alison Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Slick but difficult to use - but then designers often aren't bothered by that. They like to produce something they can sell to the client as being 'cutting edge', and what a bore for the user that often turns out to be. John, if I could MultiLike your post, I would I hate Issuu files, and the worst thing is that you can't save them, which means you have to be always online if you want to read them. Some months ago, I went to a major London trade fair somewhere on the Jubilee Line which had multiple exhibitors' brochures/programmes in that format or something similar, and I thought I'd bone up on the exhibitors as I travelled. Except that when you're however many storeys below ground and can't get any broadband/WiFi signals they are totally useless 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) But they have the time and energy to tour to Beijing, Singapore, Madrid, Barcelona, Mexico City and Bogota. This is only by way of another question, Bruce .... but might it not perhaps be that the world tour would allow ENB to play against guarantee at some small gain ... and that, in and of itself, would understandably allow the Company to perhaps insure some income to help support the future (as you so kindly pointed out in relation to my misguided post number 12) ACE standstill? Perhaps they are now merely cutting their coat to suit their cloth ... as fate would have it ... and as needs must .... for the moment ... as t'were. (This is only haphazard speculation on my part of course.) As you point out a Q&A following a seasonal announcement might well have proved beneficial in this regard. Certainly it would have broken any sense of an isolationist harbour - which I'm certain would be entirely unintentional in any event - knowing that the perception of such can only ever be challenging for ALL concerned. Edited September 16, 2014 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I *was* wondering whether they had got sponsorship to do a foreign tour, and this was why it was happening. After all, it's a very long time since ENB have done any major touring abroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 ENB has a strong London 'fan-base' and many Friends and other supporters come from London and the south-east. I only hope that being 'deprived' of shows for a long period (possibly March to December 2015) does not result in a diminution of that loyal support and the income it brings with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) ENB has a strong London 'fan-base' and many Friends and other supporters come from London and the south-east. I only hope that being 'deprived' of shows for a long period (possibly March to December 2015) does not result in a diminution of that loyal support and the income it brings with it. Not forgetting, of course, among other things the Emerging Dancer and the vital Choreographics programme ... as well as My First Ballet (in the case of 2015 Swan Lake) ... Still I do understand when the poster calling herself 'capybara' refers to the lack of major stage shows during the apportioned period such as those as have been recently played during a similar juncture at the Coliseum and the Royal Albert Hall ... both I understand very expensive venues to rent. Edited September 16, 2014 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Has anyone seen any of the My 'First Ballet' programmes, which are designed for those aged 3 and upwards? I wondered how easy they were for 3yr olds to understand and how the stories were adapted. Swan Lake might be difficult for a young child, especially the ending. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 I haven't seen any myself Margaret but I know a couple of people who have seen My First Coppelia. If Swan Lake follows the same pattern there will be a narrator. Both my friends who have seen a My First said that the young children they were with loved them and had no difficulty in understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 We have had some reports on previous productions: they should be in the Performances section somewhere, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 You may find some more enlightenment about the season's programming in today's interview with Rojo in the Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/11137955/Tamara-Rojo-Just-a-beautiful-body-That-bores-me-to-death.