The Dante Project, Royal Ballet Autumn 2023

[Texan]

Coming back from The Dante Project, I thought William Bracewell was triumphant. Is there anything this dancer cannot do? I will remember his Act 2 final scene with Fumi for a long time. I also thought that Wayne's 3 acts were very well structured. Without synopsis, I was able to imagine where the choreography was taking us.

 

Since Sambe was promoted to principal, I had not seen him for some time, as I tend to book on Fumi's nights. It was a great reminder to me why he is a principal dancer. When dancing with other principals and first soloists during Act 1, his speed of turns was just outstanding. I know I should make efforts to see him more often.

Edited November 19, 2023 by Texan
typo

[Linnzi5]

42 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I was impressed with much of tonight’s performance but some issues trouble me.
 

Tomas Ades gives a fabulous score albeit I still have some reservations about the Act 2 taped chant. But Acts 1 and 3 are tremendous and fabulously played with Jonathan Lo conducting. I do though have concerns about the sound balance where some amplification seems way too much (double basses) but that’s one of the problems of using tape and live music. The worst aspect of the sound was the very loud hum for the entire Act 3. I assume this was a byproduct of the screen display which I think was projected from the central Balcony. I was in the Balcony and the most central seats (8? seats and all 4 rows) were roped off - a significant loss of potential revenue. The hum was incredibly loud, audible throughout the Act, and completely drowned the quietest passages. I don’t recall such an issue in previous performances but it may be at its most intrusive in the Balcony.

 

As regards the choreography there was much to admire. Bracewell made a convincing Dante, even when simply observing what was going on. I found his active dancing fully engaging, a remarkable debut as I was more convinced by him than previous Dantes. In Act 1 many roles were reprised from last time and I very much enjoyed Sambe/Naghdi (Ferryman), Hayward/Ball (Francesca and Paolo), and O’Sullivan (Dido) with Acri. I know Richardson had danced Ulysses previously but his solo was mesmerising. Sissens and Boswell were fabulous Soothsayers. As ever the Thieves almost brought the curtain down but had to give way to Hamilton’s chilling Satan. In Act 2 I do like the three Dantes and Beatrices and their interplay. Kaneko made a fabulous Beatrice and I very much enjoyed Hayward dancing the middle Beatrice with Masciari as the middle Dante. Act 3 built inexorably to the final Dante/Beatrice scene and Dante’s enlightenment, with Bracewell and Kaneko both transcendent.

 

But I do think the ROH urgently needs to sort the appalling hum for Act 3. And whilst it’s good that the Cast Sheet names the characters, it would be far better to add a one sentence explanation of what they’re doing. Headings such as ‘The Selfish’ or ‘Ferryman’ aren’t anywhere near sufficient and I fear some audience members didn’t make it to Act 3. The ROH really needs to treat its audience with more consideration. We have decent synopses for classics but for some bizarre reason, audiences aren’t allowed helpful synopses for many modern works: a real bugbear and so easy to rectify.

I don't need to write a review now as you said everything I was going to (and much more eloquently!) Thank you.  However, I will add a few bit 🤣

 

William Bracewell was brilliant. Even, as you say, when standing, watching, his facial expressions drew me in. He looked confused, terrified, desperate, alone - so many emotions. Bravo to him  His dancing was as wonderful as I'd expect and his PDD with Beatrice at the end of Act II was just sublime. Fumi Kaneko was just perfect, too. A vision of beauty and so ethereal. I love these two together and the PDDs tonight show why. Otherwise, Naghdi was lovely (when isn't she?) - her PDD with Sambe was excellent - I watch her and she never puts a foot wrong. Sambe himself really impressed me as did Ball, Richardson and Dixon. Everyone was on top form - too many to mention here.

 

The music didn't worry me. I liked some of it but did hear the hum. It wasn't as distracting down in the stalls, but I did hear it and presumed it was the screen. 

 

I agree about the sentences explaining the characters. The poor ladies behind me got awfully confused and thought everyone was Beatrice except the dancers who actually were! They didn't know who Satan was and thought she was a former lover. Even when they got the programme, in the interval, they still didn't have a clue. I knew who was who as I have seen it before and I do think you need to do your homework before seeing this to truly appreciate what's going on, beautiful dancing aside. 

