ami1436

Thanks, Sylvia, for another report, and yes, Herman Stevens, I loved the Spectre that Ivan did. I feel like he's really growing into his roles, especially in the past few years.

I agree with Sylvia that I think these two make an exciting partnership, and that Marquez has the most expressive eyes. Her balances in Rose Adage are the most impressive *and* artistic I've seen. Even if she's done this before with Ivan, there must be some nerves with a Covent Garden debut...

And nothing wrong with fouettes on the right leg - my right leg is much stronger as well!

However, I wouldn't call either Putrov or Marquez a 'new' dancer - yes, Marquez is relatively new to the Royal, but at both of their young ages they've had pretty impressive runs so far!

Well, hopefully will have some more reports of the other casts this run, and will be able to watch how this particular cast grows!

Hi Carol,

I missed the first night of Putrov/Marquez, although I have tickets for it later on in the season. I did hear that Marquez was not as fully on as usual, and I wonder if this is nerves? She does not have the strong turns of Rojo or Nunez, but I still have seen her do impressively well, and she has expressive hands - I'm very much looking forward to her Odile. I'm a bit surprised about Putrov - he has had a hard season with injury, but I heard his Act III turns in the coda (filling in for some missed fouettes) were stellar. Hopefully this was all just a bit of nerves and it will settle by the time I see them.

That said, I think you are new here? Welcome, and hopefully we'll have a lot more Royal Ballet talk to share in the future!

Best,

Ami

My biggest costume problem is with Spectre of the Rose. There is nothing enchanting or beautiful or resembling a rose on that costume. /

"The costume usually makes me feel uncomfortable, especially when I am with someone who is not normally a ballet-goer. I have yet to see it flatter any dancer."

Vladimir Malakhov.

He looked wonderful and danced exquisitely.

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I think Ivan Putrov looked fabulous in Spectre as well....

Thanks for the report, sz, as I was hunting for more info than was in the NYT review! And I'm so glad that you enjoyed Marquez - I'm loving having her in London!

Alina Cojocaru's all-black-outside/red-underskirt, V-necked, long-sleeved tutu in the last act of Don Q. It manages to make this teenage-looking, delicate, petite beauty look like an overweight matron.

I saw Cojocaru in this tutu at the recent Mariinsky Festival, in St Petersburg. It was much commented on, negatively,  in the Russian websites.

I wonder if this is the regular Don Q/final act tutu that is worn by all Royal Ballet ballerinas, in the current Royal production? Do *any* of the Royal's ballerinas look good in this?

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I've actually never seen that costume! In the Don Q that was televised here a few years ago, the Act III costumes are white and red with a bit of gold. However, at the tsunami gala Tamara Rojo wore a gorgeous black and red camisole tutu....

At this past Sunday's charity gala at the ROH the pre-show announcements were funny - and worked. Basically, "please turn off your mobile phones. Should anyone's phone disturb the performance, a sizeable contribution to charity will be expected."

Everyone was laughing as they were walking to their seats - and checking their phones and turning them off!

Being relatively new to England and for the first time in my life living close to a ballet company, let alone one that performs Manon, I thus admit that I've only been seeing Manon for the past 3 years or so. Of the ones I've seen live (off the top of my head: Guillem, Rojo, Cojocaru, Tapper), Tamara Rojo always blows me away.

Yes Jane, I thought the same of Yasaki - and wouldn't he be fabulous as well? However, then I guess there would have been the issue of who would replace him (in the group of men)?

I will be there on Sunday to see him though!

And, according the the latest RB statement on ballet.co, Jose Martin will be replacing Acosta on 1 April - his debut in the ballet and I dare say a 'big break' of sorts! I unfortunately will be in my own rehearsal.... someone please report back!

Sylvia, I'm so jealous that you got to see Putrov dance this - I don't think I'll be able to unfortunately.

I think you're right - if Putrov wasn't there, then what? He could have been there in order to watch to improve his own performance, for pure enjoyment, or, if Acosta's ankle was already twitchy, then 'just in case'.... But it must have been a quandry, especially as Putrov himself has been out with injury so recently.

The designs - I don't mind the backdrop but the women's dresses seem to wash them out - the colour is too muted somehow. This is the third design for Rhapsody, the second one is with bold and bright royal blues and the like - more linear, and somehow more stark. I liked the shapes and colours better this time around, I just wish that the women looked less like ghosts!

