sylvia

The people in the box didn't think so - they were giving my bootleg jeans and doc martins the evil eye. I wouldn't pay full price (£73) to sit there though - I stood in the returns queue and bargained it down to £15! It's good for an alternative view if you're seeing the umpteenth Swan Lake. I think Ivan would have had to have asked Dowell for permission to change the costume. But I like black tights better so I think they should just change the floor! I really can't wait to see Tamara and Carlos after their wonderful reviews. Saturday is too far away!!!

Lolly, I haven't yet seen Brian Maloney yet, though I must have seen everyone else in the company! I was sitting in the Royal Box for the Putrov/Tapper performance and it is unreal how close you are to the stage! Your Tuesday doesn't sound so mad. :-) I went into Tewsley's Mayerling knowing I'd only be able to see Act I, leave for a meeting in Act II and hopefully rush back for Act III. As it was my meeting over-ran and I missed both Act II and III, but I got lucky and got tickets for his subsequent performnces! And yep, Ivan was wearing grey tights as opposed to Kobborg's (and everyone else I've ever seen) black. Someone told me that he requested to wear grey to show off his legs better! I have to agree! I was really squinting to make out Kobborg's legs against the black floor. And the light in the black pdd gets so dark for some reason. Fabiana, look forward to hearing about Darcey and Roberto when they dance in Verona!

Spur of the moment decision to see newly principaled Jaimie Tapper and Ivan Putrov last night. Hmmm...mixed feelings again. I thought Jaimie's white acts were very good - she reminds me of Agnes Oaks actually. Her expression is desperately sorrowful and she has the loveliest, softest arms. Her Black Act was ok, overall technically it was nothing to go wild over and her Odile didn't make an impression one way or another. (It's Tamara Rojo and Zenaida Yanowsky I'm most looking forward to in this.) I wasn't sure about Putrov. The two of them seemed to be on different emotional planes. I found his performance too restrained. He didn't appear to me to *really* fall in love with Odette, nor did he seem all that aggrieved when she says she wants to die. But I wonder if he has been reading these boards and seen my complaints about his partnering! Because I thought he did an excellent and very sensitive job this time! No worries at all, but it looked like he was concentrating so hard on getting it right he forgot to inject any emotion into those bits of his performance. Having said that, he danced very beautifully and very cleanly. I think his performance as a whole lacked weight but in his solos he really commanded the stage. His huge, HUGE jetes in particular elicited big oohhs from the audience. I don't think he and Tapper make for a particularly exciting pairing. They were great in (their latter) Giselle, but only competent here. I think I'd rather see Putrov partnered with Yoshida - she has such a sparkling aura some of that might rub off on him. Oh well, it's just my impression of the performance. Tapper and Putrov got some terrific screams from the amphi, no kidding! I think there were a few RBS students up there. So maybe it's just me! Enjoyed the pas de trois a great deal. Jose Martin and Dierdre Chapman are really proving their worth here. Chapman in particular I'm really warming to. She has such a bright smile that always draws your attention. Recognised Lauren Cuthbertson as one of the two big swans - she's another, only recently out of the RBS, that draws the eye and she's been getting some big roles which is great and deserving I reckon. A ballet-free weekend for once! Nothing until Alina again on Wednesday. I liked the review in the Daily Telegraph said exactly what I couldn't seem to articulate about her performance. Did anyone see Rojo and Acosta?

