Emeralds Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 (edited) 17 hours ago, Beaker said: What he particularly wants to see is a ballet to Stravinsky - in particular the Firebird - as he studied the music a bit at school and really loves it - which did surprise me! It has been a long time since I’ve seen it ( think it might even have been 2009 with Benjamin/Watson). There is Stravinsky this weekend at Sadler's Wells Theatre in the New York City Ballet's Duo Concertant (17 minute ballet) but I don't know if you/he will like the rest of the mixed bill though! (Have a look at the NYCB thread.) There's Stravinsky in the MacMillan triple bill at ROH starting on 20 March (and there are three performances during Easter school holidays) - the first ballet Danses Concertantes has music by Stravinsky which is a quirky, fun piece. There's also great music in the rest of the bill eg Faure's Requiem, Scheonberg's Verklärte Nacht used in Different Drummer to a different story, but it won't be a full length story ballet. Not sure thar Different Drummer is suitable for 9 year olds - have a read of the Woyzeck play synopsis by Buchner that the ballet is based on. For a first ballet I think Swan Lake or R&J is better. Unfortunately I don't think any company has announced plans to stage any version of The Firebird this year (the last was RB in June 2019). They might next season though! Edited March 9 by Emeralds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaker Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 Thanks @Emeralds - NB R&J does sound like a good option, I’ve never seen it so helpful to hear it is well done. And May half term would work well. As he is so into drama he may very well prefer more of an ‘acting/clearer story’ ballet ( I mean thinking about it I actually do too for full length!) Also good point on pricing too - takes the pressure off a bit if he doesn’t like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 As someone considering taking my 10 year old grandson to the right ballet for someone who loves music and movement but has had no exposure to ballet - football is his thing - what does anyone think? RB or Northern Ballet R&J? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 26 minutes ago, Scheherezade said: As someone considering taking my 10 year old grandson to the right ballet for someone who loves music and movement but has had no exposure to ballet - football is his thing - what does anyone think? RB or Northern Ballet R&J? I'd say among the 9-12 year old boys we took who are not into dance or who have never seen it, R&J (for the sword duels/fights) or Nutcracker (for the toy soldier vs mice battle) were the most enjoyable of all the full length ballets. R&J worked slightly better as there is swordplay for two thirds of the ballet whereas for Nutcracker they said Act 2 dragged on for them after the battle was over in Act 1. Don't be too shocked if you go to R&J and the adults say the love story was the best bit while the boys say the sword fights were the best but 😉....they still enjoy the dancing and the production at least. By the time they're older, GCSEs approach and they have a lot of Shakespeare in school, they appreciate the whole ballet more 😀. I think NB do the sword and crowd scenes well in R&J so I'd be confident taking 10 year old boys who haven’t attended a ballet before to see it. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaker Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 @Emeralds - I agree danses concertantes can be quite quirky and fun and I really like Requiem a lot when danced well ( and love the music), albeit it is somber. Have to say even as a huge MacMillan fan I don’t particularly like A Different Drummer, and find it a bit disturbing ( I think it was on a bill with a ballet I must have liked a lot some years ago as I recall seeing it more than once! And even Ed Watson and Leanne Benjamin couldn’t get me to see the value in it! Will keep my fingers crossed for a return of the Firebird at some point! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 39 minutes ago, Emeralds said: I'd say among the 9-12 year old boys we took who are not into dance or who have never seen it, R&J (for the sword duels/fights) or Nutcracker (for the toy soldier vs mice battle) were the most enjoyable of all the full length ballets. R&J worked slightly better as there is swordplay for two thirds of the ballet whereas for Nutcracker they said Act 2 dragged on for them after the battle was over in Act 1. Don't be too shocked if you go to R&J and the adults say the love story was the best bit while the boys say the sword fights were the best but 😉....they still enjoy the dancing and the production at least. By the time they're older, GCSEs approach and they have a lot of Shakespeare in school, they appreciate the whole ballet more 😀. I think NB do the sword and crowd scenes well in R&J so I'd be confident taking 10 year old boys who haven’t attended a ballet before to see it. Thanks for this, Emeralds. Sounds like a plan for the May half term. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Beaker, it was Chroma and Rite of Spring 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaker Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 Thank you @alison - yes that was it! I wanted to see a number of casts for the other ballets so ended up seeing way too many A Different Drummer, I think it was the middle ballet as well. I may even have sat one out in the foyer as I couldn’t take another! I find it such an unsubtle and heavy handed ballet and that it tips over the line which many MacMillan ballets stray close to for me ( it’s treatment of Marie in particular). sorry totally off topic there! I see it’s the middle ballet in the Macmillan triple again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 1 minute ago, Beaker said: I see it’s the middle ballet in the Macmillan triple again! I sometimes wonder whether an unspoken reason why ADs do this is to discourage people from arriving late or leaving early to skip it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaker Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 38 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said: I sometimes wonder whether an unspoken reason why ADs do this is to discourage people from arriving late or leaving early to skip it. Quite possibly! I certainly wouldn’t like to end on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 That would be a real downer. Requiem is a much better "finisher" (as was Rite of Spring). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 The usual format of triple bills is: Starr with cheerful ballet to put everyone in an upbeat cheery mood, heavy dramatic ballet in the middle now that people have settled in, uplifting ballet/ballet with a rousing finish to send everyone off home happy. However, I think Scenes de ballet + A Month in the Country + Rhapsody (spring 2022) or Danses Concertantes + Different Drummer + Requiem (this month) are more appealing than Chroma + Different Drummer + Rite of Spring (Feb 2008). The latter progranne sounds like 2 bleak ballets to me! I recall I couldn't go that year because we were very busy in February but I wouldn't have gone even if I wasn't. That was the second run of Chroma which had been incredibly successful when it premiered in Nov 2006, so I guess they thought the triple bill would appeal to those who found Chroma exciting and didn't mind the bleak expressionist character of Different Drummer. I guess we are agreed that Swan Lake (RB),or Romeo and Juliet (Gable/Morricone) are a yes for a 9 year old, and the MacMillan triple a no till the child is older (by which time Fokine's Firebird might be back!) 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 5 hours ago, Emeralds said: The usual format of triple bills is: Starr with cheerful ballet to put everyone in an upbeat cheery mood, heavy dramatic ballet in the middle now that people have settled in, uplifting ballet/ballet with a rousing finish to send everyone off home happy. Exactly what Gil Boggs did with Colorado Ballet last year: Clark Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto which was pretty costumes, pretty dancing, and very pretty music, Balanchine's Prodigal Son, and Kylián's Sinfonietta to finish with that beautiful sunrise-y feeling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwanLA65 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 As an 11 year old boy dragged to a performance of Swan Lake almost 60 years ago, I speak from experience, it is an EXCELLENT first ballet for a boy. It was 1965 and knowing nothing about ballet or even having seen any on TV, there I was at the Hollywood Bowl with my mother and aunt. The company was The Royal Ballet. Odette/Odile: Margot Fonteyn. Siegfried: Rudolf Nureyev. I was rocked!! Blown away. Shaken. I could go on about that night, but I'll keep to the topic. It was the perfect ballet to get me hooked for life. All the ingredients: Tchaikovsky's heart-thumping score with a plethora of tympani, cymbal crashes, trombones, trumpets. Wow! Then there is the supernatural: an evil sorcerer, wicked spells, humans turned into animals before your very eyes. And the high drama right up to the climax. Your son will love it. Add to that the special gift of acting skills in the RB. They make these stories become real. Not stuffy posturing but living, breathing, feeling characters. I remember Fonteyn made me cry. Your choice is perfect. Please let us know how your son enjoys it! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Thank you, SwanLA65 - and welcome to the forum! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaker Posted March 13 Author Share Posted March 13 @SwanLA65 - thank you from me too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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