The Dante Project, Royal Ballet Autumn 2023

[Scheherezade]

5 hours ago, AnnabelCharles said:

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.

Echoing what @JohnS has said upthread, I unreservedly agree with your comment regarding how lucky we are to have dancers who can shift seamlessly between such divergent styles.
 

Similarly to @JohnS, I also feel that this was not what @Bruce Wall was saying. I would go further and say that what I understood @Bruce Wall to be saying was entirely the opposite, since his comments began with a statement that the company had come home to its natural milieu for the first time this season and his references to the dazzling diversity of the dance world were not, to my mind, intended to relate to diversity within either company but meant to highlight what he sees as insurmountable differences in the style and technique of each, limiting their respective ability to perform the now-inherent repertoire of the other. 

 

5 hours ago, AnnabelCharles said:

I don't often post because I know my opinions don't chime with the majority view.

As again has been said above, please do post your views @AnnabelCharles. I certainly enjoyed reading why you respond to the works of Wayne McGregor and without the freedom to hold and express individual and divergent opinions (and I do feel that this must encompass negative as well as positive opinions) how else are we to inform and refine our initial impressions?

Edited November 20, 2023 by Scheherezade

[Jan McNulty]

7 hours 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?). 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...

So much more eloquently said than me Bridie.

[DVDfan]

I agree that the coloured tunics worn by Dante and Virgil look peculiar, but at the same time it is difficult to see what else they should be wearing. Full period costume wouldn't work, though Dante might wear shirt and tights, and I suppose Virgil could wear a Roman style tunic.  However, that would pin down the cultural background of the characters and if they are supposed to represent Everyman, which looks like WMG's intention, that would be spoiled.

That wasn't Dante's intention when he wrote the Divine Comedy - Virgil represents the classical world and its wisdom, which can take you so far in terms of a moral and spiritual journey but stops short of the 'full shilling'. Only Christianity can take you into paradise and the presence of God, which is why Beatrice takes over as Dante's guide. The soul on the journey is specifically Dante himself.

 

However, the ballet isn't called the Divine Comedy, but The Dante Project, so I suppose we are to understand that the one is the inspiration for the other, rather than the dramaturg.

 

Wrt the plot, I agree that you need a synopsis but I don't think that invalidates DP as a ballet, because Swan Lake makes no sense without one and no one would say that isn't a great classical ballet. 

[Richard LH]

6 minutes ago, DVDfan said:

Wrt the plot, I agree that you need a synopsis but I don't think that invalidates DP as a ballet, because Swan Lake makes no sense without one and no one would say that isn't a great classical ballet

But Swan Lake has a lot of classical ballet mime which helps with  the  story narrative, and is actually quite a beautiful part of the ballet.

[DVDfan]

4 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

But Swan Lake has a lot of classical ballet mime which helps with  the  story narrative, and is actually quite a beautiful part of the ballet.

Yes, it is lovely and important because otherwise how is Siegfried supposed to know what has happened to Odette, but I honestly don't think that most newbies in the audience can read Odette's mime without knowing the gist of what she's saying in advance. I know I couldn't - it's such a daft plot you can't apply reason to it.

[Richard LH]

Actually I don't think whether or not a synopsis is needed is in itself too much of an issue in terms of  enjoying a work...indeed I note that when I saw The Dante Project on its first run, I posted "I think at times one can enjoy the relatively abstract without feeling there  necessarily has to be  a clear narrative that one must work out and follow sequentially. I think the work generally achieves  what ballet does best -  portraying meaning and emotion,  without words, through dance, music, and staging". (Apologies for quoting myself)! 

So I am reminded that I  enjoyed the work at that time more than I now remember, (although I do recall issues with poor lighting and a lot of mist in Act 3....has this  been improved this time)?

In fact, looking back there seems to have been generally more enthusiasm on the Forum for TDP first time around, than now...perhaps the problem is that it has been brought back rather too soon and some of us would have preferred another choice (e.g. an Ashton ballet?) 

