Royal Ballet Ashton mixed bills, June 2024

[LinMM]

Well he’s still cast in The Dream on Monday but wonder whether if he is being replaced then it’s not been announced as hasn’t been decided yet though it’s getting close now. If he can’t perform on Monday I’m really hoping Francesca still is as well!!! 

[LinMM]

Aha posting at same time BBB so that sounds like good news! 

[Geoff]

22 hours ago, hephaistion03 said:

I think Natalia and William took the incident in  their stride, Her hair became entangled in the spikes of his crown whilst dancing the duet.

 

Initially the dancers tried to deal with the entanglement between themselves but eventually  five members of the stage crew came on individually to deal with the issue, the last stage hand  bringing with her a pair of scissors

 

When they became untangled both  dancers were laughing and smiling , Natalie punched the air with both arms , William was laughing and smiling a lot : > ) 

 

All's well that end well : > )

Let the record show that Puck came back on to the stage to help as well. Liam Boswell stayed in character, which added to the positive atmosphere and was much appreciated by the audience. 

[Geoff]

6 hours ago, Sim said:

Although there was enthusiastic applause for these two ballet legends, I was rather disappointed that they didn't get a standing ovation.  I would have started one, except that I was already standing!

I suppose you could have started jumping Sim! 

[Geoff]

5 hours ago, JNC said:

Les Rendevous was a real delight. Wonderful costumes and sets… Jasper Conran should be well commended for this redesign it’s gorgeous - the grey skirts having the odd sparkle, it was so chic and elegant.

+1

[Sim]

9 minutes ago, Geoff said:

I suppose you could have started jumping Sim! 

With only a wall behind me, no-one would have seen (they might have felt it though! 😂)!

[Jamesrhblack]

In London early ahead of the Sarasota Ballet weekend and just managed a return for this evening. Looking forward very much 😀

[Richard LH]

https://www.roh.org.uk/about/cast-sheets

[Lesley]

No Marco Masciari as Puck tonight. He was due to be in Vadim’s cast.

Injured?

[Fonty]

8 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Ticket sales for the Les Rendezvous triple bill has picked up well, but somewhat at the expense of the Short Works mixed bill, which is currently struggling a bit, with  over 500 unsold seats and over 90 standing places as of last night for the Tuesday performance. 

 

It might be a bit confusing to have the the short works as well as the triple bill scheduled at the same time. The triple looks a more substantial programme than the other one, possibly making people think they are getting more for their money?  

[art_enthusiast]

3 hours ago, Lesley said:

No Marco Masciari as Puck tonight. He was due to be in Vadim’s cast.

Injured?

Oh dear, I hope not!

[Paco]

2 hours ago, Fonty said:

 

It might be a bit confusing to have the the short works as well as the triple bill scheduled at the same time. The triple looks a more substantial programme than the other one, possibly making people think they are getting more for their money?  

The contrast between both programs, one selling quite well, the other one being an unbelievable disaster in terms of box office, is really a mystery for me, I don't understand it. There is the Euro soccer championship at the same time than Program 2, but I doubt it could explain this disaster (at the same period Swan Lake is sold out).

Edited June 7 by Paco

[alison]

There are 10 days before the next performance: plenty of time for sales to look rather less "diastrous".

[li tai po]

Marco Masciari was due to dance the pas de trois in one of the casts for Les Rendezvous, but he was replaced by Harrison Lee in the insight evening and in the general rehearsal yesterday.

[Rob S]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Rob S

[bridiem]

The thing about Ashton is that he was both a genius and a natural craftsman. I don't get the impression that he considered music or concepts from the outside and then decided on an intellectual level how to approach them. I think that ballet was his instinctive language, and he spoke it more profoundly and more beautifully than anyone else - with the possible exception of Balanchine - has, does or (I suspect) ever will.