 

I can't deny that I preferred this performance. I would definitely see it again (with the right Dante, of course!) 

[Bruce Wall]

For me at least  I thought this fine Company seemed to 'come home' - i.e., to their NOW natural milieu - for the first time this season.  Their focus was as unified as it was dazzling.  They do this kind of work better than anyone I can think of .  There is so, SO much to be proud of. 

 

McGregor has come up with a formula for narrative dance that really strikes a cord for our time.  I can now think of so many literal areas I'd love to see him address.  It's in the etching of the emotional abstraction's weave that his tales are held.  Their very detachment is what ensures the velocity of the dramatic attack as much as the visceral punctuation of his stillness.  It is the very stitching of his fabric that now fits this company like a kid glove.  It has given them their current identity, one often called their 'style'.  Their precise comfort in it rivets the attention. Rightly it individually and collectively characterises them. 

I can see why, perhaps, McGregor may not wish a specific narrative to be attached to a cast sheet.  Nothing in his world is spelled out.  He asks - nay, demands, - that you come forward not sit back.  The very paradigm of his pulsating Paradiso segment in The Dante Project is especially rich in this regard and the score throughout seduces.  It is in the very brood of each piece's absorption - in its theatrical assumptions - that one soaks up, sucks up, - sometimes vividly spits out - but always engrosses in - the vast mystery that both writes and punctures each tale - McGregor's emotive sphinxes. 

McGregor's language - rich in its abstracted partnering and propulsive contractions is very definitely 'ballet lite' in its literal construct - no question of that - but here - as SO vividly performed by ALL in this fine Company'-  it is mixed with a contemporary might that simply towers.  That, as far as I'm concerned, is what NOW marks this fine Company out.  Their current calling card proudly deserves its glean.  Too, there can be no question but that this Company's training is now clearly established to deliver such.  The veracity and detailed focus of Ashton's delicately balanced petit allegro's sinew has for some considerable time been of this Company's past.  Wisely so.  The glory of the contemporary stealth of this stunning Company's current product is here continually propelled into our line of vision.  Rightly so.  The visionary Company Director - as wisely seeded by his predecessor - has ensured that McGregor and Pite are here - in our own time - what (J) Peck and Ratmansky are to NYCB.  ALL are defining.  Their respective legacies have now been established.  They are, of course, hugely different entities - more so now perhaps than ever before - with entirely different focuses - and I don't think either should NOW trade styles.  The glorious extremities of each are unique to themselves and simply wouldn't suit the other; they'd only muddy their respective glories.  Still, WHAT a stunning array of dance theatre together they amass for our lucky world.

 

The Dante Project - like Woolf Works - remains a towering focus in this Company's armoury.  Bracewell gave his 'Royal' Hamlet last night; one which both invigorated and enthralled our imagination's intrigue throughout.  The entire company glistened.  The likes of Richardson (simply breath-taking), Sissens, Kaneko, Boswell, Hamilton, Hayward and Masciare are clearly masters of McGregor's style every bit as much as, say, (T) Peck, Mearns, Stanley, Meija and Nadon are for the Ratmansky/Peck ones.  They help define dance in our time.  ALL are in entirely the right place; each respective Company member defines their unique focus as construed by the established style of their prevailing home Company.  

 

How lucky we are to live in such a dazzlingly diverse dance world.  
 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[Scheherezade]

12 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

For me at least  I thought this fine Company seemed to 'come home' - i.e., to their NOW natural milieu - for the first time this season.

 

Sorry Bruce, I can’t agree that the works of McGregor are the natural milieu of the RB or that the company is defined by the limited and increasingly repetitive vocabulary expressed in those works.  

 

24 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

McGregor has come up with a formula for narrative dance that really strikes a cord for our time.  I can now think of so many literal areas I'd love to see him address.

 

On both an emotional and an artistic level, other companies - Ballet Black being a very fine and particularly current example - have, for me, come up with a far more immediate, accessible and satisfying formula for narrative dance to strike a chord for our time.  

 

26 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

McGregor's language - rich in its abstracted partnering and propulsive contractions … mixed with a contemporary might that simply towers … is what NOW marks this fine Company out. 

