text:
One of the many treasures in the Royal Opera House's Collections department is an invaluable set of letters written by Frederick Ashton, Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, to the American dancer Richard Beard, and donated to the Collections by Beard.
In one written on 29 January 1948, Ashton describes the creative process behind Scènes de ballet, less than two weeks ahead of its premiere on 11 February.
Ashton made ingenious use of Euclidean geometry in Scènes de ballet, and later described its 'distant, uncompromising beauty which says I am here, beautiful, but I will make no effort to charm you'.
But in this tender letter to his lover, Ashton suggests the ballet had a more passionate inspiration (although the rising pavilion he mentions would not make it to the premiere): 'in the apotheosis the man & woman are united in bliss & rise on the lift… away from all the slander of the world & live for each other only, & they are in a sort of fantastic pavilion of love'.
The letter includes sketches and descriptions of the costumes – the hats worn by the female corps de ballet are described as 'a cross between a greek column & a toreador's hat!'.
It was not all plain sailing with designer André Beaurepaire, though; Ashton hints at working through 'all [the ballet's] problems not the smallest of which has been Beaurepaire'. But the letter also contains a touching description of Ashton's fellow choreographer George Balanchine: 'I was pleased at his hand of friendship for I admire him beyond all other choreographers'.
Ashton made Scènes de ballet an homage to Marius Petipa, choreographic counterpart to Tchaikovsky – the perfect partner for Stravinsky's Tchaikovsky-inspired score. Ashton describes the choreography as 'very classical[;] naturally my own particular extension of the classic vocabulary with moments I think of poetry & real beauty & very much on a grand scale & a certain mystery & elegance & an aristocratic air to it all… very different things & new things I hope.'
Ashton also sent a newspaper clipping, showing him at a New Year's Ball. Also enclosed were some of Beaurepaire's set designs and a photo of himself.
Lastly, Ashton dedicates the ballet to Beard: 'All of it, my darling, for what it is worth, I dedicate to you with my love.'
Envelope of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page one of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page two of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page three of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page four of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page five of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page six of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page seven of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page eight of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page nine of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page ten of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Page 11 of Frederick Ashton's letter to Richard Beard, 29 January 1948. Reproduced with permission of Anthony Russell Roberts
Dearest Dick,
Our letters always seem to cross which means that we think of each other simultaneously & I like that, but then it only means that I wait for you to write again & hope you will write again & you don't; when I can't wait any longer to hear from my beloved I have to start & here I am pen in my hand & heart & mind with you.
I have as you can guess been very busy not too busy to think of you as you say of me but unable to take up my pen as I have to be right to communicate with you – somehow & naturally I have been obsessed with my new ballet & all its problems not the smallest of which has been Beaurepaire, but I have all the time thought of what you said & carried your orders to me in my head & tried to carry them […]
Is it good enough for him, would you kiss me tenderly and say "you did well today". I am getting to the end of it & today I went through it. I have still one of Margot's variations to do & naturally bits here & there to improve on. I use 12 girls & 4 boys & 2 principals. I always have my seasonal obsession as you know but in no way do I carry it out in the ballet and nor is there any implication of myself in it as there is
in your ballet, only that in the apotheosis the man & woman are united in bliss & rise on the lift (you know what I mean the stage level rises up) away from all the slander of the world & live for each other only, & they are in a sort of fantastic pavilion of love. Which rises & rises while another part of the stage, in front of them, with architecture on it, descends at the same time making their rise look even higher. It is quite effective
& curious you should say in your lovely letter that it should "all sink to oblivion before their eyes". The set is finally a very good set as such but not really suitable for this ballet, more for a Greek play but it is grand, the costumes I have had much trouble with him over in fact we almost quarrelled he is tiresome & superficial & the French desire to astonish is tiresome to me who prefers things to be right
rather than outré – & elegant rather than chic – but by dint of simplification I have I hope arrived at something. I have now one costume for the girls & one for boys instead of all different or 4 sets as I thought of as are fine & I have so fixed them now that all embellishments can be cast off if necessary at the dress rehearsal. The girls may wear hats like this, they look well on – of black velvet encrusted at the side with pearls & diamonds sewn tightly together. Pearl earrings & pearl chokers
They look a cross between a greek column & a toreador's hat! Tutu of pale blue & white & a bodice like this. The boys sort of Sylphide jackets rather chinese & rather Joseph's coat of many colours. Margot in yellow – and her hair perfectly plain & diamond choker & earrings.
The choreography is very classical naturally my own particular extension of the classic vocabulary with moments I think of poetry & real beauty & very much on a grand scale & a certain mystery & elegance & an aristocratic air to it all. I have not done a pas-de-deux for Margot but an adagio with 5 boys with very different things & new things I hope.
All of it, my darling, for what it is worth, I dedicate to you with my love.
Balanchine has invited me to come & do something for ballet society immediately after but I can't as we have to go to Holland in March. I was pleased at his hand of friendship for I admire him beyond all other choreographers […]'
Scènes de ballet is part of The Royal Ballet's mixed programme of Ashton works, performed until 12 November 2014. Tickets are still available.
ROH Collections are currently cataloguing the Richard Beard Collection of correspondence, so that it can be made available to a wider audience of researchers.
Find out more about the work of ROH Collections and browse the Collection here.
As part of World Ballet Day, Royal Ballet Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett took us behind the scenes of his new ballet The Age of Anxiety. Set during World War II, Liam's dark piece about four strangers in a New York bar is inspired by W.H. Auden's poem and Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 2, both entitled 'The Age of Anxiety'.
Watch a section of the ballet in rehearsal, with Royal Ballet Principals Laura Morera and Steve McRae, First Soloist Bennet Gartside, and Soloist Tristan Dyer:
The Age of Anxiety follows Liam's previous dark narrative ballets for the Company: Hansel and Gretel and Sweet Violets.
'There are things that the human body does naturally that words can't express,' says Liam about his narrative works. 'We laugh, we cry, our heart beats faster when we are in love – all these emotions an action can speak very clearly. So it's finding those key moments when you're doing a narrative piece and not relying on words.'
Watch Liam interviewed about The Age of Anxiety, followed by an interview with Laura Morera and Steven McRae:
The Age of Anxiety runs from 7-17 November 2014 as part of a mixed programme with Ceremony of Innocence and Aeternum. Tickets are still available.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE, Simon and Virginia Robertson, Kenneth and Susan Green, Karl and Holly Peterson, The Age of Anxiety Production Syndicate and the Friends of Covent Garden.]]>
During the last night of The Royal Ballet's 1973 summer Season, Antoinette Sibley discovered that a book had been left in her dressing room. A note from Kenneth MacMillan informed her: 'Some holiday reading for you – which will come in handy for March 7, '74.'
The idea of a three-act ballet telling the story of Manon Lescaut had been germinating in MacMillan's mind for some time. Nicholas Georgiadis, MacMillan's frequent collaborator, had suggested Prévost's 18th-century novel would make a good 'operatic' ballet scenario, with pas de deux taking the place of lyrical duets. Georgiadis, who had been re-reading the book, envisaged a decadent milieu for the ballet's designs.
MacMillan drew up his own scenario from the novel. For him, the reason for Manon's capricious behaviour was her dread of poverty: like her brother, Lescaut, she would do anything to escape the humiliation of being poor. Above all, she needed a protector, a man rich enough to keep her in luxury: love in a garret was not for her. The 18th-century Parisian society in which she had to make her way was morally and financially volatile; great wealth and corruption flourished alongside absolute degradation.
Although there had been an early Manon ballet in 1830 (well before the Massenet and Puccini operas), MacMillan was challenging conventions by making the 'heroine with all the vices' the leading role in his new work. Heroines in full-length ballets, even 20th-century ones, were usually good girls. Manon has few redeeming qualities other than her charm: she is ruthless about every choice she makes and Lescaut's courtesan mistress is more honest than she is.
MacMillan would take depravity far further with the role of Mary Vetsera in Mayerling, his next three-act ballet. Because ballerinas nowadays relish these immoral roles, it can be hard to appreciate how outrageous Manon seemed in the 1970s. To compound the shock value, Sibley, purest of classical dancers, had been cast against type: 'An appalling waste of lovely Antoinette Sibley, who, as Manon, is reduced to a nasty little diamond digger, ' complained the Morning Star after the premiere.
Sibley, however, relished the chance to develop her acting ability in the first full-length dramatic role to be created on her. She had read Prévost's novel during the 1973 summer break, ready for MacMillan to start work, as was his custom, with the pas de deux. The first encounter between Manon and Des Grieux, and their two bedroom scenes, were swiftly completed, MacMillan's invention flowing freely. Then Sibley and her dance partner Anthony Dowell left for the other side of the world to perform as guest artists with The Australian Ballet. A recurring knee injury meant that, on Sibley's return, she was unable to continue to participate in the ballet's creation. MacMillan had promised that she should reclaim her role as Manon as soon as she was fit enough. In the meantime, he turned to Jennifer Penney to replace her in the months leading up to the premiere.
Manon's solo after her Act II entry into the hôtel particulier ballroom had been choreographed before Sibley was injured. Penney took over for the rest of the scene in the high-class brothel, entrancing the male clients and making her choice between Monsieur G.M. and Des Grieux. Manon's first appearance in Act I, arriving at the inn on her way to a convent, was created on Penney; so was Act III, with its scenes in New Orleans and the swamps of Louisiana. MacMillan worked out the death-defying lifts in the swamp pas de deux with Penney and Dowell, coming up with moves no one had tried before. Sibley then had to learn how to accomplish them when she returned to the ballet in time for the premiere. She danced the opening night with Dowell; Penney was the next Manon, with Wayne Eagling as Des Grieux.
Both ballerinas contributed elements of themselves to the choreography. In the 40 years since the ballet's creation, other dancers have developed their own interpretations, discovering different ways of understanding the characters, making their own Manons.
This is an extract from Jann Parry's article 'The Creation of a Classic' from the programme book that accompanies Manon, available during performances and from the ROH Shop.