[JohnS]

I thought the Dante/Virgil costumes looked ok. But why do the two young Dantes wear red in Act 2 (when Dante wears the green/red mix). Red for the young Dantes seems at odds with Dante’s Act 3 red. Not that I’m suggesting they should wear the green/red mix as they haven’t begun the journey to hell so are earth bound and not in purgatory. 

[capybara]

Nice that the comments on Dante have now gathered pace. Thank you everyone.

[Silver Capricorn]

I'm not a big fan of modern ballet, I always prefer the classics, but when I was in London this weekend for Don Q's derniere, I decided to attend the opening night of the Dante Project.  And I certainly don't regret it.  I liked the music and the choreography, the performances of the dancers were great.  I really enjoyed it and not knowing the detailed synopsis didn't bother me at all, I felt the dance, the story wasn't that important to me.

[postie]

I went back to have a look at Sarah Crompton's original review, just two years ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/24/the-dante-project-royal-ballet-review-wayne-mcgregor-thomas-ades-tacita-dean-edward-watson

 

As it settles with me, I can quite understand that some come primarily for Thomas Ades' score. The woman next to me (at the dress) was there for it all, though marvelled at Tacita Dean's contribution. Others, of course, are drawn to the art of McGregor and artistry of the dancers.

 

To come to it can certainly be a slightly overwhelming, multi-sensory, intellectual, emotional experience.  It's a grand scale - there is a lot to 'get' - but to dismiss what these tremendous artists have achieved .. I think it pays dividends to put the work in.

[MoVR]

I think the thing with McGregor is, for me at least, that if you come to the ballet looking for a nice story, you might be often disappointed. I personally always feel at the end of a McGregor ballet that I've seen something, whether it was supposed to be a narrative or not, and I'll always be impressed and a bit overwhelmed in a good way. If I would try to make actual sense of his 'contortions', I don't think I'd get it either. Just sitting back and letting the performance come over me is usually what works, but to each their own. 

 

[Emeralds]

While I am probably more keen on McGregor's work (not all of it but much of it) than many fellow members, my heart does sink when I hear or read that RB is now only good at dancing McGregor and some MacMillan narrative ballets. It's obviously a subjective assessment but still a blow! 

 

I don't mind if RB are judged not to be strong at Balanchine or Bournonville as that's not their history or tradition, but RB's foundation is built on the classics, Ashton and MacMillan - the classics would also include those from the Diaghilev era that Tamara Karsavina taught to the company when she settled in Britain eg Firebird, Les Sylphides,  Petrushka, etc along with the major classics like Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle and Coppelia,  and if RB are now felt to be coming up short in most of the classics then the conclusion of that assessment is that much more work needs to be done in that department. Maybe it does? (NB not my opinion but simply the conclusion of what that assessment is saying to me.) 

 

@AnnabelCharles, please don't feel discouraged from posting your thoughts and reactions. You have clarity and logic in your opinions, and it is always refreshing to read a different perspective. I did occasionally wonder why we didn't have any feedback from you after you said you'd bought tickets. Please do post more reviews even if they don't agree with  majority opinion -  especially if they don't agree with the majority opinion! The forum would get very predictable and pointless if all the reviews agreed with one another. Thanks for the photos @Texan and @Linnzi5- I think they're very good in that they capture William Bracewell's joy and broad smiles after his successful debut in the lead role. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

14 hours 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.

 

 

Good point made by @Jan McNulty about how even the same dancer's interpretation or performance of the same role or repertoire can change over time and become more enjoyable. My own experience of this: worst performance of Lensky and one of best performances of Lensky I have ever seen were by the same dancer. No, I'm not saying who it is because Onegin isn't currently in the RB repertoire so it's irrelevant. But I can report that the better performance was the more recent one, so it moved in the correct direction!  😀 

 