McGregor has his own company to mark out and populate with his stylised language of abstracted partnering and propulsive contractions. To reduce the extraordinary talents of the highly trained, classical dancers currently within the RB to little more than meaningless contortions is, to me, a crime against dance.

 

29 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

The glory of the contemporary stealth of this stunning Company's current product is here continually propelled into our line of vision. 

To some of us, an increasingly irrelevant product and one that should at best be seen occasionally and should in no way replace what should, by definition, be the prevailing focus of a classical ballet company, namely classical ballet. 
 

Sorry once again, Bruce, and I appreciate your passionate defence of all things McGregor but we will have to differ on this one. 

[Guest oncnp]

1 hour ago, Bruce Wall said:

For me at least  I thought this fine Company seemed to 'come home' - i.e., to their NOW natural milieu - for the first time this season.  Their focus was as unified as it was dazzling.  They do this kind of work better than anyone I can think of .  There is so, SO much to be proud of. 

 

 

May I quote you in the (admittedly unlikely) event the ROH asks why I canceled my Friends membership? 

[Ianlond]

Bruce it is, as always, fascinating to read your reviews for their descriptive and unique turn of phrase and your insights. 
However, I do hope that dancing McGregor does not further erode the RB’s Ashton abilities (& I came to dance through watching Random Dance Company) as Ashton should be its jewel in the crown. I’m aware many disagree! 
While I’m in no way criticising your ability to enjoy Balanchine (& Robbins etc ) danced by the fine artists of NYCB, I do resent the idea that for many of us at least, we should no longer hope to see our largest ballet (yes ballet) company dance any of these works. I suppose I could go to Paris to see a bit more but even that is not always practical financially or logistically. 
i hope no one takes this as a personal criticism as it’s not intended as such. I’d just like to see some Balanchine in London lol 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Ianlond

[capybara]

The day after the opening night of Don Q there were 2 BCF pages of comment.

 

The day after the opening night of Dante, there are just 14 contributions in all, with some of them focused more on other roles which William Bracewell might essay than the show itself.

 

This kind of speaks for itself.

[art_enthusiast]

36 minutes ago, capybara said:

This kind of speaks for itself.

I really liked Dante in the last run but I have only booked for one performance (featuring Hirano) primarily due to the ticket costs.

[San Perregrino]

Despite all the doom and gloom from the naysayers on BCF, I can report back that Dante Project was danced to a full house and all three Acts were enthusiastically received by the audience last night with a standing ovation given by some. 

The orchestra and the dancers had all, IMHO, upped their games from the General Rehearsal as I had suspected they would.
The lighting of Act 1 was far better than I remember from 2021 and this time the dancers were bathed in a luminosity that made them shine and I could clearly see the choreography.
William Bracewell’s Dante has already been highly praised elsewhere on this thread. That said, though Bracewell has the title role, this really is an ensemble piece and there wasn’t a weak link in the chain. Principals down through first soloists etc right down to artists peppered the stage with their talents wherever one looked. (Just as they had done throughout the recent run of Don Quixote - such a juxtapositioning of styles, literally overnight for some, commands respect. Once again I am thankful that we are so so very very fortunate to have these precious versatile multi-talents on our doorstep to enjoy rather than have to read about them dancing elsewhere in the world).
Since I’ve been watching ballet regularly I’ve come to understand that MacGregor is like marmite to some people.  Others may disagree and though perhaps unloved by some, IMHO this is a ballet rich in content with a superb musical score that has withstood the test of time. 
 

There are very few tickets left for the next two performances and if reviews and word of mouth proceed as they did in 2021 I wouldn’t be surprised to see later dates sell out again too.
 

Edited November 19, 2023 by PeterS

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, art_enthusiast said:

I really liked Dante in the last run but I have only booked for one performance (featuring Hirano) primarily due to the ticket costs.

 

I've only booked one too (featuring Bracewell); but it's interesting that the tickets I normally book are £29 for Dante and were £67 for Don Q (so I had to sit further back for DQ). Dante is a very big production too, so why is it priced so much lower? Could it be that the ROH doesn't have quite as much confidence in Dante/McGregor as it seems to have? (I wish the pricing had been done the other way round - I'm looking forward to Dante but would only ever go to one since I don't really find the casting in McGregor works is all that important, whereas in classics and more interpretative works I want to see more/different casts.) 

