ENB PROMOTIONS, JOINERS AND LEAVERS

[capybara]

17 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Third tier????  I may not see the company as much as I used to but I am more than well aware of just how good the company has been and still is.  Anyone who thinks they are "third tier" must be walking around with their head in a paper bag!!

 

Obviously not thought of as such by me. But I have (often) heard the Company referred to as 'only ENB' as if it was of lesser worth than others (in the same kind of way that Dresden has been described above). 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by capybara

[Fonty]

15 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Obviously not thought of as such by me. But I have (often) heard the Company referred to as 'only ENB' as if it was of lesser worth than others (in the same kind of way that Dresden has been described above). 

 

 

 

 

I think there is a certain prejudice felt by some individuals against touring companies.  I remember in the old days with the RB touring company, there was this idea that anyone dancing there "wasn't good enough" for the main company.  Not by me, I hasten to add.  But probably because there was this perception that if you were performing at a regional theatre in the suburbs, rather than in the capital of the UK, then you were somehow inferior.  Total rubbish of course.

 

I love ENB, and often think their performances in the classics are better than those by the RB.  

Edited to add perhaps I should change that to "sometimes think their performances in the classics....."

Edited June 28, 2023 by Fonty

[Blossom]

I love ENB and am a keen supporter. 

I'm a little underwhelmed by the promotion plan, the visibility of the new AD and the 2022/23 and 2023/24 repertoire which is leading to me seeing less and less of them. I really want to see the company succeed but they need a bit more vigour (and a new Nutcracker - or bring back an old one already in the rep or even give Coppelia a try like RB a few years ago). 

 

[bangorballetboy]

1 hour ago, Blossom said:

 

I'm a little underwhelmed by... the visibility of the new AD. 

 

 

To be fair to him, ASW doesn't take over as full time AD until August 2023.

[Pas de Quatre]

I have very much enjoyed ENB's dancing for years. Individual dancers at RB may be amazing, and some productions are too, but I don't much care for any of RB's productions of the major classics. They often feel very turgid. BRB and ENB seem much better. Will I be burnt at the stake now for heresy?

[bridiem]

4 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

I have very much enjoyed ENB's dancing for years. Individual dancers at RB may be amazing, and some productions are too, but I don't much care for any of RB's productions of the major classics. They often feel very turgid. BRB and ENB seem much better. Will I be burnt at the stake now for heresy?

 

Hardly! There's often criticism of RB productions (as well as enthusiasm for them) on this forum.

[capybara]

22 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

To be fair to him, ASW doesn't take over as full time AD until August 2023.

 

Perfectly true but 1) there has been no 'acting' AD at ENB this season (so no toes for ASW to tread on); 2) the 2023/24 season announcement could arguably have been accompanied by an introductory reel from him; 3) he has owned the recent promotions and appointments but, so far, at a distance; and 4) his contract with Dresden ended last month (so no reins to hold him back).

 

Let's see how he 'plays' it when the Company returns after its summer break and he is unquestionably in charge.

 

[bangorballetboy]

2 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Perfectly true but 1) there has been no 'acting' AD at ENB this season (so no toes for ASW to tread on); 2) the 2023/24 season announcement could arguably have been accompanied by an introductory reel from him; 3) he has owned the recent promotions and appointments but, so far, at a distance; and 4) his contract with Dresden ended last month (so no reins to hold him back).

 

Let's see how he 'plays' it when the Company returns after its summer break and he is unquestionably in charge.

 

 

I was only responding to the comment about lack of visibility - quite hard to be overly visible when he was still full time at Dresden until last month (as you said).  Whilst there was no reel, ASW was at the season launch for the press and spoke to the new season and to his plans to be visible and an active AD from the time he takes over.

[Blossom]

37 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

To be fair to him, ASW doesn't take over as full time AD until August 2023.

A fair point, but the result is he is effectively starting from a disadvantage as the company hasn't been delivering at its full throttle for almost a year and there's a relatively uninspiring 2023/24 season ahead which really needed some more creative input.

 

[Sim]

56 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

 Will I be burnt at the stake now for heresy?

Nope.  Everyone on this forum is entitled to their opinion.  Vive la difference!

[FionaM]

Hmm I prefer to give the new AD a few seasons at the helm before criticising.  
 

I’m personally really looking forward to AK Giselle later this year and Swan Lake in the round next year.  I usually go to at least one show of every production they do (except Nutcracker) to see a wider range of their rep and the dancers.  
 

There’s a lot for the new AD to take on.  Finances are presumably still shaky after devastating effects of Covid.  Also there is increasing competition from BRB and NB performing in London as well as touring.  Hooray … this is a good thing for cities with no home company.  
 