That's such a sweet gesture Lolly. I hope you have a chance to see Alina and Johan later in the run. I was there tonight (or last night now - it's 3am!). Cojocaru danced very beautifully I thought, and she's so tiny and her swan-like gestures so delicate, she seemed like a fragile white flower easily crushed by Rothbart (and Siegfried too). I thought dance-wise she made a good distinction between Odette and Odile, but it's hard to conceive her as malovelent, a little disappointing as she had no qualms about being cruel and manipulative in Mayerling a few weeks ago.(which I keep meaning to post about and I will!) She struggled with the fouettes in both the rehearsal and the performance so I worry a little if she is up to the technical demands. I have mixed feelings about Cojocaru - I feel like she's unable to project to the auditorium enough. I didn't see anything particularly interesting or unique about her performance from there. It wasn't until a friend gave me her seat in the front row of the stalls for the last act that I began to enjoy her a little more and the chemistry between her and Kobbog really became evident. I didn't have this problem with Tamara Rojo last year where I had terrible seats and still saw one of the greatest performances of my life. So I won't say anymore until I see her again next week and can be sure. I did think that Kobborg's dancing was absolutely stunning. I was beginning to forget all the reasons why I thought he is a truely great dancer after a couple weeks without seeing him perform (he was injured before his last Mayerling and I've seen other 5 Mayerlings since then!). But with his first solo in Act I, all those reasons came rushing back FAST! It's hard to explain, but he just dances so beautifully! Everything is so precise, every movement gently stretched out. In his variation in Act III his tricks are so amazing, his pirouettes don't move an inch and slowly speed up as he brings his leg in, and yet he has none of that flashy 'look at me' personna that say Acosta has. I just could not stop smiling in his solos, they bring one so much pleasure to watch. I do wish there was more dancing for Siegfried in SL but I guess after Mayerling Kobborg may be happy not to have to throw anymore ballerinas about! And I do think he's a first class actor, though his pleas to his mother "I want to marry her, oh please let me!" felt a little wishy-washy. But I suppose you can't be half-hearted about the mime and if Kobborg's intent was to portray Siegfried as a needy boy without backbone then he succeeded. I think that his Siegfried isn't some big hero, but just that boy who eventually finds strength and redemption in Odette's love and forgiveness. But I'll have to go and see it again because it's 4am and I have 9 o'clock lectures and I'm definitely over-analysing. The corps looked ok from where I sat, though I heard people on the side complaining how messy it looked. Marianela Nunez, Mara Galeazzi and Yohei Sasaki were very fresh and enjoyable in the pas de trois - it's so good to watch so much quality dancing outside the main roles. Towards the last dance in Act I my eye wasn't drawn so much to the corps dancing as it was to Ricardo Cervera as a soldier getting obnoxiously drunk on the sidelines - he does it very funnily! And of course he drunkenly goes on to spot Rothbart in the forest later on. He and Laura Morera were also really sparkly in the Neopolitan dance. I don't have a problem with this production though I can understand why people think the sets are too dark, cluttered and gaudy. I was straining to make out Kobborg's legs in his Act III variation. But I think the Faberge-egg inspired sets make the RB production very unique and I love the fluffy white swans - I guess the fluffy skirts must go some way to hide any mistakes by the corps as well! Have had to give up my tickets for Bussell & Bolle and Tapper & Putrov Lolly. I'll keep trying for other dates. I'm looking forward to what you say about them.

I'm very happy! The ROH website has announced that with immediate effect, Jaimie Tapper has been promoted to principal Dierdre Chapman and Isabel McMeekan have been promoted to soloists. I think CNB regulars will be pleased about Jaimie! She's danced a wonderful Giselle last season and an impressive Larisch in Mayerling last week. I always thought she would make a perfect Juliet and am very much looking forward to her London debuts in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty this season.

Ditto to all that, but what impressed me even more was that she wrote the whole series. I don't think I saw any co-writing credits on the end.

Cojocaru's a young principal with the Royal Ballet and I think one of it's most dazzling stars. She's Romanian, and is only 21. After winning the Prix de Lausanne she studied at the RB school in 1998 before going on to the Kiev Ballet starting as a principal! After one year she came to the RB and went straight into the corps. But she rose very fast in the ranks and within 18 months she was promoted to principal, backstage by Anthony Dowell immediately after her debut as Giselle. She's really been brilliant in almost everything I've seen her in - Giselle, Juliet, Kitri, Tatiana, Titania, and currently Mary Vetsera in Mayerling. She'll be making her London debut in Swan Lake, Manon and Sleeping Beauty this season. Alina dances with such incredible freedom in her steps. Even with my limited experience with great dancers I really think she will be one of the greats, as will her extraordinary partnership with Johan Kobborg. She's danced with Corella twice I think at the RB, in Don Q and La Bayadere, and is guesting in the latter with ABT I think. I thought they were fantastic in Don Q and though I wasn't a fan of Bayadere as a whole I thought they danced very well together. Alina's absolutely beloved by London audiences and critics, elicits raves every time and I can't emphasise enough how much of a must-see she is. Ok, enough trumpeting! There's more on her repertory here: http://www.royalopera.org/ballet/index.cfm...m?ccs=87&cs=112 Re Acosta he's guesting in April-ish with the RB (Manon + a triple bill).

Now I'm green. Who did Ferri dance with? Would have loved to have see that.

