The Winter's Tale, Royal Ballet Spring '24

[Sleepy Giselle]

Watched live from cinemas tonight - what a performance!! Superb acting and dancing throughout, I thought the story really worked here.

(More to come, this ballet wrung me out emotionally!!)

[Stevie]

On 21/05/2024 at 18:54, Jan McNulty said:

 

Sorry but I'd rather go to Sadler's Wells than ROH for ballet.

 

I cut my ballet-watching teeth at the Coliseum (which I love) and soon discovered Sadler's Wells in the days when I could see an evening performance and be home in Liverpool by 2am.  I appreciate the Wells has a more modern theme these days but it is still a theatre I love to go to.

 

(Just as well as I've a weekend of NB to look forward to!)

I would have loved to see ENB Forsythe program most of all. I worked for years in the large Building on Rosebery Avenue next to Sadlers Wells and never went to the Theatre. What on earth was I thinking to miss such an opportunity. Now when I would like to go I would need to catch the overnight sleeper train home. 😒

[Balletfanp]

I really enjoyed tonight’s cinema relay. I took my sister and a friend and they were both blown away, by everything; choreography, sets and especially the music. Personally I’ve always loved the music - it’s absolutely right for the story.

 

I thought Matthew Ball was phenomenal in Act 1. He was positively terrifying in his jealously and anger. However, for some reason I was less convinced by him in Act 3. The emotion seemed forced, somehow, not something that flowed from inside him - he was “Acting” with a capital A. Possibly the close-ups didn’t do him any favours. Marianela was a dignified, loving and vulnerable Hermione. I’d seen her in the role before so I knew she would be excellent. And I was impressed by Mayara Magri’s Paulina - powerful yet serene.

 

Yasmine made a lovely and very sweet Perdita. Well done to Marcelino for standing in at the last minute - he was an infectiously exuberant Florizel and the fact that the pas de deux are pretty tricky made the last minuteness of it all the more impressive.

 

I was very taken with Marianna Tsembenhoi as the chief shepherdess - such fast and neat footwork and a winning personality.

 

I’m due to see the Vadim/Fumi cast on Friday so it will be interesting to see a different take on it.

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, RobR said:

I only saw this cast in the General but I thought Mayara Magri danced and acted beautifully as Paulina. 
 

I hope she was as good in tonight’s performance.

She was.  It was a wonderful performance all round from the whole cast.  A rollercoaster of emotions imparted equally effortlessly and effectively by everyone on the stage.  

[alison]

Nice blouse, BTW, Sim

[Balletfanp]

Yes, I thought I saw you @Sim in the background whilst Bob Crowley was being interviewed? 🙂

[Sim]

25 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

Yes, I thought I saw you @Sim in the background whilst Bob Crowley was being interviewed? 🙂

Yes it was me, with Silke sitting with me.  My 15 seconds of fame!  😂😂

[Lindsay]

17 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

If so, I hope you get your money back! But better would be if it does go ahead. Good luck.

Thanks Bridiem.  It did go ahead but I must confess that I only made it to the end of Act 2. 

 

It confirmed my conviction that full length narrative Wheeldon is really not for me.  Brave efforts from all the dancers (and Mayara Magri in particular really is an excellent actress!) but generalised writhing followed by cutesy-twee-yokel-prancing gets tedious very fast.  And the scene-by-scene literalness of it all!  Way more scenery than the average RSC or Globe production but to far less effect.  And all blithely washed over by the bland music.  Having hated this ballet (and Alice and LWFC) the first time around, I was determined to be open minded and give it another chance, but I'm glad that I only wasted the price of a cinema ticket.  Ashton could say more with dancers standing still than Wheeldon can with them dutifully "acting out" very very important emotions.

[RobR]

I can understand that we all have different tastes in ballet but in TWT I see dancers/dancing that resonates with my two favourite Ashton ballets; La fille mal gardee and Les Patineurs. 
 

The first certainly involves a full act of rustic dancing and the second, falls, grimaces and a euphoric Blue Boy to exhilarate the audience and send them home happy, a feeling I have after watching TWT

[San Perregrino]

9 minutes ago, RobR said:

I can understand that we all have different tastes in ballet but in TWT I see dancers/dancing that resonates with my two favourite Ashton ballets; La fille mal gardee and Les Patineurs. 
 

The first certainly involves a full act of rustic dancing and the second, falls, grimaces and a euphoric Blue Boy to exhilarate the audience and send them home happy, a feeling I have after watching TWT

and in the clown/brother dance I saw elements of the step-sister odd walk from Cinderella and an homage to Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty.

