Lauren Cuthbertson becomes Royal Ballet Principal Guest Artist

[AnticaFiamma]

https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Royal-Ballet-Principal-Dancer-Lauren-Cuthbertson-becomes-Principal-Guest-Artist-20240917

[AnticaFiamma]

Lauren Cuthbertson says, "I am thrilled to announce my new role as Principal Guest Artist with The Royal Ballet. After over two decades with this incredible company, I am excited to step into a new chapter that will allow me to build on my experiences and develop in new ways, both on and off the stage. The Royal Ballet has been my home, where I’ve had the privilege to learn, grow and be inspired alongside so many talented artists. While my role will change, I look forward to continuing to perform for our cherished audiences and taking on new creative challenges that will shape my future in dance. Thank you to everyone who has, and is, supporting me throughout this journey. I am deeply grateful.” 

[oncnp]

and from IG  Royal Ballet and Opera (@royalballetandopera) • Instagram photos and videos

[Richard LH]

I am wondering  what her new role means, exactly?? 🤔

[Emeralds]

Wonder if she's going to do what Sylvie Guillem, Carlos Acosta and Darcey Bussell did? I think all 3 had the same title- although their contracts may or may not have been the same. It was to give them a more flexible schedule to go off and do other work, although it looked to me like Carlos still managed to fit in lots of performances with RB.

Edited Tuesday at 10:36 by Emeralds

[Elodie]

I think it means that she would come back for certain roles, for example the Red Queen in Alice In Wonderland. I noticed that the past season she has not been cast for all  principal roles. Perhaps she wants to focus on other things!

[Rob S]

8 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

I am wondering  what her new role means, exactly?? 🤔

 

'I'm going part time'

[Silke H]

14 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

I am wondering  what her new role means, exactly?? 🤔

more control over her schedule and roles

[Richard LH]

11 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

'I'm going part time'

😂

[art_enthusiast]

12 minutes ago, Elodie said:

I think it means that she would come back for certain roles, for example the Red Queen in Alice In Wonderland. I noticed that the past season she has not been cast for all  principal roles. Perhaps she wants to focus on other things!

So does that mean she will be guesting with other companies? Or maybe doing something else like choreography/teaching?

[Lizbie1]

It would have been nice if the press release had explained what the role meant, rather than just providing the usual platitudes. Who writes this stuff? ChatGPT?

[alison]

I guess it probably means pretty much what the parties involved want it to mean  

[oncnp]

.....or, more cynically, full time services no longer required. 'Be interesting to see if O'Hare promotes in to the now-vacant slot. 

Edited Tuesday at 10:54 by oncnp

[Elodie]

9 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

So does that mean she will be guesting with other companies? Or maybe doing something else like choreography/teaching?

It might be that she wants to spend more time with her family- I suspect being a ballerina and a mum is hard as the days are long. I doubt she will guest with other companies but we never know!

[JaneHartley]

8 minutes ago, oncnp said:

.....or, more cynically, full time services no longer required. 'Be interesting to see if O'Hare promotes in to the now-vacant slot. 

Hopefully no one, they are bloated enough at the top rank as it is. 

To me it sounds like basically she is going part time to focus on family. Returning for particular roles, she will keep doing. She hasn't done much guesting recently as far as I am aware. 

[San Perregrino]

33 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

I am wondering  what her new role means, exactly?? 🤔

 

25 minutes ago, Rob S said:

 

'I'm going part time'

 

perhaps winding down, moving towards retirement from dancing...

best efforts to watch her while I still can 

 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

'I'm going part time'

 

1 hour ago, oncnp said:

.....or, more cynically, full time services no longer required. 'Be interesting to see if O'Hare promotes in to the now-vacant slot. 

 

If that's the criteria then it feels as though many of the Principals could be Principal Guest Artists at the moment, as they are given so few performances at the ROH & spend so much time guesting elsewhere! Cuthbertson actually has more performances scheduled for the first half of the season than several other Principals do.

Edited Tuesday at 12:09 by Dawnstar

[Dawnstar]

39 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Cuthbertson actually has more performances scheduled for the first half of the season than several other Principals do.

 

I was hoping to be able to add to my post above but I ran out of time for editing it. I've just added up the number of performances each Principal has scheduled this season,up to February which is as far as casting currently goes (data attached if anyone wants to check my numbers). Cuthbertson has 11 performances scheduled, while by my reckoning 12 other Principals have fewer than 11, with 4 of them (Hirano, Lamb, Muntagirov & Osipova) having a mere 3 performances each scheduled. Now obviously this quick count-up doesn't take into account things like sizes of roles or dancers returning from injury, nor indeed the much-discussed issue of how contempory-weighted this season is, but on paper it does seem a bit odd that a dancer who is becoming a Guest Artist is scheduled for more performances than over half of the "full time" Principals!

Principal Performances 2024.txt

[Emeralds]

In the past, Bussell explained her Principal Guest Artist role thus- she goes through the season repertoire with the Artistic Director and they discuss and pick the roles she will dance and she just comes for rehearsals and performances of those roles, leaving her free to do what she wants the rest of the year (she indicated then that it was principally to have time for her young family). That also meant she wouldn't have to be available to replace another principal at short notice who became injured or ill. 

 

Guillem said she picked what she wanted to dance from the roles & ballets for that season in advance , which were dictated both by her availability (if she had agreed or chosen other projects before RB season plans were finalised) as well as dictating her availability for numerous other invitations and projects. 

