RB SEASON 24/25 Announced

[emmarose]

2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

When was the last RB season that featured no Petipa?

 

Edit: and nothing from before, I think, 1929.

 

I just find the whole thing so strange really. This company has some of the finest true classical dancers and a full company and there will not be any true Petipa for the whole season? 

 

Will that many Alice's even sell? 

[Jamesrhblack]

Given that opportunities to see Cuthbertson, Lamb, Nunez and Osipova in the core 19th Century repertoire must be running out, I’m unconvinced by this planning, which i also think will be detrimental to, in particular, the female corps de ballet’s technique.

[Dawnstar]

57 minutes ago, Scheherezade said:

I don’t think they do. Their pricing is lower to begin with and they always seem to fill up the seats with virtual giveaways closer to the performance dates.

 

I really hope that the lack of any of the major classics doesn't mean that anything that isn't outright contemporary will have a massive ticket price hike to make up for the lack of the Petipas that are usually the most expensive pieces in a season. I am braced for Cinderella to be pricey, given it was last time & it's the big Christmas ballet, but I'll be disappointed if I end up being priced out of seeing Onegin or R&J as many times as I would (well, probably would, depending on casting) like to.

[OnePigeon]

It’s actually scandalous and an ominous precedent that there is no classical work scheduled at all.  I’m glad there aren’t any of the big Tchaikovsky ballets this time round as I think they need a rest, but there are so many other ballets they could, and should, have done. I can’t see how this makes any economic sense, especially with this irritating new direction of splitting seasons in half.  I would be interested to know the reasons why they are programming in this way.

[Fonty]

It seems extraordinary to have no classical work scheduled, especially as many of the remarks about the current run of Swan Lakes comment on how well the lower ranks are dancing at the moment.  

[emmarose]

5 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Given that opportunities to see Cuthbertson, Lamb, Nunez and Osipova in the core 19th Century repertoire must be running out, I’m unconvinced by this planning, which i also think will be detrimental to, in particular, the female corps de ballet’s technique.

Agreed and I would imagine that some, especially Nunez (as she thrives in and adores them) might be looking to guest elsewhere to pick some up as their season will offer none to them.

 

I'm honestly dumbfounded, as a traditionalist, those are the ballets I always want to see and also think that every time they are performed the make the whole company better throughout. The corps will be missing a lot this season...

[Mary]

We must enjoy Swan Lake while we can.

It has pretty much has sold out hasn't it? despite 2 long runs. There does still seem to be a public appetite for the big classical works in this country- BRB Sleeping Beauty has done well. Also,  given we can no longer see the Russian companies here, there is a lot less than there used to be.

So for the biggest national company to move away from this heritage is odd indeed.

 

If I were one of the Principals with a classical focus  I would certainly be aiming for even more guest performances round the world.

Sadly I can't really afford to fly round the world to see them and it is a sad loss so far as I am concerned.

 

To be fair - I am happy to have Cinderella, Onegin and Symphony in C though, 3 works that have appeared in multiple posts on every single wish list on this forum for years.

 

 

[Jane S]

Didn't Kevin O'Hare once say it was his ambition to have an entire season of works created this century - or something similar? Maybe this is a step on the way.

 

(Or maybe I imagined that.),

[JNC]

18 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Given that opportunities to see Cuthbertson, Lamb, Nunez and Osipova in the core 19th Century repertoire must be running out, I’m unconvinced by this planning, which i also think will be detrimental to, in particular, the female corps de ballet’s technique.

This is a sad and pertinent point. If they don’t bring back the likes of Giselle, Fille, Sylvia in the next few years we may never see these dancers in these roles live again. 
 

