Press Release: English National Ballet announces 75th Season

[Blossom]

58 minutes ago, capybara said:

I’m feeling very underwhelmed by the 75th Anniversary offering overall.

Come on ENB; you can do better than this. Excite me, please!

 

 

They have suggested on social media that they are responding to requests.

To me it looks like they are taking the opportunity to tour Skeaping Giselle but ensuring London doesn’t miss out - it’s only a 4 day run.

The opportunity for a refreshed Nutcracker is hugely exciting. A new Forsythe is hugely exciting.

The gala event sounds interesting and despite not being in theatre, the digital/filmed option provides an opportunity to really think about how it could be 

1. distributed to reach new audiences

2. get people to connect with ENB directly, solving the challenge they have of not really having customer data to build any loyalty due to sales happening through their theatres.

I certainly hope that they have such ambitions in mind. I have sent a note to ASW on the first point anyhow…

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, PeterS said:

As it’s coming back so soon, I’d hope that all the lead roles would be cast with those who didn’t get a chance to dance them earlier this year. If I have a criticism of the Skeaping Giselle it is that it under-uses so many talented dancers.  

 

Since every Principal was cast as Giselle or Albrecht this time around, if they were to only cast dancers who didn't get the lead roles for the next run then there wouldn't be any Principals cast, which seems very unlikely to happen.

 

53 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Am hoping they have some exciting stuff for May and June, which aren't included in the announcement. Hope there's a gala, R&J in the round, as well as Etudes (either in a Gala or a triple bill at SWT) and Emerging Dancer in there. 

 

I didn't know they did R&J in the round. I'd definitely rather see it not in the round, as I find it distracting having so many audience members in view even for Cinderella so for the far more moving R&J I really don't think I'd like it.

 

15 minutes ago, Blossom said:

To me it looks like they are taking the opportunity to tour Skeaping Giselle but ensuring London doesn’t miss out - it’s only a 4 day run.

 

It's rather a pity they couldn't do something else for London then, rather than just more Nutcrackers, but I suppose it would require too much rehearsal time.

[alison]

I have a feeling that the last time ENB had a new Nutcracker they had a very short run of something else to follow it, presumably on the assumption that there would be huge demand for the new one.

[Jan McNulty]

3 hours ago, PeterS said:

 If I have a criticism of the Skeaping Giselle it is that it under-uses so many talented dancers.  

 

What other roles would you include?

 

I would love the company to revive Sir Frederick Ashton's R&J as it was performed in the mid-80s to very early 90s.

 

@Dawnstar Derek Deane did a proscenium version of his R&J which was good.

[Dawnstar]

3 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

I would love the company to revive Sir Frederick Ashton's R&J as it was performed in the mid-80s to very early 90s.

 

@Dawnstar Derek Deane did a proscenium version of his R&J which was good.

 

I would definitely be very interested in seeing Ashton's R&J. Would Deane's have been the production ENB were doing in the mid-2000s? I saw an ENB R&J in Bristol in somewhere around 2004 or 2005 which I unfortunately don't remember in much detail.

[alison]

It would have been the Deane or the Nureyev.  They haven't done the Ashton since around 1991.

[MAB]

1 minute ago, alison said:

They haven't done the Ashton since around 1991.

 

 

More's the pity.

[Jan McNulty]

Just now, Dawnstar said:

 

I would definitely be very interested in seeing Ashton's R&J. Would Deane's have been the production ENB were doing in the mid-2000s? I saw an ENB R&J in Bristol in somewhere around 2004 or 2005 which I unfortunately don't remember in much detail.

 

Yes, I believe it would.  It premiered at RAH in 1998 so the timescale would fit.

 

Subsequently the company revived Nureyev's R&J, which had been performed before I was a ballet-watcher.  I'm sorry to say that I find that production really boring.

