ROYAL BALLET NEW WORKS FEBRUARY 2024

[MJW]

Photos of the four New Works from ROH's Flickr. I think the set of Twinkle was beautiful and certainly caused a gasp from the audience last night

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/royaloperahouse/albums/72177720314818290/

[JennyTaylor]

5 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

It's good to see from @Rob S photos that the dancers are in pointe shoes for 3 of the 4 pieces.

Yes, that's part of my criteria too.  I thought this bill was the best I've seen (or more accurately - more to my taste) than any other "new works" bill I feel less than privileged to have endured in many cases. 

The much lower cost of the tickets make it worth a try, plus the dancing is brilliant, even if you don't like all the choreography. "Twinkle" is proper ballet, with some comedy, but beauty too.   

[Scheherezade]

Lots of positive reactions. I am now rather looking forward to the 21st.

[Mary]

The set of Twinkle was very pretty but, those further back in the amphi won't really be able to see the lovely star in the sky...shame.

 

[Roberta]

10 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

choreographic taster without drowning the audience in something that doesn't engage them with no chance of escape (e.g., Wayne McGregor's Untitled).

 

In the interests of fairness to the ROH programmers and to Wayne McGregor, Untitled, 2023 was actually only 35 minutes long and part of a triple bill.   If you hated the design and choreography, which many did not, you could always escape into the music by a highly regarded composer. 

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/new-wayne-mcgregor-corybantic-games-anastasia-act-iii/cast-list/51732

[San Perregrino]

3 hours ago, JennyTaylor said:

Yes, that's part of my criteria too.  I thought this bill was the best I've seen (or more accurately - more to my taste) than any other "new works" bill I feel less than privileged to have endured in many cases. 

The much lower cost of the tickets make it worth a try, plus the dancing is brilliant, even if you don't like all the choreography. "Twinkle" is proper ballet, with some comedy, but beauty too.   

I’ve seen this programme three times in three days. It impressed me at the general rehearsal and has improved on repeat viewing. 4 contrasting pieces of pure choreography showcasing the depth and breadth of Royal Ballet talent on stages empty save for sympathetic lighting design. It’s rare to be able to see 5 principals in one evening all with plenty to do. Nadghi & Hirano shine in Boundless, Magri in For What It’s Worth and Kaneko & Bracewell in Twinkle. (When we we see the latter pair partner one another again at the ROH?). All outstanding performances.
Add to this a Principal Character Artist and the joy of watching a seemingly infinite number (i think I counted 36 ??) of First Soloists, Soloists, First Artists, Artists, Aud Jebsen Young Dancers and a Prix de Lausanne Dancer displaying their considerable talents with nowhere to hide. A veritable feast of an evening for a bargain price. 
Wheeldon was watching yesterday, MacGregor & Ferri this evening and the CEO of DNB was also present.

And, yes I agree it was wrong to hide this programme in with the other Festival events making it hard to identify in the listings.

Edited February 16 by PeterS

[Linnzi5]

I really enjoyed this evening and thought it was excellent value for money. 

 

Boundless really showcased Yasmine Naghdi's beautiful dancing and was worth seeing just for that. She had a great partner in Hirano and the supporting dancers were also impressive. I liked the costumes and thought that the choreography was interesting. Not a huge fan of the music, but it could have been a lot worse.

 

Never Known reminded me somewhat of Pite. I found myself drifting towards the end, despite some lovely dancing from Lukas Braendsrod, Francisco Serrano, Liam Boswell and Madison Bailey. I really wan't keen on the music and the last duet, where the music suddenly changed in style, didn't make sense to me in context of the overall work. It was all a bit random but I did like some of the choreography. I was not keen on the lighting, especially the strip lighting - all very generic, IMO, but very competent.

 

I really liked For What it's Worth. I thought it was colourful, I liked the music, costumes and choreography. I thought Leo Dixon was excellent as was Mayara Magri. It was exciting to watch at times and so vibrant - very uplifting. 

