RB SEASON 24/25 Announced

[oncnp]

3 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

 

We've mentioned this on an old discussion before but Muntagirov used to be partnered with Sarah Lamb for the MacMillan ballets (Manon and Romeo & Juliet) initially and only Nunez in the classics. 

My guess is that he was partnered with Lamb, and I thought they were wonderful together, because her usual partner - McCrae - was not available. Poor man has spent the last few years more injured than performing 

[ThoughtsFlow]

27 minutes ago, oncnp said:

The database (not updated I think, they danced it in 2021) has her dancing Juliet in May 2019 with  Jacopo Tissi, who if I remember correctly was a replacement and had to learn the role in 2 weeks. What I do remember quite clearly was an overhead lift where his arms were shaking so badly I thought he was going to drop her. 

 

My money for Onegin and possible R&J is on Bolle as her partner

 

Update: Danced with Bonelli in the 2021/22 run

With all due respect to the lovely Bolle, I just can’t understand why it would make sense to bring on someone who, as I understand it, has retired from the company and is no longer a member to dance with Nela, when Vadim (who of course has not retired) is right there and has a famous and highly successful partnership with Nela. And, if leadership would like to try something different, then finally casting Nela and Vadim in a Macmillan ballet  (R&J) next season and seeing what they can do together with it, sure seems different to me!

 

Oh, and @OnePigeon, I believe every word you say about how fabulous Natalia and Reece must have been in Cinderella last year. My sadness increases, exponentially so. 😔

Edited June 23 by ThoughtsFlow

[oncnp]

5 minutes ago, ThoughtsFlow said:

With all due respect to the lovely Bolle, I just can’t understand why it would make sense to bring on someone who, as I understand it, has retired from the company and is no longer a member to dance with Nela, when Vadim (who of course has not retired) is right there and has a famous and highly successful partnership with Nela. And, if leadership would like to try something different, then finally casting Nela and Vadim in a Macmillan ballet  next season and seeing what they can do together with it, sure seems different to me!

 

 

Only my opinion but Bolle will be there for the same reason Hallberg was brought in to dance with Osipova - the ballerina wanted them there.  

 

In addition, Nunez just turned 42. Muntagirov is 8 years younger and is going to have to find a new partner anyway (which I think he's found).

 

Edited June 23 by oncnp

[ThoughtsFlow]

53 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

For some reason (possibly that given by Balletfanp) Kevin O' Hare has usually only cast Vadim and Marianela in the classics, not in more dramatic ballets such as Macmillan, or even Month in the Country or 2 Pigeons.  They may dance these ballets, but with other partners. Perhaps he just wants to mix things up a bit as partnerships can get stale if they never change. He's dancing Cinderella with Marianela but can't see him dancing either Onegin or Romeo with her (has Marianela danced Romeo recently?) Also, because he and Marianela have been filmed so much in leading roles I suspect that sadly there will be a decrease in their cinema/streaming roles. Other dancers and partnerships are coming along to take their place. I think this year has been the first for many years when Vadim  hasn't been filmed for a cinema broadcast and next year could be the same unless he's filmed in Romeo and if he is I'm sure it won't be with Marianela. I suppose he may be in the Wheeldon programme but again possibly not with Marianela.  I'm as disappointed as anyone but will have to make do with dvds. At least these days we have that option.

I feel like crying. Not that this is your fault or anything, of course, but the situation just makes me so sad. Truly heartbroken. 😔😔🥲

[Emeralds]

2 minutes ago, oncnp said:

My guess is that he was partnered with Lamb, and I thought they were wonderful together, because her usual partner - McCrae - was not available. Poor man has spent the last few years more injured than performing 

Steven McRae partnered Roberta Marquez during those runs of Manon, Nunez with Bonelli, and Lamb was partnered with Rupert Pennefather in 2014. But he has partnered Sarah in Romeo and Juliet in 2015. When Muntagirov joined RB, they tried him out with Takada in Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote, then Sarah Lamb in Sleeping Beauty as well as Romeo and Juliet and Manon, before trying out with Nunez in the classics after a successful Giselle. 