[MAB]

2 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Subsequently the company revived Nureyev's R&J, which had been performed before I was a ballet-watcher.  I'm sorry to say that I find that production really boring.

 

It has its admirers, but generally speaking I'm not one of them.

[Dawnstar]

4 minutes ago, alison said:

It would have been the Deane or the Nureyev.  They haven't done the Ashton since around 1991.

 

I know it definitely wasn't Ashton. Actually it possibly being the Nureyev one does vaguely ring a bell. Unfortunately I didn't get a programme at the time.

[Blossom]

52 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Since every Principal was cast as Giselle or Albrecht this time around, if they were to only cast dancers who didn't get the lead roles for the next run then there wouldn't be any Principals cast, which seems very unlikely to happen.

 

I would love to see Alison McWhinney as Giselle. I hope she is cast. This run she was only just back from mat leave. 

[Irmgard]

47 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I know it definitely wasn't Ashton. Actually it possibly being the Nureyev one does vaguely ring a bell. Unfortunately I didn't get a programme at the time.

If it was 2004/2005, it would have been the Nureyev version

[Jane S]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

 

 

More's the pity.

 

Or just as well - the last time I saw them do the Ashton R&J (summer 1990, I think) I thought they had let it go so badly that we left at the first interval - the only time I've ever done that.

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Irmgard said:

If it was 2004/2005, it would have been the Nureyev version

 

Thank you for the confirmation. I enjoyed it at the time (though unfortunately it has been somewhat tarnished in hindsight by both the lead dancers I saw subsequently being in the press for unfortunate reasons) so I am hoping ENB will revive it again at some point.

[Emeralds]

4 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I would definitely be very interested in seeing Ashton's R&J. Would Deane's have been the production ENB were doing in the mid-2000s? I saw an ENB R&J in Bristol in somewhere around 2004 or 2005 which I unfortunately don't remember in much detail.

That's probably the Nureyev one you saw  Dawnstar (i know others have replied already) which tours quite often. The Royal Albert Hall version in the round was created by Deane for Tamara Rojo, IIRC. ENB did Ashton's version in the mid 80s to 90s (Ashton himself coached then artistic director Peter Schaufuss as Romeo and 15 year old Katherine Healy as Juliet). Peter Schaufuss now holds the rights to the Ashton production (his mother was the original Juliet and his father the original Mercutio). ENB hasn't performed Ashton's version for over 2 decades. I'd say Nureyev's version is quite difficult to pull off and really only works if you have a cast with strong dramatic personalities, and his Juliet has to be very feisty.

 

NB the in the round version works as long as you don't sit in the first 3 rows... same discussion we had for the Albert Hall Cinderella! I saw some audience members blocked by a fruit stall and ball servants! Maybe not an issue for everyone but I like to see what the lead characters are doing all the time. Could be an issue for you, Dawnstar, as you like the front stalls view or maybe you'll be able to work around it like you did for Cinderella last year. It doesn't have the romantic pas de deux choreography that MacMillan's has (most productions don't) but it does tell the story very effectively and the crowd scenes in the ball and in town work very well.

 

I already have my imaginary casting all worked out. 😀  - I want to see Frola, Arrieta, McCormick, Haw, Trossello as Romeo, and Takahashi, Oliveira, Hawes, Velicu, Kase as Juliet... not sure who will partner whom and that's way too many dates for me to fit in! But yes, we are due a revival of it. It's been almost a decade since this production was last  performed. 

Edited February 16 by Emeralds

[FionaM]

I’m delighted by the announcement of a new Nutcracker.  Wayne’s version annoyed me with its Nutcracker / Prince back and forth.

 

I personally cannot get enough of Akram Khan’s Giselle.  It is a masterpiece of dance expression for me.  I saw the Oliviera/Arrieta/Prigent and Suzuki*/Dowden*/Woolhouse casts in Bristol last October, and they were all fabulous.  Hilarion has a much more substantial dancing role which is pivotal in this version.  With a longer run at Sadlers Wells in September I hope there will be others who get to debut in the main roles.  Roll-on the cast list!

