ENB Mary Skeaping Giselle January 2024

[Tango Dancer]

Well I had a great time last night at the Thursday evening performance.  As usual I booked the ticket before the cast was known as it was the only night I could get to London.  

 

I enjoyed the show very much.  I have always liked Gabriele Frola as he's such a beautiful dancer so I was delighted he was performing (no offence to Ken Saruhashi who is also a good dancer).  I thought he was lovely.  I didn't get the feeling he was madly in love with Giselle.  I had more the feeling that he was playing at love and flirtation and realised the effects of what he had done when she died.  I loved seeing his growing despair and terror and the way he realised that only Giselle could save him. His dancing was amazing, I wish he'd danced for longer during Act 2 as he was captivating. 

 

I liked Shiori Kase, she's not a dancer I'd seen before but she made a lovely fragile and intense Giselle who had given her heart.  You could see why her mother was so worried about her health and what might happen.  Her performance in Act 2 was absolutely exquisite too and technically really impressive.  

 

I liked the Wilis very much and the corps did a great job.  Angela Wood was a very good dancer but I didn't think she was quite as scary as I like Myrtha to be, she seemed a bit too nice.  

 

The other standout to me was the peasant couple.  Miguel Angel Maidana is a seriously good dancer with really great jumps and personality.  I'd love to see him as Espada sometime.  He is definitely going places I think.  Ivana Bueno was also a lovely stylish dancer who really held the audience attention.  They had really good chemistry together and sizzled.  

 

I would however agree about the darkness.  I was in the balcony and it was impossible to see what was happening to the gamekeepers and Hilarion.  I know lighting should be atmospheric but you need to be able to see what's going on.  

 

All in all a really good evening.  I was also impressed with how good the view was.  I got a £10 ticket for the balcony with TodayTix and was pleased that I could see almost all of the stage.  I'd have liked more comfortable seats and legroom but it was extremely good value for money.  

[alison]

1 hour ago, Geoff said:

Are my eyes deceiving me or does the ENB website now say Frola is dancing again, the matinee tomorrow Saturday?

 

I've refreshed it several times, and mine is still saying Saruhashi.

[Jamesrhblack]

I loved this production last weekend and am very pleased to have picked up a standby ticket with less an an hour to go. I’m looking forward to viewing with the benefit of the insights offered on this forum by Irmgard and also hoping for a performance without injury or incident. 

[San Perregrino]

14 minutes ago, alison said:

 

I've refreshed it several times, and mine is still saying Saruhashi.

Have you clicked on the actual date after refreshing?

[annamk]

Mine says Frola.

 

[bridiem]

18 minutes ago, alison said:

 

I've refreshed it several times, and mine is still saying Saruhashi.

 

ENB have tweeted this cast change, so it's definitely Frola.

[Emeralds]

 

59 minutes ago, alison said:

 

I've refreshed it several times, and mine is still saying Saruhashi.

Frola on the website for me too, which is more logical so soon after Saruhashi's injury.  Saruhashi is still young enough to get chances to do Albrecht in future.

 

Actually I kind of missed Lorenzo Trossello, and Rhys Antoni Yeomans being in featured roles like Peasant pas de deux too (I spotted them in the ensemble), so hopefully they'll do it next run as well. 

[Irmgard]

4 hours ago, alison said:

 

I've refreshed it several times, and mine is still saying Saruhashi.

It will definitely be Frola dancing with Kase tomorrow afternoon as, sadly, Saruhashi has not recovered enough from his minor injury to perform.

[alison]

I am so tempted ...

[annamk]

9 hours ago, alison said:

I am so tempted ...

 

I couldn't resist !

[Bruce Wall]

Have very much enjoyed the performances I have seen during this run of this lovely version of Giselle.  Like the Ratmansky it tells the tale so fully.  It's like one of those glorious pop-up books from ones' childhood.  Just so many surprises are seemingly blown in with the wind.  

 

Will comment on the Thursday matinee - as I had scribbled some notes - having planned to do a review (work as usual gets in the way) - as it was one I was surprised by -  more than I had anticipated I might be - in an assuredly positive way.  