I found Dante Project slightly more challenging to like at its premiere run than some of McGregor's more "user friendly" pieces, eg Woolf Works, Infra, etc but once Sarah Lamb and Edward Watson's pas de deux began, it was "ah, how lovely". Yasmine Naghdi and Marcelino Sambe's pas de deux and Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball's section as Francesca and Paolo were also nicely constructed and beautifully danced, except for the fact that the lighting was too dark (dancers costumed in all black on a black stage in the dark- ugh...where's a spotlight when you need one?!) and the chalk powder gimmick detracted from the dancing. My tickets are for the later part of the run and the challenge for me will be how well Dante Project holds up when its two experienced and expressive leads, Watson and Bonelli, are no longer dancing the ballet. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Emeralds

[FionaM]

I prefer to see a new work at least twice as I don’t feel I can absorb all that the creators have made in only one view.  That is true for this work, and I’m sure subsequent views will reveal more.
 

My main issue with this ballet is that it is NOT The Divine Comedy.  So there is no true loss of the self, giving up of one’s ego to the greater being, enlightenment, etc that should be the journey to Paradiso.  
 

However if you can ignore the literal narrative of The Divine Comedy, and Wayne does say it is not meant to be that … then it’s three acts filled with LOTS of super dancing with a loose overriding theme. And therefore it is more akin to what Balanchine would create for NYCB !!!

 

As I noted after the first run, there are more classical ballet moves in this ballet than in other works by Wayne.  And that is a good thing IMO to make  use of these ballet dancers’ talents and skills. The thieves scene is especially thrilling because of this. 

 

DANCERS

It is a special treat to have so many principals and soloists in one ballet.  
 

William Bracewell as Dante was fabulous, especially in his opening solo, but he doesn’t have enough to do IMO.   Highlights for me were Calvin Richardson (Ulysses), Melissa Hamilton (Satan), Joe Sissens, Marco Masciari, Marci Sambe, Matty Ball and Yasmine Naghdi.   And there were many others who were super too.  
 

There were so many excellent dancers in the first cast.   I am intrigued by who will be in the second!

 

One disappointment for me about the choreo … it’s mostly a ballet for the men of the company.  A multitude of male solos, duets and ensemble. 

 

SETS

I do love the sets, especially the atmospheric changes of lighting on the upside down mountains of Inferno.  I do think the Paradiso backdrop screen is set too high.  Can people in the higher levels of balcony and amphitheatre see it?  In the stalls circle I found I couldn’t see both the dancers and the screen simultaneously.  The static Purgatorio backdrop is just that.  Subservient to the dancing, which is a good thing. 

 

MUSIC

I’m also more intrigued by the music, having not read up on it before.  I noticed strains of Mayerling score (hunting scene) and Manon score (brothel double act) in Inferno.  I have found some info online which refers to inspiration from Liszt. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by FionaM
Grammar 🙄

[alison]

4 hours ago, DVDfan said:

Yes, it is lovely and important because otherwise how is Siegfried supposed to know what has happened to Odette,

 

Except that a lot of Russian companies seem not to think so ...

 

2 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Actually I don't think whether or not a synopsis is needed is in itself too much of an issue in terms of  enjoying a work...

 

It's not necessarily a synopsis that's needed here, I think, just a little more information, even just on the cast sheet.  For example, Calvin Richardson's solo: I was struggling to remember who or what he was portraying (and even now I think I shall have to refer to the programme to find out what Ulysses was doing in Hell anyway!).  Probably not everyone will realise who "Francesca and Paolo" are - do you need to add "the adulterous lovers" or something?  Point out that the Thieves turn into snakes?  Actually, do the various Circles of Hell correspond to the Deadly Sins?  I'm not sure that they do, but then I'm not very up in Catholic theology.  If they do, it's not always clear to me from the section titles which sin is being represented.  I came in very shortly before the performance started on Saturday (having unexpectedly had to get off a diverted bus and power-walk the rest of the way) and the screen near the lifts which usually shows the cast sheet wasn't operating, so I was unable to refresh my memory as to what all the dancers in Inferno were representing before the performance started.