Manon runs from 26 September to 1 November 2014. Tickets are still available. The production is given with generous philanthropic support from Celia Blakey, Peter Lloyd and The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. Original Production (1974) made possible by The Linbury Trust.]]>
Who better to look behind the scenes of The Royal Ballet than one of our own dancers? Over the last five years, First Artist Andrej Uspenski has been photographing the dancers at rest, rehearsal and during performances to capture what life is really like as a Royal Ballet dancer.
Speaking about the book, Andrej describes it as 'more of a story than a collection of individual pictures. It shows a day in the life of a dancer, from daily class and rehearsals to backstage preparation and performances' and even captures Melissa Hamilton on stage, showing us the dancer's view of the auditorium.
The images have been brought together in the book 'Dancers' and a selection is currently on show in the Amphitheatre Restaurant.
Dancers: Behind the scenes with The Royal Ballet is available to buy online now from the Royal Opera House Shop. To make a reservation for the Amphitheatre Restaurant, please call 020 7212 9254.]]>
New animations illustrating the ancient mythological tales of Prometheus and Leda and the Swan have been published to celebrate Deloitte Ignite 2014, a month-long festival that runs from 5-28 September.
The festival focuses on two archetypal myths: Prometheus, the Titan who creates man from clay and tricks the Gods; and Leda and the Swan, the union of a mortal woman and the god Zeus, when disguised as a swan.
The animations were commissioned from students on Kingston University's Illustration and Animation course, some of whom participated in last Season's Opera Shorts series. Mike Harvey and Sophie Standing directed and illustrated the Prometheus animation.
'Prometheus is a metaphor for artistic creativity, which is why he is the centre of the festival,' says actor Damian Lewis, who provides the voiceover for the Prometheus animation. 'He was the first sculptor and the giver of life, which is the ultimate act of creativity.
The Leda and the Swan animation was created by Ellie Pritchard, Alice Stewart and Luisa Crosbie, whose Opera Short animation was published in May. Actor Helen McCrory provides the voiceover.
Helen and Damian have also filmed poetry readings, which will be played on a big screen in the Paul Hamlyn Hall during the festival. Find out more.
Deloitte Ignite, curated by The Royal Ballet with the National Gallery's Minna Moore Ede, runs 5–28 September and includes a wide range of free and ticketed events. Tickets are still available for some events. Find out more.
Shklyarov was the bee's knees. Funny, charming and the most exquisite footwork. He and Batoeva made tonight's #Mariinsky #Cinderella shine
— sandra (@bicoated) August 16, 2014
@TheRoyalBallet @RoyalOperaHouse Oh Act I was beauuuuutiful. Ah I do believe in fairytales
— sheepskinwolf (@sheepskinwolf) August 16, 2014
Shyklyarov & Betoeva were lovely as lead couple tonight.
Thank you & Bye #Mariinsky till your next visit in London!
— Yosh M (@yoshkosh10) August 16, 2014
@TheRoyalBallet @RoyalOperaHouse Thought Shklyarov & Batoeva shone together and did justice to Prokofiev's witty, poignant music
— Becky Bahar (@Becky_B4) August 16, 2014
Shklyarov and Batoeva great. Wish I could fast forward the rest... #Mariinsky
— Fedja Hadrovich (@Hadrovich) August 16, 2014
@TheRoyalBallet @RoyalOperaHouse Dated production and just not very good. Shame such a disappointing finish to a superb season #Mariinsky
— Rachel Atkinson (@knittingtastic) August 16, 2014
The duets b/w Cinderella/Prince were so beautifully realised. I love how Ratmansky combines classicism w/ contemporary steps. #Mariinsky
— Leena Hassan (@leenahassan) August 15, 2014
What did you think of the Mariinsky Ballet's Cinderella?
The Mariinsky Ballet's Summer 2014 performances at the Royal Opera House are presented by Victor Hochhauser.]]>
Arriving in China, we are launched straight into the vast metropolis of Shanghai – a sea of cloud-piercing skyscrapers whose peaks dissolve into the muggy sky, and vast traffic systems that spiral into the centre of town. This city certainly isn't shy. Jam-packed and bustling, it is a rich assault on the senses and has a totally different vibe to Taipei. For one, lots of things seem negotiable in China, from the price of a handbag, to the exact ingredients of your dinner, to whether a traffic light is green or red! Indoor motor vehicles could also be the norm – on my first day in the theatre, which is all sparkly from a fantastic refurb, an employee cruises past me on a scooter in the corridor. I can't imagine it taking off at the ROH!
Eric Underwood and Paul Kay as gypsies before a performance of Don Quixote in Shanghai © Eric Underwood
We last came here six years ago as part of a much longer eastern tour; we spent four days performing Manon, before flying off bound for Japan. This time, we are performing Carlos's Don Quixote. It's a new production and opened the Season with a bang - it's nice to finish in the same way. It is such a new work that it has barely settled on the company and hasn't ever toured, so it is a little bit of an unknown entity. Due to the schedules in other destinations, rehearsals were also less frequent than we would like. The first few run throughs are slow and hard to get everything together. However, our crew works tirelessly to coordinate the complex cues (all via interpreters), which is no easy task, and we rally together to deliver a spectacular end-of-Season show.
Once we are on stage, it starts flowing and, on opening night, all falls into place – a huge relief! So, with the last production up and running, we suddenly find ourselves creeping towards the end of the Season. Due to a few cast changes, I get the chance to perform Dulcinea and I am thrilled. Don Quixote is such a joyous ballet with the full Company on stage. The audiences in China are also very well informed about the demands of virtuosity and applaud throughout the tricky solos, which makes me think that it really is the perfect production to have brought!
The last scene of the ballet has the full Company on stage in a big coda, and it really feels like a grand goodbye, waving 'adios' to this Season. As the curtain falls, we feel a mixture of achievement, relief and happiness, muddled with goodbyes and sadness that it's over. Another Season - it's a wrap! Spirits are high, and we celebrate the careers of the leavers over the traditional Taglioni cake-cutting ceremony, followed by, you've guessed it, yet more dancing! There is certainly no need for sleeping aids on the long flight home; everyone relaxes into a peaceful slumber.
A happy and hard working tour comes to a lovely end. Now for a rest and a re-charge before the next Season starts!
Read Nathalie's earlier blogs from Taiwan and Russia.
Read Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare's blog about the tour.
The Royal Opera House would like to thank Aud Jebsen for her support of the Royal Ballet touring programme, corporate sponsors Vitol, Coutts and the Tsukanov Family Foundation for their support in Moscow and Alta Advisors in Shanghai, and all tour supporters: Geoffrey & Judith Batchelar, Linda and Tania Bennett, Jill Bowen, Janine Roxborough Bunce, Fiona, Lucinda and Annabel Cruddas, Graham Fletcher, Lady Shauna Gosling, Geoffrey Griffiths, Nigel Grimshaw, David & Diana Pilling, Lady Barbara Pitman, Kristina & Isabella Rogge and Eric Tomsett.]]>
This weekend, our Chance to Dance Company is performing a double bill at the Royal Opera House. The Company is made up of over 200 young people aged 7-11 and working alongside dancers from The Royal Ballet, they will be performing Still Life at the Penguin Café and Peter and the Wolf, both known for their colourful characters.
Before the performance, we spoke to participant Lois Samphier-Read, teacher Madelaine Price and Royal Ballet Soloist Kenta Kura to hear their thoughts on characterization, storytelling and why dancing and performing is important for young people:
'Telling a story is different to reading a story. It is better to tell a story by showing it. I am the Bird in Peter and the Wolf. The Wolf tries to catch me, but I trick him so Peter doesn't get hurt. You have to flutter your wings and act like you live in the sky, feel like you are a bird. I do lots of jumps and flutter my hands to make my arms look like wings. And I get into character more when in costume.
'It's really inspiring working with a professional dancer like Kenta. It's a really cool experience to be learning these steps and having lots of solos. I'm learning lots of new things I could use in the future.
'When you get all of the company together, it makes you feel that the performance is really going to be something special and makes you realise you can do anything that you put your mind to.'
Lois Samphier-Read (aged 11) is playing the bird in Peter and the Wolf.
So many young people don't have access to dance and the arts as part of their education and upbringing, but I think it is vital that more children have opportunities to watch, be part of and perform dance. We need to make it as inherent in our culture as sport.
Through the Chance to Dance programme, I've watched the children grow in confidence and become more focussed, both in our classes and at school. It's been wonderful watching the groups prepare for these performance. The group working on Still Life at the Penguin Café have researched the endangered species and it's lovely to be able to reach young people on that level.
The excitement in the air after a performance makes you realize how magical it is for these children to work in such a professional environment.
Madelaine Price is a teacher on the Chance to Dance programme.
'It is incredibly important to pass on ballet and dance to the younger generation. You can teach dance in a ballet class, but it's a completely different experience being on stage and seeing professional dancers. I started dancing when I was 8 years old, and when I first saw professional dancers, I was just amazed by how they danced – everything from the breathing to the lifts they performed. I was watching technique that you can't learn in a classroom – little things you see that you remember later down the line.
'I have been in rehearsals with the Duck, the Bird and the Cat. I catch the Duck, I eat the Bird, I get caught by Peter. It's interesting to watch the kids to see how they perform so we can create a dynamic on stage. It is real teamwork in the rehearsals and amazing how it has progressed in just the two rehearsals we have had together. They are so quick to learn!
'The programme is so important for aspiring young dancers. It is just the best opportunity for kids to get the feeling of technique, energy and dynamics from a professional.'
Kenta Kura is a Soloist with The Royal Ballet. He is playing the Wolf in Peter and the Wolf.
Chance to Dance provides a creative introduction to ballet for Year 3 children in partnership primary schools in Thurrock and the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark through Royal Ballet demonstrations and practical dance workshops. Children identified with a particular enthusiasm and aptitude for dance are invited to join the Chance to Dance Company for up to four years, which involves weekly classes (out of school) in their local venue, family days at the Royal Opera House and an annual performance working alongside dancers from The Royal Ballet.
Find out more about the programme.