[Lindsay]

26 minutes ago, RobR said:

I can understand that we all have different tastes in ballet but in TWT I see dancers/dancing that resonates with my two favourite Ashton ballets; La fille mal gardee and Les Patineurs. 
 

The first certainly involves a full act of rustic dancing and the second, falls, grimaces and a euphoric Blue Boy to exhilarate the audience and send them home happy, a feeling I have after watching TWT

Yes, there are superficial similarities but look closely at the actual steps and the musicality.  Ashton is infinitely more sophisticated.  I love both Fille and Patineurs, notwithstanding the "twee", because there is choreographic substance there.

[Fonty]

I am sad I never got a chance to see this at the cinema, a real shame it wasn't broadcast outside the UK.  I have a question about the costumes.  Sorry if it sounds a daft question, but why are some of the ladies in floor length gowns, while others have calf length dresses on?  Is it meant to indicate age, social class, something else?  I never think floor length is particularly good for dancers who actually have to dance.  Fine if they are playing the Queen, or other non dancing roles.  

[Richard LH]

4 hours ago, Lindsay said:

Thanks Bridiem.  It did go ahead but I must confess that I only made it to the end of Act 2. 

 

It confirmed my conviction that full length narrative Wheeldon is really not for me.  Brave efforts from all the dancers (and Mayara Magri in particular really is an excellent actress!) but generalised writhing followed by cutesy-twee-yokel-prancing gets tedious very fast.  And the scene-by-scene literalness of it all!  Way more scenery than the average RSC or Globe production but to far less effect.  And all blithely washed over by the bland music.  Having hated this ballet (and Alice and LWFC) the first time around, I was determined to be open minded and give it another chance, but I'm glad that I only wasted the price of a cinema ticket.  Ashton could say more with dancers standing still than Wheeldon can with them dutifully "acting out" very very important emotions.

Ouch 😬!  Wheeldon may be no Ashton but  is this a relevant comparison? Wheeldon has his own style and  I find an awful lot I can  enjoy in this production, particularly when seen in the House. Looking forward very much  to seeing a new cast's interpretation tomorrow.

[Emeralds]

34 minutes ago, Fonty said:

I am sad I never got a chance to see this at the cinema, a real shame it wasn't broadcast outside the UK.  I have a question about the costumes.  Sorry if it sounds a daft question, but why are some of the ladies in floor length gowns, while others have calf length dresses on?  Is it meant to indicate age, social class, something else?  I never think floor length is particularly good for dancers who actually have to dance.  Fine if they are playing the Queen, or other non dancing roles.  

Age and occupation I believe, Fonty- Marianna Tsembenhoi and Yasmine Naghdi are portraying young shepherdesses (well, Perdita is a princess as well as a shepherdess I guess!). The other shepherdess girls in the Act 2 festival and wedding celebrations also have short dresses.

 

Then Hermione is the Queen, Paulina is her chief courtier (called Head of the Queen's Household in the synopsis)  and all the other women of the court are in floor length dresses too. I suppose it's to show they are a bit older, and the fact that they are at court. It gives them an elegant, regal, swishy way of moving and the choreography tends to be slow, elegant and well, um, swishy (to make the skirts twirl elegantly). Whereas the shepherdesses get energetic, fast steps.

 

It's  a good question. Do you have the DVD with Cuthbertson, Watson and Yanowsky? If not, you can probably get a feel of it from various YouTube excerpts in the ROH YouTube account. Also, in Act 1, Hermione is pregnant for some of it, so the long skirt means you should expect choreography that is sedate enough for a pregnant woman, although to the lay person that would still look too energetic for most pregnant ladies! 

Edited May 23 by Emeralds

[Lindsay]

8 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Ouch 😬!  Wheeldon may be no Ashton but  is this a relevant comparison? Wheeldon has his own style and  I find an awful lot I can  enjoy in this production, particularly when seen in the House. Looking forward very much  to seeing a new cast's interpretation tomorrow.

I think it is fair comment and relevant, when works by both are in the company's repertoire and so essentially 'competing' for stage time each season.  Of course everybody is entitled to their opinion.  I was just expressing mine and you are free to express yours.  There can only be so many full length ballets programmed per season and I think (again just my opinion) that many Petipa, Ashton, McMillan and McGregor works in that format are more interesting and successful than any of Wheeldon's so far.  

 

But I would be very happy if Polyphonia or DGV returned in a triple bill.  Although what I would REALLY like, now the company has such technically excellent dancers, is some Forsythe.  Imagine Yasmine Naghdi or Fumi Kaneko doing "In the Middle"!

