ASHTON WORLDWIDE 2024-2028

[oncnp]

From the Ashton Foundation 

 

The Frederick Ashton Foundation today announces details of Ashton Worldwide 2024-2028, an international festival conceived by the Frederick Ashton Foundation to celebrate the work of Frederick Ashton (1904-1988), and to be launched at the Royal Opera House next month.

Bookended by the 120th anniversary of Frederick Ashton's birth in 2024 and the 40th anniversary of his death in 2028, the festival aims to highlight the universal appeal of Ashton's ballets across the globe, foster the spread and influence of his legacy and encourage companies worldwide to perform Ashton works – whether as revivals or for the first time. Companies involved come from around the world, including from Australia, Canada, Chile, Europe, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and the USA as well as the UK.

 

From Gramilano - Ashton Worldwide 2024-2028 sees 24 companies celebrate Frederick Ashton (gramilano.com)

[San Perregrino]

“Repertoire will be announced by individual companies in their usual way, season by season, following agreement with the appropriate ballet rightsholder, but works currently under discussion include Birthday Offering, Cinderella, Daphnis and Chlöe, Foyer de danse, The Dream, La Fille mal gardée, Lament of the Waves, Marguerite and Armand, Les Patineurs, Les Rendezvous, Rhapsody, Scènes de ballet, Sylvia, Symphonic Variations, The Two Pigeons, La Valse, A Wedding Bouquetand Ashton's choreography for Stravinsky's opera Le Rossignol.”

[LBC]

Wednesday 29 May - 7.30pm - Ashton & Sarasota Ballet

 

In the run-up to the Ashton performances at the ROH by the RB and by Sarasota Ballet, and as part of Ashton Worldwide, the London Ballet Circle are hosting a joint event with the Frederick Ashton Foundation at the RB Upper School.  
 

Jane Pritchard, curator of dance at the V&A, will be interviewing Sarasota Ballet directors and former Sadlers Wells dancers, Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri.  
 

The event will include a showing of Lynne Wake’s film “Frederick Ashton: Links in the Chain” which features past and present stars of the RB. 

 

Tickets are available to all

 https://www.tlbc.org.uk/events/Ashton

 

There is also a Zoom option to book for those further afield. 

[oncnp]

If you want to read ahead of tomorrow's links

From the  Times (paywall)

 https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ballet-frederick-ashton-foundation-2024-2028-fk3tqjczr

Edited May 22 by oncnp

[jmhopton]

 

Can Frederick Ashton, the prince of English ballet, keep charming us?

 

YES, well me anyway!

 

I love virtually everything I've seen by Frederick Ashton.  He gives a uniquely English take on everything he choreographes, often giving the impression he doesn't take himself or his choreography very seriously but it always manages to turn out perfectly.  Am very excited by the list of ballets and hope the UK companies will be performing some of my favourites, especially Sylvia and Two Pigeons, though I'd also like to see Birthday Offering and Wedding Bouquet again as it seems ages since they were performed. Interesting no Ondine even for the celebrations. After seeing Hayward in the Fonteyn gala I'd have loved to see her in the complete ballet. Would be great if Sarasota could return in 2028 to bookend the celebrations and possibly do a performance/Gala on the main stage, with the RB. 

[oncnp]

From the Ashton Foundation IG account

Frederick Ashton Foundation (@frederickashtonfoundation) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[bridiem]

The Times article is good and interesting (and good to hear that more Ashton is in the pipeline at the RB). But I disagree with Jeanetta Laurence when she says that “Kenneth’s works are maybe more suitable to the world we live in now — there’s a lot more angst and death in them". This is not the first era in which there has been angst and death! They're part of the human condition. And the artistic response to them has always varied according to the artist, or to different works within the output of an artist. So MacMillan is no more 'suitable' to today's world than Ashton; Ashton's response to the world is just as necessary - or arguably more necessary - than MacMillan's. (I write as someone who loves both.) What MacMillan reflects with fierce passion and something approaching despair, Ashton resolves with harmony, love and beauty.

