sylvia

Ricardo Cervera, who I don't think I've seen this season yet. He was scheduled to do the Devil's Holiday variation in the latest mixed bill, but didn't. 

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He missed the first 2 performances I think but danced the pdd with Laura Morera last Wednesday. (Martin Harvey danced the solo.) I think I remember reading he covers the roles of Oberon and Puck in The Dream.

Lynette, you didn't see first cast of Wedding Bouquet?

Re Miyako, I guess am still glowing from seeing her in Scenes de Ballet last week - she was absolutely amazing, her dancing was so bright and she lit up the stage like no one else.

I saw Nao Sakuma guest with the RB in Scenes in the last run, sitting in the directors box at a rather extreme angle right over the stage. I know it's a ballet that's supposed to work from any angle but this is a rather odd one to watch it from. (It doesn't work for me from the stalls either - not the same without all those lovely patterns!) I did like her a great deal though and she was incredibly touching in Two Pigeons with BRB a few weeks ago.

Miyako Yoshida is often talked of as being excellent in Ashton - am sorry you didn't see her in Scenes de ballet Leigh. Ricardo Cervera, first soloist, is one of the few dancers I've read about who has been described as a dancer with Ashton qualities. I saw Vanessa Palmer, a soloist, in a Cinderella masterclass where she demonstrated the difference in upper body movement Ashton brought in her Fairy godmother solo to how it might otherwise have been danced, and as someone who is getting her ballet education from the current RB, it was the first time for me the difference WAS very obvious! She said she was one of the last few who had received coaching by Ashton (she was a student or in the corps at the time I think) and am sure I remember reading she got praise by the critics for that particular role.

I thought it was a brave choice to open with Door and a Sigh - one in the eye for those who think Balanchine's ballets are all the same!

<Rubbing said eye> Did Balanchine himself offer any insights into Door and a Sigh? At the first interval I rushed out to look at the programme notes which, in it's brevity, turned out to be extremely unhelpful!

Thanks Alexandra. Yes I'll be seeing everything this season, several times too! I went to a masterclass for Sylvia a couple weeks ago and the act 3 pdd rehearsed by Marianela Nunez and Rupert Pennefather was one of the loveliest things I've ever seen, so I'm more than excited about the reconstrution.

I went to see Dances Concertantes Tuesday night too! I don't think anything has stumped me quite as much as Variations pour une porte et un soupir, yet it was completely absorbing. The nightmarish allusions to predator and prey, the jarring choreography, the electronic score made this one of the creepiest experiences I've ever sat through in a theatre and it was, on reflection, extremely cool! The audience received them quite warmly I thought, though I imagine there were a few as mystified as I. After the ballets this troupe brought to London last time (In the Night, Polyphonia, Duo Concertant...and something else?), it wasn't what I expected at all. I think it's something I'd like to bring friends to see, just to freak them out and completely turn on head whatever preconceptions they might have on ballet. ;)

I have to confess I've become less and less a fan of Wheeldon the more I've seen of his work. Liturgy is something else though, and Whelan & Soto are themselves worth the price of admission. The other two ballets were disappointing - little to love in the new Millepied, Circular Motion, and Martin's Hallelujah Junction unfortunately. So a bit of a mixed bag on Tuesday.

I just saw it last night.  I think it was one of the worst films I have ever seen.  My muscles are aching this morning from cringing so hard.

Unfortunately that was my reaction too. Some of the dancing was quite interesting (La Vivandiere I'd never seen and I loved the most as brief as it was, and the ballet with the girl harnessed in the swing was so beautiful) but it doesn't make me want to run to see the Joffrey. I actually liked that there was no essential plot and that issues that were touched upon were never fully resolved, that no big thing is made of Ry's romance and the movie doesn't end with her big payoff but an injury. It's beautifully shot, especially the dance sequences and the feeling Altman gives of taking a peek into dancers' lives. Just a shame that he makes their lives seem so ludicrous at times, certainly in every single scene involving Malcolm MacDowell. And having to sit through The Blue Snake and it's rehearsals made me cringe and cringe - I can't believe this could possibly be what Neve Campbell had in mind when she dreamt of her big ballet finale. Was Altman smirking at how seriously we take ballet? It did make me consider that this was how ballet-haters must view fairytales like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, etc, etc, and those red dancing monkeys aren't too far off the monkeys in MacMillan's Prince of Pagodas. I left the cinema almost crying with laughter, but it also leaves me a little angry the way Altman seems to make a mockery of it all. Who is this film meant to be for? People with no interest in dance would point to the balletomanes and the people with that interest don't seem terribly impressed either.