 

Last night's programme gave us plenty of evidence of his genius. The Dream is a whole world of magic, humour and romance depicted in less than an hour. Cuthbertson, Muntagirov and Boswell led an excellent performance. Five Brahms Waltzes gives us a vivid impression of the effect Isadora Duncan had on Ashton; it could have been made for Osipova. The Walk to Paradise Garden is a beautiful and romantic pas de deux (with a slightly weird ending), beautifully performed by Giminez, Graziano and Pratt from Sarasota Ballet. Hayward and Bracewell brought great commitment and drama to Hamlet and Ophelia, in striking new designs from Sarah Armstrong-Jones. And Rhapsody is a breathtaking, virtuosic response to Rachmaninov's gorgeous music. Sae Maeda danced the lead female role with charm and grace but perhaps a little too much reserve; Daichi Ikarashi did well technically but for me lacked the insouciance and presence that the role requires. That may well come with time and more experience. But I do think that these are very much principal roles and should be cast as such. I also found some of the other dancing a little ragged at times. Ashton's speed and finesse is clearly still significantly challenging for dancers.

 

Lovely piano work too, from Kate Shipway on stage for Five Brahms Waltzes and Rob Clark off stage for Rhapsody! And generally a treat to have so much wonderful music in one evening.

 

 

[LinMM]

It’s so rare these days that all three : music, dance and costumes come together to make such a uniquely enjoyable experience. 

[Emeralds]

First reaction from me after last night's Dream/Short Works/Rhapsody mixed bill:

 

The Dream- sweet, cosy rendition. Cuthbertson and Muntagirov dance the roles at a slightly more leisurely tempo than many performers; a few balances (a signature step in choreography Ashton made for Anthony Dowell, who excelled at such steps) slightly challenging for Vadim, Cuthbertson great at the comedy,  Muntagirov charismatic in his acting in this debut. Cowley, Turk, Dixon and Brændsrød very funny as the lovers, an excellent quartet of Fairies (Dias, Allnatt, Bradbury, Tonkinson) and wonderful fairy ensemble dancing Ashton's choreography brilliantly.

 

Cuthbertson and Muntagirov portray Titania and Oberon as romantic lovers having a spat over the child and a romantic reconciliation at the end- very different from the original and most interpretations where both are more spiky, slightly darker,  more headstrong, battling over control and at the end, having won the child back, the overall vibe in the pas de deux is Oberon conveying "I love you and thanks for returning me the boy, but don't forget, I'm in charge".

 

The two standouts for me, surprisingly, were Liam Boswell as Puck and Thomas Whitehead as Bottom. Bottom is generally portrayed as a comical (almost buffoonish) role, but I've never seen the solo on pointe danced with as much virtuosity as this: Whitehead took it at such a brisk pace with such detail and an increased level of technical difficulty- it really was quite a feat! And at the end, when transformed back to a human, he performs the same mime as many have done,  but instead of a simpleton who has had fairy magic playing tricks on him, he portrays a rustic with dignity, a man who has experienced a genuine mysterious phenomenon- really moving.

 

Boswell made an impressive debut (IIRC he was still in RBS when the ballet was last performed) in both the ballet and the role of Puck- dazzling in his jumps and the speed (and rock solid technique) of his turns and the  allegro work, astonishingly detailed acting and impressive command of the part. Fantastic. 

 

Five Brahms Waltzes ITMOID is a bit of a niche piece and admittedly not a fave of mine- it can feel like "ballet dancer portraying a dancer who never did ballet, just mooching around". I can appreciate that Isadora Duncan made a great impression on Ashton and she is a fascinating figure for film makers and choreographers, but the piece can be challenging as to whether you go for a personal interpretation (which is what ballet or indeed theatre should be about) or try to incorporate as much of the real historical figure as possible.

 

Without having had the chance to see Lynn Seymour, the creator of the role, it's hard to know what to make of the piece about the woman who is often regarded one of the pioneers of modern dance, as modern dance nowadays is vastly different- almost unrecognisable- from Duncan's time. Today it is athletic, physically demanding, very skilled in terms of muscular control, flexibility and stamina, none of which were part of Duncan's performancs (from photos, old film footage and eyewitness accounts). I have never gotten much from the few performances of FBWITMOID that I previously watched, but Osipova, with her love for exploring contemporary dance, and her ability to bring passion and drama to any solo that requires it, makes this piece the most compelling performance I've ever seen of it- the only time I've ever enjoyed it. Brava.