 

The star for me (sorry, couldn't resist!) was Twinkle. I loved it. The audience actually gasped when the set was revealed. The Brahms Lullaby solo dance was exquisite and played to William Bracewell's strengths so much - I thought he was simply beautiful in that. The Mozart was such fun! Lovely costumes, gorgeous choreography, some touching and fluid PDDs and so much humour! Kate Shipway's playing was as outstanding as it always is, of course. Fumi Kaneko was just lovely! She has such a light touch and she and Bracewell were just revelling in it all. I'd watch this again and again! It was lovely for me to see new choreography and not go, 'meh', or 'good grief!', but to go, 'Wow! I am so impressed with that and love it!'  I think that Jessica Lang has the right approach - have an idea of what you'd like to do, use the strengths of the dancers and then consider the music. For me, it was just perfect. 

 

 

 

 

[JohnS]

I enjoyed New Works last night and good to see the Royal Ballet’s commitment to new choreography alongside the fabulous Nutcraker and Manon runs. ‘Twinkle’ was undoubtedly the highlight for me, a ballet which would grace many triple bills. The pathos and wit, ever changing groups of dancers, exits after the variations and entrances, all reminded me of ‘Dances at a Gathering’. And how good to see a new work so clearly steeped in ballet. Good too to see and hear Kate Shpway on stage, quite a change from the orchestra pit.

[Mary]

Of course Jessica Lang is not a new choreographer but an established one who has worked with ballet companies round the world including BRB.

Wouldn't it be great if she became an associate choreographer for one of the UK companies for a year or 2 and gave us some more work made on the dancers. She really does use the ballet form, to be danced to music not against it, and to real, live music, not a 'soundtrack' - all designed with much style and wit. I can see her making something very lovely for Muntagirov  - and that is long overdue. If I win on the premium bonds that's what I'd spend the money on!

'Dream on'.

[LinMM]

A friend of mine who went said Twinkle was her favourite Piece too. 
As everybody seems to be liking this Work I do hope it will get another outing in a triple bill at some point. 

[bridiem]

17 minutes ago, Mary said:

Of course Jessica Lang is not a new choreographer but an established one who has worked with ballet companies round the world including BRB.

Wouldn't it be great if she became an associate choreographer for one of the UK companies for a year or 2 and gave us some more work made on the dancers. She really does use the ballet form, to be danced to music not against it, and to real, live music, not a 'soundtrack' - all designed with much style and wit. I can see her making something very lovely for Muntagirov  - and that is long overdue. If I win on the premium bonds that's what I'd spend the money on!

'Dream on'.

 

Yes, completely agree - in fact I did think that she should have been commissioned in her own right and not as part of a 'festival of new choreography' which is otherwise clearly aimed at young/upcoming choreographers. 

[Jan McNulty]

35 minutes ago, Mary said:

Of course Jessica Lang is not a new choreographer but an established one who has worked with ballet companies round the world including BRB.

 

 

I absolutely loved Jessica Lang's Wink for BRB and would love to see it again.

[zxDaveM]

predictably I suppose, the grumpier critics all disliked 'Twinkle' (see today's links). Pah! I say to them, double PAH!

[bridiem]

I thought it was highly likely that at least some critics would not like Twinkle. It was neither edgy nor groundbreaking; it was quietly rather than showily creative; and it was charming rather than challenging. It also used classical technique without seeking to distort - or deconstruct, or reinvent - it in any way. In fact, it was positively counter-cultural in its respect for and mastery of straight-down-the-line classical ballet. And it used traditional and familiar classical music. But for me, all those things marked it out as something rare and wonderful. And in many ways also marked it out as the bravest work on the programme. (It does, however, have a rather silly name... but I suppose it is at least memorable!).

Edited February 17 by bridiem
word corrected

[Linnzi5]

25 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

predictably I suppose, the grumpier critics all disliked 'Twinkle' (see today's links). Pah! I say to them, double PAH!

I rarely take any notice of critics, TBH. As far as I'm concerned, I liked it and that's all that matters really. I liked it so much, that I've booked to go and see New Works again next week. 

[JohnS]

I can’t remember when I last had a pair of slippers but having read the ‘Twinkle’ reviews, perhaps I should buy a pair?

[LinMM]

Well at least Teresa Guerreiro thought Twinkle was a Work of “intense beauty” 

Whats wrong with pure beauty and joyful musical dance.  Sounds great to me!! 
 
