Rosie2

"House of Balanchine" .... love that!

Well, yes Toronto audiences will have the "unique opportunity" to see an acclaimed Balanchine ballerina dance all three roles in one of his iconic works and, normally I'd be thrilled to do so - but not at the expense of our own dancers. There are way too few performances of Jewels scheduled in June and three opportunities taken from the company dancers is three too many. I suspect there are more than a few pissed off people in the company right now questioning why and how this decision was made. Additionally, Sara Mearns can't have come cheap - so why add extra expense at this time. I don't think it was something Cote had a hand in, as I believe he doesn't have that kind of influence anymore. So, I'd like to have been a fly on the wall when this casting decision was made and the reasoning behind it. I don't hold any resentment towards Mearns - if she was invited and wanted to do it, she's perfectly intitled to except. She isn't scheduled in any of the three shows I have booked and, once casting is finally posted, if I do change dates, it will be due to which dancers I want to see. Is there some sort of competition between Mearns and Nadon about who dances all three roles first? This is something I've never heard about .... is it common knowledge amongst New York ballet fans?

It appears that the ticket discount offered on this week's mixed program has worked to a certain degree. I just checked and considerably more tickets have been sold since last week but there are still lots of seats available in 3rd and 4th ring for some shows. Mixed programs are usually a tough sell unless something big and popular is included that people are familiar with. According to the Friends Corp facebook page, The New York Times has a "great" article today about Emma Porter and the ballet Islands making it's NBofC debut this Wednesday. I'm going twice because I want to see Lunkina perform both the Adage and La Cigarette. I see that Dronina and Penn Nabity continue to be absent from the stage and I suspect they are injured. Hopefully they will both be back for Don Q and Jewels. I've seen film of Dronina's Emeralds and Kitri and would love to see her on stage in both those roles. I wish them all the best of luck.

And again I have the same cast for two shows! I'm waiting on the 'phone to try and exchange for another date - this is becoming tedious.

As usual, once the casting has finally been announced, I have the same cast for more than one show. I'm so pleased that Chelsy Meiss is getting a crack at the Queen of Hearts and I think she will be deliciously over the top in it - I'm changing one of my shows just for her. I'm also looking forward to opening night with the glorious Lunkina as the "Queen of Tarts."

Grrrrr! Why does the casting have to be announced so late? I so want to see Lunkina and there's nothing left in the orchestra - at least anything I could see the stage from (shall we just say I'm vertically challenged) - and the best I can do is Ring 4. I had to climb up to Ring 5 to see her Swan Lake (again late casting announcement) and it was dreadful. Four is not much better but I guess it's there or nowhere. I would like to see Tirion Law as well so guess I'll grumble and just do it. Lunkina and Larkin Miller - hmm, that's not a casting combination I'd have predicted. Also, I'm not sure about Tina Pereira as Olga - I have her in one of my performances so I'll see. I'll have to get a big, fat pillow so I can see over the ring four balcony - something else to complain about.

In the old O'Keefe (or various names since) I remember standing at the back for many performances - I always wanted to see everyone do everything in the big classical ballets, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty etc. Young legs then. Not sure how that would work in the Four Seasons Opera House, although for one of my R&J's a massive gent in front of me totally blocked my view of the stage and I found a perch at the back on one of the high chairs. Great view, if a little further back then I like. I saw four R&J's this run and enjoyed all of them for various reasons. Each was unique and I loved both the experience some dancers brought to their roles and the freshness of others. I read Paula Citran's review and she struck a note with me - we both finally gave in to our long held loyalty to Cranks's production and allowed this one to engage our soul. I'll always love Cranko - after all it was my first R&J, I was young and the sight of all that black and gold with Franca sweeping (as only Franca could sweep) across the stage totally bedazzled me. Tennant was my Juliet - with that dark intense stare as she held Romeo in the last moments as the music brought me always to tears. I was at her first performance and her last. Her Juliet is eternally etched on my heart.

A company member, a Principal, told me. I didn't ask what the injury was - it was described as a "serious injury". Cote had a few choices - poach a Juliet from another Romeo, look around the company for anyone who inspired him or request a guest dancer of his choice. I'd like him to have have danced his final shows with Heather Ogden but, as I've said before, no one asks my opinion about casing. The results of his choice will be on view shortly.