 

Today's matinee was made doubly special by having so many vibrant debuts in it. This was clearly Hollywood casting with types aplently.  I don't know why but Beauty and the Beast kept coming into my mind.  Emma Hawes radiated innocence throughout in the title role. She very much lived the part and wholesome heart and soul.  It was gloriously refreshing.  What an asset Vsevolod Maievskyi (Albrecht here) will be to ENB. At 6'4" his legato line goes on for seeming ever and he appears to be an entirely confident partner. Nothing he too approached became overly fussy. I'm certain he shall flourish and I will very much look forward to seeing him in other assignments. James Streeter husbanded his considerable resources with impactful drama as Hilarion. As ever he delivered far beyond a 'yeoman' service. The peasant PDD was a total delight - most especially the first male variation by Noam Durand.  (This ironically was why I really wanted to see this particular performance.)  I would SO love to see this fine French dancer employed in more dedicated principal pursuits. Surely the time is right. That said the crown on this particular festive mound of balletic achievement (not forgetting the radiant corps and the ever potent musical acumen of the brilliant conductor Gavin Sutherland) was Precious Adams in her Myrtha debut. She was entirely scintillating. She riled the air about her.  Her Queen of the Willis was never frightened to fleetingly flash a malevolent smile or two in and amongst her beatific bourrees - and her feet literally flew in those rich droplets of precise petit allegro. IN ALL THIS WAS A GIFT!

 

Another aspect that I so love about the setting of this particular production is that it gives each principal (i.e., named) artist a change to really set their own twist on the tale.  At the Royal you watch the charges dutifully fulfill the Wright mandate.  Not here.  As but one example you might look at Albrecht's exit from Act I.  They were all really quite different, one from the other - at least in my experience of five different performances.  The ever glorious Mr. Frola was entirely humbled in his lengthy staring stance in front of the advancing glare of grief fueled mother - a consistently fine performance by Ms. Hussey.  Certainly Frola could (and did) toy with Giselle - but here he found he couldn't run from himself.  Suddenly the pain that his aristocratically calculated game had wrought on very real people - pushed him into a corner of self-realisation.  It was vivid.  The darkly knitted brows for once lifted and the blue globe's pierced in the revelation.  This vividly telegraphed the key of Frola's second act.  Even still, it came to meaningful fruition even here.  The next act was thus already propelled.  It was glorious in that it made entire sense of the previous 'coolness' of his selfish climb. We too had been victim's in this character's machination - as much as this fine artist's theatrical coup.  

 

Still, the one that REALLY stood out for me was Daniel McCormick.  It was so very different - night and day so - apart from the fact that both men danced immaculately.  This lad - McCormick - was always a star in the making - and in this production I felt you very much saw him a star made.  There's part of me that wonders why Tamara hasn't nabbed him for SFB.  He went to the Company school after all and is a State native.  Certainly he deserves to go somewhere where he can continue to fully burgeon.  ENB has served its purpose well.  Boston perhaps.  No question but he would be an asset anywhere - and without hesitation he positively glows here.  The extraordinary focus of his Albrecht's characterful focus throughout - entirely hot blooded as opposed to Frola's pristine minx-like reserve - was additionally mixed with the musical precision of his dance.  All was enfolded and told through the score.  The combination literally sung volumes.  For his Act I departure this Albrecht was almost horizontal with pained regret.  His arms flayed forward still trying to revive Giselle as Wilfred manfully struggled to drag him to a place of reputational safety as the curtain fall.  He never made it to the wings.  That melding corners of that sweet boyish grin of his - which so reminds me of Paul Chalmer's at a similar age - here were contorted into a over weening cry.  They are after all extremities of the same root.  I found the unexpected extremity of the very moment deeply moving.  Certainly it too caught me unawares.  It will be locked into my personal memory bank certainly.  

 

So, so many moments to cherish.  Just wanted to add this today as people might want to try to snatch a ticket for tonight - when I'm certain the magnificence of a certan 'Precious'ness  will once again be dished out with zeal.  As I said:  A gift.  

 

 

 

Edited January 20 by Bruce Wall

[LinMM]

Loved your review Bruce Wall except for your hint of a suggestion that McCormick might dance elsewhere 😱.   Please no …not just yet! 

 

[capybara]

@Bruce Wall

And just why are either SFB or Boston ‘better’ companies in which Daniel McCormick should flourish?

ENB is a significant presence in the ballet world with a new AD intent on taking it to new heights. Please don’t let us diminish it - especially not after this stunning run of Giselles.

 

I am actually not as convinced as others might be that DM’s early promise (so evident still in ‘featured’ roles) is yet revealing itself when he dances at a more Principal level. But ENB will surely help him on that developmental journey. One only has to look at the roster of ‘home team’ and guest Repetiteurs  to feel reassured about that.

 

(Apologies for this slight diversion from topic.)

[Sim]

@Bruce Wall  Precious Adams actually had her debut on 13th January.  Thursday was her second show.  

