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Royal Ballet MacMillan triple bill: Danses Concertantes, Different Drummer, Requiem 20 March to 13 April 2024


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Well, there seems to have been quite a party of ballet forum people there last night.  How come I never seem to find anybody?   Next time I will parade up and down the floral hall holding a huge placard saying "BalletCoForum make yourselves known."  Or better yet, I shall wear a sandwich board with the same message.

 

Anyway, it gave me the chance to finish the cryptic crossword during the intervals, so I suppose that is something.

 

I am really interested to know why people hate Different Drummer so much?  I thought it was very powerful.  I have sat through things that felt far worse, usually new pieces by current choreographers.  

Edited to add could the posts regarding the Ashton triple bill be put in a separate thread?  Or in an existing one if it has already been started.  

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Had the very good fortune last night to be sitting next to a lovely lady down from Manchester (her husband was sitting elsewhere). Her son was in his last year at RBS and was performing in Different Drummer as one of the characters in a gas mask. She was clearly very proud of what her son had already achieved - he had played Fritz previously in the Nutcracker, and was in Manon and will be Swan Lake as well. Such hard work and sheer commitment required from someone so young was very impressive and she was justly proud. Please to say he has a job offer to start in August so that must be a welcome relief.

 

I said I would say hello if we happened to catch each other at the Summer Performance in July. 😆

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1 hour ago, Fonty said:

I am really interested to know why people hate Different Drummer so much?  I thought it was very powerful.  I have sat through things that felt far worse, usually new pieces by current choreographers.  


+1

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1 hour ago, Fonty said:

Edited to add could the posts regarding the Ashton triple bill be put in a separate thread?  Or in an existing one if it has already been started.  

 

It will be very good. In Ballet / Dance news & information we already have the topic: 

So there will be no need even to open a separate thread.
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2 hours ago, Fonty said:

Well, there seems to have been quite a party of ballet forum people there last night.  How come I never seem to find anybody?   Next time I will parade up and down the floral hall holding a huge placard saying "BalletCoForum make yourselves known."  Or better yet, I shall wear a sandwich board with the same message.

 

I sometimes think that were one to stand in the vicinity of the stalls circle standing areas & call out "Anyone on the Ballet Forum here?" then there should be quite a few responses! There seems to be a greater concentration of regulars in the SCS areas than anywhere else in the auditorium. (I don't stand myself but when sat on the stalls circle benches on the right of the auditorium I have to walk past most of the SCS places & I often recognise several people en route.)

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First time that I have seen these productions- but I had read up on them in the Jann Parry book Different Drummer.

 

Concertantes was fun, reminded me of Balanchine’s Rubies. MYbe because of the jazzy Stravinsky score but also the snappy moves in the choreography and off balance turns etc. great cast and dancing.

 

Head dresses awful - yes Teletubbies - not the association I expect RB was after!
 

Different Drummer was shocking. The destruction of a soul in front of us by social alienation, abuse by persons in authority, betrayal. Mr Avis was more evil in this than Manon -  hard to believe. Great performances by all. Mr Clarke surprised me an anguished performance and Marie suited Osipova so well.

 

I didn’t see any redemption in this at all - unremitting torture. 
 

Requiem - a masterpiece and very appropriate in Easter week I thought . Very moving and Wonderful dancing. 

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1 hour ago, Shade said:

Different Drummer was shocking. The destruction of a soul in front of us by social alienation, abuse by persons in authority, betrayal. Mr Avis was more evil in this than Manon -  hard to believe. Great performances by all. Mr Clarke surprised me an anguished performance and Marie suited Osipova so well.

 

I agree, and whereas in the first cast I found the Doctor and the Captain quite cartoonish and there was some laughter around where I was sitting, this time I found them absolutely terrifying. That may partly be thanks to the many illuminating posts I've read here since last week, especially @JohnS's reference to Otto Dix paintings; but since this time there was also dead silence around me, I think it may have also had something to do with the performance/cast. I thought that both Gary Avis and Kevin Emerton were brilliant.

 

I hope that the largely very positive reviews for this bill will have encouraged Kevin O'Hare to regard MacMillan one-acters as as important to his oeuvre as the full-lengths, and to programme various of them regularly and not just as a one-off celebration-type bill. Yes, MacMillan was a genius. So, make use of him!! (Ditto Ashton, of course...).

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From Monday's Links this review from Vera Liber

 

https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/macmillan-celeb-royal-opera-hou-23121

 

which I found far more illuminating than many, possibly as it didn't concentrate on the pirouettes and went deeper into the works. 

