David Bintley's "Aladdin", National Ballet of Japan, on Operavision.eu

[Henry]

This is available from yesterday, 20/9/2024, until 20/3/25.  To be found here
https://operavision.eu/performance/david-bintleys-aladdin

 

I did watch last night, but was cooking dinner at the same time, so I am going to watch it again before commenting.  Quick impression is that the dancers look good, the sets and costumes look expensive.  Very interested to see the company before their visit to ROH next summer.  Has anyone seen this ballet before? 

 

 

[Two Pigeons]

Very well done finding this one.  My memories of seeing the work were that it was very musical and colourful with standout performances by Marion Tait as Aladdin's mother and Tyrone Singleton and Ambro Vallo in the rubies section, which is very reminiscent of Spring Waters.

 

I went to one show when every single principal in the company appeared in the first act, along with shining rising stars such as Brandon Lawrence.  I regarded that is cracking value at the time.  Is it a great work?  No, but it is colourful and very accessible with a tuneful score.  It's a pantomime on pointes and if you approach it with that point of view you will probably enjoy it.

 

Incidentally I find it reassuring that Miyako Yoshida as director is showing such loyalty to David Bintley.  I remember that Kevin O'Hare planned to mount 'Tombeaux' which was thwarted by the pandemic and Iain Webb indicated that Sarasota has had a lot of assistance from Bintley, especially with their Ashton rep.  Good!

 

The ballet as comfortably mainstream to the point of being old fashioned.  That does not make it any the less enjoyable if you take it at face value.

 

Edited September 21 by Two Pigeons
Spelling error

[Emeralds]

7 hours ago, Henry said:

This is available from yesterday, 20/9/2024, until 20/3/25.  To be found here
https://operavision.eu/performance/david-bintleys-aladdin

 

I did watch last night, but was cooking dinner at the same time, so I am going to watch it again before commenting.  Quick impression is that the dancers look good, the sets and costumes look expensive.  Very interested to see the company before their visit to ROH next summer.  Has anyone seen this ballet before? 

 

 

Don't know if it would be spamming to repeat what I said on the streaming thread - @Naomi M put up a lovely post about this livestream there. I've seen the ballet performed by BRB at the Coliseum some years ago while Sir David Bintley was still artistic director of the company. It was jolly and fun, very family friendly.

 

Chi Cao and Tzu-Chao Chou treated us to some outstanding virtuosity, Marion Tait gave a masterclass in well paced acting, etc. It's not Manon or Woolf Works to wring out your emotions or to push the envelope - it ends happily and the designs are beautiful. Good old fashioned classical ballet, thoroughly enjoyable ballet for newcomers and children.

 

The Japanese production looks like it's  also excellent in terms of dance technique and production values. Haven't had time to watch the whole thing yet though. 

[Naomi M]

For your information, the lead dancers Ayako Ono and Yudai Fukuoka guested in the UK premiere of Bintley’s Aladdin at BRB in February 2013, so maybe someone in this forum might have seen them. That was 11 years ago and they are still at the top of their game. (I think Fukuoka is 38 or 39 and Ono 37 or 38) 

 

I wish us in Japan could also see the BRB dancers perform in this ballet. 

 

Other works by Bintley such as Still Life at the Penguin Cafe and Carmina Burana are popular works in this company’s repertoire, and another Japanese company Star Dancers Ballet did an all Bintley triple bill this year, including Flowers of the Forest and a world premiere Yukionna (Snow Maiden) created for the company. 

[Emeralds]

Unfortunately I didn't get to see the premiere, @Naomi M, but thank you for the information- it's always nice to know some background information about the dancers in the lead roles. 

[alison]

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

Of course Aladdin was actually created for the NB Japan and was brought to the UK later.

 

The Japanese guests in the opening season were, to my recollection, an absolute delight.

[Two Pigeons]

I don't remember if I was at the premiere but I did see Ayoko Ona and was mightily impressed with her.  Mind you, I could be confusing it with The Prince of the Pagodas.  

 

I watched the first act yesterday and was amazed how much of it came back to me.  In particular, Brandon Lawrence looking like a Mucha print come to life in Emeralds with Delia Matthews.  I don't wish to appear even remotely provocative or controversial when I say it was a really refreshing experience to watch a new ballet with a specially composed score.

 

(Yes, I do know it wasn't composed for BRB but accessible music seems to be increasingly rare these days.)

 

 

 

 

 

[Henry]

There is some interesting background - and a lot of good photos - on David Bintley's website.

 

https://www.davidbintley.co.uk/major-works#/aladdin/

 

It also reminded me of something that I had forgotten - that David Bintley "...was concurrently the Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Japan from 2010 to 2014.  (Did people have meetings on Zoom back then??)

[Emeralds]

7 hours ago, Henry said:

There is some interesting background - and a lot of good photos - on David Bintley's website.

 

https://www.davidbintley.co.uk/major-works#/aladdin/

 

It also reminded me of something that I had forgotten - that David Bintley "...was concurrently the Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Japan from 2010 to 2014.  (Did people have meetings on Zoom back then??)

Don't think Zoom was well developed as an app or software yet at the time, but a lot of people used Skype or Facetime. I suppose WhatsApp group chat or conference calls could also be used. Basically he did what Carlos Acosta is doing now with BRB and Acosta Danza in Cuba....plus his Cuban ballet school, and his occasional performing tours!

 

Conductors also often juggle chief conductor/artistic director jobs for 2 or 3 orchestras simultaneously in different countries (also confusingly, there are 1 or 2 major orchestras where the players themselves are the artistic director and tell the conductors what they want to perform! (That could be refreshing for the ballet world). 

 

You cam certainly juggle 2 ballet companies in 2 countries if you are organised, delegate wisely and trust your repetiteur and teaching staff. Bintley  also continued doing choreography during this time so a lot of organising is certainly needed there. At least he had retired from performing by then! 

[Naomi M]

On 22/09/2024 at 08:30, Jan McNulty said:

Of course Aladdin was actually created for the NB Japan and was brought to the UK later.

 

The Japanese guests in the opening season were, to my recollection, an absolute delight.

 

Janet, it is lovely to hear about your memory of Ayako Ono and Yudai Fukuoka guesting at BRB. I am sure they will also appear in the National Ballet of Japan tour at the ROH next summer and they will be brilliant. 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Naomi M said:

 

Janet, it is lovely to hear about your memory of Ayako Ono and Yudai Fukuoka guesting at BRB. I am sure they will also appear in the National Ballet of Japan tour at the ROH next summer and they will be brilliant. 

 

I have an especial fondness for SDB's Aladdin.

 

It is 14 years since my friend Marge passed away (on 19 September 2010) and she left her estate to BRB.  It was used to bring Aladdin to the UK and I saw as many performances as possible in her memory.  She would have been thrilled to bits.

[Two Pigeons]

39 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I have an especial fondness for SDB's Aladdin.

 

It is 14 years since my friend Marge passed away (on 19 September 2010) and she left her estate to BRB.  It was used to bring Aladdin to the UK and I saw as many performances as possible in her memory.  She would have been thrilled to bits.

Lovely lady who really loved BRB.  I cannot believe it's been 14 years.  I always associate her with our happy visits to the Empire in Liverpool.  She always so lovely to my mother.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23 by Two Pigeons