Oh I've changed my mind, if performances were as wonderful as Cuthbertsen & Watson were Friday night I'd happily watch R&J over and over. They were fantastic in their second one!

I really enjoyed it. Edward Watson impressed me especially - he has to be one of the most openly emotional, weepy Romeos I've ever seen! But in a good, heart-on-your-sleeve kind of way. He really seemed to me to be a young boy, completely unprepared for the rollercoaster emotions of falling in love, losing love, causing death. Not all the dancing came off perfectly and the pdds weren't incredibly smooth (but then I'm comparing to the incomparably smooth pdds of Guillem & Le Riche ) but hopefully it's just a matter of more rehearsals and building strength and I absolutely do think he is deserving of the role. I would see him again in this ballet, no question. Lauren is a lovely Juliet, very refreshing and gave the sunniest act 1 I've seen. She was wonderful in the balcony scene - very swoony. Her style of acting everywhere else is more demure. She and Edward did seem perfect for their roles - young, eager, completely reckless. It will be interesting to see if they will have come any further in tonight's performance.

There were actually 4 debuts! Thiago Soares - who really could be the devil, with that moustache and goatee - as Tybalt, and Valeri Hristov as Paris. I have to admit even though Hristov has taken on quite a few soloist roles these last 2 seasons I hadn't really taken to him until Monday - he really looks like a potential leading man! I guess I'll have to pay more attention to his dancing now. ;)

Sylvie Guillem and Nicholas Le Riche's R&J were excellent I thought. Maybe their acting I'm not totally overwhelmed by (her acting for Juliet seems very minimalistic compared to her Manon, hardly a gesture spared), but their dancing in the pdds are so beautiful, so creamy smooth. Just the way Guillem extends her leg forward as Le Riche drags her back is so much better than anyone else, it's is enough to make me cry. I'll never understand the criticisms over her act 1 - she hasn't looked like a young girl for years and people are complaining now?

In contrast Mara Galeazzi's emotions are all over the place and you can't help but get caught up in her excitement of first love. Federico Bonelli I thought was terrific, probably the best Romeo in this run for me. He didn't seem so confident in his debut last November, but he has improved by leaps and bounds with every performance since. I really felt that he put a very strong, very romantic personal stamp on his character - his passion for everything, not just for Juliet, but for his friends, for life. Plus his dancing is incredible, no question mark there.

Alina Cojocaru's Juliet impressed me to no end - I found her a bit too sweet in previous runs but I became so absorbed in all the little details, all the little clues she gives to her character. I loved watching her restlessness after meeting Romeo for the first time and having to engage in conversation with the less desirable Paris. And the pdds with Bolle were spectacular - the height difference really helps I guess. I'm not sure about the two of them as a partnership though. Bolle dwarfs her, not just with his height but his broadness and as gorgeous as they are it just looks too weird.

I have to say I've had enough of R&J - I've seen way too many these last 2 weeks and I sure am glad it's been omitted from the schedule next season. And I missed Tamara Rojo in this run - she's still my number one Juliet.

Marquez-Putrov is an excellent cast IMHO. Roberta Marquez has been guesting with the RB frequently this past season, dancing Bayadere, Giselle and Sleeping Beauty with Ivan Putrov and she is joining at the start of the next one. Her Giselle is wonderful in my opinion, extremely charismatic and very moving, and her dancing is so beautiful and bright. Ivan's also technically a marvel to watch, and dramatically I think he's improved in the last couple years since he was promoted to principal. Albrecht is a role he's very suited to (I'm sure I remember him garnering good reviews this year by the critics) and theirs is an enjoyable partnership to watch.

Rojo_fan, yes of course, I'll try type it up asap. The talk was quite interesting but there was very little I hadn't heard or read about before, their history, favourite ballets etc. The Ballet Association talks are much better as they are much longer and more detailed, and sometimes you hear some controversial opinions that aren't usually voiced! But there were some things I hadn't heard before - Johan and Tamara had actually danced together before the RB when he was guesting at Scottish Ballet - in La Sylphide or Les Sylphides I couldn't quite make it out. They've only danced together twice since - Don Q and Giselle which they both agreed was really good. Johan was inspired to join the RB when they toured to Denmark and Johan saw Bruce Sansom (who was interviewing) dance Month in the Country. Tamara wanted to dance Mayerling, Manon, etc ballets she'd seen on video as a youth, which was why the RB was her goal while she danced with Scottish Ballet and ENB.

