zxDaveM Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 If it's not too complicated, does anyone have a tally of exactly how many dancers are now off with Soares added to the list ... I reckon, including those who have left or retired recently, they must be about 20 down (give or take a couple ) through all ranks at the mo (though that does include a few 'walking wounded' who are on stage in character roles, but can't dance properly) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I must start this posting by confessing that I did not see any of the broadcast or interviews but from what I have seen her do I share the reservations about Darcey's presenting skills. I also feel that she is going to be ubiquitous as far as the BBC is concerned. In the very early days of satellite tv the Now channel of BSB presented some European ballet and I can remember both Lynn Seymour and Margaret Barbieri introducing programmes. I think I still have them on old videos somewhere. They both did excellent jobs and I agree that this is an untapped resource. Finally, I interviewed Kevin O'Hare a number if times for the Friends of BRB. He really was the easiest person in the world to chat to so I am surprised to hear he came over less than Not sure if you were getting that impression from my post, but all I said was that I wasn't thrilled by his choice of neckwear! I do agree with Odyssey, though, that a less awkward interviewer would probably have helped him. I think the contrast between Darcey Bussell's rather strained presenting and interviewing style and the intelligence and fluency of Tamara Rojo in Good Swan, Bad Swan was rather painfully obvious. But since she's such a big name and is young(ish) and good looking, I'm sure she'll be the go-to person for this sort of thing rather than someone older like Lynn Seymour. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 If it's not too complicated, does anyone have a tally of exactly how many dancers are now off with Soares added to the list ... One dancer tweeted earlier that they were "17 girls down." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 (edited) When that level of injury has happened in the past, it seems to have been put down to something systemic in the repertoire or the training. I wonder what the problem is this time around. Or does normal wear and tear really cause this much carnage? Edited March 22, 2014 by Melody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 23, 2014 Author Share Posted March 23, 2014 I've been wondering that too, Melody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Apparently Sarah Lamb injured herself during the filmed performance the other night. Not sure whether it's a serious injury or not. She injured her calf and danced the rest of the ballet in considerable pain. But she should be fine with a few days' rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I must start this posting by confessing that I did not see any of the broadcast or interviews but from what I have seen her do I share the reservations about Darcey's presenting skills. I also feel that she is going to be ubiquitous as far as the BBC is concerned. In the very early days of satellite tv the Now channel of BSB presented some European ballet and I can remember both Lynn Seymour and Margaret Barbieri introducing programmes. I think I still have them on old videos somewhere. They both did excellent jobs and I agree that this is an untapped resource. Finally, I interviewed Kevin O'Hare a number if times for the Friends of BRB. He really was the easiest person in the world to chat to so I am surprised to hear he came over less than And having seen TP interview Kevin O'Hare on several occasions I can confirm that he is a wonderful interviewee. He speaks with self-effacement, humour and erudition. It's a shame if this did not come across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I was at yesterday’s matinee and it was a generally excellent cast all round. Thiago Soares was out due to injury (get well soon), but I certainly had no complaints with his replacement, Federico Bonelli. Yuhui Choe was extremely graceful as the Crystal Fountain fairy and a dancer I don’t feel I have seen much of before before was Francesca Hayward as the Song Bird fairy, she was really fluid and just seemed to flow across the stage. Elizabeth McGorian was fearsome as Carabosse and from my front row seat ( I treated myself!) I could hear her hiss as she did various mean things to the rest of the cast. She also enjoyed the boos at the curtain calls! And of course the dancing of Miss Nuñez was stupendous and the crowd went wild for her various bows throughout the show. Another dancer I had not really noticed before was Elizabeth Harrod who was very watchable as one of Florestan’s sisters (Beatriz S-B as the other sister was of course lovely throughout). Yuhui Choe and Valentino Zucchetti as Princess Florine and the Bluebird were fantastic. I had not seen Miss Choe for quite some time and had forgotten quite how good she was. Valentino Zucchetti was yet another new dancer to me and his BB was phenomenal, probably the best dancing moment of the show. Surprisingly the best bit for me was the Act 2 cello solo. Where I was sitting probably had something to with it… The cello soloist was literally right in front of me so I mostly watched him with Miss Nuñez a beautiful part of my peripheral vision – stunning. When I got home I watched the Cuthbertson SB recording and the opening shots showed what I am sure was the same cello player in the orchestra pit so I’ll be able to re-live that bit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) Yuhui Choe was extremely graceful as the Crystal Fountain fairy and a dancer I don’t feel I have seen much of before before was Francesca Hayward as the Song Bird fairy, she was