And Jane, gosh... if they really were in a pickle, *I* would have run on stage to finish the performance for them! ;) Kidding, of course!!! (but oh how one may dream... )

I've gotta agree with Mr. Johnson here. Who knows what the exact nature of his injury was, on what foot, etc... And if the ankle had been bothering him before. Considering the nature of the choreography of Rhapsody, continuing on could have hurt Acosta much more in the long run.

I also hate it when people don't turn their phones completely off - they turn the sound off but clutch onto them, and in the case they get a text message or so during the performance their phones open up and the lights are so so so distracting! ARGH!

I love my phone, but I'm also very very picky about when it is on/off etc. When I enter the theatre, it goes off. It doesn't come on again until I walk out the door. No turning it on at intervals, checking text messages in the auditorium, no no no!

Considering that I thus have no need for the phone inside the theatre, would totally not mind checking it as long as I could feel that it was safe!

I didn't see the performance in which Acosta became injured, but from what friends tell me it all happened within the first minute or so, and he basically fell to his knees, stood up, and indicated to the conductor to stop. Ivan Putrove (who is also cast this run) was watching in the audience, and Monica Mason came on stage and asked everyone to stay in their seats - and announced that Putrov would be dancing the solos and Acosta the pdd! An interesting mix, for sure.

I saw opening night of this bill - I love Rhapsody and this performance is very different from what we saw K Ballet do last summer in New York - the design makes a huge difference. Acosta was technically fabulous, but didn't seem fully comfortable at the beginning. I love his dancing, but sometimes I feel like he needs to decide what to do with his expression if he's not giving us a huge grin! Leanne Benjamin was a total delight - fast, accurate, light, and musical. And Yuhui Choe always catches my eyes - fabulous arms!

Tamara Rojo and Roberta Marquez.

Drew - I'm one of those poor students that seeks a standing place all the time, but for you to get an idea of what the ROH is like, have you checked out their 'interactive' seating plan? It's not complete nor completely accurate, but it does give you an idea. www.roh.org.uk - In the seating plan there will be highlighted seats, and if you click on them, they will show you the view of the stage (assuming no TALL people in front of you... or just big hairdos!!!)

I've gotta chime in on the Royal! Sibley and Dowell were gorgeous together, and definitely Kobburg and Cojocaru are the staple couple of the day. While Cope and Bussell dance well together, many of us Johnny fans see more out of him when he's dancing with his other famous partners - Sylvie Guillem and Tamara Rojo. (not to forget Leanne Benjamin!!) I personally love the Cope-Rojo partnership - at the Manon Insight Evening last week they were on fire - so in tune it's mesmerising. It's also interesting to watch how the Royal is experimenting with partnerships a bit as well - having Cojocaru dance with others such as Bonnelli, looking towards its other dancers such as Ed Watson, Lauren Cuthburtson, Martin Harvey, Thiago Soares, Rupert Pennefather, Ivan Putrov, Roberta Marquez. The last two have been paired together fairly consistently of late. I also feel that they are really trying to overcome the height issue for some of their taller women, especially Zenaida Yanowsky. And finally, Sarah Lamb has won hearts here very quickly - it'll be interesting to see how they experiment with partners for her.

I have to add Tamara Rojo to my list!

I would love to see Miyako Yoshida in this role! (If we are talking from the Royal!!!).

Dear Leigh,

Thank you for your reports! I completely agree with your thoughts on Darcey Bussell as Sylvia, on opening night I also thought she didn't pull off the Act III variation, and was rather disappointed by this. I look forward to seeing Nunez!

Who was Eros in the Nunez cast?

A note on attendance - it is not always so, and often by mid-way through the year you will find more empty seats, especially for Mixed Bills. I think right now people have missed the Royal over the summer and are all excited to have Darcey back! It also varies - they have been doing specials via their email mailing list for Sylvia with other casts.

Keep 'em coming!

Ami

Hi friends,

Well, I'm a 'young friend' of the ROH and go all the time, booking early

to suit my student tastes.... I often get tickets in full view from

between £4-£15 - the cheapest are standing in the back of the Amphi (you

can see everything - and I'm very short!), or standing in the stalls

circle (the best) or the back of the balcony (sometimes obstructed).  The

back of the Amphi, although high, is totally suitable.  Also, while there

might not be a great many tickets left at the moment, they do keep about

65 tickets for sale on the day, which includes some of the cheaper seats

in the back of the Amphi.  You'd have to go in the morning and line up

though.  Also, the Amphi sides aren't bad, and I find that the box office

staff are very helpful in choosing the best seats for you.  Let me know

if you need help from this end!