 

Walk to the Paradise Garden  was made for Merle Park and David Wall in 1972, with Derek Rencher portraying the acting role of a death/fate figure. I've never seen it on stage before, only in photos and a masterclass on video. The pas de deux is romantic and beautiful, with little runs on pointe for the woman, lots of swirling lifts and some impressive lifts for the man while lying down. The dancers portray Romeo and Juliet (the music from Delius's opera A Village Romeo and Juliet)- Macarena Gimenez and Ricardo Graziano are elegant, graceful and have wonderful lines, wonderful chemistry as the doomed lovers, and great stage presence, with Daniel Pratt mysterious as the death/fate figure. A magnificent performance. 

 

The main knockout of the evening for me was William Bracewell and Francesca Hayward in (and as) Hamlet and Ophelia. The ballet looks custom made for Bracewell and Hayward (actually created on Nureyev and Fonteyn almost around the same time as Marguerite and Armand). Bracewell is utterly compelling as the brooding, conflicted and troubled Hamlet, his gift in being able to act volumes in every movement and step really come into play here. The style of choreography also fits Hayward like a glove- or I should say she makes it fit her. Brilliant as a frail, young Ophelia in love with Hamlet whose troubled behaviour and rejection of her tips her over into madness, her beautiful lines and dramatic skills are perfect for this role. If you haven't yet bought a ticket for the Short Works bill, book them in this ballet, if you already have one for the Corrales/Lamb cast, clear your schedule and get another ticket to see  Bracewell and Hayward as well - they are unforgettable and unmissable: one of the top performances at ROH this season. 

 

After that incredible second act, nothing else can really match that other than some good old fashioned classical ballet, glorious music and virtuosity- which Rhapsody delivers. Making double debuts with an equally young ensemble, Sae Maeda and Daichi Ikarashi made a slightly nervy (but not wobbly) start and eased into the ballet as it went on, and by the middle of the first pas de deux, were relaxed and glorious, luxuriating in the sweeping phrases. It's the best pas de deux performance I've seen Maeda in, and Ikarashi looks a strong and dependable pair of hands as her partner. Maeda was happily confident and beautiful in the lyrical solo dancing she excels in, and Ikarashi of course breathtaking in the skill, elevation and speed of the pyrotechnics we now know him well for - those pirouettes! Those 540s! Those maneges! It's like Baryshnikov was back in the house again. Kudos too, to the excellent dancing from the ensemble of Kim, Nikelski, Lubach, Yu, Sumina Sasaki, Turk, Lench, Diaz, Foskett, Large, Junker and Serrano for their grace, synchronicity, strength (in the lifts), jumps, lightness and wonderful support to Maeda and Ikarashi. 

 

A very happy audience with some jumping spontaneously to their feet (briefly, before sitting again, including me....well, I was in the back row with no standing places behind) at curtain calls. Regardless of what the critics do or don't say, I heartily recommend getting tickets for this cast (Bracewell/Hayward, Osipova and Maeda/Ikarashi). And one simply must see The Walk to the Paradise Garden! 

 

PS thank you to @Rob S for fabulous photos- I'm pleased to report that  those making debuts or dancing the leads received bouquets, including Muntagirov and the Sarasota Ballet dancers. 

Edited June 8 by Emeralds

[alison]

Oops, one autocorrect - maneges not manages!

[Emeralds]

Thanks @alison- autocorrect was crazy this morning, changing the names of most of the dancers and even a few of the ballets.....thanks for spotting the one that got away! 

Edited June 8 by Emeralds

[JNC]

I can see why the Les Rendevous bill is selling better to be honest, I have to admit I much preferred that to the “short works” which I found a bit mixed and a slightly odd selection for an Ashton celebration (perhaps I am not so well versed in why these pieces are so important?).

 

I wasn’t so wowed with the Dream last night, Muntagirov was a bit panto for my liking and oddly for him he didn’t seem to nail the choreography as confidently as I would have expected given his incredible talent. After Hayward’s lovely Titania I found Cuthbertson to be a little cold and reserved and I didn’t feel the charm of the piece overall. Credit to Liam Boswell as a fantastic Puck though and whilst I still marvelled in Ashton’s choreography and the wonderful music, it just didn’t reach the highs of the opening night performance.

