Katie Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Sorry this is late post as I have had big internet problems. I went to see this triple bill on Friday night and was very much entertained. The Dream was lovely the costumes were so beautiful. Steven McRae was outstanding as usual and it is difficult to concentrate on anything else when he is on stage. Laura Morera was feminine and funny and gave another fantastic performance. Everyone was on form and produced a fun and well executed piece. Connectome was my least favourite of the three. I really didn't like the white pants worn by the male principles. Natalia Osipova gave a particularly captivating performance and I found myself watching her as she brought real enthusiasm and drama to her piece I felt. I wouldn't go again to see this though as I didn't enjoy the music and just kept thinking of other similar ballets I have seen recently and enjoyed more. However, that is a comment on the choreography as the dancers were obviously giving their all and are always a pleasure to watch. The Concert was a revelation for me and an absolute delight. I loved every second of it. It was so nice to be at ROH surrounded by people laughing. Even the dancers were smiling like crazy. What a wonderful performance Robert Clark gave. Sarah Lamb was amazing her dancing was pitch perfect and her comedic talent very evident, but everyone gave one of most pleasurable performances I have ever seen at ROH and I really didn't want it to end. I can't wait for this ballet to reappear on any companies repertoire and I will go and see it again. That is definitely the most fun I have had at the Opera house. Lovely ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I agree Katie- the white pants were, for me, the costume disaster of the year....but so much else to enjoy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Do you mean 'pants' in the English sense or in the American sense (ie trousers)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Knickers, Aileen,! I called them gym knickers in my review as they were excatly like the sort we used to wear about 50 years ago! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Oh dear! Where do they find these costume designers? Perhaps someone should start a new thread called 'Ugliest Ballet Costumes'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 To be honest when I first saw the dancers I thought they were only wearing the pants/gym knickers/hot pants, but I then realised they were attached to some kind of vest combo, which on the soloists who seemed to have brown/taupe coloured costumes on, looked ok. However, I really felt for the dancers as sitting in the SCS not far from the stage I could see the sweat flying off of the dancers and did think that it must be much more comfortable for them to be in that kind of ensemble in the summer. It was very hot in there ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Reading Alastair Macaulay's review of ABT in "The Dream" in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/arts/dance/american-ballet-theaters-shakespeare-program.html?ref=dance&_r=1) reminded me that I hadn't posted my final thoughts on this bill here, and I'll have to do that another time, but this bit really struck me: "One cavil: Mr. Stearns, an exceptionally handsome and stylish dancer, is one of several important New York dancers today to whom we can be sure that Ashton would have given eye exercises, in particular to make their whites read in the theater. (Anthony Dowell, his original Oberon, used eyes with the eloquence of Maria Callas, and paid tribute to Ashton’s tutoring in this respect.)" Eye exercises? Interesting I'm not sure I realised there were such things, but I realise the importance of the use of the eyes to connect with the audience: Sarah Lamb in La Sylphide is one dancer who is very effective in this respect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Sarah Lamb in La Sylphide is one dancer who is very effective in this respect. Not to mention Margot Fonteyn! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 And a First Artist due to take a leave of absence. Eyes that many more senior dancers would kill for. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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