[Richard LH]

Couldn't agree more Bridie....well put!

 

As far as the RB is concerned, let's hope  K. O'H follows through with his supportive approach, which I think is worth repeating here:

O’Hare has more treats lined up for future seasons, including some rare gems, although he won’t give details just yet. “It’s very important that we do Ashton, and not only the well-known pieces but the less well-known ones too,” he says. “There is never going to be a season without Ashton in the repertoire in my time as director.”

[bridiem]

12 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Couldn't agree more Bridie....well put!

 

As far as the RB is concerned, let's hope  K. O'H follows through with his supportive approach, which I think is worth repeating here:

O’Hare has more treats lined up for future seasons, including some rare gems, although he won’t give details just yet. “It’s very important that we do Ashton, and not only the well-known pieces but the less well-known ones too,” he says. “There is never going to be a season without Ashton in the repertoire in my time as director.”

 

I agree; but I also think that KOH can be a bit like a politician... the last sentence is clearly meant to sound impressive but really it shouldn't even be contemplated that there would be such a season.

[Mary]

45 minutes ago, bridiem said:

I disagree with Jeanetta Laurence when she says that “Kenneth’s works are maybe more suitable to the world we live in now — there’s a lot more angst and death in them". This is not the first era in which there has been angst and death! They're part of the human condition. And the artistic response to them has always varied according to the artist, or to different works within the output of an artist. So MacMillan is no more 'suitable' to today's world than Ashton; Ashton's response to the world is just as necessary - or arguably more necessary - than MacMillan's. (I write as someone who loves both.) What MacMillan reflects with fierce passion and something approaching despair, Ashton resolves with harmony, love and beauty.

Hear hear.

 

Or as Elvis Costello put it, What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?...

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

The Times article is good and interesting (and good to hear that more Ashton is in the pipeline at the RB). But I disagree with Jeanetta Laurence when she says that “Kenneth’s works are maybe more suitable to the world we live in now — there’s a lot more angst and death in them". This is not the first era in which there has been angst and death! They're part of the human condition. And the artistic response to them has always varied according to the artist, or to different works within the output of an artist. So MacMillan is no more 'suitable' to today's world than Ashton; Ashton's response to the world is just as necessary - or arguably more necessary - than MacMillan's. (I write as someone who loves both.) What MacMillan reflects with fierce passion and something approaching despair, Ashton resolves with harmony, love and beauty.

 

Well said Bridie.

 

From my perspective the Ashton ballets I have seen are timeless because his plotless works are so sharp and for his story works he draws his characters in such a believable way that you care about them.  I love his choreographic style.  I find his ballets uplifting on so many levels.

[LinMM]

So agree with Bridiem in both posts!!

There is more than one way to deal with Death and Angst!!

However I like Ballets which show all sides of Life so love Macmillan and Ashton equally too and who doesn’t love a Fred Astaire musical or Laurel and Hardy film when times get tough. 
 

[Sim]

I think Ashton is needed now more than ever.  I feel that he has been somewhat abandoned by the RB in recent years so I am really hoping that this upcoming celebration will mean a re-set to give his work (and indeed the company's heritage) the respect it deserves.  I hope that it will mean more than one token Ashton in each season.

[alison]

It looks to me as though Les Rendezvous is in good hands  

[BalletcoForum Moderators]

Just a reminder that only your own photographs should be used or a link to photographs on websites or social media.

[FionaM]

6 minutes ago, BalletcoForum Moderators said:

Just a reminder that only your own photographs should be used or a link to photographs on websites or social media.

Maybe this rule should be relaxed for photos posted on instagram stories … which are public but only stay visible for 24 hours (unless saved in a story highlight which many don’t bother to do)

 

I don’t know if that was the infringement you refer to, but I see a grey area here. 

[FionaM]

 

photo of Vadim and Fumi in Les Rendezvous is here

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7RzKIhokTU/?igsh=MWh5dHIzcmxjazNrMg==

[oncnp]

3 minutes ago, FionaM said:

 

photo of Vadim and Fumi in Les Rendezvous is here

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7RzKIhokTU/?igsh=MWh5dHIzcmxjazNrMg==

Which I referenced up thread.