Nunez feels unstoppable right now so I’m hoping she’ll keep going for at least another 3-4 more years. Osipova is also a bit younger so another decade is perhaps wishful thinking but I’m hopeful for at least 5+ years. Laura Morera retired at around 45, Lamb is the eldest so by age alone she would be next to retire. Of course it’s all very personal and you never know what might happen so apart from Nunez and Osipova in particular being such great character ballerinas I’m very aware of this fact and try to prioritise them when booking casts, because even without retirement it could be injury or illness (or a train strike!). None of what I’ve said is intended to be rude about their ages, it’s more a reflection of the uncertainty of anything happening combined with the inevitable that they will retire at some point. 
 

I very much hope to see Nunez, Osipova and Lamb in Giselle again. And would love to see Nunez in Fille and Sylvia. And the unforgettable Bayadere with Nunez/Osipova is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen so can only dream they dance those roles in London again. 
 

RB principals are already doing lots of guesting overseas so I imagine there will be months where we don’t see lots of them in London (not because they’re choosing guesting over RB commitments but because there isn’t enough repertoire to go around!). 
 

I am very surprised at no Sleeping Beauty - it offers lots of great solo roles for those coming up the ranks (all the fairies and the final act solo pieces). From the money angle it’s also odd not to have one of the Tchaikovsky ballets as they are so well known and command high prices with both non ballet addicts and ballet fans alike selling out every show. Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet will sell out no problem but I don’t think they have quite the same draw as the Tchaikovsky ballets, particularly if you happened to see Cinderella last year unless you really adored it probably might be too soon for most? 
 

The more I look at this season the less it makes sense. Will people (families) who see Alice in October want to fork out for Cinderella in December? No. And the more likely opposite option is that people won’t see Alice as they anticipate Cinderella as their treat (and nearer to Christmas). To be stereotypical, Alice is less likely to appeal to the “young ROH” crowd who probably want to see either classical works or the “edgier” McGregor/contemporary stuff. 
 

And how many will want to see Madaadam and the contemporary four ballet mix around the same time? Probably not unless they are big fans of McGregor/contemporary ballet, you’d probably pick one unless you have unlimited budget and are very keen. 

 

Cinderella will do alright at Christmas, Onegin will sell ok I imagine (although if they price too high there’s a risk people can’t afford to see it multiple times and that may affect overall ticket sales for the lesser known Onegin). Then Romeo and Juliet will sell fine too, as will Balanchine I imagine given there will likely be only 6 or so performances of the latter and no other Balanchine scheduled in the Uk next year. 

 

Perhaps this is a bit harsh but will a Wheeldon short works bill sell ok? Say what you like about McGregor he has fans and critics seem to like him. Wheeldon, I’m not so sure he appeals to classical ballet fans but he doesn’t have the contemporary edge of McGregor? 
 

Then Onegin round 2, this could sell well if casts are interesting and the price is right and the first tranche was well reviewed and promoted driving sales for the second round but it still feels a risk to me to split across months and you lose momentum of all the performances before, this happened to me when they split R&J, I saw it in October and had booked a few performances in Jan/Feb but when it came down to it life plans (and train strikes?) got in the way so I just returned the tickets. Whereas conversely sometimes I enjoy seeing the same ballet in a row to compare casts while still fresh in my mind. 
 

Very long post, more an inner monologue so well done if you’ve read it all…just a lot more questions than answers this year! 

[Dawnstar]

33 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Given that opportunities to see Cuthbertson, Lamb, Nunez and Osipova in the core 19th Century repertoire must be running out, I’m unconvinced by this planning, which i also think will be detrimental to, in particular, the female corps de ballet’s technique.

 

I've been dithering over whether to see Osipova in SL in June, given I've now seen Clarke with Lamb this run & that SL is not exactly my favourite piece, but I now feel like I probably ought to given I've not yet seen her in any of SL/SB/Nutcracker & there's obviously now not going to be any opportunity to do so next season. Having already seen Nunez & Lamb in Nutcracker & SL this season at least I've now ticked off seeing both of them live in all three. I would have seen Cuthbertson in Nutcracker & SL this season had she not pulled out of both, and ditto SB at the cinema in 2020, so I may have to abandon trying to see her in any of the big classics.

