Sunday, May 19

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A preview in brief of the Royal Ballet's upcoming Ashton programs by Apollinaire Scherr for Air Mail.

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....The rest, early and late, will be new to all but longstanding Ashton devotees. The programs include the 1980 plotless Rhapsody, which is noble and melancholy, like the dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov, for whom it was made; and either the frothy 1933 Rendezvous or Ashton’s homage to Isadora Duncan and a cluster of especially obscure rarities. 

 

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Sarah Lamb talks about taking on the role of Hermione in "The Winter's Tale."

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For the current run, which marks the 10th anniversary of Wheeldon's The Winter’s Tale, Lamb’s Leontes is first soloist Nicol Edmonds, he, too, debuting in the role; and I have no doubt her knowledge of the play and insights into the character are of tremendous help to him in shaping his interpretation.

‘Leontes’s switch is so abrupt, so startling, it almost seems like a psychotic break, to be so paranoid and so sure of himself. I think that’s probably the hardest thing to show, and yet to keep a little bit of the audience’s sympathy with his character….’

 

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A review of Alonzo King Lines Ballet by David Friscic for Broadway World.

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Though Deep River may be highlighted in the title of the program, the entire collection of shorter ballet pieces truly seems as if it were an organic whole at times for, indeed, it is ruins the ruminative, “stream -of -consciousness” feel of the choreographed movement to declaim too much about demarcations between each piece.  Clusters, groups, and solo dancers come on and off the stage space in a fleeting style that engages the eye with the rapid succession of movements set to the music of the various composers.

 

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A review of the Czech National Ballet in "Coppelia" by Maggie Foyer for Bachtrack.

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Aya Okumura, as Swanilda, very nearly stole the show despite the strong competition. Her mercurial technique, defined by clarity and speed, gave the choreography the sparkle to make it memorable. Added to this she lived the role. Swanilda is a girl who has marked her man and despite his flirtatious ways, this is true love. She is also a girl who knows how to have fun and her enthusiasm for adventure was infectious.