[Fonty]

7 hours ago, PeterS said:

As it’s coming back so soon, I’d hope that all the lead roles would be cast with those who didn’t get a chance to dance them earlier this year. If I have a criticism of the Skeaping Giselle it is that it under-uses so many talented dancers.  

 

@PeterS  I am curious.   Which production makes better use of dancers?   Surely there are only so many roles in Giselle, no matter which production is performed. 

[Don Q Fan]

I was very disappointed with ENBs 24/5 offerings. At least Liverpool is back on as a venue but only for Giselle. I'd have rather seen the new Nutcracker. I reckon the "in the round" will likely be R&J assuming there is one. 

Very sorry not to see a revival of Raymonda or  Broken Wings and no more Balanchine. In the far past ENB did perform Cranko's Onegin. Now that would be good to see them tackle again. 

[Don Q Fan]

On 16/02/2024 at 11:39, capybara said:

I’m feeling very underwhelmed by the 75th Anniversary offering overall.

Come on ENB; you can do better than this. Excite me, please!

 

 

Totally agree! 💯

[San Perregrino]

On 16/02/2024 at 18:23, Fonty said:

 

@PeterS  I am curious.   Which production makes better use of dancers?   Surely there are only so many roles in Giselle, no matter which production is performed. 

 

hi @Fonty you're right of course.  

these are just my thoughts.  being of it's time, Giselle is awash with female roles while there are far less for men.  as such,  i was struck in the Skeaping Giselle by the massive underuse of the ENB pool and wealth of it's male talent. it's almost a crime to have these dancers doing little more than decorating the stage in act 1 and doing little more than wandering around in an almost jet black forest in act 2, (essentially acting parts). indeed many dancers can clock off at the interval and have an early night.  

in act 1, the main non-Giselle/Albrecht/Hilarion choreography is the peasant pas de deux which affords an opportunity to only two dancers to shine, whilst the RB version has the pas de six, thus expanding on the roles available and giving the audience a chance to see more dancers.

add too this that, for me at least, at several recent performances of the Skeaping version, rather than being a jewel to treasure, the peasant pas de deux was underwhelming and perhaps this can be addressed for next season. 

IIRC I've read elsewhere that, being of short duration,  Giselle used to be preceded by another one act ballet. as such, maybe a piece to showcase the male talent could be included in the evening to balance things out. 

[Don Q Fan]

On 15/02/2024 at 17:17, Sim said:

Yes and yes.

Nooooo I love the ENB Nutcracker. It's really nice and very enjoyable. I'm surprised so many don't like it much! 

Can't please everyone hey?! 

Edited February 19 by Don Q Fan

[Jane S]

26 minutes ago, PeterS said:

 

 

IIRC I've read elsewhere that, being of short duration,  Giselle used to be preceded by another one act ballet. as such, maybe a piece to showcase the male talent could be included in the evening to balance things out. 

 

Wayne Eagling once made a piece exactly for this: excuse me if I quote what I wrote about it at the time (2010) in Dance View:

 

"Eagling’s Men Y Men, set to orchestrated piano music by Rachmaninov, is unashamedly designed to keep the company’s men interested during a long tour of Giselle. Presumably it succeeds in that – all of the cast of nine appeared properly engaged, and the choreography looks difficult enough to challenge even the best of them. But it’s not – as you might perhaps expect – a jump-and-turn fest: there are plenty opportunities for show-off brilliance, but they’re nicely placed to contrast with some very effective adagio sequences, and the mood of the whole piece is quiet enough to make the transition to Giselle, with no intervening interval, seem quite unalarming. Yat-Sen Chang, the company’s leading virtuoso, danced the most prominent role with his usual tidy vigour; the rest of the cast included some of the best of the younger dancers, such as Vadim Muntagirov who is in his first season out of school and is already dancing Albrecht. It’s nice to see that Eagling has dedicated his ballet to the late David Ashmole, who never danced with this company but was a contemporary of Eagling’s in the Royal Ballet when they were very frequently cast together in demi-soloist roles."