 

Osipova danced excellent in the Duncan piece, but I found the rest of the second part a bit odd and didn’t work for me individually or as a group of works. Paradise Garden had some lovely bits but for me it felt a bit spoiled by the somewhat dour/dated costumes and the very bizarre figure at the end (no idea what it was about and detracted from the piece). It was interesting to see some MacMillan style partnering though and I thought the Sarasota dancers performed very well. Unfortunately I didn’t really get Hamlet and Ophelia at all. Of course Hayward and Bracewell danced fantastically but choregraphically and musically it didn’t really work for me.

 

Having said that, I much preferred last night’s Rhapsody as an overall piece. Interestingly I found Ikarashi handled the role more to my preference than Nakao (when he does the big spinning leaps at the end my heart actually stopped for a bit as I thought he’d overdone it and was going to fall and injure himself, I had similar adrenaline when watching Sambe in 2022) and I felt that for Rhapsody the casting is so important as you really need dancers that will just elevate and bring that level of drama. I agree that it probably does require more senior/experienced dancers (first soloist and principals) to be honest. Whilst I found Ikarashi and Maeda good, it wasn’t really on the levels that I’ve seen from all the principals cast in the 2022 run. All for giving dancers opportunities but I also think it’s important to cast properly and give the audience a certain level of consistent experience. I found the casting seemed to work better overall for Rhapsody last night and it ended the evening on a high (contrasting with the first night where I felt Rhapsody let the side down a bit). 
 

i actually have another ticket for the short works bill but im debating returning it as I’m not bothered about seeing any of the “short works” again to be honest. But Osipova/Bracewell in the dream and acri/Magri in rhapsody are enticing me, and it’s a bit of a “last hurrah” in the sense I’m not really planning to see any ballet in the Autumn given my preferences so otherwise it’s 6 months or so until Cinderella! 
 

I am quite disappointed (again) that Muntagirov and Kaneko aren’t doing the Saturday Les rendezvous matinee as I think I would have certainly go out of my way to see that again. As it stands I can’t really justify seeing it again with Nunez and Clarke as much as I adored it so I will just have to hope it gets revived soon(ish). But I can see why Les rendezvous is selling much better and I hope O’Hare takes note! 
 

 

[Linnzi5]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

The thing about Ashton is that he was both a genius and a natural craftsman. I don't get the impression that he considered music or concepts from the outside and then decided on an intellectual level how to approach them. I think that ballet was his instinctive language, and he spoke it more profoundly and more beautifully than anyone else - with the possible exception of Balanchine - has, does or (I suspect) ever will.

 

Last night's programme gave us plenty of evidence of his genius. The Dream is a whole world of magic, humour and romance depicted in less than an hour. Cuthbertson, Muntagirov and Boswell led an excellent performance. Five Brahms Waltzes gives us a vivid impression of the effect Isadora Duncan had on Ashton; it could have been made for Osipova. The Walk to Paradise Garden is a beautiful and romantic pas de deux (with a slightly weird ending), beautifully performed by Giminez, Graziano and Pratt from Sarasota Ballet. Hayward and Bracewell brought great commitment and drama to Hamlet and Ophelia, in striking new designs from Sarah Armstrong-Jones. And Rhapsody is a breathtaking, virtuosic response to Rachmaninov's gorgeous music. Sae Maeda danced the lead female role with charm and grace but perhaps a little too much reserve; Daichi Ikarashi did well technically but for me lacked the insouciance and presence that the role requires. That may well come with time and more experience. But I do think that these are very much principal roles and should be cast as such. I also found some of the other dancing a little ragged at times. Ashton's speed and finesse is clearly still significantly challenging for dancers.

 

Lovely piano work too, from Kate Shipway on stage for Five Brahms Waltzes and Rob Clark off stage for Rhapsody! And generally a treat to have so much wonderful music in one evening.

 

 

This is exactly how I felt.

 

The Dream is just wonderful! To be able to tell the story so clearly shows what a wonderful talent Ashton was. It is clear (if someone didn't know the play) what is happening. There is humour, mischief, love and a real sense of magic. I went to opening night on Thursday, where Hayward/Sambè were Oberon and Titania. Hayward was exquisite. Sambè a little less certain for me, but some lovely dancing. The other characters were very well danced and the acting was wonderful, especially from Olivia Cowley. 

