Mary

I was in the amphi, and I think it was the quietest evening I ever remember- at least for about the last 10 minutes you could have heard a pin drop- just that sound of Osipova panting to her death,- (and her acting skills are such that I didn't think her youth mattered.)  It was really quite an eerie and very intense moment I will always remember. It's wonderful when you feel everyone around you sharing the moment.

I had a lovely view of Prince Charles who looked totally engrossed too.

Back from another wonderful evening at this best of triple bills, and reading the reviews, I was struck by Anna Winter's description of Nunez in SV that 'some secret sublime knowledge seems to inhere within her, shaping the profound sensitivity of her phrasing'

Exactly.

Together with Muntagirov whose equally sublime elegance takes on a new meaning in this piece, it must be my ballet performance of the year.

I do sympathise very much, but it isn't ROH's fault is it..it's the fault of the individuals concerned....

I am not sure it's quite right to say we pay for our tickets twice is it?

If we didn't have the public funding- the tickets would be entirely beyond people like me.

So sorry, JohnS. 

The ballet is evidently a great source of comfort.

The continued cycle of new season, casts and works to see -and so especially the arrival and blossoming of talented new dancers-can be a consolation in time of sorrow I have found.

Yes I heard them too- frightful. They should have been evicted.

My sympathies Sunrise. The live screening is often a great fallback and comfort.

6 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

Glad other posters have helped me to identify Joseph Sissens, I was most impressed by him. I was talking to the lady sitting next to me who told me that she had a friend who refused to go to matinees ' because you don't get the top dancers'! I certainly don't feel I was short changed this afternoon. 

Yes- another 'one to watch'- quite a long list nowadays!

He caught my eye too- with that quality that is so hard to describe but, I think, is to do with making a very clear and definitely beautiful shape with every single move; but it is also evident merely in standing still.

What a perfect triple bill! Such variety of mood, pace, tone: the most beautiful set of all in The Dream, and the perfect simplicity of SV, the lush drama of M&A: the ideally chosen music  used to masterly effect in all 3 and the first two are surely masterworks that I can never see too many times.

I agree David Yudes was sensational, his jumps out of the ordinary and his characterisation spot on- as it was in Fille.

I felt so much for Reece Clarke- a very sad disruption of this best of ballets in which he is so ideally cast ( the second major wardrobe problem in a few weeks. ...) but he coped very well ( and someone from management rushed out clearly backstage-bound) - other than that, the whole afternoon abounded in joy and outstanding performances.

I do so agree with Sim that McRae is the best Oberon and I missed his combined flair and precision this afternoon- and look forward to seeing it up close in the live screening. But Sambe was good, and Hayward a delightful and fluent Titania.

Ferri was the best Marguerite i have seen and tore at the heartstrings- she and Bonelli were entirely emotionally convincing which, as others have said. is essential, or the piece just seems like an absurd confection. I loved it today.

Superb!

Glad to hear about Mr Hallberg, what good news.

Ah- no surprise Fiz. Do they still,  I wonder?

Actually of course Federer should have been an Apollo.....

7 hours ago, alison said:

 

Federer, I grant you.  But Nadal?!

 

And I think Amelia was really after this oldie by Ismene Brown: http://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/gods-grace-when-sport-beautiful

(I only wish I'd saved it before the post-Olympics edit )

Oh thanks Alison- yes Olga Korbut- what an absolute joy to watch she was, another loss to ballet.

Agree BMC. As a teenager I used to think MacEnroe's serve was like dance in a way. Interesting to read others have also thought this.

Federer-what a loss to the dance world, he should have been a Siegfried.

I think I prefer the sound of that alternative ending lyn!

As people are still unaccounted for after the Manchester bomb and we contemplate the horror endured by the emergency services, -perhaps we do all have to accept some adjustments to life,  some inconvenience and some curtailment of our pleasures while places like ROH do need to review security - and I am sure they will.