[Dawnstar]

39 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Marianela Nunez last danced Romeo and Juliet with Federico Bonelli in Jan-Feb 2022, who has now retired and is artistic director of Northern Ballet. She last danced Onegin in Feb 2020 st first with Ryoichi Hirano, then he sustained an injury and was replaced at the last minute by Reece Clarke for the second performance, who had just t replaced Vadim Muntagirov (with more notice!) to dance with Osipova- an electric performance and magnificent debut as Onegin after initially being cast as Gremin!

 

Thankfully Reece had already finished his Onegin performances with Osipova, because he too sustained an injury and couldn't do the third and final performance. Nunez was then partnered by Roberto Bolle, as a very last minute replacement (he had been in London to rehearse one of Nunez's guest performances with him abroad).

 

This is definitely nitpicking but I'm pretty sure that when Nunez danced Onegin opposite Clarke it was actually what should have been the second Osipova/Clarke performance then the Nunez/Bolle performance was what should have been the third Osipova/Clarke performance. The three Nunez/Hirano performances all happened with the scheduled cast.

[Emeralds]

32 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

This is definitely nitpicking but I'm pretty sure that when Nunez danced Onegin opposite Clarke it was actually what should have been the second Osipova/Clarke performance then the Nunez/Bolle performance was what should have been the third Osipova/Clarke performance. The three Nunez/Hirano performances all happened with the scheduled cast.

No, it was definitely Nunez's partners who were being replaced - I had tickets to see Osipova/Clarke, Naghdi/Bonelli, Mendizabal/Soares, then decided to get tickets for Nunez/Clarke after hearing that he was replacing Hirano, as his debut iwith Osipova had been so good. Also tried to get tickets (but couldn't) to see Nunez/Bolle when I heard there was another replacement; I remember wondering why Nunez's partners were having such bad luck. I think the old thread is around, Dawnstar. 

[Emeralds]

7 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

This is definitely nitpicking but I'm pretty sure that when Nunez danced Onegin opposite Clarke it was actually what should have been the second Osipova/Clarke performance then the Nunez/Bolle performance was what should have been the third Osipova/Clarke performance. The three Nunez/Hirano performances all happened with the scheduled cast.

No, wait...you are correct, Dawnstar! I just looked it up. Thanks for the correct information!

[Lizbie1]

Dawnstar generally is correct about these things!

[bridiem]

Well whatever the reasonings etc I so wish that Muntagirov and Lamb had continued to be cast together in the MacMillans. They were superlative.

[Amanda Liu]

11 hours ago, oncnp said:

The database (not updated I think, they danced it in 2021) has her dancing Juliet in May 2019 with  Jacopo Tissi, who if I remember correctly was a replacement and had to learn the role in 2 weeks. What I do remember quite clearly was an overhead lift where his arms were shaking so badly I thought he was going to drop her. 

 

My money for Onegin and possible R&J is on Bolle as her partner

 

Update: Danced with Bonelli in the 2021/22 run

I think Marianela danced with William in the Japan tour last year.

[AnticaFiamma]

Bracewell and Kaneko surely must do R&J together, but I wouldn't be surprised if WB also partnered Marianela and Fumi danced with Vadim.

[oncnp]

13 minutes ago, Amanda Liu said:

I think Marianela danced with William in the Japan tour last year.

Scheduled that way . Thank you. 'Hadn't remembered the tour 

 

Edited June 24 by oncnp

[MildConcern]

Has Muntagirov's Romeo been recorded? I can't recall, though I have seen him with Lamb many times live in this role. 

 

If not, I would think the upcoming run would be a good time to rectify this! I think him being cast with Kaneko / Lamb / Naghdi is much more likely in MacMillan rep. 

[Mora]

3 hours ago, AnticaFiamma said:

Bracewell and Kaneko surely must do R&J together, but I wouldn't be surprised if WB also partnered Marianela and Fumi danced with Vadim.

I like the "surely must do" expression but I also agree with your forecast. Anyway I have my fingers crossed for Fumi with William since it's the combination I'd die to see (if not next season in future ones).
Besides, for some reason, I prefer Marianela in the real classics rather than in MacMillan's repertoire.
 