[Scheherezade]

29 minutes ago, alison said:

It's not necessarily a synopsis that's needed here, I think, just a little more information, even just on the cast sheet.  For example, Calvin Richardson's solo: I was struggling to remember who or what he was portraying (and even now I think I shall have to refer to the programme to find out what Ulysses was doing in Hell anyway!).  Probably not everyone will realise who "Francesca and Paolo" are - do you need to add "the adulterous lovers" or something?  Point out that the Thieves turn into snakes?  Actually, do the various Circles of Hell correspond to the Deadly Sins?  I'm not sure that they do, but then I'm not very up in Catholic theology.  If they do, it's not always clear to me from the section titles which sin is being represented.  I came in very shortly before the performance started on Saturday (having unexpectedly had to get off a diverted bus and power-walk the rest of the way) and the screen near the lifts which usually shows the cast sheet wasn't operating, so I was unable to refresh my memory as to what all the dancers in Inferno were representing before the performance started.

I do agree with this. A little clarity would be helpful but with McGregor there seems to be too little information, as here, or way too much, which fudges any hope of clarity through over-intellectualism. 

[Sim]

I think it makes a lot of sense to go and see something even if you know you aren't going to like it (at least, the first couple of times).  You never know how your tastes and perceptions will change with the passage of time.  So, the music my parents used to listen to when I was a teenager that I couldn't bear is now amongst my favourite things to listen to.

 

With ballet, a recent example is Cinderella.  I had never liked it, nor the music, so had spent most of my adult life avoiding it to a large degree.  However, last season I decided to open my mind and heart and give it another go.  Now I am a total convert, love the music and the ballet.  I would have missed so much had I not tried again.  Now, with Dante, I am giving it one more go.  I went three times in the last run and that was (I thought) enough.  However, my daughter has convinced me to give it another go, so I will see how I feel after the 27th.  I know I love Act 1; it's the other two that need to win me over to the whole ballet.

 

Regarding varying opinions, I am never surprised by peoples' views because everyone has different opinions, so it's always interesting.  I don't mind if my view is different from the majority; it would never stop me posting it up.  For example, most other people (including the critics) seemed to really like McGregor's Untitled 2023, whilst I thought it was boring, it dragged and it did nothing for me.  I know that I won't see that again, just like if they were to ever put on Multiverse or Live Fire Exercise or The Wind again I would definitely not go.  However, it isn't often that I take against something so deeply that I know from the first that I would never do a repeat viewing.  I am usually up for trying again a couple of years down the line.

 

Regarding Miss Osipova, one of the reasons she is such a great artist is that she splits opinions so much, and therefore makes people think and react in different ways, which for me is what art is all about.  No reaction is 'correct' or 'wrong'.  Art is subjective.  So whereas (being a conservative traditionalist when it comes to the classics) I have long since ceased seeing her in the classical repertoire, I am always very interested to see what she does in other ballets, and I usually like it because it's always different.

 

We have said it before and I will reiterate:  the forum is not a fan page, so all kinds of opinions are welcome, as long as they are proffered politely and without insulting artists or fellow forum members.  

 

 

[zxDaveM]

I must be in a minority of about one, but I really liked Live Fire Exercise and had been looking forward to it before it got 'covided' (along with Symphonic Dances if memory serves). There is nothing though, save the winning Euromillions numbers, that could get me to see Multiverse again! (same with some of MacMillan's 'rapey' pieces).

[alison]

2 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

I must be in a minority of about one, but I really liked Live Fire Exercise and had been looking forward to it before it got 'covided' (along with Symphonic Dances if memory serves). 

 

And Prodigal Son  

 

(Yes, you may well be in a minority of one, Dave!)

[TSR101]

10 hours ago, DVDfan said:

Wrt the plot, I agree that you need a synopsis but I don't think that invalidates DP as a ballet, because Swan Lake makes no sense without one and no one would say that isn't a great classical ballet. 

 

With Dante Project, I don't believe you can understand basically any of it without having read it first. 

