The future of Balanchine at the Royal Ballet?

[Geoff]

What are we to make of the article about the Balanchine programme in the latest Friends magazine? In it we read of Kevin O’Hare’s “love of Balanchine”. Also of Patricia Neary’s “authority” in staging Mr B’s works, specifically that her “understanding of his work is unrivalled”. 

 

But then we also read that this will be “the last programme that [the 82 year old] Neary will oversee for The Royal Ballet”. So what is the future to be if the person with unrivalled understanding and authority will no longer be available to the RB?
 

Nowhere in the piece (by a well-known broadsheet writer on ballet, albeit someone I have criticised in the past for her lack of knowledge of mainstream piano repertoire) is this commentary balanced by what one might think would be the obvious statement by the Director of the company: something along the lines of “but never fear, Balanchine is not going to leave the repertoire of the Royal Ballet”.
 

Please forgive any impertinence but given that this is the season when the Royal Ballet finds itself for the first time performing not a single classical ballet, I admit to being worried also about Balanchine. 
 

 

[bridiem]

I agree that this is a glaring omission in the article; but surely plans must be in place in respect of Patricia Neary's retirement, to ensure that Balanchine works can still be mounted at other companies including the RB? 

[Emeralds]

There are lots of good Balanchine repetiteurs though- Neary is not the only one. I'm not worried at all.

 

Now, about the Ashton repertoire, and also the de Valois, early Cranko, and Fokine, Nijinsky, Massine etc ballets from the Diaghilev/Ballets Russes era.... (despite their name, most of them were created in Paris and other parts of Europe as the Russian born and trained dancers, choreographers, composers and designers made a very clear decision to turn their backs on turbulent Russia and make their working lives and homes in the West). I'm way more concerned about those. These are a more crucial part of the Royal Ballet's DNA and they ate good ballets in their own right. And the ones that were made for the Royal Ballet should not be lost. 

 

Balanchine ballets will always be danced by NYCB and many companies in the USA and further afield. NYCB has videoed multiple copies of most of the ballets (apart from a tiny number of early pieces Balanchine wasn't happy with and refused to stage again). Who will care if Scenes de Ballet, Apparitions, Ondine, Sylvia, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Pineapple Poll, The Lady and Fool, Checkmate, Job, Daphnis and Chloe etc fade away forever? (Sure, Sarasota Ballet are dancing a lot of Ashton works. But their board and leadership won't be around forever and their next generation of leadership might not be as sympathetic to Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri's vision and efforts as the current ones are. BRB also has some but again, they too are smaller and vulnerable should their funding take another cut.)

Edited October 23, 2024 by Emeralds

[alison]

This season's triple bill aside, it has to be said that Kevin O'Hare's “love of Balanchine” hasn't been reflected much in the RB scheduling in recent years.

[RMM1]

The Balanchine Trust will have a list of their approved repetiteurs and it will be up to the Royal Ballet to engage one if they wish to stage Balanchine works. Might have to try a few before getting the right fit, but I'm sure Kevin O'Hare can get plenty of advice from other Artistic Directors around the world should he wish.

[zxDaveM]

The RB have had several Balanchine repetiteurs that WEREN'T Pat Neary over the years, so I'm sure they'll get by. Assuming there is a will to perform more Balanchine that is

[Peanut68]

On 23/10/2024 at 21:42, Emeralds said:

There are lots of good Balanchine repetiteurs though- Neary is not the only one. I'm not worried at all.

 

Now, about the Ashton repertoire, and also the de Valois, early Cranko, and Fokine, Nijinsky, Massine etc ballets from the Diaghilev/Ballets Russes era.... (despite their name, most of them were created in Paris and other parts of Europe as the Russian born and trained dancers, choreographers, composers and designers made a very clear decision to turn their backs on turbulent Russia and make their working lives and homes in the West). I'm way more concerned about those. These are a more crucial part of the Royal Ballet's DNA and they ate good ballets in their own right. And the ones that were made for the Royal Ballet should not be lost. 

 

Balanchine ballets will always be danced by NYCB and many companies in the USA and further afield. NYCB has videoed multiple copies of most of the ballets (apart from a tiny number of early pieces Balanchine wasn't happy with and refused to stage again). Who will care if Scenes de Ballet, Apparitions, Ondine, Sylvia, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Pineapple Poll, The Lady and Fool, Checkmate, Job, Daphnis and Chloe etc fade away forever? (Sure, Sarasota Ballet are dancing a lot of Ashton works. But their board and leadership won't be around forever and their next generation of leadership might not be as sympathetic to Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri's vision and efforts as the current ones are. BRB also has some but again, they too are smaller and vulnerable should their funding take another cut.)