Generously supported by Mrs Lily Safra, J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, MariaMarina Foundation, Marit Mohn, Orinoco Foundation, Marina Hobson MBE, Simon and Tracey Holden, Gonzalo and Maria Garcia, Eugene and Stephanie Leouzon, Atosa Moini, Raymonde Jay, Robin Vince, Sue Street, Katrin and Chritoph Henkel, Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, Thurrock Borough Council, Freed of London, Sue Sheridan and The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Charitable Trust.]]>
Christopher Wheeldon's new Royal Ballet production The Winter's Tale was screened live across the world on 28 April as part of the ROH Live Cinema Season 2013/14.
The relay, which was presented by Darcey Bussell, included a series backstage films featuring rehearsal footage and interviews with members of the cast and creative team. If you missed out on the night, or want to find out more about the production, here they are again:
Christopher Wheeldon, Joby Talbot and Edward Watson introduce The Winter's Tale:
Christopher based his second full-length work for The Royal Ballet on Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, a drama that follows the destruction of a family through jealousy. 'Bringing a new Shakespeare to life through dance is an exciting prospect,' says Christopher. 'It is a very complex story, but at the heart of it is profound, inexplicable jealousy that strikes Leontes and causes him to do some devastating acts.'
The ballet reunites the creative team behind Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 'We spent an amazing three days forensically taking it apart, ending up with a synopsis that was incredibly detailed, right down to the timings,' says composer Joby Talbot.
Sarah Lamb, Christopher Wheeldon and Bob Crowley discuss Act 2 of The Winters Tale:
In Act Two the action moves to Bohemia where the lost princess Perdita, living as a shepherdess, falls in love with Prince Florizel. 'Florizel is the son of King Polixenes and he doesn't want his son marrying a commoner,' explains Sarah Lamb, who created the role of Perdita. 'Our union, and our quest to get that union blessed, is what brings everyone back together and what heals everyone.'
The music, designs and choreography vividly depict the contrasting worlds of the dreary, troubled court of Sicilia and the vibrant and cheerful countryside of Bohemia. 'We designed Sicilia first, and Bohemia then became the antithesis of that,' says designer Bob Crowley. 'It is full of colour and pattern, and has a real exuberance compared to the austerity of the court of Leontes.'
Composer Joby Talbot discusses the music in The Winter's Tale:
A key element of The Winter's Tale is the contrast between the two worlds explored in the ballet and composer Joby Talbot has created a score that depicts these drastically different moods, ranging from the troubled tension of Act One, to the joyful setting of Bohemia (which includes an on-stage folk band) to the emotional conclusion in Act Three.
'I'm incredibly proud of it,' says Joby of the music. 'Act One has this musical language which is quite taut and troubled. In Act Two we want an absolute change - a lot of beautiful dancing and beautiful music. We're back in Sicilia for Act Three, which is very emotional and the music is freer.'
Read audience reactions to the cinema screening and add your own review.
The Royal Opera House Cinema Season relays our performances to over 1,100 cinemas in 29 countries around the world. The final live relay of 2013/14 will be The Royal Opera's Manon Lescaut on 24 June.
Chance to Dance student Jacob Tidmarsh has been offered a place at White Lodge, The Royal Ballet Lower School.
Jacob, who joined the Chance to Dance programme in January 2011, first watched a Royal Ballet demonstration in September 2010. Since then, his passion for dance has grown immensely. He gained a place in the Junior Associate programme at The Royal Ballet School in 2012, and was selected to dance in The Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty earlier this Season. He will start with The Royal Ballet School in September 2014, marking his next step into vocational dance training.
'We are absolutely delighted and very proud of Jacob', say Andrew Tidmarsh and Cordelia Galloway, Jacob's parents. 'It is just wonderful to see how far he has come in three years; to say that Chance to Dance changed Jacob's life would be an understatement.'
Since joining the programme, Jacob has performed in two Chance to Dance annual performances: Jam Tomorrow (May 2012) choreographed by Royal Ballet Soloist Kristen McNally, and The Rite of Spring (May 2013), which was adapted by Kristen and fellow Soloist Thomas Whitehead.
'I was initially unsure about the idea of Jacob doing ballet', says Andrew. 'But the whole process has been a life-changing experience for the whole family. By attending Family Days, we've developed a real understanding and appreciation of ballet; it has become a commitment for the whole family!'
Chance to Dance is designed to enable the children taking part to enjoy and participate in dance, developing their creativity, self-confidence and self-discipline. The programme works with 30 primary schools across Thurrock, Lambeth and Southwark, who have the opportunity to attend Royal Ballet demonstrations and stage rehearsals, as well as take part in practical workshops. Children who show enthusiasm and an aptitude for dance are selected to join the Chance to Dance company, receiving weekly classes and attending Royal Ballet performances and practical family workshops for up to four years. Applications for Chance to Dance academic year 2014–15 will open to participating schools in May; you can register your interest below.
Students of the Chance to Dance programme in rehearsal for Jam Tomorrow © ROH / Andrej Uspenski 2012
Students of the Chance to Dance programme in rehearsal for Jam Tomorrow © ROH / Andrej Uspenski 2012
'The Chance to Dance programme is an amazing and wonderful thing at a time of cutbacks to the arts', say Andrew and Cordelia. 'It has opened a world to Jacob that he probably never would have encountered otherwise: he has made new friends, grown in confidence, gained an understanding of collaboration, learned to value creativity, and become determined and tenacious. We are particularly grateful to the Royal Ballet dancers Jacob has encountered - Tom Whitehead was so supportive to Jacob ahead of his audition.'
Other Royal Ballet dancers involved in the programme include First Artist Nathalie Harrison, Soloist Laura McCulloch and former Soloist David Pickering. Find out more about Laura's experiences as a teacher on the programme.
Applications for Chance to Dance 2014–15 will open in May. If you represent a primary school in Lambeth, Southwark or Thurrock and would like to register your interest please email us.
Chance to Dance is generously supported by Mrs Lily Safra, J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, MariaMarina Foundation, Marit Mohn, Orinoco Foundation, Marina Hobson MBE, Simon and Tracey Holden, Gonzalo and Maria Garcia, Eugene and Stephanie Leouzon, Atosa Moini, Raymonde Jay, Robin Vince, Sue Street, Katrin and Chritoph Henkel, Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, Thurrock Borough Council, Freed of London, Sue Sheridan and The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Charitable Trust.]]>
Autumn Season
Deloitte Ignite 2014
Free opening festival curated by The Royal Ballet and Minna Moore Ede.
Throughout September
BalletBoyz theTALENT (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Former Royal Ballet dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt and their award-winning troupe come to the Linbury Studio Theatre for the first time, with an all-new programme.
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 September at 7.45pm
By Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Jules Massenet, orchestrated by Martin Yates
Kenneth MacMillan's acclaimed tragic ballet is a modern masterpiece.
26 September at 7.30pm; 27 September at 12.30pm; 30 September at 1pm
1 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 16† | 25 | 29 October at 7.30pm; 4 October at 2pm and 7pm; 5 October at 12 noon; 11 October at 12.30pm
1 November at 7pm
† Live cinema relay
Scènes de ballet / Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan / Symphonic Variations / A Month in the Country
By Frederick Ashton
Music: Igor Stravinsky / Johannes Brahms / Cèsar Franck / Fryderyk Chopin
The Royal Ballet celebrates its Founder Choreographer, Frederick Ashton, with a mixed programme of some of his finest works.
18 October at 7pm; 22 | 28 October at 7.30pm
4 | 5 | 11 | 12 November at 7.30pm
Ceremony of Innocence / The Age of Anxiety / Aeternum
By Kim Brandstrup / NEW Liam Scarlett / Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Benjamin Britten / Leonard Bernstein / Benjamin Britten
A Scarlett world premiere and two recent works by Brandstrup and Wheeldon: contemporary ballet at its finest.
7 | 13 | 14 | 17 November at 7.30pm; 8 November at 2pm and 7pm
Cassandra NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By Ludovic Ondiviela
Music: Ana Silvera
Choreographer Ludovic Ondiviela and singer songwriter Ana Silvera present a poignant exploration of what it is to be called mad.
30 | 31 October at 7.45pm
1 November at 2pm
Mapping / Document / Christopher Bruce (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By Darshan Singh Bhuller / Ivgi & Greben / NEW Christopher Bruce
Phoenix Dance Theatre
Phoenix Dance Theatre presents a mixed programme including a Christopher Bruce premiere and works by Darshan Singh Bhuller and the choreographic duo Ivgi & Grebem.
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 November at 7.45pm
Don Quixote
By Carlos Acosta after Marius Petipa
Music: Ludwig Minkus, arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates
Carlos Acosta's exuberant production of this classic tale of friendship, love and loyalty is bursting with joie de vivre.
25 | 27 | 28 November at 7.30pm
12 | 15 December at 7.30pm; 20 December at 1.30pm and 7pm; 29 December at 7pm; 30 December at 12.30pm
3 January at 1.30pm and 7pm; 5 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 21 | 22 January at 7.30pm
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
By Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Joby Talbot, orchestrated by Christopher Austin and Joby Talbot
Follow Alice down the rabbit hole in Christopher Wheeldon's thrillingly entertaining ballet.
6 December at 1.30pm (Welcome Performance) and 7pm; 10 | 16† December at 7.30pm; 19 December at 2pm and 7.30pm; 22 December at 12.30pm; 23 December at 1.30pm and 7pm; 24 December at 12 noon; 27 December at 1.30pm and 7pm; 31 December at 12 noon and 5pm
10 January at 7pm; 12 | 15 | 16 January at 7.30pm
† Live cinema relay
The Mad Hatter's Tea Party NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
ZooNation burst onto the stage with their family Christmas show, a wonderfully wacky take on the madcap characters of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Previews: 6 December at 12.30pm and 5pm; 8 December at 7pm
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 December at 7pm; 13 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 27 December at 12.30pm and 5pm; 24 | 31 December at 12.30pm; 28 December at 2pm; 29 | 30 December at 5pm
2 | 3 January at 12.30pm and 5pm
Winter Season
By John Cranko
Music: Kurt-Heinz Stolze after Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
John Cranko's adaptation of Pushkin's verse-novel, set to music by Tchaikovsky, trembles with emotional charge.
