Mary

Powerful performance from Nunez and Hirano tonight. I was very moved. 

(I agree the music is wonderful)

I've heard him in live screenings.

Maybe we should all have a word!

2 hours ago, Sim said:

Well worth watching, but I wish they could silence the audience, especially in Act 2!

Wasn't it awful. I could not believe they were 'clapping along in time' at one point to Giselle's poignant solo in the  graveyard scene- it was grotesque!

I should think Ratmansky was pulling his hair out.

I thought Belyakov danced like a dream- what an expressive torso and his whole acting and mime was as good as his superb dancing.

Smirnova seemed to me technically amazing as ever and quite touching ..and together they were just starting to build something very lovely towards the end, but the atmosphere never got a chance because of the audience.

The peasant dance pas de deux in Act 1 was quite superb- no names on my programme.

Meaghan Grace Hinkis- who was good.

And a beautiful Lilac Fairy from Fumi Kaneko who managed to make that fiendish variation look elegant...rather than difficult....and her v noble Cavalier.. Reece Clarke

Stellar performances from Muntagirov and Nunez...on sparkling form...making us gasp.....and an elegantly soaring Bluebird from James Hay.

Saying a dancer wouldn't be right for, or good in, a role when you have not seen them dance it always strikes me as  a bit unhelpful. I can think of quite a few examples on the forum over the years when in fact a dancer has gone on to be very good despite such comments. (Too short, too tall, too classical, too cheerful, too restrained or not restrained enough, not a 'romantic lead' or 'no good at comedy' -  or whatever.)

But  they often surprise us.

It's one thing to say a performance you saw wasn't so good - fair enough- but surely, if you haven't seen it........that really is just speculation.

I feel pretty confident that we have an awful lot more to find out about Vadim Muntagirov- and come to that, Reece Clarke as well.

Not alone at all.

It is marvellous to have the Canadian ballet- I have never seen them and would like to very much indeed.

But why Beauty??

I will have seen 4 performances this year already.

It is not at all equivalent to having a company with an offering of half a dozen ballets  - including a couple we rarely or never see here - as in previous Russian visits.

Maybe there is a large public to see another Beauty but I rather wonder about that.

Removing the Seasons page is just plain daft- does it save any time or money to remove it?

It was useful and well used- so what do they gain?

5 minutes ago, RuthE said:

 

Vadim is a lovely dancer in absolutely everything, but somehow Reece strikes me as more suited to the character...

I would very much rather see them both actually dance in the roles before coming to a view on that.

Delighted for Reece Clarke, but very disappointed not to see Vadim Muntagirov in Onegin.

It's been on iplayer for ages, I watched it last week and commented!

How odd.

Yes- dance is international..ballet is international- I don't really think of the dancers,  or the company in national or nationalistic terms.

I certainly do feel uncomfortable about the company suggesting  any kind of special support and pride in some dancers more than others because they are British , or more British than someone else...- and I assume,and hope, that is not what they are intending.

14 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

her Scottish dance was just bonkers! 

Is that a technical term Richard?

The warmth and enthusiasm of reviews on the forum often cheers me up and this very dreary morning your review put a happy smile on my face- thanks for that!

Looking forward to seeing Akane Takada in Swan Lake.

15 minutes ago, Fonty said:

Morera is one of my favourite dancers, but I was only thinking last night how rare it is for me to see her in a tutu.

Mine too. She is such a very thoughtful, subtle, elegant dancer and a very fine actor. I very much regret not having seen more of her in the past couple of years, and good point about the tutu roles.

2 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

Well, amongst the many amazing performances, it was difficult to choose, but I think I have to plump for the opening night of Don Q with Nunez and Muntagirov and the amazing (and deserved) audience reaction it provoked - full house standing ovation which I have never seen in the ROH other then for retirement performances.

 

Nunez just WAS Kitri and with her sunny smile the role suited her down to the ground, to say nothing of her secure and showstopping technique. And all the more remarkable given that it turned out she was ill during the performance and almost didn’t go on.

 

And Muntagirov was simply incredible - some of the tweaks he made to the standard choreography seem unique to him (I’ve certainly not seen anyone else do them) and provoked gasps from the audience. All performed with consummate ease, and his whole characterisation proved that he can play comedy very well.

 

We were also spoilt in that performance with Laura Morera as Mercedes and Ryoichi Hirano as Espada. I’m not Hirano’s greatest fan but he was knockout in this. To say nothing of Kaneko and O’Sullivan in the Act 2 dream scene. Altogether the most exhilarating performance I think I’ve ever seen

You beat me to it- I was going through my diary and this is the one where I put a string of exclamation marks..it was the biggest roar of approval I have ever heard in the opera house, and put me on a high for days.