 

I wonder if some of the more junior dancers, whose only opportunity to dance lead roles is often in Nutcracker, will be feeling disappointed at its omission next season? While the Hans-Peters at least might get to do the Jester in Cinderella, there's no decent-sized female roles that the Claras are likely to get cast in.

 

5 minutes ago, Jane S said:

Didn't Kevin O'Hare once say it was his ambition to have an entire season of works created this century - or something similar? Maybe this is a step on the way.

 

(Or maybe I imagined that.),

 

If it's true then my immediate reaction to this is to wonder if he wants the RB to go bankrupt?!

[Shade]

Looks like I will be saving a lot of money next season!
Perhaps  I should blow the budget before September on as much classical ballet as I can get tickets for. 

[Shade]

Dawnstar - Osipova tends not to dance Nutcracker so if you can get a ticket for SL it might be a good decision

[Dawnstar]

4 minutes ago, JNC said:

This is a sad and pertinent point. If they don’t bring back the likes of Giselle, Fille, Sylvia in the next few years we may never see these dancers in these roles live again. 
 

Nunez feels unstoppable right now so I’m hoping she’ll keep going for at least another 3-4 more years. Osipova is also a bit younger so another decade is perhaps wishful thinking but I’m hopeful for at least 5+ years. Laura Morera retired at around 45, Lamb is the eldest so by age alone she would be next to retire. Of course it’s all very personal and you never know what might happen so apart from Nunez and Osipova in particular being such great character ballerinas I’m very aware of this fact and try to prioritise them when booking casts, because even without retirement it could be injury or illness (or a train strike!). None of what I’ve said is intended to be rude about their ages, it’s more a reflection of the uncertainty of anything happening combined with the inevitable that they will retire at some point. 
 

I very much hope to see Nunez, Osipova and Lamb in Giselle again. And would love to see Nunez in Fille and Sylvia. And the unforgettable Bayadere with Nunez/Osipova is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen so can only dream they dance those roles in London again.

 

The shock of Campbell retiring at such short notice last month really brought it home to me that dancers aren't necessarily going to retire at the approximate age & the order in which I was expecting them to. I hadn't even started to think I needed to start seeing him in roles in case it was the last opportunity when suddenly it was too late. At least with Morera, and Bonelli, it was apparent they were winding down so I saw them in as many roles as I could in their last couple of seasons & I am now doing the same with Lamb, Nunez & Hirano just in case. Given the lack of Giselle again, I am now kicking myself for not seeing Lamb in that last time but as that run was the first time I'd seen the piece there were more casts I wanted to see than I couldn't manage to do so. At this rate I will be too late now. As for Fille, I've been waiting so long for that that I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get to see any of the dancers I'd like to in that, and can only hope that BRB's autumn Sadler's Wells performances will features some of their dancers who I like. While Bayadere I've given up hope of ever seeing live.

[jmhopton]

2 hours ago, Mary said:

Two-thirds heavenly- I wouldn't describe Prodigal Son as heavenly, personally - I have never liked it.

I know that probably puts me in a small minority...It has some great moments,  but a lot of ugly moments too in my eyes.

 

...and there are so many things I would rather see.

 

You and me both, Mary.  Oh well, I suppose I can always follow Daves previous example of a good book in the bar. Why are the more controversial ballets (or one's with less obvious appeal) situated in the middle of a triple bill? I love Symphony in C and think back nostalgically to the last time I saw it with The Firebird and Month in the Country. That was a triple bill worth an overnight in London and actually we had 3 and loved every performance. I'm hoping there will be a matinee for this one as I'm not paying ridiculous London hotel prices for two thirds of a triple bill.