I have to rush off as my time is running out but I'll get back to you on this!

Saw both performances of R&J yesterday. Mara was excellent, Bonelli a big improvement on his debut last November. Have done complete about-face on Alina - she was fantastic, and quite different with new partner Roberto Bolle than with Kobborg. A bit dubious about Bolle - will write more later!

At the 'In Conversation' talk Tamara said it was just a one time thing, the coaching. Someone failed to show up and she was available so she took them through the 'Madrigal' scene. She said something like it was a bit strange as she is still dancing Juliet. The cast sheets usually tell us who is coaching and the only current principal I can recall ever seeing listed is Jonathan Cope. I think Seymour coached the principals in Mayerling, and apparently both she and Sibley coached Tamara and Alina Cojocaru respectively in Manon.

Mara's had a lot of Romeo's to fall in love with! - Jonathan Cope, Stuart Cassidy and Inaki Urlezaga. She said in a Ballet Association talk that even though she was given very little notice her Juliets with Johan were the best she'd ever done. I was extremely moved by them, so much that I actually started to think I would go to see the RB on tour in Russia so I could see them dance it again and Mayerling too!

And yes I'm excited about Lauren Cuthberson/Watson performances too even though I feel like I've had enough of R&J after 2 runs and now a 3rd in less than a year. I'm a bit wary of the Cojocaru (replacing Darcey Bussell)/Bolle cast but the performances I tend to love are the ones that surprise me the most so we'll see! And I'm looking forward to seeing Guillem/Le Riche - the critics say these may be Guillem's last Juliets! I didn't care for her interpretation a couple years back but I have better seats this time...so again we'll see!

The Friends Overtures membership offer £25 of vouchers for £30 membership (was £25 last year) for people under 26 so for the access to rehearsals and masterclasses not to mention the early booking (essential for grabbing the popular seats) it's really worth it. I forget how much regular membership costs but it's something like £70 for the same benefits.

I'd go for both Cope-Rojo and Kobborg-Cojocaru. Rojo's Tatiana is deeply moving and she with Cope make an incredibly passionate pair. I'm really excited about his debut and I agree you have to catch them while you can. I found the interview terribly sad in that they found each other so late!

I wondered if Cojocaru would be too young for the ballet too, but she makes a remarkable transformation into a woman in act 3 - very mature and poised and in spite of her youth, unlike a young girl at all IMO. And it's hard to explain but her pdds with Kobborg have this reckless, abandoned quality that I've never seen in others, and it makes ballets like Onegin a thrill to watch.

Now instead of nothing much happening over the music, and the crows flying past, the Lilac Fairy shows the Prince the way, and Cupid takes him there on a carriage. (Except in the rehearsal the carriage hurtled into the backdrop.)

I think because Cupid was driving

Seriously though Cupid irritates the heck out of me too - that his role has been so much reduced makes it so obvious how unneccessary he is. The changes to Act II are such an improvement over the disaster it was last year (empty stage during the Panorama, curtains that got stuck half-way, the fact that only half the audience could see the bed it was so far off on the side). I liked how they extended the Prince's battling with Carabosse's minions and his manege up to the castle - the buildup with the music makes it so exciting.

Upset to see Johan injured. The smile was just wiped off his face with that awkward landing. I loved Bonelli - seems I'll be seeing him 3 times in total now with performances with Tamara Rojo and Roberta Marquez too. I did wonder how they managed to find him so quick though! Had wondered if Ivan Putrov (Bluebird) would step in instead! He makes a fab Bluebird to watch - so perfectly arrogant! Disagree with the Evening Standard critic about Lauren Cuthbertson - I think she has great presence on stage and not just because her lilac dress was so fabulous! In particular her mime scenes seem to have so much more authority than I remembered. Zenaida Yanowsky's Carabosse stands out for me the most.

