Cassandra

So it's been a long time since I posted here. I wrote up my last Royal Opera House visit for work, do have a read here and let me know your thoughts: http://www.auroracomms.com/communications/ballet/.

Rodin, Eifman Ballet, Coliseum

I went to this ballet with anticipation but no real expectations. Sitting in the stalls, I was able to take in the beauty of the Coliseum as a theatre. I was excited at the prospect of seeing a company that is new to me, my first Russian ballet company.

I bought a programme but didn't read it until after the performance, so I based my understanding of the story on the Metro article from this morning. This was a ballet to watch from the stalls, or at least the front row of the lower circle, the faces are key. There wasn't a pointe shoe in sight and this was refreshing, allowing the dancers to move soundlessly. Sitting close to the stage you could see every tiny movement and their technique was amazing.

It was an emotional rollercoaster, tears welled up and I laughed. I loved the blend of ballet and something verging on musical theatre, bringing light and shadow to the piece. However, I missed live music, the Coliseum sound system sounded tinny, but I got my ear in eventually. The score blended seamlessly with the dancers into a great artistic piece.

I was disconcerted at first by scenes from a mad house and I took a while to unpick Rose from Camille, reading the programme first would probably have helped on this point. I loved the moments when dancers became marble, sculpted into sometimes unbelievable shapes their discipline was incredible. I felt that by act two the process of creating a sculpture was lost and the poster piece, the Gates of Hell was skated over and lost. That said my colleague felt it was a natural evolution of the piece.

I was impressed by the simplicity of the sets and the way the corp blended in and out of the backdrop. The mental institute scene at the end dropped like a bombshell, much as I guess Camille may have felt, a surreal experience in the realism of a studio.

I felt the ending was abrupt I wanted more... But I'll be back to see the Eifman Ballet, their technique was incredible. I've read the programme, I caught the key points without it. I say beg, borrow or steal ticket but be sure you can see their faces.

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Some ROH trips and Rhapsody / Tetracyts Art of Fugue / Gloria

Having been to the Royal Opera House four weeks out of six this year I'm finally getting around to blogging. Two performances of Giselle have been my definite highlight Steven McRae gave a shining crisp performance of Albrecht dancing with Roberta Marquez. I couldn't miss Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares in Giselle so I went back for an emotional matinee performance, reinforcing why I can't miss seeing a cast with this pairing at least once in a run. I went back to see Liam Scarlett's Hansel & Gretel again in the Linbury, I was excited to see James Hay dancing the role of Hansel and I wasn't let down. I had hoped to get a seat in the main arena but ended up back on the stage side seating where I sat last year. However, the staging had been changed for this second time out and now I can say that this is a ballet 'in the round' or at least with two sides. Other outstanding performances from Ryoichi Hirano dancing the role of the witch again, Donald Thom as the Sandman, not a bringer of dreams and Bennet Gartside as the father, a man at the end of his tether. 

We also headed to the Opera for my Grandparent's diamond wedding anniversary and my grandmother's 80th birthday. Carmen was the pick of the night and we ate in the Amphitheatre restaurant before and were very well looked after by the staff. Now it's safe to say that my grandmother and boyfriend's mother were the only people in our party of eight that were really genuinely excited to be at the opera, the rest of us were only sure that we would see some great performances. By the end of the evening we were converted, a truly fabulous evening with familiar melodies, lovely staging and beautiful performances. So my Royal Opera House budget is going to go out the window this year.

Most recently mum and I headed back for another Saturday matinee to see the latest triple bill. We picked our performance to see James Hay and Francesca Hayward debut in Ashton's Rhapsody and treated ourselves to front row of the orchestra stalls. Set to Rachmaninoff's Preludes on a Theme of Paganini with a backdrop that had note of a Turner the moment the curtain rose we were on tenterhooks. The whole piece is carried by the central couple and the man in particular and James was amazing straight out of the box. We hadn't seen Francesca dance before but she gave a stunning performances, incredibly light and as a pair they shared great chemistry and performed with a sparkle. But not to forget the strong team supporting them the six couples dancing as the corps were beautiful, not distracting from James and Francesca but complementing them beautifully. The whole cast deserved the rousing applause they received as the curtain came down. 