 

To change the subject rather, the discrepancy between the amount of different ballet and opera programmes is rather glaring and presumably is partly to do with the increasing amount of split bills which is rather a mixed blessing if it means less variety of programming. Do you think this is Kevin's 20th/21 century programme he wanted to have a while back but got postponed by covid? If so, I, for one, could frankly have done without it. Onegin is wonderful and was number one on my wish list so that is beyond fabulous but the rest appears very lacklustre, especially with no Ashton apart from Cinderella.  I was hoping at least for part of a triple. Like many others I don't think I'll be at the ROH much before Christmas so I hope the pre Christmas programme attracts the mythical new audience otherwise there could be a lot of empty seats. At least it enables me to save up for Onegin. I'm a bit surprised (though really pleased) it's doing a split season as I never thought it was a great seller as it's not as well known as others, and of course never benefits from the publicity a cinema relay can give it as Reid Anderson has never allowed it. Just have to hope the weather and the trains are OK so early in the year.  Like Sim, I'm starting to plan my wishlist for the 25/26 season. Anyone for Fille?

[l1lacfairy]

I get the sense that people on this forum would complain about the upcoming season regardless of the programming and that some seem to complain for the sake of complaining!

I have seen so many comments along the lines of "must we have Nutcracker EVERY Christmas?" and now KOH has programmed a different ballet and still there are complaints!!

Likewise lots of complaints about wanting more Ashton - well Cinderella has been programmed for Christmas, but oh no, thats not the Ashton that we want actually. 

And if Sleeping Beauty was programmed I'm sure there would be complaints about how its repetitive and boring too.

[Josette]

8 hours ago, hephaistion03 said:

Just  received info re the 2024 2025 RB season

 

Onegin 22nd Jan to the  25th Feb 2025   /  29th May to the 12th June  25 

 

R & J   4th March to the 26th May 25 

 Thank you so much for this information.  I am an American Friend of Covent Garden and was hoping that I would get notification.  I am thrilled about the Onegin dates because I was already planning to attend Onegin in Paris the last week of February, so this looks like I can set that trip in stone once I see the actual London dates.   

[Shade]

Well everyone has hopes for their favourite productions but I must say there have been fairly consistent unenthusiastic comments

[JNC]

I think ultimately yes everyone has preferences but the problem is I see very little of the Royal Ballet’s history and style in this season at all. It’s really only Cinderella and R&J (and I say that as someone very delighted to see Balanchine and looking forward to Onegin). That on top of no classical works for a premiere classical company is a bit surprising, and worrying. If it’s just this year I’ll give it a pass but if it happened next year it would set real alarm bells on the direction of the company (and finances too, given they sell incredibly well). 
 

This is from two years ago now but makes for interesting reading https://balletassociation.co.uk/pages/reports-2022-kevin-ohare

 

Alas it gives me little to no hope for Bayadere (I remain still a little hopeful because Nunez and Osipova surely must be on stage together again). And why on earth they’re reviving the Weathering and giving Wheeldon a full mixed bill evening when the contemporary triple with DGV and the Weathering was the worst seller of the 2021/2022 season…!! I think ROH might be in for a bit of a shock with it’s Autumn sales, unless they’re trying to make some weird point or gather evidence for the Arts Council…
 

I’d like to see the day they return to 11 or 12 programmes a year not the 7 or 8 they do now, give the principals something to do otherwise they spend months not on the stage in London and guessing elsewhere (don’t blame them at all for both development, enjoyment and financial reasons why wouldn’t they!). And it seems one third heritage (here defined as Ashton, MacMillan and De Valois), one third classics and one third contemporary is right out the window too. Maybe O’Hare counts Balanchine (and Onegin?!) as classical but surely not! 
 

Is Les Noces definitely still on the cards? (Come on ENB did it…) Will Fille and Symphonic Variations and the Two Pigeons be revived? Will we ever go back to 11 programmes a year? Hmmm….

 

Overall I’m actually not feeling that negative about this season. Yes I’ll probably go to only a handful of performances over the year but it’ll save me money and I’m delighted with the Balanchine (mainly because of Serenade), and happy to see Cinderella return (would I have preferred Fille, Sylvia or Bayadere, yes, but I’ll take this over Nutcracker even if it costs me more as I don’t see Nutcracker anymore!). And as much as I don’t love Onegin I do like it and I’m getting excited about potential casting - I’m thinking I must prioritise Osipova and if the dates and prices line up I’d like to see a Kaneko debut with hopefully Muntagirov and or Bracewell. 