 

Mods - are all IG links to public accounts prohibited? 

[Fonty]

9 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Couldn't agree more Bridie....well put!

 

As far as the RB is concerned, let's hope  K. O'H follows through with his supportive approach, which I think is worth repeating here:

O’Hare has more treats lined up for future seasons, including some rare gems, although he won’t give details just yet. “It’s very important that we do Ashton, and not only the well-known pieces but the less well-known ones too,” he says. “There is never going to be a season without Ashton in the repertoire in my time as director.”

 

Yes, well, that sounds very intriguing.  I do hope that these rare gems are coached properly and danced with conviction in the Ashton style.  When I see tiny little snippets of the original dancers performing his creations, they look so different to ones I have seen in recent years.  His style is the opposite of athletic, and the steps require absolute precision, but the dancers of the past did them with verve and brought them to life.  

 

Also, with regard to K O'H's last sentence, I hope this doesn't mean a reliance on stuff like Marguerite and Armand or a Month in the Country.  Much as I like the latter, there are other one act ballets it would be nice to see on a more regular basis.  

[bangorballetboy]

20 minutes ago, FionaM said:

Maybe this rule should be relaxed for photos posted on instagram stories … which are public but only stay visible for 24 hours (unless saved in a story highlight which many don’t bother to do)

 

I don’t know if that was the infringement you refer to, but I see a grey area here. 

 

There is no grey area here.  The fact that a photograph is visible to the public, no matter for how long, does not in itself give anyone rights to use that photograph.  In fact, you might say the exact opposite - if someone has posted a photograph that stops being visible after 24 hours, they don't want others to place it somewhere on the internet where it continues to be visible.

[bangorballetboy]

16 minutes ago, oncnp said:

Which I referenced up thread.

 

Mods - are all IG links to public accounts prohibited? 

 

Links are not prohibited, but posting the actual photograph is (unless the permission of the copyright holder has been obtained).

[alison]

22 minutes ago, FionaM said:

Maybe this rule should be relaxed for photos posted on instagram stories … which are public but only stay visible for 24 hours (unless saved in a story highlight which many don’t bother to do)

 

No, because you don't own the copyright.

[FionaM]

For clarity … it wasn’t me who posted the photo.  
 

As it happens this photo is on the actual post by the Ashton Foundation (as linked further up thread).  And so my question about the Instagram story does not apply in this case.

 

Thank you for all the responses to my question.  

[Geoff]

21 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Couldn't agree more Bridie....well put!

 

As far as the RB is concerned, let's hope  K. O'H follows through with his supportive approach, which I think is worth repeating here:

O’Hare has more treats lined up for future seasons, including some rare gems, although he won’t give details just yet. “It’s very important that we do Ashton, and not only the well-known pieces but the less well-known ones too,” he says. “There is never going to be a season without Ashton in the repertoire in my time as director.”

I too am glad he said this. But perhaps he might also have said “There is never going to be a season without Petipa in the repertoire in my time as director“. Although of course that wouldn‘t need saying…

[Emeralds]

I'm not sure I agree with the esteemed Ms Laurence's quote in the article - unless she's been misquoted. I don't think MacMillan's works are "more suitable now"- they've always been suitable, not only now, and they aren't more suitable than Ashton's in this current age. MacMillan's works may be more relatable or resonant now than during some eras when certain topics were hushed up, but they were suitable then as they are now. In times of war, deprivation (where the ultra rich living alongside the ultra poor is now a reality in this country rather than just in "other countries") and other socio-economic problems, the grace and serenity of Ashton's classical works and the joyful optimism of his comedies provide a much needed balm in bad times. In fact, the world very much needs Ashton's ballets right now. 