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I was interested to read that Rojo's appointment was for 5 years. Are fixed term contracts usual for ADs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 It seems unusual to me, now you ask. I'd assumed that ENB directors tended to have an unspecified term, to be terminated by the Board as they see fit. But perhaps this does in fact happen in reality and we've just never been aware of it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 I think it depends on the Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Mathias Dingman of Birmingham Royal Ballet is guesting with ENB in the Nutcracker. He will be dancing four performances with Erina Takahashi. Here is the ENB announcement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 And I've seen an advert inviting experienced male dancers to audition for senior positions with the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Although few are privy to the small print in directors contracts I get the feeling that most are 5 years contracts these days. It gives and opportunity for everybody to take stock. I was rather disappointed by the Telegraph interview - none of the hard questions seemed to be asked about why ENB are on standstill funding and BRB and NB, with their strong commitment to touring (at a loss of course), get at least £500K extra per year from 2015 onwards. Why ENB were treated differently is not explored. I'm told to expect another 'major' announcement from ENB in a few weeks and for now hope it might have significance for the whole country rather than London only. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 (edited) Surely ENB got standstill funding because it will be touring one week less and BRB and NB got increased funding because they will be touring more and, in the case of the latter, to enable it to pay its dancers more. Are you saying that you think that ENB's funding should actually be cut? Edited October 17, 2014 by aileen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Are you saying that you think that ENB's funding should actually be cut? I'm not sure where you would get that idea from - not said or implied anything like that. We don't fully know why ENB got standstill funding - the ACE report on funding covers a number of dimensions on what each of the companies plan and want. That said I think ENB saying they want to tour less will be one of the major reasons for the standstill. But that's me thinking - better to ask them that know in ENB when you have the opportunity. Certainly there is a growing thrust now for ACE money to be seen to be more equitably spread away from London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 (edited) And I've seen an advert inviting experienced male dancers to audition for senior positions with the company. This is on ENB's website http://www.ballet.org.uk Click Job Vacancies in the bottom right hand corner of the home page to see the details. This is the first time that I have seen an ad. of this kind from the RB, ENB or BRB. Interesting............ Edited October 17, 2014 by capybara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Mathias Dingman of Birmingham Royal Ballet is guesting with ENB in the Nutcracker. He will be dancing four performances with Erina Takahashi. Here is the ENB announcement That's a rather surprising turn of events. Unless ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 (edited) This is on ENB's website http://www.ballet.org.uk Click Job Vacancies in the bottom right hand corner of the home page to see the details. This is the first time that I have seen an ad. of this kind from the RB, ENB or BRB. Interesting............ Could it not be an attempt to make a clear show of attempting to source local dancers. In this way, even in face of some current criticism (largely unjustified in my view) they will have concrete proof of having had made the effort in terms of outreach. Edited October 18, 2014 by Bruce Wall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Given the letter of complaint to the Telegraph about the subsidy paid to the company when it employs so many foreign dancers I assume that the advertisement is an attempt to provide a degree of transparency about the company's recruitment practices. As always with such "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" letters concerning arts funding it shows how little its author knows or cares about the arts in general and the performing arts in particular. It never ceases to amaze me that those who write about arts funding in terms that give the impression that they are guardians of the public purse never consider the work a company the size of ENB provides to musicians and all the ancilliary staff as well as designers and costume makers. A more direct response from the company would involve getting down into the gutter with the letter writer and his supporters showing that your recruitment practices are open and fair avoids this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Updated Principal Casting for English National Ballet’s Nutcracker and Swan Lake at the London Coliseum Nutcracker returns to the London Coliseum this Christmas from Thursday 11 December 2014 - Sunday 4 January 2015 . Nutcracker sees Guest Artist Mathias Dingman’s debut performance with English National Ballet. He performs in the role of the Prince, alongside Erina Takahashi’s Clara and Fabian Reimair’s Nutcracker. Mathias Dingman trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC. He joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2006 and is currently First