One of a string of quite spectacular performances by Muntagirov of course- such a run I have certainly not seen before ( my 50th anniversary of ballet going coming up soon, so not that long admittedly) , and one of many too from this fine partnership.

However, there have also been many really outstanding performances this year and it's thrilling to reflect on all the talent in RB, BRB and ENB at the moment.

I sometimes keep my coat in with me too if I have little time for the train- and sit on it or stash it under the seat or  sometimes roll it up as a cushion for my back.

I don't think anyone could mind - but -  I would never allow it to be touching anyone else.

It really was a bit much having one dumped over my head during the performance! I can laugh about it now.

It wasn't as bad as the woman with jangly bracelets who shook them in my ear throughout  one performance of Giselle- , the woman in the Grand Tier who took her shoes off and put her feet up on the back of the seat in front..or the man who was humming along at intervals in Figaro...then suddenly took his false teeth out  (I'm sure Mozart would have had a giggle at that one)

But I wish they would go and sit next to someone else...

Dawnstar- I am not a fan of Wayne McGregor at all. However, I did like Woolf Works, and the clip they showed was the least good bit. The work does in fact contain some almost classical dance, has a strong narrative and is very moving.  So I would urge you to try it once.

However, I could not recommend Live Fire Exercise, which I thought was ghastly. I shall be sitting it out when I go. I don't think that's rude.

Bridiem our posts crossed. I do agree it needed more explanation/context- there was really v little- it needed to be 90 minutes.

Enjoyed Essential Royal Ballet just now on BBC4.

It could easily have been 2 or 3 times as long. Trying to represent their entire work of 10 years in 1 hour was a bit challenging. But at least there was a good ratio of clips to talk. Some luscious clips too- one to re watch.

I was reminded -(NOT that I had forgotten)  of many highlights, including how wonderful was Ed Watson in Mayerling, Steven McRae as the Mad Hatter- quite a turn!- Laura Morera in Viscera, the beauty of Symphonic Variations, and how much I liked Woolf Works and would hope to see it again - and  seeing close-up on screen the exquisite nobility and expressiveness of Vadim Muntagirov in Swan Lake and the end of Sleeping Beauty,  was a great treat as I sit  in bed with a cold.

It was a chocolate box selection- quite good perhaps to show people the variety of work on offer and give a taste of the incredible artistry of the company. Kevin O'Hare came across very well;  many of the talking heads moments seemed familiar from live screenings- would they have re used them?

Now, BBC, please could you follow up with some full length RB ballets....?

Confined to bed with some virus I have v much enjoyed watching The Snow Queen- it has some lovely sets and costumes, very good use of music, and an engrossing spectacle. I especially liked the market scene, the bandit camp ( reminiscent of Two Pigeons!), the wolves ( reminiscent of M Bourne's Swans!) and the strong female roles, particularly well danced I thought by the Snow Queen herself.

This would be a great Christmas outing. I don't think they should have had the knife threat moments though.

Has anyone else seen it?

Sounds like a great Christmas- you're giving me ideas!

I see there is another slow walk on Radio 3  this year- Greenland this time, at 4.30 today, and I shall be listening as a peaceful escape from everything for a bit,  while also cooking a casserole- I remembered this post from last year!

I took a moment to imagine life without the forum this morning...

'shudder'!

Thanks very much to all the moderators who ensure this bleak prospect does not happen.

A very Merry Christmas moderators, and all my fellow forum contributors.

I am not interested in Cats but- if the RB dancers got something out of it, in terms of experience and financially, that is surely good.

We all know they are two exceptional artists- and it seems very clear they are not to blame for anything that is amiss with the film- from the bits I've seen, Steven McRae dances as scintillatingly as ever, and Francesca Hayward would look lovely if it were not for the computer generated strangeness- which is not of her making.

Janet, I agree with every word you say on Enigma Variations, and that performance of it: Gartside/Avis/McNally were so very moving and I am glad it was not just me staunching the tears in that exquisitely moving pas de trois for Nimrod.

One reason I love Enigma Variations- as well as agreeing with all you say- is it's glorious celebration of friendship- not something which is that much featured in ballet, but- the older one gets- the more important it seems to be in life.

(As I would like others to share our love for the ballet I do wish they would add a bit more to the synopsis next time.)

I have enormously enjoyed the riches of the past few weeks- so much variety of choreography, style, music and mood,  and so many first-class peformances.

But I agree it might have been better to have it a little more 'spread out' into the spring: and there is very little I want to book for in the Spring booking.

Yes, we have Onegin and then Swan Lake coming up, but an interesting and classical triple bill might have made a nice counterpoint to that.

Still I am filled with admiration for how much the company as a whole has achieved with this recent programme of heay-weight ballets, keeping up such a high standard overall, and with all the debuts and  upcoming talent on display.