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Lest We Forget (ENB) - casting information


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The full casting is being released on the ENB website at this very moment.  They are releasing the details performance by performance.  I imagine it will all be there in around half an hour.

 

http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/lest-we-forget/

 

edited to add that, to see the casting,  you need to click on the 'principal casting' tab

Edited by Bluebird
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Well, from a brief reading there are some obvious names which do not appear in these cast lists; as well as some principals there is no mention of, for example, Shiori Kase, Yonah Acosta and Fernando Bufala. Are they injured or are they doing something else? I don't think that any of them are cast as leads in R&J. Could they be rehearsing Coppelia perhaps?

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And here's the Press Release about the casting:

 

Akram Khan and Tamara Rojo to dance together on closing night of Lest We Forget, full principal casting announced

 

 

English National Ballet today reveals full principal casting for Lest We Forget which includes the announcement that Akram Khan and Tamara Rojo will dance together on closing night (Saturday 12th April). This is in addition to performances on Wednesday 2nd April and both the matinee and evening performances on Thursday 3rd April.

 

Full principal casting details as follows:

 

 

Wednesday 2nd April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Rojo / Berlanga / Takahashi / Forbat / Oliveira / Westwell

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Cojocaru / Souza

Dust:                                        Rojo / Khan

 

 

Thursday 3nd April 2014 [Matinee]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Cojocaru / Konvalina / Takahashi / Forbat / Oliveira / Westwell

Firebird:                                   Summerscales / Forbat / Hudson / Kou / Westwell

Second Breath:                       Stott / Young

Dust:                                        Rojo / Khan

 

 

Thursday 3nd April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Cojocaru / Konvalina / Wood / Reimair / Ovsyanick / Liotardo

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Cojocaru / Souza

Dust:                                        Rojo / Khan

 

 

Friday 4 April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Cojocaru / Konvalina / Takahashi / Forbat / Oliveira / Westwell

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Cojocaru / Souza

Dust:                                        Oliveira / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Saturday 5 April 2014 [Matinee]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Rojo / Berlanga / Wood / Reimair / Ovsyanick / Liotardo

Firebird:                                   Summerscales / Forbat / Hudson / Kou / Westwell

Second Breath:                       Stott / Young

Dust:                                        Oliveira / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Saturday 5 April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Cojocaru / Konvalina / Takahashi / Forbat / Oliveira / Westwell

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Cojocaru / Souza

Dust:                                        Rojo / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Sunday 6 April 2014 [Matinee]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Rojo / Berlanga / Wood / Reimair / Ovsyanick / Liotardo

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Hudson / McSherry-Grey

Dust:                                        Oliveira / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Wednesday 9 April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Cojocaru / Konvalina / Takahashi / Forbat / Oliveira / Westwell

Firebird:                                   Summerscales / Forbat / Hudson / Kou / Westwell

Second Breath:                       Cojocaru / Souza

Dust:                                        Rojo / Streeter / Reimair

 

Thursday 10 April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Cojocaru / Konvalina / Takahashi / Forbat / Oliveira / Westwell

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Cojocaru / Souza

Dust:                                        Oliveira / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Friday 11 April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Rojo / Berlanga / Wood / Reimair / Ovsyanick / Liotardo

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Stott / Young

Dust:                                        Rojo / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Saturday 12 April 2014 [Matinee]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Rojo / Berlanga / Wood / Reimair / Ovsyanick / Liotardo

Firebird:                                   Summerscales / Forbat / Hudson / Kou / Westwell

Second Breath:                       Hudson / McSherry-Grey

Dust:                                        Oliveira / Streeter / Reimair

 

 

Saturday 12 April 2014 [Evening]
 

No Man’s Land:                       Rojo / Berlanga / Wood / Reimair / Ovsyanick / Liotardo

Firebird:                                   Ovsyanick / Konvalina / Cao / Osbaldeston / Souza

Second Breath:                       Stott / Young

Dust:                                        Rojo / Khan

 

 

Akram Khan’s work Dust is about the empowerment of women in the war, especially as they became the main workforce in the country. As well as 2 April, Tamara and Akram can be seen in both the 3 April matinee and evening shows.

