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sylvia

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Everything posted by sylvia

  1. I went to see ENB's Romeo and Juliet last night. Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur, who've been married for 10 years, danced the star-crossed lovers. I thought they were a fine example of the advantages of a long-time partnership. Oaks had complete trust in Edur, throwing herself into the pdd, and they had such wonderful chemistry. Edur is a fantastic Romeo, displaying a range of emotions - boyish and heady in love, then rage, despair, and indecision at Mercutio's death. Technically, I coouldn't find a fault with either of them. I did find Oaks' Juliet to be a bit one-note though. I witnessed more depth and growth in Romeo than in Juliet! But I missed some of her Act I characterisation, in part due to the unique staging. It's set in the Royal Albert Halls, a huge round stage, with the seats covering about 300 degrees, starting at stage level and climbing steeply. The production thumbs its nose at the traditional, "2-dimensional" stages, and it’s choreographed (by Derek Deane) to be viewed at any angle, constantly turning so everyone can get a good look. I was right in the centre front row, and I was delighted at how close some of the dancers were, less than 3 feet away. They used the aisles to run on and off stage, so I got quite a rush when the corps flew in on mass. In addition most of the principals would pause right in front of my seat while looking in on the centre action, so I got several long good looks. The cast is something like 120, which made for some very crowded but immensely enjoyable scenes, and illustrated how important the corps are. Sitting where I was, it was hard to keep your attention on any one area - Romeo would be off on one side, Mercutio on another, and there'd be a pair dancing up a frenzy right in front of you. But it was fun, and it draws your eye to dancing that you probably wouldn't pay much attention to otherwise. The ballet really came alive when the corps were all on stage - the joyous and earthy dancing in the marketscene, the formality of the ballroom, and the fighting in Act I and II took my breath away. But even when it was just R+J, it was still a wonder to watch. In the middle of that massive stage I thought Oaks and Edur had no problem projecting to the 4000+ audience. To minimise blocking, there's minimal scenery - 4 carts for the market, the bed/tomb and a moving balcony that rotates so that Juliet can follow Romeo as he circles the balcony - it wasn't as terrible as I'd imagined from the some of the reviews. There were a few snags - I didn't mind much when dancers got in the way of my field of vision because you could usually count on them to move in a sec. But I missed a few key moments, like when R+J first meet. I couldn't see them in the wedding because the darn friar was in the way! Nevertheless I thought the production worked really well. It's a very unique experience, and though you can probably focus more on the couple from seats higher up, I got such a kick out of seeing Edur do huge jetes, pirouettes, and lifting Oaks right in front of me, I prefer the first row to any other. The lighting was amazing - my jaw just dropped when I first entered, the way it was all lit up in blue. The ballroom scene for example was lit up in deep red, giving the dancers (must have been 60 of them paired up, in line on stage) an aura of menace that suited the Dance of the Knights. Yat Sen Chang ruled supreme as Mercutio - he's always going to be a crowd favourite with all the energy he puts into his dancing. I thought his death scene was a bit overwrought though - too hammy. And Shi-Ning Liu makes the meanest, most villainous Tybalt I've ever seen. The guy sitting next to me said it was more of a spectacle than a ballet and I only half agree. I'd hate to characterise it as such as it may put some people off. I think the whole atmosphere is so unique - the intense lighting, the different angles you can watch it (I don't think there's a bad seat in the house), the minimal use of scenery, and the huge cast - I've never seen so many dancers on stage at once. I had such a fantastic time - I'm still glowing! - and I hope to see it again. It offers such a unique perspective on ballet, but the thanks to the dancers, the romance remains at centre and I'd recommend it to anyone. There are some great reviews from last year's production on ballet.co.uk that give a lot more insight than I can. http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews_database_search/db_ search.cgi?company_names=enb&production=juliet&place_name=Albert://http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews...ace_name=Albert://http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews...ace_name=Albert://http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews...ace_name=Albert://http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews...ace_name=Albert://http://www.ballet.co.uk/cgi/reviews...ace_name=Albert [ 06-17-2001: Message edited by: sylvia ]
  2. It's my first live experience with the Kirov - I really wasn't expecting all the casting changes here and there! Anyway, thanks for the links and info - I guess I'm going to Manon with a lighter heart. [ 06-15-2001: Message edited by: sylvia ]
  3. Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet, with Ferri and Eagling. I'll never tire of watching Ferri - she's the standard I hold all other Juliets too. And I think Eagling is wonderful, though I thought since Ferri could pull off a 14 year old so authentically, RB should have found a Romeo closer to her age. Every scene is fun to watch. When I was younger, in performances I'd sit impatiently through the market scenes, the ballroom scene, etc to get to the R+J bits. But with this version, I get as much pleasure from the dancing harlots as I get from the romance.