I definitely don’t think calling a new work a dud is particularly helpful even if wasn’t to your taste 

I say this with all the authority of somebody who hasn’t seen it lol! 
But where Ballet is concerned there are some friends judgements I trust implicitly! 

Edited February 17 by LinMM

[Fonty]

Strange that many of the critics hold views that are so different to the ones on here.  Which is why I love this forum.  I would rather trust the reactions of the ballet lovers on here, rather than the professional critics.  What a pity Clement Crisp is no longer around.  I may not have agreed with everything he said, but at least he had a genuine love of classical ballet.

[Linnzi5]

3 minutes ago, Fonty said:

Strange that many of the critics hold views that are so different to the ones on here.  Which is why I love this forum.  I would rather trust the reactions of the ballet lovers on here, rather than the professional critics.  What a pity Clement Crisp is no longer around.  I may not have agreed with everything he said, but at least he had a genuine love of classical ballet.

Totally agree. Not all of the reviews were bad for Twinkle though. I can only say I loved it and enjoyed it most. It was so entertaining - but then again, I do love classical ballet best.  

[zxDaveM]

18 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I can’t remember when I last had a pair of slippers but having read the ‘Twinkle’ reviews, perhaps I should buy a pair?

 

LOL

I confess I do have slippers, and they get worn a lot

[bangorballetboy]

3 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

not as part of a 'festival of new choreography' which is otherwise clearly aimed at young/upcoming choreographers. 

 

I’m a bit confused by this.  The clue for me is in the name: “Festival of New Choreography”.  With the greatest respect to them, I wouldn’t call November, McNally, Binet, Bond, Zucchetti or Powell-Main particularly young and they are all well established choreographers.

[Bruce Wall]

13 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

The star for me (sorry, couldn't resist!) was Twinkle. I loved it. The audience actually gasped when the set was revealed. The Brahms Lullaby solo dance was exquisite and played to William Bracewell's strengths so much - I thought he was simply beautiful in that. The Mozart was such fun! Lovely costumes, gorgeous choreography, some touching and fluid PDDs and so much humour! Kate Shipway's playing was as outstanding as it always is, of course. Fumi Kaneko was just lovely! She has such a light touch and she and Bracewell were just revelling in it all. I'd watch this again and again! It was lovely for me to see new choreography and not go, 'meh', or 'good grief!', but to go, 'Wow! I am so impressed with that and love it!'  I think that Jessica Lang has the right approach - have an idea of what you'd like to do, use the strengths of the dancers and then consider the music. For me, it was just perfect. 

 

 

 

 

 

So glad to hear there is a positive response to Lang's work utilising the classical balletic idiom  So pleased that RB dancers like the wonderful William Bracewell and Kaneko are getting a chance to revel in such and for their audience to further appreciate both them in this idiom and the Brahms.  Last night at NYCB was another chance - this time with the second cast - to yet again adore Balanchine's ever poignant Lieberslieder Waltzer - set to an hour of Brahms.  I am delighted to say that it was sold into the Fourth Ring and this time and no one left during the two minute curtain-down break for the ladies to change from their satin pumps into point shows and yet more ravishing Karinska costumes.  Indeed I heard a lot of satisfied purring about me.  Like the Lange, you can here just sit back and savour with relish the variety of the extraordinarily enticing choreography brought alive by these extraordinary gifted balletic artists.  I thought young Preston Chamblee and the ever glorious Indiana Woodward were especially radiant - and the speed of it in certain quarters is absolutely breath taking in its dramatic punctuation.  Bless Sara Means and the spectacular Chun Wei Chan in that regard.  That said, I can see why this work - once done by the Royal - hasn't been revived there.  The patience and consistency of balletic focus required to achieve appreciation by the audience - be they critic or civiilian - on this level needs to be consistently maintained/nurtured.  Too much time has passed in the vast amount of circumstances and today's rapid Tick Tock morays have I fear put paid to the determination required for such in most quarters.  For those remaining in the appreciation corner however it is wonderful that the occasional turns can very occasionally come into view.  