Agree with every word, standingticket. I will always remember seeing Muntagirov and McRae side by side. Hope it isn't the last time though.

I queried the 'squashed' moment of the ending on first night- does anyone have any idea what is the significance of this bizarre ending? I can't say it added to the piece in my eyes.

In fact, as the piece was homage to Zenaida, very richly deserved, I thought it was a very unfortunate choice!

The effects were not of the blinding lights variety- there was a flat projection screen at one stage with slow images of swirling red satin ( don't ask me why)...which was certainly bright, but, it didn't fill the stage or project into the auditorium.

Most of the ballet was pretty dark. I don't recall aything shining into the audience....

22 hours ago, Bruce Wall said:

In advance of the Bernstein centenary celebrations - and quite right too - I went to the first preview of ON THE TOWN at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre tonight.  IT IS ALREADY BREATHTAKING.  (I realise that this is NOT ballet - but it was of course inspired by the success of a [stage] ballet - and how many musicals can actually say that!!! ... with, of course, the original choreographer and composer in Broadway and London tow!!!)  

 

I kept thinking how I wished that FANCY FREE was in place of The Age of Anxiety in next year's RB Bernstein homage.  Just think how many younger people in London have NEVER seen that Robbins masterwork.  Just think of the thrilling narrative/balletic combinations at the Royal Ballet to cast those three sailors from just now - (Think Muntagirov; Ball; Sambe or Clark, Richardson, McRae;  Think Campbell; Zuchetti and Hay; Think Dyer, Sissens or Dixon; think Edmunds, Brændsrød or Donnelly, think Churches, Yudes or Di Primo);  and then there are the two principal female slots: (Think Morera and Hayward;  Think Takada and Naghdi;  Just Think of O'Sullivan and Stix-Brunell or Nunez and Katsura; Lamb and McNally, etc.) .... Oh, well ...   but I get off topic.  

 

What I wanted to say is that there is A LOT of Choreography by Drew Onie in this production of the Bernstein - and indeed more actual ballet steps than in, say, Untouchables (which perhaps MAKES it fitting to be included here.)  In any event IT IS WONDERFUL ... and the entire cast - including a touching Danny Mac ... is totally BOFFO!  

 

Buy your tickets now ... I have a feeling after its opening next week there are going to be very few left.  It deserves to be sold out.  It deserves to move.  They just don't write shows like this anymore.  What a genius Bernstein was.  Such STUNNING variety - such brilliant orchestrations (thank you Mr. Derring) and colour throughout.  It dazzles!!

 

You can see why Megan Fairchild and Misty Copeland wanted to do Miss Turnstiles on Broadway but a season and a half ago.  This would be a brilliant outing for Robbie Fairchild (or Amar Ramasar - who is to do Jigger in Carousel on Broadway next season) and Mrs. Fairchild - the truly extraordinary Tiler Peck.  How I would love to see Brandon Lawrence (does he sing?) and Anna Rose O'Sullivan (who most definitely does) in it.  Why?  'Cos this show is but unmitigated joy from top to bottom and oh, so Chock Full of Nuts!!   As any old time New Yorker will tell you that means you can smell its coffee a mile off.  It peculates from right up over the signage ... and its aroma - I promise you - is simply intoxicating.  

 

 So, just to be clear, Bruce, you liked the show?

:-)

(chock full of nuts??)

I'm booking tomorrow.

You are right Vanartus that there were an awful lot of -'references'- or perhaps borrowings in the Scarlett. I was thinking that too but without the erudition to back it up- though one moment was pure McGregor for example (couples march on and instantly undertake fast acrobatics in rows, rather grim-faced).

There were too many references, diffrent styles all packed in for it to quite settle down into a coherent whole, perhaps.

I do agree Balletfanp.

It was a dream come true for me to see Muntagirov McRae and Nunez on stage together in Vertiginous- and they were all on form in their own very distinct ways.  The furiously fast choreography is very good fun but it is hard to get a grasp of the piece which seems to be over in a flash. But the dancing was as required: very precise, and also exciting and exuberant.