[Emeralds]

SFB and Boston are very good companies but we want Daniel-he is much loved at ENB! He is burgeoning very well here and there are great things on the horizon for him. Boston is a smaller company although it's doing well under Mikko Nissinen's leadership. Can't guarantee he would even have gotten Albrecht at SFB, with so many principal men there jostling for roles. The rep at SFB this season - Song of the Earth, Broken Wings, Swan Lake, another Arielle Smith, another Aszure Barton, etc....looks a lot like ENB's repertoire! (Great for their dancers and audience but not much point in relocating for it.) He had the leads in Cinderella and Nutcracker last season, Theme and Variations, Nutcracker and Giselle this season so far and there's still Carmen and Swan Lake to come. 

[Emeralds]

I do agree with @Bruce Wall that it's nice to see different Albrechts do different exits for Act 1 (and different responses for the ending). It makes each performance more interesting in not being copies, and each performer gets to choose. 

[Dawnstar]

When watching the end of Act I on Sunday Wilfred's attempts to get Albrecht away suddenly vividly made me think of Benvolio getting Romeo away after Tybalt's death.

 

I wonder if Arrieta is now slightly repenting of his generosity in giving Frola Tuesday's performance, as with today's matinee the latter is now going to end up doing one more performance than the former!

[Bruce Wall]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

@Bruce Wall

And just why are either SFB or Boston ‘better’ companies in which Daniel McCormick should flourish?

ENB is a significant presence in the ballet world with a new AD intent on taking it to new heights. Please don’t let us diminish it - especially not after this stunning run of Giselles.

 

I am actually not as convinced as others might be that DM’s early promise (so evident still in ‘featured’ roles) is yet revealing itself when he dances at a more Principal level. But ENB will surely help him on that developmental journey. One only has to look at the roster of ‘home team’ and guest Repetiteurs  to feel reassured about that.

 

(Apologies for this slight diversion from topic.)

Dear @capybara,

 

Thanks for your comment.  I think you might be surprised to know that I made mention of the point you raise ONLY AS A COMPLIMENT.  ENB - as LFB before it - has always - as far as I'm aware - seen itself as a significant training ground.   They have always been very proud of this fact.  I know Tamara saw this as key in terms of their mandate and I well remember in a seminar with the late illustrious Galina Samsova who too said this was the Company's prime purpose.  There is no question but that this is a hugely vital service - I can think of none more important.  It was in this light that I was highlighting Mr. McCormick's achievements.  Just look at the service that the Company served in terms of the likes of Muntagirov and Corrales.  Certainly my comment was in no way to 'diminish' anyone or anything.  Quite the reverse in fact.  It was, of course, but a sidelight to the main thrust which was an appreciation of the production and its fulfillment.  Just for clarity sake.  I think you will see from the tenor of my comments that I very much have enjoyed this 'stunning run of Giselles' as you accurately put it.  I share that with you.  I'm sorry you were less than convinced by Mr. DM.  I very much hope that he will rise to your expectations.  I'm well certain he might.  

Thanks for the clarification as to Precious Adams debut @Sim.  I hadn't realised.  So easy to get these things muddled especially with so many changes - not just in the rosters - but in ones own life / career as well. Bless you for this.  

 

 

[Emeralds]

47 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I wonder if Arrieta is now slightly repenting of his generosity in giving Frola Tuesday's performance, as with today's matinee the latter is now going to end up doing one more performance than the former!

No, no, nothing that he needs to repent of- that was a wonderful gesture and if I were his teacher/parent/family I'd be so proud of him for doing that. (Not a huge difference between 3 vs 4 shows anyway.)

 

The person who might be questioning it might be Katja because of the extra work she had to put in- but I  think she needn't regret anything either because she gave a magnificent performance on Tuesday and she now knows she can do Giselle in high pressure situations: 1) with two different partners, one at short notice, 2) pull off two shows on consecutive days (probably won't advise repeating this often though!)...and both times the audience loved her: lots of warmth and cheers throughout the auditorium. They both just need to stay rested and healthy for Sunday 👍.  

 

Aitor and Katja's show closing the Coliseum season will be very special. If I didn't have prior commitments today and tomorrow, I'd get tickets to watch all three performances this weekend! (Especially  since the weather is warming up today and tomorrow too....typical 😌 😀!) 

Edited January 20 by Emeralds

[Irmgard]

5 hours ago, Emeralds said:

No, no, nothing that he needs to repent of- that was a wonderful gesture and if I were his teacher/parent/family I'd be so proud of him for doing that. (Not a huge difference between 3 vs 4 shows anyway.)

