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The Dante Project, Royal Ballet Autumn 2023

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capybara

capybara

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I don’t know whether it’s common knowledge or not but a friend was at a Ballet Association meeting on Monday and not sure if he was at this with Ben Ella but anyway she told me this info and also where he was going but I’ve forgotten at mo. 


Sorry to be a killjoy but The Ballet Association does ask attendees not to post news from their talks on social media.

 

In this case, the RB should be putting the info. out officially; but maybe waiting until the end of Dante.

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Ondine

Ondine

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, capybara said:

Sorry to be a killjoy but The Ballet Association does ask attendees not to post news from their talks on social media.

 

In this case, the RB should be putting the info. out officially; but maybe waiting until the end of Dante.

 

It's on his Linkedin page that's he's a 'former soloist' etc so it's not really very secret.

 

 

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mock-07bb6175

 

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JohnS

JohnS

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

How is it going tonight? I’ve also booked to see this cast

 

I too am very keen to hear about this cast. I haven’t yet booked but only because I’m waiting for Avanti to publish its revised timetable for early December. If there’s still a Saturday late afternoon train running, I’ll see the Hirano cast on 1 December and stay for the Saturday matinee and the Bracewell cast. Avanti say the timetable will be published by 24 November but who knows whether that will be in time for Friday Rush. 

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Emeralds

Emeralds

Posted
Posted (edited)

I did wonder where Tomas had gone! Aww, he'll be missed. But kudos to him on his academic studies - I'm sure it will be exciting and fun for him to explore new avenues, and we still get to see him in Dante for his last shows. 

Edited by Emeralds
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San Perregrino

San Perregrino

Posted
Posted

 

14 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:


How is it going tonight? I’ve also booked to see this cast

 

13 hours ago, JohnS said:

 

I too am very keen to hear about this cast. I haven’t yet booked but only because I’m waiting for Avanti to publish its revised timetable for early December. If there’s still a Saturday late afternoon train running, I’ll see the Hirano cast on 1 December and stay for the Saturday matinee and the Bracewell cast. Avanti say the timetable will be published by 24 November but who knows whether that will be in time for Friday Rush. 

 

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Any comments on last night's cast please?  I'm seeing them on Monday so am curious to know opinions.  

.  

i thought it was a terrific fusion of music and choreography that displayed the combined talent of the Company wonderfully. 

a special mention of Sarah Lamb who was mesmerising whenever she took to the stage (i can't wait to see her Manon again).

for a change, i was standing in the balcony and Paradiso was even more enjoyable at this level because the my eyeline took in both the projections and the dancing without my being forced to choose one or the other. the speed of some of the pirouettes was breathtaking and from a comparative distance the concept of Dante travelling through a Space of revolving planets, stars and constellations became clearer to me.

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zxDaveM

zxDaveM

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Sim said:

Any comments on last night's cast please?  I'm seeing them on Monday so am curious to know opinions.  

 

Sarah Lamb was magnificent as Beatrice (that last pdd in 'act 2' was sublime)

Lovely to see Olivia Cowley being devilish (very intense) closing out 'act 1'.

Both these dancers really do deliver for McGregor.

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JohnS

JohnS

Posted
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3 hours ago, PeterS said:

i was standing in the balcony


I do hope you weren’t bothered by what I thought was an incredibly intrusive hum in Act 3 when I was in the Balcony for opening night which I assume was for the screen projections. I’d rather written off booking tickets in the Balcony for extra bookings but as you say the Balcony gives a very good perspective - perhaps the opening night hum was a one off?

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art_enthusiast

art_enthusiast

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, MAB said:

I liked Hirano a lot.  I saw a couple of performances in Paris in May, interesting to compare the two companies.

 

Good to know. After seeing him several times as Rudolf in last season's Mayerling (with Osipova/Hamilton/Takada when McRae was out) I think he brings a lot of depth to his acting. I'm interested to see what he makes of Dante.

 

I probably went to every single performance in 2021 (or near enough) - have restricted myself to one this time round!

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Sim

Sim

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

I probably went to every single performance in 2021 (or near enough) - have restricted myself to one this time round!

Ditto....and it's the Hirano performance tomorrow night for me.  

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Linnzi5

Linnzi5

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Sim said:

Ditto....and it's the Hirano performance tomorrow night for me.  

I hope you enjoy! I thought William Bracewell was fantastic as Dante, though I felt he wasn't given enough dancing to do! Saying that, his acting and emoting was brilliant, IMO. I also enjoyed so many of the other dancers, who were magnificent too. I would have gone again, only I've spent to much and have been so unwell I couldn't go. I'm trying to get myself better for Nutcracker - I know have an ear infection, which is so annoying. 😡

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Sam L

Sam L

Posted
Posted

Hi all, 

 

I am new to post on the forum, but have been reading some of your reviews of the ballet, and have really enjoyed it. 