Next up was Wayne McGregor's new 'company' work for twelve dancers and the casting was impressive although a shame to see the piece relying on so many principals and not making the most of the company's full range of dancers. I read the programme and had read some interviews ahead of the performance so I knew a little about it but was confident in the work of McGregor not mention the dancers he had collected on stage. However, I was lost by the dark lighting, the mathematical patterns were a distraction and at times there was too much going on for the eye to take in. The flexibility of the cast was astounding as they bent into a number of shapes, however by the end I was waiting for the dancing to start and felt cold. The costumes were not my favourite, at times see through and on occasion ill fitting and I failed to see why on a dark stage with a black background it made sense to dress a dancer in an all black unitard. It was sad that due to injury and illness the performance couldn't take place in the afternoon, but i'm not sure I would go back to it again although I would love to see Rhapsody again.

Finally Macmillan's Gloria, no applause allowed during this performance, which for the most part the audience managed to abide by. Inspired by Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth this ballet depicts the futility of war. Edward Watson and Ryoichi Hirano formed a strong heart for this ballet set against a stark background which brought the desolation of a battle field clearly to mind. The men in muddy ripped uniforms and the girls in ghostly greys all with drawn hollowed faces danced a moving piece, supported by the Royal Opera Chorus with the soprano sung by Anush Hovhannisyan from the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme. I'd like to see this piece again.

The pirate ballet

It feels like London has waited an age for Le Corsaire to reach us. So on Friday I headed off to the Coliseum with a friend from London Amateur Ballet. Advertised as a swashbuckling pirate ballet it sounded like the ideal way to end a week at work.

Overall, I felt that it was a bit more pantomime Aladdin than swashbuckling pirate, but it was definitely an easy watch and fun evening. The score was light and fun and I could happily have it on my playlists and despite the nine people listed as creating the score it managed to avoid seeming disjointed. The sets were opulent and rich complementing plenty of sequins on the costumes.

This was only the second time I have seen the English National Ballet and I'm not familiar with many of the dancers. This cast included just one lead principal so it was an exciting opportunity to see the emerging dancers in the company. The jewel in this pirate's treasure chest was definitely Junior soloist Yonah Acosta in the title role of Conrad. He sparkled with crisp turns and leaps which seemed to hang in the air. Joan Sebastian Zamora also impressed with a powerful performance as Ali, Conrad's slave, a shame they killed him off at the end. Fernando Bufala brought a cheeky light to the role of Birbanto Conrad's friend and I could imagine him in the role of Mercutio (which turns out to be one of his favourite roles). Michael Coleman (Pasha) and his assistant (Anton Lukovin) made sure the audience laughed whenever they were on stage.

I wasn't sure about Le Jardin Anime in the final act, it felt shoehorned in, as an excuse for some tutus. When I read the synopsis later I discovered it was supposed be Pasha's dream but for me that was lost in the production. I was left a bit cold by the shipwreck at the end and from the staging I failed to realise that Conrad and Medora had survived as they looked very much on the sea bed, but this didn't detract from the whole performance.

After seeing the ENB's Nutcracker which I felt was lacking the magic of the Royal Ballet's production I was a little sceptical about Le Corsaire. However, despite sometimes lacking the precision and polish of the Royal Ballet's performances, Le Corsaire has persuaded me to see a bit more of the ENB in the future.

This is a jolly ballet which will make your evening sparkle in the depths of winter, and there are plenty of ticket offers and seemingly plenty of seats unsold so I suggest you find the best offer and get yourself down to the Coliseum.

2013 in shows

For completeness I thought I ought to wrap up the shows I saw in 2013, just like the books I read. I reviewed all the Edinburgh shows but many of the others were missed.

Did I miss the show of the year, is there anything I absolutely have to see in 2014? Do let me know.