[Roberta]

5 minutes ago, l1lacfairy said:

I get the sense that people on this forum would complain about the upcoming season regardless of the programming and that some seem to complain for the sake of complaining!

I have seen so many comments along the lines of "must we have Nutcracker EVERY Christmas?" and now KOH has programmed a different ballet and still there are complaints!!

Likewise lots of complaints about wanting more Ashton - well Cinderella has been programmed for Christmas, but oh no, thats not the Ashton that we want actually. 

And if Sleeping Beauty was programmed I'm sure there would be complaints about how its repetitive and boring too.

 

Sleeping Beauty was last spring, wasn't it, Don Q & Nutcracker recently and now Swan Lake of the 'big classics', no doubt by 2025 autumn there will be a return to Nutcracker etc etc.  It's hardly as though these are neglected is it? A short rest won't harm the company. In fact it's possible the corps will be relieved. 

 

Ashton's Cinderella  was always on the cards for this Christmas, it should still be fresh in memories so not require weeks of rehearsal. A fortune was spent on it last year. The RB needs to get its money's worth. 

 

Alice will need that rehearsal time.  It's been a while. It's actually a good choice for the company right now, many parts to keep the aspiring in the lower ranks occupied and a good leading role in Alice. Pantuso maybe? 

 

The Red Queen... who in the company is ready to take that on?  A tap dancer... for the Hatter...

 

MADDADDAM (a palindrome, WM does enjoy his wordplay) will no doubt bring acres of love / hate posts;  no matter what is programmed you can't please 'em all. 

 

Onegin...  seems a sound enough choice.  Etc etc. 

 

Oh and a return of The Statement. Great. 

 

Actually I think it's a pretty decent mix myself.  Bit short of opportunities for harlots until R & J I admit.  

 

 

 

 

[Roberta]

4 minutes ago, JNC said:

Is Les Noces definitely still on the cards? (Come on ENB did it…

 

Was it ever on the cards?  The ENB Les Noces  was a new version by choreographer Andrea Miller surely?  

[Paco]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

This is a sad and pertinent point. If they don’t bring back the likes of Giselle, Fille, Sylvia in the next few years we may never see these dancers in these roles live again. 
 

Nunez feels unstoppable right now so I’m hoping she’ll keep going for at least another 3-4 more years. Osipova is also a bit younger so another decade is perhaps wishful thinking but I’m hopeful for at least 5+ years. Laura Morera retired at around 45, Lamb is the eldest so by age alone she would be next to retire. Of course it’s all very personal and you never know what might happen so apart from Nunez and Osipova in particular being such great character ballerinas I’m very aware of this fact and try to prioritise them when booking casts, because even without retirement it could be injury or illness (or a train strike!). None of what I’ve said is intended to be rude about their ages, it’s more a reflection of the uncertainty of anything happening combined with the inevitable that they will retire at some point. 
 

I very much hope to see Nunez, Osipova and Lamb in Giselle again. And would love to see Nunez in Fille and Sylvia. And the unforgettable Bayadere with Nunez/Osipova is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen so can only dream they dance those roles in London again. 
 

RB principals are already doing lots of guesting overseas so I imagine there will be months where we don’t see lots of them in London (not because they’re choosing guesting over RB commitments but because there isn’t enough repertoire to go around!). 
 

I am very surprised at no Sleeping Beauty - it offers lots of great solo roles for those coming up the ranks (all the fairies and the final act solo pieces). From the money angle it’s also odd not to have one of the Tchaikovsky ballets as they are so well known and command high prices with both non ballet addicts and ballet fans alike selling out every show. Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet will sell out no problem but I don’t think they have quite the same draw as the Tchaikovsky ballets, particularly if you happened to see Cinderella last year unless you really adored it probably might be too soon for most? 
 

