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DON QUIXOTE - ROYAL BALLET AUTUMN 2023

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Silver Capricorn

Silver Capricorn

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5 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

This is probably me being autistic but I don't see how one can cherish a dancer whom one does not know? My understanding of the meaning of cherish is that it requires a warm personal relationship with someone. I admire & appreciate performers but would never be presumptuous enough to imagine I could get to know any of them them well enough to be able to cherish them.

 

 

I too am hoping they will get paired together in Swan Lake. Kaneko will have to have a new partner anyway.

I'm hoping to cast Swan Lake Fumi with Vadim.  They perform together at almost all foreign galas, but not yet at ROH.  I'm glad that it finally worked out in Manon, so there's still Swan Lake left.  And even if it doesn't work out, they will host together in June 2024 at the Swan Lake in Rome.

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Don Q Fan

Don Q Fan

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Having been at the disrupted show last Friday I have been wondering about a couple of scenes in Act 1 that I do not recall seeing. The first was the one where Gamache is usually ridiculed by Kitri and his hat gets knocked off and she pulls his wig off I did not see this this time round. Has this perhaps been removed for not being PC? The second scene that I missed was where 3 couples are dancing Basilio and Gamache are dancing with Kitri's friends and Kitri is dancing with DonQ,  then the music stops the lights go down and we just see Kitri and Don Q spotlit and dancing as if he is in a trance. Perhaps this was in the last few minutes of Act 1 which was curtailed. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether either of these scenes are still in the ballet? 

 

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emmarose

emmarose

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3 hours ago, Silver Capricorn said:

I'm hoping to cast Swan Lake Fumi with Vadim.  They perform together at almost all foreign galas, but not yet at ROH.  I'm glad that it finally worked out in Manon, so there's still Swan Lake left.  And even if it doesn't work out, they will host together in June 2024 at the Swan Lake in Rome.

 

Yes, I would enjoy those two together, and likewise Will with Marianela, the audiences abroad have enjoyed both and I think both pairings would be lovely. 

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alison

alison

Posted
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3 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

Having been at the disrupted show last Friday I have been wondering about a couple of scenes in Act 1 that I do not recall seeing. The first was the one where Gamache is usually ridiculed by Kitri and his hat gets knocked off and she pulls his wig off I did not see this this time round. Has this perhaps been removed for not being PC? The second scene that I missed was where 3 couples are dancing Basilio and Gamache are dancing with Kitri's friends and Kitri is dancing with DonQ,  then the music stops the lights go down and we just see Kitri and Don Q spotlit and dancing as if he is in a trance. Perhaps this was in the last few minutes of Act 1 which was curtailed. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether either of these scenes are still in the ballet? 

 

I don't remember Kitri ever pulling Gamache's wig off?  The second one - a gavotte or minuet or some such - I don't remember seeing last Friday, which is odd, because I would have thought it was before the point where McRae got injured.  Perhaps I just lost focus for a bit?

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Silver Capricorn

Silver Capricorn

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7 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

Having been at the disrupted show last Friday I have been wondering about a couple of scenes in Act 1 that I do not recall seeing. The first was the one where Gamache is usually ridiculed by Kitri and his hat gets knocked off and she pulls his wig off I did not see this this time round. Has this perhaps been removed for not being PC? The second scene that I missed was where 3 couples are dancing Basilio and Gamache are dancing with Kitri's friends and Kitri is dancing with DonQ,  then the music stops the lights go down and we just see Kitri and Don Q spotlit and dancing as if he is in a trance. Perhaps this was in the last few minutes of Act 1 which was curtailed. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether either of these scenes are still in the ballet? 

 

I remember the Gamache wig scene from Nureyev's version of Don Q, not sure if it's in Acosta's version.  I saw the minuet scene you mention in both performances that I have now seen with Nela and Vadim.

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Sophoife

Sophoife

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14 minutes ago, Silver Capricorn said:

I remember the Gamache wig scene from Nureyev's version of Don Q, not sure if it's in Acosta's version. 