Saw Rojo & Cope last night and was suitably impressed. It was actually quite hard to see him as Rudolf at first - I've seen him on stage for so long in so many things it's a little hard to not see him as Jonathan Cope, but his pdd with Tapper's Larisch in the first scene was so beautiful and moving he sorta snapped into character in my head. I'll wait til his next performance though to post more when I have a better seat. Just wanted to mention how happy Jonathan and Tamara were at the curtain calls! They had the biggest smiles on their faces and were SO affectionate, rehearsals must have been a ball. And that Zenaida Yanowsky was really terrific. This is silly but I couldn't keep my eyes off the way she moved her arms in her solo in the bedroom. She deserves bigger and betterroles than this I think.

*sigh* That news just about ruined my day! Was so looking foward to seeing him dance in so many things, especially Sleeping Beauty with Alina. I think he's a fantastic dancer and I'm disappointed to see him go.

I'll want to post something more detailed later but I have to say I thought Kobborg was incredible, just absolutely brilliant. He totally made the role of Rudolf his own. Mara Galeazzi too as Larisch, and I can't wait to her see her as Mary Vetsera herself. The surprise for me was Cojocaru - I went in prepared to be disappointed but instead I found her so very convincing. In spite of this sweet exterior, it felt like there was this hint of deviousness behind it. I feel like I really watched her dance as a woman in the ballet, even though Vetsera is supposed to be only 17 (and I wasn't totally convinced in Onegin). Really have to hand to whoever coached her. And of course their pdds did not disappoint. I thought the whole cast were wonderful and the music so, so beautiful - you really feel it in the pit of your stomach! I'd only seen Mayerling on video myself and it just does not compare - you don't see how sumptuous the velevety drapes are and what a gorgeous production it really is.

Stupid of me Lolly, I keep getting them mixed up because they look so similar. It was Thomas Whitehead at the Insight day, and it's Tom I want to see with Tamara, but yes of course I enjoy Maloney's dancing too! I thought Gong was very bright at the start but then it got considerably dimmer later on. I don't use binoculars and I have terrible eyes - if I sit any further back than row A in the stalls, I usually have to resort to squinting!

Hiya, very much enjoyed the reviews! Unsure about Gong - the music is beautiful (the opening notes reminded me of the opening notes of Miss Saigon!) and the bright lollipop colours are fantastic. I had a hard time telling which dancer was which though, Darcey aside of course. :-) And I didn't think much of the choreography - maybe I sat in the wrong place (on level with the stage). I don't know, it felt very bland to me, though the shapes the dancers made with their arms (at the Mixed Bill Insight Day we were told by Tina Fehlandt they had names like 'flame') were quite interesting. And there's this picture I will always have of Alina Cojocaru near the start of her pdd in silence, where she's facing the stage, posing in arabesque, eyes to the stage so her upper body and arms are framed by the hot pink tutu - it's just one of those perfect still moments. Carmen didn't have the same impact on me as before - I think the shock value's worn off and it doesn't seem quite so funny or witty, but still it's enjoyable and I agree, very trashy. But I like the way they convey the emotion in this - the music is so powerful, it almost demands brutal choreography. But then again I have yet to see any other versions. I disagree about Zenaida Yanowsky though - I think the role of M is the most beautiful part of the piece (with some of the best music). I wish I'd written down some notes from the Insight Day. Pompea Santoro from Cullberg Ballet and the original M gave such an illuminating rehearsal with Brian Maloney. She has such a wonderful vocabulary and warm personality, and explained some of the movements so clearly (though I think she said that Ek didn't want to spell out any specific meanings). But the best part was when she took questions from the audience and someone asked her to dance! So she did the solo/pdd for M and Jose with Maloney, and it was just about the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life! Anyway will go back next week - it's Brian and Tamara that I'm waiting for! And the updated casts for Gong are up on the ROH site (and Mayerling too - lots of changes!)

I just got my tickets too. I'm so excited about Cojocaru and Tewsley. I loved Tewsley in Onegin - he had a kind of bouncing quality in his steps that made him appear almost weightless. Have to grouse about my tickets though - I bought a ton and didn't get any of my first choices! I can't believe I'll have to stand for 3 hours for practically every performance! Re the Lilac Fairy, I'd like to see all those you mentioned Jude, and Zenaida Yanowsky as well. And would love Anthony Dowell as Carabosse, since he's coming back for Winter Dreams and all.

I think the ROH might be a bit scared actually - only 9 performances! No surprise it's hard to get tickets of any sorts.

I couldn't wait til Saturday! I decided at the last minute to see it last night as well and I thought it was terrific, one of the best ballet evenings I've had in a long time. I'll write up a longer post later but I think the stand-out for me was the Yvonne Bouree in Duo Concertant.