I was surprised to like Miyako Yoshida and Inaki Urlezaga best. I was doubtful of their Swan Lake last season and thought they would be an odd pairing, but actually they turned out to be the most exuberant and complete Romeo and Juliet for me. I love Miyako's Juliet - they way in which she flutters around the ballroom is so demure and delicate, and I think her transformation into a heartbroken women, flinging herself into Romeo's arms in act III is the best one for me. They were just so believable on both sides. For the others I was impressed by bits and pieces of each cast, especially Mara Galeazzi's girlish sparkling Act I, Tamara's terrible despair in Act 3. I liked the new principal Bonelli - I thought he was very sweet and boyish and his dancing is really beautiful - will be interested to see how he develops his Romeo next year. But I've been a bit disappointed this time around. I usually love Johan and Alina together and dancewise they gel perfectly, but their R&J isn't for me. I don't know why I wasn't moved. I think I must spend too much time analysing performances as opposed to enjoying them. I felt the same as Lynette about Johan and Alina. It's me being picky too because they were relatively still excellent. People around me were weeping buckets for them! I like how so far off 'paint-by-numbers' their dancing is - how they react to events and to each other. For most of the others you can pinpoint exactly in the music when specific things happen - when they kiss, when Juliet takes the potion, etc, etc, and for some dancers it never seems to change from season to season, but Alina and Johan choose slightly different moments in the music throughout the ballet which makes it very interesting, a bit unpredictable and exciting. I think Johan makes Alina wait for her balcony kiss longer than is fair. And Alina takes so much longer to wake up in the tomb and discover Paris, and contrasting with the speed at which she races around the crypt I felt much more Juliet's fear and desperation. It was nice to see Leanne Benjamin back too - she got a flower throw at the end of her performance. I agree with the Times review of her and Samodurov - the ballet only came together for me in Act 3. I have to confess I'm R&Jed out and as much as I'm looking forward to seeing the Edward Watson-Lauren Cuthbertson cast next year I think it's a bit much to have three runs in less than a year.

Hi Giannina. The Insight Mornings or Days are a great event. They usually take place in the Linbury Studio which seats 400 I think. For the last SB Insight Day we had Dina Markova talk about the new Spinatelli designs, Lauren Cuthbertson and principal Ivan Putrov rehearse the mime from the Vision Scene, Natalia Makarova herself rehearse Ivan and Alina Cojocaru in the Wedding pdd, and Zenaida Yanowsky as Carabosse, and analysis about the historical background and music. This being just an Insight Morning, there will probably be a couple speakers and a masterclass. They are £20, cheaper for concessions. I think they allocate a percentage of tickets through the Friends and keep the rest for public booking. They are really worth coming to if you will be in London at the time.

Spotted these on one of the movie sites. First stills ever from the production if anyone's interested.

http://www.cinemovies.fr/fiche_photos.php?IDfilm=2218

I can't resist a reply. The dancers in the RB are for the most part fantastic, vivid actors. My friends who have seen a wider variety of companies than I, think they are the best in the world in this regard. Certainly in comparison to the other companies I have seen this is the case. I must have been to a dozen masterclasses in the last few years and the coaches, particularly Monica Mason, keeps emphasising the acting side from all dancers on stage right down to the corps. She's keeps telling them that each dancers must have their own character, their own story to tell. They need to use a running script in their heads so that they aren't just performing mindless gestures. She said once that she uses her binoculars to check up on everyone at the back! You could sit and ignore the action in the centre (admittedly I do this sometimes) and really enjoy what's going on in the background especially as it's sometimes so spontaneous and different with each performance. And this is never more evident than the ballets being danced at the moment - Manon last month and now R&J. Last night Cervera's Mercutio bounds down to centre stage and on his way he smacks a big kiss on one of the girls, Lauren Cuthbertsen, and I cannot forget the way she grabbed her hat, the way her eyes lit up, the excited expression on her face. Or last week when one of the harlots snatches the bouquet of flowers off the bride in the market and Edward Watson's Benvolio has a protracted struggle to retrieve it for her. These are just silly details, but they set the atmosphere it's the way they all add up that make the RB performances so special to me. And at the same time it never detracts from the core of the ballet. I've never thought the ballets here lacked cohesiveness or direction - rather they make the whole experience so much richer. Well these are just personal observations - I'm sure there are others that disagree.