 

Can't speak to the minuet, but can definitely confirm the wig-pulling in the Nureyev Don Q, which of course is wot we 'as 'ere Dahn Unda. Last seen in Sydney in April this year 😉

Edited by Sophoife
Removed a bit of the quote for relevance.
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Linnzi5

Linnzi5

Posted
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10 hours ago, Don Q Fan said:

Having been at the disrupted show last Friday I have been wondering about a couple of scenes in Act 1 that I do not recall seeing. The first was the one where Gamache is usually ridiculed by Kitri and his hat gets knocked off and she pulls his wig off I did not see this this time round. Has this perhaps been removed for not being PC? The second scene that I missed was where 3 couples are dancing Basilio and Gamache are dancing with Kitri's friends and Kitri is dancing with DonQ,  then the music stops the lights go down and we just see Kitri and Don Q spotlit and dancing as if he is in a trance. Perhaps this was in the last few minutes of Act 1 which was curtailed. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether either of these scenes are still in the ballet? 

 

Definitely no wig pulling and I don't believe it was in Acosta's original 2013 production.  Kitri danced with Don Q on several occasions, but there is definitely a moment in Act 1, in the town, where she dances with him and then everyone freezes and he has his 'vision'.

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JohnS

JohnS

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6 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

… there is definitely a moment in Act 1, in the town, where [Kitri] dances with [Don Q] and then everyone freezes and he has his 'vision'.


I’ve been meaning to ask how Don Q makes clear in this ‘vision’ scene that he believes Kitri to be his Dulcinea which helps make sense of Kitri dancing Dulcinea in the Act 2 Dream. But I’m not sure how explicit this is and what else the various Don Qs do to convey the message. Or is it simply Don Q dancing the Gavotte with Kitri, then Dulcinea, then kissing Kitri’s hand?
 

The current Cast Sheet synopsis doesn’t include the point but an old programme and printed cast sheet both have a helpful fuller synopsis: ‘Watching Kitri dancing with Basilio, Don Q becomes entranced by her beauty and believes that she is Dulcinea.’

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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After 2 lots of ballet-travel train problems recently today I decided to get a train half an hour than usual to be on the safe side, given there are signalling problems on the East Coast mainline that my line joins with. However we got stuck in terrible traffic so it took twice as long as normal to get to Cambridge station & I was only just in time to get my usual train. Touch wood it's running on time so far, but I'm having to stand all the way. I feel like I'm cursed!

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Richard LH

Richard LH

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14 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

After 2 lots of ballet-travel train problems recently today I decided to get a train half an hour than usual to be on the safe side, given there are signalling problems on the East Coast mainline that my line joins with. However we got stuck in terrible traffic so it took twice as long as normal to get to Cambridge station & I was only just in time to get my usual train. Touch wood it's running on time so far, but I'm having to stand all the way. I feel like I'm cursed!

There have been a spate of signalling problems into London from East Anglia recently.... the other day it was on the Cambridge line at Royston, today it's on the Peterborough line at St Neots. Hope you arrive in good time @Dawnstar. Do you change at Finsbury Park for the Piccadilly line?

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WoodlandGladeFairy

WoodlandGladeFairy

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Absolutely amazing performance of Don Quixote tonight by the Royal Ballet, am still buzzing, pure sunshine 

 

Vadim Muntagirov and Marianela Nuñez were just supernova, their dancing is pure perfection, so much joy and love, very life affirming.

 

Also enjoyed Ryoichi Hirano as Espada, just the right amount of swagger.

 

Annette Buvoli was delightful as the Queen of the Dryads, I love the music too and for some reason it makes me well up and I don't know why, just seems to go deep.

 

Loved the costumes, so beautiful and sparkly.

 

It is much needed, an escape to a sunny, happy ballet.

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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I'm too tired to comment properly but just to say I thought this evening's performance was excellent. I'm terrible at remembering choreography to compare across performances but I think Muntagirov did some split jumps I haven't seen from other Basilios. The curtain call nearly turned into Act IV with both Muntagirov & Nunez jumping on stage for their solo bows! (Did you get photos @Rob S?) Oh and I love it that now the men are allowed bouquets on stage we are getting flower exchanges between pairs rather than just the woman giving one to the man.