I've just come from there. The queue is HUGE! It took me an hour just to get in. It's just Beauty and Don Q from the ballet side with the odd Swan Lake costume and R&J shoe. And lots of unsused pointes - Yoshida and Durante have such tiny feet! Some beautiful tutus! But the SB costumes are even more hideous close up - I can't believe Dowell actually said yes to these designs! Lots of impressive names like Adam Cooper and Mukhamedov sewed in. I like the Don Q stuff - the white and gold matador costumes are much snazzier than the rasberry-coloured ones we have now. But the jackets are so heavy and seem so hot - I don't know how the dancers managed to walk in them, much less dance in them. It was quite funny to see all these people trying soldiers uniforms, fat-suits and outlandish hats on. They must have come with thousands of pounds to spend. I was really hoping for a fan or something small but they didn't have any nice accessories left. The rest is all out of my price range!

Congratulations to them all! Lolly, about Ivan and Marianela, I'm off to eat my hat.

Belinda Hatley!! After seeing her Queen of the Dryads and Olga!

Miyako Yoshida and Jonathan Cope, given their really glowing reviews last October, they were the cast I was most excited about seeing (and in the end, the only cast I would see). I thought they were both terrific, probably my favourites. On paper, Yoshida and Cope sound like such an odd match. Yoshida appears smaller than she is on stage and must be almost a foot shorter than Cope. She has delicate, fine features and in contrast Cope has very striking ones and actually seems a little out of place in the whole village. I’m so used to seeing him in serious, romantic, non-smiling roles, he appeared very self-mocking and good-humoured in comparison. The way he really went for the mime and flourishes in the dance made him so endearing. And they look so good together! Their Basilo and Kitri had such a playful quality, a tender fondness for each other rather than fiery passion! He would look at Yoshida so sweetly! Their dancing is very well matched with beautiful lines and there’s something very pure and classical about it. Because of Yoshida’s small frame and Cope’s height, all of the lifts look spectacular. I really enjoyed all their scenes on stage, they were so charming, their acting unforced in spite of the pantomime-like feel of the ballet. Yoshida looks joyous whenever she dances. She simply sparkles! She was coquettish without going over-the-top though apart from the perfunctory snaps at the wrist there wasn’t anything remotely Spanish about her Kitri. I just think it's criminal that she's been given so little to dance this season. She may be 36 (it occurred to me half-way that with Cope at nearly 40 they really are the seniors in the company) and she may feel herself that she's having to make way for the next generation, but I think she still gives as good as Cojocaru, Rojo, etc, etc. And it's hard to miss the amazing elevation on her jumps. She has the best jétè in the company, as high as Cope's. Yoshida has such wonderful, precise technique that makes her dancing a comfortable delight to watch. Her fouettes were bang on, no travelling at all. It’s also nice to see Cope dance with someone other than Guillem or Bussell for a change. He doesn't have all the tricks that say Acosta has but that's fine. There's something so appealing and uninhibited about his dancing (to borrow a word from another poster) and it's refreshing. The only hiccup was a really scary fall by Jonathan in Act I that took him a minute to recover from, and though he looked energetic in the rest of the ballet, I hope he’s well enough to dance on Saturday. Good, superficial fun, I was surprised to be really touched by Belinda Hatley as the Queen of the Dryads. Her arms, the shapes she makes with them are so soft and beautiful to watch. The way she stretches them out, they have that fluid, boneless quality to them. At the start of the garden scene, where she and Yoshida were doing a series of arabesques alongside each other, you could really see the difference, not that there was anything wrong with Yoshida’s arms at all. I surprised myself in really enjoying the performance, though I have serious issues with the gypsy scene who have the most uninteresting choreography and terrible costumes imaginable. When I get to that bit I just want the panto and the battling of the windmills to be over as quickyly as possible. Likewise for the Fadango. I don't think any of the character dances worked well here. I actually quite like the Act I sets which are very pretty, but I agree the production as a whole is dreary and dark. The prologue may be the set up for the whole ballet, but the story is so trite and silly, really it could have done without it.