 

MacMillan (1929–92) is sorely missed. His works are inspirational, breathtaking at times in their audacity, yet faithful to his training. Not always understood, he raised the standard, increased the vocabulary of dance and probed at issues not usual to ballet in his day. Is the overarching theme tonight marionettes, human beings puppets in the hands of fate?

MacMillan Celebrated can be seen streamed live in cinemas 9 April with encore showing 14 April. Not to be missed. If you think ballet is all twee tutus and fairy stories, this will make you think again.

Edited by Roberta
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1 hour ago, bridiem said:

Yes, MacMillan was a genius. So, make use of him!!

 

I suspect the problem is that the three big full length works form such a core part of the Royal Ballet's repertoire, with R & J, Mayerling and Manon performed on a regular rotating basis that to 'do more MacMillan' (and I agree, there is good and interesting work not performed which should be) that it would be seen to be MacMillan overload by some. 

 

Concerto again? Elite Syncopations? Works for the whole company to enjoy performing. 

 

MacMillan became a genius the day after he died, a wry comment from Lady MacMillan. 

 

 

 

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58 minutes ago, Roberta said:

Concerto again? Elite Syncopations? Works for the whole company to enjoy performing. 


Las Hermanas, Gloria, Winter Dreams, Song of the Earth, not to mention the many works that we haven’t seen in decades …

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13 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

Las Hermanas, Gloria, Winter Dreams, Song of the Earth, not to mention the many works that we haven’t seen in decades …

 

Yes. Though at least the two I mentioned are in the fairly recent past and easy and not too expensive to revive! 

 

The three 'choral' works should be 'regulars' really but aren't. In an opera house this shouldn't be difficult. 

 

https://britishballetnowandthen.com/category/kenneth-macmillans-choral-works/

Edited by Roberta
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Something I only realised last night was the number of unusual steps which appear in both Different Drummer and Requiem - at some points I felt as though I was playing "step bingo" spotting them again in Requiem.  Examples included various "legs in a twist" moves where dancers often seemed almost to be trying to tie their ankles in knots.

 

Another common theme - not surprisingly - was the Christian imagery in both ballets: upside-down crucifixions, pietàs and so on, plus of course the "Christ" figure in Different Drummer and his interactions with Marie (Magdalene?).  Very appropriate for Easter, of course, even if it wasn't chosen intentionally.

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14 hours ago, Fonty said:

Well, there seems to have been quite a party of ballet forum people there last night.  How come I never seem to find anybody?   Next time I will parade up and down the floral hall holding a huge placard saying "BalletCoForum make yourselves known."  Or better yet, I shall wear a sandwich board with the same message.

 

Anyway, it gave me the chance to finish the cryptic crossword during the intervals, so I suppose that is something.

 

I am really interested to know why people hate Different Drummer so much?  I thought it was very powerful.  I have sat through things that felt far worse, usually new pieces by current choreographers.  

Edited to add could the posts regarding the Ashton triple bill be put in a separate thread?  Or in an existing one if it has already been started.  

Well in summary. I did not like the music I disliked the story. I found the choreography indifferent and the dancers I saw did not impress me. Sorry

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9 hours ago, Roberta said:

I suspect the problem is that the three big full length works form such a core part of the Royal Ballet's repertoire, with R & J, Mayerling and Manon performed on a regular rotating basis that to 'do more MacMillan' (and I agree, there is good and interesting work not performed which should be) that it would be seen to be MacMillan overload by some. 

 

MacMillan became a genius the day after he died, a wry comment from Lady MacMillan. 

 

Well I'd all in favour of MacMillan 'overload' if that's what it takes. (And no-one seems to worry about the current threat of McGregor overload.)

 

I understand Lady MacMillan's sentiment, but in fact MacMillan was known to be a genius by very many people during his lifetime. And his death was announced as a leading news item on national radio, even though he was no longer director of the RB. So although sometimes deemed to be controversial, he was certainly not unappreciated.

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19 hours ago, Fonty said:

Well, there seems to have been quite a party of ballet forum people there last night.  How come I never seem to find anybody?   Next time I will parade up and down the floral hall holding a huge placard saying "BalletCoForum make yourselves known."  Or better yet, I shall wear a sandwich board with the same message.

 

Anyway, it gave me the chance to finish the cryptic crossword during the intervals, so I suppose that is something.

 

I am really interested to know why people hate Different Drummer so much?  I thought it was very powerful.  I have sat through things that felt far worse, usually new pieces by current choreographers.  

Edited to add could the posts regarding the Ashton triple bill be put in a separate thread?  Or in an existing one if it has already been started.  