1. Onegin from the Royal Ballet: Nunez, Soares, Hinkis, Zucchetti
2. Tatyana with Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker
3. Eugine Onegin from the Royal Opera: Stoyanova, Keenlyside, Maximova, Breslik
4. Ashton mixed Programme: La Valse, Meditation from Thais, Voices of Spring, Monotones I and II and Marguerite and Armand from the Royal Ballet
5. Apollo, Aeturnum and 24 Preludes from the Royal Ballet
6. Apollo, Aeturnum and 24 Preludes from the Royal Ballet
7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from the Royal Ballet: Lamb, Bonelli, Watson
8. La Bayadere from the Royal Ballet: Marquez, Bonelli, Nunez
9. Opening Gala at the Udderbelly Southbank
10. Mayerling from the Royal Ballet: Gartside, Galeazzi
11. Hansel and Gretel from the Royal Ballet: Ondiviela, Harrod
12. La Bayadere from the Royal Ballet: Nunez, Acosta, Kobayashi
13. Raven Girl and Symphony in C from the Royal Ballet
14. Mayerling from the Royal Ballet: Watson, Galeazzi
15. Raven Girl and Symphony in C from the Royal Ballet
16. Madame Butterfly Dress Rehearsal at Opera Holland Park
17. The Hot House at Trafalgar Studios
18. BalletBoyz at Sadler's Wells
19. Festival of the Spoken Nerd at the Edinburgh Festival
20. Men at the Edinburgh Festival
21. Guilt and Shame at the Edinburgh Festival
22. Wardens at the Edinburgh Festival
23. Oxford Imps at the Edinburgh Festival
24. Bluebeard at the Edinburgh Festival
25. Spank! at the Edinburgh Festival
26. Midsummer's Night Savoy at the Edinburgh Festival
27. Gordon Southern at the Edinburgh Festival
28. Big Value Comedy Late at the Edinburgh Festival
29. Does My Face look Big in This at the Edinburgh Festival
30. Proms in the Park from the BBC
31. The Sound of Music at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
32. Don Quixote Dress Rehearsal from the Royal Ballet: Salenko, McRae
33. Don Quixote from the Royal Ballet: Marquez, Campbell
34. Romeo and Juliet from the Royal Ballet: Hamilton, Watson
35. Romeo and Juliet from the Royal Ballet: Osipova, Acosta
36. Romeo and Juliet from the Royal Ballet: Nunez, Soares
37. Chroma, the Human Seasons and Rite of Spring from the Royal Ballet
38. Parsifal Dress Rehearsal from the Royal Opera
39. Peter Pan at Richmond Theatre
40. Nutcracker from the English National Ballet

2013 in books

Inspired by my friend Vinca (http://vinxbooks.wordpress.com/), I'm cleaning up 2013 with a list of everything I read in 2013, as it turns out I never actually managed to blog a single book review in 2013!

This is what I read, using GN for graphic novels and NF for non-fiction. I'd love your suggestions for my reading list in 2014, especially new authors, simply comment on this post to start populating my reading list for 2014.

1. Eugine Onegin by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger (GN)
4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
5. The Sugar Girls: Tales of Hardship, Love and Happiness in Tate and Lyle's East End by Duncan Barrett (NF)
6. You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
7. A Dancer in Wartime: One Girl's Journey from the Blitz to Sadler's Wells by Gillian Lynne (NF)
8. The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain
9. 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
10. Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway
11. In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark
12. Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy
13. White Bones (Katie Maguire) by Graham Masterton
14. A Reason to Kill (DI Matt Barnes) by Michael Kerr
15. Sara's Child (The Sara Colson Trilogy) by Susan Elle
16. Gray Justice by Alan McDermott
17. The Penal Colony by Richard Herley 
18. Sentence of Marriage (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
19. Mud and Gold (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
20. Settling the Account (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
21. A Second Chance (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
22. The One You Love (Emma Holden Suspense Mystery) by Paul Pilkington
23. Daisy's War by Shayne Parkinson
24. All I Want by Shayne Parkinson
25. Salt Bride: A Georgian Historical Romance by Lucinda Brant
26. Rope Enough (The Romney and Marsh Files) by Oliver Tidy
27. The French House by Nick Alexander
28. Silent Boy by Torey Hayden (NF)
29. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
30. The Boy from Reactor 4 Grest Stelmach
31. Salt Redux by Lucinda Brant
32. The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland
33. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
34. Beneath an Irish Sky by Isabelle Connor
35. After the Fall by Charity Norman
36. Night Road by Kristin Hannah
37. Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger
38. Gingerbread Man by Maggie Shayne
39. The Detective's Daughter by Lesley Thomson
40. 2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
41. 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
42. The Bone Factory by Nate Kenyon
43. Finding Emma by Steena Holmes
44. Emma's Secret by Steena Holmes
45. Dead Line by Chris Ewan
46. Darker Than My Shadow by Katie Green (GN, NF)
47. His Shadowed Heart by Hazel Statham
48. The Crystal Mirror by Tim Malnick and Katie Green
49. A Man Above Reproach by Evelyn Price
50. The Defiant Governess (Lessons in Love) by Andrea Pickens
51. All's Fair in Love & Seduction (The Elusive Lords) by Beverley Kendall
52. An Heir of Deception (The Elusive Lords) by Beverley Kendall
53. The Earl's Inconvenient Bride (Marriage by Scandal) by Ruth Ann Nordin
54. Rockwell's Lady by AC Wilson
55. My Lady Coward by Jaimey Grant
56. A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Various
57. The Bride Wore Blue (Brides of Bath) by Cheryl Bolen

I'm starting afresh for 2014 with plenty of books to read and review, plus a busy diary of ballet and maybe some opera to keep the blog going.