I've been to most R&Js so far in the run. Ferri is as marvellous as everyone says - she has such long and beautiful legs and a lovely supple back. I was telling my friends that she seems to live and breathe Juliet. I love how she's has danced it for so many years she can play around with it and not merely follow a formula - it seems much more impulsive, more natural this way. She's different to what I expected having only seen her on video. Much deeper and in act 3 she seems so much more haunted and heartbreaking. I wasn't as moved by Roberto Bolle as I was last season but I have to admit I couldn't keep my eyes off Ferri.

I think my favourite cast is definitely Mara Galeazzi and Johan Kobborg - not just my favourite this season but my favourite ever! While their pdd probably weren't as liquid smooth as Ferri and Bolle's I can say without a doubt that I don't think I've ever been so moved by anyone in any other ballet. I don't know why I found them so wonderful. Mara replaced Alina Cojocaru who is injured, and I think they only had a few days to rehearse. I think the fact that Mara and Johan are so different is what makes it so fascinating. They aren't a pairing you'd think of as ideal for R&J - heightwise, plus Mara has such strong, striking features and Johan is more delicate, and you think they can't possibly belong together! But they are such fantastic individual actors and they fall in love so convincingly, it makes it seem so much more romantic...and all the more doomed! Mara has such big expressive eyes. And there is a steeliness to her dancing that makes me think she has great strength of character, that the courage she needed to go through act 3 was there from the start. I think Johan has spoilt all other Romeos for me now - like after lifting Juliet after he ballroom solo when he had to go and dance with the Capulets, the look on his face was so wonderous. And when he went to ask the Friar to marry them, he looked so anxious hovering over him, pointing out passages in Juliet's letter, whereas the other Romeos stood off to one side and apart from the letter-reading there would be nothing happening on stage. There is always something going on with him, and he has such a range of emotions that flash across his face, you feel know exactly what he is thinking as opposed to just happy, sad, angry, etc, etc, and not only that you feel them too!

I liked Miyako Yoshida's Juliet as great deal - her acting is more subdued than other Juliets which is refreshing but I guess doesn't appeal to everyone. I'll wait to see David Makhateli on Friday again before I say anything. I've yet to see Tamara Rojo and Inaki Urlezaga but Tamara I thought was the best last season so I'm excited about that. The comments about the secondary characters in Perceival's and other reviews I don't agree with - they seem lively but no overplayed. I thought Percival's comment about the harlots was also a bit silly and pedantic. It's great fun to watch, fantastic choreography and light relief between the romance and action. I have the biggest smile on my face during the market scenes. And I saw the Royal Ballet of Flanders stripped-down R&J which was the most excruciating ballet I have ever seen. I missed those harlots.

Sorry for not posting in months Alexandra. I've just finished exams and finally have time to post but the season comes to a close on Saturday!

Thanks so much for posting this. Which issue of Vogue is this?

Re the quote, she said the same thing to a British newspaper (forget which) a couple years ago.

I have to admit I don't spend much on anything else! I'm happy to stand in the 4 pound seats for most performances and the expensive orchestra stalls for the more special ones.

Sorry I haven’t posted anything about Manon at all, especially since I haven’t missed a performance and really loved the run. Jonathan Cope has been injured and I was so gutted because I have never seen him with Sylvie Guillem in Manon before, and all I have been hearing for weeks from everyone was “Wait until you see Sylvie and Jonathan…” and how this really is their ballet.

I think the best cast for me was the last one – Sylvie with Massimo Murru. Sylvie’s style of acting is utterly natural and so believable. You don’t feel like she is dancing, like she going from one step to another – rather she makes every movement an inevitable expression of her, of Manon’s emotions. And having seen her dance this 4 times in this run, she really does make each performance a different one, little gestures, who she talks to in the crowd, the way she tries to entice Des Grieux in Act II in the bedroom, and it is wonderful to observe all this. When Des Griex is packing for example, her Manon doesn’t just hang about in the corner of the room but is very playful, flittering about, grabbing the clothes from the suitcase and flinging them over the screen. Her Manon is so compelling you can’t pull you eyes away from her because you’re afraid to miss some little detail, and with each performance this got to the extent that I wasn’t watching the dancing at the centre at all. Murru has the same understated style of acting, it’s finally clicked why he is one of Sylvie’s few chosen partners. He surprised me – I wasn’t a fan of his Romeo or Armand at all, and was very apprehensive about his Des Grieux. He doesn’t have the most beautiful line, not the prettiest arabesques, but I think he made more out of the choreography than the others. His character was such a sensitive portrayl I think he’s turned out to be my favourite one. In their first of 2 performances on Saturday night, their bedroom pdd in Act I was so beautiful, so ecstatic. They weren’t just unbelievable smooth and effortless - they seemed to stretch beyond anything I thought possible. Again, it wasn’t just step, step, step, moving from one position to anothre - Sylvie I think melts into Murru’s arms. It was really the most perfect pdd I have ever seen and I don’t think I have ever become so emotional before! At the end of this Saturday performance the audience went wild! You don’t often get ovations like this at the Opera House, but the applause went on and on, feet stamping and everything! I loved Sylvie with Laurent Hilaire very much as well, but it took me a little while to warm up to them both and I was still bruised with disappointment over Jonathan Cope’s absence.

