A new Royal Ballet Swan Lake?

[Ellie]

Thank you Janet. x

[Jan McNulty]

BTW Martin James is from and trained in New Zealand.  He joined LFB from RNZB and then followed Peter Schaufuss to Berlin and then the Royal Danish Ballet.  He was a principal with RDB unitl he retired.

[Ellie]

BTW Martin James is from and trained in New Zealand.  He joined LFB from RNZB and then followed Peter Schaufuss to Berlin and then the Royal Danish Ballet.  He was a principal with RDB unitl he retired.

Thanks for the info Janet, I'm not surprised that he danced with RDB....His ballon....

[Nina G.]

I think that the Cecchetti method is excellent for developing quick, nimble footwork. The Neapolitan dance is one of my favourite moments from Swan Lake and I particularly like the 1989 version from London Festival Ballet  (it's on youtube - and if anyone could tell me who the dancers are I'd be grateful). For me this performance is so musical, fun and buoyant (perhaps also down to the influence of Schaufuss ?)

 

Besides their own system of training, isn't the Cecchetti method also taught at The RBS Lower School/White Lodge?

Those RB dancers who trained at WL would therefore be familiar with the Cecchetti method thus capable of dancing the Neapolitan as it should be danced; Paul Kay, James Hay, Emma Maguire, Yasmine Naghdi, Francesca Hayward, all ex-WL, danced the Neapolitan in this run, and they were all outstanding, so was Laura Morera (she also trained at WL if I am not mistaken).

 

A few months ago I attended an "Insight Evening" at the Linbury ("The evolution of the Ballet class"-  such a pity the ROH hasn't put up that filmed material!) and Ursula Hageli was talking about the Cecchetti method too (she used Sambe to demonstrate very difficult Cecchetti exercises). I remember her saying that those dancers who had trained using the Cecchetti method "could dance just about anything because the actual dancing/performing was far easier compared to the Cecchetti exercises". 

Edited April 5, 2015 by Nina G.

[Jane S]

The male dancer is Martin James but I can't put a name to the girl.  

 

Karen Gee, I think.

[Ellie]

Thank you Jane S. Nina G,  I haven't seen the current run of Swan Lake and absolutely do not wish to disrespect anyone who danced, I just particularly enjoyed the performance I mentioned from LFB.. RBS used to include the Cecchetti method (they probably still do). Marcelino Sambe trained almost exclusively in the Vaganova method until he went to RBS . x

[Nina G.]

That is correct Ellie, Sambe did not train at WL, and he didn't dance the Neapolitan. Hageli only used him to demonstrate one (or a  few, can't remember) exercise. When she asked him how it felt his answer was that it was very difficult to do! 

[alison]

Karen Gee, I think.

That was the name I dragged from my memory as the most likely option, despite not having seen it in years, so I suspect Jane is probably right. 

[aileen]

Janet and Jane, you have terrific memories.

[Jane S]

No, actually -  I have a cast sheet! The 'I think' was because I don't remember what Karen Gee looked like so it could be wrong.