MissMonk

I am noticing that people aren't quite liking the guest artist thing. I wouldn't think he would have a choice. Whoever does the casting makes the decisions. At least in the normal world thats usually how it goes. I'm jealous you get to go regularly to the ROH. I only get to see whats in the theater and when people take illegal videos which I dont support but greatly appreciate. I'm relatively new to ballet, only watching the last few years and out of the company's the RB really is at the top. Its the only one i actually like to be honest. Its fun being able to identify the dancers on screen. I did. I gave my computer a standing ovation. It of course needs some tweaking but what Liam Scarlett did was amazing. It was beautifully put together and the score, which is usually my biggest thing was just moving. The PDD at the end with Victor and the creature was awkward to watch the first few times but then it was just a delight. The only thing I didn't like was the creatures costume. It was for the most part ok but it looked like McRae was dancing with half a wedgie for 2 hours. By the time Victor is dead i couldn't help but think he deserved what he got. He had created this creature and then turns him away. Its so sad, like rejecting your own baby, except a baby of course wont murder 3 people but eh what can you do.

Ed Watson is a strange fellow. Well i mean he's fine but I mean he's obviously very talented and he is at the top at the RB but you really don't see him in much, or maybe i'm just not looking enough. I don't think he does any of those extra curricular activities like galas and guesting. I loved his Maylering though. On a side note of seeing dancers...is it a new practice that there are so many casts for each show done? I remember looking at cast sheets a few years ago and it was like 3 casts of mostly principals in the main roles and I love that they give the up and comers a chance, that's how McRae got where he is but i'm starting to feel as if being principal really dosen't mean much anymore.

Thanks for the replies guys. Its nice to hear something positive, not just about Steven but others. I feel a lot of reviews and critics seem to be missing the point which is to dance. But you can't please everyone. I somehow located the La Fille mal Gardee from 2012 with Roberta Marquez and I absolutely adore it. I like Natalia, she's talented and fun but Roberta as Lise, you can just tell by her expression how much she embodied the character and she matched well with Mcraes Colas. He does stand out. I had gotten the 2009 Romeo and Juliet with Carols Acosta from the library and the mandolin dance came on and as you know they wear weird face make up but you could just tell it was Steven by how he danced. I love that about dancers.

I only watched the Royal Ballet footage since that's the one I like best and it was so fun. They have the classes from the past years up but it makes me sad that the full streaming is no longer available for those who didn't see this in the past. It was really great to see so many principals in there and that Olga lady was awesome, though I prefer Brian Maloney, he sings the instructions.

So I found myself here cause I had some unusual questions about ballet and forums are a great place to look and for fun I put in "Steven McRae" in the search box because he's my fave dancer, and I'm just curious...am I missing something? I read any and all posts that came up in the search and while I know everything is subjective, a lot that came up was just so negative (particularly from one person's frequent reviews who obviously believes they know everything). I personally find him to be an amazing talent. He's expressive, he's technical, he's versatile, has great musicality and he has the most amazing extensions and flexibility for a male and yet people are pointing this out as a bad thing. Maybe its just cause of my age bracket and I didn't grow up in the "good old days" of Dowell or Fonteyn. Its not just McRae, its other top dancers too. I'm just wondering if I'm just missing something that others are seeing. I love watching him dance, my fave partner for him is Sarah Lamb. Though she can seem a bit distant and cold at times but I love watching the Romeo and Juliet they did a few years ago. And Rubies last year was so energetic and you can tell that they were having lots of fun. I think what I love the most is this youtube video I had found of Symphonic Variations filmed in 2005. Just thought I'd ask, and to see if any one else likes him or actually has something positive to say, cause it seems not which is really odd. P.S. I thought Frankenstein was fun.