With Darcey and Roberto Bolle, I think their first performance was by far the best out of the three they did. They are such gorgeous dancers (physically and dance-wise!) with big joyous smiles you cannot help but fall in love with them and believe that they are completely in love with each other. The romanticism of it all wore off for me though in their subsequent performances but it could have been because I’d seen too many Manons in too short a time by that point! I think I prefer both Bussell and Bolle in more classical roles though like Sleeping Beauty (more on that later!). It’s rather fun to compare the almost-forgotten kiss at the end of the bedroom pdd as well – Darcey purses her lips expecting a kiss, and looks hurt when Roberto walks past before he remembers and plants on her a big one. Sylvie grabs her Des Grieux by the coat-tails and drags him back to her. I’ve forgotten what Jaimie Tapper does but David Makhateli does that little gesture for “I forgot” before loping back. Jaimie made an impressive debut and it will be interesting to see how she develops it in the May run. Unsure about David Makhateli, though he’s certainly a beautiful dancer. Given that they had only a few weeks to rehearse I tried not to expect too much. He must have impressed the company though as according to Dance Europe he is returning to dance with Miyako Yoshida in Romeo and Juliet, and joining the Royal Ballet from next season.

I kept changing my mind about which Lescaut I thought was best as they were all so good! Martin Harvey and Vanessa Palmer as Lescaut’s Mistress stretched out the laughter to the max in their drunken pdd – it was by far the funniest. I think Monica Mason said at the Insight Day that different Lescauts would have different personalities, some would be sunny to begin with, others would be cruel, and it depended on the personality of the dancer. Ricardo Cervera suprisingly went for the latter and I felt was the nastiest (though the most charasmatic!) of the lot. Brian Maloney I think went for a more subtle interpretation – he didn’t overplay it, the drunken scenes especially, and consequently I thought his were the best. He reminds me of Guillem in this respect – he didn’t overact and was very natural. It’s a great break for him since he’s still a first artist. The dancing of all three was brilliant without question. Out of the Mistresses, I liked Vanessa Palmer the best (the others were principal Marianela Nunez with Maloney, and Laura Morera with both Cervera and Maloney). You could just tell she had been dancing this role for years! I was thinking a lot about what Monica Mason and other dancers had said about each dancer, down to the corps creating a character for themselves, that each one has a story to tell. Half-way through the run, I was so tired of the party scene I stopped watching the dancing and started watching the dancers in the background and it really is fascinating to watch because it’s mostly improvised and different from night to night. Apart from some bits in the party I love the MacMillan choreography so much, particularly Des Grieux’s sad and longing solo and I adore the Massanet music throughout. I also wanted to mention Tim Matiakis as the Beggar Chief, also a first artist, and someone who really impressed me when watching a RB class a few months ago – I hope he gets more opportunities because I thought his dancing was fantastic. Iohna Loots too is such a charmer in her trouser suit and hat with big feather plume. My friend reminded me that Alina danced this role in the last run two seasons ago, so it’s amazing that she is to dance Manon in May! I can’t wait to see her with Johan Kobborg and Tamara Rojo with Carlos Acosta should be wonderful too.