[BeauxArts]

On the basis of the intensity of their performance and  rapport in The Dream,  I am now very open  to an Osipova and Bracewell R and J - and that was not something  I had  anticipated. They are both so charismatic; I think that casting could be extremely rewarding. But I also would be nothing less than delighted with Kaneko and Bracewell .. of course!  

[art_enthusiast]

37 minutes ago, BeauxArts said:

On the basis of the intensity of their performance and  rapport in The Dream,  I am now very open  to an Osipova and Bracewell R and J - and that was not something  I had  anticipated. They are both so charismatic; I think that casting could be extremely rewarding. But I also would be nothing less than delighted with Kaneko and Bracewell .. of course!  

 

Interesting point!

 

I saw Kaneko and Bracewell in the last run and they certainly were excellent. But I would also be intrigued by a Kaneko/Muntagirov pairing for R and J (I think they performed it together in the Cape Town ballet, not sure).

[Naomi M]

1 minute ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Interesting point!

 

I saw Kaneko and Bracewell in the last run and they certainly were excellent. But I would also be intrigued by a Kaneko/Muntagirov pairing for R and J (I think they performed it together in the Cape Town ballet, not sure).

Kaneko and Muntagirov performed in MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet as leads during the Royal Ballet Japan tour, in Osaka (Kaneko’s home town) last July. 

[Balletfanp]

They also performed it in Cape Town, as @art_enthusiast rightly says above.

[Dawnstar]

7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

No, wait...you are correct, Dawnstar! I just looked it up. Thanks for the correct information!

 

I remember how pleased I was at being able to see Nunez as Tatiana alongside not only Clarke as Onegin but also Ball as Lensky & Hayward as Olga, having liked the 3 of them rather more than Osipova's Tatiana at the first perofrmance of that cast. Incidentally, I thought Ball & Hwyward were excellent together but I can't recall that they've been paired since so that's a partnership that I'd be interested in seeing again, although it probably won't happen. Bringing it back to the origial point, had Muntagirov not decided to withdraw from Onegin then a Nunez/Muntagirov pairing in Onegin would have actually happened, at least as long as Osipova had still got injured/ill in that alternate universe!

[oncnp]

52 minutes ago, Balletfanp said:

They also performed it in Cape Town, as @art_enthusiast rightly says above.

Not MacMillan, a new production,  but R&J all the same. 

[jmhopton]

Have just remembered the Balanchine triple, ThoughtsFlow. Vadim may be cast in this,  either as Prodigal Son or in Symphony in C. Saw him in the latter when the RB last performed it (2019?) and he was terrific. He could also do it with Marianela as they were wonderful in Diamonds together.  I think the reason I didn't mention it earlier is that it's not a cinema broadcast so no use to you. However,  I suppose it may be streamed though that would depend on the Balanchine Trust so probably clutching at straws!

[ThoughtsFlow]

So, Nela & Vadim are only for sure dancing one ballet together next season?? I find the mere thought completely horrifying. And disgusting!

 

There are nearly 30 performances of Romeo and Juliet scheduled for next year. How is it that not even one can be given to Nuñez/Muntagirov??? Just disgusting! 

[oncnp]

10 minutes ago, ThoughtsFlow said:

So, Nela & Vadim are only for sure dancing one ballet together next season?? I find the mere thought completely horrifying. And disgusting!

 

There are nearly 30 performances of Romeo and Juliet scheduled for next year. How is it that not even one can be given to Nuñez/Muntagirov??? Just disgusting! 

 

Casting for R&J should be out in October(ish) so we'll know for sure then, although I do agree that Nunez/Muntagirov is very unlikely 

[DVDfan]

 Much as we would like time frozen so that our favourite dancers can go on for ever, in the real world there comes a point when they have to move on. 

The age difference between Nunez and Muntagirov means that inevitably he will need to form new partnerships,  as she drops out of some roles.

[Balletfanp]

7 hours ago, ThoughtsFlow said:

So, Nela & Vadim are only for sure dancing one ballet together next season?? I find the mere thought completely horrifying. And disgusting!

 

There are nearly 30 performances of Romeo and Juliet scheduled for next year. How is it that not even one can be given to Nuñez/Muntagirov??? Just disgusting! 