Soloist. Dingman has performed in a variety of productions including The Dream, La Fille mal gardée, Cinderella and Aladdin. In 2006 he won the Gold Medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition. First performed in 2010 to celebrate English National Ballet’s 60th anniversary, Wayne Eagling’s version ofNutcracker has since been seen by over 300,000 people. This is English National Ballet’s 11th production of Nutcracker since it performed its first full length Nutcracker in 1950, its founding year. Since then, English National Ballet has established the tradition of performing Nutcracker at Christmas every year. From Wednesday 7 - Sunday 18 January, English National Ballet return to the London Coliseum with Derek Deane’s critically acclaimed Swan Lake, following a UK tour. Swan Lake sees Guest Artist Isaac Hernandez, Principal at Dutch National Ballet, perform alongside Erina Takahashi. He is joined by previously announced Guest Artists Ivan Vasiliev, Alban Lendorf and Vitor Luiz who perform alongside Alina Cojocaru, Tamara Rojo and Fernanda Oliveira respectively. Currently a Principal with Dutch National Ballet, Isaac Hernandez has previously performed with San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Hernandez won Gold at the USA International Ballet Competition in 2006, Bronze and a special commendation at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 2005, and first place at the International Ballet Competition in Cuba in 2004. Arguably one of the most popular ballets created, Swan Lake tells the story of Prince Siegfried’s love for the Swan Queen, Odette, their battle against the evil magician, Rothbart and an encounter with the manipulative Odile. This popular production features Tchaikovsky’s score played live by the Orchestra of English National Ballet. This version of Swan Lake premiered at the London Coliseum in 2000 and has since been seen by over 550,000 people around the UK. As previously announced Swan Lake also sees Lead Principal Elena Glurdjidze’s farewell performance with the Company. Of leaving English National Ballet, Elena Glurdjidze says; “I have spent 12 years of my professional career with English National Ballet and would like to express my immense gratitude to all of the staff, from the artists, directors, to the technical, orchestra and administrative staff. They have been great and it has been an honour and a pleasure working with them. For anyone in the dance profession the audience is what drives us, judges us and makes us happy. English National Ballet’s fans have been amazing and I’d like to say a special thanks to them. I’m leaving English National Ballet with a feeling of pride of what has been achieved and hope to stay in touch with everyone and continue to serve the arts.” Artistic Director of English National Ballet, Tamara Rojo says; “Elena is a wonderful dancer and her loyalty to English National Ballet has been greatly appreciated. I wish her the very best for the future.” Updated Principal casting for Nutcracker and Swan Lake can be found below. Please checkwww.ballet.org.uk/swanlake for further announcements. Principal Casting in detail Nutcracker (in the order of Clara, Prince and Nutcracker) London Coliseum Thursday 11 December 2014 – Sunday 4 January 2015 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk/nutcracker Thursday 11 December (press night) – Alina Cojocaru, Alejandro Virelles and Junor Souza Friday 12 December (mat) - Begoña Cao, Arionel Vargas and Ken Saruhashi Friday 12 December (eve) - Erina Takahashi, Mathias Dingman and Fabian Reimair Saturday 13 December (mat) - Fernanda Oliveira, Vitor Luiz and Fernando Bufalá Saturday 13 December (eve) – Tamara Rojo, Junor Souza and Max Westwell Sunday 14 December (mat) - Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas and Nathan Young Tuesday 16 December (mat) - Fernanda Oliveira, Vitor Luiz and Fernando Bufalá Tuesday 16 December (eve) - Tamara Rojo, Junor Souza and Max Westwell Wednesday 17 December (mat) - Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas and Nathan Young Wednesday 17 December (eve) - Erina Takahashi, Mathias Dingman and Fabian Reimair Thursday 18 December (mat) - Begoña Cao, Arionel Vargas and Ken Saruhashi Thursday 18 December (eve) - Alina Cojocaru, Alejandro Virelles and Junor Souza Friday 19 December (mat) - Fernanda Oliveira, Vitor Luiz and Fernando Bufalá Friday 19 December (eve) - Alina Cojocaru, Alejandro Virelles and Junor Souza Saturday 20 December (mat) - Shiori Kase, Yonah Acosta and Fernando Bufalá Saturday 20 December (eve) - Erina Takahashi, Mathias Dingman and Fabian Reimair Monday 22 December (mat) - Begoña Cao, Arionel Vargas and Ken Saruhashi Monday 22 December (eve) - Erina Takahashi, Mathias Dingman and Fabian Reimair Tuesday 23 December (mat) – Laurretta Summerscales, Arionel Vargas, Vitor Menezes Tuesday 23 December (eve) - Tamara Rojo, Junor Souza and Max Westwell Wednesday 24 December (mat) - Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas and Nathan Young Friday 26 