[Linnzi5]

24 minutes ago, PeterS said:

Despite all the doom and gloom from the naysayers on BCF, I can report back that Dante Project was danced to a full house and all three Acts were enthusiastically received by the audience last night with a standing ovation given by some. 

The orchestra and the dancers had all, IMHO, upped their games from the General Rehearsal as I had suspected they would.
The lighting of Act 1 was far better than I remember from 2021 and this time the dancers were bathed in a luminosity that made them shine and I could clearly see the choreography.
William Bracewell’s Dante has already been highly praised elsewhere on this thread. That said, though Bracewell has the title role, this really is an ensemble piece and there wasn’t a weak link in the chain. Principals down through first soloists etc right down to artists peppered the stage with their talents wherever one looked. (Just as they had done throughout the recent run of Don Quixote - such a juxtapositioning of styles, literally overnight for some, commands respect. Once again I am thankful that we are so so very very fortunate to have these precious versatile multi-talents on our doorstep to enjoy rather than have to read about them dancing elsewhere in the world).
Since I’ve been watching ballet regularly I’ve come to understand that MacGregor is like marmite to some people.  Others may disagree and though perhaps unloved by some, IMHO this is a ballet rich in content with a superb musical score that has withstood the test of time. 
 

There are very few tickets left for the next two performances and if reviews and word of mouth proceed as they did in 2021 I wouldn’t be surprised to see later dates sell out again too.
 

Yes. It was sold out and a lot of the people around me were definitely not given discounts - I asked. There was a mix of people in the audience, both young and older, though the little girl in front of me (who was impeccably behaved) looked a bit bored - she could only have been about seven.

 

I honestly really enjoyed it. It is an ensemble piece, most definitely. I was so impressed with the quality of the dancing. I would go again if cost wasn't a factor.  I did 'max out' on Don Q 😳

Edited November 19, 2023 by Linnzi5

[Beryl H]

I've booked to see both casts since I've always been a huge Wayne McGregor fan, and have been able to pick seats that I really like for a change. The difference in prices is crazy.

 

Looking forward to seeing some photos, the thing I want to know is if the awful (IMHO) dresses worn by Gary Avis and Edward Watson before have been changed?

 

 

 

 

[Linnzi5]

15 minutes ago, Beryl H said:

I've booked to see both casts since I've always been a huge Wayne McGregor fan, and have been able to pick seats that I really like for a change. The difference in prices is crazy.

 

Looking forward to seeing some photos, the thing I want to know is if the awful (IMHO) dresses worn by Gary Avis and Edward Watson before have been changed?

 

 

 

 

No, they're the same, alas!

[Linnzi5]

I can never upload photos here - the files are too big and I don't know how to make them smaller, I'm afraid. 

[LinMM]

I’m never quite sure whether Bruce is being highly ironic in his comments on McGregor and the RB 🤔

[Jan McNulty]

35 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said:

I can never upload photos here - the files are too big and I don't know how to make them smaller, I'm afraid. 

 

 

I email photographs to myself and experiment with either small or medium size.  I then save those photographs and try and upload them.  It's a bit of a faff but it works OK.

[TSR101]

6 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

McGregor has come up with a formula for narrative dance that really strikes a cord for our time.

 

I can't believe that anyone can watch this ballet and understand what is meant to be going on without having read about it first. For me that is the antithesis of narrative ballet and the reason why McGregor is a but a shadow of the brilliance of MacMillan. 

 

I can only hope that McGregor soon suffers the fate of so much of Ashton's vastly superior work - a revival for the 25th anniversary of its first performance, would be slightly too soon as far as I am concerned! 

 

[Texan]

1 hour ago, Beryl H said:

Looking forward to seeing some photos, the thing I want to know is if the awful (IMHO) dresses worn by Gary Avis and Edward Watson before have been changed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google Pixel applies some strange color adjustments. We all know Bracewell is 100 times more handsome than this picture shows.

Edited November 19, 2023 by Texan
typo

[JennyTaylor]

I have so many conflicting emotions about this ballet that I'm finding them difficult to articulate.  I'll try. 

