Quintus Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Just made an impulse purchase for tomorrow night, when Tamara is dancing. Anyone been so far? There's also a talk afterwards but I haven't found any details of who or what... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 the official opening night is tonight 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 Ah! Thought it was yesterday and was surprised no one had reviewed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I saw the rehearsal last night. Not really fair to comment on that as it was a working rehearsal but I think you are in for a great evening 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) Just a word of warning to anyone who wants to book for Tamara. You will see quite a bit of her when she is cast in Spring and Fall but her role in Petite Mort is a very small one. Didn't want anyone to feel disappointed. Important to remember also, of course, that ENB has many other fabulous dancers most of whom have featured roles in these three ballets. Edited March 10, 2015 by capybara 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I just wish I could get there but I can't - I so wanted to see In The Middle Somewhat Elevated. I am sure it will be fab! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 A great triple bill. I will post more tomorrow when I've gathered my thoughts a bit more. For tattoo watchers: Sergei is not the only tattooed ballet dancer in town. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Oh dear...one is too many for me! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 These tattoos were rather more discreet and tasteful (imo). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 A great triple bill. I will post more tomorrow when I've gathered my thoughts a bit more. For tattoo watchers: Sergei is not the only tattooed ballet dancer in town. Well, we knew that ... Eric Underwood for one. I can't remember others off-hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Oh, I've never seen EU's tattoos or tattoos on any other (ballet) dancer on stage before apart from Sergei. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Foteini Christofilopoulou was photographing at the dress rehearsal - here are some examples Petite Mort: James Forbat, Ksenia Ovsyanick© Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr Spring and Fall: male company artists© Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated: Alina Cojocaru© Foteini Christofilopoulou. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr See more... Set from DanceTabs: ENB - Modern MastersCourtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr By kind permission of English National Ballet 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Really looking forward to seeing this. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) A few thoughts about last night: I thought that Petite Mort was a little tentative but I'm sure that the dancers will get more comfortable in their roles as the run proceeds. Ovsyanick stood out for me. Someone said on Twitter - and I agree with this - that the piece probably has greater impact if you are closer to the stage. Last night I was in the second circle which always feels strangely far away. It's a brilliant piece which requires incredible control by the dancers. I've never seen any Neumeier before. At first glance, Spring and Fall seemed a rather slight and whimsical piece but I suspect that it repays subsequent viewings. I really liked Vireilles in this and thought that he and Cojacaru (she is so expressive in the smallest of movements) had good chemistry. Corrales really impressed with great stage presence. John Neumeier came on stage at the end. In the Middle was the audience favourite. A huge change of gear and mood for Vireilles and Cojacaru. I assume that the latter was dancing the role created for Guillem. Although she certainly has the attack and flexibility she is perhaps a little short for the role. Cao was brilliant in this and she and Vireilles looked very good together. (On a costume point, the women's leotards are cruelly unsupportive). The programme gave plenty of opportunities for a large number of dancers to feature. There was so much to look at that I couldn't take it all in. Edited March 11, 2015 by aileen 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnross Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I was also at the long rehearsal at the Sadlers Wells Theatre for the Modern Masters triple bill. Here are some more pictures from the rehearsal. Max Westwell and Tamara Rojo in Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort Alejandro Virelles, Alina Cojocaru and Artists of the company in John Neumeier's Spring and Fall The company in Wiliam Forsythe's In the Middle Somewhat Elevated More pictures on www.johnrossballetgallery.co.uk 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenK Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Can anyone advise the actual running/finish time yesterday please? The website says 2 hours, but not always reliable I know. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 It's hard to say as I didn't look at the time and spent some time looking for something. My guess is that it overran by about 15 minutes but longer intervals seem to be a problem on opening nigh.t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 yes, the longer than usual intervals were because of the schmoozing and boozing on the mezzanine floor, as the company looked after its patrons. Which is fair enough. Two hours on a standard evening sounds about right. Tonight though, there is an aftershow talk, which I always find worth attending, that lasts 15-25mins usually 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 We left just before 2150 last night, though the intervals ran a little longer than they should (probably because of the patrons' event). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenK Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 thanks all, much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 All sounds very promising, looking forward to tonight. Does anyone know who the aftershow speaker is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummykool Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 According to the Sadler's Wells website it is Alastair Spalding in conversation with Tamara Rojo Should be interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 The cast sheet gives the running time as approximately two hours and 10 minutes which seems to be in accord with everyone's impression of a slight overrun last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I just wish I could get there but I can't - I so wanted to see In The Middle Somewhat Elevated. I am sure it will be fab! Oh me too! From the video clips online I didn't think the other ballets would be to my taste so I can't justify going for just In the Middle. But I would LOVE to see it again, and Cojocaru dance it too... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I found last night a thoroughly enjoyable experience and would happily go back and watch the whole programme again. Petite Mort and Spring and Fall were both excellent. The latter suited Alina to a tee (much preferred her in this than as Odette/Odile a few weeks ago). Ksenia Ovsyanick had a lot of exposure in this evening's casting and wore it well - presumably someone who's being groomed for elevation. I was a bit less enamoured of In the Middle, partly because it was an unrelenting stream of frenetics which got a bit wearing after a while, and partly because the costumes are unflattering - but it's an impressive showcase for the dancers. The great bonus was having a Q&A session with Tamara Rojo afterwards; as ever elegant, intelligent and articulate. Try as I might I couldn't think of a sensible question, dammit. Only slight gripe was with the raking of the seats in the stalls at Sadler's Wells, which is too shallow and therefore gives head-in-front issues. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Great performance last night, finish time was 9.45pm, couldn't stay for the talk but would be interested to know what was said. The weakest ballet for me was Spring and Fall, although Alina Cojocaru and Alejandro Virelles were beautiful, I think ENB have a very fine dancer there, he was much more relaxed than in Nutcracker, can't wait to see this couple dance In the Middle, also to see Tamara Rojo and Max Westwell on Saturday in the Neumeier, they looked great together in Petit Mort. In the Middle was fantastic, that and Petit Mort are real modern classics, haven't read all the reviews yet but the Times and Standard are very positive! People who like to get the 19/38 and 341 buses outside the theatre might have a problem on Saturday and Sunday, as far as I can make out the buses will run okay northwards but are being diverted southwards from the Angel due to resurfacing on Rosebery Avenue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Have just read all the reviews and am pleased for ENB that the overall picture is so positive. I note that one critic mentions the perceived prominence of Ksenia Ovsyanick who was the stand out performer for me in Petite Mort. But casting is a strange thing, isn't it? For me, Ksenia is the most obvious dancer to merit being featured in In the Middle yet she is not down to do it, having been cast in Spring and Fall instead. I also find it disappointing that there is so little variation in the casting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I was there last night and thought it was a wonderful programme. Petite Mort was beautifully done. As soon as the lights came up at the end my daughter and I both said that we could watch it again, now. Right now. Talk about "leave 'em wanting more" !! I was very happy to see Tamara Rojo dancing as one of the gang. She and Max Westwell were great together, but so were all the other couples (Ksenia Ovsyanick and James Forbat especially eye-catching). The dancers were very in sync throughout (particularly in the difficult opening with the swords), and the lovely bit with the black dresses drew much mirth from the audience. The choreography fit beautifully with Mozart's music, and those dresses gliding around to his piano music was a really clever touch. Spring and Fall was my least favourite of the three, but in general I am not a Neumeier fan so I was expecting this. It wasn't that it was bad at all; it was sunny and happy and well-danced, but I did find the choreography a bit messy and repetitive in parts and found myself wishing that Petite Mort was as long as Spring and