December (5pm) - Katja Khaniukova, Ken Saruhashi and Daniele Silingardi Saturday 27 December (mat) - Shiori Kase, Yonah Acosta and Fernando Bufalá Saturday 27 December (eve) – Laurretta Summerscales, Arionel Vargas and Max Westwell Sunday 28 December (mat) - Alina Cojocaru, Alejandro Virelles and Junor Souza Monday 29 December (mat) - Ksenia Ovsyanick, Max Westwell and Fabian Reimair Monday 29 December (eve) - Shiori Kase, Yonah Acosta and Fernando Bufalá Tuesday 30 December (mat) - Katja Khaniukova Ken Saruhashi and Daniele Silingardi Tuesday 30 December (eve) - Tamara Rojo, Junor Souza and Max Westwell Friday 2 January – Laurretta Summerscales, Alejandro Virelles and Max Westwell Saturday 3 January (mat) - Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas and Nathan Young Saturday 3 January (eve) - Shiori Kase, Yonah Acosta and Fernando Bufalá Sunday 4 January (mat) - Ksenia Ovsyanick, Max Westwell and Fabian Reimair Swan Lake (in the order of Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried) London Coliseum Wednesday 7 - Sunday 18 January 2015 020 7845 9300 or www.ballet.org.uk Wednesday 7 January (press night) - Alina Cojocaru and Ivan Vasiliev Thursday 8 January (mat) – TBC and Junor Souza Thursday 8 January (eve) – Tamara Rojo and Alban Lendorf Friday 9 January - Fernanda Oliveira and Vitor Luiz Saturday 10 January (mat) - Erina Takahashi and Isaac Hernandez Saturday 10 January (eve) - Laurretta Sumerscales and Alejandro Virelles Sunday 11 January (mat) - Alina Cojocaru and Ivan Vasiliev Tuesday 13 January - Alina Cojocaru and Ivan Vasiliev Wednesday 14 January – Tamara Rojo and Alban Lendorf Thursday 15 January (mat) - Laurretta Sumerscales and Alejandro Virelles Thursday 15 January (eve) - Erina Takahashi and Isaac Hernandez Friday 16 January - Alina Cojocaru and Ivan Vasiliev Saturday 17 January (mat) - Fernanda Oliveira and Vitor Luiz Saturday 17 January (eve) – Tamara Rojo and Alban Lendorf Sunday 18 January (mat) - Elena Glurdjidze and Arionel Vargas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 (edited) Sadly Cojacaru will not be dancing in the ENB Swan Lake matinee as scheduled this Saturday in Milton Keynes as she has been called in to replace an injured Smirnova in La Dame Aux Camellias opposite Ovcharenko with the Bolshoi in Moscow. (I would image those two will be very fetching together in the Neumeier.) Poor Smirnova has been replaced in many of her Moscow performances this season and has been additionally pulled from the Tokyo tour commencing next week. I'm sure we all pray she makes a speedy and full recovery from whate'er it may be that is ailing her. Edited November 11, 2014 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 'Called in' implies to me that the Bolshoi has some sort of claim on her - is that what you were meaning, Bruce, or has she just chosen to go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Sadly Cojacaru will not be dancing in the ENB Swan Lake matinee as scheduled this Saturday in Milton Keynes as she has been called in to replace an injured Smirnova in La Dame Aux Camellias opposite Ovcharenko with the Bolshoi in Moscow. I'm amazed that a dancer who is, I assume, under contract to ENB should be able to give up a scheduled performance with her own company in order to replace a dancer in another company 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) 'Called in' implies to me that the Bolshoi has some sort of claim on her - is that what you were meaning, Bruce, or has she just chosen to go? Oh, dear, Jane. I don't think I was thinking too much about the specific usage of language/terminology. (I have to do that oh, so much in my day job as it is ... lest the lawyers come knocking.) Please don't read too much into it. Perhaps 'called in' was a bad choice. I should have stuck just to 'replacing'. I simply wanted to let people know about the change in casting for the Saturday matinee. That is all .... especially as the casting has not yet - or had not yet - been altered on the ENB web and I read of this change in Moscow elsewhere. Edited November 12, 2014 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 ENB has just Tweeted that Lauretta Summerscales will replace Ms Cojocaru on Saturday. On the reason - a matinee in MK or a gig at The Bolshoi? I guess that if you have, or are constructing, an international reputation, the choice there is what I believe is termed a 'no brainer' these days .... provided that your main company contract permits such flexibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 I know as a ballet watcher that you can never guarantee whom you will see because of all sorts of unforeseen circumstances but many people could well have booked especially to see her and it is galling that she is not performing because she is replacing another dancer elsewhere. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Yes that particular matinee is sold out!