Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 13 minutes ago, Irmgard said: Craske departed for an ashram in India at the start of World War 2 before settling in the USA. Yes. All very fascinating and maybe we should have a separate thread on Margaret Craske, who Cecchetti chose to carry on his work at West Street. Mary Skeaping also taught at Nesta Brooking's studio I think? (Nesta Brooking I found quite terrifying but that is also a separate issue!) Nesta Brooking was Monica Mason's teacher when she first arrived in the UK. It all used to be such a small world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 While we're discussing Mary Skeaping's production of Giselle here, it was a fun coincidence to see one of her retagings of a 17th century production, Cupid out of his Humour, at the quaint, beautifully preserved court theatre of Drottningholm Palace on TV last night in The Magic of Dance, the documentary series presented by Margot Fonteyn. (A bit before my time but the ballet was reportedly performed for the state visit of the late Queen Elizabeth II to Sweden in 1956 too!). I loved the ingenious backstage equipment and machinery that reminded me of the wire work, flying effects and stagecraft in her production of Giselle. True theatre genius and magic. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 4 minutes ago, Emeralds said: While we're discussing Mary Skeaping's production of Giselle here, it was a fun coincidence to see one of her retagings of a 17th century production, Cupid out of his Humour, at the quaint, beautifully preserved court theatre of Drottningholm Palace on TV last night in The Magic of Dance, the documentary series presented by Margot Fonteyn. (A bit before my time but the ballet was reportedly performed for the state visit of the late Queen Elizabeth II to Sweden in 1956 too!). I loved the ingenious backstage equipment and machinery that reminded me of the wire work, flying effects and stagecraft in her production of Giselle. True theatre genius and magic. Yes I was about to mention that one of Mary Skeaping's reconstructions featured in Magic of Dance! She worked at Drottingholm for a number of years. The theatre itself was accidentally preserved with all its effects and machinery as it was basically used as a glorified garden shed, for storage! https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/26/archives/drottningholm-a-200yearold-theatrical-jewel-a-200yearold-jewel.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmgard Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 21 minutes ago, Emeralds said: While we're discussing Mary Skeaping's production of Giselle here, it was a fun coincidence to see one of her retagings of a 17th century production, Cupid out of his Humour, at the quaint, beautifully preserved court theatre of Drottningholm Palace on TV last night in The Magic of Dance, the documentary series presented by Margot Fonteyn. (A bit before my time but the ballet was reportedly performed for the state visit of the late Queen Elizabeth II to Sweden in 1956 too!). I loved the ingenious backstage equipment and machinery that reminded me of the wire work, flying effects and stagecraft in her production of Giselle. True theatre genius and magic. Cupid out of his Humour was actually commissioned from Mary Skeaping and the Royal Swedish Ballet by the King of Sweden for Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Sweden in 1956 but has been performed many times since then for the general public at Drottningholm and, in the 1950s, it was toured to Bath and the Edinburgh Festival. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Just now, Irmgard said: Cupid out of his Humour was actually commissioned from Mary Skeaping and the Royal Swedish Ballet by the King of Sweden for Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Sweden in 1956 but has been performed many times since then for the general public at Drottningholm and, in the 1950s, it was toured to Bath and the Edinburgh Festival. That's really fascinating, Irmgard, thank you! By the way, I hope we are not taking up too much of your valuable time that you might want to spend on this week's performances of Giselle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 More Drottningholm and Mary Skeaping https://www.facebook.com/Dansmuseet/videos/fiskarena/1472169909503769/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 46 minutes ago, Fonty said: Also, I have always felt so sorry for Hilarion. He has done nothing wrong other than genuinely love Giselle. He is guilty of breaking and entering, and stealing Albrecht's sword though 😉. Although (indirect) capital punishment for that does seem harsh! He should have waited till daytime to visit the grave, I guess. The productions where he's very pally with Giselle's mum (eg RB, Mariinsky) I'm surprised she never warned him about that. You'd have thought she might have mentioned it while commenting on Giselle's dancing at some point.... of course, that would ruin the ballet....! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 minute ago, Emeralds said: He is guilty of breaking and entering, and stealing Albrecht's sword though The door was open and he wasn't really stealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I suppose Hilarion does expose Albrecht in the most public and devastating way possible for Giselle - he could perhaps be considered to be motivated more by his own jealousy and anger than by his love for Giselle. Not that I'm defending the Wilis or anything!