I think the 17 (at last count) ‘likes’ shows how many agree wholeheartedly with your assessment Emeralds….

if only KOH & the powers that be would listen to their audience!! 

[zxDaveM]

12 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

I think the 17 (at last count) ‘likes’ shows how many agree wholeheartedly with your assessment Emeralds….

if only KOH & the powers that be would listen to their audience!! 

 

unfortunately (for us on here) the majority of that audience is saying "give us more Swan Lakes (etc)"

[Fonty]

1 minute ago, zxDaveM said:

 

unfortunately (for us on here) the majority of that audience is saying "give us more Swan Lakes (etc)"

 

Seems to me that programming is being dominated by ballets that pander to those who only go once or twice a year, and consider this "proper ballet", or those who want  "none of that namby pamby prancing in tights stuff, give us something gritty and real".  I do wonder about the future of classical ballet, I really do.  

[Paco]

3 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

Seems to me that programming is being dominated by ballets that pander to those who only go once or twice a year 

... and that leads into reducing the repertoire to blockbusters only: When one goes to the ballet once a year, he goes for the Xmas Nutcracker, or a Swan Lake. He does not "take the risk" to pay a ticket for a ballet he even doesn't know the name.

Edited October 25, 2024 by Paco

[San Perregrino]

2 minutes ago, Paco said:

... and that leads into reducing the repertoire to blockbusters only: When one goes to the ballet once a year, he goes for the Xmas Nutcracker, or a Swan Lake. He does not "take the risk" to pay a ticket for a ballet he even doesn't know the name.

And yet, the Encounters programme and Maddaddam both, for all intents and purposes, unknown to audiences are all but sold out. 

[annamk]

3 hours ago, San Perregrino said:

And yet, the Encounters programme and Maddaddam both, for all intents and purposes, unknown to audiences are all but sold out. 

 

Surely down to there being only a handful of performances, comparatively cheap tickets and plenty of advertising - every time I open instagram there is an ad for Maddaddam. 

[alison]

I'm not on Instagram, and haven't seen a jot of advertising!

[annamk]

1 minute ago, alison said:

I'm not on Instagram, and haven't seen a jot of advertising!

 

I've also seen posters on the Underground. 

[Peanut68]

8 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

unfortunately (for us on here) the majority of that audience is saying "give us more Swan Lakes (etc)"

I disagree….I think the majority are asking for a broad range of well choreographed classical ballets from the classic repertoire , of which Swan Lake is but one. 

[San Perregrino]

42 minutes ago, annamk said:

 

Surely down to there being only a handful of performances, comparatively cheap tickets and plenty of advertising - every time I open instagram there is an ad for Maddaddam. 

Encounters has lower ticket prices compared to a full length narrative ballet but mixed bills generally do and if this was a strategy to get audiences in then it has to be applauded.
I’d say it has possibly sold better than either the MacMillan or Ashton mixed programmes last season. Definitely better than the Anemoi/Cellist double bill. 

I don’t think Maddaddam ticket prices are especially low for a new work.
The number of performances of both is in line with other mixed bills or new works.

The function of advertising is to produce ticket sales and so this can be considered a success. 
The RBO is building an audience of people young and old who like the work of new choreographers and MacGregor attracts an audience too. A new audience has to be welcomed alongside existing ones.
After a slow start Alice has sold well and Ashton’s Cinderella is selling strongly too despite some pessimism on the forum when the season was announced. Something for everyone seems to sum it up nicely. 

[LACAD]

1 hour ago, San Perregrino said:

Encounters has lower ticket prices compared to a full length narrative ballet but mixed bills generally do and if this was a strategy to get audiences in then it has to be applauded.
I’d say it has possibly sold better than either the MacMillan or Ashton mixed programmes last season. Definitely better than the Anemoi/Cellist double bill. 

I don’t think Maddaddam ticket prices are especially low for a new work.
The number of performances of both is in line with other mixed bills or new works.

The function of advertising is to produce ticket sales and so this can be considered a success. 
The RBO is building an audience of people young and old who like the work of new choreographers and MacGregor attracts an audience too. A new audience has to be welcomed alongside existing ones.
After a slow start Alice has sold well and Ashton’s Cinderella is selling strongly too despite some pessimism on the forum when the season was announced. Something for everyone seems to sum it up nicely. 

