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English National Ballet 2014-15 season programme


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Anna, I totally understand that. However, Alina does enough guesting around the world to enhance the name of ENB (of which, let me state here, I am and have always been a great fan, ever since they were LFB). However, if Neumeier wanted her, he should have asked for her in advance. As I said above, I cannot believe there is no other dancer in the Bolshoi who could give a good account of this role with that partner. We all know that there is never a guarantee that we will see the dancer who we have paid to see, but we understand that dancers get injured, ill, have family emergencies, etc. just like the rest of us. We DON'T expect to be told that we won't see someone because they have decided to go elsewhere. It's like responding in the affirmative to a dinner or party invitation and then pulling out because you've had a better invitation from someone more important or useful for the same night.

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Anna, I totally understand that. However, Alina does enough guesting around the world to enhance the name of ENB (of which, let me state here, I am and have always been a great fan, ever since they were LFB). However, if Neumeier wanted her, he should have asked for her in advance. As I said above, I cannot believe there is no other dancer in the Bolshoi who could give a good account of this role with that partner. We all know that there is never a guarantee that we will see the dancer who we have paid to see, but we understand that dancers get injured, ill, have family emergencies, etc. just like the rest of us. We DON'T expect to be told that we won't see someone because they have decided to go elsewhere. It's like responding in the affirmative to a dinner or party invitation and then pulling out because you've had a better invitation from someone more important or useful for the same night.

 

Sim, I'm trying to look at the possible reasons with my head, not saying that it's right. Personally I'm following more my guts and I'm on strike. I'm not coming to London and Milton Keynes and skipping also Tamara's show because I'm afraid I could throw my binocular at her, even if I had the opportunity to express my dismay and discuss this with her and I can understand in part her reasons. But I'm throwing my flight and theater tickets in the trash bin (must admit I'm happy to skip RB mixed bill the night before).

I'm very disappointed for this with Alina (maybe the very less responsible here), Tamara the Director and Neumeier. But since I love and trust Alina and Tamara and will go on loving and trusting them also after this, I prefer to be more disappointed with Mr Neumeier, the one who started and moved everything.

If Neumeier can shut Tamara up and she cannot say NO, I suppose he has very strong arguments to support his artistic request.

Alina has not been asked for in advance because she is stepping in for Smirnova, nothing was planned before. She is even putting on a dramatic and complex ballet with a dancer she has never danced before in two days. I'd not exclude she was asked to leave earlier (Riabko, dancing with Obraztsova, left on Sunday night, with a flight at 7 pm having finished a show at 5.15) but maybe she and ENB wanted to dance the first Swan Lake yesterday night. Unfortunately I was not there, yesterday.

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I think that Alina is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Choreographers like Neumeier are powerful people and it's hard to say 'no' to them, particularly when they have created ballets on you and have substantially contributed to your international reputation. Tamara may also feel the need to keep on good terms with him as well. From Neumeier's point of view, he may feel that only someone of Alina's calibre, in one of her signature roles, can replace the much lauded Smirnova. It might have been more prudent to replace Alina with another principal though.

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Absolutely, Bruce. I also would think that between them Alina and Tamara have enough clout to say 'no' to Neumeier because the former is already committed to a performance at her 'mother company'. To me, that is as good a reason as any to say 'no'. I very much doubt that he would never engage Alina again if she/ENB had said 'no' for this reason, and if he were to ignore her and ENB in future because of this then what does that say?

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ENB have that new Neumeier ballet coming up in March too so I suppose Tamara Rojo wants to stay on good terms, but I do feel sympathy for everyone with a ticket, I have booked to see Nutcracker and Swan Lake especially to see Alina Cojocaru at the Coliseum.

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I think that Alina is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Choreographers like Neumeier are powerful people and it's hard to say 'no' to them, particularly when they have created ballets on you and have substantially contributed to your international reputation. Tamara may also feel the need to keep on good terms with him as well. From Neumeier's point of view, he may feel that only someone of Alina's calibre, in one of her signature roles, can replace the much lauded Smirnova. It might have been more prudent to replace Alina with another principal though.

Laurretta Summerscales is Alejandro Virelles' other partner throughout Swan Lake so I imagine it would make sense to use her as 'replacement' rather than creating even more of a headache for ENB.

 

She's an outstanding dancer too and after her debut in Swan Lake at the RAH when she was still in the corps she's been one to watch. She definitely will be a principal herself soon enough.

 

I understand people's disappointment but these things do happen. I booked specifically to see Daria Klimentova in Le Corsaire and she was replaced at the last moment. I became so enthralled in the whole spectacle and the fantastic company that I soon forgot I wasn't watching Daria!

 

I hope on Saturday those who do attend still have a fantastic time.

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I understand people's disappointment but these things do happen. I booked specifically to see Daria Klimentova in Le Corsaire and she was replaced at the last moment. I became so enthralled in the whole spectacle and the fantastic company that I soon forgot I wasn't watching Daria!

