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Sarah Lamb / partner selections

Guest Alexis

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Guest Alexis

Guest Alexis

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I’m pretty angry and surprised about Sarah Lamb’s partner.

The Nutcracker? Hirano. Manon? Hirano (after McRae …). The Swan Lake? Hirano. 
The two dancers have already performed together in the past but the couple is absolutely uneven, physically, “theatrically” and qualitatively.

Sarah is approaching the end of her career and we may never see her again in Manon and Lake but she still dances at a high level and her particular grace deserves another kind of partner. Why not Muntagirov, Ball, Sambe, Clarke?

I buy tickets to see Mrs. Lamb but with great disaffection for the partner.

Sarah deserves more for what she rap rapresented for the Royal Ballet and for her “cinematic beauty” and skill.

What do you think?

 

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MildConcern

MildConcern

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Posted

I don't agree with this post. I enjoy Hirano as a performer and his partnering is one of the most secure of the current RB male principals. I think the latter point is particularly important in the later years of the a ballerina's career. 

 

Moreover, they both have a sort of quiet maturity to their dancing that complements each other rather well.

 

I doubt Lamb has no say over her partner - I would expect that of the current female principals, Nunez, Osipova, Lamb and perhaps Cuthbertson have more sway over their casting (look at Osipova's insistence on Clarke). I suspect the Lamb / Hirano partnership is as much her choice as anyone else's. 

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Guest oncnp

Guest oncnp

Posted
Posted (edited)
30 minutes ago, Alexis said:

I’m pretty angry and surprised about Sarah Lamb’s partner.

The Nutcracker? Hirano. Manon? Hirano (after McRae …). The Swan Lake? Hirano. 
The two dancers have already performed together in the past but the couple is absolutely uneven, physically, “theatrically” and qualitatively.

Sarah is approaching the end of her career and we may never see her again in Manon and Lake but she still dances at a high level and her particular grace deserves another kind of partner. Why not Muntagirov, Ball, Sambe, Clarke?

I buy tickets to see Mrs. Lamb but with great disaffection for the partner.

Sarah deserves more for what she rap rapresented for the Royal Ballet and for her “cinematic beauty” and skill.

What do you think?

 

 

Nutcracker and Manon were subs for McRae as you note and it just may be down to who was available with the least disruption to the company as a whole. 

Edited by oncnp
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Sim

Sim

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, Alexis said:

I’m pretty angry and surprised about Sarah Lamb’s partner.

The Nutcracker? Hirano. Manon? Hirano (after McRae …). The Swan Lake? Hirano. 
The two dancers have already performed together in the past but the couple is absolutely uneven, physically, “theatrically” and qualitatively.

Sarah is approaching the end of her career and we may never see her again in Manon and Lake but she still dances at a high level and her particular grace deserves another kind of partner. Why not Muntagirov, Ball, Sambe, Clarke?

I buy tickets to see Mrs. Lamb but with great disaffection for the partner.

Sarah deserves more for what she rap rapresented for the Royal Ballet and for her “cinematic beauty” and skill.

What do you think?

 

I think that Sarah loves dancing with Ryo and if she didn't, she wouldn't dance with him.  No-one is forcing her.  She and Ryo have danced together for many years.  I know that the lady dancers like dancing with him because he is a very good and secure partner.  As for his dramatic ability, he was wonderful in Dante a couple of weeks ago, and he was the best I have seen in Winter's Tale.

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Guest oncnp

Guest oncnp

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Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, Sim said:

I think that Sarah loves dancing with Ryo and if she didn't, she wouldn't dance with him.  No-one is forcing her.  

 

Do we actually know that?  She may have input but in the end is it not KOH's decision? 

Edited by oncnp
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Sim

Sim

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1 minute ago, oncnp said:

 

Do we actually know that?  She may have input but in the end is it not KOH's decision? 

Yes, I do know that.  Sarah and Ryo have been regular partners for years.  If either of them didn't like that, they would not be doing it, especially regularly and for so long.  And as others have said, if there are real objections a dancer is not forced to dance with someone.  KOH does listen to what his dancers say.  There is no point in putting dancers onstage who don't want to be there with each other.  

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Rob S

Rob S

Posted
Posted (edited)

Sarah is my favourite principal and although I've only been watching live for five and a half years she's had a number of different partners in my time, it's not all Hirano....in the last run of SB she was partnered by McRae and Sambe....,Vadim in R&J, Manon and Nutcracker... McRae in R&J,  Mayerling, Cinderella and Nutcracker, Sambe in Giselle. 

Edited by Rob S
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capybara

capybara

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Posted
1 hour ago, Alexis said:

I’m pretty angry and surprised about Sarah Lamb’s partner.

The Nutcracker? Hirano. Manon? Hirano (after McRae …). The Swan Lake? Hirano. 


I understand your disappointment @Alexis . Obviously, Lamb and McRae wanted to dance together but injury has intervened.