Took the words right out of my mouth there!

[The Sitter In]

18 hours ago, San Perregrino said:

And yet, the Encounters programme and Maddaddam both, for all intents and purposes, unknown to audiences are all but sold out. 

Except that a high percentage are on offers / reduced price tickets…. Look at the seating plans a couple of weeks before (as I did) and there were acres of unsold seats. Fast forward to the day and, miracle of miracles, they are sold. The rub is at what price? There is a growing suspicion that those who pay full price are being taken for a ride. Why pay £170 when you can get the seat for £30? The Encounters and Maddaddam may well be full, but financially, they are double loss makers. And that isn’t even considering whether they are any good…

 

[Peanut68]

Exactly - I think this changing prices/gifting seats/offering offers to hand picked selection of people is a huge issue. Is it part of the whole ‘dynamic pricing’ debacle that has started to infiltrate so many areas of life from band gig tickets to train travel? Thing is, savvy folk may well say to themselves…”hmmmm…..I could buy now but I’m thinking this might not be a top draw show like Nutcracker or Swan Lake tends to be….so, just maybe if I leave off buying a bit longer the powers that be may feel a need to discount prices to boost sales”. Now, of course, they risk not getting preferred seating selection (hence people race to buy the minute the most audience popular ballets sell so quick to not miss out) but on lesser known/new works it is common for sales to be slow…. So, nothing to lose? 
And then the infuriation of just how they send out specific offers….today I find myself getting an email from RBO offering me 15% if I buy for 3 performances in one buying slot. But only off Orchestra Stall seats. I’d hazard a guess here that if a regular can afford to often purchase theatre stalls seats they are not really going to see a huge benefit in a 15% discount. It is quite likely not going to swing a buying decision - a £100 ticket is a big decision for many of us but so to is an £85 ticket! I’d say that £15 off is a ‘nice to have’  - it perhaps equates to glass of wine or an ice cream & a programme - but I don’t think it swings a buying decision . However, offering me 15% off 3 shows including sections with cheaper priced seats could actually swing it a little…. Getting 3 £30 seats for £26.50 each saves me in total just £10.50 but it would give me a warm cuddly feeling that my patronage of ROH is appreciated & is important & hey, that’s one drink at one show free!!
Who on earth makes the discount decisions at ROH? 

(It’s a bit like tax breaks that only benefit the already rich - no insult to anyone here intended, just an analogy - as afterall, discounts affect the bottom line of money in & this is all part of the conversation when seeking Arts Council - so taxpayers money - funding).

Look after your little folk RBO/ROH…. 
Try proving correctly, try incentivising all equally with offers, I’d say it’s way better to offer deals for ‘early bird’ purchasing as surely we are all a little like lemmings:- if we see sales are good for an unknown show, I reckon many more of us will take the plunge & buy a ticket too! 
I get a sense that too many ‘business wizz consultants’ are being employed/outsourced to…. I bet the costa if these folk & their technology far exceeds any of the savings these rubbish offers actually achieve….
 

Edited October 26, 2024 by Peanut68

[bangorballetboy]

3 hours ago, The Sitter In said:

Except that a high percentage are on offers / reduced price tickets…. Look at the seating plans a couple of weeks before (as I did) and there were acres of unsold seats. Fast forward to the day and, miracle of miracles, they are sold. The rub is at what price? There is a growing suspicion that those who pay full price are being taken for a ride. Why pay £170 when you can get the seat for £30? The Encounters and Maddaddam may well be full, but financially, they are double loss makers. And that isn’t even considering whether they are any good…

 

 

There have been no offers for either of these productions. Fidelio and Hoffmann on the other hand…

[alison]

Normal patterns of RBO "fire sale" offers don't sell out virtually completely several weeks before first night, as MADDADDAM has, though.  Is it possible there's just been some major promotional push somewhere we're not aware of, somewhere literary, for instance, as well as Instagram?

[Fonty]

I find it extraordinary that any production of anything new should sell out before the critics have reviewed it.  I am no expert on theatre productions, but I would have thought any new show usually has a huge upturn in ticket buying after the previews. Unless some Very Famous Star is in it.  Tom Cruise isn't doing a guest appearance in MADDADDAM, is he?

