emmarose Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 6 hours ago, Missfrankiecat said: I thought this tempo was a deliberate choice - Kessells watched her very closely - because it shows off Nunez' phenomenal control and balance, her ability to 'float' in transitional movements and, interpretively, was conveying the labour of Odette's anguished imprisonment in swan form. Of course, this pace is a lot harder for less technically gifted dancers to follow. Yes, this was what I saw as well, you could see he was watching her so closely and she always was in complete control of the pace and her balance 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Just taken an extract from Broadwayworld.com's review... I assume the writer frequents these forums... Prior to opening night, there were murmurings over Principals Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov being once again selected for opening night. The Royal Ballet possesses endless world class dancers who can do an exemplary job with the leading roles, why can’t others get a look in? It’s safe to say such doubts were swiftly appeased with the heartbreaking, exhilarating and technically flawless display the pair put on for the first night crowd. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 This rather assumes that other casts will not be equally as good or better!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmarose Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 1 hour ago, FionaM said: This rather assumes that other casts will not be equally as good or better!!!! Not really, no, it just says that they delivered an opening night of a worthy (and otherworldly) standard 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 (edited) 18 hours ago, FionaM said: Matthew Ball is 5’10” and that is a reliable statistic as he’s a model and will have been measured. From this photo Cesar looks to be 2 inches shorter. Whatever… there is no way he is 5’11. https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/james-frecknall-marcelino-sambe-francesca-hayward-cesar-uutiskuva/1192961472 18 hours ago, LinMM said: I would have said between 5ft 9in and 10ins about an inch or so taller than myself! I suppose Cesar could have been part joking in the interview …he’s gone from being smaller than average height to an acceptable average height for males …like 5ft 11 ins lol. I think Cesar is often assumed to be "small and compact" because early in his career he excelled in the virtuoso jumping and turning roles that more compact dancers often excel at, and he was often paired up with Alina Cojocaru (Nutcracker, Corsaire) who is very petite. But at RB he has been paired with Nunez (as Gamzatti) and Osipova in Bayadere, Kaneko in Don Quixote (although he was injured before they danced together on stage) and Hamilton in the Bluebird pas de deux in Sleeping Beauty, and these four ballerinas are at least medium height and usually dance with tall partners at RB. 5 ft 11 inch is actually not that tall nowadays for a danseur with many ballerinas being taller and with longer feet who have that elongated line that directors and audiences love (although I far prefer a dancer with less photogenic looks who can do complex and fast choreography beautifully and has the artistry compared to someone with perfect looks but more limited technique and artistry). If you look at lady emily's video on the Alexander Campbell farewell thread, Corrales comes along with his rose behind Hirano and Ball who are both tall and you can see Cesar is fairly close to their height. Sambe, McRae and Campbell are in the video for comparison (although Campbell's footwear for dancing the Act 3 pas de deux will have no heel or thick sole compared to a man's outdoor shoe so it makes him look "shorter"). Most of the ladies coming along with a rose are wearing high heels. The other problem with event photographs is that the women are often in high heels and the taller men are sometimes encouraged to bend down a bit so that their heads don't get cropped off or just so the photo composition looks nicer, so they might appear shorter than they really are. Edited March 9 by Emeralds 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 The illusion of height also depends upon body proportions. People with short bodies and high waists look taller than their height and those with longer torsos look shorter. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Ball and Hirano are taller than Campbell, Corrales about same height as Campbell 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Well I’m 5ft 8ins so Cesar must be at least 5ft 9ins!