[BeauxArts]

4 hours ago, Lindsay said:

Thanks Bridiem.  It did go ahead but I must confess that I only made it to the end of Act 2. 

 

It confirmed my conviction that full length narrative Wheeldon is really not for me.  Brave efforts from all the dancers (and Mayara Magri in particular really is an excellent actress!) but generalised writhing followed by cutesy-twee-yokel-prancing gets tedious very fast.  And the scene-by-scene literalness of it all!  Way more scenery than the average RSC or Globe production but to far less effect.  And all blithely washed over by the bland music.  Having hated this ballet (and Alice and LWFC) the first time around, I was determined to be open minded and give it another chance, but I'm glad that I only wasted the price of a cinema ticket.  Ashton could say more with dancers standing still than Wheeldon can with them dutifully "acting out" very very important emotions.

I don’t think comparisons with theatrical productions are valid when it comes to ballet. It is about artistic  vision, first and foremost. I think the designs are excellent - probably the high point of this work for me. I dislike the music but it does its job of driving the plot along. I don’t see the choreography in the terms in which you describe it, but what I do think is that Wheeldon’s choreographic vocabulary for love is not as expansive or moving as MacMillan’s  or Ashton’s. For me, this is his biggest weakness. 

[Emeralds]

54 minutes ago, Fonty said:

I am sad I never got a chance to see this at the cinema, a real shame it wasn't broadcast outside the UK.  I have a question about the costumes.  Sorry if it sounds a daft question, but why are some of the ladies in floor length gowns, while others have calf length dresses on?  Is it meant to indicate age, social class, something else?  I never think floor length is particularly good for dancers who actually have to dance.  Fine if they are playing the Queen, or other non dancing roles.  

Part 2- meant to say, since various casts have danced.....Lamb, Cuthbertson, Nunez- all danced Queen Hermione. Hamilton, Magri, Mendizabal- all danced Paulina. And Hayward, Pantuso, Naghdi, Maeda- all danced Perdita (raised as a shepherdess but - spoiler alert- is really a long lost princess). NB the old YouTube clips can be potentially confusing if one didn't know that Sarah Lamb created the role of Perdita but is dancing Hermione this season instead. Hope I haven't confused  you more! Actually when you watch the ballet (on DVD if you can't travel back to London to see it this season) it is very clear, q but harder to fathom just from curtain calls.  😀. 

Edited May 23 by Emeralds

[Fonty]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Part 2- meant to say, since various casts have danced.....Lamb, Cuthbertson, Nunez- all danced Queen Hermione. Hamilton, Magri, Mendizabal- all danced Paulina. And Hayward, Pantuso, Naghdi, Maeda- all danced Perdita (raised as a shepherdess but - spoiler alert- is really a long lost princess). NB the old YouTube clips can be potentially confusing if one didn't know that Sarah Lamb created the role of Perdita but is dancing Hermione this season instead. Hope I haven't confused  you more! Actually when you watch the ballet (on DVD if you can't travel back to London to see it this season) it is very clear, q but harder to fathom just from curtain calls.  😀. 

 

Thanks for all your explanations, @Emeralds  I have read the Shakespeare play in the past, but it was a long time ago.  I will have a look and see what I can find on Youtube.  

 

With regard to Wheeldon in general, I don't think I love his stuff enough to fork out for a ticket for a full length ballet.  I would prefer to see one  of his one act ballets in a triple bill alongside other choreographers.  This is one of the reasons why I was disappointed I couldn't see this one at the cinema, because I always hope that finally one of the current choreographers will convince me they can produce gorgeous classical ballets.  Either that, or fascinating, dramatic works.  I speak as one who actually enjoyed MacMillan's Different Drummer, which shows I am not too staid in my tastes!

Edited May 23 by Fonty

[alison]

1 hour ago, BeauxArts said:

I don’t see the choreography in the terms in which you describe it, but what I do think is that Wheeldon’s choreographic vocabulary for love is not as expansive or moving as MacMillan’s  or Ashton’s. For me, this is his biggest weakness. 

 

You've hit the nail on the head as far as I'm concerned, BeauxArts.  I actually like the Act III "reconciliation?" pas de deux more than most of his others precisely because it's not a conventional "love duet".

 

PS: I was a bit disappointed in DGV last time the RB did it.

[FionaM]

I find Ashton’s choreo to be jarring in places.  For example, all those unnecessarily complex steps for the Season Fairies in Cinderella which are therefore often ugly and unmusical when performed.  I think Yuhui Choe is the only dancer to be at ease with them. 
 