Plus there were considerable gaps at principal level with Rojo, Cojocaru, Hernandez, Cirio and Caley all leaving since Covid.  Erina Takahashi and Fernanda Oliver are both in their 40s so won’t be around for many more years.  (If it was Paris Opera they’d both be out).  So there are going to be promotion opportunities for the current soloist male and female dancers soon. 🤞

[Jan McNulty]

ENB don't tour in the UK as much as they used to - in fact they no longer do a spring tour and the autumn tour venues is looking pretty thin.  The spring tour disappeared before Covid.

 

I hope they get a new Nutcracker or revive a previous one as I loathe the current production and last time they were in Liverpool that is what they brought and, too my shame, I did not go.

[Jamiel Devernay-Laurence]

Both my team and I at Jamiel Laurence Creation and my new team at BALLET NIGHTS are absolutely thrilled for all of those artists at ENB promoted, including those who have appeared in our various productions in the past (... and those imminently to be announced in the coming weeks for the future!)

 

Aitor is one of the most calm and collected dancers under pressure I have ever come across - even when asked to run headfirst into the freezing Scottish Sea over in West Kilbride in 2020. His technique is flawless, and he has some even bigger performances ahead of him despite already achieving so much already. A real star!

 

Henry appears with Aitor in 2 of my films, is the consummate professional at all times, and has big ambitions both on stage and beyond. He helped me produce my original BALLET NIGHTS concept show back in 2021, and has several other shows up his sleeve . I can wait to see what he will dance next!

 

Ivana is  just a picture perfect ballerina with electrifying charisma on stage, and her recent last minute fielding in the role of Cinderella has proven she has ability and experience enough to carry a main stage leading role when called upon, and when it counts most (Royal Albert Hall no less!!!). Such a reliable talent for the new ENB director to mould and develop into the principal we all know she can be.

 

Congratulations all around!

 

 

[Pas de Quatre]

Going back to the question of Lauretta's height, I asked my DD who did various courses with her (although DD was in younger groups).  She thought around 5' 6" - 5' 8" which agrees with my estimate.  

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

ENB don't tour in the UK as much as they used to - in fact they no longer do a spring tour and the autumn tour venues is looking pretty thin.  The spring tour disappeared before Covid.

 

I hope they get a new Nutcracker or revive a previous one as I loathe the current production and last time they were in Liverpool that is what they brought and, too my shame, I did not go.

No shame about it....I wouldn't have gone either, and in fact I won't see their Nutcracker again until they replace it.  

[bangorballetboy]

15 minutes ago, Sim said:

No shame about it....I wouldn't have gone either, and in fact I won't see their Nutcracker again until they replace it.  

 

Ditto

[Blossom]

32 minutes ago, Sim said:

No shame about it....I wouldn't have gone either, and in fact I won't see their Nutcracker again until they replace it.  

Nor me. 

[Fonty]

I hate the current ENB Nutcracker.  I used to love the production where the Kingdom of the Sweets featured costumes that looked like liquorish allsorts. 

 

To be honest, I am not much a Nutcracker fan.  I think BRB does the best of the traditional ones, and I really enjoyed Matthew Bourne's production as well.  The second act of MB's  was great, and the costumes made me smile.  

 

Er - hang on, isn't it a bit early to be discussing Nutcrackers?  It doesn't feel right while I am dressed in shorts and a t shirt.  I would love to see Coppelia performed by just about any company.  

[bangorballetboy]

There’s a clip of ASW’s promotions announcement to the company here.

[Anna C]

3 hours ago, Sim said:

No shame about it....I wouldn't have gone either, and in fact I won't see their Nutcracker again until they replace it.  

Add me to that list.

[LinMM]

Having just been to see the rehearsal of ENBS show I was interested to see that it appears nobody has joined the Company from their  school which is a great shame! 
Unless of course these auditions are not completed yet? 

[fromthebalcony]

I know I don’t comment much, but glaring promotional omissions for me - Katja Khaniukova, Ken Saruhashi, and Precious Adams. I also agree with others that there are too many ranks.  

[Emeralds]

22 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

It's not the first time that I read that L. Summerscales is quite tall. This season, she danced in COPPÉLIA alongside Shale Wagman, who isn't a very tall dancer. Here are 2 pictures from curtain call, and it seems he is taller than her 🤔

Lovely photos, Sabine0308 - was that after Petit’s Coppelia? Your photos, of course, have proven what I’ve said- that Summerscales is quite tall (I didn’t say ‘very tall’ ...will come on to that later when I discuss Lee!). She has said in the past that she is too tall to be partnered by her husband Yonah Acosta in most ballets although like Wagman, Yonah is taller than she is. She added that a few pas de deux like Diana and Acteon, are suitable for them to dance together, where she doesn’t tower over him on pointe. 

