb classical ballet rep.  I don't get to see them as much as I would like, but when I have in the past, I have been overjoyed by not only the ballets they chose to perform, but also the wonderful technical expertise they displayed. 

 

 

BRB, I can assure you, is still a terrific company.

[Ondine]

I didn't see him as patronising the people of Peterborough by suggesting they deserved better than the mixed bag BRB2 served up. Also as it was hardly a full house, then some means of attracting / building an audience needs to be given a passing thought?

 

As @FLOSSsaid above, standard Gala excerpts possibly not what should have been provided?

 

Anyone with any sense would recognise that a showcase of ballet for young dancers would need a very different choice of excerpts from that for a star vehicle

 

Well yes.

 

Christiansen in Spectator:

 

Only Olympian virtuosi should be allowed anywhere near a flamboyantly vulgar circus act such as the Diana and Actaeon duet: Beatrice Parma and Riku Ito aren’t yet of that gold standard and so the choreography looked merely banal.

 

I love a vulgar circus act in the right place with the right dancers as much as anyone, but you have have to be pretty outstanding to pull that one off and charge money for it.

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

 

and another opinion....wouldn't a lot of ballet performances benefit from the above for the vast majority (myself included) of people who know little/nothing about ballet and make up the vast majority of the audiences? Some companies hold pre-performance talks covering this type of information. 

 

BTW the Diaghilev book was excellent

 

BRB holds regular pre-performance talks about the upcoming work.  They changed the format a few years ago so that rather than just being a Q&A they are led (usually by Jonathan Payn) with one or 2 of the dancers.  Of course you have to be going to the performance when the talk is occurring, although all ticket holders are welcome even if they are not there for that particular performance.

[Ondine]

46 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

My reading of the word "troubled" in the quote provided above is that it was meant ironically.

 

 I read it in the more than slightly tongue in cheek context of the entire sentence.

 

Fulfilling its sacred duty to serve regions that higher culture tends to avoid

 

And surely the ref to the far from diverse audience was in that context also.

 

If it makes for some rethinking it can possibly only be good for the future of BRB2.

 

Great that it has happened at all, but to move forward at times you need to listen and learn from informed criticism.

 

Let's just pause for a moment and look at a certain critic's CV in the context of the arts.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Christiansen

 

And yes, look also at how other successful small 'second' companies work and programme.

 

[AnnabelCharles]

Criticism, however 'pertinent' and 'informed' loses its impact if the overriding tone of a review is superior, patronising and rude. 

 

 

[Ondine]

 

4 minutes ago, AnnabelCharles said:

Criticism, however 'pertinent' and 'informed' loses its impact if the overriding tone of a review is superior, patronising and rude. 

 

 

 

I didn't think it was. He gave praise where it was due and yes some of it was ironic. It is the Spectator and he knows his audience? Being a critic isn't always about telling everyone they are wonderful.  Presumably the company is in receipt of public funding and it is charging for tickets to see professional dancers so perhaps there are areas where it can be improved? 

 

If it is to take ballet to areas where it is in short supply, then maybe, just maybe,  it requires a rethink for the next time.  People in 'the sticks' deserve nothing but the best even if it is on a smaller scale.

 

[Emeralds]

Peterborough is hardly troubled or patronised when it comes to ballet- I’m sure one or two of our readers who live in the general area can attest to that. They’re on a direct fast train line to London (or even faster if you change at Stevenage) which gets to ROH, Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum, And Royal Albert Hall in less than 2 hours after a short walk or short Tube journey, meaning they have access to all top British and international companies visiting or resident at London theatres. They’re also within easy train access of Birmingham Hippodrome for BRB itself in 1 h 45 minutes. They have the best of both worlds.

 

Patronising would be if this performance was billed as a gala of principal dancers and tickets costing £250 a piece, with the cast and programme altered at the last minute to be substituted by  inexperienced artists. Nothing of the sort happened- it is billed as a young ensemble, prices were reasonable, and that includes taking risks and if they wish, showing a give it a go attitude rather than safe, boring perfection. Yes, if these were Hollywood stars earning £2 million for turning up, I would expect some personal sniping and trolling when audiences pay a lot and expect the best. But these are young dancers in a tough profession when you can feel rejected and actually be rejected because nature didn’t give you leg bones just half an inch longer. Half an inch! Even if you dance the choreography better than the person who was cast instead of you! Even if you’ve worked hours and sacrificed weekends perfecting pirouettes or the landing of a lift or the entry of a jump! 

 

On the other hand, a professional being paid to review for a not-cheap periodical should be judged according to the standards of critics working in  publications of similar price points. The more experienced or knowledgable a critic, the more they should know not to take cheap shots at younger and more vulnerable targets. There are polite and non-spiteful ways to make a criticism. If you think a dancer is wrongly cast, you can suggest that she has gifts that suit another role you would like to see her in. It’s distasteful for the reader to read as much as it is horrible to be the dancer being targeted. If I had bought the periodical I would be demanding my money back. His review rates an F minus. Especially since most 13 year olds I know can write a much better one (without the language error as well). 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Emeralds

[Ondine]

He was being ironic about Peterborough. I'm wondering if I'm reading the same review as some.