I've been thinking about that. I want to say Lendvai and Tewsley but I wasn't really watching Tewsley - I reckoned I already knew what he was doing. As for Robert Tewsley as Lensky, it's hard for me to imagine. He could be quite a romantic but I keep thinking he's looks too old! We've had rather baby-faced Lensky's in Stiefel, Putrov and Stepanek. About dual castings, I remember reading that Alina would sometimes get a bit confused on stage, forgetting where she was supposed to be, having rehearsed both Olga and Tatiana. I think it would be one thing to, say learn Olga first and Tatiana a few years later. But to have to learn both at the same time must be a nightmare, especially when both are dancing. Can you imagine the pressure of having to learn different steps to the same music at the same time? But I guess it's what the dancers must have to learn to do lower down the ranks, like dancing in the corps in some performances, and dancing soloist roles in others, or dancing different roles for different performances. Don't mind me - it's the end of a long day and my mind's all over the place at the moment. I'm still undecided about the Don Qs - wondering if I should rest and give them a miss. I'm a bit curious about Morera's debut with Putrov. Really keen on Yoshida and Cope. And I'm sorry Cojocaru and Kobborg aren't dancing.

The performance to celebrate the Queen's 50 years on the throne was relayed to the Piazza outside the ROH, the Linbury Studio, and the Clore Studio where I sat. I think out of the three, the Clore definitely must have been the worst. Protected from potential bad weather for sure (warm and muggy last night), but as there are only 150ish people it's lacking in atmosphere and very wierd to have people applaud and bravo when there is no one to applaud to. But it was for free and if I'd lived in London then it wouldn't have been a bad deal. The Vilar Floral Hall was completely decked out in flags and red and blue lighting - very beautiful. And there were crowds of people lining the streets in Convent Garden just to cheer on the Queen! I guess it was partly great, partly disappointing. Birthday Offering which began the evening started with a huge hiccup when the screen covering the stage got stuck 10 feet from the floor as it was being lifted. The dancing was quite nice but I'm embarssed to admit I actually can't remember much from it. I read about these wonderful ballets and I wonder what to do when I am so underwhelmed. I think I would have liked to have seen more of all seven couples rather than just Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope's pdd. Of the others I glimpsed Cervera and Gartside - Lolly, did you see who else was there? And then, oh dear, The Vertiginious Thrill of Exactitiude followed - not just an excerpt like so much of the rest of the gala but the WHOLE thing. The quality of dancing is great of course - Tattersall, Yoshida, Yanowsky, Maloney and Watson looked very sharp and it's an interesting vehicle for demonstrating their technical strengths. But I don't find the Schubert music very exciting. Frenetic dancing gets weary after about 3 minutes, and it's bloodless, absolutely without soul. And the silly costumes! Those lime-green disc tutus for the girls, the magenta backless shirts and shorts for the guys! It was good to see Jenny Tatersall one last time though (she's just left the RB). But I'm disappointed that this is all Yoshida got to do. She obviously is as good as she's ever been and it would have been nice to see her in something that can really showcase her talents. I feel the same way about Remanso - again the whole ballet. The physicality of the dancing is fun to watch and Bolle, Cope and Watson make the twisting, turning choreography seem so effortless. It's very impressive the way they turn their body inside out in one direction, the without any effort leap in a completely different direction. I just would rather have seen a short except. I think it was Marguerite & Armand which followed - the last two scenes where Armand is disgusted with Marguerite and throws money at her, and then when they are reconciled before she dies. I love this ballet and Liszt's music so much. It was a little disconcerting to start right in the middle but the dancing from both Sylvie and Le Rice was so beautiful, so very, very convincing. Sylvie's expressions in the close-ups were so heartfelt, so natural - I don't care what anyone says, she is a tremendous actress. And that lift when Armand swoops in at the end, where he lifts here upside-down, then changes position so she's across her shoulders, and then again so they're face to face and her legs are flying, all the while spinning her around - wow! Definitely the highlight of the first half was Marianela Nunez and Carlos Acosta in the Don Quixote pdd. Nunez has replaced Rojo in the current run of Don Q, and it seems that they are doing Cojocaru and Kobborg's performances as well. I can understand why - Nunez is fantastic. She's so young, only 20, and yet she has such charisma, such total command of the stage, to the point of nearly outshining Acosta. Acosta's solo - wow. He does these jumps where in the air, he's a 45 degrees to the stage, and sort of crosses one leg over the other at the knee and turns at that 45 degree angle before landing. Is there a name for this?! And I liked the smooth changes in position he made mid-pirouette, in complete control. A great show-stopper - a pity that the lighting was so rubbish! It seems like most of the gala was performed in darkness and it's made much worse when you're watching from a blurry screen! Second half was much better. Started great with Scene I, Act III from Onegin, the ballroom scene. I was very surprised and happy to see that Nathan Coppen was dancing. I thought it was so great he got to do this after missing all his Onegin performances this summer due to injury. Okay, it's not a great solo, but it's just nice to see him back. Mara Galezzi's pdd with Chistopher Saunders followed and again, she was so lovely and graceful. I'm disappointed that it didn't follow with the final pdd but they haven't danced it togther before. Leaves of Fading next, with Cojocaru and Kobborg. I don't think anyone will ever dance this as well as these two. Kobborg looks younger than I remember! I feel a bit sorry for him - he had lead roles in the whole of the Australia Tour (Leaves, Giselle, Swan Lake) as well as here (Onegin, Don Q, Coppelia), I imagine he might be a bit tired! I'm a bit muddled about the order, but I think it was Ivan Putrov as the Golden Idol in La Bayadere, and then Bussell and Bolle in the R&J balcony pdd. And at some point Bussell and Cope danced the Tryst pdd which was controlled, languid, and absolutely terrific. Then my favourite - a huge excerpt from Carmen, from where the soldiers light up, the pdd with Carmen (Guillem of course) and Jose (Murru), M's dance (Yanowsky), and Escamillio (Cope) and his golden hotpants. I don't know why, but I just love, love this! The humour is so appealing and the choreography extremely imaginative. I can't claim to understand half of what's going on or why dancers do what they do though! I remember reading that Mats Ek said there's great meaning behind each movement, so I want Carmen explained! And I love how the dancers really seem to throw themselves into it, the way the seem to be really enjoying it. I don't know, maybe they're just being very professional. But it looks like so much fun to dance. But I don't know what the Queen and Prince Philip made of it. They all dance like they've gone nuts - the vulgarity, the screaming, Carmen's splayed legs, Carmen pulling scarves from various parts of Jose and Escamillo's anatomy. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in that royal box. It ended with a défilè with the artists and staff of the RB, choreographed by Christopher Carr. Very nice, especially seeing some dancers dance in costume, and others dance in their evening wear for the reception afterwards! As soon as it was done I ran outside to see the main dancers take their bows to the crowd in the piazza and meet the Queen. Suffice to say that this part was probably the most exciting for me out of the whole evening. Some of the excerpts were a bit strange for a gala. And I missed Robert Tewsley. Plus watching on a big screen is a poor substitution for watching live - everything is dulled down. I agree with the critics that it wasn't a terribly inspiring gala for the regulars but I'd much rather Stretton not risk the dancers with further injury by rehearsing new work. Did anyone else go?