Taratella was sensational with Sambe looking superhumanly buoyant ( my first note about him a few years ago was Here's a very bouncy dancer! and he just gets bouncier) and Hayward as perfect: fleet of foot charming, amusing, and impeccable .

Strapless: oh dear- after the energy generated by those two pieces, a 30 minute interval ( why needed this time?) and then that stodgy soporific music..all the energy seemed to seep out of the audtorium. It was my second viewing- no, 3rd- and I was even more bored. There is something really terrbily wrong in that case: how can I be bored watching Osipova Bonelli Watson- and a beautiful glamorous set and costumes too- ?  But the problem remains: why should we care about this woman? and the music I think is dire.

One to shelve.

I liked Symphonic Dances. It was visually imaginative a lot of the time (I didn't think the back projection added much though and would have preferred brighter lighting- the usual points!) ; Yanowsky dominating proceedings effortlessly, her amazing swirling red dress very effective, though  was glad she was unencumbered of it later to strut grandly in a tuxedo jacket instead. I enjoyed the powerful choreography for the women in the corps (not just being lifted around) and the men in the skirts worked well- they made some inetersting shapes and their moves reminded me of flamenco dances. Those glistening chests were very impressive too.

The pas de deux betweenYanowsky and Reece Clarke was the highlight for me-  involving, powerful, moving. They looked ideal together.

The ending was a sad shame: on first viewing it looked as if Zenaida was suddenly squished flat under a large cake rack.

Hope not.

She so deserved the thunderous applause- I was watching her face through my bins and marvelling again at her stage presence . A dancer I never seemed to see enough off rather under -used surely.

I am so sorry for Sarah Lamb and will miss her.

However it looks as if I am getting my wish to see McRae and Takada together again sooner than I thought would happen! I think this will work beautifully.

i like the little film of Watson's solo bow on his twitter thingummy.

Any pictures of McRae /Takada ?

Yes it's hard to come down from a ballet high! Looking at some pictures of the production on the internet with a glass of wine and taking it easy is recommended...

3 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

6 hours ago, Darlex said:

 

 

 

As many others have pointed out, Steven McRae, danced the role of Rudolf magnificently. He really made the choreography sing like no other I have seen and his precision partnering was outstanding. However, his portrayal of Rudolf as a vile, twisted and unsympathetic character from the outset made no sense of Bratfisch's sadness at leaving him. I also wanted to find out his secret for sobering up quite so quickly outside the brothel. Must be something in that fresh Viennese air!

 

 

'made the choreography sing' says it so well- thank you Darlex.

I actually felt more sorry for McRae's than for other Rudolfs, and am pondering why- I think he did show the pressure he was under, which created a sense of sympathy- especially with the leaning Hungarians, and the yearning arms in the scene with his mother.

i agree about the drunk scene- that needs toning down a trifle. It was a bit too much like one of those blokes on the last train home..

Otherwise- I thought he was wonderful.

(Sorry I can't remove the previous quote!)

I was stunned by last night's performance...McRae's dancing  was so strong and beautiful technically that it was just unbelieveable to watch, on a different plane technically to any Rudolf I had seen, (except Kobborg perhaps) and I actually found his pas de deuxs with Mary moving for the first time, as he and Akane- wow, how they managed to perform with such passionate commitment, at such short notice is quite impossible to comprehend!- somehow lit a fuse.

I look forward so much  to seeing them together again- it was quite thrilling.

Don't they film a lot of performances for RB use anyway? or did I imagine that? in which case, I like to think that when I am very ancient I shall be able to watch it ALL on the equivalent of youtube that will then be available- perhaps in amazing 4D, so it will be like being on the stage (not sure I fancy that so much in Act 3 Mayerling)

Allow some time to wander round the fine and beautiful corridors of this fabulous building, is my tip!