 

The person who might be questioning it might be Katja because of the extra work she had to put in- but I  think she needn't regret anything either because she gave a magnificent performance on Tuesday and she now knows she can do Giselle in high pressure situations: 1) with two different partners, one at short notice, 2) pull off two shows on consecutive days (probably won't advise repeating this often though!)...and both times the audience loved her: lots of warmth and cheers throughout the auditorium. They both just need to stay rested and healthy for Sunday 👍.  

 

Aitor and Katja's show closing the Coliseum season will be very special. If I didn't have prior commitments today and tomorrow, I'd get tickets to watch all three performances this weekend! (Especially  since the weather is warming up today and tomorrow too....typical 😌 😀!) 

Just to point out that Khaniukova and Arrieta did the dress rehearsal the night before opening night, meaning that they actually gave three full performances of the ballet on three consecutive nights, as they danced full out at the dress rehearsal.  I salute them for this amazing achievement and am very grateful to them for leading the company for Mary Skeaping's "Giselle", and in such an exemplary and selfless way.  

[Emeralds]

11 minutes ago, Irmgard said:

Just to point out that Khaniukova and Arrieta did the dress rehearsal the night before opening night, meaning that they actually gave three full performances of the ballet on three consecutive nights, as they danced full out at the dress rehearsal.  I salute them for this amazing achievement and am very grateful to them for leading the company for Mary Skeaping's "Giselle", and in such an exemplary and selfless way.  

Ah yes- I am not able to do Friends membership and I can't attend dress rehearsals,  but I do remember forum members who are and can, mentioning this. Just in awe of their fitness and their grit, @Irmgard- oh my goodness, they must be feeling so sore by Friday midnight and Saturday morning! Huge respect to them both, and yet they were smiling at curtain calls like the incredible troupers they were! What great assets they both are to ENB and to audiences. 

Edited January 20 by Emeralds

[Sebastian]

On 10/01/2024 at 08:15, Irmgard said:

As Adviser to the Skeaping Estate and Artistic Adviser for "Giselle", I have contributed most of the programme notes and have proofread the others so hopefully there will not be any errors this time 🤞

Just to say Irmgard, it’s a wonderful programme, thank you very much. I have not been able to get to the Coliseum until this afternoon (super show) so have only just bought one. Are we allowed to know who is responsible for the unsigned parts? 
 

I was going to stay and watch again this evening but a family emergency meant I had to hurry home. However I am much looking forward to going to the last performance tomorrow. 

[Shade]

Friday evening's performance was warmly received. I thoroughly enjoyed it, exception being the eating, drinking and giggling at inappropriate moments!
 

The music was at a pace that gave it great impact and moved the action on.

This production is one to treasure, no doubt. I prefer the peasant pdd as opposed to pds but I felt that it needed more crispness yesterday evening.

 

In my view the night belonged to the ladies, expressive Giselle and implacable, merciless Myrthe. Fabulous Wilis.

[Irmgard]

3 hours ago, Sebastian said:

Just to say Irmgard, it’s a wonderful programme, thank you very much. I have not been able to get to the Coliseum until this afternoon (super show) so have only just bought one. Are we allowed to know who is responsible for the unsigned parts? 
 

I was going to stay and watch again this evening but a family emergency meant I had to hurry home. However I am much looking forward to going to the last performance tomorrow. 

Thank you very much.  The unsigned parts were a joint effort between the Marketing Department and me.

[Janite]

Just back from Saturday evenings performance. Emma Hawes was so convincing as Giselle, I ached for her broken heart. Vsevolod Maievskyi was completely new to me, somehow I was reminded of Vadim Muntagirov. Did anyone else think this  or could explain why? Precious Adams and her entourage were suitably frightening. All in all my friend and I thought it was wonderful.

[alison]

Yes, I did, Janite.  Someone else mentioned David Hallberg.

[TSR101]

8 hours ago, Janite said:

Just back from Saturday evenings performance. Emma Hawes was so convincing as Giselle, I ached for her broken heart. Vsevolod Maievskyi was completely new to me, somehow I was reminded of Vadim Muntagirov. Did anyone else think this  or could explain why? Precious Adams and her entourage were suitably frightening. All in all my friend and I thought it was wonderful.

I was at the performance last night and whilst watching Vsevolod, he reminded me strongly of Vadim. I couldn’t put my finger on why but something of his mannerisms maybe, maybe something in his training, not sure! 
 

In general I to thought it was a lovely performance and production. The corps were strong, Emma felt very believable as Giselle (I think innocence is easily within her dramatic range but would be interested to see her in swan lake). I felt the partnership grew stronger as it went on - their connection in Act 2 was a more believable love to me than in Act 1 where she didn’t really seem to react to his boyish charm. They should perform this ballet more often! 
 