 

Up until yesterday, I had seen this ballet once, for Ed Watson's farewell and because it was Ed's farewell specifically.  I enjoyed it for him and the "Thieves" section. Otherwise, once was enough, and I didn't see myself booking for it ever again.  I didn't hate it as I do some other WMG pieces, but I had no desire to spend my hard earned money on further tickets. 

 

I stuck to that view when it was announced for this season, thinking - oh well, I can get more DonQs etc instead with a happy heart.  Then Will Bracewell was announced a the lead role, so that changed my mind as I could see that this was a role which would be admirably suited to Will's special talents. So, I now have 4 tickets, one of each of his performances, plus I had the rehearsal as a bonus. 

 

So far I've seen the rehearsal (back of Stalls Circle) and 1 performance (front of Orch Stalls).  Positioning definitely makes a difference. 

 

First of all, Will Bracewell was brilliant. He is made for this part, which must be incredibly challenging to execute. Concentration, acting, dancing, partnering.  All aspects were superb. 

 

Equally, the entire company was on brilliant form with some incredible dancing on display. It's difficult to highlight individuals as all were superb, but I'm going for Calvin Richardson, who has wowed me in every role he has performed in recent weeks.   Fumi, Melissa and Francesca Hayward were all luminous.  Overall, I felt that the individual dancers did not receive sufficient plaudits that their dancing deserved. It's a ballet that doesn't lend itself to applause after each scene, and sometimes it is difficult to be sure of exactly who is dancing at any one time as the costumes and hair make them look similar.  However, I was more successful than the previous run, so I too conclude that the lighting must have improved.  

 

Did I enjoy it - I'm really not sure. I appreciated the high quality of the dancing and the dancers' incredible performances.  Did I feel a wow factor - no. Did I come away walking on air as I did after certain performances of DonQ, R&J etc - no.  Did the music move me - no, but I am trying to keep an open mind here, as at least it is played by a proper orchestra.  Perhaps it may grow on me.  Do I have a clue what the story line is - sort of, having tried to assimilate it over time, but I'm sure there are subtleties which are lost on me still.  Do I really care - not really.  Would I be sorry if a WMG ballet was never seen again in the RB repertoire - no. 

 

So, I have 3 more performances to see. I know I will like to watch Will, Gary Avis, the wonderful RB dancers. As for the rest of the "user experience" only time will tell.     

 

   

[AnnabelCharles]

4 hours ago, capybara said:

The day after the opening night of Don Q there were 2 BCF pages of comment.

 

The day after the opening night of Dante, there are just 14 contributions in all, with some of them focused more on other roles which William Bracewell might essay than the show itself.

 

This kind of speaks for itself.

I think it speaks for the preferences of a number - perhaps many or even most - people on this forum. But not everyone. Either on the forum or necessarily amongst the dance viewing public. 

 

I don't often post because I know my opinions don't chime with the majority view. I also tend not to express my dislike for particular ballets, dancers , choreographers etc - because I don't think it's interesting to anyone else and it can spoil others' enthusiasm or upset the people involved. I do find some comments on this forum overly negative and they sometimes seem to brook no disagreement - or at least assume that others share the same view.

 

To me Wayne McGregor is a really interesting choreographer - I love the way he links his pieces to and explores other art forms, I love the fact he tackles major themes about what it is to be human and I love his choreographic language which I find exciting and beautiful but also challenging and moving. I like ensemble pieces and I agree with Bruce Wall that we are lucky that the stunning versatility of the Royal Ballet dancers enables them to shift seamlessly between Don Quixote and The Dante Project, equally assured and artistically brilliant in both.

 

 

[Linnzi5]

I do generally prefer classical ballet, yes, I can’t deny that. But I did enjoy Dante. Would I have seen it if William Bracewell wasn’t Dante? Probably not and that would have been a shame as I really loved seeing the other dancers and choreography. I thought the whole company was amazing and watching this ensemble piece, with such talented dancers performing very complicated choreography was so interesting. I did need to understand who the characters were and what the storyline was - I would have been confused otherwise.
 