[LACAD]

34 minutes ago, Fonty said:

I find it extraordinary that any production of anything new should sell out before the critics have reviewed it.  I am no expert on theatre productions, but I would have thought any new show usually has a huge upturn in ticket buying after the previews. Unless some Very Famous Star is in it.  Tom Cruise isn't doing a guest appearance in MADDADDAM, is he?

I believe this may be the Atwood effect. The television adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale has ensured a maintained interest in her work across age demographics. This would also be one of the first — as far as my quick research can tell — adaptations of the trilogy (there is a rumoured television series in the works). This could pique interest among the literary crowd. 

 

I would quite like to see Margaret Atwood do a guest appearance in the production, according to Wayne McGregor she’s a solid tap dancer!

[FionaM]

MaddAddam has both the Atwood and Wayne McGregor effect.  
 

I doubt the fact it’s been performed first at National Ballet of Canada has much influence here.  

[San Perregrino]

14 hours ago, The Sitter In said:

Except that a high percentage are on offers / reduced price tickets…

Please can you provide evidence to support your theory. 

[Emeralds]

14 hours ago, Fonty said:

 Tom Cruise isn't doing a guest appearance in MADDADDAM, is he?

Fonty, I'm returning my tickets if he is!

 

N.B. Maddaddam has already been reviewed - it's a co-production with National Ballet of Canada's which means choreography, designs, lighting and music will be identical, just different dancers. (When NBC mounted Alice and Winter's Tale, two other co productions, after RB they were also identical to RB's versions).I searched online and could easily find the reviews just before buying tickets (if one could remember them from the Dance Links posts when they premiered, even better, but I decided to recheck).

 

I don’t know if other people who booked were Attwood fans, checked the reviews online like me, or have links to or interest in McGregor's work in fashion shows, films and his own acclaimed works (eg Woolf Works, Chroma) for RB/his own company/other major companies abroad, or all three......

Edited October 27, 2024 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

19 hours ago, alison said:

Normal patterns of RBO "fire sale" offers don't sell out virtually completely several weeks before first night, as MADDADDAM has, though.  Is it possible there's just been some major promotional push somewhere we're not aware of, somewhere literary, for instance, as well as Instagram?

Wallpaper and a few other non-dance periodicals have done pieces praising McGregor and promoting the ballet recently, and there was promotion in newspapers and magazines before Covid hit. Not sure how many people booked remembering the pre Covid publicity, but I went by the Canada reviews. 

Edited October 27, 2024 by Emeralds

[jm365]

I don't like the sound of the ballet and I am not a McGregor fan, but I like to go once to everything that the RB does, just to give the piece a chance.  Hence I have booked for one performance with fingers crossed.

[LinMM]

Same here….am hoping this is going to be more one of his gems like Woolf Works but the story doesn’t really appeal much so just keeping fingers crossed the dance and music will at least be memorable. 

[Fonty]

I have so little interest in MacGregor, I had forgotten this production had already been performed elsewhere.  If a very cheap ticket becomes available I might give it a go.  I thought Woolf Works was ok, but I must be one of the few who didn't rave about it.  

[Emeralds]

I have a feeling that maybe our discussion should be split off to form a new Maddaddam thread 😉..... 

 

Just to say the reviews have all pointed out that the synopsis of the ballet follows the three books as being dystopian, and it sounds more gloomy than either Woolf Works or Dante Project were, so don't bring anyone who might be feeling depressed! Unlike WW & DP which I did see for the first time with friends, I'm checking this one out first.

 

It was well liked in Canada, but don't forget Attwood is Canadian so many of the reviewers may already be familiar with the plot (perhaps keen fans of the trilogy) and more predisposed to enjoying the ballet.....

[Dawnstar]

9 hours ago, Fonty said:

I thought Woolf Works was ok, but I must be one of the few who didn't rave about it.  

 

I decided to give Woolf Works a go in the last run because lots of people said it was the one piece that people who don't like most McGregor pieces do like. I did not like it, especially Act II which I came out of feeling like I'd been beaten round the head with the noise & lights. The only upside was ticking off seeing Alessandra Ferri live but I think it'd take a reincarnation of Fonteyn & Nuryev being cast to get me to see any more full length McGregors!

[San Perregrino]

54 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

think it'd take a reincarnation of Fonteyn & Nuryev being cast to get me to see any more full length McGregors!

With Sir Wayne being avidly interested in current & future technology and his work on ABBA Voyage it’s feasible he could reincarnate Fonteyn & Nureyev at some point…