Jane Simpson

The RB has just announced that Hallberg will be replaced by Shklyarov in botth the Manon performances he was due to dance with Osipova.

It's just been announced that Alexandrova will dance Aurora with English National Ballet in London in June - exact dates to be given soon.

Also he's being replaced by Ball as Albrecht on Friday.

The Hollywood Reporter announces that Nini Theilade died yesterday, aged 102.

The performance on Feb 2 was a 'closed' one of some sort so probably not much comment will appear - but I expect there will be a LOT of discussion after the 9th, which is also Francesca Hayward's public debut as Giselle.

Most of the rights are now in the hands of non-dancers and I don't see that this is necessarily bad news.

The Ashton Foundation has been running a series of events, presented by Alastair Macaulay, in which some of Ashton's solos and pas de deux are taught to today's Royal Ballet dancers by the artists who originally created the roles , or their distinguished successors. So far you can see: The Prince's solo from Sleeping Beauty, and the Dance of the Blessed Spirits - Anthony Dowell coaches Reece Clark and Vadim Muntagirov The Walk to the Paradise Garden - Merle Park coaches Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Ryoichi Hirano Raymonda pas de deux and variations - Donald Macleary and Darcey Bussell coach Anna Rose O'Sullivan and David Donnelly in the variations, Marianela Nunez and Federico Bonnelli in the pas de deux. All also include (selectable separately) introductory sessions and a discussion/Q&A session at the end All are linked to from here

I didn't see the recent revival of The Invitation but I did see it when it was new . I can assure that 'sexually predatory adults and rape' were far from 'suitable' subjects for ballet in those days, and the subject matter was far from 'palatable'. I don't remember feeling any sympathy at all for the adults in the ballet - the impression I got was that this was something that had happened before, more than once probably - that the husband's remorse was possibly genuine for the moment but wouldn't prevent him from doing the same thing again, and that his wife had covered up for him before. The format of the ballet was never satisfactory, though. Also, I think Manon took quite a long time to catch on at the box office, unless a big star was dancing - the last time I saw it at Covent Garden, sometime in the mid-1990s, I had a £10 stand-by ticket in the the centre stalls and reckoned there were at least another 100 empty seats around me.

Caroline Baldwin was promoted to principal after the opening Nutcracker of the season in Copenhagen last night. Film of the presentation, and the enthusiasm backstage after the curtain came down, on the theatre's Facebook page: https://da-dk.facebook.com/kglteater/ and Eva Kistrup's piece about her: http://danceviewtimes.typepad.com/eva_kistrup/2017/12/caroline-baldwin-appointed-principal-dancer.html

I think Yanowsky's talent and range speak for themselves and don't need to be emphasised by putting Nunez down - they are totally different dancers and I have the greatest respect and admiration for both of them.

I'd forgotten that the National Film Theatre is now called the British Film Institute - but I looked on their website and they do have a copy of this film: http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150384340

This one? http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/19832-bournonville-films-in-london/?tab=comments#comment-164582 I think it must be held in the National Film Theatre in London - if so it might be possible to visit and see it - I've forgotten what the rules there are, but I'll find out if you like. Wish I could see it again myself!

There's now a long piece on the topic by Ismene Brown here

I think most of the promotions were widely expected - the surprise perhaps is that Kevin O'Hare was reported to have said he would no longer promote to the Principal Character Artist rank - I'm pleased that he's changed his mind (or was misquoted), especially for the sake of Bennett Gartside who for me has been performing at that level for the last several years.

The RB published its promotions and leavers list this morning, including: Yasmin Naghdi promoted to Principal Matthew Golding leaves the company Bennet Gartside, Christina Arestis, Kristen McNally and Thomas Whitehead promoted to Principal Character Artist Matthew Ball and Marcelino Sambe promoted to First Soloist Reece Clark, Benjamin Ella and Anna Rose O'Sullivan promoted to Soloist Hannah Grennell, Calvin Richardson, Gina Storm-Jensen, and David Yudes promoted to First Artist Full listing

In his book The Diaghilev Ballet in London, C.W.Beaumont describes the changes Diaghilev made to the original, including: "...Diaghilev refused to permit Prince Charming and Princess Aurora to dance to a certain boisterous melody which occurs after the grand pas de deux. this melody was certainly not suited to a classical pas de deux, and Nijinska used it for a character number, "Innocent Ivan and his Brothers," based on Russian folk dance measures..." Also the RB's 75th anniversary book, by Alexander Bland, talks of the changes made to the 1921 version for the RB's 1939 production, including "The coda to the grand pas de deux was rescued from the Three Ivans, to whom it had rather incongruously been allotted". So that sounds to me as if there was no coda in the 1921 version.

... though Arlene Croce loathed it, and said so, as Alexandra described in an earlier thread ! (just noticed that earlier thread was 18 years ago!)

Eva Kistrup's take on Birkkjær's announcement (starts half way down her article)

Eva Kistrup fills in some more details in her blog I'm pleased to notice that they are spreading their productions out over longer periods, so that it will be easier to see 2 or even 3 different shows in one trip - an excellent thing for us visitors.

Next season in Copehagen includes; Raymonda, produced by Nikolaj Hubbe A full-evening Queen of Spades by Liam Scarlett A new version of the Kylian evening Silk and Knife Reruns of Swan Lake, Giselle, Kim Brandstrup's Shaken Mirror, Balanchine's Nutcracker, Akram Khan's Vertical Road A new piece for the RDB School by Gregory Dean A portrain of Sorella Englund AND A week's Festival in the first week of June, including Napoli but not limited to the Bournonville repertoire Full details here

Lots of nice photos now up, as well - but still no captions!

All the casting is now up, though in a way that would be meaningless to people who don't know the ballets. If I'm interpreting it correctly, the first night cast is: Emeralds - Amy Watson and Jonathan Chmelensky, Susanne Grinder and Marcin Kupinski ('walking' pas de deux) Rubies - J'aime Crandall and Jon Axel Fransson, Astrid Elbo Diamonds - Holly Dorger and Gregory Dean It looks as if other casts show Caroline Baldwin and Ulrik Birkkjaer in Diamonds, Ida Praetorius, Chmelensky and Emma Håkensson in Rubies, and Kizzy Matiakis/Andreas Kaas and Wilma Giglio/Sebastian Haynes in Emeralds. But I could have got this completely wrong...

The RNZB Romeo was by Christopher Hampson - a fairly small-scale production to allow for touring, but I rather liked it so far as I remember.

It's rather confusing as he's shown as a guest artist on one page and a principal on another - the general opinion seems to be that it's the 'guest' that's right.

The theatre has just announced that next season's programme will be revealed on April 26th.