Is Carlos Acosta hijacking the Royal Ballet?

[volcanohunter]

First off, this is not an invective.

Back in May I went to the cinema to see the Royal Ballet in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, a production that starred Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta. Since it was being screened as part of an Opus Arte series, I assumed that the ROH's home label would be releasing the DVD in the future. However, in April Acosta's web site reported that he'd signed an exclusive contract with Decca's DVD department, and it turns out that Decca will be releasing Romeo and Juliet, as well as Manon, filmed in October, and La Bayadère, to be filmed in January. Will Swan Lake be next? I understand that since Acosta is 35 years old there may be some apprehension on the part of Decca to get him on film before his technique begins to decline, but is maxing out the video catalogue with Acosta performances a good thing? It's good for Acosta fans, but is it good for the Royal Ballet?

Obviously, the Royal Ballet has agreed to this, though I have no idea who's paying for what. Still, I wonder about a number of things. Didn't the Royal Opera House buy Opus Arte to facilitate the distribution of its performances? Is it a good idea for it to farm out the distribution of its ballet performances to another company? And more importantly, does this trend indicate that only Royal Ballet performances starring Carlos Acosta will be filmed, assuming that Decca is paying the production costs?

For the record, I am neither a detractor nor a particularly big fan of Carlos Acosta. I've made a point of seeing him live to discover what all the fuss was about, but didn't experience a "you'll tell your grandchildren all about it" epiphany. I found him delightful in La Fille mal gardée and think he's a terrific choice for La Bayadère, but was disappointed by his Romeo and wished that another dancer had been filmed. No dancer is perfectly suited to every ballet, and if only for this reason I can't help thinking that this current tendency in the filming of the RB is a worrying thing. Shouldn't casting be determined by dancer suitability rather than contractual obligations? Is this fair to the other dancers in the company?

As my topic title suggests, I'm left with an uneasy feeling about the Royal Ballet, at least on DVD, appearing to be something of a rent-a-corps for an illustrious dancer. Ballet companies have been known to do it in an attempt to raise their international profile, but the Royal Ballet is most certainly not that sort of company. I don't know how you all feel about this, but my internal fairness gauge is reacting badly.

[Giannina]

For the most part I agree with you, volcanohunter. I agree with your assessment of Acosta as an artist, and though I may be mistaken I think Acosta is listed as a Guest Artist on Royal Ballet's programs. However (big however) I'm so starved for ballets on DVD that I'm willing to cut the powers-that-be a little slack. I'll be in London in Jan. and will be seeing Acosta in LaB .... twice!! I'm hoping for sensationalism.

Giannina

[Dale]

I understand your qualms, but I think it depends on who he'll be partnered with. I think a vanity project with Acosta and the Royal Ballet (partnering ballerinas like Rojo, Yanowsky or other Royal principals) is better than the one with Zakharova-Bolle and La Scala. While I appreciate having the Zakharova-Bolle (or the Ferri-Bolle) DVDs, I found the La Scala supporting dancers somewhat mediocre. If having Acosta DVDs (and I like him for the most part) means we have Rojo, Nunez and Yanowsky DVDs, I'm all for it.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Well, for good or for bad, this is the deal. You are in the right track, volcanohunter. This is good for Acosta, not necessarily for RB, since-(and here Giannina is right)-he is still a formal member of Cuban National Ballet. I've personally seen and heard his messages to his fans in his MySpace site where he always praises my country, Cuba, and "my home Company, CNB". On the other side, when i read your original post I thought for a moment that his case could be following that of Nureyev, in which the independent star/dancer goes all over the place in constant self promotion, but one have to remember that Nureyev didn't have any more ties with the Kirov after his defection, and although he was always praised as the "former Kirov dancer"-(getting the soviet Company some recognition for the mere mentioning)-he was always seen as a separated entity, which is not the case of Acosta. Now, if you ask me, I'm happy for the whole situation, in which one of MY dancers gets promotion...of any kind.

[Mel Johnson]

Welcome back to 1968. In London, the preferred passenger on the vehicle(RB) was Nureyev. In New York (NYCB), it was Suzanne Farrell. In both places, there were viewers where, "surfeiting, the appetite ...sicken(ed) and so die(d)."

[volcanohunter]

If having Acosta DVDs (and I like him for the most part) means we have Rojo, Nunez and Yanowsky DVDs, I'm all for it.

One of the things that worries me is the possibility of not seeing Yanowsky. I'd think she'd be too tall for Acosta in most ballets.