 

 

To answer your query regarding Different Drummer - I didn't hate it, I was somewhat indifferent to it! I think the most pertinent reason for this is that I couldn't find a way to understand or empathise with the characters, no idea why as I usually enjoy MacMillan.  As a result I wasn't invested in it at all and to be honest just wanted it to end. 

 

I wasn't a fan of the religious imagery, and really hated the grotesques - but I think that it probably just boils down to personal preference. It just wasn't for me! 

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1 hour ago, bridiem said:

 

Well I'd all in favour of MacMillan 'overload' if that's what it takes. (And no-one seems to worry about the current threat of McGregor overload.)

 

 

Well, to be fair, McGregor is the current resident choreographer, so you'd expect a lot of works from him (some of which I like a lot, some of which I do not)

On a selfish note, I just wish the MacMillan overload included more of the pieces of his I like (such as the current Danses concertantes and Requiem, plus the likes of Gloria, Song of the Earth, Rite of Spring, Concerto). There are others I simply won't watch again - DD, The Invitation, Judas Tree

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21 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

Well, to be fair, McGregor is the current resident choreographer, so you'd expect a lot of works from him (some of which I like a lot, some of which I do not)

On a selfish note, I just wish the MacMillan overload included more of the pieces of his I like (such as the current Danses concertantes and Requiem, plus the likes of Gloria, Song of the Earth, Rite of Spring, Concerto). There are others I simply won't watch again - DD, The Invitation, Judas Tree

 

No argument from me about your likes, with the possible exception of Song of the Earth.  I know it is a masterpiece, but I don't really like the music.  I believe that MacMillan created Concerto for the company to make sure they maintained their classical technique, so it seems odd that it should be performed so infrequently.  

 

I've seen all 3 of your  dislikes at least once, and although they wouldn't be my first choice, I wouldn't sit any of them out.  I thought the first two dealt with unpleasant themes, but did so in a very dramatic way.  I would far rather see those than some of the angst ridden contortions to ear splitting noise that I have endured at the hands of certain modern choreographers.  There was a time when the Judas Tree was THE one act Macmillan ballet in a triple bill. I wouldn't avoid watching it, but it wouldn't bother me if I never saw it again.    

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32 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

No argument from me about your likes, with the possible exception of Song of the Earth.  I know it is a masterpiece, but I don't really like the music.  I believe that MacMillan created Concerto for the company to make sure they maintained their classical technique, so it seems odd that it should be performed so infrequently.  

 

I've seen all 3 of your  dislikes at least once, and although they wouldn't be my first choice, I wouldn't sit any of them out.  I thought the first two dealt with unpleasant themes, but did so in a very dramatic way.  I would far rather see those than some of the angst ridden contortions to ear splitting noise that I have endured at the hands of certain modern choreographers.  There was a time when the Judas Tree was THE one act Macmillan ballet in a triple bill. I wouldn't avoid watching it, but it wouldn't bother me if I never saw it again.    

 

Same here. The Judas Tree is the one work that I massively disliked and am more likely to sit out but although the subject matter of The Invitation is salacious, the choreography and narrative arc are pure Macmillan, as is DD. 

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45 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

 I believe that MacMillan created Concerto for the company to make sure they maintained their classical technique, so it seems odd that it should be performed so infrequently.  

 

 

 

Just for clarity - MacMillan made Concerto for the Berlin company - it was their technique he was thinking of, not the RB's.

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43 minutes ago, Fonty said:

 

No argument from me about your likes, with the possible exception of Song of the Earth.  I know it is a masterpiece, but I don't really like the music.  I believe that MacMillan created Concerto for the company to make sure they maintained their classical technique, so it seems odd that it should be performed so infrequently.  

 

I've seen all 3 of your  dislikes at least once, and although they wouldn't be my first choice, I wouldn't sit any of them out.  I thought the first two dealt with unpleasant themes, but did so in a very dramatic way.  I would far rather see those than some of the angst ridden contortions to ear splitting noise that I have endured at the hands of certain modern choreographers.  There was a time when the Judas Tree was THE one act Macmillan ballet in a triple bill. I wouldn't avoid watching it, but it wouldn't bother me if I never saw it again.    

 

First time I saw Song of the Earth I didn't much like it - but it really grew on me, no denying. Now a favourite

 

I had been looking forward to seeing Judas Tree (from rumour, and the poster still on the stairwell leading up the right-hand side of the house). After two viewings I will not watch a third. Same with The Invitation - but apart from the deeply unpleasant aspect, what also ensures I will miss it were it to return, is the party 'entertainment' (giant chickens/cockerels or something - think my brain has tried desperately hard to forget the whole thing)

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49 minutes ago, Jane S said:

 

Just for clarity - MacMillan made Concerto for the Berlin company - it was their technique he was thinking of, not the RB's.