 

Akram said: “The piece is inspired by two things. First, the concept of a trench, of the young men and old men all going into trenches, and disappearing. The other substantial part was inspired by the women. In WW1 there was a huge social shift towards women. They needed weapons made for the war, they needed a huge workforce. I felt this shift in role was interesting. They knew they would be letting go of fathers, husbands, and sons; they might lose them. Yet they were making weapons that would kill others’ fathers, husbands, and sons. It didn’t matter which side you were on - they both felt loss and death. But in order for someone to live someone else was putting their life on the line. That cyclical thing was what I wanted to explore.”

 

Russell Maliphant’s Second Breath is about the men and the sacrifice of the men. Principal couples include Alina Cojocaru and Junor Souza (2, 3 (eve) & 5 April) Tamarin Stott and Nathan Young (Further details to follow).

 

Russell said: “I’m using 20 dancers here, which is the largest number I’ve ever used. The challenge is having a reason to use them all. There is a sense that you need a lot of people, somehow, for the subject - even if you use just two, you know it’s a reference to thousands, millions.”

 

Liam Scarlett’s piece No Man’s Land is about the relationship between men and the women they leave behind, the loss and longing. Casting includes Tamara Rojo and Esteban Berlanga (Guest artist), Alina Cojocaru and Zdenek Konvalina, Ksenia Ovsyanick and Laurent Liotardo, Angela Wood and Fabian Reimair. Erina Takahashi and James Forbat, Fernanda Oliveira and Max Westwell will perform on 2, 3 (eve) 5 (eve) (Further details to follow).

 

Liam said: “It’s paying respect to how much people went through. What I’m interested in really is that when the men went off, the women almost took over their roles. And you get these objects that pass between them… a loved one went off to war, but the women were in factories making ammunition, packing explosive into ammunition to be shipped out to them, or making uniforms. In a curious way those objects were the only contact between them. It’s a very lonesome, powerful image. We triumphed and we came through, but it was an intensely sad period.”

 

Tamara said: “I need the public to see the choreographers of today, and how this company can embrace this new modern language, without threatening what you know of them,” she says. “At the Barbican audiences are very much accustomed to go outside their comfort zone, and I hope we will all be challenged. This subject is so serious that all of these choreographers are treading very reflectively with it. You will see from each of them a different path.”

 

This World Premiere will be a landmark event in British ballet appealing to contemporary dance audiences as well as ballet devotees. This is the first time that Akram Khan and Russell Maliphant have collaborated with a classical ballet company in creating work which fuses the classical ballet traditions with modern contemporary dance. Completing this programme is George Williamson’s Firebird.

 

Ends

For further information about English National Ballet 2013/14 Performance Schedule visit www.ballet.org.uk You can find English National Ballet on Facebook and Twitter @ENBallet

 

Wed 2 – Sat 12 Apr 2014 (12 performances)

Barbican Theatre

7.30pm; (2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thu 3 Apr and Saturdays; 3.00pm only on Sun 6 Apr, no performances on Monday or Tuesday)

2hr 55 minutes / including intervals

£10-50

Press night: Wed 2 Apr 2014, 7.30pm

 

 

Notes to Editors

George Williamson – Firebird
Choreographer George Williamson

Music /Composer Firebird 1945 Suite by Igor Stravinsky
Costume Design David Bamber
Lighting Design Paul Keogan
Set Design David Bamber and George Williamson in collaboration with John Campbell Scenic Studio
Approx. Running Time: 25 minutes

 

Russell Maliphant - Second Breath
Choreographer Russell Maliphant
Lighting Designer Michael Hulls

Composer Andy Cowton

Orchestrator Ben Foskett
Costume Designer Stevie Stewart
Collaborative Assistant Dana Fouras
Assistant Carys Staton

Approx. Running Time: 20 minutes

 