[Jan McNulty]

Thanks @Jane S, I remember loving Men Y Men when I saw it.

[Sim]

16 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Thanks @Jane S, I remember loving Men Y Men when I saw it.

Me too.  I would love to see it again.

[JNC]

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

Thanks @Jane S, I remember loving Men Y Men when I saw it.

I agree! Adding this (back) on would sway me into seeing Skeaping’s Giselle again so soon. 

[Fonty]

2 hours ago, PeterS said:

 

hi @Fonty you're right of course.  

these are just my thoughts.  being of it's time, Giselle is awash with female roles while there are far less for men.  as such,  i was struck in the Skeaping Giselle by the massive underuse of the ENB pool and wealth of it's male talent. it's almost a crime to have these dancers doing little more than decorating the stage in act 1 and doing little more than wandering around in an almost jet black forest in act 2, (essentially acting parts). indeed many dancers can clock off at the interval and have an early night.  

in act 1, the main non-Giselle/Albrecht/Hilarion choreography is the peasant pas de deux which affords an opportunity to only two dancers to shine, whilst the RB version has the pas de six, thus expanding on the roles available and giving the audience a chance to see more dancers.

add too this that, for me at least, at several recent performances of the Skeaping version, rather than being a jewel to treasure, the peasant pas de deux was underwhelming and perhaps this can be addressed for next season. 

IIRC I've read elsewhere that, being of short duration,  Giselle used to be preceded by another one act ballet. as such, maybe a piece to showcase the male talent could be included in the evening to balance things out. 

 

Ah, I see.  To be fair, many of the classics do not have substantial roles for the men, and even the principal is often reduced to little more than one or two solos, spending the rest of his time behind the lady supporting her in the pdd work.

 

I have to say that I loved the peasant pdd in the Skeaping version, and I thought it was beautifully danced on both occasions I saw it, and personally I preferred it to the pas de six which doesn't always reflect immaculate group dancing as it should. 

 

Maybe the solution is to have the extra suggested by @Jane S

[capybara]

Eagling had a fabulous original cast for Men Y Men.

I wonder why it got ‘buried’ so quickly

even when he was AD?

 

So, if anyone is responding to ENB’s invitation to make suggestions (which I haven’t seen), please let’s get it on the list.

[MAX]

What was Aaron Watkin's artistic project when he was chosen by the selection committee ?

It's hard to say when you look at this 75th anniversary season...

Having said that, a new creation by William Forsythe is always  an event, but perhaps a little too much in the same vein as the previous director.

Taking over from this visionary and exceptional woman is really not an easy task.

We knew that, but it's becoming more and more obvious.

[Blossom]

2 minutes ago, MAX said:

What was Aaron Watkin's artistic project when he was chosen by the selection committee ?

It's hard to say when you look at this 75th anniversary season...

Having said that, a new creation by William Forsythe is always  an event, but perhaps a little too much in the same vein as the previous director.

Taking over from this visionary and exceptional woman is really not an easy task.

We knew that, but it's becoming more and more obvious.

I think it's unfair to say this when there's more than what we see on the surface to consider - and noting that ASW hasn't been granted a massive cash injection as has been seen in San Francisco.

It's clear that this year's programme is very much about saying 'I hear you' to ENB supporters. It involves some new programming, a much needed refresh and is fulfilling a Giselle tour to the North. A new Nutcracker is much needed and no doubt will sap a lot of the cash for 2024/25, so even more of a need to ensure 'bums on seats' to maximise profits.