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 More Mary Skeaping https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100509668 Between 1948 and 1951 she was ballet mistress of Sadler's Wells Ballet and she directed the first live full-length classic for the BBC, Sleeping Beauty (1951) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 4 minutes ago, Roberta said: The door was open and he wasn't really stealing. He used his knife to break in (in most productions)- in some he is about to but then notices either Albrecht or Wilfrid forgot to lock it. Roberta, that sounds like people caught committing embezzlement 😉...."I wasn't stealing, I was going to put it back after making my billions!" Going in without being invited in (and not in an emergency eg saving lives, putting out a fire etc) is illegal. Snooping around is illegal. Taking the sword without permission or without asking is stealing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 On 12/01/2024 at 11:25, Sim said: I too was in the Balcony (row C) and I will never, ever buy seats in rows A, B or C again. The people in rows A and B were having to shift around constantly and lean forward (I had to ask the woman sitting in front of me to please sit back) because their views are impeded by both the guard rails and those bits that stick out. This is why I really dislike the Coli as a venue. It’s usually fine one level down but the tickets get very expensive (for me) down there but I find the balcony uncomfortable (I’m not that tall and the leg space is dire) and full of heads leaning forward in a domino effect for the reasons mentioned here. There are some parts of row A which not only have the guard rails but also some protruding metal bits (for lighting? Structural?) which means you have a large black rectangle obscuring your view if unlucky enough to sit there, far more restricted than the regular guard rails (bad enough) but the same price…! And isn’t row C much more expensive as well, it should be reduced accordingly as they know heads are in the way here. there must be some sort of modern improvement to the guard rail, but perhaps not I imagine it may be trickier than it appears. I know money probably also would be an issue but then they could charge more for those seats - the view would actually be pretty good without the rails. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 2 minutes ago, bridiem said: I suppose Hilarion does expose Albrecht in the most public and devastating way possible for Giselle - he could perhaps be considered to be motivated more by his own jealousy and anger than by his love for Giselle. Not that I'm defending the Wilis or anything!! I've always thought he was fully aware that Albrecht was 'up to no good' and trying to shield Giselle from her youthful folly and possible deception. Sadly, his beard in many productions and his rough clothing don't show him in the best light. It's clear Giselle's mother no father around) would like him as a son in law, she sees him as someone good who would look after them both, bringing food from the forest, though with Giselle's weak heart marriage was always going to be risky. So many died giving birth. It's doubtful Giselle would have survived that. (Yes it's not real, but it is such a wonderful drama you get sucked in to the story.) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Also, Hilarion's actions are entirely understandable, given that Albrecht strides up to the area outside, dressed in peasant clothing but wearing an expensive cloak and with his sword strapped to his side. The stupid idiot. Didn't he think when he was putting it on that it might be spotted? Now why didn't his companion say to him that perhaps the outfit wasn't appropriate and persuade him to wear some rough old coat and swap his sword for whatever peasants carried in those days. But then, reality has never been a strong point in any dramatic tale.... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 minute ago, Roberta said: I've always thought he was fully aware that Albrecht was 'up to no good' and trying to shield Giselle from her youthful folly and possible deception. Sadly, his beard in many productions and his rough clothing don't show him in the best light. It's clear Giselle's mother no father around) would like him as a son in law, she sees him as someone good who would look after them both, bringing food from the forest, though with Giselle's weak heart marriage was always going to be risky. So many died giving birth. It's doubtful Giselle would have survived that. Yes, I do think that Hilarion was fundamentally well motivated; I just think that there is a range of possibilities for how he can be interpreted/performed. (And I'm sure that part of his anger at Giselle's death is directed at himself as well as at Albrecht.) And I think that his beard and clothing show him to be a real, honest person in contrast to Albrecht's smarter but fundamentally dishonest presentation. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 (edited) 12 minutes ago, JNC said: This is why I really dislike the Coli as a venue. It’s usually fine one level down but the tickets get very expensive (for me) down there but I find the balcony uncomfortable (I’m not that tall and the leg space is dire) and full of heads leaning forward in a domino effect for the reasons mentioned here. There are some parts of row A which not only have the guard rails but also some protruding metal bits (for lighting? Structural?) Lighting, yes. It might be a case of trying out different seats quickly in the Balcony during the interval or after the show ends because some seats in the back don't get obscured by the rail or lighting rig although they are further back. Many years ago I used to book the A row in the Balcony near the side sometimes and the view was fine. Wonder if the lighting fixture is a more recent addition. The other option is that if they fall within your budget, the last row of upper circle near the sides actually has views that are not too bad (although binoculars/opera glasses are recommended). You can lean forward if someone blocks your view without worrying about anyone behind. Sometimes those seats are the same price as middle or front of the Balcony and that's great value when they are. Edited January 15 by Emeralds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 11 minutes ago, Emeralds said: He used his knife to break in (in most productions)- in some he is about to but then notices either Albrecht or