Lolly, I was sitting in the front of the stalls on Friday (really, the only place worth sitting for someone as tiny as me) in A6. Unless you're a guy or Japanese I'm pretty sure it wasn't you I was sitting next to. Btw, did you see the interview with Ivan Putrov in the Sunday Telegraph today? Lovely pic! And Louise Levene reckons Ivan is a candidate this year for principal status too! And re the gala, I failed in my original application for tickets - no surprise, I was VERY specific "I want these seats and nothing else!", so I was sent a ticket for the Clore instead. I'd much rather be inside though so I may try to queue for returns. *** Martin Harvey and Mara Galeazzi – I was really excited about this performance because it was Martin’s Onegin debut, (his first principal role of any kind?). There were some dicey moments during the mirror pdd and I thought he was suffering from nerves or something so I wasn't as 'into' it as normal. I was watching ‘Martin dance Onegin’ rather than getting absorbed into the character. But overall, I was very impressed. It was very good for his first big role. He has always had a charisma on stage that makes him stand out from the other dancers and this was magnified by the weight of the role. I honestly thought he might be too sweet for Onegin but a good haircut stripped off those boyish layers and he really looked a man, taller even! with real presence. He has an old-fashioned kind of elegance, an aura that actually makes him look much more at home in this period than anyone else I've seen. Acting-wise I was very convinced. Can I add that he even got Yseult Lendvai's endorsement the night before? Act III was excellent – his Onegin wasn’t as sick with obsession as the others were, but no less passionate. It was a purer kind of love, though nerves and stamina did seem to get the better of him at times. I see SO much potential in him, I really wish he had more than one performance because I want to see what more he can do with the role, and who knows how long it will be before Onegin is back. Anyway I am VERY happy he was given this role. Mara Galeazzi's Tatiana was lovely. I wasn’t a huge fan after her performances in January. Back then, to me she over-emoted – it was too strong from the stalls. But she’s really toned it down. She’s gentler, more beautiful and has really grown into the role. I liked her Tatiana, and she and Martin look really good together, though to be truthful I wasn’t paying so much attention to her. I wanted to take in as much of Martin's performance as possible! It's hard to figure out what to watch sometimes. Like in the ballroom scenes, do you watch Onegin dancing with Olga? Or Tatiana with Gremin, looking at him longingly? Or Lensky on the sides, watching his jealously grow? But back to Mara, in the mirror pdd, and especially in the pdd with Gremin I was really impressed. And the way her arms were trembling as the curtain came down, the terrible expression on her face – wow. Martin seemed so happy at the end and in the first curtain call he rushed out and plopped a big sloppy kiss on Mara's lips! Marianela Nunez's Olga - her interpretation is perfect. Johannes Stepanek's Lensky – a really excellent match for her. They seem equal in their adoration. Their pdd was beautiful. He looked wonderful in his solo – much less wobbly! Forgive me for being so nit-pickity Lolly. I hadn't looked at the cast sheet properly so I was surprised to see Adam Cooper dance Gremin. Golly he looks good in uniform! It’s must have been a little weird for them having danced the lead roles together only a couple night before. And it was fun to see some of the newest RB dancers from the RBS in the peasant scenes and ballroom. Alexandra, regarding my Mum’s reaction, I don’t think I inherited my enthusiasm for ballet from her, that’s for sure. The best I could get out of her was ‘pretty good’. She did enjoy it and missed all the little mishaps. She agreed that Martin, Johannes and Adam were really handsome (hurrah!), was surprised at how small everyone was and how the guys were able to lift the girls so high. When she wasn’t watching the dancers(??!!) she was looking at the orchestra and feeling sorry for the guys playing the trumpets because they didn’t have much to do. I don’t think I’ve converted her, but I have convinced her to come to see Swan Lake with me next summer (her first and only other ballet 40 years ago). She reckons once a year is good enough! _________________________________________________ As for your criticisms of Onegin KB, I can't add much more to what Lolly and Alexandra have already said. I've said many times how much I love this ballet and I think the choreography is exquisite. Personally it's hard for me to comprehend that even great dancers could convince someone that a truely awful ballet, in the manner you described, is any good. In spite of it's flaws it's clearly touched many people. I'm a bit mystified as to how you made such an about-turn after your first performances.