Just back from the Mad Hot Gala - great food and lots of wine.The dancing...well, let's be charitable and just say 'Symphony in C' was sloppy. Very sloppy. Nice to see Lunkina back on stage though, even if was only in the finale.' Tonight's cast had several changes.Let's hope the dancing wounded can get through the rest of this final season.

I was looking forward to their partnering in R & J so disappointed right now. On the other hand I read good comments about Mearns and Cote's Swan Lake so interested to see them here. I've got three R & J's booked and would like to squeeze in Penn Nabity if I can manage it. I don't think we'll have her very long so would like to see what she can do while she's here.

The last few days I've reading fan reviews of the Royal Ballet's Cinderella on the recently discovered balletcoforum. An astonishing number of casts scheduled to dance the lead roles that make me green with envy! Opinions are varied as one would expect but the discussion is passionate and informed. These people know and love their ballet and their dancers.

I haven't seen anything yet - not even the gushy reports/pictures usually posted by the company. There were two reviews - good one in Broadway and total nasty one from New York Times. Lucky ticket sales are not dependent on that one as the majority of tickets were sold before opening. I'd like to have gone but not possible this time.

I do not remember this at all - I just looked up the 1995 Repertoire list and there it is, along with other productions I remember from that season. Obviously I never saw a performance or I'd certainly remember it. Live and learn as they say.

I don't recall ever seeing a Stevenson production and I've followed the company almost from the beginning. The only other Cinderella I can recall is Celia Franca's production - one that was hastily thrown together and almost a complete disaster. I remember it was filmed for TV at the time with Veronica Tennant and (I think) Jeremy Blanton in the lead roles. When was the Stevenson production - I admit my memory is getting wonky. Further comments on the Ashton Cinderella: The question I ask is why - why spend the money on this. I've seen this production and it has many fine moments but it is firmly in the historical cannon of the Royal Ballet. It's like New York City Ballet deciding to do a new production of Balanchine's Nutcracker and NBoC decides to co-produce it and bring it to Canada. Makes no sense at all. We have a great Cinderella so, if the company wants to co-produce with the Royal, why not spend the money on something completely new and exciting. Well, like the dancers in the company, no one is asking my opinion on decisions like this. So I will just wait and see what happens ....just as I've been doing for 60 years.

I saw Ben Rudisin partner Heather Ogden in Swan Lake last year and he did a credible job - he is an excellent partner in the classical pas de deux and his technique was up to the job in the solos. He's certainly not a virtuoso but I had nothing to complain about in his performance. According the Tornto Star story a week ago, Muir does not seem well pleased with the decision as well and the impression is the dancers feel the same way. Interesting to see how this will play out a few seasons from now. A lot of money spent that has to be justified somehow. I'm looking forward to reviews of this refurbished Cinderella when it opens at the Royal Ballet the end of the March. It's being live screened but I can't find any theatre locations in our area scheduled. Too bad as we could have got a preview of what may be coming our way.

Oh wow - Evelyn Hart is dancing (acting?) the Stepmother and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. I checked my dates and will see her twice. Emma Hawes is also guesting but I can't make any of her dates work for me with such short notice. I would so loved to have seen her again...darn!

Much the same as Etudes - provides a snap shot where the company is technically at the moment. Sleeping Beauty last year was sloppy technically in many ways so this should be a useful measuring stick to see how far they've come back. I know they're all working hard and I'm hoping to see it pay off.

I just watched a short interview with Hope Muir discussing the new season. Kudelka's Passion will be Piotr Stanczyk's retirement ballet and his last performance will probably be the Saturday night show - that's usually the case. Don Q is the Carlos Acosta production he did originally for the Royal Ballet and, if I remember correctly, it didn't get great reviews at the time. From what I've read about the man Lifar appears to have been a dreadful person, but I've seen a bit of his Suite en Blanc and it does look interesting so, despite my opinion of it's choreographer, I'm looking forward to seeing the whole production. This could be a wonderful season as they are doing so many of my favourite ballets. I'm already guessing casting possibilities and which of the "up and comers" will get a chance at a career boosting role.

Well I can't offer an opinion as I missed my show yesterday. Woke up with a raw throat and head congestion so, of course, did the sensible thing and stayed home. I had a long conversation with a friend who saw the Sat. night show and she had a very positive opinion about the production. She loved the score and went on at length about the composition etc. - she's a professional musician, I am not. Most of it was way over my head. So I'll have to wait until it's back in a year or two. With the amount of money spent on the production and the generally positive reviews I expect it back, if not next season, then certainly the season after. I have to check if they are doing an Ottawa run - if so I may catch some shows there. Even though I'm not a fan of McGregor's work, I'm intrigued by this production as there are so many conflicting opinions and now I just want to see it for myself.