Liam Scarlett - No Man’s Land
Choreographer Liam Scarlett
Music/Composer Excerpts from Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses by Franz Liszt, arranged and orchestrated by Gavin Sutherland
Designs Jon Bausor
Lighting Designer Paul Keogan

Approx. Running Time: 30 minutes

 

Akram Khan - Dust
Choreographer Akram Khan
Composer Jocelyn Pook
Dramaturg Ruth Little
Costume Design Kimie Nakano
Lighting Design Fabiana Piccioli
Set Design Sander Loonen
Rehearsal Directors Jose Agudo and Andrej Petrovic

Approx. Running Time 20 minutes

 

About the Barbican

A world-class arts and learning organisation, the Barbican pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts. Its creative learning programme further underpins everything it does. Over 1.5 million people pass through the Barbican’s doors annually, hundreds of artists and performers are featured, and more than 300 staff work onsite. The architecturally renowned centre opened in 1982 and comprises the Barbican Hall, the Barbican Theatre, the Pit, Cinemas One, Two and Three, Barbican Art Gallery, a second gallery The Curve, foyers and public spaces, a library, Lakeside Terrace, a glasshouse conservatory, conference facilities and three restaurants. The City of London Corporation is the founder and principal funder of the Barbican Centre.

 

The Barbican is home to Resident Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra; Associate Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra; Associate Ensembles the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia, and Associate Producer Serious. Our Artistic Associates include Boy Blue Entertainment, Cheek by Jowl and Michael Clark Company. International Associates are Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

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Well, from a brief reading there are some obvious names which do not appear in these cast lists; as well as some principals there is no mention of, for example, Shiori Kase, Yonah Acosta and Fernando Bufala. Are they injured or are they doing something else? I don't think that any of them are cast as leads in R&J. Could they be rehearsing Coppelia perhaps?

Having had a preview of three of the pieces in rehearsal yesterday, I can confirm that all three of the dancers you mention were dancing.  Liam Scarlett's piece has a very big cast and, in my opinion, will itself be worth the ticket price!  And for anyone missing Elena Glurdjidze's name on the announced casting, she is part of the ensemble (as are Erina Takahashi and Arionel Vargas) in Akram Khan's piece. In fact, if you go to any of the performances, I think you will see the whole company at some point in the performance except for Daria Klimentova who told me it was her decision not to be cast in this programme.

 

With regard to Alison's query about the men in Akram Khan's piece, although I didn't see the complete work yesterday, I think the final casting as to which other male lead will dance when Khan is dancing has not been decided yet.  Khan's piece also has a large cast of both male and female dancers.

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Just seen the trailer on ENB's website. Stunning! I'm looking forward. I wonder how common it is for the AD of a company to also dance lead roles as frequently as Tamara Rojo has been doing. Do any of you have stories about this - ie other ADs who continued on in principal dancing roles - is it a good thing or a bad thing for the rest of the company? 

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As a matter of interest Tamara Rojo appears to be dancing in 13 of the one-act ballets and is listed for 10 out of the 12 matinees/evenings overall.

 

In HardTalk this week she appeared to associate her dancing with the need to sell tickets.

 

I believe that there was some discussion about her schedule vis a vis other ENB ballerinas a while ago on the Romeo and Juliet casting thread.

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In HardTalk this week she appeared to associate her dancing with the need to sell tickets.

Promoting favourably other ENB ballerinas and dancers' image through TV and Press interviews will also help selling tickets.

Edited by Amelia
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I wonder how common it is for the AD of a company to also dance lead roles as frequently as Tamara Rojo has been doing. Do any of you have stories about this - ie other ADs who continued on in principal dancing roles - is it a good thing or a bad thing for the rest of the company?

Peter Schaufuss did it while he was AD of what was then London Festival Ballet. I rather got the impression that some other dancers got a bit unfairly sidelined as a result, and I didn't think it worked particularly well then. I think Rojo may have got the balance a bit more right (is that even English?!)

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