24 January at 2pm and 7pm; 27 | 28 | 30 January at 7.30pm; 31 January at 12.30pm
2 | 4 February at 7.30pm; 7 February at 12.30pm; 11 February at 2.30pm and 7.30pm; 16 | 18 February at 7.30pm; 27 February at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Swan Lake
By Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, additional choreography by Frederick Ashton and David Bintley
Music: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Anthony Dowell's production of the greatest romantic ballet draws upon the opulence of 1890s Russia.
10 | 13 February at 7.30pm; 14 February at 7pm; 19 February at 2pm and 7.30pm; 21 February at 1.30pm and 7pm
13 | 16 | 17† | 18 | 19 | 25 | 26 March at 7.30pm; 14 March at 12.30pm; 21 March at 1.30pm and 7pm
2 | 7 | 9 April at 7.30pm
† Live cinema relay
London International Mime Festival (Linbury Studio Theatre)
The acclaimed annual festival returns to the Linbury Studio Theatre.
TBC January
Murmur / Inked (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By Aakash Odedra
Aakash Odedra dances an exhilarating mixed programme, created in collaboration with choreographers Lewis Major and Damien Jalet.
23 | 24 January at 7.45pm
Draft Works (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By The Royal Ballet
Dancers from within the ranks of The Royal Ballet create and perform experimental new works.
24 | 26 February at 7.45pm
Ballet Black (Linbury Studio Theatre)
The award-winning company presents a dynamic mixed programme from leading choreographers.
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 February at 7.45pm
Spring Season
Bayadère – The Ninth Life (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By Shobana Jeyasingh
Music: Gabriel Prokofiev
In a new Royal Opera House commission Shobana Jeyasingh reimagines Marius Petipa's India-set classical ballet La Bayadère.
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 March at 7.45pm
The Four Temperaments / Hofesh Shechter / Song of the Earth
By George Balanchine / NEW Hofesh Shechter / Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Paul Hindemith / TBC / Gustav Mahler
Masterpieces by Balanchine and MacMillan frame a world premiere from Hofesh Shechter in The Royal Ballet's thrilling mixed programme.
27 | 30 March at 7.30pm
8 | 10 | 14 April at 7.30pm
La Fille mal gardèe
By Frederick Ashton
Music: Ferdinand Hérold, arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery
Frederick Ashton's joyful ballet contains some of his most brilliant choreography.
16 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 29 April at 7.30pm; 26 April at 3pm
2 May at 2pm and 7pm; 5† May at 7.30pm
† Live cinema relay
Summer Season
Woolf Works NEW
By Wayne McGregor
Music: Max Richter
Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor presents his first full-length ballet for the Company.
11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 26 May at 7.30pm; 23 May at 12 noon
Afternoon of a Faun / In the Night / Song of the Earth
By Jerome Robbins / Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Claude Debussy / Fryderyk Chopin / Gustav Mahler
The Royal Ballet's mixed programme brings together two of Jerome Robbins's masterpieces with MacMillan's powerful depiction of love and loss.
29 May at 7.30pm; 30 May at 12.30pm
1 | 4 June at 7.30pm
The Architect / mixed programme (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By Kenneth Tindall / NEW TBC
Northern Ballet
One of the UK's leading touring companies visits the Linbury Studio Theatre with a mixed programme.
The Elves and the Shoemaker
By Daniel de Andrade
Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet presents new children's ballet from its award-winning series Short Ballets for Small People.
TBC May
Springboard (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance; Verve; Ballet Central; Dutch National Ballet
1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 June at 7.45pm
The Royal Ballet School Summer Performances
12 July at 12 noon (main stage) | TBC July (Linbury Studio Theatre)]]>
All the booking dates below open at 10am.
Ballet and Dance
Woolf Works NEW
11–26 May
By Wayne McGregor
Music: Max Richter
Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor presents his first full-length ballet for the Company.
Afternoon of a Faun / In the Night / Song of the Earth
29 May–4 June; Welcome performance for families on 29 May
By Jerome Robbins / Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Claude Debussy / Fryderyk Chopin / Gustav Mahler
The Royal Ballet's mixed programme brings together two of Jerome Robbins's masterpieces with MacMillan's powerful depiction of love and loss.
The Architect / mixed programme (Linbury Studio Theatre)
By Kenneth Tindall / NEW tbc
Northern Ballet
One of the UK's leading touring companies visits the Linbury Studio Theatre with a mixed programme.
The Elves and the Shoemaker
By Daniel de Andrade
Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet presents a new children's ballet from its award-winning series Short Ballets for Small People.
Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance; Verve; Ballet Central; Dutch National Ballet (Linbury Studio Theatre)
1–6 June
The Royal Ballet School Summer Performances
Opera and Music
La bohème
23 May–16 July; Live cinema relay on 10 June
Giacomo Puccini
Dir: John Copley
Cond: Dan Ettinger / Alexander Joel
A lost key and an accidental touch of cold hands in the dark – so begins one of the greatest romances of all opera.
The Cure / The Corridor NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Harrison Birtwistle
Lib: David Harsent
Dir: Martin Duncan
Cond: tbc
A double programme of chamber operas celebrates the work of Harrison Birtwistle, marking his 80th birthday.
Dot, Squiggle and Rest NEW (Clore Studio Upstairs)
Elspeth Brooke and Joy Haynes
The award-winning Polka Theatre presents their enchanting children's opera in collaboration with The Royal Opera's former Composer in Residence, Elspeth Brooke.
Don Giovanni
12 June–3 July
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Dir: Kasper Holten
Cond: Alain Altinoglu
ROH Director of Opera Kasper Holten directs a mesmerizing reading of Mozart's tragicomedy.
Guillaume Tell NEW
29 June–17 July; Live cinema relay on 5 July
Gioachino Rossini
Dir: Damiano Michieletto
Cond: Antonio Pappano
Damiano Michieletto makes his UK debut with a new production of Rossini's final opera and greatest masterpiece.
6–18 July
Giuseppe Verdi
Dir: Robert Carsen
Cond: Michael Schønwandt
Robert Carsen's production of Verdi's comic masterpiece is filled with wit, humour and joie de vivre.
Jette Parker Young Artists Summer Performance
18 July
Staging: Greg Eldridge §
§ Jette Parker Young Artist
Plácido Domingo's Operalia
19 July
Competition Final
The final of Plácido Domingo's international singing competition comes to the Royal Opera House for the first time, in an extravaganza of operatic song.
Peter Pan NEW
24–5 July
Richard Ayres
Lib: Lavinia Greenlaw
Dir: Keith Warner
Cond: TBC
WNO presents Richard Ayres and Lavinia Greenlaw's new family opera adapted from J.M. Barrie's beloved fairytale.
mad boy clever girl NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
David Sawer
Dir: Richard Jones
Cond: tbc
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group performs two chamber works by leading British composer David Sawer, brought together, as the composer intended, for the first time.
UPDATED 22/04/14: THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. The answer was 330 shoes (115 pairs) and the winner was Ioan Stefanovici.Thanks for all your entries!
With this year's Pointe Shoe Appeal open, we're offering a chance to win a pair of tickets to a Royal Ballet in Rehearsal event on 24 April 2014, part of our ROH Insights series.
To highlight the campaign, we've collected the pointe shoes that the Company get through in a week. These are on display in a box in the foyer by the ROH Box Office and are taller than each of the dancers who are fronting this year's appeal - Francesca Hayward, Marcelino Sambé and Yasmine Naghdi!
As well as winning tickets to the rehearsal event, the competition winner and their guest will receive a backstage tour and tea and cake.
How to enter
To enter the competition, tell us how many shoes you think are in the box and share a picture of it on Twitter or Instagram, using the tag #PointesWinPrizes. If you're not on social media, you can have a guess in person and post it into the pointe shoe tower.
The deadline for entries will be 21 April 2014. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received.
Those who additionally make a donation to the Pointe Shoe Appeal online will also be entered into a draw to win a pair of pointe shoes signed by Francesca Hayward.
Terms and conditions of entry:
The prize is a pair of tickets to see a Royal Ballet in Rehearsal Insights Event on 24 April 2014 at 7.30pm. The prize is as stated and there is no cash alternative nor is it transferable. All entries must be received by 21 April and the winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received. The Royal Opera House's decision is final in all matters. Tickets on the 24 April are subject to availability and winning tickets must be claimed by 23 April.
Acclaimed UK dance company HeadSpaceDance return to the Linbury Studio Theatre on 16 April to present a new programme of work entitled If Play is Play….
The programme, directed and curated by Charlotte Broom and Christopher Akrill, is comprised of three self-contained pieces, including a dance-drama collaboration with theatre director, playwright and actor Matthew Dunster.
'Matthew has a very strong sense of movement and, although he's not a choreographer, he has a passion and a real eye for it', explains Charlotte. 'He has a very different approach to choreography and has brought a real theatricality to the piece, creating it in scenes as if he were visualizing the dance as a play.'
'He told us all to watch a selection of Woody Allen films in which an over-the-shoulder camera follows the actor through a variety of scenes', says Chris. 'This sense of following a character from space to space is something he wants to re-create in the piece.'
'We used a technique common among actors but new to us in dance', adds dancer Clemmie Sveaas. 'He gave us scripted dialogue, and we had to action each line. The words inspired a certain movement from us, such that the whole script became about actions, and we used that to create a duet.'
Luca Silvestrini, the Artistic Director of dance-theatre company Protein who worked on Three & Four Quarters with the company last year, has also created a piece for If Play is Play….
'We wanted to work with Luca again to bring something from the old into the new', explains Charlotte. 'Luca asks a lot of questions, which creates a very personal piece; the movement he choreographs comes out of the dancers own experiences, beliefs and hopes.'
'We are only in our second day of creation at the moment', says Clemmie. 'We are throwing a medley of ideas into the room and playing with them, exploring what the piece could be. From all of that improvisation, he draws out the best bits, condensing the movement into a structure.'
The programme also includes a new duet by Johan Inger, Associate Choreographer at the Nederlands Dans Theater. Johan, who has been working with HeadSpaceDance in Seville, has created a new piece set to Arvo Pärt's Silouans Song for String Orchestra.
