Alymer

"I'm so happy the Royal has returned to the Messel designs" Alas they haven't. This is a Peter Farmer designed production with a nod to Messel in the sets for the Prologue, Acts I and II and Aurora's tutus. Happily the choreographic text is pretty much the one from that production, although they have dispensed with the Ivans so Aurora and Florimond have a coda to the Grand Pas and we have Christopher Wheeldon's Garland dance - not as good as the Ashton, I thought. Peter Farmer has given a number of interviews recently in which he has stated that the Messel costumes were too old-fashioned, not to say camp. Messel was not a designer but a decorater, he believes. Taste is very personal, but I did like the Messel designs and I find Farmer's substitutions bland to the point of invisibility. I'm reminded of middle class weddings in my youth when bridesmaids were often described as wearing "wild silk dresses in sweet pea colours". I'd also dispute the statement in the programme about the difficulty of identifying the Messel costumes. There are plenty of people around still who appeared in that production - at least one was at last night's performance and remarked that she didn't recognise a single costume. As to the performance - I found it pretty underwhelming with the excveption of Marianella Nunez as the Lilac Fairy. Johan Kobborg looked tired and certainly had some difficulty with his variations and Alina Cojocaru didn't project as far as my seat in the centre of the stalls circle. There was some pretty odd casting in some of the solist roles too - at least one dancer who couldn't get his/her feet round the variation. Hopefully later casts will escape from that first night atmosphere and make more of the opportunities the choreography provides.

My recollection of the "Messel" production is that Aurora finishes her variation, takes her call and then Innocent Ivan and his brothers burst onto the stage and we don't see the leading couple again until the Mazurka. De Valois copied this sequence from the Diaghilev Sleeping Princess which she knew well. I find it most unsatisfactory and I hope it won't be reproduced. According to Professor Wiley what happened after the adagio in the original production is in some doubt. It seems that it was followed by a variation which may have been for the Gold and Sapphire Fairies. Then came Desiree's variation, but again according to Wiley, that which appears in the notation was performed by Nikolai Legat who succeeded Pavel Gerdt in the role. Aurora's variation came next, followed in the Legat notation by the coda. Then the sarabande, followed by the Mazurka and the apotheosis. I've taken this from Professsor Wiley's book, but I guess we need Doug to put us finally right! I personally like Ashton's Act I Garland dance and I'll be sorry not to see it again, but the reason the then Sadler's Wells Ballet had to have a new waltz was that there were simply not enough men in the company to attempt the original Petipa. It does occur to me that someone ought to put together all those dances that Ashton made for the Tchaikovsky classics into a divertissment. They're too good to be lost. Solor asked why Dowell stopped being RB director. I guess the official answer is that his contract came to an end and either he, or the board, or both decided that it would not be renewed. Unofficially, I would say he had been there too long, standards were declining, the repertory was in a rut and, importantly for the board, ticket sales were declining. The fact that his final seasons were more interesting is thanks in great measure to Michael Kaiser who took a strong and informed interest in the running of the ballet company.

"it's worth recalling that when ABT 'revived' messel's production for its skeaping-staged SLEEPING BEAUTY, the spectacle proved far less 'impressive' than it was said to look in its royal ballet heyday." I was quite familiar with the "Messel" production which lived on with the touring section of the Royal for some years after the Covent Garden company abandoned it. I didn't see the ABT version live, but I have seen photographs and what struck me immediately was that the fabrics were wrong. Messel designed for tarlatan while ABT seemed to be using nylon net, or some other kind of softer fabric, so the tutus lacked structure. Some of the colours looked a bit strident too, but that may well have been colour reproduction. However, Peter Farmer has redesigned most of the costumes it seems, as well as the decors for the vision scene. The one tutu I've seen photographed looked a bit dowdy to my eyes, but we shall see. The de Valois/Sergeyev text was admirable I thought, a view which was reinforced when I saw the Kirov reconstruction. It was amazing how close the two were. The only things I would really wish to see changed in the new "Messel" version are Nijinska's "improved" version of the fifth fairy variation plus, I think Aurora and her Prince should have the coda to the Grand Pas - I find innocent Ivan and his brothers are a poor substitute. But anyway, we don't have long to wait in order to find out.

None of the women in the current Royal Ballet revival of Daphnis and Chloe wear tights (with the exception of the Nymphs). I imagine this is the choice of the designer (John Craxton) as the last time this was done with the old Craxton decors (he revised them slightly for this revival) they did wear tights. It may be that he wants them bare legged is because they are village girls. The dancer shown is, of course, Alina Cojocaru who notoriously wears Gaynor Minden shoes and I have to say I don't find her feet at lovely as the rest of her!