 

Last night's performance - led by Cuthbertson and Muntagirov - again, had some lovely dancing. However, the show was stolen by Liam Boswell, as Puck, for me. He was wonderful! He danced beautifully, of course, but his characterisation was perfect. That mischievous little sprite, had me smiling non-stop and I was just totally spellbound every time Boswell was on stage. So much to admire here. The Dream, for me, is the standout ballet from all those offered in these two programmes.

 

I can't really compare the two performances in terms of the two leads as they were so different. Plusses and minuses to both. So I won't. Suffice it to say, I very much enjoyed both!

 

I liked Osipova in the Five Brahms Waltzes - there is something I love about her unique style (though at times she is a bit 'marmite' for me). However, I loved her sense of drama and abandon. She is a wonderful actress and that definitely came across last night.

 

Hamlet and Ophelia, I really liked. I don't think the ROH audience were as enamoured as I was. However, it is dramatic and dark and Bracewell was his usual emotive, elegant, though rather disturbed on this occasion, self. Another wonderful actor, I do wonder if I would have liked it as much if Bracewell wasn't dancing. I am due to see Corrales and Lamb, so I suppose I will find out in due course. Hayward was lovely as Ophelia, though she doesn't get much to do really.  I love watching Bracewell dance and I am very familiar with the work, having seen it a number of times on the Ashton Foundation stream. I felt this was better staged than on the recording (which was obviously not done on the main stage before). I can see why some would find it a little bland but I didn't. I did like Sarah Armstrong-Jones' background in the flesh. However, I did have a couple of issues with the costumes not being, um, very robust!

 

Rhapsody is a lovely, exhilarating work and I know it very well. The ROH audience loved it. I thought Maeda was lovely - elegant and poised. I admire her very much but I agree that she now needs to let go a bit more now - I am certain that will come with time. Ikarashi showed some wonderfully technical dancing at times - so well done to him, however, I felt he lacked personality, stage presence and charm which did leave me a little disappointed at times. I hope, again, that this will come in time.

 

Walk to the Paradise Garden was interesting and lyrically danced. It was a beautiful work and I really enjoyed it.  I found the end (and the costume on the last dancer to appear) to be rather odd. Still, I did enjoy it.

 

On Thursday, I really liked Les Rendezvous itself - it was a breath of fresh air. Fun, elegant and light-hearted. The costumes were exactly the kind I love and were beautiful. I liked the staging. I loved Gasparini - yet again her vibrancy and joy engulfed me and she stole the show for me. Nunez was as elegant as she always is, but for me, something was lacking this time - I'm not sure what it was. Clarke is a lovely dancer, and danced well, but again, something was not quite right for me. I think the disparity in height and physique between the two dancers is a little off-putting for me. I know this is my issue, but this pairing doesn't quite work sometimes for me.

 

So far, I haven't found my dream team of partners for Rhapsody. Lovely to see O'Sullivan on stage again though. 

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing other pairings and performances in the next few weeks - I'm particularly looking forward to Bracewell/Osipova and Naghdi/Richardson in The Dream, Magri in the Brahms and Kaneko/Muntagirov in Les Rendezvous. I'm also keen to see different pairings in Rhapsody - I think Magri/Acri will be one I love.

 

A huge shout out to the two pianists - Kate Shipway and Rob Clark, they are total superstars and I always love hearing them play. The orchestra was lovely in The Dream, as were the choir. I am a huge Mendelssohn fan and  listening to the music alone was bliss.

 

In summary, I have really enjoyed the works shown in these two programmes.

Edited June 8 by Linnzi5

[Sim]

I found last night a bit of a mixed bag:

 

I loved the Cuthbertson/Muntagirov Dream double debut.  It was a more romantic (in all senses of the word) portrayal than many I have seen, more gentle and soft.  I loved Vadim's interpretation of Oberon, almost bemused and amused by everything happening around him.  The look on his face when he was trying to figure out these strange human beings and how their relationships worked made me smile.  As expected, a confident debut from Liam Bosworth as Puck. Not only was his dancing remarkable, but he got the characterisation just right...sweet and cheeky, but with the feeling that you wouldn't want to attract his attention in case he turned you into something strange!