Hardly. They have never been paired together in R&J and it’s unlikely to happen now, although it’s not impossible. And, much as I’m a Marianela/Vadim fan, personally I would like to see him paired with someone else for that. To my mind, they wouldn’t be right together.

 

And I doubt they themselves would want to be paired together for everything. Dancers become stale if they dance with the same partner all the time. To my mind, they have both performed better together in the recent season after having performances with other dancers to mix things up a bit.

 

Of course, if there were more classical ballets in the upcoming season I’ve no doubt we would see them paired together more - but there aren’t. Maybe in the Balanchine.

Edited June 25 by Balletfanp

[Suffolkgal]

I did wonder … given a lot of love for him on her instagram… whether Nunez Bracewell might be an R and J pairing? She has said she dreamed of being his Juliet and I think they did the ballet last year abroad? 

[Nina99]

1 hour ago, Suffolkgal said:

I did wonder … given a lot of love for him on her instagram… whether Nunez Bracewell might be an R and J pairing? She has said she dreamed of being his Juliet and I think they did the ballet last year abroad? 

I think that it’s very likely that they will be paired together in R & J.  I read a rave review of their performance together in Japan and Nunez was highly complimentary to Bracewell on her IG.  As for Muntagirov I would be very surprised and indeed quite disappointed if he is not partnered with Fumi Kaneko for this ballet. I think that they would be wonderful together. 

[MildConcern]

11 hours ago, ThoughtsFlow said:

So, Nela & Vadim are only for sure dancing one ballet together next season?? I find the mere thought completely horrifying. And disgusting!

 

There are nearly 30 performances of Romeo and Juliet scheduled for next year. How is it that not even one can be given to Nuñez/Muntagirov??? Just disgusting! 

We all have our preferences, but I don't like the language you have used here.

 

It's not "disgusting". It may be disappointing to you, but disgusting sounds somewhat disrespectful to all the other dancers they could be paired with. 

 

I have to say, Nunez wouldn't even be in my top 3 choices for Muntagirov's potential Juliet next run. For something like Coppelia maybe, but not as Juliet. So it's not as universal as you make it sound. 

 

I also think you might have a slightly skewed view of RB casting if you mainly watch via stream and DVD. Nunez and Muntagirov have never been exclusively partnered with each other and have both enjoyed varied and fruitful partnerships with other dancers. And as others have pointed out, age may be a factor in Muntagirov cementing his partnerships elsewhere as Nunez, while still at peak powers, is approaching the twilight of her career. 

[Mora]

3 hours ago, Nina99 said:

I think that it’s very likely that they will be paired together in R & J.  I read a rave review of their performance together in Japan and Nunez was highly complimentary to Bracewell on her IG.  

On the one hand (although it wouldn’t match my choice), I quite agree with this prediction. Marianela seemed to be utterly pleased to have been paired with William and I guess her opinion counts in terms of partnerships.
On the other hand, I don’t opine that Marianela matches William as well as Fumi does, mostly in a so meaty piece like R&J (same for Manon or Mayerlig). I have seen quite a few snapshots and videos of both pairs in R&J and, from my perspective, Nunez looks more mature than William (don’t get me wrong, I’m not referring to the gap age that exists between them but in the way she embraces the role). So her Juliet –for me- is not so believable.  
Regarding Fumi and Vadim, for different reasons, I’m not interested in seing them in this piece

Thus, the only positive aspect for me if these forecasts come true would be that I would save a lot of money.

Let's see what happens. 
 

Edited June 25 by Mora

[Paco]

6 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

Dancers become stale if they dance with the same partner all the time. To my mind, they have both performed better together in the recent season after having performances with other dancers to mix things up a bit.

I agree

[Suffolkgal]

just recalling Park Eagling and Collier Mukhamedov - hopefully this season will bring similar magic 

[OnePigeon]

I’d be really interested in seeing Nunez and Bracewell in R&J and this could well be her last time performing it at the ROH.  Bracewell is definitely top of my Romeo list and I’ve never seen Nunez in the role, so I’d be happy with this partnership.  I’m the same age as Marianela and can imagine just being in his beautiful presence would bring out the inner callow ingenue in me, so maybe they could be great together.