It was in fact the pas de trois, (which Danilova came to Hamburg to stage), and I remember that Baryshnikov's variation began with a huge, sideways jump. Additionally, many years ago I saw the Kirov in what was described as a pas de deux from Coppelia. Neither music not choreography resembled anything I'd ever heard or seen in Coppelia, and I was later told that it came from Le Pavillion d'Armide.

Well, I think you could class it as a success - it was certainly well received. She looked very lovely, exceptionally well groomed and glamourous and this company could do with a bit of glamour IMHO. It was a very accurate, very musical performance - lacking perhaps in a daring if you compare it with Verdy (but then who could compare with Verdy) and she was dancing with a new partner whose partnering is reliable, but perhaps no more than that. I'm looking forward to seeing her with the company - hopefully before too long - rather than in an isolated showpiece. With that big, light, jump it's a shame she arrived too late for Firebird.

In Olga Maynard's book, The American Ballet, there is a picture of Youskevitch and Alonso captioned Nutcracker. His jacket appears to be very similar to the one in rg's picture - there is some difference in the frogs - and although Alonso is shown in side view, the decoration on her tutu seems to be close to that on Toumanova's. The headdress is somewhat different in detail - but it seems not impossible that ballerinas were given some degree of choice.

If you go by the sketches done by the young princess those are indeed costumes from the pas de trois from William Tell. She painted a watercolour of the pas de trois - including Paul Taglioni ("the most splendid man-dancer I ever saw"), plus the two women who are recognisably dressed in costumes which closely resembly those of the two dolls. She also did a sketch of Pauline Duvernay in the shawl dance from Le Dieu and La Bayadere and I think that is the costume that the Duvernay doll is wearing. It certainly looks remarkably similar from what one can see.

I have a copy of it in a paperback published some years ago called Queen Victoria's Sketchbook. The author is Marina Warner. There are several sketches of Taglioni and a number of other dancers and singers. As a sidenote, in an exhibition of Queen Victoria's dresses held in London a few years ago there was a display of some of the dolls she had as a child. These were made for the young princess by her governess and included a tiny Sylph and a James.

I've now seen two performances of La Sylphide and I'm sorry to report that there were empty seats on the first night and the second performance was given to a house about half full. I really hope audiences pick up as I'd hate this to be the ballet's only showing. As far as the production goes, Kobborg has added one piece of mime in the first act when after the Sylph has vanished up the chimney. James asks the two sleepers if they have seen anything unusual. To me this makes sense as it means that her presence is established and it also makes sense of Gurn's mime passages later in the Act when he describes James talking with and then following the Sylph. Less happily, Kobborg has also added a rather vague pas de six for Effie's friends and a passage for James and Effie. The second Act is conventional, with the addition of a pas de deux for James and the Sylph which seemed entirely superfluous on first viewing. Tamara Rojo in the second cast made more sense of it, but I really didn 't think it added anything. Sets and costumes are from the old Copenhagen production. I loved the sets but was less happy with the costumes, especially those of the women in the first Act. They looked as if they were about to enter a Scottish Country Dancing competiion and were, for the most part, highly unflattering. The casts were Alina Cojacaru and Ivan Putrov on the first night with Sorella Englund as Madge. Cojacaru has all the gifts that should make her a wonderful Sylph, and some of her dancing was truly beautiful - so much so that you forgot her ugly feet. But I didn't get the sense of a complete character. Putrov was a very withdrawn James and a very Russian one. Much of his dancing was exemplary, but it didn't to me look remotely like Bournonville style and it was noticeable that he lingered on phrases in a way which I don't associate with Bournonville. Rojo as the second Sylph was quite another matter - a beautiful, complete, characterisation exquisitly danced with a genuinely pathetic death. It was dancing that was not only beautiful to watch but also told the story clearly. She was partnered by Rupert Pennyfather - tall, loose limbed and with all the makings of a distinguished James. He looked nervous at first, but gained in confidence as the performance went on. Madge with this cast was Elizabeth McGorian - not very successful I thought. She seemed to be modelling herself too closely on Englund which is understandable, but doomed to failure in someone with such a different style and physique. Englund was amazing - all the more so when you think what a wonderful Sylph she used to be - and was certainly the most charismatic member of the first night cast. I very much admired Jose Martin as Gurn even though he is cursed with a hideous jacket which seems to have been borrowed from the Jolly Green Giant. I also like Caroline Duprot's moving Effie (real name Euphemia I discovered when researching something completely different). However, I don't like the way Kobborg has set the role so that Effie immediately and cheerfully switches her affections to Gurn. Surely she's a nice girl and should have some regrets. The company dances nicely, but without much real Bournonville style as I remember it - and I don't think my memory can be that bad. Just before going into the matinee I picked up a copy of Eric Bruhn's book 'Bournonville and Ballet Technique' in the Opera House shop. Looking at the photographs it struck me that it was a good many years since I've seen Bournonville style like that and perhaps a few copies left at the stage door might open some eyes.