[Geoff]

49 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I'm not sure I agree with the esteemed Ms Laurence's quote in the article - unless she's been misquoted. I don't think MacMillan's works are "more suitable now"- they've always been suitable, not only now, and they aren't more suitable than Ashton's in this current age. MacMillan's works may be more relatable or resonant now than during some eras when certain topics were hushed up, but they were suitable then as they are now. In times of war, deprivation (where the ultra rich living alongside the ultra poor is now a reality in this country rather than just in "other countries") and other socio-economic problems, the grace and serenity of Ashton's classical works and the joyful optimism of his comedies provide a much needed balm in bad times. In fact, the world very much needs Ashton's ballets right now. 

Very well put @Emeralds. I for one am disappointed to see the re-emergence of the long overhauled and anyway artificial dichotomy “between” Ashton and Macmillan. Whatever might once have been the case they are now both simply twentieth-century masters of the Royal Ballet, even if some people want to keep alive (or revive) cultural antagonisms of decades past.
 

No longer can it be claimed that one of the two is “old-fashioned” whereas the other is “daringly new” or “relevant” or whatever. Such lazy writing shows a bias which derives perhaps from the propaganda still put out by those who have vested interests in continuing to push Macmillan as the Royal Ballet’s “great new thing” (for goodness sake, he died over 30 years ago and some of his work is now looking at least as tired as the limpest, most forgotten, Ashton).
 

As Bob Fosse, another great choreographer, drew to our attention: “Everything old is new again”. 

[FionaM]

19 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

There is no grey area here.  The fact that a photograph is visible to the public, no matter for how long, does not in itself give anyone rights to use that photograph.  In fact, you might say the exact opposite - if someone has posted a photograph that stops being visible after 24 hours, they don't want others to place it somewhere on the internet where it continues to be visible.

My personal point of view is that once a photograph has been posted publicly (for even a few seconds) on the internet, the original poster has given up control over where it goes.  That is the nature of the internet.  That is the ‘contract’ each person should understand when they use the internet.  (No different to anything one writes here … it can end up anywhere.)
 

This is a different point to yours about rights and I realise bcf have responsibilities here.  I don’t have a problem with the bcf  policy.

 

In the case of dancers, I’d dispute your interpretation of what happens to photos from their Instagram stories which they might not save publicly. The dancers have too many photographs to share, so saving them all permanently publicly is unpractical and unwise for their social media profile.  My interpretation would be that they’d be delighted for further exposure of their work beyond what they can post each day.   We fans are now part of their marketing, in effect.  
 

Let’s say a dancer performs twice a week (including guesting or fashion or whatever) and each event has 50-100 photos.  They might choose to post a handful permanently, let’s say 10 per show.  That’s 1,000 photos a year.  There could be 10,000+ photos in existence (each year)!  Of course, they can only post some of those on social media, whether temporarily or permanently. 

[li tai po]

I would love to see Lament of the Waves again.  I have vivid memories of this ballet.  Ashton created it in his final year as director for two members of the corps de ballet, Marilyn Trounson and Carl Myers.  By the time I saw it, Carl Myers was injured and was replaced by David Ashmole.  The ballet is an extended pas de deux for two drowning lovers.  It begins with a coup de theatre as the two lovers fall down to the stage from the flies, depicting them slowly sinking below the ocean.  It proceeds as the final drowning moments of the lovers, until they die.  It was both dramatic and romantic.  I hope we get to see it in the UK.

[LinMM]

That sounds extraordinary! 

[Bruce Wall]

I wonder who will be doing Daphnis and Chlöe???? 

[MAB]

On Monday I was at St Martin's for a Beethoven concert.  It began with the overture to Creatures of Prometheus, another lost Ashton work.  It sparked memories for me, but they are hazy, does anyone else remember it?

[alison]

1 hour ago, Bruce Wall said:

I wonder who will be doing Daphnis and Chlöe???? 

 

So do I.  It's in the repertoire of both Royal companies.

[SheilaC]

6 hours ago, MAB said:

On Monday I was at St Martin's for a Beethoven concert.  It began with the overture to Creatures of Prometheus, another lost Ashton work.  It sparked memories for me, but they are hazy, does anyone else remember it?

Yes, I remember it.... as the only Ashton work I never liked. It got bad reviews, too.