The more I look at this season the less it makes sense. Will people (families) who see Alice in October want to fork out for Cinderella in December? No. And the more likely opposite option is that people won’t see Alice as they anticipate Cinderella as their treat (and nearer to Christmas). To be stereotypical, Alice is less likely to appeal to the “young ROH” crowd who probably want to see either classical works or the “edgier” McGregor/contemporary stuff. 
 

And how many will want to see Madaadam and the contemporary four ballet mix around the same time? Probably not unless they are big fans of McGregor/contemporary ballet, you’d probably pick one unless you have unlimited budget and are very keen. 

 

Cinderella will do alright at Christmas, Onegin will sell ok I imagine (although if they price too high there’s a risk people can’t afford to see it multiple times and that may affect overall ticket sales for the lesser known Onegin). Then Romeo and Juliet will sell fine too, as will Balanchine I imagine given there will likely be only 6 or so performances of the latter and no other Balanchine scheduled in the Uk next year. 

 

Perhaps this is a bit harsh but will a Wheeldon short works bill sell ok? Say what you like about McGregor he has fans and critics seem to like him. Wheeldon, I’m not so sure he appeals to classical ballet fans but he doesn’t have the contemporary edge of McGregor? 
 

Then Onegin round 2, this could sell well if casts are interesting and the price is right and the first tranche was well reviewed and promoted driving sales for the second round but it still feels a risk to me to split across months and you lose momentum of all the performances before, this happened to me when they split R&J, I saw it in October and had booked a few performances in Jan/Feb but when it came down to it life plans (and train strikes?) got in the way so I just returned the tickets. Whereas conversely sometimes I enjoy seeing the same ballet in a row to compare casts while still fresh in my mind. 
 

Very long post, more an inner monologue so well done if you’ve read it all…just a lot more questions than answers this year! 

I often read on this forum complaints about the fact that most RB Principals are invited to guess on other stages. Sorry, but the reason is not they are bored at the RB, it is just that RB is currently one of the most shining companies in the World, if not the most shining one, and that gala organizers as well as theatre managers struggle to invite them!

 

If Eleonora Abbagnato, who does a fantastic job at Roma Opera, regularly invites RB Principals, it is just because they are the most relevant examples to follow for the talented dancers of her company. If José Martinez, who is currently leading the POB into a kind of "Renaissance", invites Nela or Marcelino, it is just because he knows the gap that has been progressively created btw POB and RB in classical ballet and wants to show the direction to his new generation of very promising talented dancers.

 

And in most cases, when companies invite RB Principals, it is also just because they do not have the needed talents or resources internally. So we should rejoyce that the RB does have these talents, instead of complaining about those guest appearances.

 

At every gala I attend in Italy or Paris, the RB Principals always steal the show, even when there are other outstanding artists in the same performance. You cannot imagine the stellar ovation that Ms Magri and Mr Ball received in a Paris gala last winter - actually they seemed surprised themselves. Even at the most exciting gala of European companies ballet schools at Paris Opera, recently, the RB School artists stole the show!

 

So if there are so many guest appearances from RB dancers abroad, it is just because the RB is currently in a totally stratospheric level. Instead of rejoycing for that, we complain and imagine "poor RB dancers are bored" ...

Edited April 29 by Paco

[JNC]

26 minutes ago, Roberta said:

 

Was it ever on the cards?  The ENB Les Noces  was a new version by choreographer Andrea Miller surely?  

Well it certainly appeared to be in 2022, at least according to O’Hare in the article I linked above:

 

”Although Nijinska is not our heritage since Kevin took over, he’s tried four times to put on Les Nocesand it will happen but is very expensive so is always the one that has to go when they’re cutting cloth to fit the budget.”

@Paco I don’t presume RB dancers are bored, I don’t say that. I obviously can’t speak to that as I don’t know any of the dancers. I think it’s great RB dancers are valued and respected overseas and I think guesting provides nice opportunities for them on individual professional and personal levels so if you think my post was implying they shouldn’t guest that’s not my opinion anyway.
 