A good friend of mine was there this afternoon and his opinion - "Brilliant" Well I'll see for myself tomorrow. S

Margaret Atwood seems to approve - so I'll take that as a positive. I don't see this till Sunday so will watch the reviews with interest. I really don't like McGregor's work so was never eagerly waiting this production. However I'm willing to sit there Sunday and see what happens on stage with an open mind. Perhaps I'll find it "astounding" as Margaret Atwood just posted.

I was there opening night and have another five shows to see. There was much to like and a few things I didn't - but that's usual. Since my father took me to see Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake when I was eight years old, I've seen countless productions - both domestic and international - and none have been completely satisfying. So I approached Kain's version with a "wait and see" attitude. I liked Act I. I liked that the dancers had opportunities to show different personalities with the various little vignettes. It was much more interesting to watch instead of the usual group dances. The men really shined in this - they were terrific. The costumes were fine, not over the top. Good start. It's curious, but it never occurred to me before that all the "lake" scenes happen when the swans are woman, but the corps traditionally remain as swans in interpretation. So it is in Act II that Kain's vision for this story actually begins. I was watching to see if there was truly a difference - did they seem more human then in other productions I've seen. On first viewing I didn't get much of a difference but I'll watch more closely during the next shows. I loved Jurgita Dronina's dancing in this act. Her line was so clear, clean and pure. Not an ugly shape anywhere - except of course when Harrison James almost dropped her in act IV! Act III was marred, almost beyond redemption, by the costumes. The Masquerade costumes were gaudy, over the top awful - the Queen's reminded me of a Carol Burnett skit where she's dressed up as Scarlette O'Hara in a green velvet curtain rod with acres of gold fringe! But then has anyone ever seen a tasteful Masquerade outfit? But like other productions where I've hated the costuming I'll learn to ignore it and concentrate on the dancing. And here there were no complaints. I particularly liked the Russian and Spanish dances. So happy to have Bruhn's Black Swan pdd back. Dronina fell out of her fouette en tournant but she's so strong technically she was back on track in an instant. It would have been a disaster for most dancers. In Act IV I finally began to see what Kain was trying to do as there was much more interaction between Odette and the woman as they comforted her and helped her shield Siegfried. But it was soooo busy on stage it became hard to concentrate on the action. I was watching the corps and then Odette and Rothbart and then the Prince. Dizzy! The ending was a tearjerker of course, it always is. I'm hoping to sort all this out with more viewings. One major problem on Friday night was the audience, it was dead! Perhaps too many invited "special" guests with no real interest what they were seeing. There was some spectacular dancing on stage but the applause barely lasted long enough to make it through a bow. I was sitting in a group of ballet fans and we did our best to cheer and yell and show our appreciation of the dancers but it was hard going. I see Lunkina on Thursday night and, as a friend who saw her Saturday told me, I'm in for a treat. The next five shows are going to be very interesting.

Seats are selling out fast and looks like it will be sold out by opening night. Hoping this will be a great production for Kain's sake - she's poured so much of herself into this production. Getting excited for opening night....

I was anticipating a price increase (after all everything else is) so built in the extra in my budget just i case. As for the season - very happy to see MacMillan's Concerto back, a brilliant work, and same with Balanchine's Symphony in C. Where the extra dancers will com from could be an interesting guessing game over the summer. I prefer Cranko's R & J but Ratmansky still has some gorgeous choreography, unhappily hidden by some unfortunate costumes in the corps. Kudelka"s Cinderella is one my favorites so no problem there but I'll miss Rodriguez in the role. As for the rest, all unknown. I've yet to be impressed by Cote but since I've not seen Frame By Frame I'll give it a chance. I've watched some of Dawson's Anima Animus on YouTube and liked what I saw - looking forward to this one. Never been a fan of McGregor but still intrigued by collaboration with Atwood on MaddAddam. The rest is all unknown but who knows there may be some hidden gems there. Wait and see. I'm hoping by next year the company will have had the time required to get fully back in top conditioning after the two year break. There was some mighty sloppy dancing in the last run of Sleeping Beauty, totally forgiven considering what they've been through. A little nervous about how they will manage the upcoming Swan Lake. Fingers crossed. There should be an announcement soon about promotions and I'm betting there maybe some outside hires in the male principal rank.