 

Apart from the leads, my favourite line-up of men in the character roles. I don't know if Sancho Panza is Mosley's favourite role but he looks like it is!

Edited by Dawnstar
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Richard LH

Richard LH

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Marianela's jete out from the curtain gap was a fitting end to her wonderful run as Kitri this time round...and an amusing riposte to Vadim's earlier jump out...."anything you can do" etc ....

Edit for @Dawnstar....dancersdiary has captured the leaps on Instagram.

Edited by Richard LH
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Suffolkgal

Suffolkgal

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Totally random but sort of connected.. pronunciation... I’ve heard people say don keehott don keyhote and don keehotay with the last syllable short or long. What do we reckon? I sat next to a Spanish lady who was on the phone in the interval and she said don kheehoteh. So guessing that’s right? I just really want to know! And thanks so much for the joyous pics they’ll all be at it now. Hugs are relatively recent I think and now it will be leaps!

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Bluebird

Bluebird

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Posted (edited)
18 minutes ago, Suffolkgal said:

Totally random but sort of connected.. pronunciation... I’ve heard people say don keehott don keyhote and don keehotay with the last syllable short or long. What do we reckon? I sat next to a Spanish lady who was on the phone in the interval and she said don kheehoteh. So guessing that’s right? I just really want to know! And thanks so much for the joyous pics they’ll all be at it now. Hugs are relatively recent I think and now it will be leaps!

 

Your Spanish lady has given you the correct pronunciation of the Spanish name. The book by Cervantes is  called "Don Quijote de la Mancha" and, in Spanish, the 'j' is pronounced like an 'h' and an 'e' at the end of a word is pronounced 'ay'. Also,in Spanish, the stress is on the penultimate syllable - i.e. the stress is on the 'o'.  Hope that's clear!

 

Although the Royal Ballet use the English spelling of the name (i.e. Don Quixote), they use the Spanish pronunciation. 

Edited by Bluebird
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Scheherezade

Scheherezade

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11 minutes ago, Suffolkgal said:

I’ve heard people say don keehott don keyhote and don keehotay with the last syllable short or long. What do we reckon? I sat next to a Spanish lady who was on the phone in the interval and she said don kheehoteh. So guessing that’s right?


Spaniards will indeed say Kheehoteh, the French opt for Keyshott but many Brits - possibly sloppily or perhaps to sidestep the stigma of looking like a show off by trying to sound authentic - will still say Keyohtee. 

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Rob S

Rob S

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14 minutes ago, PeterS said:

 

given it was captured by Dancers Diary i'd say that it was pre-planned not improvised.  impressive nonetheless

 

Yes that's what I thought when I saw the picture last night

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Sim

Sim

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Just now, Scheherezade said:


Spaniards will indeed say Kheehoteh, the French opt for Keyshott but many Brits - possibly sloppily or perhaps to sidestep the stigma of looking like a show off by trying to sound authentic - will still say Keyohtee. 

I have heard some Brits saying 'Quickshott'.   As it's a Spanish name Keehotay would be correct, but whatever floats your boat!

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Nina99

Nina99

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I loved Marianela and Vadim’s curtain call jumps. Not sure I can see it becoming a thing though. I mean it wouldn’t be very appropriate for Manon for instance. However, they were certainly fitting end to this performance which I thought was wonderful.  It was my first time seeing Don Q live and I loved every minute of it. I think @WoodlandGladeFairy post said it all in her post and I absolutely agree with her comments. 
 

Besides, the two leads who were on superlative form I also enjoyed the performances of Rio Hirano who was just right as Espada, and Christopher Saunders who was superb as the Don. Unexpectedly, I also very much enjoyed the vision scene, which I thought was lovely.

 

All in all, it was a superb evening and it was lovely to see a ballet where so much of the company had plenty to do.
 

 

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