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 13 hours ago, Silke H said: Ball and Hirano are taller than Campbell, Corrales about same height as Campbell Trying to recognise some of the newer dancers....does anyone know who are the three ladies behind in this picture, from left to right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 2 hours ago, Richard LH said: Trying to recognise some of the newer dancers....does anyone know who are the three ladies behind in this picture, from left to right? Grace Reid, Isabella Shaker and Julie Ann Joyner 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 There are some nice piccies of Magri and Corrales in Swan Lake in the Gramilano article in the links for the 9th March 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineTheMediocre Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 On the subject of dancers' heights, there was, and might still be, a list of RB dancers and their heights on a pinboard in the wardrobe department, visible through the furthest window on the public terrace. Nonchalantly glance through the window in the evening when the room is empty and see if it's still there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postie Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 (edited) On 08/03/2024 at 17:25, FionaM said: Matthew Ball is 5’10” and that is a reliable statistic as he’s a model and will have been measured. I was curious about this as I've seen him wandering around the building and he seems pretty much my height. Matthew says he's taller, here - 5' 11 1/2: Quote How tall are you, Matthew? I'll just let you know why I am asking that" I add, nearly laughing. „In centimeters, I am 182cm.! Why?" Now he is curious. I can see that. https://www.attitude-devant.com/blog/2022/10/24/matthew-ball-principal-the-royal-ballet-an-interview-part-2 I don't know anything about technique in ballet but, in sport, an inch and a half is significant. Edited March 13 by postie tidying up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I met Matthew coming out of a studio a couple of times when doing Benn Gartside's ballet class at RB and he does seem really tall. I would say 5'11 is more accurate than 5'10. Although he's so good looking it's a bit distracting so I may be off. I'm not surprised he's a model, he's quite stunning. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Someone who would definitely know has confirmed to me that Matty Ball is 5'11 1/2" tall. So, five foot eleven and a half inches. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 5 minutes ago, Sim said: Someone who would definitely know has confirmed to me that Matty Ball is 5'11 1/2" tall. So, five foot eleven and a half inches. which matches the stated 182 cm ☺️ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Apologies I seem to have found incorrect data on Matthew Ball’s height (or the wrong Matthew Ball more likely!) I am corrected … the RB principal is 182cm which is 6 foot. I would be grateful if @BalletcoForum Moderators could add a comment to that effect on my original comment. Or remove it completely. I don’t wish to mislead. Thank you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 I can't get strikethrough to work on the original post, and hiding messed up the entire thread, so I've just added a comment 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 9 minutes ago, alison said: I can't get strikethrough to work on the original post, and hiding messed up the entire thread, so I've just added a comment Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 William Bracewell has posted a lovely video of Fumi Kaneko rehearsing Odette/Odile on his Instagram account. I have to say, having only seen her in a rehearsal video with Bonelli, that she looks amazing and I can't wait to see Fumi dance these roles (I've seen William Bracewell dance Siegfried many times and know already that I will love him in this role). I am so excited to see Fumi's interpretation of the white and black swans - to see her dancing in a partnership I adore is something I didn't think I'd see this run - so I am feeling very, very fortunate. Fingers crossed all goes to plan tonight and that there are no travel issues! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 4 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said: William Bracewell has posted a lovely video of Fumi Kaneko rehearsing Odette/Odile on his Instagram account. I have to say, having only seen her in a rehearsal video with Bonelli, that she looks amazing and I can't wait to see Fumi dance these roles (I've seen William Bracewell dance Siegfried many times and know already that I will love him in this role). I am so excited to see Fumi's interpretation of the white and black swans - to see her dancing in a partnership I adore is something I didn't think I'd see this run - so I am feeling very, very fortunate. Fingers crossed all goes to plan tonight and that there are no travel issues! She was incredible in the last run. Those Odile fouettes! Those beautiful arms as Odette! Sigh. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 1 minute ago, Sim said: She was incredible in the last run. Those Odile fouettes! Those beautiful arms as Odette! Sigh. If they're anything like the 'fanouettes' from Don Q - I know I'm in for a treat! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 (edited) 46 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said: William Bracewell has posted a lovely video of Fumi Kaneko rehearsing Odette/Odile on his Instagram account. I have to say, having only seen her in a rehearsal video with Bonelli, that she looks amazing and I can't wait to see Fumi dance these roles (I've seen William Bracewell dance Siegfried many times and know already that I will love him in this role). I am so excited to see Fumi's interpretation of the white and black swans - to see her dancing in a partnership I adore is something I didn't think I'd see this run - so I am feeling very, very fortunate. Fingers crossed all goes to plan tonight and that there are no travel issues! I was lucky to see her only public performance (with Federico Bonelli) in the last run and all of it was brilliant- her Odette, her Odile, all of it. I remember it being a very complete performance and surprisingly for a debut, no weak points, and yet it felt very her- it didn't feel like she had learnt a well drilled interpretation from someone else. To me it was the best performance I'd ever seen her give (obviously I haven't seen every single performance). When she subsequently danced the Act 2 pas de deux at the Ukraine charity gala a few hours after finishing the full length ballet (in the Saturday schools matinee) with William Bracewell, I wondered if there would be any signs of physical or mental fatigue from either of them but nope, they were just beautiful. Should be a wonderful performance- enjoy! Edited March 15 by Emeralds 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Her debut was astounding. And this video shows amazing improvements. My nomination for SWAN QUEEN of the RB 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 Apparently, I have train issues on my line. So, not stressful at all! 😱 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Capricorn Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 1 hour ago, Emeralds said: I was lucky to see her only public performance (with Federico Bonelli) in the last run and all of it was brilliant- her Odette, her Odile, all of it. I remember it being a very complete performance and surprisingly for a debut, no weak points, and yet it felt very her- it didn't feel like she had learnt a well drilled interpretation from someone else. To me it was the best performance I'd ever seen her give (obviously I haven't seen every single performance). When she subsequently danced the Act 2 pas de deux at the Ukraine charity gala a few hours after finishing the full length ballet (in the Saturday schools matinee) with William Bracewell, I wondered if there would be any signs of physical or mental fatigue from either of them but nope, they were just beautiful. Should be a wonderful performance- enjoy! Her Odetta/Odilia will definitely be amazing. I'm already looking forward to seeing her in partnership with Vadim in May in London and then in June in Rome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Tonight's cast list has finally appeared. Leo Dixon's Benno debut, I think? https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/swan-lake-by-liam-scarlett/cast-list/54701 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 1 hour ago, Linnzi5 said: Apparently, I have train issues on my line. So, not stressful at all! 😱 I'm crossing fingers, toes and everything for you to get there in good time, Linnzi5 🍀 🍀 <-- (four leaf clovers) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 22 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Tonight's cast list has finally appeared. Leo Dixon's Benno debut, I think? https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/swan-lake-by-liam-scarlett/cast-list/54701 A cast I would love to be watching myself! 😊. Toi toi toi to Leo and everyone else making debuts! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 25 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Tonight's cast list has finally appeared. Leo Dixon's Benno debut, I think? https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/swan-lake-by-liam-scarlett/cast-list/54701 Excellent cast! Looking forward to the first SL of the run for me... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 (edited) Shout out to Leo Dixon who dances his debut as Benno tonight. (15th March) Edited March 15 by PeterS 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 1 hour ago, Dawnstar said: Tonight's cast list has finally appeared. Leo Dixon's Benno debut, I think? https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/swan-lake-by-liam-scarlett/cast-list/54701 Yay! Leo Dixon! Am very excited to see his Benno! 57 minutes ago, Emeralds said: I'm crossing fingers, toes and everything for you to get there in good time, Linnzi5 🍀 🍀 <-- (four leaf clovers) I made it! Phew! Thank you! ☺️ 50 minutes ago, Richard LH said: Excellent cast! Looking forward to the first SL of the run for me... Me too! 34 minutes ago, PeterS said: Shout out to Leo Dixon who dances his debut as Benno tonight. (15th March) Yes! I really like him, so this is great casting for me! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 Not great quality as my phone camera (and me) are not very good! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now