Jane S Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 ABT has just announced that Reece Clarke will dance Solor in The KIngdom of the Shades on October 26th 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solotheatregoer Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 Gutted, I fly back from NYC on the 25th. Would have loved to have seen this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oncnp Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 (edited) I wish it was the matinee. As much as I dislike NY, that would be worth the trip Edited September 25 by oncnp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 Lucky ABT & NYC! I too would love to see Christine Shevchenko and Reece Clarke in Kingdom of the Shades. Maybe the Royal Ballet could stage just that act? (It should be quite uncontroversial.) They used to dance that in the sixties to mid eighties before Makarova mounted her full length version in 1989. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 They did indeed and I remember the corps wore particularly beautiful tutus. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneHartley Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 ...or since there's absolutely no justification for it not being performed, perhaps just give us La Bayadere back since everyone else is getting to see our principals dance it. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 4 hours ago, JaneHartley said: ...or since there's absolutely no justification for it not being performed, perhaps just give us La Bayadere back since everyone else is getting to see our principals dance it. I agree wholeheartedly. I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with the current Makarova production but I’m sure you could alter some costumes further and keep the same choreography and beautiful sets/tutus etc and still show the whole thing. It’s clearly something dancers enjoy dancing like Nunez, Vadim etc. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnticaFiamma Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 He's having quite a year with ABT, la Scala, and Tokyo Ballet debuts, I could see him becoming a new Roberto Bolle with his sought-after partnering skills and good looks 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 L.A. Opera’s Madame Butterfly is accompanied by a public disclaimer stating that: “Madame Butterfly portrays inaccurate representations of Asian culture”. Couldn’t we get Bayadere and other works that carry a suggestion of cultural appropriation back on stage by means of a similar disclaimer? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 'Swan Lake portrays inaccurate representations of swan culture'. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 Rob: Surely not! That's spoilt my day. 😪 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LACAD Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 In the promotional videos for La Bayadère when it was last performed by the Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare did disclaim that it was set in a fantastical, exaggerated version of India, and wasn’t an actual representation of what the historical period was like. I also think La Bayadère could make a return, there’s no shortage of capable choreographers trained in Indian classical dance that could consult in the process. Perhaps a refresh of the costumes and set could be wise, the Bollywood industry is full of great designers who could give it the right level of flash. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 If Akram Khan decided to do for Bayadere what he did for Giselle, I'd be delighted, otherwise I'd say leave well alone. The Ballet is of i's time and reflects the 19th century passion for orientalism. As it seems to offend certain people then drop the fist two acts, but for God's sake keep the Kingdom of the Shades. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 (edited) 34 minutes ago, MAB said: As it seems to offend certain people then drop the fist two acts Well I suspect many more people would be offended if the first two acts were dropped. We can't just pander to random opinions by cancelling anything that someone chooses to be "offended" about. I have found some ballets objectionable (including Khan's Giselle as it happens) but I wouldn't presume to deny anyone the right to watch them if they so wish. If they don't like it, they don't need to go ! Edited October 9 by Richard LH 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 2 minutes ago, Richard LH said: Well I suspect many more people would be offended if the first two acts were dropped. We can't just pander to random opinions by cancelling anything that someone chooses to be "offended" about. One of the first works I saw as a newbie ballet watcher was London Festival Ballet (now ENB) performing The Kingdom of the Shades. I have seen the full La Bayadere several times (by RB and the Mariinsky) and, on the whole, I found how much I enjoyed it very much depended on who I saw in the leading roles. For me, The Kingdom of the Shades is a timeless classic that I would never tire of seeing but I really couldn't care if I never see the rest of it again! I agree that we shouldn't pander to random opinions but in my opinion The Kingdom of the Shades is the only part worth seeing. The whole work has not stood the test of time as well as, for example, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Q and Coppelia. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: in my opinion The Kingdom of the Shades is the only part worth seeing Oh that's a shame @Jan McNulty....there is some beautiful group dancing in the other Acts in the Makarova version, especially for the ladies....the candle dance in Act 3 is exquisite, for example. Also some lovely solos and PDDs in the other Acts. And to me the Nikiya/Gamzatti/Solor roles and story are pretty engaging... certainly a lot more so than I find in some other ballets. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 1 hour ago, Richard LH said: Oh that's a shame @Jan McNulty....there is some beautiful group dancing in the other Acts in the Makarova version, especially for the ladies....the candle dance in Act 3 is exquisite, for example. Also some lovely solos and PDDs in the other Acts. And to me the Nikiya/Gamzatti/Solor roles and story are pretty engaging... certainly a lot more so than I find in some other ballets. Horses for courses Richard! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 3 hours ago, Richard LH said: We can't just pander to random opinions by cancelling anything that someone chooses to be "offended" about. I totally agree @Richard LH or we would be left with no art whatsoever, since there will always be someone who will be offended by anything and everything. Art is, or should be, a mirror to its time. It must be able to portray the unacceptable as well as the acceptable, along with the purely fantastical, or what is the point of it? 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LACAD Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 When I mention tweaking with consultation from a choreographer trained in Indian classical dance, I don’t necessarily mean a reimagining of the entire ballet. Rather, having someone give insight into movements from the culture that the ballet aims to reflect without majorly altering the choreography. This isn’t a new idea: Gelsey Kirkland collaborated with a flamenco artist before performing as Kitri in Don Q, Val Caniparoli consulted with African dance specialists for Lambarena, Mthuthuzeli November incorporates South African movement into works that reflect on South African culture or stories. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 Having seen Alice live for the first time last week, I am rather baffled as to why the RB is happy to perform the caterpillar scene in that yet not La Bayadere. They seem to me similar in both being fantasy Oriental. I'm very annoyed in hindsight that I didn't see La Bayadere the last time the RB did it. It was just around the time I first saw the RB live so if only I'd been more organised & had realised it might be my only opportunity to ever see it live. I did see it at the cinema & personally I found the Kingdom of the Shades the least interesting scene & much preferred the rest of it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 6 hours ago, Dawnstar said: Having seen Alice live for the first time last week, I am rather baffled as to why the RB is happy to perform the caterpillar scene in that yet not La Bayadere. They seem to me similar in both being fantasy Oriental. Yes, I had the same thought, @Dawnstar. I think that the full-length Bayadère is a load of hokum, but when well performed it's highly enjoyable hokum. The Kingdom of the Shades is magnificent, but it's even better when seen in context. And yes, it's fantasy Oriental - with the emphasis being on fantasy. In fact it's really quite fantastic... So, long may it continue to be performed. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago On 09/10/2024 at 14:01, Dawnstar said: Having seen Alice live for the first time last week, I am rather baffled as to why the RB is happy to perform the caterpillar scene in that yet not La Bayadere. They seem to me similar in both being fantasy Oriental. I agree with you there - I was also a bit surprised by this scene/the Caterpillar's character being sort of racially stereotyped. I don't have an issue with, it but if anything could be somewhat branded as cultural appropriation, that would probably be it. I am hoping to see a European company performing Bayadere at some point, if we can't have it in Covent Garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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