Wilfrid forgot to lock it. Roberta, that sounds like people caught committing embezzlement 😉...."I wasn't stealing, I was going to put it back after making my billions!" Going in without being invited in (and not in an emergency eg saving lives, putting out a fire etc) is illegal. Snooping around is illegal. Taking the sword without permission or without asking is stealing! Whose shed is it anyhow? How is it Albrecht has access? If it is his as part of his estate how is it that no-one recognises him until the hunting party with potential father in law & fiancé arrives? Does it belong in fact to the Duke? So many questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 13 minutes ago, Fonty said: Also, Hilarion's actions are entirely understandable, given that Albrecht strides up to the area outside, dressed in peasant clothing but wearing an expensive cloak and with his sword strapped to his side. The stupid idiot. Didn't he think when he was putting it on that it might be spotted? Now why didn't his companion say to him that perhaps the outfit wasn't appropriate and persuade him to wear some rough old coat and swap his sword for whatever peasants carried in those days. But then, reality has never been a strong point in any dramatic tale.... Yeah I've always felt Hilarion got a raw deal. I mean Hilarion genuinely cared for Giselle and was trying to do the right thing. But then I always struggle to find Albrecht very sympathetic. Usually he comes across as a typical upper class twit with no understanding of the impact of his actions. It takes a really good actor to make him sympathetic to me. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Roberta said: Whose shed is it anyhow? How is it Albrecht has access? If it is his as part of his estate how is it that no-one recognises him until the hunting party with potential father in law & fiancé arrives? Does it belong in fact to the Duke? So many questions! He and Wilfrid have the key to it and enter it as though they have rights to it- either hired from the owner or it always belonged to Albrecht/his family. Lots of wealthy nobles have property that they have never visited (an assistant looks after it) until the time they do, like Albrecht is doing now. It doesn't belong to the Duke (Bathilde's father) or they would have used it instead of waiting to for their page/leader of the hunt to knock on Giselle's cottage) Edited January 15 by Emeralds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 12 minutes ago, Roberta said: Whose shed is it anyhow? How is it Albrecht has access? If it is his as part of his estate how is it that no-one recognises him until the hunting party with potential father in law & fiancé arrives? Does it belong in fact to the Duke? So many questions! In the programme, it says that Giselle's heart 'belongs to Loys, a young stranger who has recently occupied the cottage opposite'. However, Loys is actually Albrecht...' etc. So he's her new(ish) neighbour; whether he 'occupied' the cottage because he'd already met Giselle, or before meeting her, who knows. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 5 minutes ago, Emeralds said: He and Wilfrid have the key to it and enter it as though they have rights to it- either hired from the owner or it always belonged to Albrecht/his family. Lots of wealthy nobles have property that they have never visited (an assistant looks after it) until the time they do, like Albrecht is doing now. It doesn't belong to the Duke (Bathilde's father) or they would have used it instead of waiting to for their page/leader of the hunt knock on Giselle's cottage) Not if it was a shed filled with wood and other such things and only enough room for Albrecht to do his quick change act. If Albrecht lives locally and isn't simply visiting his prospective in laws you'd have though someone would have recognised him. The Duke & entourage are there to seek a tasting of the new wine, and the wreath on her cottage indicates it's the turn of Giselle's mother to host that for the day. It's a lovely autumn day so they are enjoying the sunshine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 2 minutes ago, bridiem said: However, Loys is actually Albrecht... Yes. In some productions he's also Albert. Not so romantic (apologies to Alberts everywhere). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 10 minutes ago, Roberta said: Not if it was a shed filled with wood and other such things and only enough room for Albrecht to do his quick change act. If Albrecht lives locally and isn't simply visiting his prospective in laws you'd have though someone would have recognised him. The Duke & entourage are there to seek a tasting of the new wine, and the wreath on her cottage indicates it's the turn of Giselle's mother to host that for the day. It's a lovely autumn day so they are enjoying the sunshine. There's no evidence that it's used to store wood. The size suggests it's similar in size to Giselle and her mother's home. The location also suggests one possibility that Albrecht and Giselle might have met because he came to check out/rent/buy this cottage, perhaps as a rest stop for the hunting and that's how he met Giselle before the ballet starts. He was probably already disguised as a Peasant then to blend in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, alison said: Anyway, some context: back in the 80s, I saw some rave reviews of Patrick Armand (together with Trinidad Sevillano) guesting in Giselle at Sadler's Wells with Northern Ballet Theatre, as I think they were at the time (I remember a gorgeous black-and-white photo of them in the role in Dance and Dancers). Gosh I've really just kicked myself!! I didn't know Trinidad Sevillano and Patrick Armand had guested with the company in Giselle (probably around 1988 - Giselle was Christopher Gable's first production for NB). I would have been there like a shot!! I was a ballet-watching very-newbie when Peter Schaufuss became AD of LFB/ENB and I absolutely loved Trini. I didn't realise just how special she was until years after she had left. Patrick Armand was blummin' good too! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Having missed seeing Frola on Friday evening I just couldn't resist a late ticket to the Sunday matinee once it was confirmed that he would be dancing and it was absolutely worth it. IMO he is one of the best dancers in the world at the moment and we are lucky to have the opportunity to see him in London. There is nothing he can't do to perfection in terms of steps AND he can act. His performance on Sunday was immaculate in all respects Fernanda Oliviera was a superb Giselle; everything perfectly judged, nothing fudged or hurried - she seemed to create so much time. It was sad that she was unable to finish the performance but Erina Takahashi was a terrific replacement who delivered a superlative performance at impossibly short notice. Alison McWhinney was a formidable Myrtha. As far as the production is concerned: I love the additional pdd for Giselle and Albrecht, it makes their relationship so much more meaningful. I find the changes in lighting level incredibly atmospheric; I love how the low level lighting creates an eerie medieval atmosphere in the forest and mimics moonlight. I know that the entrechats are a bit of a trick but I do miss the sense they give of Albrecht truly dancing himself to death, somehow the chorepgraphy here just doesn't quite get there but that is a small gripe in what is a truly marvellous production. Last but absolutely not least huge thanks to @Irmgard for all the helpful information. 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 15 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Gosh I've really just kicked myself!! I didn't know Trinidad Sevillano and Patrick Armand had guested with the company in Giselle (probably around 1988 - Giselle was Christopher Gable's first production for NB). I would have been there like a shot!! I think NBT were there for 2 programmes: the Giselle and the mixed programme including Lippizaner (which did feature TS and PA, and I did see, because I knew they were dancing in it. I guess I missed out on the casting info for Giselle), a Michael Pink work about World War I and something else which escapes me at the moment. I do recall that I went to the triple because I had a discounted ticket for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, alison said: I think NBT were there for 2 programmes: the Giselle and the mixed programme including Lippizaner (which did feature TS and PA, and I did see, because I knew they were dancing in it. I guess I missed out on the casting info for Giselle), a Michael Pink work about World War I and something else which escapes me at the moment. I do recall that I went to the triple because I had a discounted ticket for it. I remember that mixed programme and somehow had forgotten that I saw TS and PA in it - they performed at the premiere. The MP work was called Strange Meeting and was inspired by the Christmas Day 1914 football match. I think the final piece on the programme was Amorous Liaisons, which IIRC was great fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I know that others have expressed their appreciation but, thanks to Irmgard and others, this thread really is enhancing our appreciation of Mary Skeaping’s Giselle in a way which is probably unique to BCF. Loving all the additional information. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: Gosh I've really just kicked myself!! I didn't know Trinidad Sevillano and Patrick Armand had guested with the company in Giselle (probably around 1988 - Giselle was Christopher Gable's first production for NB). I would have been there like a shot!! I was a ballet-watching very-newbie when Peter Schaufuss became AD of LFB/ENB and I absolutely loved Trini. I didn't realise just how special she was until years after she had left. Patrick Armand was blummin' good too! Just a tiny big digression (!) but wanted to ask @Jan McNulty re: Trinidad Sevillano guesting with Royal Ballet as Chloe in Daphnis and Chloe in Nov 1994 with Stuart Cassidy as Daphnis? Might you have caught that? Also I think Sevillano might have been Olga to Marcia Haydee's Tatiana that I saw at ENB....although I'd like to double check with something in print! Heard that her Giselle was glorious although apparently she'd never seen a performance prior to dancing the role, and had to watch her first Giselle on video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Am I imagining it, or was she coached by Gelsey Kirkland? I certainly caught her in Daphnis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 3 minutes ago, alison said: Am I imagining it, or was she coached by Gelsey Kirkland? Can't remember.... I'm getting ballet celebrity overload now....lol. I hope I haven't led the thread astray. At least we're still talking about ENB dancers who have danced Giselle with ENB.....are we? 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaC Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 When I first started watching Giselle in the late '50s (RB Touring group) Hilarion was represented as a bit of a villain. That was even true of the Bolshoi, even though one might have expected a Soviet company to side with a worker rather than an aristocrat! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Going back to the character of Albrecht, I've always preferred it when he isn't portrayed as being too nice. After all, he is of royal blood, he knows perfectly well he isn't going to be allowed to marry a peasant girl, no matter how gorgeous she is and how much he adores her. There is only one way that relationship can go, and it certainly doesn't involve wedding bells. Consequently, when the drama unfolds and he is faced with the appalling consequence of his actions (probably for the first time in his pampered life), it makes the grief displayed in act 2 so much more compelling. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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