'When we were rehearsing, Johan would often have the music on repeat and be improvising to it and creating material while we were warming up, as if the music was feeding him', says Chris. 'The more times you heard the piece, hidden nuances - instruments, sounds, rhythms - that you didn't hear the first, second or fifth time, became audible which really inspired the creative process.'
HeadSpaceDance made their debut as a company last year with Three & Four Quarters, a programme that was critically acclaimed. This year, the company has expanded to include dancers Gemma Nixon and Jonathan Goddard.
'The Linbury is a very nuturing space and has really encouraged us to develop as a company', says Charlotte, 'and it is great to now have the input, experience and artistic weight of Jonathan and Gemma in the company. We want the company to grow so that we can both extend the relationships we have and create new ones with young dancers and choreographers.'
If Play is Play... runs 16–24 April. Tickets are available. It is a co-production with The Royal Ballet Studio Programme.]]>
Over the course of the 2013/14 Season The Royal Ballet has welcomed three new Principals and six new Artists, while two Soloists have departed.
Vadim Muntagirov joined The Royal Ballet as Principal in February 2014. Trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School, Vadim formerly danced with English National Ballet and will make his Royal Ballet debut in The Sleeping Beauty on 25 March, partnering Akane Takada.
Matthew Golding also trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School and joined the Company as Principal in February 2014, making his debut as Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty. He appeared in The Royal Ballet's La Bayadère last year as a Guest Artist. View backstage pictures featuring Matthew and Natalia Osipova.
Natalia Osipova first danced with The Royal Ballet as a Guest Artist in October 2012, giving three performances of Swan Lake partnered by Carlos Acosta. She joined the Company as Principal in November 2013, making her debut in Romeo and Juliet, again partnered by Carlos.
Annette Buvoli, Téo Dubreuil, Reece Clarke, Isabella Gasparini, Solomon Golding and Gina Storm-Jensen joined the Company as Artists at the turn of the year. Watch Annette rehearse Giselle with other members of the corps de ballet.
Soloist Iohna Loots retired in 2014, while Dawid Trzensimiech left the Company in February 2014 to join the Romanian National Ballet. Soloist David Pickering, who was appointed Education Administrator for The Royal Ballet in 2008/9 Season, retired from dancing in 2014 but continues in his role as Education Administrator.
Iohna Loots and artists of The Royal Ballet in The Nutcracker, The Royal Ballet © ROH/Johan Persson, 2009
Steven McRae, Dawid Trzensimiech and Tristran Dyer in Chroma, The Royal Ballet © ROH/Bill Cooper, 2013
Helen Crawford, Emma Maguire and Dawid Trzensimiech in Jewels, The Royal Ballet © ROh/Tristram Kenton, 2011
Edward Watson as Crown Prince Rudolf and Iohna Loots as Princess Stephanie in Mayerling © ROH / Bill Cooper 2009
Iohna Loots, Kenta Kura and Emma Maguire in the pas de trios in Swan Lake, Act I © Bill Cooper/ROH 2011
Iohna Loots as Clara and artists of The Royal Ballet in the Chinese dance, The Nutcracker, ©Johan Persson/ROH 2010
Itziar Mendizabal as the Queen of Hearts and Camille Bracher, Thomas Whitehead, Jonathan Howells and David Pickering as Playing Cards in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Royal Ballet © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Use the comment box below to share your farewells or good wishes for Artists joining or leaving The Royal Ballet.]]>
Carlos Acosta's Royal Ballet production of Don Quixote is now available to pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray, both online and from the Royal Opera House Shop.
The production, Carlos's first full-length choreographic work for The Royal Ballet, features dazzling performances by Marianela Nuñez and Carlos in the roles of Kitri and Basilio.
The ballet, described by Carlos as 'fun, colourful and a tremendous spectacle', had its world premiere at the start of this Season. Read audience reactions to the opening night.
Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote and Marianela Nuñez as Kitri in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote, Philip Moseley as Sancho Panza and members of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Bennet Gartside as Gamache and members of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote, Philip Moseley as Sancho Panza and Members of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Christina Arestis as Dulcinea and Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Based on elements of the classic Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote follows the adventures of a bumbling, delusional knight and his loyal squire. Carlos's production, which features designs by Tim Hatley, lighting designs by Hugh Vanstone and music by Ludwig Minkus, is full of Spanish flair and bravura with demanding, energetic choreography.
Discover Ludwig Minkus's sun-drenched score.
The DVD features an introductory film and a cast gallery.]]>
As we launch this year's Pointe Shoes Appeal, we caught up with First Artist Francesca Hayward and Artist Marcelino Sambé, who are supporting this year's appeal, following in the footsteps of Lauren Cuthbertson, Edward Watson and Mara Galeazzi.
To promote the appeal, Francesca wore a camera on her ankle, capturing a sense of The Royal Ballet from the perspective of a pointe shoe – from preparation, to morning class, to evening performance.
'Shoes aren't talked about a lot, but they are where everything starts for a dancer', says Marcelino. 'You and the shoe warm up together in morning class as the shoe moulds to your foot. Your shoe is part of your skin and you can tell immediately if there is something wrong. It really does need to be the perfect fit.'
'You can't do a step without your shoes', adds Francesca. 'We are so lucky to have access to such an incredible shoe department.'
All of the shoes worn by The Royal Ballet are by necessity custom-made and specific to the requirements of each individual dancer. Jane Latimer, Ballet Shoe Manager, describes it as a partnership between the dancers and the shoe room: 'The pointe shoes are not churned out of a machine. You have people in a workroom making each pair, and the dancers get very used to a particular maker. In the Ballet Shoe Room, we try to procure the best shoes we possibly can for them.' Watch how ballet pointe shoes are made.
Pointe shoes cost The Royal Ballet over £250,000 a year. 'When I was dancing Clara in The Nutcracker – constantly running and always on pointe – I got through two pairs of pointe shoes a day', says Francesca.
Alexander Campbell as Hans Peter and Francesca Hayward as Clara in The Nutcracker © ROH / Tristram Kenton 2013
In addition to pointe shoes, calf-length boots feature in a lot of costumes for male dancers. 'Boots can be a dancer's best friend', says Marcelino. 'It is a long process to soften the leather, and in the first rehearsals they can feel awful, but by the third show, they feel great.' Find out more about ballet boots.
Francesca recently made her role debut in Frederick Ashton's Rhapsody. She trained at The Royal Ballet School from the age of 11 and joined the Company in 2011. 'It is a real honour to be here', she says. 'There are some of the world's best dancers warming up next to you on the barre in morning class, and it is amazing when you are dancing on stage to think about who has danced there before you. Performing as Clara was surreal as The Nutcracker was one of the reasons I got into ballet – I used to watch it in my living room every day!'
Marcelino, who also trained at The Royal Ballet School, joined the company in 2012. Last Season he performed as the Bronze Idol in La Bayadère, a role that involves being painted top to toe in gold paint. 'I loved performing the Bronze Idol – it is a very technical role and so it was rewarding when all of the hard work from school came together', he says. 'Working with the best people in the world is also really special. There is such a variety of culture and art all around you, and you feel part of a big family.'
To contribute to the annual cost of ballet footwear and support The Royal Ballet today, please make a donation online or phone Sacha Glasgow-Smith on +44 (0)20 7212 9510.]]>
Royal Ballet First Soloist Bennet Gartside has directed a short film for Channel 4's Random Acts series.
The film, entitled Sarah, gives an insight into Principal Sarah Lamb's warm up and rehearsal process.
'I was approached by the BalletBoyz to shoot a film on Sarah', says Bennet. 'My inspiration really was how she works - she's so meticulous. Even though it seems perfect to most, in her head she's always fine tuning. It's such a private process until the dancer takes it to the stage.
'I'd very much love to do more short films, it's just finding the time.'
Bennet is not the first Royal Ballet dancer to be involved in the Random Acts series: Former First Artist Jonathan Watkins choreographed two films for the series - Bunker and Sofa - while BalletBoyz (AKA former Principals Michael Nunn and William Trevitt) have contributed a number of films to the series.
Watch Sarah at the Channel 4 website]]>
Peter Wright's classic production of Giselle, starring Natalia Osipova and Carlos Acosta, will be screened live in cinemas across the globe on Monday 27 January.
A tale of betrayal, enduring love and the supernatural, Giselle is one of the most influential of all Romantic ballets. Find out more in our Ballet Essentials article.
Digital Guide
The Royal Opera House has produced a digital guide to The Royal Ballet's Giselle, containing specially selected films, articles and photos to bring you closer to the production. The guide, which costs £2.99, is designed to help you engage with the work, from viewing exclusive pictures of the cast in rehearsal, to finding out about the era in which it was written.
It includes an introduction to the creation of Giselle, features exploring the music and the mime, a full synopsis of The Royal Ballet's production and an interview with Peter Wright, as well as biographies of the cast and creative team. From Monday morning (27 January) we will be adding an exclusive interview with Carlos Acosta. Buy the Royal Opera House Digital Guide to Giselle.
The Cast
'For me the theme is love that forgives, or as I would call it forgiveness through love,' says Natalia, who is performing the title role. 'I want the audience to come away with a purification of emotions - a catharsis.'
'For the woman, it's very demanding technically and physically,' says Hikaru Kobayashi, who is dancing the role of Queen of the Wilis. 'It's very tiring. There are lots of different jumps, and after those jumps, you are still on stage and have to have the authority and presence of a queen.'
Peter Wright's production for The Royal Ballet, which had its premiere in 1985, has had more than 550 performances. Watch Peter Wright discussing the revival and working in rehearsals with Steven McRae and Roberta Marquez.
Read audience reactions to the opening night of Giselle and add your own review.
The Royal Opera House is also creating a Digital Guide for Kasper Holten's new production of Don Giovanni, which will be available to buy soon.
Giselle runs from 18 January-10 February 2014. A small number of tickets are still available. The ballet will be broadcast live to cinemas worldwide on 27 January 2014. Find your nearest cinema.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet, Celia Blakey and the Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund.