This season, I've noticed some more interesting casting choices and more opportunity given to certain individuals than under Rojo's tenure, specifically in the mixed bill, plus much better arrangement of corps de ballet to ensure that a diverse cast of dancers looks carefully balanced on stage. Technique is also looking sharper - this really came through in the Balanchine at the start of the season. It seems that ASW has an eye for detail. The dancers he has brought into the company are also brilliant acquisitions. Sanguen Lee in particular really is a cut above. 

In terms of the digital 75th anniversary, to me, (to quote Marshall McLuhan) the medium (or media) is the message. If ENB's content and marketing teams invest wisely, there is the opportunity to do something truly brilliant, national and broad reaching - however this assumes on my part that the budget which could have been consumed on a night or 2 at the Coliseum is still invested, just very differently.

I don't like everything about next season, equally I don't like everything about this season, but I can definitely see the potential.

[FionaM]

16 hours ago, MAX said:

Having said that, a new creation by William Forsythe is always  an event, but perhaps a little too much in the same vein as the previous director.

Taking over from this visionary and exceptional woman is really not an easy task.

We knew that, but it's becoming more and more obvious.

I am personally very happy with Aaron doing more or less the same as Tamara.  I think ENB is positioned well as it is.  

I wouldn’t want him changing the repertory drastically from here.  As others have said he may not have the finances to do it yet, and a new Nutcracker has long been in demand and won’t be cheap.  
 

It is too early to determine whether he has vision and creativity to step in a new direction in terms of repertory, and will that be a direction that takes the audience with him.  
 

I too am very encouraged by his nurturing of the company members as individuals.  And I am especially looking forward to soloist/lead roles for the many talented dancers in this company, which I’d say have been too long delayed.  
 

I hope Aaron will ditch Tamara’s mistakes … too many unsuccessful versions of Rite of Spring, plus her own Raymonda which hides the actual dancing of the ballerinas under those long heavy skirts.  

[San Perregrino]

3 hours ago, FionaM said:

 

I hope Aaron will ditch Tamara’s mistakes …

 Creature being IMHO the biggest one 

[MAB]

When I saw it Sadlers Wells was packed.  Far from a mistake in my book.

 

On the other hand that Raymonda sounded so outrageous I never bothered to go.

[JNC]

5 hours ago, FionaM said:

too many unsuccessful versions of Rite of Spring

From memory the Bausch version (as part of a triple) sold well both times ENB did this? I don’t know what ticket sales were like for the Mats Ek version but I thought it was great ENB got him to choreograph something for them. He is a “figure” in the ballet world whether you like his work or not and having the likes of Ek, Forsythe etc choreograph new works for your company speaks volumes about how the company are keen to innovate in ballet and try things out (whether successful or not). 
 

As for Raymonda I think the London run suffered from some Covid outbreaks and cancelled performances (from memory) so I think it’s unfair to base ticket sales/success on this as they were unlucky with that. As for the regional tours I know there are always issues with selling these types of works (see the discussion on Le Corsaire). I haven’t seen it so can’t comment (I couldn’t go due to last minute plans changing and not being London based I wasn’t flexible on dates) but I would be quite happy to see this revived, it was a big investment and as memory recalls while it maybe wasn’t 5 star reviews it was by no means a critical flop? 
 

I appreciate it’s perhaps a bit odd for me to strongly support two works I haven’t seen (although I’d like to see them) but I think it’s the symbolism of these works - dynamic choreographers, reviving a classic - showing a real investment in BALLET that I think was a good strong message to fans and others as to what the company stands for and the works it wants to support and perform. 
 

Khan’s Giselle was superb and innovative and whilst I won’t see it again in the near future (only because I’ve seen it twice) I happily expect this to have regular revivals. Creature on the other hand was awful imo and if others were anything like me it sold out on the strength of Giselle, but one viewing was more than enough. It’s about the only ballet I seriously considered leaving at the interval because I hated it so much and the sound was actually deafening so I was rather uncomfortable. 

Edited February 20 by JNC