 

On a similar note Ratmansky's latest ballet - Solitude - premiered by NYCB on Thursday night - would fall into a similar category - but for different reasons.  This is a dance work to appreciate rather than simply like.  It is dark - given the subject matter.  (It is all based around the now famous picture of that poor Urkranian father holding for hours the hand of his dead young son who was otherwise covered with a tarpaulin as around them villiage life - now all too accustomed to war - simply went on).  I found myself only coming to terms from its effect yesterday.  The Mahler selected was wonderfully vivid and so beautifully placed/played.  There is no question but that this is a master choreographer who let's the hand of the actual dance work reach out and hold yours.  It is very clear too that this would not play/be welcomed in all quarters and it most definitely requires the all too rare investment mentioned above.  I so look forward to seeing it again.  That extended solo in the latter half for the stunning Joe Gordon - here depicting the father - a character who had been still for all of the first section of this dance work - was clearly career defining.   Thank heavens we still have facilities AND AUDIENCES that can meaningfully honour such vital work, albeit on a lesser or greater scale as the case may be.  

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

I’m a bit confused by this.  The clue for me is in the name: “Festival of New Choreography”.  With the greatest respect to them, I wouldn’t call November, McNally, Binet, Bond, Zucchetti or Powell-Main particularly young and they are all well established choreographers.

 

OK - I suppose the terms 'young' and 'upcoming' are relative (and I must admit that I hadn't even registered that Zucchetti was participating). But I do think that Lang has a significant reputation and could/should have been commissioned for a main stage work before now.

[Sim]

Just now, zxDaveM said:

 

LOL

I confess I do have slippers, and they get worn a lot

Ditto.  I live in my mine!

[Sim]

Just now, Fonty said:

Strange that many of the critics hold views that are so different to the ones on here.  Which is why I love this forum.  I would rather trust the reactions of the ballet lovers on here, rather than the professional critics.  What a pity Clement Crisp is no longer around.  I may not have agreed with everything he said, but at least he had a genuine love of classical ballet.

Absolutely.  He had not only a genuine love of ballet, but a deep knowledge of it, a huge respect for its history and heritage, and furthermore could write with wit and poetry. I learned so much reading his reviews.  I miss him terribly, although like you, Fonty, I didn't always agree with him.  

 

I agree about this forum:  I always, always, take the views here much more seriously than those of the critics.  

[Sim]

Why does David Jays feel the need to say this in his review and draw attention to their colour?  It's insulting to all the dancers who have worked so hard, and to Mthuthuzeli November, who was very happy to create on these dancers without caring what colour they are.  

 

Mthuthuzeli November has made a splash with his work for Ballet Black. Ballet diversity being what it is, a predominantly white cast delivers For What It’s Worth, inspired by singer Miriam Makeba (“Mama Africa”)

[Scheherezade]

2 minutes ago, Sim said:

Why does David Jays feel the need to say this in his review?  It's insulting to all the dancers who have worked so hard, and to Mthuthulezi November, who was very happy to create on these dancers without caring what colour they are.  

 

Mthuthuzeli November has made a splash with his work for Ballet Black. Ballet diversity being what it is, a predominantly white cast delivers For What It’s Worth, inspired by singer Miriam Makeba (“Mama Africa”)

Precisely. And what is more inclusive than that?

[Roberta]

2 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

“Festival of New Choreography”.

 

It did what it said on the tin? All the choreography was new and made for the company?

[Sim]

9 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

Precisely. And what is more inclusive than that?

Exactly.  The choreographer was commissioned to create a work for the company.  HE chose the dancers, HE chose the theme, HE was very happy with them.  He could have chosen any subject for a ballet, but he chose one with strong African influences, which I for one am always delighted to see, no matter WHO is dancing it.  The fact that he created an African-themed ballet for these 'white' dancers shows that it didn't bother him at all...so why should it even be an issue for Jays?  

[Roberta]

I'm unsure it was an issue, a value statement,  more a statement of fact. "Ballet diversity being what it is". Possibly he was being slightly ironic. 