First night
@TheRoyalBallet tonight's Giselle was just the most enchanting, breathtaking and numbingly beautiful thing I've ever seen x #ROHgiselle
— walrushorn (@walrushorn) January 19, 2014
Electrifying #ROHgiselle. Natalia Osipova is clearly a daughter of the air. Her transformation from byouant peasant to spirit was startling.
— Leena Hassan (@leenahassan) January 18, 2014
Wow! Osipova in #ROHgiselle was incredible! Effortless performance and fantastic characterisation! Spellbinding!
— Sarah Lockwood (@slw57) January 18, 2014
I've seen a lot of #ROHGiselle in my 25 years of ballet-going, but Osipova's was the finest I've ever seen - melting grace and very bouncy!
— Jeremy Fielding (@jezfielding) January 18, 2014
FACT: Osipova spins faster than a washing machine on a cotton wash cycle #ROHGiselle
— Vampire Soup (@VampireSoup) January 18, 2014
Valentino and Yuhui totally stole the how in act I, their variation was perfect and charismatic! #ROHGiselle
— Sebastian (@Sebastian_G_A) January 18, 2014
The Willis really do give me the willies. Scarier than anything from Dr Who. #ROHGiselle
— Juliet Ashdown (@JulietAshdown) January 18, 2014
@tgw75 Strong and convincing Hilarion by Thomas Whitehead in #ROHgiselle last night http://t.co/ssmXzXyZpO
— Mark Ronan (@mark1ronan) January 19, 2014
Warming up for 1st night of Giselle ! Osipova is going to rock!! #rohgiselle @TheRoyalBallet @RoyalOperaHouse pic.twitter.com/bL83ZdzfB0
— Olivia Grace Cowley (@damegrace) January 18, 2014
Major FAIL in all productions of #Giselle: why must Albrecht blow such loud air kisses in Act I? Completely bizarre. #ROHgiselle.
— Leena Hassan (@leenahassan) January 18, 2014
Never heard an audience roar like that! Osipova, Acosta and the corps de ballet were all on perfect form tonight at #ROHGiselle!!!
— Rosslyn (@auroratobe) January 18, 2014
Thank you Roberta Marquez & @TheRoyalBallet for #ROHgiselle yesterday!! Act 2 sent me to another world!! pic.twitter.com/7DtzSmMjfX
— Steven McRae (@_stevenmcrae) January 19, 2014
Loved loved loved #ROHgiselle with @_stevenmcrae and Roberta Marquez. It's not raining on my face AT ALL *lies*
— Hannah Swithinbank (@hannahswiv) January 18, 2014
Perfect corps-de-ballet too, especially in act2: I love these swift and angry Willis. The dark, romantic scenery suits them well #ROHGiselle
— Pink Lady (@impressiondanse) January 19, 2014
Claudia Dean was one fierce Myrtha in today's #ROHgiselle matinee. You wouldn't want to mess with her
— sandra heidecker (@sandraheidecker) January 18, 2014
Giselle runs from 18 January-10 February 2014. A small number of tickets are still available. The ballet will be broadcast live to cinemas worldwide on 27 January 2014. Find your nearest cinema.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet, Celia Blakey and the Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund.]]>
2013 has been an extraordinary year for the Royal Opera House.
I can't believe almost twelve months have passed since the revival of The Minotaur. Sir John Tomlinson's ferocious performance in this powerful and visceral production stayed with me all year. It is a contemporary masterpiece. The Royal Ballet's Mayerling was another highlight of the early months of 2013. Created by one of the great British choreographers, it is a work of genius, beautifully portrayed in one of Johan Kobborg and Alina Cojocaru's final performances with us.
Of course, one of my personal highlights has to be getting the job here. The Royal Opera House has been a big part of my life for many years, from my first awestruck visit aged eleven, via student years in the cheap seats, to decades of admiration from the outside. It was a huge honour to be asked in March to join this much-loved, world-class organization.
I spent six months getting to know all aspects of the Royal Opera House's work, with a night at the opera or ballet with each member of the Executive team in all parts of the Linbury and main auditorium. I was hugely inspired by the breadth of work on stage – from enduring classics to cutting-edge work – all of the highest quality, presented to passionate and committed audiences.
The start of the 2013/14 Season, and my time here, was very special. Lise Lindstrom kicked off an extraordinary winter of revivals with her terrifying Turandot. There was a glorious symmetry as I last saw this production in its first run, starring Plácido Domingo, when it had just returned from LA in 1984.
We marked both Wagner and Verdi's bicentenaries over the year, with the most successful and popular Deloitte Ignite to date, followed later in the season by The Royal Opera's epic Les Vêpres siciliennes and Parsifal. I was blown away by these two exceptional new productions, magisterially interpreted by Tony Pappano and the outstanding Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
The revival of Romeo and Juliet was a particular highlight for The Royal Ballet, thanks to Lauren Cuthbertson's return to the stage after a long injury and Natalia Osipova's breathtaking debut. I was also very pleased to be at the opening of the Mason Healthcare Suite a few months later – our state-of-the art healthcare facility dedicated to safeguarding the health and well-being of the dancers.
Later, I was delighted to join one of the suite's supporters, Angela Bernstein, as she was awarded the Prince of Wales Medal for Arts Philanthropy for her huge contribution to the arts. So much of our work, including our extensive Learning and Participation programme, relies on our donors and it is wonderful when their passion and commitment is celebrated publicly.
The festive season is a very special time at the Royal Opera House. Along with the thousands of children and families enjoying a ballet for the first time at the Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat, I had my own 'first' – seeing my very first Nutcracker, which I enjoyed immensely.
It has been a great year and a wonderful four months in post. Thank you for all your support. There's a huge amount to look forward to in 2014. Have a very happy New Year.]]>
Laura McCulloch, a Royal Ballet Soloist who was recently performing on the Main Stage in Romeo and Juliet, has a busy schedule. In addition to morning class, rehearsals and performances, she is also a dance teacher as part of the Chance to Dance programme.
After completing a course in Ballet Education Practice run by the Royal Opera House, during which she attended lectures and taught children in schools, Laura joined the Chance to Dance programme to increase her teaching experience. On the programme, she works within schools: covering assessments, creating lesson plans and learning to teach dance in a creative and imaginative way.
The Chance to Dance programme works with 30 primary schools across Thurrock, Lambeth and Southwark. Children are selected for their enthusiasm and aptitude for dance, and can join the programme for up to four years. Those taking part receive weekly classes and attend Royal Ballet demonstrations and practical workshops. Other Royal Ballet dancers involved in the programme include First Artist Nathalie Harrison and Soloist David Pickering.
'The children on Chance to Dance could be our future dancers,' says Laura. 'So I feel a great responsibility when we are choosing them.' When selecting children for the programme, the teachers look for qualities that include musicality, agility and a love for dance, not just young children who are 'good at ballet'.
Jacob Tidmarsh from Lambeth is in his final year of the Chance to Dance programme. He now attends the Junior Associates at the Royal Ballet School on Saturdays, and has performed alongside The Royal Ballet this season in Romeo and Juliet.
'Regardless of how far Jacob pursues dance, he has grown in confidence, developed further social skills and has gained an understanding of collaboration,' says Andrew, Jacob's father. 'He has learned to value his creativity, and the benefits of being determined and tenacious. These skills will serve him at school and beyond.'
Each year, the Chance to Dance programme works towards an annual performance in which children appear alongside dancers from the Royal Ballet. Last year, the members of the programme performed The Rite of Spring, choreographed by Kristin McNally and Thomas Whitehead.
Are you a dancer who would be interested in training to be a teacher? Or a school teacher interested in the Chance to Dance programme? Find out more on our Chance to Dance page.
Generously supported by Mrs Lily Safra, J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, MariaMarina Foundation, Marit Mohn, Orinoco Foundation, Marina Hobson MBE, Simon and Tracey Holden, Gonzalo and Maria Garcia, Eugene and Stephanie Leouzon, Atosa Moini, Raymonde Jay, Robin Vince, Sue Street, Katrin and Chritoph Henkel, Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, Thurrock Borough Council, Freed of London, Sue Sheridan and The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Charitable Trust.]]>
Ratty in tweeds, Toad in a hip-level motor-car, Teddy-boy stoats and rabbits with long-eared balaclavas – Nicky Gillibrand's brilliantly witty Edwardian-with-a-twist costumes for Will Tuckett's The Wind in the Willows bring the animals of Kenneth Grahame's beloved novel instantly to life. It's not the first time dancers have been made to look, well, a little on the beastly side. As the Duchess Theatre's curtain is raised for the Royal Opera House's first ever West End transfer, we take a look at a few of the varmints lurking around The Royal Ballet's repertory.
First in line is the notorious Peter Rabbit and his furry friends. Royal Ballet Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton created Tales of Beatrix Potter for television in 1970, for a balletic film that was the brainchild of Richard Goodwin and his wife, designer and filmmaker Christine Edzard. They wanted to replicate Ms Potter's gorgeous watercolours as closely as possible – and the results were astutely padded costumes and an array of magnificent fibreglass heads, created by Rostislav Doboujinsky. Anthony Dowell knew the perfect children's ballet when he saw it and adapted Ashton's film for the Royal Opera House stage in 1992. Ever since, audiences have cheered as much as dancers have cursed the notoriously hot and heavy costumes.
There's a whole menagerie of Ashtonian animals, from the comedic cockerel that opens La Fille mal gardée to the transformed Bottom in The Dream, who combats the dual demands of prancing on point beneath a massive donkey mask. Their furry forbear is Pépé, the Mexican terrier, who nips around Ashton's early masterpiece A Wedding Bouquet (1937). Pépé had real-life inspiration in the Pépé belonging to writer Gertrude Stein, whose play inspired the ballet. Stein wrote, in her usual idiosyncratic style, 'Pépé the little Mexican dog is going to be on the stage not in person of course but a little girl to play him but even the littlest little girl is going to be a very large little Mexican'. She eventually allowed that 'Pépé the dog was charming'.
In one of the more surreal moments of A Wedding Bouquet Pépé dons a blue tutu and dances a pas de trois – it's one of Ashton's many allusions in the ballet to classical dance, here the wedding scene of The Sleeping Beauty, in which the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund is attended by an alarming host of fairytale characters. Chief among them are White Cat and Puss-in-Boots, who dance an amorous cattish quarrel. The ballet also features an evil clutch of mousey cohorts to the villainess Carabosse – who have another classical counterpart in The Nutcracker's Mouse King and his army of mice.