 

If any of you are interested, the below is my medium article reviewing the show. 

It would be lovely to receive any feedbacks or thoughts on the review. 

 

Review - The Dante Project: Dante, Danced and Dazzled

 

Thank you. 

 

Best, 

Sam

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Sim

Sim

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Sam L said:

Hi all, 

 

I am new to post on the forum, but have been reading some of your reviews of the ballet, and have really enjoyed it. 

 

If any of you are interested, the below is my medium article reviewing the show. 

It would be lovely to receive any feedbacks or thoughts on the review. 

 

Review - The Dante Project: Dante, Danced and Dazzled

 

Thank you. 

 

Best, 

Sam

Welcome to the forum, Sam!  Lovely review,  but a couple of small things.  Just incorrect name spellings - I hope you don't mind me correcting them:

 

Uspenski

Melissa

Fumi

 

And Paradiso should have a capital P as it is the name of one of the three acts.

 

Your explanation of the ballet is really clear and I will be getting a 'newbie' friend to read it this evening before we go along.  I think it will help her to get a lot more out of the ballet.  Please keep posting your thoughts and reviews....much appreciated!  

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Sam L

Sam L

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Sim said:

Welcome to the forum, Sam!  Lovely review,  but a couple of small things.  Just incorrect name spellings - I hope you don't mind me correcting them:

 

Uspenski

Melissa

Fumi

 

And Paradiso should have a capital P as it is the name of one of the three acts.

 

Your explanation of the ballet is really clear and I will be getting a 'newbie' friend to read it this evening before we go along.  I think it will help her to get a lot more out of the ballet.  Please keep posting your thoughts and reviews....much appreciated!  

 

Sim, Thank you for the feedback! 

The spelling mistakes have been corrected (the autocorrect function has really taken over!)

 

Yes - I really tried to be as clear as possible for all audience :)

I'm glad you caught on that! I would be interested to know what you friend thinks.

 

Thank you for the support, and I shall do! 

 

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bridiem

bridiem

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Sam L said:

Hi all, 

 

I am new to post on the forum, but have been reading some of your reviews of the ballet, and have really enjoyed it. 

 

If any of you are interested, the below is my medium article reviewing the show. 

It would be lovely to receive any feedbacks or thoughts on the review. 

 

Review - The Dante Project: Dante, Danced and Dazzled

 

Thank you. 

 

Best, 

Sam

 

I think this is an excellent review, Sam - very clear and helpful. Thank you for posting it and I hope you'll post about any other productions you see!

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Sim

Sim

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Posted

I am at the opera house and the posted cast list is indicating Will and Fumi as dancing in Paradiso. Unless we’re in for a fab bonus, the ROH has made a mistake and forgotten to change the list from the other cast.  I have pointed it out to an usher but it’s probably too late to change it now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

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Linnzi5

Linnzi5

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Sam L said:

Hi all, 

 

I am new to post on the forum, but have been reading some of your reviews of the ballet, and have really enjoyed it. 

 

If any of you are interested, the below is my medium article reviewing the show. 

It would be lovely to receive any feedbacks or thoughts on the review. 

 

Review - The Dante Project: Dante, Danced and Dazzled

 

Thank you. 

 

Best, 

Sam

I thought this was an excellent review, Sam. Some interesting points and a clear explanation of the ballet. I look forward to reading more of your reviews! :) 

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San Perregrino

San Perregrino

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, Sim said:

I am at the opera house and the posted cast list is indicating Will and Fumi as dancing in Paradiso. Unless we’re in for a fab bonus, the ROH has made a mistake and forgotten to change the list from the other cast.  I have pointed it out to an usher but it’s probably too late to change it now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@Sim who danced onstage in the end? 

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Sim

Sim

Posted
Posted
Just now, PeterS said:

@Sim who danced onstage in the end? 

It was Ryo and Sarah all the way through.  Someone had clearly forgotten to amend Act 3 on the posted cast list....and let's face it, the ROH is not known for its double-checking and proofreading!!

 

But on to the important stuff....I really enjoyed the performance last night, possibly more than I did last time around.  Maybe it's because it was my only show, so I really concentrated.  I loved the music, again beautifully conducted by Jonathan Lo.  Act 1 is still my preferred one of the three, but I didn't find the other two acts as slow as I did on the first run.  Ryo gave a deeply emotional performance, and each time he was near Beatrice we could see the love he held for this unobtainable ideal, and his despair at losing her.  But she guides him into the light, and who could ask for more?  

