chrischris Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/10597060/Royal-Ballet-faces-new-revolt-from-dancers-over-overwork.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Now, that *is* a shock - and look where he's going ... I'm very sorry to see him go: and to miss his scheduled performances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Yeah seems like the media will blow it out of proportion too, though the lack of a lunch break stuff is pretty shocking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMballet Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Oh, wow. Kobborg poaching! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Yeah seems like the media will blow it out of proportion too, though the lack of a lunch break stuff is pretty shocking. Chrischris, if you read it you'll see there always was a lunch break: it's just that it will now, as I read it, take place at the same time for all dancers, rather than being staggered to fit rehearsal schedules. I suspect it may play havoc with the schedules. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Not so sure there was always a lunch break, they often eat on the go from what I've gathered speaking to dancers. If dancers could speak up I guess we'd get a very different story..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Fairly normal events in any such organisation,- really desperate journalism raking over old coals trying to start up a negative story..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 45 mins ago,the Royal Ballet sent a good luck Tweet to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I hope that he's not walked out in a huff over a lunch break! He was well regarded at the RB and could have gone further if he'd been prepared to be patient. I feel that the non-principal dancers at ENB (who perform some 50 shows in 6 weeks at the Coliseum, including two shows of Nutcracker several consecutive days) have more to complain about than those at the RB. I hope that it goes well for him at Romanian National Ballet. That's a big move after what I assume is 10 years at the RBS and the RB. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Fairly normal events in any such organisation,- really desperate journalism raking over old coals trying to start up a negative story..... Obviously The Telegraph had to "fill" a page so they raked over old coals.... as a result the essence of the story is "overshadowed" imo and a "Tweet" is good PR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 a plea for postings like this. Could you please summarize the content of the article so those of us who can't access the link know what you're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Such a shame for Dawid to have what should be a happy time marred by a press report which, mainly, does not concern him. I have enjoyed your energetic presence on stage, Dawid. The best of luck to you. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) "Royal Ballet faces new revolt from dancers over overwork" says the title of The Telegraph article...and Dawid's decision to take up a Principal position in Johan Kobborg's company gets dragged into this article reporting that RB dancers are being overworked. Do these two stories relate? Edited January 25, 2014 by Nina G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) a plea for postings like this. Could you please summarize the content of the article so those of us who can't access the link know what you're talking about. Sorry "The latest dancer to head for the door is Dawid Trzensimiech, marked out by critics as one of the company’s most promising soloists. He resigned from the company on Thursday, telling friends he was unhappy at what he felt to be “a lack of care and coaching” at Covent Garden." Edited January 25, 2014 by alison Excessive quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 "The Royal Ballet confirmed that Trzensimiech was leaving the company. A spokesman said: “We understand he has been offered a contract as a principal dancer in Romania. He is a soloist here so that is a considerable elevation in position.” Is it just me, or was that comment, slightly, erm......barbed...? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonbfisher Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Oh dear, this is such a shame. He is a very talented - multi-talented - dancer who has worked his socks off this season. He will be greatly missed, and I wish him all the very best in Bucharest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 A lousy piece of journalism intended to create mischief. Dawid is a fine prospect but to suggest that he was seen as a successor to Polunin!!!!!!!!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) What a shame ... especially when the Royal is in a desperate position for (i) talented males ... and certainly (ii) in truly desperate need of talented males of above middling height. So sad. A talented dancer. I'm sure he'll grace ANY company he chooses to join. Romania's gain is definitely our local company's loss. I pray he finds the support and most crucially coaching he craves there ... and most certainly deserves. Perhaps we'll see him here again if the RNB has an opportunity to tour. Edited January 25, 2014 by Meunier 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveclassics Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 It's the old, old, dilemma. Just a soloist in a top company or a big fish in a small puddle? Forgive the mixed metaphor but I don't see this as a real story. I'm sorry to see him go but many a dancer has had to make this choice (assuming (s)he's good enough to get the opportunity in the first place) and I hope he is happy and successful in his new position and company. As pointed out above, soloists and corps de ballet dancers in smaller companies probably work much harder. At the ROH the ballet only performs about 3/ 4 times a week unlike 8 performances as in the world of the commercial theatre. And a least one RB coach has said publicly that it is always a struggle to find enough rehearsal time for everyone. I don't think there's anything sinister in his decision to go to Romania - it's just a case that he will know the director. A perfectly natural choice though I suspect the location will be a bit of a culture shock after London. And just when I had learnt how to pronounce his name! Linda 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 chrischris, I'm sorry, I had to edit down your posting because you'd quoted more than is allowable, so I cut out the bit about the dancers feeling overworked and asking for a designated lunch break, since it didn't directly relate to the heading of the post. Katherine, out of interest, why can't you read the article? I hope that he's not walked out in a huff over a lunch break! I don't think there's any suggestion that he did. Is it just me, or was that comment, slightly, erm......barbed...? I think it's just you, Ellie Dawid is a fine prospect but to suggest that he was seen as a successor to Polunin!!!!!!!!! That raised my eyebrows, too. Although didn't he take over Polunin's Sylphide performances? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billboyd Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Shoddy journalism. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I've reached my Telegraph limit for the month, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I didn't know there was one: I've never been informed about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdove Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I'm shocked to say the least having very much enjoyed watching Dawid during his time with the Royal.I wish him all the best for his new adventure in Romania. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I will miss Dawid very much but can understand his need for progressing his career especially when a dancing one is so short. I am with you 100% Ellie and found the final RB comment rather sarcastic, spiteful and totally unnecessary. What are they on?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I agree that it was possibly a barbed comment but don't think it was sarcastic or spiteful. The fact is that he is taking up a principal position and that is indeed a considerable elevation from his present soloist position. Had the RB added something indicating that they believe he is leaving a large pond for a small puddle, as loveclassics comments, that would I think have been sarcastic and spiteful on their part (although it is undoubtedly true - similarly, although the other way round, didn't Alina Cojocaru leave a principal position at the Kiev Ballet to take up a corps de ballet position at the RB?) I can forgive any barb which may - or may not - have been intended in the RB's comment on the basis that the RB aren't really able to comment on and respond to Dawid's statement that he is leaving because of what he feels to be 'a lack of care and coaching'. I suspect that, unsurprisingly and understandably, the offer of a principal position will also have played a large part in his decision. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 A question from an outside observer (not living in London): Why are you all defending the Royal Ballet direction? With so many dancers leaving in the last two, three years (maybe someone should put up a list), there must be something wrong! Which young dancer would leave a renowned, prestigious company like RB, where he obviously had chances for further promotion, to go to Romania?? Not to ABT or San Francisco or Copenhagen, not even Berlin or Vienna? There are some few ballet companies in the world you try to get IN, not out, and the Royal Ballet used to be one of them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 IMO, the two stories *are* linked because Dawid allegedly complained of 'a lack of care and coaching' to the interviewer. I don't think that the RB's comment was barbed; it was rather clumsy but just stated the fact that in moving he was getting a promotion. Angela, I assume that Dawid felt that he could not wait any longer for a principal position and that he is going to Romanian National Ballet because he has a good relationship with Kobborg (who cast him as James in his production of La Sylphide at the RB) and feels that he would enjoy being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Angela, who is defending the Royal Ballet’s direction? All I read here is regret that Trzensimiech is leaving and some criticism of the RB’s neutral statement about his departure. Maybe the company will respond more directly at some point. There are many reasons for dancers to change companies and it happens all the time. Trzensimiech has been offered a Principal’s position if the sloppy Telegraph article is to be believed. That is a major jump from where he is now as a promising but not exceptional Soloist (and not yet a First Soloist). His reported comment about “a lack of care and coaching“ has to be taken seriously but of course we don’t know what that actually means. He has not been short of performances and has had some principal roles. The article’s comparison with Polunin is ludicrous. His talent is prodigious, Trzensimiech’s is not. Trzensimiech has been a very good company member, Polunin seems to have always been something of a renegade. People will argue over whether with better management Polunin could have been induced to stay but we’ll never fathom that. Most of the other senior departures from the company have been for very good reasons though the Cojocaru/Kobborg debacle seemed very unfortunate (to say the least). Cojocaru’s differences with management are public knowledge but she has always spread her performing life quite widely on international stages and looks set to continue that. Here’s your list of leavers: 2013: Leanne Benjamin, Alina Cojocaru, Mara Galeazzi & Johan Kobborg (Principal Dancers); Brian Maloney (Soloist); Jonathan Watkins (First Artist) 2012: Tamara Rojo, Sergei Polunin, David Makhateli (Principal Dancers); José Martin (First Soloist); Francesca Filpi (First Artist); Celisa Diuana & Aaron Smyth (Artists) 2011: James Butcher, Vanessa Fenton, Victoria Hewitt, Bethany Keating 2010: Miyako Yoshida, Ivan Putrov & Viacheslav Samodurov (Principal Dancers); Yohei Sasaki, Gemma Sykes, Cindy Jourdain, Ernst Meisner, Richard Ramsey, Xander Parish 2009: Alexandra Ansanelli (Principal Dancer); Isabel McMeekan, Vanessa Palmer, Henry St Clair. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Does the RB promote from within the ranks, or seek dancers from elsewhere to join the company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletcoForum Moderators Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 A post on this thread is hidden while it is under review for being thought to contravene the Acceptable Use Policy and/or forum moderation policy. Posts relating to it have also been hidden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 taxi4ballet, the RB promotes from the ranks and brings in principals from outside. I think that the last internal promotion to principal was Steven McRae but, of course, the RB has just brought in Natalia Osipova and Matthew Golding as principals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Does the RB promote from within the ranks, or seek dancers from elsewhere to join the company? As far as principals are concerned, the listing on wikipedia is quite useful for background. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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