 

Oh, thanks.  I meant to put a question mark after my statement, because I couldn't remember where it was created.  

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50 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

 

Same with The Invitation - but apart from the deeply unpleasant aspect, what also ensures I will miss it were it to return, is the party 'entertainment' (giant chickens/cockerels or something - think my brain has tried desperately hard to forget the whole thing)

 

I don't remember that, how could I possibly have forgotten that.  Makes me curious to see it again as soon as possible.  I agree that the subject matter is not to everyone's liking, but I don't find it any different to scenes in Manon or Mayerling.  MacMillan seemed to like portraying women being ravished by men in various ways.  

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Posted (edited)

27/3/24:

Danses Concertantes- Gasparini, Acri,  Muntagirov, Hinkis, Maeda, Sissens 

Different Drummer- Clarke (Woyzeck), Osipova (Marie), Donnelly (Drum Major), Avis (Captain), Emerton (Doctor), Serrano (Andres)

Requiem- Lamb (Pie Jesu), Hamilton (Agnus Dei), Ball (Offertoire), Acri (Libera Me), Hirano (Sanctus)

 

Last saw these ballets ages ago. Danses Concertantes had designs by Ian Spurling when I saw it in 1991 and 1995 which were chic but a different feel to the 1955 designs, so I was a little apprehensive after seeing the video clip on social media of the costumes in the workshop! They look better on the dancers and on stage with bright stage lighting, and as members have have described-the women's costumes come off much better. The sets were great. The choreography- sometimes reminiscent of early Balanchine and sometimes reminiscent of Ashton's Scenes de ballet (music also by Stravinsky!) but still very much MacMillan's own voice and style - is elegant, witty (those turns of the head in the pas de trois!) and inventive.

 

Beautifully neat, crisp and elegant dancing from all the solo and ensemble dancers - the ensemble of Katsura, Roscoe, Tonkinson, Lubach, Mullova-Barley and Nikelski particularly impressive. Gasparini and Jun stood out for their joyful dancing. We need Danses Concertantes back more often....although it is worth considering letting the men dance without the chokers and headpieces. 

 

I've seen Different Drummer a long time ago and Jefferies, Ferri and Hosking in the three lead roles were unforgettable. Buchner's play Woyzeck (on which the ballet is based) is not staged here as often as in some countries, but in 2017 there was renewed interest in it and a successful run at the Old Vic was followed by productions in Birmingham and Edinburgh the next year as well. The ballet does have bleak and shocking moments but as quite a lot of it is abstract and expressionist in style, it feels less harrowing to me than watching The Judas Tree, Mayerling and The Invitation, for example.

 

In fact, the story could have been more harrowing if Woyzeck was shown to have killed Marie out of revenge or because she tipped him over the edge, or if he hadn't taken part in the experiments of his own volition for the money (although without the synopsis unfortunately that isn't as clear on stage) but was instead forced to, that would have made the ballet really bleak indeed. The music chosen (Webern's Passacaglia and Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht) is quire well known in the concert hall, was powerful and at times a little too beautiful- starkly juxtaposed with what was happening in the choreography. I had occasional flashbacks of Jiri Kylian's ballet Transfigured Night set to Verklarte Nacht (a positive and life affirming ballet completely different to Different Drummer) during the familiar passages of Verklarte Nacht.

 

I went with a young guest new to the ballet who, in the context of today's  society, found the ballet interesting and sparked off an interesting discussion about suicide, mental health, personal responsibility, how much one should sacrifice for love and what happens if that is rejected. Numerous questions, eg why didn't Marie break up with Woyzeck before having the affair- did she not care about the consequences to her child? To herself? (Especially when you're on a military base with plenty of guns around....although Woyzeck didn't use a gun but a knife). Also: what happens to that poor baby now with both parents gone?! 

 

There were good performances from Clarke and Osipova but I'm afraid the performances of Ferri and Jefferies are probably too powerfully imprinted on me. Gary Avis and Kevin Emerton were brilliant  at conveying clearly what malevolent forces they were in Woyzeck's life. Not something I'd watch everyday but it's ok once in a blue moon, as a thought provoking piece. Osipova also had a reddish wig- would have preferred reverting to the natural loose hair that Ferri had in the early runs. 