I agree with you completely that a Rojo/Acosta performance would be preferable to a Zakharova/Bolle performance. But that's just it. Since Massimo Murru is getting older, La Scala doesn't really have anyone other than Bolle to showcase. Its list of "guest artists" is twice as long as its list of "primi ballerini étoiles." The situation at the Royal Ballet is entirely different, and I don't like the idea of its other principals getting short shrift.

This is good for Acosta, not necessarily for RB, since-(and here Giannina is right)-he is still a formal member of Cuban National Ballet. I've personally seen and heard his messages to his fans in his MySpace site where he always praises my country, Cuba, and "my home Company, CNB".

Wouldn't it be nice, then, if Acosta were to use his contract to get the Cuban National Ballet on film?

[cubanmiamiboy]

This is good for Acosta, not necessarily for RB, since-(and here Giannina is right)-he is still a formal member of Cuban National Ballet. I've personally seen and heard his messages to his fans in his MySpace site where he always praises my country, Cuba, and "my home Company, CNB".

Wouldn't it be nice, then, if Acosta were to use his contract to get the Cuban National Ballet on film?

Hey, it would be nice if he just would go and dance more often in Havana...or here in Miami. He doesn't...(alas for Toto Carreno...you know...too much trouble, too risky... )

[Andrew73]

I'm left with an uneasy feeling about the Royal Ballet, at least on DVD, appearing to be something of a rent-a-corps for an illustrious dancer. Ballet companies have been known to do it in an attempt to raise their international profile, but the Royal Ballet is most certainly not that sort of company. I don't know how you all feel about this, but my internal fairness gauge is reacting badly.

I suspect that 'guests' having their own distribution deals will increase, and the companies will have to learn to live with it.

In this case, however, I feel your pessimism is unfounded. I very much doubt we are being 'deprived' of anyone else - much more likely that without his agent and distributor pressing the RB, there would be no DVD performances at all.

If he is managing to get them to get their act together, kudos to him. And if he can do the same for CNB, double kudos!

[leonid17]

First off, this is not an invective.

Back in May I went to the cinema to see the Royal Ballet in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, a production that starred Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta. Since it was being screened as part of an Opus Arte series, I assumed that the ROH's home label would be releasing the DVD in the future. However, in April Acosta's web site reported that he'd signed an exclusive contract with Decca's DVD department, and it turns out that Decca will be releasing Romeo and Juliet, as well as Manon, filmed in October, and La Bayadère, to be filmed in January. Will Swan Lake be next? I understand that since Acosta is 35 years old there may be some apprehension on the part of Decca to get him on film before his technique begins to decline, but is maxing out the video catalogue with Acosta performances a good thing? It's good for Acosta fans, but is it good for the Royal Ballet?

Obviously, the Royal Ballet has agreed to this, though I have no idea who's paying for what. Still, I wonder about a number of things. Didn't the Royal Opera House buy Opus Arte to facilitate the distribution of its performances? Is it a good idea for it to farm out the distribution of its ballet performances to another company? And more importantly, does this trend indicate that only Royal Ballet performances starring Carlos Acosta will be filmed, assuming that Decca is paying the production costs?

As my topic title suggests, I'm left with an uneasy feeling about the Royal Ballet, at least on DVD, appearing to be something of a rent-a-corps for an illustrious dancer. Ballet companies have been known to do it in an attempt to raise their international profile, but the Royal Ballet is most certainly not that sort of company. I don't know how you all feel about this, but my internal fairness gauge is reacting badly.

There are some things in life that cannot be altered and that is why I leave such events for history to decide once the die has been cast.

However, this is a complex issue raised here and is one among many others concerning the Royal Ballet, which goes far beyond a casting issue and artists external personal contracts.

Regrettably people who pay to go to the ballet have no voice and most critics who could be crusaders, often simply roll over to have their tummies tickled with free tickets and a buffet and conspire to be part of the trendy celebrity marketing arena.

I personally admire Mr Acosta’s journey, but not his every performance.

La Bayadere is to be filmed live over three performances which means you do not even get a record of a performance but instead a compilation. A filmed record of a ballet even in one take, is a million miles away from attending a theatrical performance as it lacks the stimuli wherein our physical, emotional and intellectual responses operate in quite a different manner therefore I cannot get worked up about the marketing of something which has little meaning to me as I do not see this recording as being an historically defining event.

Meanwhile, his Nikiya in this film Tamara Rojo, has for me at least grown considerably in stature over the years confirming that she is now more than her Principal status and is a true ballerina.

As regards the Royal Ballet brand, to quote the song, "Fings ain't what they used to be."