Have you seen Hirano recently, I wonder? I’m asking because, although his technical level may have dropped a little, I have found him to be a very secure partner and an ever more affecting actor.

Many years ago, there was an RB dancer I found difficult to watch but, wanting to see his partner in various roles, I booked nonetheless and then proceeded to block him out! Maybe you could try that - or, better still, give Hirano a chance. He might surprise you.

 

4 minutes ago, Alexis said:

I’m from Boston like Sarah and I’ve been following her career….lately Sarah is a bit underrated at RB….


Unfortunately, as younger dancers are promoted, the focus is ever-shifting. Sarah may no longer be first cast but she is very much appreciated and I for one am very glad that she is continuing to dance so brilliantly deep into her forties.

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Tango Dancer

Tango Dancer

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44 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

Do we actually know that?  She may have input but in the end is it not KOH's decision? 

 

My understanding is that the female dancers have quite a bit of say as to who they dance with.  I think if she didn't like him that would be listened to.  

 

Ryo seems like a very solid partner and while not the flashiest of the male principal dancers, he has a warmth and depth to him and I think he'd be nice to dance with.  I also really liked him as a guest with the Northern Ballet Great Gatsby where he seemed to be a really considerate partner.  

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Guest oncnp

Guest oncnp

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19 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

Many years ago, there was an RB dancer I found difficult to watch but, wanting to see his partner in various roles, I booked nonetheless and then proceeded to block him out!

 

Great advice that I will be following throughout the winter and spring

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FionaM

FionaM

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Posted (edited)

Actually of the two Ryo is higher up my list of preferences than Sarah!  So I would book to see him and wish he had a different partner.  
 

However as both are in the latter part of their careers being 40+, they may not be dancing once these ballets come around again.  
 

I think their Manon will be amazing.  With his often quoted safest pair of partnering hands, those throws in the final pdd will be heartbreakingly awesome.  

Edited by FionaM
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bridiem

bridiem

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I think that Sarah Lamb is a magnificent dancer in every way. Unfortunately I have rarely felt that about the partners with whom she is so often paired. (I do like Hirano, but I think that his acting doesn't always carry as far as the Amphi, and he is no longer at his peak technically.) Amongst the most superlative performances I have ever seen have been Lamb with Muntagirov in Romeo and Juliet, Manon and The Sleeping Beauty. How I wish they had danced together more often. But yes, I imagine that she has a good deal of input about who partners her, so the frustration must be on my part rather than hers. Either way, I feel privileged to have seen her and so grateful that she came to the RB.

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bridiem

bridiem

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I had not booked for Lamb in Manon partly because of the prices and partly because of her original partner, but reading and contributing to this thread has made me realise that I really must see her again... so I've just booked another Manon... oh dear. But I am now very much looking forward to seeing both her and Hirano!

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Sim

Sim

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18 minutes ago, bridiem said:

I had not booked for Lamb in Manon partly because of the prices and partly because of her original partner, but reading and contributing to this thread has made me realise that I really must see her again... so I've just booked another Manon... oh dear. But I am now very much looking forward to seeing both her and Hirano!

Sarah is a truly wonderful Manon.  I hadn't booked either for the same reason, but now I will try to if there is anything cheap left.  I guess it will also be the first and last time we get to see Ryo as DG, as well.  

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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Posted

Coincidentally, the ROH tweeted this today.

 

Do I wish Lamb was dancing Manon with Muntagirov again? Yes. But I'm still planning to see her with Hirano, assuming I can get a ticket. (I don't currently have any tickets for Manon because I couldn't afford any when booking opened. Now I have the money but there aren't any of the tickets I'm after left so I'm going to have a horribly stressful Friday rush time come Jan-Feb.)

 

The first time I saw Hirano was in Mayerling in 2018 when he replaced Watson, which was also my first time seeing not only the piece but the RB live. I can't say I was too keen on him from an acting point of view so I avoided booking specifically for him for a while after that, though I did see him in various triple bills & secondary roles in full length pieces which latter showed that I did like him in more "character" roles (Espada, Lescaut, Tybalt, Paris). I did see him as the Prince in the Nutcracker, because I wanted to see Magri's SPF debut & he was her partner, but that's not really an acting role. Then come the 2022 revival of Manon I ended up booking for both the casts he was with because I wanted to see Morera as Countess Larisch & Hamilton as Mary Vetsera. I found I much prefered his Rudolf with Hamilton's Mary Vetsera than with Osipova's, so I guess it took me 4 years to realise my Mayerling issue was more with Osipova than Hirano, though there are still other Rudolfs I prefer to Hirano's. In the same Mayerling run I received a bit of a shock when a review said that Lamb had just turned 42. I knew she wasn't young by ballet standards but I'd been thinking she was later 30s & still had a while to go. That made me realise that I'd better hurry up & see her in some more roles, as while I'd seen her in the MacMillans I'd not seen her in classics, apart from half an act of SL. So I saw her & Hirano in SB last season and, given the cast changes with McRae's injury, will probably see them in The Nutcracker, Manon & SL this season. 