  4. Hmmm...not pleased. I spent a small fortune (for a student budget) on a seat to see Makhalina in Manon. I don't know either Ayupova or Kuznetsov - info on Russian dancers seems to be a bit lacking on the net. Can someone tell me a bit about them?
  5. Wildor and Steifel gave me goosebumps in La Fille, back in February. This was the one made me realise how wonderful and beautiful, not to mention how diverse ballet could be. I can't wait to hear the reviews for this performance.
  6. Felursus, I missed the moon, but I'll be sure to look out for it next time! I had a hard time keeping my eyes of the dancers, I missed a lot of then little details that I usually try to memorise. I'm going for the mixed bill in August as well Giannina - more than once if I can afford it. I'm looking forward to Sarah Wildor's interpretation and I'd love to see Cojocaru again, and not just in this. She has her debut in SB Awakening pdd as well. It's not that I didn't care for Song of the Earth - in fact I quite enjoyed some parts of it. To quote one of the reviewers on ballet.co, some of the images will be with me for a long long time. And I do understand what you mean about the ballet being being emotionally draining. I just found some parts a little confusing. I don't always enjoy performances on first viewing, but learn to appreciate them the more I watch. I don't think I yet have the maturity to understand the meanings and imagery that are intertwined in ballet. But I guess some of that will come in time. Just wanted to clear that up. The remark I made about only watching it with Cope now makes me wince. I shouldn't have been so hasty in saying that I wouldn't see Song of the Earth again...the more I think about it (and believe me I have ), the better it looks in retrospect!
  7. Hasn't Darcey done Kitri yet? I know she had to miss out several times, but i thought it was all sewn up by now. I heard Ross Stretton has Don Q up for RB next year, so if it appears late enough we may well see her in it.