I’m quite glad we’re moving on to something else though! On the day of the last Manon there was also a general rehearsal for the new Makarova production of Sleeping Beauty, with Bussell and Bolle dancing. I won’t spoil the rest of the cast for those who are going to first night but it is a top-class cast, the best you can possibly get, and I wonder if its maybe just a one-off for that night. The production is too beautiful to describe – the lights change to a warm pink in the rose adage. The front of the stage is painted with flowers that blend into the rest of the stage. The number of props onstage is quite minimal, so the dancing space is huge. There is a platform at the back of the stage that is used in various ways. The colours change to autumnal browns in Act II. Multiple screens are used and raised to depict Prince Desire (no longer Florimund)’s journey to the castle. And the moment when Aurora awakens…well the sets and lights really do speak of a new beginning! The sets and costumes are SO detailed and stunning, and sparkly, and I think the Lilac Fairy is in danger of outshining Aurora! The fairy-tale characters in Act III too, I thought I’d get bored at this point but the dances are so funny, the costuming perfect and again I can’t think of better casted dancers. I didn’t see the Kirov SB when it toured here a couple years ago but my friend says they are very similar to that production. And in my eyes the company look great, very well rehearsed! Sorry, I’m trying to describe it without giving too much away! I promise to post something after the first night on Saturday.

Yes, I went for the Sleeping Beauty Insight Day in the Linbury Studio (as well as Manon in the evening!) and it proved to be such a fascinating day.

Definitely my highlight was the Masterclass with Natalia Makarova, Alina Cojocaru, Ivan Putrov and Zenaida Yanowsky. Alina and Ivan rehearsed the wedding pdd from Act III. I think intensive rehearsals for SB have only just started. (Makarova worked with the dancers for several weeks last year but while they were rehearsing other ballets, she had to fit in rehearsals whenever she could get them.) So it was far from polished, and Alina and Ivan were still working out the lifts and turns and the effort was quite evident. Makarova drily remarked that she thought they were perfect, but it seems that they are not! Still, it was brilliant to watch Makarova give Alina lots of technical corrections and see Alina translate them into her body. I think Alina seems to go a little bit further than any other ballerina – I couldn’t believe how high and for how long she managed to sustain her arabesques and attitudes. Near the start of the pdd, you know when Aurora is holding onto the Prince’s hand with one leg extended forward, leans a little forward and then leans back, Alina kept going back, back, back, much further than most dancers go! She also rehearsed solos from the Vision scene and again the wedding pdd. At one point after a series of chainee turns and pirouettes she finished with a flourish in arabesque and Makarova commented that this was the ‘dangerous version’. Everyone else was doing the ‘safe version’ where the ballerina ended up on both feet for more stability. (Alina said though she didn't know if she would keep it.) The 10th of March won’t Alina’s debut-debut as she has danced the role already in Kiev, but it’s the one I’m most looking forward to anyway. So as a result she was very self-assured and she knew exactly what she wanted to do, though she still deferred to Makarova’s judgement. Anyway it was a thrill to watch her in rehearsal. There’s a cleaness, a clarity to her dancing that I just love and is all the more apparent up close, plus it’s nice to see her so confident – a change from the shy girl I saw last time I saw her a year ago in a Bayadere Masterclass! I was just a little sorry that Ivan had to walk off so soon as I think they both wanted to get as much time with Makarova as possible.

So I thought the day couldn’t get any better but it did! I was so surprised that Zenaida Yanowsky was dancing Carabosse as it’s a role I’ve always associated with older dancers, character dancers, not talented young principals in their twenties at their height of their careers! And she was magnificent to watch! Her first steps were hunched over her stick shuffling to the front, darting poisonous glances side to side, and you couldn’t believe the movement she has in her upper back, in her shoulders and face. The music just seemed to move through her body and it was the first time I saw incredible musicality present in the dark chromatic cords of Carabosse’s entrance. Zenaida also showed her sense of humour, waggling her eyebrows at the audience to great laughter. It was wonderful to see this beautiful ballerina throw herself into the role of this ugly and evil fairy! I was in awe, watching her swirl ferociously around the stage, twirling her stick violently, at least until Zenaida lost her grip on it and it came flying towards me in the second row!! Luckily no one got hurt but I had a very hands over my eyes, “eek!” moment there. It was also great to see Makarova running from side to side, crouching down in horror, reacting to Carabosse as the Queen, as a courtier or whatever. I think she must still relish the chance to perform even to an audience as small as this! (394 seats btw). She urged Zenaida in her entrance to climb up her stick more gradually with each shuffle, as if gathering her power. And she demonstrated how she wanted Zenaida to have the trembles rock through her body – wonderful to watch! Makarova still seems to be creating the choreography on Zenaida I think – they were trying out new things, new steps and ways to hold the stick, especially towards the end. I think it’s a marvellous role for her. It’s got to sting a little being the only female principal not dancing Aurora (which I find disappointing as I think she certainly has the technique and radiance to be a great one) but if she’s dancing on first night then it will be a truly exceptional cast and I can’t wait! It does make me wonder who else will dance Carabosse – it’s so vigorous I wonder if it will be too demanding for Anthony Dowell or Monica Mason. I can’t imagine any of the other company ballerinas performing it so maybe it will be for the guys then.