If we had an increased repertoire (for example 12 works a year rather than 7/8) there would be increased dancing opportunities for principals at the RB - which I would presume is something they are interested in, and it wouldn’t prohibit them from continuing to guest. I could be wrong of course and I’m also of the mind that not every principal is suited to every principal role so I wouldn’t expect nor want them to be obligatory cast in everything (meaning they’d still presumably have time to guest regardless). 

Edited April 29 by JNC

[bridiem]

7 minutes ago, Paco said:

So if there are so many guest appearances from RB dancers abroad, it is just because the RB is currently in a totally stratospheric level. Instead of rejoycing for that, we complain and imagine "poor RB dancers are bored" ...

 

I don't think it's an 'either/or' situation. It's wonderful (and I'm sure well-deserved) that RB dancers are so valued and respected abroad; but that doesn't mean that it's OK for them often to have significant periods when they hardly perform with the RB.

[Paco]

26 minutes ago, JNC said:

I think ultimately yes everyone has preferences but the problem is I see very little of the Royal Ballet’s history and style in this season at all. It’s really only Cinderella and R&J (and I say that as someone very delighted to see Balanchine and looking forward to Onegin). That on top of no classical works for a premiere classical company is a bit surprising, and worrying. If it’s just this year I’ll give it a pass but if it happened next year it would set real alarm bells on the direction of the company (and finances too, given they sell incredibly well). 
 

This is from two years ago now but makes for interesting reading https://balletassociation.co.uk/pages/reports-2022-kevin-ohare

 

Alas it gives me little to no hope for Bayadere (I remain still a little hopeful because Nunez and Osipova surely must be on stage together again). And why on earth they’re reviving the Weathering and giving Wheeldon a full mixed bill evening when the contemporary triple with DGV and the Weathering was the worst seller of the 2021/2022 season…!! I think ROH might be in for a bit of a shock with it’s Autumn sales, unless they’re trying to make some weird point or gather evidence for the Arts Council…
 

I’d like to see the day they return to 11 or 12 programmes a year not the 7 or 8 they do now, give the principals something to do otherwise they spend months not on the stage in London and guessing elsewhere (don’t blame them at all for both development, enjoyment and financial reasons why wouldn’t they!). And it seems one third heritage (here defined as Ashton, MacMillan and De Valois), one third classics and one third contemporary is right out the window too. Maybe O’Hare counts Balanchine (and Onegin?!) as classical but surely not! 
 

Is Les Noces definitely still on the cards? (Come on ENB did it…) Will Fille and Symphonic Variations and the Two Pigeons be revived? Will we ever go back to 11 programmes a year? Hmmm….

 

Overall I’m actually not feeling that negative about this season. Yes I’ll probably go to only a handful of performances over the year but it’ll save me money and I’m delighted with the Balanchine (mainly because of Serenade), and happy to see Cinderella return (would I have preferred Fille, Sylvia or Bayadere, yes, but I’ll take this over Nutcracker even if it costs me more as I don’t see Nutcracker anymore!). And as much as I don’t love Onegin I do like it and I’m getting excited about potential casting - I’m thinking I must prioritise Osipova and if the dates and prices line up I’d like to see a Kaneko debut with hopefully Muntagirov and or Bracewell. 

I agree with you that a season without a single classical ballet is not a good signal. Me too I hope this is exceptional. And I would love that one day the RB create a new classical ballet, there are so many of them from Petipa to rediscover.

 

But overall I like this program. I was impatiently waiting for a revival of Alice, so I can only approve this choice. I also remember that last time it was a sold out run so it is also a good choice for the box office...

Very happy to see again Concerto in C. And the run of Onegin will be exciting to compare with the run at POB. I know it is financially a luxury, but being able to see in one season Onegin with Osipova/Clarke (and of course most of the other Principals, Vadim, Nela, Anna Rose, Fumi...) in London and Gilbert/Marchand in Paris would be real caviar!