 

However:

 

Honourable pass marks to them all, but it’s not just quibbling to crave a bit more.

 

 

[Emeralds]

Btw, he is extraordinarily lucky to be able to see Parma and Itu dance anything and get paid for doing it! I paid over £150 just to be able to get to Birmingham, stay overnight, park my car in a safe and legal place, and that doesn’t include the ticket prices or dinner....and I was delighted to have Beatrice and Riku dancing featured roles in the performance. I’d do it again, and I’d pay to see them in Diana and  Acteon too. If he has a problem with the duet, he can take it up with the ghost of the formidable Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova who did the choreography. (I should add here that I don’t routinely spend three digits jetting about for every ballet. I still drink water out of my own- reusable - water bottle!) 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Emeralds

[maryrosesatonapin]

1 hour ago, Ondine said:

 

 

Christiansen in Spectator:

 

Only Olympian virtuosi should be allowed anywhere near a flamboyantly vulgar circus act such as the Diana and Actaeon duet: Beatrice Parma and Riku Ito aren’t yet of that gold standard and so the choreography looked merely banal.

 

I love a vulgar circus act in the right place with the right dancers as much as anyone, but you have have to be pretty outstanding to pull that one off and charge money for it.

 

 

I loved Parma and Ito's Diana and Acteaon - there was nothing banal in the performance I saw (the first night) and my front-row ticket cost only £16 so I would have forgiven more errors than I saw, given that we were expecting comparatively inexperienced dancers.  The whole evening was brilliant as I said in my original review. (I wasn't at Peterborough - what a pity the audience wasn't full.)

[Peanut68]

13 minutes ago, Ondine said:

He was being ironic about Peterborough. I'm wondering if I'm reading the same review as some.

 

However:

 

Honourable pass marks to them all, but it’s not just quibbling to crave a bit more.

 

 

I’m afraid I rather read that as “damning with faint praise”

Made me wince….

But we all interpret things our own way & ‘Vivre la difference’ 

etc!!

[Emeralds]

32 minutes ago, Ondine said:

He was being ironic about Peterborough. I'm wondering if I'm reading the same review as some.

 

However:

 

Honourable pass marks to them all, but it’s not just quibbling to crave a bit more.

 

 

That’s sarcastic sniping from him. My F minus might have been too generous. 

 

“but”=sniping

”pass”=sniping

”mentions”= professional critic skills

”and”=professional critic skills

To get rid of the undertones of superiority and malice, use the back space key on the word “just”. 

 

The tutorial (or the truth detector) is provided free of charge to Mr C. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Emeralds

[Scheherezade]

I can't yet comment on the performances, although I am very much looking forward to seeing BRB2 in the Linbury, after which I will be better placed to come down on one side or the other. Meanwhile, I can agree in principle with some of Ondine's points, in that there may be lessons that BRB can learn from this (again, I can't really comment without seeing the programme for myself). I do, however, totally endorse Emeralds' comment that Christiansen should know better than to take cheap shots at the young and more vulnerable dancers. This is so wrong under any circumstances.

[Ondine]

12 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

That’s sarcastic sniping from him. My F minus might have been too generous. 

 

He did dish out praise where he thought it was due. Seems fair enough to me to be critical where he felt it was warranted. That's his job.  it was supposed to be a 'showcase'. Unbridled balletomania is all very well, but... 

 

[Emeralds]

Sorry to put you on the spot, Ondine, but did you attend the same performance that he did? Have you seen any of the BRB2 performances? 

 

Have you seen Itu, Parma, Katoch, Clarke, Kaden, or Kempsey-Fagg  in any other performances? I point out errors or problems in productions I’ve seen. I’m sure everyone has heard enough about my critique of the Cinderella production.

 

I try not to be personal or nasty to individuals - especially young artists or injured performers who might never get another chance at a good lead role, or if a mistake is accidental or minor. That’s hardly unbridled balletomania. It’s equally important to point out something good as it is to pick out things you don’t like. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Emeralds

[Ondine]

13 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

 I do, however, totally endorse Emeralds' comment that Christiansen should know better than to take cheap shots at the young and more vulnerable dancers. This is so wrong under any circumstances.

I've just watched one of those of whom he was a tad critical describing how she was rehearsed and who rehearsed her. I'd suggest perhaps a bloke who dances Seigfried and tells her to bend her elbows to be a swan perhaps isn't the best choice of coach and possibly this wasn't the greatest choice of extract for an inexperienced dancer.

 

I note also:

 

Arts Council England’s embattled chief executive Darren Henley was in attendance; I wonder what lessons he drew from the performance.

 

[Ondine]

4 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Sorry to put you on the spot, Ondine, but did you attend the same performance that he did? Have you seen any of the BRB2 performances? 

 

Well no as they haven't been to my part of the sticks. Were you there when RC was in Peterborough?

 

Anyhow we are currently discussing the critical review not the performance?

 

Possibly he has a few useful things to say?