 

The height difference of a ballerina and her partner in the Tchaikovsky classics and ballets like Romeo and Juliet (most classical versions), Manon, Onegin, Ashton’s Cinderella, needs to be quite a lot, meaning the top of her head should be around his chin rather than his nose as in Wagman’s case. This is because the supported turns where their right hands are over her head (the best example is right at the end of the traditional White Swan pas de deux)  require enough room for her to hold his fingers comfortably. If she is already slightly taller than him on pointe, he’d have to tiptoe to do those supported turns, which is dangerous. You could cheat by changing the pirouettes to put his hands on her waist instead of overhead after she begins turning but that would mean tampering with the choreography.

 

There are ballets like La Sylphide, Giselle, Flower Festival at Genzano pdd, many versions of Coppelia, where much of the dancing is side by side, and the supported pirouettes don’t require the overhead manoeuvre so a ballerina could have a partner who isn’t so much taller than her. With some ballets like MacMillan’s Manon and R&J the height difference is also crucial in the lifts.

 

If the man isn’t tall enough, he might be very strong, but without enough difference in heights there wont be enough distance off the floor during some lifts that swing or turn the ballerina so there is a risk of her hitting the floor, which is dangerous- it’s about physics, not just whether she looks too tall. Eg Steven McRae is taller than Natalia Osipova but she is a little too tall for him in ballets like Swan Lake or Onegin. However, with Giselle and La Fille mal Gardee, which they have danced together (Giselle abroad, not at RB), the partnering is not so complex- eg there are overhead lifts but she is not turned or swung around, so it is still possible.

 

Summerscales’ previous partners at ENB for the classics were Junor Souza for Le Corsaire (Gulnare to his Lankedem), Constantine Allen and Arionel Vargas for Swan Lake, Aaron Robison for Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet, etc, all the tallest male principals, guest artists or soloists in the company at various times. She’s not as tall as Sangeun Lee, of course. 

[MAX]

Am I right if I say that Natacha Mair is now the only principal ?

 

This Lead principal and principal don't make sense to me, when did they start this ?   A principal is anyway a leader !!!

[LinMM]

I really don’t understand the 8th year Artist position!! Not to take away from Breanna Ford who has just been promoted to this but why not just promote to First Artist 🤔

[Jane S]

Something to do with pay scales, perhaps?

[LinMM]

Possibly but how many 8th year artists are there in the Company? 
And what would be the pay scale difference between an 8th year Artist and First Artist? 

[Emeralds]

12 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

You may have forgotten the exodus of dancers following Peter Schaufuss to Berlin.  The two names I can definitely remember are Leanne Benjamin and Martin James (who subsequently followed PS to Copenhagen).

 

That’s my concern....unlike the previous ENB departures to Berlin, apart from Sarah Kundi, there are no destinations for the 10 departing dancers and no indication that any of them will follow Rojo to her new company or indeed have jobs in other companies to go on to, unlike the four following Watkin to ENB. We know Amber Hunt has a shared photography business but we don’t know if she wanted or needed to continue dancing. The company will need dancers for the upcoming Theme and Variations, a challenging piece that can precipitate injuries (being danced daily Tue to Sat), Nutcracker, Sleeping Giselle, Khan Giselle and Swan Lake, and they already know a large amount of the choreography. It doesn’t make sense to let so many go instead of offering new/renewed contracts.

 

Additionally, it doesn’t look great that two of the former Dresden dancers are receiving a promotion from first artist (the modern name for coryphee) to junior soloist just for coming to ENB before they've even danced a step here, when a number of deserving ENB dancers are overlooked for promotions. One might say but X or Y is very talented- but so are a good number at ENB (eg Kang, Wood, Choi, Yeomans etc)...if the Semperoper dancers were so good, one has to ask why they weren’t already promoted at Dresden. And that the incoming principal dancer has already been elevated to Lead Principal before she’s danced anything. It looks on paper rather like some of the ten were dropped in order to pay for the three new promotions.

 

I know there’s no Lead Principal equivalent at Semperoper, but Lee has only been a principal for 6-7 years. Begona Cao was a principal for longer, performed many roles in classics and contemporary ballets  beautifully (including covering less prominent ones when numbers were short) and never got elevated to Lead Principal status so there is no precedent for an incoming principal to get it just for joining.

 

The popular Francesco Gabriele Frola, whose phenomenal ability and artistry were already evident from his rapid rise at his previous company, was hired as principal and only elevated to Lead Principal very late (when other colleagues had long been elevated) despite proving himself every season (and helping ticket sales) for several years.  

 

There is also the added caveat that as Lee is 182 cm tall, she can’t easily step in to replace an injured colleague, eg Kase, Oliveira or Takahashi, without their partner having to be replaced as well, which in a company like ENB is an important consideration, although of course it wasn’t her choice or decision to be born with genes that made her extremely tall. Lead Principals should be able to be flexible and be able to step in  (as Caley and  Frola did last season and Takahashi and Frola this January and June) when colleagues were ill or injured.