The endless repeats of the Fred step in every ballet.  I know others find it endearing, to me it’s “not again”.   All choreographers have their favourite moves or vocabulary that gets repeated.  
 

I challenge the concept that he is a greater choreographer than Wheeldon of love duets.  In my view Ashton chose well-known music for those duets which is what creates the effect, almost irrespective of the steps chosen.  To me Wheeldon’s ‘After The Rain’ duet and the duets in ‘With the Golden Hour’ are just as emotionally moving, again helped by the music being better known.  
 

Also beautiful to me is the choreography of the ‘young love’ duet between Jack and Alice in the Queen’s courtroom where they make heart shapes.  
 

The love duet in Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate when Pedro skims his hand over Tita without actually touching her is so intimate, it is inspired.    I need to see this ballet again (I’ve only seen it twice) to better appreciate more of it.  
 

 

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, Fonty said:

 

Thanks for all your explanations, @Emeralds  I have read the Shakespeare play in the past, but it was a long time ago.  I will have a look and see what I can find on Youtube.  

 

With regard to Wheeldon in general, I don't think I love his stuff enough to fork out for a ticket for a full length ballet.  I would prefer to see one  of his one act ballets in a triple bill alongside other choreographers.  This is one of the reasons why I was disappointed I couldn't see this one at the cinema, because I always hope that finally one of the current choreographers will convince me they can produce gorgeous classical ballets.  Either that, or fascinating, dramatic works.  I speak as one who actually enjoyed MacMillan's Different Drummer, which shows I am not too staid in my tastes!

I only realised after the first post that maybe I should have named the dancers instead of the role, because if one hasn't seen the ballet or it was too long ago, it might be difficult to remember which costume was which character! (Plus, under bright lighting, Hermione and Paulina's dresses might look a similar colour at the curtain calls.) I think you might find that The Winter's Tale comes closest of all the Wheeldon ballets to being classical and similar to MacMillan's (or even Ashton's!) Romeo and Juliet or Ashton's Enigma Variations, while not copying either choreographer. I'd definitely say that if you enjoyed Different Drummer (as did I), you would find some parts (or even the whole ballet!) in Winter's Tale that you would enjoy. 

 

You're right that the tickets for this have been expensive. I do like Winter's Tale a lot (more than a couple of MacMillan and a couple of Ashton ballets; one can't  possibly like every single thing) and rate it as a masterpiece, but even I think the ticket prices are too much. (The seats I had for Winter's Tale in 2016 have now increased by 40%; the Bank of England inflation calculator says that they should only have increased by 32% from 8 years ago.) The odd thing is that for me it will actually be more expensive for me to go to a cinema screening locally due to the amount of box office credit I have left over from rail strikes and other cancellations so this year I'm using up the credit instead of attending cinema relays (cinema ticket prices have shot up locally too). I think the DVD might be your best bet and next closest to watching it in the cinema since the relays are UK only (and you can rewatch certain sections over and over), if you can buy (or borrow) it at not too much expense.

Edited May 23 by Emeralds

[alison]

37 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

The seats I had for Winter's Tale in 2016 have now increased by 40%; the Bank of England inflation calculator says that they should only have increased by 32% from 8 years ago.)

 

That little? Bargain! Certainly compared with the 3.5 times since 2018 of the formerly cheap amphitheatre seats ☹️  

Of course, the inflation calculator doesn't take into account the necessity to repay government COVID loans.

[LinMM]

I’m struggling to see the relationship between Different Drummer and Winters Tale Emeralds …apart from the theme of jealousy of a loved one.

To me the mood of the two ballets is completely different.

In a sense Winters Tale is more superficial than Different Drummer …Leontes jealousy seems far more self imposed ( so less sympathetic) than the main character Woyzeck in Different Drummer. Just my view but sort of know what you mean! 

[Richard LH]

16 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I'd definitely say that if you enjoyed Different Drummer (as did I), you would find some parts (or even the whole ballet!) in Winter's Tale that you would enjoy. 

Like @LinMM I would never have thought of comparing the one act, dystopian  DD with TWT's  three act realisation of the Shakespeare play. Anyway  you certainly don't need to like the former to  enjoy the latter!

Edited May 24 by Richard LH
Bad grammar

[MAB]

15 hours ago, FionaM said:

I find Ashton’s choreo to be jarring in places.  For example, all those unnecessarily complex steps for the Season Fairies in Cinderella which are therefore often ugly and unmusical when performed.  I think Yuhui Choe is the only dancer to be at ease with them. 