Marianela was sitting by me and seemed to give it her mark of approval!

[BeauxArts]

A brief word about Saturday’s matinee- this brought together Shiori Kase and Francesco Frola. Kase is a very different dancer from Khaniukova whom I had seen with Frola on  Tuesday. Technically very assured, she was well

matched with Frola who I felt danced even better than on Tuesday. He has such a fine stage presence and dramatic intuition. They were tremendous together. The peasant pdd was beautifully danced by Buenog and McCormack. The  second act of his production is unmatched - a perfect marriage of design,

music, choreography, and dramatic mood. I did not even miss the entrechats  from Frola, scintillating though they no doubt would have been! Congratulations to all at ENB for giving us such a splendid run of performances. 

[PatC]

I FINALLY managed to get to a performance yesterday matinee. This was the Giselle production I started my ballet viewing with all those years ago when the company was London Festival Ballet. In those days I was front row Balcony for performance after performance of those glorious summer seasons with a plethora of mixed bills / classics and guest artists. Giselle for me during those years was Evdokimova and Terabust - Albrecht would possibly have been Schaufuss and Armand. 

Maina Gielgud did shows called Steps notes and squeaks and one of the evenings was dedicated to Giselle - Anton Dolin was coaching. From it I remember him decrying the use of lilies by Albrecht in the 2nd act - he thought it should be wild flowers picked on his way to the grave which I think is a lovely thought - so I despise the lilies - is it a Russian addition? He also instructed the Albrecht that he should not take his eyes off Giselle when they cross front stage - ‘you cannot believe your eyes so you do not look away’ - I’ve yet to see any dancer do that.

 

Quibbles aside, this for me is the OG version and cannot be faulted, even with the lighting issues. To see Kase and Frola yesterday afternoon was glorious.

 

One small query though @Irmgard I thought the Myrtha entrance yesterday was different - my memory has 2 diagonals with veil on but only one yesterday - have my memories decieved me?

[Geoff]

I would like to add a post in honour of the wonderful conductor, Gavin Sutherland. Given his considerable ballet experience I made the silly mistake of assuming he was conducting all the shows in this run (no doubt far too gruelling a task). So I was puzzled when yesterday”s matinee, otherwise most enjoyable, didn’t feel quite right. Then at the curtain calls, a different conductor to the one I was expecting walked out. All clear. 

 

Let me say, the other conductor was, well, fine, ok. But when I went back to the show today, conducted by Gavin Sutherland, with yesterday afternoon still in my head, from the very first bar the music was more focussed, intense, thrilling and generally dramatic. 
 

So a big shout out to Gavin Sutherland, and long may he be invited to conduct this and other ballets. 

[capybara]

I feel very privileged to have been in the audience for the final performance of ENB’s wonderful run which seems to have gone from strength to strength.

 

Katja Kaniukova just was Giselle and everyone else on stage found interpretative and technical gears to match her.
 

Bravo to the Company as a whole a total of 52 shows altogether at the Coliseum. Phew!

[FionaM]

Lovely performance from the final cast today.  The unison and quiet scariness (no noisy pointe shoes here) of the Wilis was remarkable,  Congratulations ENB!
 

Aitor was dreamily in love with his Giselle, and I was especially impressed with Katja’s waft like quality in Act 2 and also her entrancing madness scene. 

 

My highlight was Alison McWhinney’s Myrtha .. dynamic movements from her arms and legs in addition to steely looks.  This Myrtha means business!

 

Enjoyable and accomplished peasant pdd from Bueno and McCormick.  And Fabian Reimar as Hilarion moving the story along naturally without gimmicks.  

Edited January 21 by FionaM
Add last paragraph

[jmhopton]

21 hours ago, Janite said:

Just back from Saturday evenings performance. Emma Hawes was so convincing as Giselle, I ached for her broken heart. Vsevolod Maievskyi was completely new to me, somehow I was reminded of Vadim Muntagirov. Did anyone else think this  or could explain why? Precious Adams and her entourage were suitably frightening. All in all my friend and I thought it was wonderful.

I too was reminded of Vadim. Perhaps something to do with his build, training, rather princely attitude. This Albrecht never really convinced as a peasant! I loved his pairing with Emma Hawes and thought they made a great couple. I'd love to see them in Romeo and Juliet. I actually preferred this pairing to the Sunday Frola pairing though that was probably affected by having two Giselles and being rather stressed in the second act by being worried I was going to miss my train with the interval delay. As it was I made it a couple of minutes before they closed the platform.