[Emeralds]

47 minutes ago, MAX said:

Am I right if I say that Natacha Mair is now the only principal ?

 

This Lead principal and principal don't make sense to me, when did they start this ?   A principal is anyway a leader !!!

Tamara Rojo started it some years after Cojocaru and Hernández joined....can’t remember the exact year but it was around the time Cirio and Caley joined. The company received new sponsorship from Aud Jebsen (who also supports RB seasons and the young dancers scheme at RB to enable new dancers to be hired every year) and the new rank was created, although the sponsorship might not be the cause of the decision but a coincidence. Yes, Mair is currently the only non-Lead Principal. I would say that’s the right decision. The ones who need elevating are lower down, eg Choi, Yeomans, Wood and Kang to junior soloist. Velicu should have been made first soloist. Saruhashi and McCormick should have been made Principal. 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Emeralds

[Sabine0308]

50 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Lovely photos, Sabine0308 - was that after Petit’s Coppelia? Your photos, of course, have proven what I’ve said- that Summerscales is quite tall (I didn’t say ‘very tall’ ...will come on to that later when I discuss Lee!). She has said in the past that she is too tall to be partnered by her husband Yonah Acosta in most ballets although like Wagman, Yonah is taller than she is. She added that a few pas de deux like Diana and Acteon, are suitable for them to dance together, where she doesn’t tower over him on pointe. 

 

The height difference of a ballerina and her partner in the Tchaikovsky classics and ballets like Romeo and Juliet (most classical versions), Manon, Onegin, Ashton’s Cinderella, needs to be quite a lot, meaning the top of her head should be around his chin rather than his nose as in Wagman’s case. This is because the supported turns where their right hands are over her head (the best example is right at the end of the traditional White Swan pas de deux)  require enough room for her to hold his fingers comfortably. If she is already slightly taller than him on pointe, he’d have to tiptoe to do those supported turns, which is dangerous. You could cheat by changing the pirouettes to put his hands on her waist instead of overhead after she begins turning but that would mean tampering with the choreography.

...

If the man isn’t tall enough, he might be very strong, but without enough difference in heights there wont be enough distance off the floor during some lifts that swing or turn the ballerina so there is a risk of her hitting the floor, which is dangerous- it’s about physics, not just whether she looks too tall...

Thank you @Emeralds for the explanation, many things I had not considered. Yes these photos were from Petit’s Coppelia. Yonah Acosta Was supposed to dance with Laurretta but then an injury got on the way. I think he and Shale Wagman are the same height. 

[Emeralds]

4 minutes ago, Sabine0308 said:

Thank you @Emeralds for the explanation, many things I had not considered. Yes these photos were from Petit’s Coppelia. Yonah Acosta Was supposed to dance with Laurretta but then an injury got on the way. I think he and Shale Wagman are the same height. 

Yes, I agree Shale and Yonah probably are similar in height. I think most Coppelia productions are like Laurretta’s description of Diana and Acteon-possible to dance with a smaller height difference. 

[MAX]

24 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

if the Semperoper dancers were so good, one has to ask why they weren’t already promoted at Dresden. And that the incoming principal dancer has already been elevated to Lead Principal before she’s danced anything. It looks on paper rather like some of the ten were dropped in order to pay for the three new promotions.

 

 

They maybe had to be hired at that rank to get a work permit in the UK ?

[Emeralds]

@Dawnstar, you asked a good question....Sangeun Lee is 182cm (she stated this to two Korean publications) making her one of the tallest ballerinas in the world.

 

Just to orientate readers  as to the significance of 182cm, Darcey Bussell was 170cm, Sylvie Guillem was 172cm, Ulyana Lopatkina 175cm, Maria Kowroski (who came on a few NYCB mini visits) also 175cm. (I say was to indicate that all have retired.) Polina Semionova is 174cm.  I thought Arianna Lallone, who danced Hippolyta in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Pacific Northwest Ballet at Sadler’s Wells was the tallest female principal at  180cm (she has spoken extensively to dance periodicals about the challenges as well as the advantages), but Lee has broken this record. Courtney Henry is actually taller at 184cm, but dances with the Alonzo King LINES company, where the contemporary choreography can be more forgiving. 

 

ENB has for many years been a company with more petite and medium height female dancers, while RB had Bussell, Guillem, Yanowsky, and many tall male dancers like Pennefather, Cope, Cooper, and still have Clarke, Muntagirov,  and Hirano, so it will be interesting to see how this progresses, although I still think developing then promoting Khaniukova, Velicu, Suzuki, etc should be a priority as the talent is there - it would be a pity to lose them to other companies. That said, I’ve seen Lee in some of the company’s videos, eg her White Swan pdd, and she is indeed very good, and I look forward to seeing her dance.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Emeralds