 

They are nothing of the kind and if they appear so it is either down to mis-casting or the fact that the Ashton style is becoming diluted due to fewer performances of his work.  The first Cinderella I saw had Sibley, Park and Bergsma as Season Fairies.  I saw several casts last year but don't remember seeing a principal as a fairy.  IMHO Ms Choe should have been made a principal years ago.  No surprise she sparkled like a diamond among the cubic zirconas.

 

"Complex steps" are ugly and unmusical?  Does that include Petipa's?

 

I am going to Winters Tale next week to see some dancers lower down the RB ranks.  I rather like the middle act.  I don't think I could ever stomach another viewing of the chocolate ballet again though.

[RobR]

24 minutes ago, MAB said:

 

I am going to Winters Tale next week to see some dancers lower down the RB ranks.  I rather like the middle act.  I don't think I could ever stomach another viewing of the chocolate ballet again though.

😀 I wanted to check who the lower ranked dancers were but Lamb, Cuthbertson, Kaneko, Hayward, Mendizabel, Corrales, Muntagirov, Sambe, and Acri all seem to be top drawer 😉

 

I also like Act 2 (and 1 & 3). 
 

I also had reservations after watching LWFC the first time but after a couple more viewings I positively liked it. You never know, it may grow on you as it did me

Edited May 24 by RobR

[zxDaveM]

17 hours ago, alison said:

 

PS: I was a bit disappointed in DGV last time the RB did it.

 

Yes, I was too - though can't put a finger on why. Casting? Lack of rehearsal? Don't know - but it just didn't 'zing' as it had before

[Legseleven]

27 minutes ago, MAB said:

 

They are nothing of the kind and if they appear so it is either down to mis-casting or the fact that the Ashton style is becoming diluted due to fewer performances of his work.  The first Cinderella I saw had Sibley, Park and Bergsma as Season Fairies.  I saw several casts last year but don't remember seeing a principal as a fairy.  IMHO Ms Choe should have been made a principal years ago.  No surprise she sparkled like a diamond among the cubic zirconas.

 

"Complex steps" are ugly and unmusical?  Does that include Petipa's?

 

I am going to Winters Tale next week to see some dancers lower down the RB ranks.  I rather like the middle act.  I don't think I could ever stomach another viewing of the chocolate ballet again though.

 

O’Sullivan and Magri danced as Season Fairies last year I think, although as you say the other casts may not have had principals in the roles. 

[zxDaveM]

19 hours ago, Lindsay said:

...Although what I would REALLY like, now the company has such technically excellent dancers, is some Forsythe.  Imagine Yasmine Naghdi or Fumi Kaneko doing "In the Middle"!

 

yes please!

[San Perregrino]

Isn’t it just wonderful that one person’s ballet meat is another’s poison and vice versa? 

My dance appetite is definitely kept alive by the regular servings of comfort foods such as Petipa, Ashton & MacMillan along with the newer dishes of Wheeldon, MacGregor, Pite et al tempting my palate.

Variety is the spice of ballet life both for dancers as well as audiences. A diet of a single dish soon becomes unpalatable.

I feel blessed that we have such a diverse repertoire presented not only at the Royal Ballet but also in our other national companies including ENB, BRB, NB, Scottish and the smaller companies throughout our realm too. Yum, yum, yum.

Edited May 24 by San Perregrino

[Rob S]

34 minutes ago, MAB said:

 

They are nothing of the kind and if they appear so it is either down to mis-casting or the fact that the Ashton style is becoming diluted due to fewer performances of his work.  The first Cinderella I saw had Sibley, Park and Bergsma as Season Fairies.  I saw several casts last year but don't remember seeing a principal as a fairy.  IMHO Ms Choe should have been made a principal years ago.  No surprise she sparkled like a diamond among the cubic zirconas.

 

"Complex steps" are ugly and unmusical?  Does that include Petipa's?

 

I am going to Winters Tale next week to see some dancers lower down the RB ranks.  I rather like the middle act.  I don't think I could ever stomach another viewing of the chocolate ballet again though.

 

Spring Fairies were Gasparini, Dean, Maeda and O'Sullivan

Summer Fairies were Yuhui, Bradbury, Mariko Sasaki. Hamilton

Autumn Fairies were Yuhui, Hinkis, Dias and Gasparini

Winter Fairies were Storm Jensen, Grennell, Buvoli and Magri

 

 

[MAB]

30 minutes ago, RobR said:

😀 I wanted to check who the lower ranked dancers were but Lamb, Cuthbertson, Kaneko, Hayward, Mendizabel, Corrales, Muntagirov, Sambe, and Acri all seem to be top drawer 😉

 

Absolutely!  I should have made myself clearer, I want to do some corps spotting in the second act.