Fall, and Spring and Fall as short as Petite Mort. Having said this, Alina Cojocaru looked fabulous and as always put her heart and her body into it 100% (and even had blood on her pointe shoes at one stage). Alejandro Virelles was a worthy partner for her. I did find my eye roaming quite often to the left of the backdrop: to me, it was definitely a side-on view of a bushy-tailed squirrel at the root of a tree! Hmmm.... In The Middle was danced with verve and gusto by all involved. A very strong performance from Crystal Costa, and also Tiffany Hedman really stood out for me. I agree with Incognito above; I would love to have seen Ksenia Ovsyanick in this ballet. However, Erina Takahashi and James Streeter more than did justice to Forsythe's powerful steps in the famous pdd at the end. The whole company felt the pulsating music and translated this into a fantastic performance of this now-classic piece. This was a very well thought-out and clever evening's programming. I really like how Rojo is developing this company's repertoire and thus challenging them to perform as they never have before. They are answering the challenge with determination, artistry and commitment, and I look forward to more. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrylights Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I went last night (11/03) and thoroughly enjoyed Petite Mort, but was very distracted by audience behaviour up in the second circle seats. Lots of sweets wrapper rustling, a mobile phone went off during the beginning of the ballet before the music had started...so disappointing in that respect. Max Westwell with Tamara were such a standout for me, as it was the first time I've seen Tamara dance. Spring and Fall I found really repetitive and was only saved by a sweet Alina Cojocaru. I was also excited to get a brief glimpse of Precious Adams and hope we get to see more of her in the future. My husband and I ended up leaving early before the final ballet mainly because I wasn't feeling well, and only slightly due to the amount of talking in the crowd during the performance put both of us off. We are quite a young couple, both 28, and rarely if ever moan about audience behaviour, but when we left he commented to me he felt it was more a cinema atmosphere and very different from what he's come to expect from a ballet crowd. I should probably move most of this post to the audience behaviour thread, my apologies. From what I saw thought everyone danced really well, and feel slightly guilty about letting the audience and feeling unwell spoil it a bit for me. I am a little bit gutted to have missed Tamara's Q&A after the program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I too agree that Ksenia Ovsyanick was an obvious choice for In the Middle and was disappointed that she was not cast in it. She could have provided the attack and angularity needed for this ballet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I too agree that Ksenia Ovsyanick was an obvious choice for In the Middle and was disappointed that she was not cast in it. She could have provided the attack and angularity needed for this ballet. For a while I thought Ksenia Ovsyanick WAS dancing in the Forsythe, she and Tiffany Hedman look similar (from the upper theatre) and both bear a resemblance to Sylvie Guillem, the thing that surprised me was that the girls don't have to be tall and spiky, I thought Fernanda Oliveira and Crystal Costa who have different physiques looked great, also of course Erina Takahashi. Two more dancers who also stood out were Barry Drummond and Makoto Nakamura. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) I think that I have now seen all the available casts (save one dancer in Petite Mort) in this triple bill. In a context where it is far from being a favourite programme of mine, I have found much to enjoy in the performances of individual dancers. Starting at the end, had I been casting In the Middle, I would have gone for a long-legged line-up and I still think that the choreography shows to best advantage on long-limbed performers. However, Erina Takahashi and Fernanda Oliviera are really impressive in this work. Alina Cojocaru offers me a near perfect interpretation of Spring and Fall, her every movement replete with meaning, whereas Tamara Rojo came across as too mature and knowing for the role. I particularly liked Cesar Corrales as one of leading men and the emotion which Ken Saruhashi brought to the same role in the second cast. Both of these dancers drew my eye away from the main men (respectively Alejandro Virelles and Max Westwell) both of whom whom seemed under-powered when set against the energy of those around them. I like Petite Mort and applaud all of the cast - but Ksenia Ovsyanick and James Forbat in particular for their stunning pas de deux. The 'attack' of Tamara Rojo worked well in this piece, I thought. Edited March 13, 2015 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I wonder whether Virelles and Westwell should have been cast in two pieces in one evening. In particular, I think that dancing both Spring and Fall and In the Middle back to back is hugely demanding and Virelles is dancing in six of the eight Spring and Falls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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