I'm surprised in a way that The Lesson is listed in this rather silly classification as "erotic". I've seen the piece danced by a number of companies with a variety of casts (Henning Kronstam was very, very good in it) but I had never thought there was a sexual element in it. Rather it was that The Professor was infuriated by the stupidity and presumption of The Pupil and - being a raving maniac - for that he murders her. The ballet used to be in the repertoire of Scottish Ballet but hadn't been seen in the UK for many years until Johan Kobborg included it in a programme he put together which comprised a number of Danish choreographies. Cojocaru played the pupil with Kobborg as the Professor and yes, there was an erotic element in that performance, which would have been the first time that most of the British critics writing today would have seen the piece. So now it's taken as the gold standard, but I thought it was totally wrong. Roberta Marquez who gave the first performance as The Pupil in the Royal Ballet production has been castigated in the press as being out of sympathy with the ballet but to my mind she was excellent. There was no hint of prcocious sexuality; she was the architype of the infant wonder, the "little Pavlova", star of the Dolly Dinkle school of dance. If there was a problem to my mind it was Kobborg who was too young and lacked the authority that someone like Kronstam or Nureyev brought to the character. It's not a great ballet, but it's very theatrical and it can be very effective.

the most beautiful and effective way of dealing with the spindle scene that I've ever seen was Fonteyn in Nureyev's original Sleeping Beauty production in Milan. The disguised Carrabosse gives her a bunch of long-stemmed roses. She pricks her finger, looks concerned - she's clearly been told about dangerous spindles. Oh - it's only a thorn. No need to worry, so she's all smiles again. She unties the roses and starts to distribute them among the people around her and there, hidden in the middle is the spindle. So she knows what is about to happen to her as the danse du vertige begins. I made some enquiries and I was given the distinct impression it was something she had worked out for herself. But you can imagine the play of emotions...

Perhaps like Kchessinska on her visit to London to appear with Diaghilev's company, Miss Vishneva's diamonds are kept in the jeweller's safe until she requires them. It certainly was a very big tiara!

Just to put the record straight, Obituaries in the Daily Telegraph, like those in The Times, are never signed. They are supposed to be an objective record of the subject's life and achievements - warts and all.

I remember the notator who worked with Dowell on his production of Swan Lake for the Royal Ballet saying exactly that (I apologise; I can't remember her name). She was convinced the waltz could have been reconstructed. In the end Dowell had David Bintley choreograph a new waltz. Many of the variations in this, the company's current production, were not based on the notation - as had been the case with (nearly) all previous RB productions but were staged by Irina Jacobsen. I seem to recall Dowell saying (in a private conversation) that he felt they reflected Petersburg style more authentically.

She did indeed dance the role a number of times and it was a very clean, technically strong and sincere performance she gave. However, I do recall hearing one critic (now dead) who was I think generally held to be extremely fair in his opinions muttering about "swans who can break a man's arm with their wings".

I saw photographs of ABT's Beauty with the Messel designs - though not alas a live performance. In the pictures the costumes didn't look very much like the Messel originals and I remember thinking at the time that it might be to do with the fabrics used - they seemed too light and filmy. So, it will be interesting to see how they come up. But I should add that I thought the designs for Makarova's production were quite the best thing about it although I'm told that huge compromises had to be made over the decors because ROH couldn't handle them. I don't think we've seen the Berman designs for Ballet Imperial at the ROH since the original staging. The last revival was, if I recall correctly, one of the managements many vain attempts to encourage visual artists to have a crack at designing for dance. Berman had white white wigs and the double headed eagle on the backdrop. I gather that the reason for the new garland dance in Beauty is that Monica Mason wants to incorporate children. All in all I think it's quite an interesting season. Personally I could do without Manon and Romeo - but I guess they're box office. And I'm surprised by the casting of Fete Etrange. I don't see either Bussell or Yanowsky as the Young Chatelaine, (a role created by Maude Lloyd) but who knows...... I hope at least they find a decent singer.