Even in 19th C ballets where narrative plot isn't the strength (it it the unbelievable beauty and virtuosity of their dancing ability - combined with unequalled music mostly), you can understand oh there is a Prince (or some noble man) and look hand over heart, pointing at ring finger, love marriage. He doesn't look happy about it, he doesn't want to marry her etc. For all the bonkersness of Nutcracker, I still can see its a father missing his son creating a nutcracker toy, I can see he goes to a party  where he performs tricks, etc etc. It is a narrative even if some finer details are not clear at times. (personally Gary Avis is one of the stars of the RB for me and he doesn't even dance anymore!)

In Dante Project, its oh look man in weird green dress being danced around by people in skin tight black costumes with what appears like dust all over them (probs should have cleaned them before putting them on). Oh man in weird red dress, with people in skin tight silver costumes with strange colours being played on the back of the stage. There is nothing, literally nothing to go on to suggest the supposed narrative. There is a time and a place for such abstract dance, the country's main classical ballet company's very limited budget for new full length narrative ballet, is not it. 

 

RB (Kevin?) has basically focused on McGregor, Scarlett & Wheeldon for the new full length ballets but with the passing of Liam we have lost the choreographer closest to the RB's tradition imo and have doubled down on McGregor (with Maddaddam on the way)which is the least like it. It's time for Kevin to go and find another choreographer. 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by TSR101

[TSR101]

4 hours ago, Sim said:

Untitled 2023

For the name alone ... 🤢

[Ondine]

'This is not a three act story ballet'

 

 

 

[Vanartus]

5 hours ago, alison said:

 

And Prodigal Son  

 

(Yes, you may well be in a minority of one, Dave!)

Two! I’d like to see LFE again …

[Cayetana]

On 17/11/2023 at 16:04, Mary said:

has anyone [] changed their opinion of 'Dante', [] after a repeat viewing?

 

I’m seeing it tomorrow, but when it opened, on second viewing it definitely made far more sense of the whole as a progression of distinct modes (of dancing, staging, music) and moods and I was in fact emotionally gripped. I liked my 1st experience and loved the second. I’m very excited to confront my memories with the actual new performance and performers.

[Dawnstar]

While I'm not seeing The Dante Project, I've just had a look at tonight's cast sheet & it's good to see Tomas Mock & Olivia Cowley on it as, unless I missed something, neither of them appeared in the Don Q run.

[LinMM]

Tomas Mock is leaving the RB I believe his last performance will be in Dante 

[alison]

Shame.  Did he say anything about future plans at the Ballet Association last night?  I was stuck at the office.

[San Perregrino]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Tomas Mock is leaving the RB I believe his last performance will be in Dante 

Tomas is Virgil to Ryo Hirano’s Dante in tonight’s cast which is mainly comprised of the junior ranked dancers. Looking forward to seeing their combined talent on stage. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by PeterS

[Ondine]

33 minutes ago, alison said:

Shame.  Did he say anything about future plans at the Ballet Association last night? 

 

Well his Linkedin says Tomas Mock is a FORMER soloist at the Royal Ballet and this is a surprise!

 

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomas-mock-07bb6175?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

 

Currently pursuing an MSc in Statistics at the London School of Economics (LSE), I am deeply passionate about the intricacies of financial markets and investing. My academic journey has further ignited my enthusiasm for data analysis and machine learning, equipping me with robust analytical tools to decipher complex data sets. As I delve deeper into the world of statistics and finance, I am eager to apply my knowledge, collaborate with like-minded professionals, and contribute to innovative projects at the intersection of data science and finance.

Beyond my academic and professional pursuits, I hold a rich artistic background as a former soloist at the Royal Ballet, which has instilled in me a unique blend of discipline, creativity, and precision.”

 

 

[MJW]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Tomas Mock is leaving the RB I believe his last performance will be in Dante 

 

I saw him on Friday at the general rehearsal in the downstairs cafe - I thought how nice to see him, not having been on stage for some time

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

Tomas Mock is leaving the RB I believe his last performance will be in Dante 

 

I'm sorry to hear that.

[MoVR]

3 hours ago, LinMM said:

Tomas Mock is leaving the RB I believe his last performance will be in Dante 

Why hasn't this been announced anywhere?

[LinMM]

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.