  8. The programme said that Nuryev did a few performances of Midsummer eventually. Sure would have liked to seen those!
  9. I think popping into Convent Garden yesterday will go on 2 lists: Best things I have ever done on impulse, and The most beautiful things I have ever seen. My only regret is that it marked the end of the RB season. If otherwise, I'd be traipsing down to London every other night just to watch it again! It was my first "Dream", and I was absolutely captivated! I literally had chills down my spine when the singing started, which I hadn't expected at all. (I rushed out and bought the cd after.) Alina Cojocaru at nineteen charms and sparkles, a feisty Titania, and a truely lyrical dancer. She had some great chemistry with her Oberon, Essakow a soloist who did a lovely job. The two of them are so tiny, they did remind me a little of children, playful and squabbling. I loved the tug of war over the changeling boy..."he's mine!" "No, no, he's mine!". RB did an exceptional job with the comedic touches. It was like physical comedy, but unbelievably balletic at the same time... Lysander's mock anguish when Hermia tells him to find another tree to sleep next to...Oberon giving Puck the boot when he messes up with the herbs...the look on the fairies' faces when they see the object of Titania's affection is...an ass. Luke Heydon was brilliant as Bottom the ass and I marvelled at his galloping on point. First time for me, I kept staring at his feet - is he? he can't be...he is on pointe! It also amazed me how expressive he was from behind his clunky mask. I swear, you could see the light go on in his eyes at the moment he realises he has Titania at his beckoning. And it was lovely how the forest didn't feel static, but looked like it was fresh and alive. The fairies darted on and off between trees on a ramp above the stage, peeking down at the shenanigans that were going on the forest floor. The final pas-de-deux between Titania and Oberon was dreamy. There were so many beautiful moments, I could go on and on and I can't think of a more perfect ballet than this one. I went into Song of the Earth with less than low expectations given some of the reviews I'd read but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't find the singing a turn off as some did. It was so beautiful that if anything, I think it added to the performance. For me, it would have been more of a distraction if it was sung in English as some people I chatted to there suggested. At first I thought the audience was less than enthusiastic, given the muted applause between some of the dances. In the last and admittedly very long song, this woman next to me kept shifting and looking around, probably wondering why it wasn't over yet. Though some people made a quick exit, the applause afterwards was raptuous. Jonathan Cope stood out among all the others. I have to admit, when he came on stage I couldn't keep my eyes off him, neglecting everyone else. Why isn't there more information available? Why is it he is virtually known outside the ballet world? He's in his late 30s, but still in brilliant condition, very expressive and with soaring jumps, though at at one point, he managed to trip over another dancer. There's a lift where Cope was balancing Tamara Rojo on the back of his head and neck that got my heart that got my heart thumping! I was terrified the weight would break his neck! And at another point Cope lifted Johan Persson (the Messenger), another wonderful principal, as easily as can be, as he would a girl. Mara Galeazzi was another stand out for me, but it in part due to the quality of choreography. Likewise with Tamara Rojo, I wasn't impressed, but probably because I didn't especially like the dance either. I have mixed feelings about this one. The dancing was sort of wierd and wonderful to watch. Lots of flexed feet and the dancers getting into some very odd positions. The themes were of life, death and renewal but I couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on, why one dancer was reaching out to another, why Rojo was in anguish. It was inspired by some chinese poems and the song translation was provided, but I'd read before that it wasn't a literal translation so I skipped it not wanting to confuse myself. It's not something I'd run out and see again, and then only if Cope was cast again. But it was definitely worth watching at least once. Sorry I can't explain it much better. There are far superior reviews of the ballets on the ballet.co message board. Hope that was ok. It's my first review here, and only my 2nd ever for ballet. [ 06-01-2001: Message edited by: sylvia ]
  10. Thank you so much for the review Wendy! I wish I'd been able to get a ticket, but it's still fun to hear about it second hand. Have you considered psoting your review up on the ballet.co page, or maybe putting up a link to this page instead? If the guys over there haven't found their way here yet already, I'm sure they'r love to read it. There are a few sketches of who performed what, but no detailed reviews yet.
  11. I found them too. She does look good. When I said there's a lack of info on her, I meant to say English! Anyone who can read spanish (I haven't in about 7 years) can read to their heart's content.
  12. I read Gelsey Kirkland's books some time ago, and I was curious to know what became of Sevillano. I read recently that she's ready to "return" to dancing. When did she stop, and why? Did she achieve great success? There's really a huge gap in info between Kirkland's "Shape of love" and the last report that I read.
  13. Thanks for the recommendations. I'm definitely getting RB's Manon and Mayerling (if they're still at the ROH shop - fingers crossed).
  14. I'm trying to add to my (presently very tiny) collection of ballet videos. I was wondering if anyone here has seen the RB and Australian versions of Manon. I'm having a hard time deciding which to get. Also, any feedback on RB's Mayerling video would be greatly appreciated. And could someone recommend a reputable, but not overpriced US website where I could get RB's La Bayadere. For some strange reason, it hasn't been released in the UK, and isn't even available in the UK format. Cheers!
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