The other Masterclass was given by Agneta Valcu, rehearsing the mime scene between Lauren Cuthebertson as the Lilac Fairy and Ivan Putrov as Prince Florimund in the Vision scene. The mime had been simplified, we were told, to make it more coherent and we probably wouldn’t see as much as we were used to. This was only Lauren’s 2nd rehearsal so Valcu demonstrated all the mime to Lauren first. The (heavy!) staff had to be moved as if a part of her body, so she had to keep her arms wider and grander. She also told Lauren and Ivan that they could be flexible with the mime and music, but that the gesture for “beautiful” used when describing the LF’s description of Aurora had to be at the very height of the music. And she reminded them not to ‘speak’ at the same time! The observations Valcu made were so interesting. The Lilac Fairy is godmother not only to Aurora but to Florimund as well so she knows exactly where Florimund is (geographically and his state of mind!) and that it is the perfect time to bring them together. The question she asks Florimund “Are you sad?” is just a conversation starter – she knows that the conversation will turn to love! Anyway this scene has no dancing for the Lilac Fairy so she is in heels with a long dress. I’m a little confused as I thought the Lilac Fairy would not be a dancing role at all but she might be on pointe in the prologue so does anyone remember?

Anyway, the rest of the talks by Dina Makarova, Pauline Greene and Giannandrea Poesio were fascinating and so informative, though I have to apologize, I dare not try to reproduce everything Greene and Poesio said as I'm sure to get the facts wrong - they went into so much detail! The sets and costumes designed by Luisa Spinatelli, with whom Natalia Makarova has a long and close working relationship with that Dina Makarova presented to us are really lovely. The whole production is based and inspired on the original Russian version. There are very few stage parts she said so it is ideal for touring. It is mostly made up of different gauzes for the backdrops and one that we peer through for the prologue, a platform at the back that has a permanent presence and has mirrors as front panels to reflect the painted floor. The colours – pale pinks, greys and greens from the model look very subtle and it is reminiscent of the Kirov version that came to Convent Garden two summers ago.

So a brilliant day, roll on Sleeping Beauty! After months and months of waiting the anticipation had waned a bit but I’m all excited now!

Yep, Ivan was born in Kiev. There's also Maria Kotchetkova who I'm pretty sure is a Russian apprentice with the company.

I don't think it's outrageous enough to warrant attention - it's a poor imitation of Sarah Jessica Parker in the opening credits of Sex and the City and Sarah looked much better in it too! Bjork's swan dress at the Oscars is still a vivid memory. I don't think anyone could ever top that.

Yep, Tewsley danced Apollo with Stuttgart. It was a bit of a suprise to me that he wasn't cast in Apollo (April '03) in the few months he was here with the Royal Ballet.

Another article was written in the Sunday Express "Posh and Becks at the ballet? It must be cool". There's no link yet but the critic Jeffrey Taylor goes on to say that "classical dance is the height of trendy chic." It goes on to mention other Spice Girls, Madonna and Princess Di who loved the ballet and goes on about other cool associations with the ballet, fashion designers, and dance training incorporated into football. It's not an article of any substance but it's quite nice that space was given to write it. The Sunday Express is the only non-broadsheet/tabloidish newspaper to write regular dance reviews I think. I've seen mentions in the really trashy tabloids too. Victoria and especially David Beckham exert huge influence in the UK on what's fashionable and what's not and I'm all for making a visit to the ballet more socially acceptable. The characterisations of the audience in the Fergusan article were very funny I thought because they are so recognizable (though I don't think I fit into any of his categories). Plus it's great that he actually says the RB's public subsidy of 10 million pounds is "astoundingly little" given the terrible press and heckling the ROH took over money while it was closed.

Winter Dreams I thought was fine as long as I was sitting! I don't find the character of Irina so engaging so it's probably her solos that I wish i could speed up. Having said that her concern for Kulygin was so touching.