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 ENB has just Tweeted that Lauretta Summerscales will replace Ms Cojocaru on Saturday. On the reason - a matinee in MK or a gig at The Bolshoi? I guess that if you have, or are constructing, an international reputation, the choice there is what I believe is termed a 'no brainer' these days .... provided that your main company contract permits such flexibility. Of course the main company contract will permit guesting, but I assume that it is guesting that is pre-planned, not last-minute to replace someone else in another company, and I don't care whether it's the Bolshoi or the local youth ballet company; there are many fans who don't get the opportunity to see Cojocaru dance very often, if at all, and for many of these people a Saturday matinee would have been a wonderful chance to see her. To then hear that she is not appearing just so she can replace someone at the Bolshoi must be very galling to them. Surely the Bolshoi, with its 200 dancers, has someone of their own who could replace Smirnova? I find it astounding that there is not one other ballerina in that company who could replace her to dance with Ovcharenko. I bet many of them are not best pleased either. If I had bought a ticket for this matinee I would feel insulted and disregarded. Whatever happened to loyalty and professionalism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 'Called in' implies to me that the Bolshoi has some sort of claim on her - is that what you were meaning, Bruce, or has she just chosen to go? No: John Neumeier called Cojocaru boss, not the Bolshoi. It seems that is not possible to say NO to Mr. Neumeier. To compensate, as a minimum he should give for free Kameliendame choregraphy to ENB next season, plus Sascha Riabko as a guest. As minimum, but I'm not sure it's enough to lessen my disappointment. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Well whoever asked for Cojocaru to dance as a replacement at the Bolshoi she could hardly have gone without ENB management agreeing that she could go. The fact that ENB management agreed to release her suggests that they are more concerned with establishing the company's international standing than they are with their loyal fan base here. I am sure that Lauretta will give a fine performance but there will still be a lot of disappointed people in the audience. When you go to the ballet or opera you accept that there will be occasions when the advertised cast will,as a result of illness or injury. not be able to perform.That is the chance you take. Sometimes the resulting cast is better than the one originally advertised. But I would not expect major cast changes to be made to suit the wishes of a choreographer however eminent. After all it is not as if Cojocaru is the only person who knows the role or that the Bolshoi is a tiny company who could not provide a replacement from their own ranks. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) Of course the main company contract will permit guesting, but I assume that it is guesting that is pre-planned, not last-minute to replace someone else in another company, and I don't care whether it's the Bolshoi or the local youth ballet company; there are many fans who don't get the opportunity to see Cojocaru dance very often, if at all, and for many of these people a Saturday matinee would have been a wonderful chance to see her. To then hear that she is not appearing just so she can replace someone at the Bolshoi must be very galling to them. Surely the Bolshoi, with its 200 dancers, has someone of their own who could replace Smirnova? I find it astounding that there is not one other ballerina in that company who could replace her to dance with Ovcharenko. I bet many of them are not best pleased either. If I had bought a ticket for this matinee I would feel insulted and disregarded. Whatever happened to loyalty and professionalism? Sim, two years ago I flew to Hamburg to see Silvia Azzoni and Sascha Riabko dancing together in MidsummerNight's Dream and spent an arm for my ticket. Unfortunately Mr Neumeier decided to leave Riabko in America to dance Nijinsky with National Ballet of Canada (they were having problems with injuries): I'm happy for the opportunity Sascha had (and it was a triumph), but I was much less happy to see the same cast TWICE in a day, because there was no time for Azzoni to rehearse with another partner or it was not feasible to ask Thiago Bordin to dance a complex ballet with two different partners in a day. Anyway in that case Neumeier was playing with his own dancers, now he is interfering with other companies schedules. But, you know, Mr Neumeier has a "vision"... (well, sometimes, considering recent and planned casting it seems more a delirium). Anyway it has to be said that to have a dancer guesting at the Bolshoi is important also for the international name of ENB and that Neumeier asked to have Cojocaru dancing on an important stage in probably her best role. Edited November 12, 2014 by annamicro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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