Bluebird Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 (edited) I’ve already commented on the Jill Ogai/ Marcus Morelli performance that preceded their on stage promotions. https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/28711-jill-ogai-and-marcus-morelli-promoted-to-principal-dancers-of-australian-ballet-onstage/?do=findComment&comment=425468 I was lucky enough to see most of the other casts. Two of the principals who danced Odette/Odile impressed me enormously. One was Benedicte Bemet who, during the Company’s London visit, drew a lot of attention when she danced with Joe Caley in Diamonds and in the Don Q pas de deux. In these performances of Swan Lake her Odette/Odile was truly lovely. Her Odette was sublime and her Odile cunningly sensual. Another who impressed was Sharni Spencer. Her Odette, in particular, was beautifully danced and very moving. However the performance that stood out from all the others was the one I saw a few days ago. Rina Nemoto, a senior artist (equivalent to first soloist), who was a Lausanne apprentice at the Royal Ballet some years ago, was partnered by ex Mariinsky dancer, Misha Barkidjija. Misha really lived the role of Siegfried and I found his performance intensely moving. This didn't just come from his facial expressions. He was acting through his dancing, something I find quite rare and have experienced with very few male dancers. His partnership with Rina was electric. They were completely in tune with each other and their pas de deux, especially in the white acts. were absolutely beautiful and very moving. Throughout the performances, the dancers in the corps de ballet were exemplary. Laura Day, who is now the corps de ballet repetiteur, can be very proud of them. As a footnote, one interesting difference to the Royal Ballet is that the female soloist roles, in the performances I saw, were most often taken by members of the corps de ballet and coryphées (and an occasional soloist). Although senior artists sometimes took the soloist roles, on occasion, a senior artist was cast as a cygnet while lower ranks danced the soloist roles. In fact, despite having been promoted to principal dancer on the 16th, on the 19th Jill Ogai was a cygnet! Edited December 22, 2023 by Bluebird 11 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 I'm so envious you saw Rina and Misha @Bluebird and that you were there for Jill and Marcus. I only managed one live performance, in Melbourne, and felt the production fell flat and needed work. Particularly that the mime had virtually all been removed! Obviously this was six or so performances in to a 60+ show run, so by the time of these recent shows it was fairly well bedded in! Also perhaps because I never really warm to Ako Kondo and her husband Chengwu Guo as a partnership - although I was pleasantly surprised at their Titania and Oberon in November! Must get around to reporting on that... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 It’s so great to read about the progress of Misha Barkidjija! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycecilia Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 @Bluebird so lovely to read your post - I was there too! I didn't get to see any of the other casts sadly, but I was absolutely thrilled to see Rina and Misha. They were sublime!! And the corps were so unified and magical - I could truly believe they were a beautiful flock of swans. 🦢💙 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 Welcome to the forum, marycecilia. Feedback on TAB is always welcome 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycecilia Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 @alison thank you!! I have read and enjoyed this forum for so many years - it's my dream to one day see the Royal Ballet in person! I do love our home-grown company and this past year especially has been an amazing year of ballet - so grateful for David Hallberg's directorship. A few of the dancers at TAB went to my old ballet school in Sydney (as did Alexander Campbell!). 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 @marycecilia please chime in on any AusBallet matters - it's great to have more of us here! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycecilia Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 @Sophoife thank you!! I always love reading your thoughts, and those of @Bluebird. Would love to hear your report on The Dream someday! I must say I do agree with you about Ako and Chengwu - they are both beautiful dancers and I love them individually, so it's very mysterious to me why the chemistry on stage isn't quite as powerful as it should be (especially when they are obviously so happy together and have sweet baby George 😊). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 Somehow though I can understand that! I’m pretty sure if I was a Professional dancer I would prefer not to dance with my real life partner (assuming they were a dancer of course!) At least not on a regular basis and especially when younger with all those highly intense emotions around. It can be hard enough to leave the ups and downs of Life behind when having the pressure of performing without the more intimate relationship of a marriage/partnership etc. Some people handle this better than others of course and find it easier to bring down the Professional front! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 @marycecilia when I publish my long-delayed report on the very short Ashton bill, I do hope your thoughts will accompany mine! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycecilia Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 @Sophoife absolutely! I was quite overwhelmed seeing my first ever Ashton ballets live that I am still processing it all, but I hope to have some coherent thoughts soon! I am still struggling to put into words what I felt and experienced that night, but I feel like I now understand why he is held in such high esteem and love by this forum, and I just wish I could see more of his ballets. What a man!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marycecilia Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 @LinMM yes, that's a great perspective! I think I would feel the same if I were a professional too - I am sure I would sometimes bring home problems to work and vice versa despite my best intentions! But you are right - there are some ballet couples who can separate the two and manage it beautifully, all credit to them! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 On 21/12/2023 at 23:55, Bluebird said: ... ex Mariinsky dancer, Misha Barkidjija. Misha really lived the role of Siegfried and I found his performance intensely moving. This didn't just come from his facial expressions. He was acting through his dancing, something I find quite rare and have experienced with very few male dancers. His partnership with Rina was electric. They were completely in tune with each other and their pas de deux, especially in the white acts. were absolutely beautiful and very moving. Dear Bluebird, like Sophoife I was so envious you saw Rina and Misha. In 2019, Misha Barkidjija impressed me with his performance at the Vaganova graduation concerts. It is so good that his Siegfried variation has appeared on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apG1Zbjp4zs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiaandB Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 12/01/2024 at 06:11, Amelia said: Dear Bluebird, like Sophoife I was so envious you saw Rina and Misha. In 2019, Misha Barkidjija impressed me with his performance at the Vaganova graduation concerts. It is so good that his Siegfried variation has appeared on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apG1Zbjp4zs That is a good find @Amelia He appears to have a YouTube channel with some videos of great ballet extracts. With his dancing talent and artistry he will probably reach Principal one day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 8 hours ago, RiaandB said: That is a good find @Amelia He appears to have a YouTube channel with some videos of great ballet extracts. With his dancing talent and artistry he will probably reach Principal one day. My find happened after I was looking for his Siegfried variation. Thank you for telling me about the YouTube channel. I found it too. Very interesting recordings starting from 9 y.o. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuCPBlWyORF4sWfMDzun_A 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanangra Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Benedicte is a beautiful dancer, she stood out from day one of joining the company. Love her partnerships with Joe Caley! I only ended my TAB subscription last year when I moved to the UK. Heard rave reviews from friends of Marcus Morelli in A Midsummer Night's Dream and not surprised he was promoted. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 @Kanangra he was a fabulous Puck, I wish I'd been able to see.his Oberon but scheduling didn't work out! He and Jill Ogai debuted Swan Lake in Adelaide: Jill's home town. She told me Mr Hallberg had specifically cast them for Adelaide first, not Melbourne. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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