really fluid and just seemed to flow across the stage. A point of information. There was a cast change slip to explain that Francesca Hayward was injured and was being replaced. Leticia Stock was the Song Bird Fairy who impressed you yesterday. It's a pity that announcements are not made about changes of cast as there are frequently not enough cast change slips to go round. Edited to add that I recognise that the cast change slips sometimes contain so many names that an announcement might not always be practical. Edited March 23, 2014 by Bluebird 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 A point of information. There was a cast change slip to explain that Francesca Hayward was injured and was being replaced. Leticia Stock was the Song Bird Fairy who impressed you yesterday. It's a pity that announcements are not made about changes of cast as there are frequently not enough cast change slips to go round. Edited to add that I recognise that the cast change slips sometimes contain so many names that an announcement might not always be practical. Brilliant. Thanks for that. I was a bit puzzled why I hadn't recognised the Song Bird Fairy as I am sure I have seen Miss Hayward before. I shall amend my cast list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Talking about Bussell, it strikes me that she is much better as an interviewee, rather than an interviewer. I enjoyed the programme she did where she was talking about how she started dancing, and her early career. She was relaxed and charming in front of the camera. So perhaps it would work better if she was there to provide information as a result of someone else asking the questions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBBB Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 When that level of injury has happened in the past, it seems to have been put down to something systemic in the repertoire or the training. I wonder what the problem is this time around. Or does normal wear and tear really cause this much carnage? Purely my personal view and supposition, but I think the extremely long 2011-12 season (Mason's last) may be a cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yumiko Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 When the company brought Beatrix Potter 92/93 season, 18 boys went off. I think there are two kinds of injury. Instant one i.e. bad landing The other one is accumulating tiredness/exhaustion which causes injury more easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 It's also common if you have one injury in one part of your body, to get injured in another part, as your body naturally overcompensates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Let's remember that quite a number of the current absences are due to illness, not injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 When the company brought Beatrix Potter 92/93 season, 18 boys went off. I think there are two kinds of injury. Instant one i.e. bad landing The other one is accumulating tiredness/exhaustion which causes injury more easily. Doesn't that ballet have quite a bit of pointe work for the men? That would be unfamiliar and possibly lead to injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Not wishing to take anything away from the lovely performances of Akane Takada and Vadim Muntagirov but history appears to have been made this evening: Beatriz Stix Brunell danced not only the Lilac Fairy but also one of Aurora's Friends and Christina Arestis, who played the Queen, also appeared as a corps member in the Hunting Scene. Interestingly, neither the Lilac Fairy's Attendants nor Aurora's Friends are now being named in the cast sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Not wishing to take anything away from the lovely performances of Akane Takada and Vadim Muntagirov but history appears to have been made this evening: Beatriz Stix Brunell danced not only the Lilac Fairy but also one of Aurora's Friends and Christina Arestis, who played the Queen, also appeared as a corps member in the Hunting Scene. Interestingly, neither the Lilac Fairy's Attendants nor Aurora's Friends are now being named in the cast sheet. The same happened last Friday evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Nice debuts from Vadim and Akane last night, and I liked Beatrix as the Lilac Fairy. Vadim was particularly effective in the vision scene. You really felt that he was yearning after his vision of Aurora and the scene was both poignant and mysterious. Often, despite the beautiful music, the journey to Aurora is a bit dull but last night you went on the journey with him and there was something magical about it. The Act 2 variation was very elegant and the gpdd went smoothly, although the ROH stage almost seemed too small for Vadim when he jeted round it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 After the Choe/Hirano debuts, another magical evening, very assured debut from Akane Takada, helped by sensitive partnering from Vadim Muntagirov, also his solo in the pdd was everything I expected, wonderful double tours, and a perfect finish in 5th after the manege! Also really liked Beatriz Stix-Brunell as the Lilac Fairy, not much authority but a gracious soft Fairy, I think she and Vadim in Winter's Tale will be very special, they looked good on stage together. Another chance to see Marcelino Sambe in the Bluebird pdd, dancing with a charming Yuhui Choe this time, she was down on the cast list to dance one of Florestan's sisters too but was replaced by Melissa Hamilton who I don't think is right for fast snappy solo's, also surely it was Alistair Marriott as Catalabutte? Liked Hayley Forskitt as Carabosse, suits her strong style. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Melissa was also far too tall for her male partner (Tristan Dyer?). I agree that Vadim and Beatrix looked good together on stage; they had a connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chinafish Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 There was a cast change slip to indicate Alastair Marriott was indeed dancing as Catalabutte. The listing of Yuhui as Florestan's sister was explained as a printing error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Williams Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Can anyone comment in more detail about Akane Takada's debut as Aurora? I really would like to have seen it but just couldn't manage - hope she'ss get another chance at it next time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Ann, I think it's a perfect part for her (or vice versa) and she must be cast again in future. She looks delicate but seems strong. She was no more nervous than most in the Rose adage but seemed to be taking no chances in Act I. Thereafter she flowered: the beautiful performance that one had hoped for from her. Lucky to have such a good partner - I thought she might be too small for him but it looked fine. A very warm reception for them both from the audience and she had heaps of flowers at the end. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Williams Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thank you, John - just the response I had hoped for her. I do feel that Aurora is a testing ground for ballerinas - i.e, if she can do it, there's little she can't do - so hopefully we can expect to see her in many of the big roles in the future (I particularly look forward to her Lise in 'Fille'). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 A few more words about last night's Sleeping Beauty. Akane Takada conquered her early (understandable) nerves to deliver a delightfully nuanced performance. From where I was sitting she seemed to act more through her beautiful and, at times, original phrasing, than with her face and she could maybe give us more expression next time around. Vadim Muntagirov was as beautiful in his dancing and as sublimely secure and courteous in his partnering as we have come to expect of him. Beatriz Stix-Brunell came across well as the Lilac fairy but now needs to add a little more authority to her interpretation. As others have said, she and Vadim related convincingly. Yuhui Choe - who must, by now, have been dancing Princess Florine for around 10 years - gave another exquisite performance but was slightly mismatched with Marcellino Sambe. I found Hayley Forskitt's Carabosse all the more evil for being beautiful and her use of her long sinewy arms was very effective. But, somehow, all these positives did not fully compensate for what I feel is a dull and somewhat dated production. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I see that Vadim Muntagirov is replacing Thiago Soares on March 28th and April 1st. Darn it....had just given my two tickets for tomorrow night to my daughter and a friend of hers for daughter's birthday and have none for myself. Gggrrrr..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BristolBillyBob Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 In case anyone hasn't seen - Yuhui Choe replaces Ospiova in tonight's performance: http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-yuhui-choe-to-dance-in-the-sleeping-beauty-on-27-march-2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Oh no. My commiserations to everyone who was going. That said, Choe was absolutely lovely on her debut. I hope they have a spare, uninjured, Florine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 This is so very disappointing. There has been so much build-up to this, and now she is injured. I don't have a ticket to her other performance, and my daughter, a huge fan, will be very disappointed. However, I have heard lovely things about Yuhui and I haven't seen her yet, so am looking forward to it...but would have preferred for it not to be under these circumstances. Not a very auspicious first couple of months for Osipova with the RB, what with the injury in the second performance of Tetractys, and now this just a few weeks later. Whatever has happened, I hope she recovers well and very soon. On a positive note, someone who saw my post above has very kindly offered me a spare standing for tomorrow night, so at least I get to see Vadim whereas I wouldn't have otherwise. Let's hope he doesn't get the flu or injure himself in class/rehearsal between now and then!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minxette Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I see that Vadim Muntagirov is replacing Thiago Soares on March 28th and April 1st. Darn it....had just given my two tickets for tomorrow night to my daughter and a friend of hers for daughter's birthday and have none for myself. Gggrrrr..... That's unconditional parental love, Sim! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 On a positive note, someone who saw my post above has very kindly offered me a spare standing for tomorrow night, so at least I get to see Vadim whereas I wouldn't have otherwise. Let's hope he doesn't get the flu or injure himself in class/rehearsal between now and then!! So pleased for you, Sim. Enjoy.....!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coated Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I should learn to not ever buy an expensive tickets based on casting. Would have liked it if the ROH had send an email about the change (tends to happen for opera more often than not) so instead of skipping around happily all day thinking I'll see Osipova I could have spent my time finding someone who hasn't seen one too many SBs already to receive a free ticket. Too late now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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