15 replies to this topic

[Jane Simpson]

I should think the Russian audiences will adore Fille - they certainly did in 1961. (Interestingly, many of them saw it as 'Alexander Grant's ballet' rather than Nerina's or Blair's - I wonder if they'll still see it like that today?)And Ashton was happy for the Bolshoi to do it - there was a plan after the Bolshoi's 1963 London season for them to take Fille and the RB to take Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet in exchange - which might have completely changed the course of the RB's history. It's said, too, that Ashton was strongly influenced by the Bolshoi's first visit when he was choroegraphing, especially for Colas, and I know people today who strongly prefer a tougher, more 'Russian' approach to the role than the pastoral English perormances of dancers like Bruce Sansom. So maybe it will be all right?