 

Many people talk about Marianela at 40 and say how amazing she is, and nowhere near ready to stop dancing.  Sarah Lamb gets overlooked and overshadowed, but at 42 she is as graceful, flexible and technically capable as a dancer half her age.  Her interpretations are always so intelligent, and her acting is warm and generous.  If I had an angel, I would love it to be someone like her.  

 

Part of last night's cast also danced in the other cast, so we had Hayward/Ball as Francesca and Paolo.  Gorgeous they were, too.  Olivia Cowley's Satan was menace disguised by beauty, and I loved it.  It's great to have her back.

 

I'm not always a McGregor fan, but what I love is how he removes hierarchy from his pieces.  So last night we had an Artist (Giacomo Rovero) doing a pdd with a Principal (Mayara Magri) and matching her in every way.  This is such a great opportunity for those lower down the ranks; they share the stage on equal terms with those above, and they all acquit themselves wonderfully.  

 

I felt quite emotional at the end of the ballet;  Dante stepping into the light, alone, having seen the best and the worst of humanity in order to get there.  I think his journey reflects every human being's, which is why his work will never age.

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alison

alison

Posted
Posted

Life has been so busy that I've not had much chance to give any feedback on the first two performances of this bill, both of which I saw.  Unlike the seemingly interminable run of Don Quixotes, this programme seems to have been over in a flash, and it doesn't look as if I shall be able to make either of Saturday's performances, so tomorrow night will be my last chance.

 

I'm increasingly developing a hypothesis that my appreciation of this ballet depends on where I'm sitting.  On the first night, I was sitting side amphi right, and felt rather disappointed in the ballet as a whole - the stage looked rather empty in Paradiso (and I'll admit to finding myself concentrating on the film rather than the dancers), and it probably didn't help that I had the wing lights shining into my eyes somewhat during Inferno.  On the second night, viewing from a rather more central, Balcony, position, I found myself liking it far more, even though the performances overall weren't necessarily as strong.  I don't think it was necessarily because it was growing on me, but it will be interesting to see how I react to it tomorrow, lower down and further to the left.

 

It's interesting to note the difference in sales patterns between this and other productions this year: the amphitheatre appears to be a total sell-out on all occasions, but side Orchestra Stalls appear to be difficult to shift.  Perhaps that's a reflection of the pricing.  I was, however, shocked to realise that I was paying twice as much for a standing ticket as I'd paid two years ago - I don't know whether that pattern is repeated for the seating or not.

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JohnS

JohnS

Posted
Posted

Top price for Dante in 2021 was £90 compared to £130 this time, an increase of 44%.
But if you bought a top price ticket as part of a subscription, you paid £73.80. A subscriber in 2021 would therefore see a 76% increase in the price actually paid. For subscribers, I think that may well be a pertinent comparison but I don’t know what proportion of tickets were sold to subscribers.

Restricted Balcony seats were £55. This run the price is £80, a 45% increase.

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MildConcern

MildConcern

Posted
Posted

I'm taking a ballet newbie to Dante this evening and wonder if anyone can point me to a synopsis for the ballet? My own memory of it is rather foggy and neither of us have too much knowledge of the Divine Comedy. It would be helpful for him to know which scenes of Inferno are expected in Act 1 

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JohnS

JohnS

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, MildConcern said:

I'm taking a ballet newbie to Dante this evening and wonder if anyone can point me to a synopsis for the ballet? My own memory of it is rather foggy and neither of us have too much knowledge of the Divine Comedy. It would be helpful for him to know which scenes of Inferno are expected in Act 1 

 

A perfectly reasonable question but not easy to answer: there’s been some discussion in this thread about the absence of a useful synopsis.

 

The cast sheet gives headings but nothing else. Here’s the cast list for the Bracewell cast (today’s cast list is not yet up but it may well be the same as for the 25th):

https://static.roh.org.uk/digital/cast-sheets/The-Dante-Project-2023/The-Dante-Project-Cast-Sheet-evening-25-November-2023.pdf?_ga=2.113200708.1308188944.1701203633-1111864046.1694786165


I think the Sarah Crompton review is well worth a read:

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/nov/26/the-dante-project-wayne-mcgregor-royal-ballet-royal-opera-house-revival-william-bracewell-review-rhiannon-faith-lay-down-your-burdens-barbican-pit?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
 

Today’s links also includes a more critical piece which does run through much of the action:

https://bachtrack.com/review-dante-project-mcgregor-bracewell-kaneko-royal-ballet-november-2023

 

 

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