Kyiv city ballet - Sadlers Wells

[JNC]

I noticed that Kyiv City Ballet are at Sadlers Wells Peacock theatre the same time as ENB are doing their mixed bill (main theatre) in September.

 

https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/kyiv-city-ballet-a-tribute-to-peace/

 

I couldn’t find a thread on this and I’m intrigued at the prospect of seeing Les Sylphides (and excerpt but still) live, as well as some Ukrainian folk dancing. 
 

I was just wondering if anyone had seen them previously (there’s a thread where they were in York last year) and if they were any good?

 

My dilemma is essentially I know I will love the ENB mixed bill and I was going to seize the opportunity to go to that twice (I’m in London two consecutive nights). I could give up one night of ENB to see this instead but I wonder if I’ll be disappointed, so just wondered if anyone had seen the Kyiv ballet or knew any more about their scheduled performances?

[Blossom]

I am unfortunately in the position where I have only 1 day I can do for both companies - I therefore can't see both.

I've already booked ENB but would love to see KCB. Given Sadlers Wells has so little in terms of ballet programming I'm quite frustrated about the programming clash.

[SheilaC]

I saw the company on both occasions that they performed in York.

It's very moving to see them, given all that is happening in their home country, and worth going to see them as a means of supporting them. However, they didn't dance the full Les Sylphides in York, and while some of their dancers are quite good, neither the content of the programme or the standard of dancing will be as high as the ENB bill, which looks to be very good, musically, as well as boasting, in Theme and Variations, one of Balanchine's most glorious classical ballets;  if only BRB would do it again as SWRB did, with the sublime Yoshida doing the best performance of it I've ever seen, despite seeing many companies across the world do it.

I have booked for 3 performances of the ENB programme; if I hadn't seen the Kyiv company each time it danced in York I would have booked for one performance of them and two of ENB.

[San Perregrino]

@JNC @Blossom
 

Performance dates for the two shows overlap from 26th -30th inclusive but there are matinees too so, seeing the two shows on a single day is possible. The weekday matinees are also on different days.

 

Kyiv Ballet has matinees on Wednesday 27th and Saturday 30th.

 

ENB Voices has matinees on Thursday 28th and Saturday 30th.

Edited July 19, 2023 by PeterS
Grammar

[JNC]

Thanks Peter due to personal/work reasons it’s the two consecutive evenings for me so it is either two ENB or one ENB one Kyiv, hence why I’m interested if anyone has any insight into Kyiv. 
 

Thanks @SheilaC that’s really helpful. Based on what you’ve said I think I’ll stick with two ENB performances. I know I’ll love this bill (or at least one third of it!) so I think unless the Kyiv offering was great (both in quality and repertoire) I sense I’d be disappointed to have missed that for sake of something I prefer less. I’d be more tempted if they did Les Sylphides in full but if the dancing isn’t up to scratch it’s maybe moot (and thank you for your honesty on that, I don’t mean to twist what you’ve said but technique is important to me so I appreciate you noting this). 

 

It’s times like these I do miss living in London! 

Edited July 19, 2023 by JNC

[Blossom]

29 minutes ago, PeterS said:

@JNC @Blossom
 

Performance dates for the two shows overlap from 26th -30th inclusive but there are matinees too so, seeing the two shows on a single day is possible. The weekday matinees are also on different days.

 

Kyiv Ballet has matinees on Wednesday 27th and Saturday 30th.

 

ENB Voices has matinees on Thursday 28th and Saturday 30th.

Unfortunately i can only do 26th due to work and other commitments, but glad to have @SheilaC's perspective to know I have made the better choice from my personal perspective.

[art_enthusiast]

2 hours ago, SheilaC said:

while some of their dancers are quite good, neither the content of the programme or the standard of dancing will be as high as the ENB bill

 

I was wondering, how exactly is the standard of dancing different - I believe Kyiv City is a professional company? Just curious.

[Emeralds]

Kyiv City Ballet is the company of dancers who were stranded in Paris when Ukraine was invaded shortly after the dancers had arrived in France to start their spring tour. They were given a temporary home in the Theatre du Chatelet and lived out of suitcases in temporary accommodation in the suburbs while it was unclear if they could fly back to Kyiv safely or at all.

 

The Theatre Royal Bath hosted them for one performance in April (in addition to the York performances they gave that SheilaC attended) which I was really disappointed that I couldn’t get to as the long train journeys clashed with an existing appointment. I’ve been wanting to see them since last year and to support them, and am glad Sadler’s Wells have brought them over for some performances, albeit at Peacock Theatre off Holborn rather than Sadler’s Wells Theatre in Angel. PT is not my fave theatre (although there are far worse) but I can overlook that due to it being Kyiv City Ballet. These are not dancers who have had the luxury of training and living in comfortable, well equipped and highly supported conditions and high tech facilities. From what I’ve seen on newsreels and videos, they have spunk, artistry,  emotion, passion and the underlying quality Ukrainian training in spades. It’s also stuff like not having the money for a full live orchestra or the luxury of extra understudies from a large company or an affiliated school to step in if dancers sustain injuries, or expensive sets and costumes. One can’t compare them with ENB/RB - it’s like comparing first aid from the Red Cross on a battlefield versus state of the art surgery and intensive care equipment from Royal Brompton Hospital. 

 

I wish we weren’t seeing them in such distressing circumstances but I applaud them for their bravery and resilience. Looking forward to their shows. I’ll be catching ENB too. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Emeralds

[JNC]

Good point @Emeralds, I hope I’m not being harsh on the company and if I had unlimited time and money and lived in London I would definitely make a performance.  I hope it sells well and if they perform a matinee somewhere I can get to that doesn’t require an overnight stay in future I would like to see them, I’ll keep an eye out. 

[alison]

I've added the KCB tag, and it shows that we have 4 threads about this company, in case anyone wants to learn more.

[Emeralds]

Oh no,  not harsh at all, @JNC. I’m outside London too and I empathise - sometimes it’s so disappointing not to be able to attend more shows when real life and other important obligations/deadlines clash with ballet.

 

It just occurred to me that sometimes ballet performances can be like buses (none for ages, then three come along at once)....ie on the evening of Friday 29th September, there will be 3 ballet performances in London: Kyiv City Ballet, English National Ballet, Jamiel Devernay-Laurence’s Ballet Nights group at Lanterns Studio Theatre near Canary Wharf all happening at the same time, and on the evening of Saturday 30 September there will be four: all three plus the Royal Ballet’s first night of the season (Don Quixote). Phew!

 

I plan to space everything out on different weeks plus matinees ....hopefully there won’t be rail/tube strikes as well! 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Emeralds