This is not uplifting like Don Q or tragic like R&J etc. It is different and I totally understand and respect why this is not for everyone. I can only say I did enjoy what I saw and it’s not just because I am a huge fan of Will Bracewell and Fumi Kaneko. It was different but I liked it. Did I love it? No, but that’s ok. 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Linnzi5

[Linnzi5]

[Linnzi5]

1 minute ago, Linnzi5 said:

Sorry. Not the best quality photo. I emailed it and chose the lowest quality! I was right at the front of the stalls and have a good iPhone but just am rubbish at taking photos! 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Linnzi5

[capybara]

22 minutes ago, AnnabelCharles said:

I don't often post because I know my opinions don't chime with the majority view. I also tend not to express my dislike for particular ballets, dancers , choreographers etc - because I don't think it's interesting to anyone else and it can spoil others' enthusiasm or upset the people involved. I do find some comments on this forum overly negative and they sometimes seem to brook no disagreement - or at least assume that others share the same view.

 

Thank you for saying this @AnnabelCharles  The point you are making is food for thought for us all.

[JohnS]

11 minutes ago, AnnabelCharles said:

… we are lucky that the stunning versatility of the Royal Ballet dancers enables them to shift seamlessly between Don Quixote and The Dante Project, equally assured and artistically brilliant in both.

I agree with you @AnnabelCharles but I don’t think that is quite what @Bruce Wall proposes as I think he sees the Royal Ballet more as an exponent of dance theatre. I too have been surprised by some pretty negative posts this weekend on both McGregor and Osipova. I do hope you’ll post more as I’m sure your views will be of interest to all irrespective of whether people agree.

[bridiem]

11 minutes ago, AnnabelCharles said:

I don't often post because I know my opinions don't chime with the majority view. I also tend not to express my dislike for particular ballets, dancers , choreographers etc - because I don't think it's interesting to anyone else and it can spoil others' enthusiasm or upset the people involved. I do find some comments on this forum overly negative and they sometimes seem to brook no disagreement - or at least assume that others share the same view.

 

But how do we know what 'the majority view' really is if members don't post their views because they think differently from a few people who may already have posted?

 

[Ondine]

I've said this before and I'm not sure it went down too well, but I don't understand people going to see something they know they won't enjoy...  better to save your money and your ire for things you know from experience and taste you do.

 

Life's too short and all that.

 

Some things also require some input from the viewer.

 

 

 

[Guest oncnp]

20 minutes ago, Ondine said:

I've said this before and I'm not sure it went down too well, but I don't understand people going to see something they know they won't enjoy...  better to save your money and your ire for things you know from experience and taste you do.

 

Life's too short and all that.

 

Some things also require some input from the viewer.

 

I didn't see it for just that reason (the only ballet I have ever left before the curtain calls with apologies to Mr Watson and the rest of the company, and no one interesting was dancing this run) but others may be giving it a second chance and just had their first impressions validated. 

 

And just to clarify...I didn't like it. That doesn't make it "bad" or the people who do like it "wrong".  Just different opinions on a subjective art form 

Edited November 19, 2023 by oncnp

[Jan McNulty]

3 minutes ago, Ondine said:

I've said this before and I'm not sure it went down too well, but I don't understand people going to see something they know they won't enjoy...  better to save your money and your ire for things you know from experience and taste you do.

 

Life's too short and all that.

 

Some things also require some input from the viewer.

 

 

 

 

 

Possibly because you want to see a particular dancer or dancers or you want to give something another chance ... after all your taste can change with the passing of years.

 

Many years ago now a friend had her access tickets messed up by the box office and they gave her 2 of everything and when she pointed this out she was told she could keep them.  I went to see a couple of performances with her.  One was R&J with Miyako Yoshida as Juliet.  I had seen her some years earlier in the role when still with BRB and was very disappointed.  Well, what a difference a few years made - she was just glorious.  My point being that I wouldn't have booked but I was very glad I saw her.