 

 

But Daria was definitely injured. I also understand that she danced on many occasions through considerable pain so as not to let people down.

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Oh yes I know circumstances are arguably different just thought I would share the experience. It's a tricky situation and I imagine ENB will use the disclaimer that all companies do of casting being subject to change regardless for the reasons.

 

On the other hand you have to wonder how others at The Bolshoi will be feeling at Alina being flown in when as has quite rightly been said there are plenty of suitable replacements to be had.

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Around mid-afternoon today, ENB were asked on Twitter by DanceTabs:

 

@DanceTabs: .@ENBallet @MKTheatre Why the change? Why is Alina Cojocaru not able to make her scheduled appearance on Saturday?

 

Unless I've missed something, some 8 hours later 'Answer came there none.'  And this from an outfit that's normally pretty well up there on the Social Media front.

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Well, in the cast sheets for the recent Ashton bill Matthew Golding was announced as replaced with no explanation. Did anybody (eg DanceTabs) ask for one? In that case, a principal was replaced by a very junior corps member, who acquitted himself very well but, as has been said above, that was not the point. IMO, people are making too much of this as dancers are replaced all the time for various reasons.

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I was once told by someone at the ROH that when one person in a partnership was unable to perform for some reason the whole partnership was often replaced. However, I've not seen that happen recently and so I don't know whether that was an old practice or whether that only applied to certain partnerships.

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I suppose this is one of the issues withIn  providing casting so far in advance.  As a follower of BRB and NB I am used to booking tickets for when I can go and having to take pot luck as to who will be dancing.  Although I sometimes then book last minute tickets when someone is cast that I would particularly like to see (currently thinking about some extra Nutcrackers!).

 

However I believe that there is an "Alina" effect currently with ENB tickets sales.  I had no trouble whatsoever when I booked for the first night of Corsaire in MK last year.  I booked that night before Alina Cojocaru had joined the company and had specifically booked it because I could get the tickets half price with my ATG card!  It sold out very quickly when the casting was known!

 

I do think that companies who post early news of casting should, barring unavoidable circumstances such as illness or injury, try to stick to the advertised casting disclaimers or no.  ENB must be aware that Alina Cojocaru sells tickets and should act accordingly.

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Well, in the cast sheets for the recent Ashton bill Matthew Golding was announced as replaced with no explanation. Did anybody (eg DanceTabs) ask for one? In that case, a principal was replaced by a very junior corps member, who acquitted himself very well but, as has been said above, that was not the point. IMO, people are making too much of this as dancers are replaced all the time for various reasons.

 

Didn't ask about Golding because I don't think he has huge following and it was one part of a 4bill. I would have however if he was found to have given up a scheduled performance to guest elsewhere. That's the crux of what this is all about and why most people are pissed off.

 

Separate issue - there are rumours as to why Golding was not dancing but I'll leave it for the mods to decide what might be said. Oh the joy of being out of it!

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My point is that an explanation for a dancer's non-appearance is not always given. Why send the tweet if you already know the answer to the question which you are asking? If you are unhappy about the cast change why not just say so? Apparently (according to Twitter,) there are only two other dancers who dance this role and they are dancing at the performances either side of the Saturday matinee.

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My point is that an explanation for a dancer's non-appearance is not always given. Why send the tweet if you already know the answer to the question which you are asking? If you are unhappy about the cast change why not just say so? Apparently (according to Twitter,) there are only two other dancers who dance this role and they are dancing at the performances either side of the Saturday matinee.

 

We all have different ways of making a point.

 

It would be nice to see ENB tell its fans the reason for the change - rather than fans getting the information every other which way. What's happened here is highly unusual and the fuss made in this forum and elsewhere I think is justified.

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I see that DanceTabs already had this information (a few hours ago) about the Bolshoi casting, which sheds a far more sympathetic light on the change of casting at ENB. It's not as if there are dozens of dancers who dance this role frequently. 

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I see that DanceTabs already had this information (a few hours ago) about the Bolshoi casting, which sheds a far more sympathetic light on the change of casting at ENB. It's not as if there are dozens of dancers who dance this role frequently.

Well, that is not ENB's, nor their audience's, problem. Actually, now it IS their audience's problem because they won't be seeing Alina on Saturday.

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What explanation do you think that ENB could sensibly have given to the audience in MK? Nothing except injury, illness or 'personal reasons' would be acceptable. An explanation about the Bolshoi casting would have been of no interest to this audience. It's this forum which has turned this into a huge issue which now requires damage limitation apparently. Most of the audience would not have cared who it saw; the vast majority of people go to see Swan Lake rather than a particular dancer and if the dancer is good they go home happy.

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I see that DanceTabs already had this information (a few hours ago) about the Bolshoi casting, which sheds a far more sympathetic light on the change of casting at ENB. It's not as if there are dozens of dancers who dance this role frequently. 

 

This is disingenuous and seems to accept that a couple of tweets made by a fan adequately explains the position and the need for Cojocaru.