 

I have never much liked Five Dances and despite Natalia Osipova's best efforts my mind wasn't changed.  

 

This was my first viewing of Paradise Garden and I loved it....except that the ending is very weird, surpassed only by the weirdness of Death's costume. It was danced beautifully, with feeling, by the two Sarasota dancers Macarena Gimenez and Ricardo Graziano.

 

I hadn't seen Hamlet and Ophelia before either.  Despite sterling performances from Hayward and Bracewell I found that it dragged somewhat.  I did like the designs by Sarah Armstrong-Jones although I'm not sure what (if anything) they were depicting:  maybe the swirling thoughts in Hamlet's brain?

 

I loved Rhapsody and thought that the debuts from Sae Maeda and Daichi Ikarashi were gorgeous.  I haven't felt so moved watching the central pdd since I saw Hayward dance it with James Hay a few years ago.  I think it must be something about watching these young dancers achieve something so beautiful.  Very promising portents for the future of the company, and Sae reminded us why she received the Emerging Talent award at the NDAs last Monday. 

 

 

[Rachelm]

On 07/06/2024 at 08:47, Geoff said:

 

Tears of joy throughout. Again and again. So very grateful to be watching a genius at work instead of yet more second (or worse) rate new choreography. Thank you Sir Fred and let's hope he works his magic on the decision-makers planning the future. 

I was in tears throughout the programme, in The Dream and Rhapsody- divine! I very much want to go again!

Edited June 8 by Rachelm
To add.

[Jamesrhblack]

I was very pleased to have secured a decent return for last night’s programme and enjoyed the evening increasingly. I’d agree with most of the comments above and felt that the quality of the music and choreography were the single most important factors.

 

I enjoyed The Walk to the Paradise Garden absolutely the most: beautiful choreography to ravishing music, passionately performed by The Sarasota Ballet dancers.

 

It was also very interesting to contrast the different principal couple characterisations created by Ashton. The spiky opposition moving towards lyrical fusion, but still challenged of Oberon and Titania (slightly underplayed by Cuthbertson and Muntagirov?); the sensual heady abandon of The Village Romeo and Juliet embracing (or being embraced by) Death; the bewildered frustration of Hamlet and Ophelia (concerning to read in the excellent programme notes that Ashton took some inspiration from Nureyev’s insulting treatment of Fonteyn in rehearsals); and the technical vying (with a romantic interlude) of Rhapsody.

 

Absolutely agree with the praise for Liam Boswell and Thomas Whitehead; found Natalia Osipova mesmerising (what a conundrum she is, sometimes captivating, at other times infuriating, never dull); felt William Bracewell and Francesca Hayward did their best with seemed a not notably inspired piece (was I influenced by Julie Kavanagh’s dismissal of it as “not distinguished”); and very impressed with Daichi Ikarashi and Sae Maeda from a technical point of view (and her épaulement in the turning section was lovely indeed), but agree with Bridiem that more “insouciance” (what a gorgeous and under-used word) was definitely needed. 

 

Good to see flowers for lovely Kate Shipway who played the Brahms so eloquently and also to see the appreciation for Robert Clark for his tackling of the Rachmaninov which is fiendish.

 

The pleasure definitely took precedence over the quibbles and I am very much looking forward to the three Sarasota Ballet programmes this weekend, especially as the extremely helpful young lady at the Box Office helped me upgrade the not notably good tickets that were all I could initially buy to some considerably better seats.

 

 

 

 

[Mary]

Seeing so much Ashton all at once after a long break, I was not only overcome with its brilliance, but reminded how very hard the choreography is for the dancers. 

I might be quite wrong here, but it did strike me that, whereas in the classics, the lead dancers might change a variation a bit to suit themselves, and in Macmillan there can be a little bit of fudging here and there with the emotion and acting making up for it -  with Ashton they have to dance what's there and do it right,  and what's there is often very difficult indeed, and usually needs to look as if danced with joyful - yes - insouciance!