 

Requiem is one of my favourite pieces and a lovely piece for Holy Week and Easter. Glorious, beautiful and sensitive performances from Hamilton, Lamb, Acri, Ball, Hirano in the roles made on Birgit Keil, Marcia Haydee, Egon Madsen, Richard Cragun and Reid Anderson as a tribute to Stuttgart Ballet choreographer, artistic director and mentor John Cranko after his untimely passing. (Particularly impressive how fresh and energetic Hamilton and Hirano looked after getting off a long haul flight and overcoming jet lag from a few days before!)

 

Wonderful supporting performances from Bradbury  Hinkis, Dean, Dubreuil, Dixon, Zucchetti, Donnelly and indeed the whole corps de ballet ensemble. With lovely performances by the ROH Orchestra, ROH Chorus and singers Diaz and Ahn in support, it was like a soulful prayer in dance. 

 

The mixed bill emphasised what a versatile and inventive choreographer MacMillan was, and also what a stellar corps de ballet the Royal Ballet has alongside their principals. As long as we can avoid getting stranded by ASLEF during the industrial action, we plan to go back to see it again. 

 

Edited by Emeralds
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3 hours ago, Fonty said:

I agree that the subject matter is not to everyone's liking, but I don't find it any different to scenes in Manon or Mayerling.  MacMillan seemed to like portraying women being ravished by men in various ways. 

Exactly...that's what I find troubling. For me, the fact that MacMillan habitually included such scenes in other works is not a valid  excuse for yet another one; rather, it is itself part of the problem.

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2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

In fact, the story could have been more harrowing if Woyzeck was shown to have killed Marie out of revenge or because she tipped him over the edge, or if he hadn't taken part in the experiments of his own volition for the money (although without the synopsis unfortunately that isn't as clear on stage) but was instead forced to, that would have made the ballet really bleak indeed.

 

I wish I'd realised beforehand that he was chosing to take part in the experiments for money as I interpreted it that he was being forced to do so by the Captain against his will & so found those scenes pretty horrendous to watch.

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Posted (edited)
36 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I wish I'd realised beforehand that he was chosing to take part in the experiments for money as I interpreted it that he was being forced to do so by the Captain against his will & so found those scenes pretty horrendous to watch.

That's why I was keen to get the synopsis from the programme- my friend and I spent the first interval poring through it in case I'd remembered the plot wrongly. The programme wasn't much help in making the distinction, which is pretty important, as you say, Dawnstar - there's a difference between him being forced into it with or without pay, and choosing this horrible path to provide for his family. In the end (thanks to technology and the MacMillan estate) we found the confirmation on kennethmacmillan.com - 

 

"Written in 1836, Büchner’s play, based on an actual murder case, was a powerful indictment of the exploitation of the poor by the military and medical establishments of the time. Its antihero is forced to earn extra money to support his mistress Marie and their child by performing menial jobs for his captain and taking part in degrading medical experiments. As Woyzeck’s health deteriorates, Marie turns her attentions to a handsome drum major. Woyzeck confronts the drum major who beats him up. Persecuted and humiliated, Woyzeck stabs Marie to death before he drowns himself in a bath."

 

(Mind you, this summary sounds like he is tipped over the edge while the ballet looks like he stabs Marie because he has developed a psychotic illness due to the harsh and painful experiments and the physical exhaustion of the Captain's gruelling training). The play was left unfinished with publisher and directors suggesting various different scenes and conclusions for the ending. and MacMillan himself revising his ending after the first run. It's quite fascinating and in some ways MacMillan was also ahead of his time- in 1984 when he made the ballet, people weren't so quick to denounce experiments and research carried out in dodgy ethical situations on vulnerable test subjects who were either exploited, forced or tricked. Today, as recent as 2010 onwards, we are quicker to call out dishonesty, trickery or exploitation for what it is. 

Edited by Emeralds
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Just now, Shade said:

Thanks Emerald for that additional explanation. I still think the ballet was very bleak.

I agree- it's very bleak. Not a ballet I'd watch annually  But I'd like to see Hayward and Sambe in it before it closes if I can. 

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21 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I agree- it's very bleak. Not a ballet I'd watch annually  But I'd like to see Hayward and Sambe in it before it closes if I can. 

Me too.  I've booked again simply to see them, though happy to see Requiem again too.

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On 29/03/2024 at 00:42, Scheherezade said:

Las Hermanas, Gloria, Winter Dreams, Song of the Earth, not to mention the many works that we haven’t seen in decades …

 

It appears Sarasota Ballet is performing Las Hermanas this season. New film released yesterday. 

 

 

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