FionaM Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 It’s been my opinion for quite some time that the background in character antics of the supporting cast have got out of hand and detract from the main point of the scene in many of RB full length ballets. They need to be choreographed to be busy at some points and quiet in others. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 7 minutes ago, capybara said: Are you talking about the Beggars or other culprits @Linnzi5? (It’s so funny the way the post you quoted has cut off above your comment.) 🤣 I meant the beggars. They were great, but just a little too 'in my face' at times. Sometimes, so much was going on and that I didn't know where to look. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 16, 2023 Author Share Posted October 16, 2023 7 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said: 🤣 I meant the beggars. They were great, but just a little too 'in my face' at times. Sometimes, so much was going on and that I didn't know where to look. Completely agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Yuhui Choe seems to have been a surprise cast for Mercedes on Monday night. Perhaps Cellist rehearsals are taking precedence for Mayara Magri. She has been given quite a workload being cast as Kitri and Mercedes in DQ, and Jacqueline du Pre in The Cellist and then also covering Osipova’s first two Kitris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
li tai po Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Another exhilarating and inspiring evening from Marianela and Vadim, who bring attack, sharpness, elevation, poise, balance and elegance to the choreography by Petipa and others, qualities which are required to bring a Russian ballet to life. The explosive atmosphere in the auditorium was invigorating - it reminded me of the Fonteyn days. The beggars should be sent back to Amiens and Manon - they are derivative and distracting. Their final line-up is close to plagiarism and the collapse of the boy underneath is over the top. Petipa's humour is much more subtle. I love the moment in the Act I minuet, when Basilio and Kitri's friends struggle to follow Gamache and Don Q, because the steps of this dance of the nobility are unfamiliar to them. Oh sorry - this part of the minuet is cut out, so we can watch Don Q stomping around in another daydream. I was very struck by Caspar Lench at the RBS summer performance and was delighted to spot him in the seguidillas. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 6 hours ago, FionaM said: Yuhui Choe seems to have been a surprise cast for Mercedes on Monday night Yes I enjoyed her performance very much as well.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 9 hours ago, hephaistion03 said: My first post on here for many a year but I felt had to comment on Don Q this evening, the audience reaction. Hello @hephaistion03 and welcome to the Forum! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 14 hours ago, Richard LH said: Best wishes to both... (Is "AROS" a thing now then)?😂 I’ve been using that abbreviation for quite some time but it really seems to be catching on 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 17, 2023 Author Share Posted October 17, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, FionaM said: She has been given quite a workload being cast as Kitri and Mercedes in DQ, and Jacqueline du Pre in The Cellist and then also covering Osipova’s first two Kitris! Mayara Magri is, of course, very good indeed but one can’t help notice from what has been announced that she is being featured far more than other women Principals: - opening night Mercedes - 2 substitute Kitris - 3 Jacquelines in The Cellist - 2 scheduled Kitris, including the live relay - 4 Sugar Plums (2 different partners) - 4 Lescaut’s Mistress The most any another Principal ballerina is cast for to date on the main stage is Nunez (3 Kitris then nothing until January) but otherwise it’s a maximum of two shows apiece for Don Q, Nutcracker and Manon plus Dante yet to be revealed. Notwithstanding my huge admiration for Mayara, I can’t help but wonder about this imbalance, especially when the RB is so rich in top talent. I personally want to see as much from Fumi Kaneko and Yasmine Naghdi - the latter in particular appears to be being under-used. (Apologies for the diversion.) Edited October 17, 2023 by capybara 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Instagram 16-10-23 Facebook album 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellyb Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 When I said I enjoyed the beggars I meant their centre-stage activities, I don't think I noticed them much in the background? There was one girl in the background who was doing very exaggerated movements in Act I which I did find slightly distracting, but otherwise it felt about the right level. I'm pretty unobservant though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 48 minutes ago, capybara said: Mayara Magri is, of course, very good indeed but one can’t help notice from what has been announced that she is being featured far more than other women Principals: - opening night Mercedes - 2 substitute Kitris - 3 Jacquelines in The Cellist - 2 scheduled Kitris, including the live relay - 4 Sugar Plums (2 different partners) - 4 Lescaut’s Mistress The most any another Principal ballerina is cast for to date on the main stage is Nunez (3 Kitris then nothing until January) but otherwise it’s a maximum of two shows apiece for Don Q, Nutcracker and Manon plus Dante yet to be revealed. Notwithstanding my huge admiration for Mayara, I can’t help but wonder about this imbalance, especially when the RB is so rich in top talent. I personally want to see as much from Fumi Kaneko and Yasmine Naghdi - the latter in particular appears to be being under-used. (Apologies for the diversion.) Could part of this apparent scheduling inbalance re Nutcracker be that both Fumi and Yasmine are making their Manon debuts in January and that's a huge role to learn, whereas Lescaut's mistress is a considerably lesser undertaking that Mayara has danced before ? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Could it also be that she's still sort of transitioning from secondary roles to leading roles, where others have already done so? It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a fairly newly promoted principal dancing secondary roles which he or she later drops. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MildConcern Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 4 minutes ago, alison said: Could it also be that she's still sort of transitioning from secondary roles to leading roles, where others have already done so? It wouldn't be the first time I've seen a fairly newly promoted principal dancing secondary roles which he or she later drops. Fumi also danced a number of 'doubles' last year - Lilac and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and also both Cinderella and Fairy Godmother. A counterbalance to having a very healthy number of female principals is that the first soloists are not as strong as they have been at other points in the past (my opinion only, of course). I rather like seeing Kaneko, Magri and O'Sullivan still dancing secondary roles, alongside their many leading debuts. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 (edited) Still currently "78 seats" available for Fumi, Will et. al. tonight.....get them if you can, I would say! There were 2 more before, but I am afraid we just had to see them again....🙄 Edited October 17, 2023 by Richard LH 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 1 hour ago, MildConcern said: A counterbalance to having a very healthy number of female principals is that the first soloists are not as strong as they have been at other points in the past (my opinion only, of course). I Yet, Melissa Hamilton who I would regard as a strong first soloist with a wonderful stage presence, has yet to appear. I know she has, and will be, guesting with Roberto Bolle at the end of this month, but I hope she will appear perhaps taking on a role such as Mercedes, rather than ‘just’ revisit the Queen of the Dryads. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 11 minutes ago, Odyssey said: Yet, Melissa Hamilton who I would regard as a strong first soloist with a wonderful stage presence, has yet to appear. I know she has, and will be, guesting with Roberto Bolle at the end of this month, but I hope she will appear perhaps taking on a role such as Mercedes, rather than ‘just’ revisit the Queen of the Dryads. I'm quite surprised she's yet to be used in any show in this production, she's one of their biggest assets as a first soloist. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 1 hour ago, MildConcern said: Fumi also danced a number of 'doubles' last year - Lilac and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and also both Cinderella and Fairy Godmother. A counterbalance to having a very healthy number of female principals is that the first soloists are not as strong as they have been at other points in the past (my opinion only, of course). I rather like seeing Kaneko, Magri and O'Sullivan still dancing secondary roles, alongside their many leading debuts. I have to say, it always feels like such a special treat to have those casts 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 in the present day, Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Mutagirov are lovely to watch. they put on a fantastic show, there is no denying that. they are global ambassadors for ballet and the reception they received at both performances so far this season is well-deserved. it's a privilege to be able to see them dancing live onstage. and, when i'm watching them i wouldn't want to be anywhere else. it's like wrapping oneself in a favourite cardigan and curling up on the sofa to watch a favourite episode of, say, Friends. there's a familiarity in everything they do and it is done extremely well. the downside of this is that it all seems very safe, there are no surprises. through repetition the extraordinary has become ordinary, one performance is pretty much a copy of the last and as a result, for me, compared to their first night, last night lacked a little 'soul'. at times it felt like 'ballet by numbers'. how i wish that i had been a regular ballet goer at the start of both Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirovs' dancing careers. oh to have seen them dance Kitri & Basilio at one of their first performances when they were fresh in the roles and discovering dancing them together. to have been a part of their journey. to have seen them grow and evolve in these roles to where they are now. for me also, there's a growing sadness in watching them though, as i begin to wonder if this will be the last time i will see them dance in these roles. which is why i'll be back watching again on Thursday. Carpe Diem. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 46 minutes ago, PeterS said: in the present day, Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Mutagirov are lovely to watch. they put on a fantastic show, there is no denying that. they are global ambassadors for ballet and the reception they received at both performances so far this season is well-deserved. it's a privilege to be able to see them dancing live onstage. and, when i'm watching them i wouldn't want to be anywhere else. it's like wrapping oneself in a favourite cardigan and curling up on the sofa to watch a favourite episode of, say, Friends. there's a familiarity in everything they do and it is done extremely well. the downside of this is that it all seems very safe, there are no surprises. through repetition the extraordinary has become ordinary, one performance is pretty much a copy of the last and as a result, for me, compared to their first night, last night lacked a little 'soul'. at times it felt like 'ballet by numbers'. how i wish that i had been a regular ballet goer at the start of both Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirovs' dancing careers. oh to have seen them dance Kitri & Basilio at one of their first performances when they were fresh in the roles and discovering dancing them together. to have been a part of their journey. to have seen them grow and evolve in these roles to where they are now. for me also, there's a growing sadness in watching them though, as i begin to wonder if this will be the last time i will see them dance in these roles. which is why i'll be back watching again on Thursday. Carpe Diem. You make some really interesting points there Peter. My favourite dancers - Chi Cao and Nao Sakuma (who retired from BRB a few years ago) - were mostly partnered together during their entire 23 years with BRB. I never felt they "got safe" but, interestingly enough I sometimes preferred them with other partners because you did see a different interaction. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 2 hours ago, Richard LH said: Still currently "78 seats" available for Fumi, Will et. al. tonight.....get them if you can, I would say! There were 2 more before, but I am afraid we just had to see them again....🙄 Managed to get mine last night! Not to be missed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 2 hours ago, PeterS said: for me also, there's a growing sadness in watching them though, as i begin to wonder if this will be the last time i will see them dance in these roles. Muntagirov's only 33! Unless he has injury problems (and he doesn't seem to be injury-prone, touch wood) I would have hoped he'd dance for about another decade. That would give him time for another 3 or so runs of Don Q. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 21 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Muntagirov's only 33! Unless he has injury problems (and he doesn't seem to be injury-prone, touch wood) I would have hoped he'd dance for about another decade. That would give him time for another 3 or so runs of Don Q. I would say this, it's always good to cherish dancers while they're here, you never know what can happen, you hope they can stay on to have a long career, but injury and also burnout can happen to any dancer, so no matter what age, cherish them all. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 1 hour ago, JennyTaylor said: Managed to get mine last night! Not to be missed Indeed - hence my last minute purchase yesterday! 😳 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Enjoy. I wish I could go too, but have had a couple of bad nights and have a busy diary for the next few days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 5 hours ago, PeterS said: in the present day, Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Mutagirov are lovely to watch. they put on a fantastic show, there is no denying that. they are global ambassadors for ballet and the reception they received at both performances so far this season is well-deserved. it's a privilege to be able to see them dancing live onstage. and, when i'm watching them i wouldn't want to be anywhere else. it's like wrapping oneself in a favourite cardigan and curling up on the sofa to watch a favourite episode of, say, Friends. there's a familiarity in everything they do and it is done extremely well. the downside of this is that it all seems very safe, there are no surprises. through repetition the extraordinary has become ordinary, one performance is pretty much a copy of the last and as a result, for me, compared to their first night, last night lacked a little 'soul'. at times it felt like 'ballet by numbers'. I understand this viewpoint as I have thought the same myself at times, however I thought last night, and on opening night, Marianela, in particular, didn't just repeat a standard "safe"(?) performance but incorporated various special moments of her own, playing around a little with the choreography and timing..I think she is so confident in the role that she can manipulate things to suit and add her own twist. Also she had a wonderful rapport with the audience, and you could see and feel her joy as she danced the role... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MildConcern Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 The Kaneko / Bracewell partnership really is something truly special; the chemistry reminds me of Cojocaru / Kobborg back when they were on the ROH stage. There is something naturally warm and intimate in the way they pay notice to each other even in the midst of a challenging pdd that makes their storytelling feel so very genuine. There is much I could say about this evening but the main thought I have is that it may be the most convincing wedding pdd I have seen in the Acosta production - not speaking purely in terms of technique (though those fouettés!), but in making me feel like I am a guest at their special day. A very happy theatregoer tonight indeed, and extremely pleased that I nabbed a last minute ticket! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 11 minutes ago, MildConcern said: The Kaneko / Bracewell partnership really is something truly special; the chemistry reminds me of Cojocaru / Kobborg back when they were on the ROH stage. There is something naturally warm and intimate in the way they pay notice to each other even in the midst of a challenging pdd that makes their storytelling feel so very genuine. There is much I could say about this evening but the main thought I have is that it may be the most convincing wedding pdd I have seen in the Acosta production - not speaking purely in terms of technique (though those fouettés!), but in making me feel like I am a guest at their special day. A very happy theatregoer tonight indeed, and extremely pleased that I nabbed a last minute ticket! I totally agree. It was a fabulous evening. I’ll think what, if I can think of anything moderately interesting or useful, I can add tomorrow. Those fouettés! Wow! Fumi absolutely nailed those and more today. I was so impressed. And Will and Fumi? 😍 Super impressed with Will today. My heart just was full of joy. Well worth my impromptu visit. Can’t wait for the next one! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 For Sim! Those eyes! 🤣 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeauxArts Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 It was an exceptionally enjoyable performance and the partnership is very special indeed. Bracewell seemed visibly more relaxed so everything worked better and had more aplomb, including the single handed lifts. He seems to really enjoy this role. A delight all round. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 4 hours ago, Richard LH said: I understand this viewpoint as I have thought the same myself at times, however I thought last night, and on opening night, Marianela, in particular, didn't just repeat a standard "safe"(?) performance but incorporated various special moments of her own, playing around a little with the choreography and timing..I think she is so confident in the role that she can manipulate things to suit and add her own twist. Also she had a wonderful rapport with the audience, and you could see and feel her joy as she danced the role... I agree with this, I feel that in the space that she is 'safe' within the role, it also allows her to play, especially with holding things or going for those turns in certain ways. On Instagram (they really shouldn't) there was a few posts from last night, and in the Act 1 Kitri solo, it looked like she had a 'special' moment where she just kept spinning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 2 minutes ago, emmarose said: I agree with this, I feel that in the space that she is 'safe' within the role, it also allows her to play, especially with holding things or going for those turns in certain ways. On Instagram (they really shouldn't) there was a few posts from last night, and in the Act 1 Kitri solo, it looked like she had a 'special' moment where she just kept spinning. The girl sitting next to me in the amphi filmed most of the show last night.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 17, 2023 Author Share Posted October 17, 2023 6 minutes ago, Lindsay said: The girl sitting next to me in the amphi filmed most of the show last night.. Would it be possible to stop her or ask an Usher to do so if you encounter her again? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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