SPD444 Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Mary Vetsera has not to do 32 fouettes so I hope to see Cojocaru on stage tomorrow. Regarding her web-site, it does not include also the Romeo and Juliet shows she is dancing in Tokyo in September (with Vogel) for La Scala: maybe they are waiting to be able to put there all the news together. And maybe they updated it so far only to this Summer just to avoid questions about Royal Ballet missing dates, who knows? I don't think Alina is very computer minded. I noticed that Johan on a tweet said in astonishment that she had recently got an ipad or tablet. Her web site has never been at the sharp edge of her thoughts, she went months and months without updating her page on their. I have never seen Mayerling so don't know how taxing the role of Mary is. She seemed O.K. at her recent gala where she performed but that could have been good acting of course. If she is in pain could she just perform one act and let another do the rest? I cannot imagine her not doing anything in her final performance as a member of the RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 I don't think Alina is very computer minded. I noticed that Johan on a tweet said in astonishment that she had recently got an ipad or tablet. Her web site has never been at the sharp edge of her thoughts, she went months and months without updating her page on their. He wrote she got an I-phone, but she has always had a Blackberry so not a big change and not a change to the fact that she is not (admittedly) computer minded. Her web-site was updated with a note from her and Spring/Summer performance just before her gala, when many date (La Scala and Royal Balet) for the Autumn were already public. Maybe this means something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 (edited) Don't know whether it has been otherwise noted here but Alina has now CANCELLED her Swan Lake with ABT on 21/6. I wonder if this puts a cloud over her appearance on 5/6. It would be, of course, understandable if she were not able to perform due to injury. Her health is obviously paramount. One sends all best wishes for the speediest of recoveries to full health for this talented artist. Having a ticket to this one, I was saved by the inclusion of Maria Kochetkova in her place. Of course best wishes for a speedy recovery. Edited June 4, 2013 by Buddy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 If anyone is interested in contributing to a flower throw on Wed evening please send me a private mesage via balletcoforum. Thank you 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 I'm still in a state of shock about Alina and Johan leaving, and with so little notice (to their public at least). Perhaps I was naive, but I had assumed that Alina would go on dancing with the RB after Johan had left, at least for a while. It's such a shame that we have seen so little of them the last few months due to their injuries. I'm so glad that my daughter and I (who treasure our memories of them dancing R&J last year) went to Alina's gala and have the signed photographs of her. I feel that either or both of them must have something pretty substantial lined up (perhaps a principal contract with another company for Alina or an AD's position for Johan) otherwise they would have continued to base themselves in London, with Alina dancing with the RB and Johan travelling around the world to stage and choreograph ballets for other companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Just noticed that a number of amphi seats and balcony standing places have been put online for tonight's performance. The dayseat queue can't have taken them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 (edited) Just noticed that a number of amphi seats and balcony standing places have been put online for tonight's performance. The dayseat queue can't have taken them all. Thanks SO for this, Bluebird. I had already been committed for tonight for going to the opening of RUTHERFORD AND SON (a fine play in a production by Sir Jonathan Miller) at the St. James Theatre, (Two days isn't much notice to change established plans and there are, of course, always other people to be considered). Still NOW I will be able to steal away and get to the ROH for the Johan/Alina last act. I'm so pleased that I will be able to see the VERY END of these two fine artists with the RB. It will be a very different place without the excitement of their potential about. Edited June 5, 2013 by Meunier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Oh my god what a night last night. Flowers everywhere and the audience wouldn't let them go. Marvellous, marvellous evening but why are we losing the top couple at ROH? Devastated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Marvellous, marvellous evening but why are we losing the top couple at ROH? I'm sure Johan and Alina will tell us when they are ready to do so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 (edited) This might be a nice place to post a few comments that I just recalled from Alistair Macaulay. "Is it because she’s a good sport and sweetheart that Alina Cojocaru, the Romanian-born luminary of London’s Royal Ballet, has become a staple ingredient in these compare-and-contrast sessions? Last year Ballet Theater [American Ballet Theater (ABT)] offered Ms. Cojocaru and Natalia Osipova (Bolshoi Ballet) dancing Aurora in “The Sleeping Beauty” on the same day. This weekend it showcases Ms. Cojocaru and Diana Vishneva (Mariinsky Ballet) on successive nights in the title role of “Giselle.” " http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-hosts-alina-cojocaru-review.html "Ms. Cojocaru, the most fragile and innocent of Giselles, is the one whose acting makes the ballet most emotionally piercing. At the climax of Act I’s festival of the vine, she merely turns her head to look at Albrecht, and yet it’s a great moment." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/arts/dance/osipova-vishneva-and-cojocaru-3-giselles-at-ballet-theater.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Edited June 7, 2013 by Buddy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveclassics Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 (edited) Today's Independent has a possible explanation of their unexpected departure: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/ Not sure how to make this link work but if it's true then it's a great shame that a difference of opinion over an opera should cause the Royal Ballet to lose two great stars in this way. Edit: the link won't work so just paste the address into your browser, then scroll down to the third item 'Turmoil at the Royal Opera House as choreographer pulls out....' Edited June 8, 2013 by bangorballetboy Edited to fix link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 And Kevin O'Hare has previously said publicly that he thought there were too many principals anyway. Completely agree with this. Being the new to ballet, the number of principals and the scarcity of their performances was the thing that most suprised me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 And then, as soon as a few of them get injured, we start realising *why* there are that many ... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Hoping 3rd time lucky: http://imgur.com/p58Uv8X A bit dark, because taken from the rear amphi. Am hoping to have this down to a fine art by the 15th 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Seven female principals is too few at the RB. I know that soloists sometimes take on principal roles but if they do so regularly then there comes a point when it is only fair that they are actually promoted and remunerated accordingly (IMO). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arky Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Alison, what a lovely picture, Good to see it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 And then, as soon as a few of them get injured, we start realising *why* there are that many ... In another thread, a few people on here claimed that dancers in the past had fewer injuries because they performed more regularly, hence their bodies were more durable. Maybe if principals didn't have such huge gaps between performances they wouldn't get injured so often? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmendrick Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 I agree that if the soloists are continually taking on principal roles they should be correctly rewarded for it, it seems unfair to deny the title of principal if they are essentially a principal in all but name. I also hope this might allow for people like Laura Morera to take on roles she hasn't been allowed to tackle before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marieve Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 I agree that if the soloists are continually taking on principal roles they should be correctly rewarded for it, it seems unfair to deny the title of principal if they are essentially a principal in all but name. Perhaps a two tier principal ranking like ENB's would be the answer in this case? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Another thing that has a bearing on injuries is the expectation of ever higher legs and oversplits. It is the old stability v flexibility equation. There is an interesting diagram (posted on another thread) that shows how over each decade the height of extensions has increased. It would be interesting to see if there were any parallel with the amount of injuries reported, but I doubt if there are any statistics available. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmendrick Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Perhaps a two tier principal ranking like ENB's would be the answer in this case? That would be interesting, do you know how often the principals dance compared to the lead principals? I suppose the Paris have a similar system with the etoiles and it appears to work well there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Another thing that has a bearing on injuries is the expectation of ever higher legs and oversplits. It is the old stability v flexibility equation. There is an interesting diagram (posted on another thread) that shows how over each decade the height of extensions has increased. It would be interesting to see if there were any parallel with the amount of injuries reported, but I doubt if there are any statistics available. As well the lifts (one hand lifts over the head for instance) and jumps by the men are ever more complex and demanding which leads to an additional range of injuries. Tempo has also increased. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marieve Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 That would be interesting, do you know how often the principals dance compared to the lead principals? I suppose the Paris have a similar system with the etoiles and it appears to work well there. Absolutely no idea! I'm not that familiar with ENB, just noticed on their website that they have a different ranking system from RB - seven ranks, not including character artists, as opposed to five. And three levels of soloist rather than two. I just thought that if there was any question about a RB soloist's readiness for promotion to principal, it might be a less enormous leap and maybe a less questionable decision if the promotion was only to second/ordinary rank principal and not a declaration that said dancer was now one of the company's biggest stars. I hope that makes sense, not sure I've explained it very well. Apologies if this is too off topic by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmendrick Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Oh well just wondered I don't know the ENB that well myself. I think it could be interesting to introduce it at RB but I can see it ruffling a few feathers. I agree it would a good way of acknowledging a dancer's work without taking as big a risk on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 According to SPolunin_news, Johan is creating a new one act ballet, to Massenet's music, with Sergei in Moscow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Are Johan & Alina still scheduled to dance on the RB tour in Japan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Supposedly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Are Johan & Alina still scheduled to dance on the RB tour in Japan? According to Alina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Not really sure what to make of this. http://www.gramilano.com/2013/07/so-tonite-i-lost-it-johan-kobborgs-heartbreaking-departure-from-the-royal-ballet/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdove Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I have no reason to disbelieve Johan and all I can say is it doesn't reflect well on Royal Ballet management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Not sure about the propriety of republishing content from what is a non-public Facebook page, assuming that it still is ... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 To be fair to the RB, Alina and Johan did have a tremendous fuss made of them at their farewell performance in London. It's unfortunate (for their fans as well as them) that they had to pull out of their Swan Lake in Tokyo with the result that their time with the RB came to an abrupt and slightly premature end. I've no axe to grind here but perhaps Johan has not quite come to terms with the fact that he and Alina are finally going and that the RB will go on (and thrive) without them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I'm not sure why he and Alina only confirmed 2 days before their scheduled Swan Lake that they were unable to perform it; I realise that they have been injured but it does seem very late notice. If that is how the RB management felt then I am not surprised that they weren't too fulsome in their farewell in his dressing room, as I am sure that they were dealing with extremely disappointed fans, press, theatre management etc. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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