 

In terms of other partners, I really liked her with Muntagirov but that doesn't seem to be happening at the moment. I really like her with McRae in Mayerling but didn't think Cinderella worked quite as well. I'm not very keen on her with Sambe as I think he's too short for her. I think that's everyone I've seen her with in full lengths, plus Edmonds in a couple of 1 acters. I'd potentially be interested in seeing her with Ball or Bracewell but I doubt that will happen given there's been no attempt to pair them for the last few seasons.

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art_enthusiast

art_enthusiast

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Hirano really impressed me in the Mayerlings of 2022 - he did three that I saw, with Osipova/Hamilton and Takada in place of McRae. Also loved him as Dante, and the princes in Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. I also really liked his performance in Corybantic Games, and in the 2022 Diamonds Gala with Lamb. And as Romeo to Hamilton's Juliet in the 2021/22 season. I also think he does a brilliant, menacing/dramatic Tybalt. 

 

If funds and timings allowed I would also book for his DG and Sarah's Manon (I thought she was brilliant in the one on the Stream with Muntagirov). Glad that I got to see her in SB/SL and Giselle though. I also thought her 2022 Mayerling with McRae was superb.

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Richard LH

Richard LH

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Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, Sim said:

As for his dramatic ability, he was wonderful in Dante a couple of weeks ago, and he was the best I have seen in Winter's Tale.

Ryo was also excellent in Onegin and Mayerling, to take just two examples...plus his Espada as course!

Edited by Richard LH
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Guest Alexis

Guest Alexis

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I will be flying from the US to London in March and May to see Sarah in Manon and Swan. Hirano is a good dancer but I simply would have preferred to see another partner with her, especially in two ballets so classic. My blonde American dancer always deserves the best! Long live Hirano and Long live the Royal Ballet!

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capybara

capybara

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Posted
19 minutes ago, Alexis said:

I will be flying from the US to London in March and May to see Sarah in Manon and Swan. Hirano is a good dancer but I simply would have preferred to see another partner with her, especially in two ballets so classic. My blonde American dancer always deserves the best! Long live Hirano and Long live the Royal Ballet!


I hope you enjoy your selected shows @Alexis. You have certainly prompted an interesting discussion on here - thank you.

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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6 hours ago, oncnp said:

Nutcracker and Manon were subs for McRae as you note and it just may be down to who was available with the least disruption to the company as a whole. 

 

Thinking about this, does Hirano do less international guesting than some of the other RB Principals & so is more available? Some Principals often get mentioned on here as guesting elsewhere but I can't think of many mentions for Hirano, apart from the ones in the UK with Scottish & Northern Ballets. Actually Lamb seems to rarely get mentioned as guesting either but I don't know if that's because she doesn't do much or because she's not on social media so it doesn't get publicised.

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selene

selene

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I've only seen Ryoichi and Sarah dance Diamonds together in the special performance during Covid lockdown, and I thought they were beautifully matched in elegance and technique. But that's the beauty of appreciating the performing arts, everyone has a different interpretation and all are equally valid. 

 

For what it's worth, Sarah did an interview with the Ballet Association back in 2018 where she spoke highly of Steve McRae and Ryoichi's partnering skills. 

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Tango Dancer

Tango Dancer

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13 minutes ago, selene said:

I've only seen Ryoichi and Sarah dance Diamonds together in the special performance during Covid lockdown, and I thought they were beautifully matched in elegance and technique. But that's the beauty of appreciating the performing arts, everyone has a different interpretation and all are equally valid. 

 

For what it's worth, Sarah did an interview with the Ballet Association back in 2018 where she spoke highly of Steve McRae and Ryoichi's partnering skills. 

 

Also dancing with someone is very individual.  I've never danced ballet with a partner but I dance social tango with a number of men and some just fit me better.  There's a really intangible sense of fit and chemistry with some people that others don't have.  I've danced with some very advanced partners and not enjoyed it and danced with some less advanced ones who have made me feel special and safe.  When speaking with other female followers we all want different things from our leads and perceive different men in quite varying ways.  You can't always understand why someone likes the partner they do, but it works for them.  Also it's not always a question of whether they're someone you're in a relationship with. Dance chemistry and relationship chemistry are not the same always.  

 

I don't know why Sarah picks Ryo more often than some other partners, but obviously something about it works for her.  

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Sophoife

Sophoife

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5 hours ago, Tango Dancer said:

Also dancing with someone is very individual. 

 

So very true! My darling dad is tone-deaf but was taught to waltz, Viennese-style, in his far-distant youth. My parents and I attended a ball in my slightly less-distant youth and to see them circling the room in circles was a marvellous thing.

 

I've seen plenty of ballet performances in my life, and sometimes there's just no chemistry between a cast pairing, and I think "well s/he's no good" and then I see the same dancer with a different partner and it's like I'm seeing a different dancer!

 

Good luck @Alexis I'm rather envious.

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