9 replies to this topic

[volcanohunter]

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Principal Dancer, Ivan Putrov, has announced his decision to leave The Royal Ballet after twelve years. During that time he has danced all the major classical repertoire, as well as works by many contemporary choreographers. Having danced on stage at Covent Garden for so many years, Ivan would like to have the time and freedom to develop new ideas for creative projects and realise these in a fresh environment.

http://www.roh.org.u...vtoleaveTRB.pdf

[Mashinka]

As Ivan Putrov was dropped from his roles in Cinderella and Symphony in C and appears to be leaving without any kind of official farewell, I suggest that this press release isn't worth the paper it's written on.  If for whatever reason Putrov has been edged out he is in good company as a few years back the RB decided it could do without the services of Sylvie Guillem too, something her legion of London fans still find hard to forgive.  But Putrov was not a starry addition from overseas like Guillem, he is a dancer who has dedicated his entire career to the Royal Ballet and has always been one of its finest adornments.

I have a real problem with the RB as over the years the standard of male dancing has been on an ever downward trajectory and that applies to the top ranks as well as the lower.  The company currently charges just shy of £100 for the best seats and has the gall to cast male dancers of negligible technical ability in leading roles.  I fear the national ballet company is just like the England football team: over hyped and under-achieving.

[miliosr]

Mashinka, on 05 July 2010 - 02:06 AM, said:

I have a real problem with the RB as over the years the standard of male dancing has been on an ever downward trajectory and that applies to the top ranks as well as the lower.  The company currently charges just shy of £100 for the best seats and has the gall to cast male dancers of negligible technical ability in leading roles.  I fear the national ballet company is just like the England football team: over hyped and under-achieving.

Mashinka -- ABT is known for its roster of stellar male dancers.  In your opinion, would any of the RB male principals make the cut as principals at ABT?  (I'm thinking Bonelli would for sure.)

[Mashinka]

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Mashinka -- ABT is known for its roster of stellar male dancers.  In your opinion, would any of the RB male principals make the cut as principals at ABT?  (I'm thinking Bonelli would for sure.)

I'm not a big fan of Bonelli's, nice partner, good looking etc. but no excitement.  I think there is a degree of complacency within the RB, because with Carlos Acosta heading the male contingent, they think they have it made, but they won't keep charismatic Carlos forever as he is off doing things of his own more and more.   Much as I love the dancing of Edward Watson I have to concede that although he is a superb dance actor and fabulous in the modern rep. he is not a true classical dancer.  Kobborg is still worth watching though showing his age a bit and MacRae has come on so much this past year that I think he could get into the super star league if his luck holds.  Sergei Polunin has just been made a principal and I think his showy technique will win him fans.

Ivan Putrov was underused at the RB, which considering the sheer quality of his work was rather strange even when taking into account the serious injury he suffered a few years back.  Some dancers are clearly more favoured than others it seems but the favouritism doesn't seem to reflect the quality of the dancers' work.  With Putrov gone, my trips to the ballet at Covent Garden will now be even fewer than before.

[miliosr]

Mashinka, on 05 July 2010 - 07:13 AM, said:

Much as I love the dancing of Edward Watson I have to concede that although he is a superb dance actor and fabulous in the modern rep. he is not a true classical dancer.

I would have to agree with you.  He is dramatically fascinating in the Mayerling DVD but, boy, his classical technique sure is ragged.  (And I don't think that was because he distorted a "pure" classical technique to emphasize Rudolf's mental illness.)  With Watson, it's almost like he wandered in from a contemporary troupe, stayed, and no one ever told him to leave.

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Sergei Polunin has just been made a principal and I think his showy technique will win him fans.

His technique is indeed beautiful in the Mayerling DVD -- heads and shoulders above those of his fellow Hungarian officers in the ballet.

[ksk04]

It seemed like Putrov always had problems keeping a partner. I thought that might have something to do with it, especially since the Royal always seems more couple-centric than other companies.  With Roberta Marquez being basically switched to Steven McRae, that seemed to leave Sarah Lamb left to dance with him and all the dates they were scheduled for at the end of the season were canceled.  It's odd.

[Helene]

miliosr, on 05 July 2010 - 10:00 AM, said:

Mashinka, on 05 July 2010 - 07:13 AM, said:

Sergei Polunin has just been made a principal and I think his showy technique will win him fans.

His technique is indeed beautiful in the Mayerling DVD -- heads and shoulders above those of his fellow Hungarian officers in the ballet.

When I saw him a few years ago in "The Sleeping Beauty", he was one of the fairy cavaliers, and just by his carriage, he was head and shoulders above his fellow fairy cavaliers.  In the Pas de Trois in the Wedding Act, he was wonderful, although I wouldn't have described him as showy in that role.  His classical approach stood out, though.

[volcanohunter]

I see that Putrov is once again scheduled to dance Lensky in Onegin, including the opening and closing nights of the run. Is this a matter of the ROH site being out or date, or are these going to be some manner of farewell performances for him? He's not cast in anything else.

[Bella12]

volcanohunter, on 08 August 2010 - 07:25 PM, said:

I see that Putrov is once again scheduled to dance Lensky in Onegin, including the opening and closing nights of the run. Is this a matter of the ROH site being out or date, or are these going to be some manner of farewell performances for him? He's not cast in anything else.

I think your first thoughts are correct.  The ROH site is most often seriously out of date.  I don't know who is in charge of it but casting changes always take a long time to appear there - and often don't appear at all! Having said that, it's most likely that the replacement hasn't yet been decided as the dancers are still on holiday.

[volcanohunter]

According to Ukrainian newspapers, Putrov will be dancing at the opera house is Kiev on September 7 in Vakhtang Vronsky's The Forest Song. In an interview, Putrov states that it has been his dream to dance the lead in the ballet, in part because he made his stage debut in the work 20 years ago.