[LinMM]

Well I’m not sure about the young reporter from Local London I get the impression could have been almost a first visit to the Ballet! 
Her comments on Junkers Piece seemed to reveal she didn’t  realise that not all ballets are performed in tutus or that this was a very new thing. 
The final comment that the Royal Ballet with these works is hoping to preserve the fading art of ballet performance for generations to come struck me as a little naive as a bit of an ingenue to ballet which is fine ….but writing as a professional ballet critic? 

 

[capybara]

I am of a ‘vintage’ with a tendency to recoil from PR phrases such as those which heralded the New Works programme. But I thought I’d take “…..commitment to embrace and champion diverse voices in choreography” at its word. After all I am interested in where ballet is going, having four new commissions on the main stage seemed more promising than some of the (sorry) turgid evenings in The Clore or Linbury spaces, and the line-up of dancers at all levels of the Company was a big draw.

 

The filmed introductions from all four choreographers were a good addition but not universally helpful to me:

·       Gemma Bond (ex RB  and ABT dancer; now international choreographer) spoke about removing the boundaries within which ballet was normally constrained but, then, didn’t really deliver on that intention – in fact, even before anyone moved, the very stiff designs for the ballerinas almost worked against her choreographic aim for the dancing to be as free as children playing;

·       One could identify with Joshua Junker’s challenge to convey his own vocabulary while his ‘team’ was immersed in The Nutcracker and Manon (and his personal achievement as a relatively junior Company member in presenting his work on the main stage). But what was his starting point; what was he trying to say to his audience? I was ‘all ears’, but he didn’t tell us;

·       Mthuthuzeli November (who hails from Cape Town but is now choreographing more widely than his original UK Company – Ballet Black), on the other hand, offered us ‘himself’ as well as his creative motivation – and, my experience of his piece was enhanced in consequence;

·       Jessica Lang (the most experienced choreographer of the four) provided  an introduction which was comprehensive in terms of telling us what to expect – except the ‘why’ for the use of the Brahms in the opening male solo (which felt tacked on).

 

All four choreographers were wonderfully served by their casts. How could one not enjoy such a feast of talent – but with some caveats:

 

Boundless (the Bond piece) was elevated by Yasmine Naghdi as the lead ballerina (no surprise there) supported by Ryoichi Hirano (they looked good together). As I have suggested already, set against what we had been told to expect, to me the ‘featured’ movement looked quite formal, indeed rigid, although the ensemble work seemed a lot freer;

 

Never Known  (from Joshua Junker) seemed at times more acrobatic than balletic. He certainly moved his dancers around the stage with skill but left me wondering, “Why?”, especially about  the ‘add-on’ duet for Liam Boswell  and Francisco Serrano. They were terrific (of course) but I missed clues as to their relationship – perhaps none was intended; perhaps we were meant to be left wondering and take our cue from the title of the work?

 

For What It’s Worth (by Mthuthu) came across to me on an altogether different level. Mayara Magri’s quality of expression, as the ‘Mother Africa’ figure,  was really moving and beautifully contrasted with Leo Dixon’s rendition of sequences which drew with huge energy on street dancing and various African styles. Having Joonhyuk Jun and Blake Smith alongside Leo at times served to emphasise this mix – indeed the incredible combination of races of which South Africa consists. I found that thought-provoking and very affecting too. Among the four works, this was the one which, for me fulfilled the promise of enabling audiences to see not only new works but distinctive ones;

 

Despite its overly twee name, I had very high hopes for Twinkle (the Jessica Lang): an experienced choreographer, working in the classical genre, and choosing for her central couple Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell. Perhaps I had set my expectations too high? It was an enjoyable piece and a nice contrast with the more contemporary offerings which had preceded it. But, for me, the  opening solo for Will did not display his trademark beauty of movement to full advantage and, compared with what we are accustomed to from him and Fumi, the pas de deux felt a touch ‘empty’. All the solos ‘built’ on the strengths of the chosen individual dancers with Sae Maeda, Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Daichi Ikarashi, as well as Fumi, knocking theirs out of the park.

 

Thus the evening ended on a high with an enthusiastic reception from an audience with seemingly  more ‘first-timers’ than is often the case at the ROH. So well done RB.

 

 

 

[LinMM]

I very much enjoyed Mthuthuzeli November’s work Wailers seen last June at the Linbury so would look forward to seeing more of his work.