[LinMM]

Can I make a plea for people to stop choosing Forum names that are tricky to type in …so have to keep checking all the time if have the right symbol especially where numbers and letters look so similar 😬

Final gripe of the day! 

 

[zxDaveM]

2 hours ago, emmarose said:

 

Will that many Alice's even sell? 

 

Probably - its a 'name' that everyone knows the story (sort of), though from the Disney cartoon most likely! 🙂

[zxDaveM]

1 minute ago, LinMM said:

Can I make a plea for people to stop choosing Forum names that are tricky to type in …so have to keep checking all the time if have the right symbol especially where numbers and letters look so similar 😬

Final gripe of the day! 

 

 

just double click on the name then copy/paste (ctrl-c / ctrl-v)

[zxDaveM]

my thruppenny bit's worth:

 

Alice - probably see a few of those if my fave dancers are on call. One for the general punter with cash, cos they know the name

Maddaddam - might be brilliant! Will go to good few for sure, to see if it is

Cinderella - same as for Alice. Some bits are sublime Ashton, some bits, er, are not

No Nutcraker - waaah! (will have to try ENB's new production)

Onegin - more than a good few, are on the agenda

R&J (again!) - zzzzzz

Balanchine triple - will go to as many as I can (even though I'm not very keen on Prodigal Son); Serenade and Sym in C will see me through the season

Contemporary mixed bill - will try for a few of those, though may sit out one or two pieces after a couple of performances

Wheeldon 'Broadway' bill - hope to catch a few of those, might be good fun, though I can't say I'm 'excited' about them

 

Sad no Fille obviously (or no Sylvia), and sure would like to see Symphonic Variations again (and Symphonic Dances by Scarlett). Oh for the days of 12 different evenings (7-8 two/three acters, plus 4-5 mixed bills)

 

 

[Roberta]

30 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

R&J (again!) - zzzzzz

 

Yes but the harlots have to appear somewhere in every season surely?  It's obligatory! I know there are tarts in Alice but it isn't the same. 

 

(R & J  & Alice both good company ballets, plenty of opportunities at all levels.) 

[Roberta]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

If we had an increased repertoire (for example 12 works a year rather than 7/8) there would be increased dancing opportunities for principals at the RB

 

There would also be hugely increased need for more rehearsal time, dancers need to learn and rehearse roles, more  coaching, not to mention more work and rehearsal for the orchestra and so on.  There are only 24 hours in the day. Even if old ballets were revived for this, costumes and sets would no doubt have to be refurbished / renewed.  Dancers also enjoy having new work created and that cannot be a rushed process for the company. 

 

There are many practical and financial considerations in running a big company, a hard life for an AD!  

 

I think being a guest with other companies and appearing in international galas is an accepted part of the job these days once a dancer reaches a certain level. It probably pays well and a dancing career is short. 

[Linnzi5]

I'm ok with the most of what is scheduled - would have liked Fille, Giselle or SB instead of some of the more contemporary numbers, personally.

 

On to what's on:

 

Alice - I will definitely see. Will be looking for a cast I like though.

Cinderella - I absolutely loved it. Will depend on casting as to how many I see.

Onegin - I'm looking forward to this but again, how many visits will depend on casting (and price!)

Romeo and Juliet - one of my favourites, so I'm pleased about this. Yet again, how many visits depends on casting and cost.

Balanchine triple - haven't seen any of the ballets live. So, I'll be going.

Contemporary mixed bill - Will see about casting before making a decision.

Wheeldon 'Broadway' bill - well, I love musicals, so maybe I'll love these? Will most likely give it a go.

 

No Nutcracker - I know RB periodically doesn't do this, but I am sad. It's become a tradition to go. Cinderella instead this year. 

[Naomi M]

So the article came out on Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/apr/30/royal-ballet-and-opera-announces-ambitious-new-season-and-name-change-2024-25

[Naomi M]

And the official website 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events?booking-season=winter-2425,autumn-2425,spring-2425,summer-2425