And don't forget Birmingham Royal Ballet which has some excellent dancers and an interesting repertory.

[Danill wrote: Of course Nureyev was on stage "Like an animal" I saw a great many of Nureyev's performances over a great many years and I really don't recognise this often quoted description. When he was young he certainly had a big, soft, pantherine jump which showed to particular advantage in Corsaire. But there was nothing animal-like in his performances of the classics or indeed in any of his other roles that I can recall off the top of my head. I would certainly agree that the Vienna Swan Lake is not a particularly flattering or even accurate record of either Fonteyn or Nureyev - in particular his "Jaqueline Onassis-style" make-up and bouffant hair makes me wince.l And I think that the point about close up filming of acting designed for a big stage is very valid. And the production did look a great deal better - even more logical - on the big stage in Vienna. Going back to the original point, I wonder if nowadays ballets are generally cast on the basis of the dancer being technically competent rather than being best suited in character, personality or physique to a role. I'm reminded of two anecdotes. The first, which Monica Mason tells against herself was when she went to Ashton and asked to be given the role of Odette Odile. "I'm sure I could do it", she said. "I'm sure you could", replied Ashton, "but who would want to see it". The other was a dancer who has now left the Royal Ballet to make a career in his native country who ventured his opinion to an interviewer that the only difference between his roles as the Jester in Cinderella and Puck in The Dream was that the latter required a "cheeky grin". He could do the steps certainly, but nothing more.

I may be wrong, but I belive the Helsinki theatre was originally built as a garison theatre in the days when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. So if I'm correct there is a vague kind of historic precident.....The local company now appears in the new opera house. I saw both ballet and opera in the old theatre early in the 1990s and my recollection is that although its charming, it's also quite small. I know I felt very close to the stage from my seat in the stalls.

Estelle wrote.... And at that time company class chez Bejart was (probably still is) totally classical.

[Well I know the POB dancers were very upset when Nureyev wanted to stage his version of Swan Lake, and finally some dancers only agreed to Nureyev's version of the old version was also kept in the repertory. I dont know if they solely perform Nureyev's version now. QUOTE] I think they do only perform the Nureyev version at the moment - although I understand M.Mortier has let it be known that he thinks the Nureyev classics need to be renewed and is talking to artists such as Mathew Bourneand Mats Ek! I was told at the time Nureyev was mounting his Swan Lake that the dancers complained about the loss of the Bourmeister version so he agreed that the two should remain in the repertory. However, when the Bourmeister production was re-staged after the premiere of the Nureyev version the dancers complained that there was far less dancing for them, so, on reflection, they preferred the Nureyev production. Certainly Nureyev choreographed a lot of brilliant dancing for the ensemble and the company looks really spectacular in it, although to my mind it's the least successful of his classic productions. Interestingly, Etoiles at the POB have or had the right to turn down a certain number of roles each season (I'm not sure but I think it was three), and this was a clause in the contract. There were a number of other rules such as no one else on stage moving while an Etoile was dancing, etc. passing in front of an Etoile on stage was forbidden, etc. etc. I think most of these have now gone by the board, but it certainly gave the dancer considerable power.

I think we are more likely to know whether we have any Ashton dancers at the Royal Ballet by the end of the season when they've had a chance to dance a number of his ballets. In recent years the only one I could cite with any confidence would be Bruce Sansom, and that because he was so classical. One thing he (Ashton) was very definite about in his ballerinas was that they should have beautiful legs and feet - though on the other hand he was fascinated by Trinidad Sevillano who had nice, but not beautiful, legs. But again, I've not seen a better Chloe since Fonteyn! However good feet are a must I think. On the whole I think you could safely say that he liked beautiful line ( remember line?), lots of epaulment, musicality and a certain reticence of manner. Not cold, think rather fire under ice. I would hope he would like Tamara Rojo and Nao Sakuma from BRB (quite the best in Scenes de Ballet) and perhaps among the men Thiago Soares and Chi Cao; the first for his theatricality and the second for his fine technique and somewhat reserved, even mysterious, stage personality. But like all choreographers it was a question of what appealed to his eye, and we can't do more than guess at that. What is certain though is that his dances, properly performed, provide beautiful showcases for many dancers, whether or not the performer would have counted as an ideal cast in his eyes.