 

David Hallberg also had a Principal Guest Artist contract in 2018-19 after being invited for a few guest appearances initially, although that seemed to be designed around ballets he would dance with Natalia Osipova (he didn't partner anyone else). Carlos Acosta's contract looked the most busy to me (seemed like he danced more than some principals on the "normal" principal roster!) and he juggled that along with a principal dancer contract with ABT as well as guest appearances elsewhere. My guess is that Cuthbertson's schedule will most resemble Bussell's schedule (and with two young children, family commitments seem the most likely reason) rather than Acosta or Guillem's. 

Edited Tuesday at 13:14 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, JaneHartley said:

Hopefully no one, they are bloated enough at the top rank as it is. 

To me it sounds like basically she is going part time to focus on family. Returning for particular roles, she will keep doing. She hasn't done much guesting recently as far as I am aware. 

The only non-RB performance she did this season that I was aware of was the Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux with Matthew Ball for Ivan Putrov's Dance for Ukraine II charity fundraiser in February this year, at the London Palladium.

 

Years ago she did the summer Verdensballetten season in Denmark that Steven McRae, Federico Bonelli, and Xander Parish did, among other guest stints. I agree, family reasons look the most likely. 

[FionaM]

Perhaps there have been invitations that she couldn’t accept before now … due to juggling family and RB schedule.  

[Sophoife]

Maybe as her elder child gets to school age and she's danced with the company for 22 years now, she's just winding back her commitments.

 

I was lucky enough that when she came out to Australia to dance in Alice (with Chris Rodgers-Wilson, fondly remembered from his days at BRB by at least one Forum member), I was in the house. CRW always lifted for an occasion, and his Jack/Knave that night was the best I've seen, either live or on film.

 

I'd be very surprised if she stays on as Principal Guest Artist dancing leading roles past summer 2026. She's dancing Mother/Queen of Hearts eight times, and Tatiana three.

[Silke H]

In today's Friends' ENews:

 

"Lauren Cuthbertson, Principal Dancer of the Royal Ballet is moving to a new role as Principal Guest Artist after two years performing with the Company.

Celebrated for her artistry, musicality and dramatic flair, Lauren is a leading exponent of Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan ballets and has created numerous works with some of the world's leading choreographers including Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Cathy Marston. 

This Season, you can see Lauren make her debut as The Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a ballet in which she created the title role of Alice in 2011.

Congratulations Lauren!"

 

The RBO really don't seem to employ any proof readers.  Wouldn't it have been glaringly obvious that the two years mentioned in the first paragraph don't make sense with her having created Alice in 2011?

[FionaM]

Twenty years 🙈

[alison]

Twenty-two, more like?

[Bruce Wall]

32 minutes ago, alison said:

Twenty-two, more like?

 

I met the 'two' mention with a telling vocal smirk.  Previously one might have thought it would be 'unimaginable' .... Now ... erm ... I'm not quite so sure.  

[Scheherezade]

12 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

I met the 'two' mention with a telling vocal smirk.  Previously one might have thought it would be 'unimaginable' .... Now ... erm ... I'm not quite so sure.  

 

It’s unimaginable, unacceptable, beyond ridiculous. And does it surprise me any more? Sadly, not a jot. 
 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by Scheherezade

[Emeralds]

"moving to a new role as Principal Guest Artist after two years performing with the Company."

 

Not just an appalling typing and proofreading oversight but an insult to Ms Cuthbertson. It makes her sound like a junior corps member or someone who's just switched companies rather than a long serving dancer who has covered injuries, travelled with them on tours, spent a lot of time and effort working on so many new creations that became big successes for the company. Standards have really dropped. Yikes.

 

Lauren joined RB 22 years ago in 2002. It's on Wikipedia as well as the RB website! Not difficult for them to double check! 

[oncnp]

Lauren Cuthbertson (@londonballerina) • Instagram photos and videos

 

I’m thrilled to be returning to formal education, embarking on a journey beyond the stage to explore leadership, finance, and teaching. This next step will include shadowing professionals in these fields.

 

I’m especially excited to begin this journey at an institution very close to my heart, The Royal Ballet School, for their Diploma of Dance Teaching program

Edited 12 hours ago by oncnp

[LinMM]

I find editing is a skill which has very much gone out of the window these days. These sort of glaring errors spelling mistakes and typos are everywhere now. 

[San Perregrino]

9 hours ago, oncnp said:

Lauren Cuthbertson (@londonballerina) • Instagram photos and videos

 

I’m thrilled to be returning to formal education, embarking on a journey beyond the stage to explore leadership, finance, and teaching. This next step will include shadowing professionals in these fields.

 

I’m especially excited to begin this journey at an institution very close to my heart, The Royal Ballet School, for their Diploma of Dance Teaching program

Perhaps there’s a future role as Director of the Royal Ballet further down the line. 

[bridiem]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

I find editing is a skill which has very much gone out of the window these days. These sort of glaring errors spelling mistakes and typos are everywhere now. 

 

Yes - nowadays people just type something themselves and then post it, even when working for the most eminent institutions. No professionalism. No thought that they (or someone else) should check it carefully first. (I write as someone who trained as an editor and proofreader! A long time ago...).

[bridiem]

14 minutes ago, San Perregrino said:

Perhaps there’s a future role as Director of the Royal Ballet further down the line. 

 

There will be plenty of competition!