 

 

[Suffolkgal]

I know what you mean .. I’m unsure about this ballet but I was unsure about water from chocolate abd I was glad I saw that ... only once though!! To be honest that red frock/operating gown is just going to annoy me, but I am interested to see DP. I enjoy WB so much as a dancer and an actor so that’s the main reason to go. As I’ve said I can’t see it all thanks to no last train as usual! I’ll like seeing the lights though as I’m a total child over Christmas 

[Linnzi5]

I have seen Dante before but wanted to give it another chance and I love Will Bracewell (especially dancing with Fumi), so went to see him. I decided to give it a go and am not unhappy I did. As I have said, it's not a favourite but I was entertained and did enjoy what I saw.  Would I give Dispatch Duet another go? Probably not - unless it was with something amazing. However, I definitely would not see Anastasia Act III again. I'm pretty open minded about what I see but if I really don't like something it doesn't matter who is dancing, I won't go.

[bridiem]

32 minutes ago, Ondine said:

I've said this before and I'm not sure it went down too well, but I don't understand people going to see something they know they won't enjoy...  better to save your money and your ire for things you know from experience and taste you do.

 

I can't imagine that many people go to something they know  they won't enjoy; but if it's a new work, even if it's by a choreographer you haven't enjoyed before, you never do know. And as @Jan McNulty has said, even if you haven't (or have!) enjoyed something (or someone) in the past your tastes may change over time. In order to keep learning, you have to keep an open mind as far as possible and (money and time allowing) try not to restrict yourself only to things you know (or think) you will like, especially if you haven't yet seen very much. (Which is why the high cost of tickets now is so detrimental to the art form; how are younger people nowadays supposed to be able to see a wide range of performances and develop their understanding of ballet, as I was able to do for many years?). And I find it just as valuable reading about what people haven't enjoyed as reading about what they have enjoyed - getting different perspectives is what makes this forum so interesting.

 

Having said all that, I am nowadays very selective in what I go to! Partly by choice and partly by necessity. As you say, life is too short...

[alison]

4 hours ago, LinMM said:

I’m never quite sure whether Bruce is being highly ironic in his comments on McGregor and the RB 🤔

 

He isn't.

 

2 hours ago, AnnabelCharles said:

I don't often post because I know my opinions don't chime with the majority view. I also tend not to express my dislike for particular ballets, dancers , choreographers etc - because I don't think it's interesting to anyone else and it can spoil others' enthusiasm or upset the people involved. I do find some comments on this forum overly negative and they sometimes seem to brook no disagreement - or at least assume that others share the same view.

 

Just thinking that if people don't post minority views it only makes the "majority views" seem even more "majority" than they really are, and distorts reality.  It seems to me that we have enough self-cancelling in society already without applying it to this forum as well.

 

41 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I can't imagine that many people go to something they know  they won't enjoy; but if it's a new work, even if it's by a choreographer you haven't enjoyed before, you never do know. And as @Jan McNulty has said, even if you haven't (or have!) enjoyed something (or someone) in the past your tastes may change over time. In order to keep learning, you have to keep an open mind as far as possible and (money and time allowing) try not to restrict yourself only to things you know (or think) you will like, especially if you haven't yet seen very much. (Which is why the high cost of tickets now is so detrimental to the art form; how are younger people nowadays supposed to be able to see a wide range of performances and develop their understanding of ballet, as I was able to do for many years?).

 

Quite.

 

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

Possibly because you want to see a particular dancer or dancers or you want to give something another chance ... after all your taste can change with the passing of years.

 

Many years ago now a friend had her access tickets messed up by the box office and they gave her 2 of everything and when she pointed this out she was told she could keep them.  I went to see a couple of performances with her.  One was R&J with Miyako Yoshida as Juliet.  I had seen her some years earlier in the role when still with BRB and was very disappointed.  Well, what a difference a few years made - she was just glorious.  My point being that I wouldn't have booked but I was very glad I saw her.

 

Not to mention that dancers' interpretations can change over the years.  I'd have given up on Mayerling years ago otherwise, and not given Sylvie Guillem another chance at Manon, to name but two.

 

5 hours ago, bridiem said:

I've only booked one too (featuring Bracewell); but it's interesting that the tickets I normally book are £29 for Dante and were £67 for Don Q (so I had to sit further back for DQ). Dante is a very big production too, so why is it priced so much lower?

 

It's a lot less low than it looks - it was operating from a low base.  Looking back at my purchases last time, I upgraded myself by one seating band: this time around, my usual seats cost more than that band did two years ago.  The seats I was sitting in back in 2021 seem to have more than doubled.