Lolly, I was there on Friday night as well. I didn't have very high expectations after the lukewarm reviews Yseult Lendvai got but I've had a complete turn-around. How many times am I allowed to say "that was the best I've ever seen!"? Because I think I've already overstepped my quota. I was all hyped up to fawn over Tewsley again, but I'm going to write about Lenvai instead. She danced THE BEST Tatiana I have ever seen. In my eyes she actually outshone Tewsley, and if you've seen my past posts of him you'll know that's a near impossible feat! Lenvai - she's luminous. You can't take your eyes off of her. She isn't classically beautiful and without a smile her face she can look pretty grim. At the start her Tatiana is a cold fish, stern, almost school-marmish. She has been untouched by passion. Even her interactions with Olga are cool and not so affectionate - very different from the very warmth the RB dancers have shown. In fact, this Tatiana rarely smiles, and when she looks into the looking glass, she sees a plain Jane and her disappointment is obvious. She does not see a future with love. But when Onegin lifts her for the first time, the transformation is amazing. She has this sudden intake of breath, breaking into a smile, and she looks like she's overwhelmed with new emotions. Tatiana suddenly blossoms and becomes beautiful. These things, yes I've seen in Rojo, Cojocaru, Galeazzi, etc, but never with the kind of clarity that Lendvai has. There is nothing forced about her acting and she is so utterly unique. And it's curious to see how differently she dances the role to the others. Those four flying lifts in the mirror pdd for example, she makes such beautiful shapes in the air with her legs. And watching her here made me realise how unfinished Cojocaru's Tatiana is, which I had always loved. It's so hard to describe how much better Lendvai's dancing is, but she is in a completely different class. She is a brilliant actress - dragging Onegin behind her in the final pdd, she seemed to break into tears with such terrible pain in her face. And she just has this resonance, this maturity that I've never seen with the others, though it may have a lot to do with the greater experience she has with the role. In Act III, when she entered the ballroom with Gremin, everything about her, her face, her poise, her dancing, was true royalty. I have to confess I've snoozed through this pdd before but with Lendvai I was riveted. Can I say again, that was the best Tatiana I have ever seen! Ok, everyone else. I have to confess, I was barely watching Tewsley at all and I was sitting in the front row! His dancing and acting was as usual excellent, and the electricity between the two of them was terrific. I've posted about him before. 'Nuff said. I REALLY enjoyed Belinda Hatley's Olga. On par with Cojocaru and Nunez. Hatley is so graceful, so musical, with a very expressive face. She was petulant and immature without losing her sweetness. Hatley makes a good match with Johannes Stepanek, her Lensky. Their pdd was a dream to watch. Lolly, I was very impressed with Stepanek. I think Putrov is the better dancer but Stepanek is still beautiful to watch and by far the better actor. He had such a sweetness to him in his first solo, and so handsome! It's a wonder that it is he who is infatuated with her and not the other way around. I liked his different shades of moods - when Onegin started flirting with Olga, the way he went from good humour, to tolerance, to unease and then hurt, the way he manfully tried to put a brave face on, and how young he seemed at that moment. It made his motive for challenging Onegin seem much clearer. Like it stemmed from his immaturity, trying to mask it and be a real man. His solo was very nice, a little wobbly I thought! (Lolly, I think we'll have to agree to disagree again I'm comparing it to Putrov's solo which I thought was more tragic, but I'll get to Stepanek's Saturday's matinee in a minute!). A really fantastic evening, probably one of my best, and I would love to see Lendvai guest again. I'm very sorry that she only had two performances. I'm tempted to write to the director and ask him to ask her to stay! It was interesting to see the way opinion divided over her - some of my friends thought she was the best Tatiana ever, and probably too good for the RB. Others thought she was alright, not too special. It was a full house which is what all the dancers deserve. I was a bit disgruntled to hear that all tickets on their Tuesday performance were half-price - unheard of at the ROH except when performances are selling particularly badly. London just doesn't know what it missed. KB, I'll have to get back to you on your post - I need some sleep first!