So I take my hat off to the dancers for tackling it all , for the most part so wonderfully well. It has given me tremendous pleasure.

 

[JNC]

51 minutes ago, Jamesrhblack said:

was I influenced by Julie Kavanagh’s dismissal of it as “not distinguished

Was this the comment in the programme? I read something a bit negative and it felt a bit odd it was included to me - by all means be critical but when each piece only gets one paragraph it sort of questions why it was selected in the first place!

 

Not to become known for being obsessed with programmes but I was a bit disappointed with this one. Given the breadth of works, the new costumes/stagings and fact these works aren’t rarely seen to have only two articles covering them all with scant information was quite disappointing. I would have loved to have seen some sketches of Conrad’s designs (or some costume close ups for either this or the Dream which might be the most beautiful one act ballet?) and a bit more of an exploration of the different works. Certainly compared to the excellently produced Sarasota programme where every single piece had information on choreography, set/costume design and music with a photo it felt quite light on substance.

 

As someone who is still new to ballet in the grand scheme of things I find the programmes really helpful to find out more to deepen my understanding and viewing experience (oh and yes I do love the beautiful photos of dancers, particularly the rehearsal ones of course!) 

[Timmie]

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

...The main knockout of the evening for me was William Bracewell and Francesca Hayward in (and as) Hamlet and Ophelia. The ballet looks custom made for Bracewell and Hayward (actually created on Nureyev and Fonteyn almost around the same time as Marguerite and Armand). Bracewell is utterly compelling as the brooding, conflicted and troubled Hamlet, his gift in being able to act volumes in every movement and step really come into play here. The style of choreography also fits Hayward like a glove- or I should say she makes it fit her...

 

Totally agree with this Emeralds. It took me a few minutes to ‘get’ the character of Hamlet/Bracewell but when I did this short ballet became the most enjoyable part of the evening. And a fantastic role for Hayward.

[Geoff]

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Bottom is generally portrayed as a comical (almost buffoonish) role, but I've never seen the solo on pointe danced with as much virtuosity as this: Whitehead took it at such a brisk pace with such detail and an increased level of technical difficulty- it really was quite a feat! And at the end, when transformed back to a human, he performs the same mime as many have done,  but instead of a simpleton who has had fairy magic playing tricks on him, he portrays a rustic with dignity, a man who has experienced a genuine mysterious phenomenon- really moving.

 

Completely agree, thank you for describing his remarkable performance so well.
 

A (tiny) note for the future: there is a beat when Bottom (as ass) strikes a generic Giselle pose before leaving for the wings. As became clear at one of the dress rehearsals this gag is funnier if the pose is held a fraction longer (pointed). But maybe Whitehead chooses to play down such in-jokes. 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, JNC said:

Not to become known for being obsessed with programmes but I was a bit disappointed with this one.

 

Oh dear, I've been waiting for the Ashton triple bills to buy my annual RB programme so this sounds a bit disappointing. May I ask if there a single programme for both the Ashton bills or do they have separate ones?

[Emeralds]

15 minutes ago, Geoff said:

Bottom (as ass) strikes a generic Giselle pose before leaving for the wings. As became clear at one of the dress rehearsals this gag is funnier if the pose is held a fraction longer (pointed). But maybe Whitehead chooses to play down such in-jokes. 

Thanks, Geoff! Haha, I know the pose you mean! Very funny indeed. 😄 

[Emeralds]

8 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Oh dear, I've been waiting for the Ashton triple bills to buy my annual RB programme so this sounds a bit disappointing. May I ask if there a single programme for both the Ashton bills or do they have separate ones?

Single one, @Dawnstar! Very economical. I liked it though! Maybe my standards are lower than JNC's. 😀  Have a look at it in the shop before you decide- you might like it? If not then maybe you'll prefer to get the Swan Lake one instead. (The shop should have both on the shelves.)

Edited June 8 by Emeralds

[Dawnstar]

Thanks @Emeralds. I'm never sure about checking programmes in the shop as they usually seem to have them right by the till so I feel like I'd be in the way of purchasers. Thinking about it I'm not really interested in getting an SL programme, because I have the book about the production, so I'll have to get the Ashton one as there's nothing else left for this season.