I'm going to see Bourne's Swan Lake next week here in Oxford - will

report back.

Ami

Hi Jane,

I was there for 4 November - Opening Night of Sylvia as well! I have been mulling over my thoughts since then. Delibes' score was one of the biggest draws for me - the music just screams out DANCE! And Ashton's choreography, *especially* the Act III Variations and pdd, show a beautiful interpretation of this music.

I must agree with you about the dancing though. Thiago Soares was brilliant - he is the all-around up-and-coming package I think: dancing, acting, character work. And I do think Martin Harvey deserves special mention as Eros... standing there, still, for so long (I kept trying to catch the moment when he shifts weight, but always missed it!), and then dancing beautifully when the time called for it. Plus, his little 'steps' under the hidden cloak in Act I were fabulously timed! I thought Cope's dancing was fine, but to me Bussell never seemed to be comfortable with the choreography, and the quickness and musicality of the steps in the Act III variation weren't accurate enough for my liking. I did have the chance to see Marianela Nunez is rehearsal for this, and thought she was quite good, and luckily will be able to see her in performance later this month. However, I am missing Yanowsky's interpretation - but how I wish Miyako Yoshida was given this role!

Any thoughts from others?

Hi Mme. Hermine - I believe Sarah Lamb's debut with the Company was on opening night in Requiem, but I also think that the 13 November programme will be the first time we get to see her in a solo role. Unfortunately, I won't be there!

Ami

Did anyone else get the chance to attend over the weekend?

I was lucky enough to go on Saturday afternoon - with the first cast in a matinee performance.

Having never seen Requiem before, aside from bits of a rehearsal, I was floored. This is truly beautiful in every sense of the word, leaving me spell-bound from start to finish. The cast included Benjamin, Cope, Bussell, Acosta, and Putrov, as well as Ed Watson and Yohei Sasaki. Cope's partnering was strong and assured as usual, and the pas de deux with him and Benjamin was breath-taking. However, the rehearsal I saw was with Tamara Rojo, and I'm really interested in hearing how her interpretation of the role was, specifically the solo (I believe this was originally Marcia Haydee's role?). Benjamin is cool, dramatic, and strong, and I would have like to see a bit more weakness/tenderness in the solo.

Over the summer I had the chance to see Joffrey perform Wedding Bouquet, and while I had troubles hearing the narrator, somehow the Joffrey's presentation seemed to have more charisma. However, I'm hesitant to say that as I'm wondering if I preferred their version simply because it was the first time I saw it. We had the special treat this time around of listening to Anthony Dowell as the narrator - I was chuffed to see him on stage at all! Zenaida Yanowsky stole the show as a drunk Josephine and there were outstanding performances by Tamara Rojo (Julia), Kobborg (groom), Cojacaru (Bride), Bonneli (Guy), and Iohna Loots (the dog!!!). However, in the matinee the cast didn't seem to pull together to give the show that additional 'spark'.

Finally, everytime I see the Royal do Les Noces I'm astounded. A fabulous piece, exquisitely well danced - now that's how a corp should look!!!!

Any other thoughts?

I was there on Saturday night, and the audience seemed quite full but a bit unsure! I loved door and sigh - perhaps quirky, yes, but intriguing and lots of similarities of Door to the Siren (Prodigal Son) and Death (Le Chant du Rossignol). I was most disappointed by the Millipied piece, although it was danced beautifully, I found the choreography a bit bland. So far I've loved most Wheeldon I've seen, and this program was no exception although Wendy Wheelan really made it for me. Simply stunning. And as for Hallelujah Junction - well, a bit of a show piece in some ways, but interesting choreography that really showcased the agility of the dancers, especially Millipied. This was an interesting and somewhat unexpected program to bring here.

One of my favourites (when I haven't packed my own food from home and have planned on a nice meal out) is Sapori at 43 Drury Lane, very near Zizzi. Great Italian food and just a bit more pricey than Zizzi. Also, Wagamama's is fab in my opinion, and there's one just the other side of Jubilee Market.

And now I'm getting hungry....