I think we can manage Lolly. I'm seeing the gala onscreen from the Clore studio but I have some misgivings since the atmosphere can't be all that great with only an audience of 150ish. I'd much rather they broadcast it on the telly and save me the trouble of travelling! Jude, regarding Robert Tewsley, when I read online that he was coming to the RB I was so excited I fell off my chair! I honestly never thought he'd dance here. I don't understand why he didn't go from the RBS to the RB in the first place, and he's such a brilliant dancer there must have been strong reasons on his part or that of the RB for not joining later. Ok, I've only seen his Onegin so far but he is truely one of the best dancers I've ever seen and I'll dream up some more accolades after I see his performance tomorrow. Back to the reason I for posting in the first place, I went to see Alina and Johan last night. I'd planned to go to Mara and Adam tonight but I have tickets for Friday and Saturday as well and to travel to London 4 nights in a row is too crazy, even for me! Alina and Johan were excellent. They are a must-see cast whenever they are dancing together. The tiny ways in which they respond to each other, the gestures they use are so natural, like they've been dancing together for years. They are so unique and too beautiful to watch. I wish the lighting was better in the mirror pdd because Johan is dressed in black and it was hard for me to see him clearly since I was much further back than usual. So all my focus was on Alina and she was amazing. Her pliant body allows her to create any shape she chooses and her deep backbends made her emotions seem much more raw and extreme. It actually took me a little while to get into the ballet but by the final pdd, I was completely moved. Just a niggling point - all those six o'clock penchees arabesques Alina did. I don't mind them, actually like them if they look completely effortless. But here they looked like she was pushing herself to go that little bit further, and it just stood out. It reminded me of her Juliet - impressive, admirable, but not always pretty. Johan's Onegin was beautifully realised, his first solo especially but golly, I've said it all before and it's getting boring repeating myself! The turning point for me was Ivan's Act II solo. The last time I saw it danced so well was with Ethan Stiefel back in November. It was a huge, huge improvement on Ivan's previous performances. His long arabesques, his turns and jumps were so strong and secure, and his arms and body seemed to be weighted down with so much despair. I can't believe how he's matured. He got so much feeling out of that solo and it wasn't just the muisc, really! It couldn't have been danced any better. And Lolly, I like how he's grown out his hair too! I had some doubts about Ivan Putrov with Jane Burn. I don't think Ivan is a very strong partner to begin with and their Act I pdd seemed shaky and Ivan looked a little tired. I agree about Jane Burn. She's not as technically skilled as Alina and Marianela, nor does she have their presence and personality. She was charming if unmemorable. As for the corps, they didn't seem to have any energy with mistakes and missed moments. But I shouldn't be too critical - I can't imagine coming off a big tour, a week of rehearsals and then three 3-act ballets night after night. A lovely evening, though I did wonder if I'd seen it too many times! Still, looking forward to tomorrow now and some fresh faces!