 

The tweets, by @leenahassan, were:

 

@DanceTabs Obraztsova & Zakharova are the only other Bolshoi ballerinas who dance the role. the former is performing the night before-

 

@DanceTabs & Zakharova is also performing on 15th so they cannot dance additional performances. I assume Neumeier specifically asked for AC.

 

 

My response:

.@leenahassan If Alina was ill the Bolshoi/Neumeier would sort another way. The audience in Milton Keynes don't deserve this shabby treatment

 

@bangorballetboy also responded:

.@leenahassan @DanceTabs no cover? Very unprofessional of Bolshoi/Neumeier.

 

 

Neumeier created Camellias in the late 70's and it has regularly been danced by his company in Hamburg. There are senior ballerinas there who know the role well.

 

It's also been in the rep of American Ballet Theatre, where I believe Cojocaru was one of a number of ballerinas who danced in it.

 

Cojocaru might have been the preferable solution for Neumeier but if it was a no he would have done something else - using somebody else on his contact list or possably an understudy. And finally, in extremis, principals can dance two nights running.

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What explanation do you think that ENB could sensibly have given to the audience in MK? Nothing except injury, illness or 'personal reasons' would be acceptable. An explanation about the Bolshoi casting would have been of no interest to this audience. It's this forum which has turned this into a huge issue which now requires damage limitation apparently. Most of the audience would not have cared who it saw; the vast majority of people go to see Swan Lake rather than a particular dancer and if the dancer is good they go home happy.

Aileen, it is not 'this forum' that has made a big issue. People on Twitter and other fora have also made their feelings clear, and totally justifiably. And you think that 'this audience' wouldn't be interested in knowing why the dancer whom they have paid to see is not dancing? Yes, there are some people who just book the ballet and don't know or mind who is dancing, but there are plenty of people, including many regular ballet-goers from around the country (and I know a few from London who are going) who travel to see 'big name' dancers perform. Whoever it is, they have paid their money and deserve the truth, not to be fobbed off just because they are in Milton Keynes.

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I see that DanceTabs already had this information (a few hours ago) about the Bolshoi casting, which sheds a far more sympathetic light on the change of casting at ENB. It's not as if there are dozens of dancers who dance this role frequently. 

 

There are dozens all around the world: a list of names longer than the way from MK to Moscow. In Hamburg Azzoni, Bouchet and Laudere: only Bouchet was busy this week, but that shouldn't be a problem since it had not to be for ENB.

Surely Neumeier wanted Cojocaru because she is by far the best of those dozens (think to an upgrade of her Tatiana), but this doesn't change the fact she was scheduled to dance elsewhere. I only hope he is giving back something of really substantial in change of this.

In another post you wrote (more or less) that Cojocaru should be grateful to Neumeier also for her international career...she has to be grateful to Neumeier (and vice versa) for many many reasons, but you probably somehow missed the first 10 years of her international career :-)

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In another post you wrote (more or less) that Cojocaru should be grateful to Neumeier also for her international career...she has to be grateful to Neumeier (and vice versa) for many many reasons, but you probably somehow missed the first 10 years of her international career :-)

 

Cojocaru has often expressed a longing for ballets (dramatic/full-length ballets I presume) to be created on her, something that was missing in her decade at the RB. I think Neumeier has been the only one to do this for? And she has expressed so much admiration for him in interviews, I can be a little bit sympathetic on this point, that it would be difficult for her to turn him down.

 

Having said that I'm not at all sympathetic to these particular circumstances. I'd be pretty cross if I had a ticket for Milton Keynes and I think ENB owes its audience more than this. Those who care and pay attention to casting deserve an explanation, and those who are just going to see Swan Lake may not mind either way and will still get a wonderful performance.

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Surely Neumeier wanted Cojocaru because she is by far the best of those dozens (think to an upgrade of her Tatiana), but this doesn't change the fact she was scheduled to dance elsewhere. I only hope he is giving back something of really substantial in change of this.

 

I hope so too, though if that's the case we may not get to hear of it, (hence the information vacuum?) I can't think why else everyone is throwing professionalism out the window like this. 

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I'm one of those who has booked for this performance solely because Cojocaru was announced to be dancing as I haven't had a chance to see her in Swan Lake so far. Needless to say I am none too pleased at the change of cast (this is no slur on Lauretta Summerscales, who I'm sure will be very good and I intend to enjoy her performance). I know cast changes can be expected due to illness or injury but in this instance this is not the case and I do wonder if this cast change would have occurred if the performance had been in London. Knowledgable ballet goers don't just live in London and I think audiences outside London deserve better than to be treated like this.

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Sim, on which other fora has this issue been discussed? I've looked on the ones that I know about.

Well some of my FB friends have been discussing it as one example.

 

Other people I know have been talking about it too.

 

I can't speak for people going to MK but I know several people who booked specifically to see her in Manchester and have also booked to see her in Liverpool.

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