Henry Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 A few thoughts on the first performance this evening. The ROH request that coats and bags are left at the cloakroom. Please don't assume that this doesn't apply to your handbag. The set designer, Shizuku Hariu, has done a reasonable job of defining performance areas and pathways. The sets function well. The intention that the audience will promenade around the space, where they are to go and not go needs to be clear without obstructing views etc. It is important the people move around. Don't find a "nice spot" and then stay there. The size of the audience has been considered to allow space for movement. The choreography wasn't memorable. Same for the music. This is a new role for the audience and their rules aren't clear, established yet. May they talk? May they applaud at the end of a sequence? Nude coloured all-in-one costumes in elastane lycra with the audience 1-2 metres away is over exposure. Surprised that the Intimacy Co-ordinator agreed to that. The costumes need a re-think. While there has been modern dance in museums and galleries for quite a while now, most ballet dancers have little experience of immersive. close-up performances. At the recent "Tuff Nut Jazz Club" at the Royal Festival Hall the performance venue was laid out like a night club with only 3 rows of seats. When the dancers finished their sequence, the dancer would look up, smile at an angle of 60 degrees over the heads of the audience towards the dress circle - which of course wasn't there. Singers are usually better at adjusting to the performance space. On a theatre stage they look out, they look up to where the audience are. In a cabaret, they look across, they look down to where the audience are. In this type of performance, a dancer needs to consider where their focus should be if they are to make contact. Ignoring the audience isn't interesting. 2 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Thanks for the opinion on this. I’m debating about whether to go as it’s a great opportunity to see more of the particular dancers involved, but I’m finding it difficult to schedule in. And the idea of walking so close to them makes me feel a bit awkward. As you say, this should be something costume designers bear in mind! I’m going to the main stage New Choreography work on Thursday but apart from that don’t have many free evenings, and I can’t justify dragging myself up to Zone 1 from Zone 4 just for one hour. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 9 hours ago, Henry said: Nude coloured all-in-one costumes in elastane lycra with the audience 1-2 metres away is over exposure. I'm not leaving my handbag....and I'm definitely not booking if I have to wear that.....🤣 Thanks Henry, it doesn't sound as if this experiment really worked. I have come across similar things many times with performing arts students ( who usually end up deciding the usual rules are there for a reason.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 (edited) I think it sounds like something a woman may have to attend with a friend sitting outside to guard her handbag or deal with the inconvenience of transferring everything into receptacles that fit into pockets- eg smaller purse, finding a coat or outfit with pockets that a mobile phone can fit into etc. Likewise some men (and women) who normally carry a small backpack with essential items for work/recreation eg tablet/laptop, might not want to check that into a cloakroom. I personally feel £20 is too steep if I don't get offered a seat without pleading for one! (It's basically £20 for only 45-50mins of dance and a standing place!) I know there are reasons (eg capacity) for it to be relatively expensive though. Still, it doesn't seem to have deterred the people who bought tickets - so far the sessions have sold well/out (of course, only a small number tickets will be on sale per show compared to the Main Stage as the space is limited). I don’t think Ill be able to see it as the timing is awkward (a daytime slot would have been feasible) and the above reasons, despite the fact that some of my favourites like Melissa Hamilton and Joseph Sissens are in it. Thank you @Henry- really informative report: all of it. Edited February 11 by Emeralds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 (edited) A few more thoughts. The performance is 45 minutes. The queue for the cloakroom after the performance was 15 minutes. The point of the performance is for the audience to move around, to see from different angles, to make an experience. With this in mind, the ROH is right to ask people to leave bags, coats etc. at the cloakroom. If, as a critic did, you sit down writing your notes, then you haven't experienced the event. There is a John Cage (the modern composer) story. Interested in Buddhism, he went to a lecture by Dr T. Suzuki. At the beginning of the lecture, the audience were asked not to take notes, but instead to pay attention to the lecturer. John Cage noticed the woman in front of him, writing lots of notes. He tapped her on the shoulder and said that they had been asked not to take notes. She replied "I've got that down, thanks". Edited February 11 by Henry 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 I think the short performance time really favours people who are working more in central London or happen to be around there that day etc …so can go on to after work before going home. I will miss this now anyway as not in London until 27th but was only half hearted about going as am not sure about this up close and personal stuff. I seem to remember there was an Art show somewhere where the entrance into it was between two naked people standing fairly close together 😳 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 One review online already, anybody from the Forum seen this show? https://slippedisc.com/2024/02/alastair-macaulay-roh-choreographer-isnt-without-talent/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 There's currently a separate thread for this work, Geoff. (Not sure if that should stay or if there should be one thread for the whole festival?). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 14 minutes ago, Geoff said: One review online already, anybody from the Forum seen this show? https://slippedisc.com/2024/02/alastair-macaulay-roh-choreographer-isnt-without-talent/ Odd that the headline refers to the comment that the choreographer is not without talent when that's pretty much the only (semi) positive thing in the whole (damning) review! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 There’s also a review in on Gramilano and BNN which will be in tomorrow’s links. Generally, reviews seem to be following a similar trend 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 (edited) 23 hours ago, Henry said: Nude coloured all-in-one costumes in elastane lycra with the audience 1-2 metres away is over exposure. Surprised that the Intimacy Co-ordinator agreed to that. The costumes need a re-think. Yeah I saw some of the pictures from some of the dancers on Instagram and that was my thought as well. Edited February 11 by Tango Dancer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 11 hours ago, LinMM said: I think the short performance time really favours people who are working more in central London or happen to be around there that day etc …so can go on to after work before going home. I will miss this now anyway as not in London until 27th but was only half hearted about going as am not sure about this up close and personal stuff. I seem to remember there was an Art show somewhere where the entrance into it was between two naked people standing fairly close together 😳 Yeah I think there's a time (especially for art / dance students) when people think nudity is edgy and exciting. The older I get and the more often I go to spas etc in Germany which are textile free, the more I think most people look significantly better with more clothes on. As a student I went to something by Javier de Frutos where he was naked and thought it was hilarious. I think it was meant to be deep and meaningful but my friends and I couldn't stop laughing at it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSR101 Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 TBH I haven't attended this yet but skin tight, skin tone clothes can't surely be that revealing? It surely can't be more revealing than the unnecessarily see through Woolf Works costumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Just to let everyone know that Geoff is referring to Dark with Excessive Bright, which Henry has already posted about separately. I think DWEB is worth having its own thread as it's an immersive piece whereas the other choreographers' works are pieces that follow the normal practice of being seen by a seated (or standing at the back) audience facing the performers. What's a more salient question is whether anyone has ever seen a non-immersive piece by Robert Binet (ie a normal theatre work) and what the choreography is like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 And here is a link to the Times review which may deal with the paywall: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/466341e3-28e1-4981-9b4f-7bb96a3ce954?shareToken=cb54e40767717e3c3ea67303b08bd2a2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 Ha ha Tango Dancer I definitely look significantly better with more clothes on these days anyway!! I think “au naturel” definitely suits the under 30’s more unless of course you are a member of a top ballet company like the RB! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I also saw the Linbury's 'Dark With Excessive Bright' Monday evening. Enjoyed the experience a lot. Getting that close up to watching ballet dancers almost in slo-mo dance mode was something I'll not forget. At one point, Melissa Hamilton walked in front of me in the 'public gangway' and stopped, awaiting her queue to move into the dance space (we were in the walkway), and was so close she could have been wearing my shoes! 🙂 I didn't want to move in case I got in the way, so it was a long hold of breath, I can tell you! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 19 hours ago, zxDaveM said: I also saw the Linbury's 'Dark With Excessive Bright' Monday evening. Enjoyed the experience a lot. Getting that close up to watching ballet dancers almost in slo-mo dance mode was something I'll not forget. At one point, Melissa Hamilton walked in front of me in the 'public gangway' and stopped, awaiting her queue to move into the dance space (we were in the walkway), and was so close she could have been wearing my shoes! 🙂 I didn't want to move in case I got in the way, so it was a long hold of breath, I can tell you! Good thing you didn't step on her toes, zxDaveM!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 1 hour ago, bridiem said: Good thing you didn't step on her toes, zxDaveM!! true, but as she was in front, it was my toes about to be stepped on! And those point shoes are solid! lol 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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