Contemporary choreographers haven't shied away from the animal world. Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has creatures of all colours: the White Rabbit's tell-tale tail peeking through his coat, the capering tartan-clad critters of the caucus race, the Fish and Frog Footmen, sinuous Caterpillar and of course the flame-pink flamingos and cute chorus of hedgehogs – all brilliantly realized in Bob Crowley's eye-popping designs.
Animal designs have also been used in a more elegiac, mysterious way. The Royal Ballet's Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor's Raven Girl – created in collaboration with Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife – imagines a girl who exchanges her arms for wings in her longing to join the world of ravens. And while David Bintley's sprightly 'Still Life' at the Penguin Café, created for the Company in 1988, is a colourful showcase – an ebullient Texan Kangaroo Rat, the Morris dancing Hog-nosed Fleas, the seraphic Southern Cape Zebra – it also carries a sobering message of animals endangered by human activities.
What are your favourite balletic animals?
The Wind in the Willows is on now at the Duchess Theatre and runs to 5 February 2014. Tickets are still available and can be purchased via the Royal Opera House or through the Duchess Theatre.]]>
Friends of Covent Garden are able to book Advance Booking Packages next week on Friday 29 November. Advance Booking Packages are available to all from Tuesday 7 January.
Packages offer patrons the chance to get some of the best seats for the most in-demand performances at a discounted rate, offering savings of up to 33% on ticket prices.
Those who book an Advance Package can also request vouchers to exchange for either a programme or glass of champagne for one of their chosen performance. You can book by calling +44 (0)20 7304 4004
A wide range of packages – Total Opera, Total Ballet, Mini Packages and Family Packages – are available across the Spring Season for seats in the Orchestra Stalls, the Stalls Circle and the Amphitheatre.
Read our packages leaflets to find out full details:
Spring Advance Booking Packages for Friends (PDF)
Spring Advance Booking Packages for Public Booking (PDF)
Total Opera Package
A choice of five packages gives you the chance to see all of The Royal Opera productions in the Spring Season, including David McVicar's lavish production of Gounod's Faust, which features an all-star cast of Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Bryn Terfel and Simon Keenlyside; Claus Guth's new production of Richard Strauss's dark fairytale Die Frau ohne Schatten; and Robert Carsen's intense and daring production of Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites.
Verdi's ever-popular La traviata and Puccini's passionate Tosca are also included.
Total Ballet Package
There are five packages on offer to allow you to enjoy both Royal Ballet productions in the Spring Season: the world premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale, a new full-length work based on Shakespeare's late great romance; and The Sleeping Beauty, a true classic of The Royal Ballet's repertory.
Mini Packages
A choice of nine mini packages enables you to choose a selection of operas and/or ballets on set dates.
Family Packages
Let the whole family experience the enchanted world of The Sleeping Beauty with a Family Package. Ideal for a family treat, the packages offer two adult tickets and up to four under-18s tickets.
Please note: Unfortunately packages are not yet available to book online. This is something we hope to introduce later in the Season. To book, you can call the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000.]]>
The Royal Ballet has received multiple nominations for the National Dance Awards 2013.
Royal Ballet Principal Edward Watson, whose performances last Season included Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling and who has just returned from performing The Metamorphosis in New York, has been nominated for Best Male Dancer; while Natalia Osipova, who performed as a Guest Artist with Carlos Acosta in Swan Lake last Season, has been nominated in the Best Female category.
Soloist Akane Takada has been nominated in the Outstanding Female Performance (Classical) category for her interpretation of Olga in Onegin, while former Soloist Brian Maloney has been nominated in the male equivalent for his performance as Bratfisch in Mayerling.
Alexei Ratmansky's 24 Preludes and Christopher Wheeldon's Aeternum, which both had their world premiere in a Mixed Programme last Season, have been nominated for Best Modern Choreography. Christopher Wheeldon's latest work, The Winter's Tale, opens in April 2014.
Other nominees include Clemmie Sveaas (who will perform the role of Mole in Will Tuckett's The Wind in the Willows during its upcoming West End run) in the Outstanding Female Performance (Modern) category for her performance in Cathy Marston's Witch Hunt in the Linbury Studio Theatre; Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and bgroup, both nominated in the Best Independent Company category.
View the full list of 2013 nominations.
The awards, which celebrate the best of dance and ballet in the UK, are presented by the Critics' Circle, a panel of 50 professional dance writers and critics who can vote for any works performed in the UK between 31 August 2012 and 1 September 2013.]]>
Reece Clarke and Gina Storm-Jensen, both pupils of The Royal Ballet Upper School, will be joining The Royal Ballet as Artists on Monday 28 October.
'I am delighted to welcome Reece and Gina to The Royal Ballet,' says Kevin O'Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet. 'Over the past year we have taken seven students from The Royal Ballet School into the Company and this is testament to the close relationship between the Company and school. We look forward to watching them develop in their careers as professional dancers over the forthcoming seasons.'
Reece Clarke, from Airdrie in Scotland, is one of four brothers who have all studied dance at The Royal Ballet School. Last year, he competed against 82 other dancers to win the Young British Dancer of the Year in 2012. Watch a BBC short about Reece.
Gina Storm-Jensen from Norway initially studied with the Norwegian National Ballet School in Oslo. She was a finalist in the Prix de Lausanne 2011, before going on to study with The Royal Ballet School. She was recently awarded the Gailene Stock Prize for Most Promising Student 2013. Watch her perform a classical selection from the Prix de Lausanne:
Earlier this Season, Annette Buvoli and David Donnelly from The Royal Ballet School joined the company as Artists. Find out more details about promotions for the 13/14 Season.]]>
Writing in the programme book, opera scholar Christopher Wintle examines Les Vêpres siciliennes's sumptuous score, and discusses Verdi's treatment of the conventions of French grand opera.
In 1852–3, Giuseppe Verdi collaborated with Eugène Scribe on his first bespoke work for the Paris Opéra, an opera he conceived in five acts with the traditional ballet. Verdi welcomed the partnership with the enthusiasm of a young man making off with his father's mistress for it was Scribe who had written librettos for the towering father-figure Meyerbeer; and it was Meyerbeer whom Verdi, like Wagner, had a lifelong ambition to emulate if not surpass.
So what did he do? First, for the public, political aspects of the piece Verdi exploited to the full the Opéra's choral and instrumental forces – notably its agile wind and brass. He composed an elaborate formal overture that treated contrasting themes from the opera symphonically, something he had recently avoided.
For the choruses generally, Verdi followed Gluck's recommendation of 1770 that rival forces should have distinctive music. At the end of Act II, the Sicilians dance a tarantella, during which the French soldiers abscond with the Sicilian women (reminiscent of the Rape of the Sabines – the opera's key image). Not only does Verdi float distinct music for the rival forces over the whirling dance, but draws it to a spectacular climax: after a stunned silence, the Sicilians give voice to their shame in the anapaest (rat-a-tat) rhythms that conventionally signify mortal threat but in Les Vêpres also stand for profound shock. After another climax, a delicate barcarolle is heard from across the waters: the French are ferrying Sicilian women to Montfort's ball. As this song unfolds, the Sicilians resume their menacing rhythms, ready - like Etna - to erupt. Whereas in Act III of Les Huguenots Meyerbeer had likewise combined the music of celebration and dissidence, Verdi is more effective in isolating and sustaining the sounds of rival factions.
Yet the opera's building-blocks are structural units, not choruses. These Verdi described (disparagingly) as the typical progression of aria, duet and finale so evident in Acts II, III and IV; and still latent in Acts I and V. Certainly, they include familiar things: the triumphalist drinking song (as in La traviata); the dramatically pertinent stage song (for Hélène, as in Raimbaut's first-act ballad in Robert le diable); the controlling presence of (for Hélène) a dead brother, and, even more importantly (for Henri) a dead mother – as in Stiffelio, Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra; and the violent disruption of ceremony and festivity (as in the last two acts of Le Prophète). Yet the arias, duets and small ensembles contain the work's best music, with, for Verdi, newly flexible and focussed lines, French aria-types (mixed-mode couplets), and a readiness to push back rapid Italianate exit music (cabaletta) with scenes that close with dramatic recitative (scena).
But what of the ensembles? Only twice do the protagonists join forces, though with remarkable effect. In Act IV, Procida launches a lament for his unliberated Sicily after Montfort has openly revealed that Henri is his child; Montfort joins in by relishing his lethal power; the newly defiant Henri lines up with Procida; and Hélène bids farewell to Sicily in an ethereal melody. It is an intimate quartet that replicates the conflicts polarized in the big choruses; it also a worthy match for the sublime Act III quartet from Rigoletto.
The full article by Christopher Wintle is in the programme book that accompanies Les Vêpres siciliennes. It is available in the theatre at performance times and from the ROH Shop.
Les Vêpres siciliennes runs from 17 October – 11 November 2013. The production will also be screened live in cinemas around the world on 4 November and is staged with the generous philanthropic support of Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE, Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet, Mr and Mrs Baha Bassatne and The Maestro's Circle.]]>
In his article for The Royal Ballet's programme book, Professor René Weis delves into the history of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and discusses its remarkable success as a story that transcends translation.
From very early on Romeo and Juliet was a highly prized work. Proof comes from the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays in the Bodleian in Oxford. For 40 years after its publication in 1623 the volume remained chained to the shelves of the library for use by students and eventually, in 1664, the university traded it in for a Third Folio of the poet's works. Between 1623 and its sale Oxford's First Folio was browsed extensively. The edges were worn away, without a trace of tear. It was evidently the favourite play of bright young things.
Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's best-known story but scholars rarely rank it alongside the mature tragedies. They think it is a terrific tale, but not his greatest work. Then again, that may well be a somewhat jaded, middle-aged perspective. The young of course adore the play, presumably because it is first and foremost a teenage love story, a tale of lightning love and bliss turning to tragedy. What renders the play special as literature is its daring and dazzling use of metaphor, nowhere more so perhaps than those rich conceits about Juliet's eyes trading places with the stars for a break in heaven where, streaming through the firmament, they will illuminate all creation. The play is full of such arresting rhetorical moments, with Shakespeare pulling out all the stops to make us experience – and not just witness – the sheer beauty of this pair of innocent and star-crossed lovers.
It would seem that such a play could only succeed through the medium of its original words from the mid-1590s, but the success of its countless translations and adaptations indicates otherwise. Not much of the elixir of Shakespeare's poetry survives in Franco Zeffirelli's cult film or Baz Luhrmann's dystopian version of the play, more West Side Story than Shakespeare. Nevertheless, these two very different films succeed on their own terms even without the lyrical score of Shakespeare's language – which will be tested again in Julian Fellowes's new adaptation, released this Friday. These films are carried by plot and types: Leonardo DiCaprio looks like everyone's preconceived idea of Romeo while Olivia Hussey is Juliet just as Darcey Bussell was in the production of Prokofiev's ballet (choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan), in my view the greatest, because most magical, adaptation of Shakespeare's play to date.
When he dramatized the story of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare pared it down to its bare essentials, to make it fit two hours of playing time. Reshaping his sources he created a contrapuntal structure through a series of artful oppositions between youth and age, light and dark, night and dawn, life and death, that have inspired successive generations every bit as much as the play's language. The plot of the play is simple and stark and its stylized storyline moves us even without words. It celebrates the power of love and the essential innocence and idealism of children, Shakespeare's included, which may just be why he lowered Juliet's age from his source to exactly that of his own daughter Susanna, who was 13 when her father was writing Romeo and Juliet.
The full article by René Weis is in the programme book that accompanies Romeo and Juliet. It is available in the theatre at performance times and from the ROH Shop.
The Royal Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet runs from 19 October–7 December 2013. Tickets are still available.
The production is generously supported by The Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund and staged with generous philanthropic support from Peter Lloyd and the Artists' Circle.
Group Booking for Winter Season productions opens on 8 October, two weeks ahead of General Booking on 22 October.
Groups can save up to 40% on an outstanding line-up of opera and ballet, securing the best seats at the best prices. Furthermore, if patrons confirm their group booking before 21 November, they will receive an extra 5% discount off the booking.
Ballet available for group booking includes George Balanchine's sparkling Jewels, Peter Wright's production of the heartbreaking Romantic favourite Giselle, and a Mixed Programme, which includes work from three defining choreographers of The Royal Ballet: Frederick Ashton's celebratory Rhapsody, Kenneth MacMillan's powerful Gloria and Wayne McGregor's new production The Art of Fugue.
Operas on offer this season include Kasper Holten's brand new production of Mozart's dark exhilarating opera, Don Giovanni, Francesca Zambello's production of Bizet's passionate Carmen, and Laurent Pelly's productions of both Donizetti's much-loved La Fille du régiment and Massenet's classic Manon.
Groups of ten or more are eligible for group booking, making it the ideal opportunity to introduce family and friends to Royal Opera House productions. Find out full details of winter offers.
Other benefits for group bookers include a 'book now, pay later' arrangement and a dedicated group booking phone line.
Tickets can be booked through our Group Sales Department by email at firstname.lastname@example.com and by telephone on +44 (0)20 7304 4002.
Find out more about Group Booking.]]>
'A drama of such extraordinary tragedy that seemed forbidding to music': so wrote composer Arnold Schoenberg, reflecting on his pupil Alban Berg's masterpiece Wozzeck. Certainly the opera's themes are dark, a harrowing psychological drama about a disturbed man who is abused, used for experimentation and - as a result - is driven to murder the only person he loves. 'Man is an abyss - you feel giddy when you look into it', declares the libretto forebodingly.
The opera is an adaptation of an incomplete play entitled Woyzeck by Georg Büchner. Berg saw the play in May 1914 and immediately knew he wanted to base an opera on it. The opera's subsequent success has been followed by a number of other adaptations of the tale:
Film: Woyzeck (1979, Dir: Werner Herzog)
Werner Herzog's adaptation of Büchner's tale starred regular collaborator Klaus Kinski, who began filming just five days after the completion of Nosferatu the Vampyre, also directed by Herzog. The director intentionally exploited the actor's exhaustion for the part in which Kinski was described in a review as appearing 'like death given a reprieve'. The film follows Büchner's original narrative but, as Berg found, with the source play incomplete it was up to the adapter to reconfigure the fragmented scenes as he thought they should be ordered.
Woyzeck was an exercise in lightning-quick film-making and has just 27 cuts between shots throughout the whole film: 'People don't seem to understand that I hate to make difficult films,' said Herzog, 'That's the reason I liked making Woyzeck so much - That's how films should be made!'
Ballet: Different Drummer (1984, Choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan)
The idea of the underdog's struggle against the system driving him to madness immediately appealed to Kenneth MacMillan, who six years prior had created a ballet around themes of madness and betrayal with Mayerling. The early 1980s was a time of strong feelings towards the military - for and against - as a result of the Falklands War so the piece was certainly topical. In adapting Woyzeck, MacMillan jumped at the chance to give vent to his own father's resentment of the army in World War I, as well as his mistrust of the army doctors who treated him after he was poison-gassed in the trenches.
The creative process was a difficult one for MacMillan, who agonized over the choice of music for the score (opting in the end for a combination of Webern and Schoenberg), as well as changing his mind about the design of the production late on in the process: 'Petrified of my ballet. Can't do it. Feel helpless', he wrote in his diary. As a result, the work premiered on a practically bare stage, increasing the work's sense of claustrophobia. 'It is a frightening statement about the human condition that haunts the mind long after the curtain has fallen', said the Sunday Telegraph.
Immersive theatre: The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (2013, Punchdrunk)
Trading Woyzeck's traditional central European setting for the darker side of Hollywood behind the whiter-than-white smiles, immersive theatre company Punchdrunk's latest work - a co-production with the National Theatre - updates Büchner's original to 1960s Los Angeles. The vast production takes over an abandoned sorting office in Paddington and sprawls over several floors, including film sets, shops, bars, a working cinema, and a number of hidden rooms. Mask-wearing audience members are free to roam as they please but at the climax, find themselves reunited to witness the dramatic finale.
Press reviews have been mixed, not a surprise when you consider the spontaneous nature of this style of theatre, but The Drowned Man is certainly ambitious and has its passionate fans: 'It's the first time we've played with the idea of more than one lead narrative,' explained Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk's Artistic Director.
The Royal Opera's Wozzeck runs from 31 October - 15 November. Tickets are still available.
Punchdrunk/The National Theatre's Drowned Man runs until 30 December. Tickets are still available.
#ROHDonQ From her first entrance, Núñez's fiery Kitri had me eating out of the palm of her hand (she sure knows how to smack that fan!).
— Leena Hassan (@leenahassan) September 30, 2013
Outstanding performance by Carlos Acosta #DonQ @RoyalOperaHouse gala performance last night
— Lauren O'Walker (@Laurenorw) October 1, 2013
Last thing on #ROHDonQ... was super impressed by the cape swishing. Esp Ryoichi's. But remember folks, you can #NeverTrustACapeSwisher
— Vampire Soup (@VampireSoup) September 30, 2013
New production of #ROHdonQ exceeded expectations. I loved the production although some things could do with tweaking.
— Juliet Ashdown (@JulietAshdown) September 30, 2013
Famtastic #RohDonQ Marianela Queen of RB indeed - Bravo Carlos - loved Lizzy and Laura Yuhui & Beatriz too :)
— julia jones (@jules_skichick) September 30, 2013
Knee jerk reaction to #ROHDonQ - like what Carlos has done to choreo/production especially in Act 2 - not keen on the set.....
— Graham Watts (@GWDanceWriter) September 30, 2013
Had the most amazing time at the #ROHdonQ it was fantastic!!! Every childhood dream come true :)
— Ruth Sheaves (@RuthSheaves) September 30, 2013
#ROHDonQ; a lovely production of a difficult ballet. Crowd scenes could use more verve but Núñez/Acosta dream team brought the house down.
— Leena Hassan (@leenahassan) September 30, 2013
Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote and Marianela Nuñez as Kitri in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote, Philip Moseley as Sancho Panza and members of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Bennet Gartside as Gamache and members of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote, Philip Moseley as Sancho Panza and Members of The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
Christina Arestis as Dulcinea and Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote in Don Quixote © ROH / Johan Persson 2013
#ROHdonQ nice production-trying less hard and having more fun (and much more dancing) than wheeldon's tedious Alice. Dancing needs cleaning!
— Lindsay Edkins (@dischuffed) October 1, 2013
#ROHdonQ is fun fun fun! Packed with Royal Balletic style and suits them well. Well done Acosta to have created such wonderful production.
— Yosh M (@yoshkosh10) September 30, 2013
Also nice to actually *hear* the RB for once... beyond the pitter patter of dancing pointe shoes. They've got some lungs on them. #ROHDonQ
— Vampire Soup (@VampireSoup) September 30, 2013
AWESOME SHOW! Well done Royal Ballet and everyone involved!!! #ROHdonQ
— CLAUDIA DEAN (@claudiaballet) September 30, 2013
Marianela Nuñez and Carlos Acosta at the curtain call for the gala night of Don Quixote © ROH / The Ballet Bag 2013
Marianela Nuñez and Carlos Acosta at the curtain call for the gala night of Don Quixote © ROH / The Ballet Bag 2013
Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez and members of The Royal Ballet at the curtain call for the gala night of Don Quixote © ROH / The Ballet Bag 2013
Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez and members of The Royal Ballet at the curtain call for the gala night of Don Quixote © ROH / The Ballet Bag 2013
Carlos Acosta and Marianela Nuñez at the curtain call for the gala night of Don Quixote © ROH / The Ballet Bag 2013
Carlos Acosta and Marianela Nuñez at the curtain call for the gala night of Don Quixote © ROH / The Ballet Bag 2013
For the gala, The Ballet Bag and Dave Tries Ballet took over our Twitter feed and went behind the scenes. See behind the scenes photos and comments from the bloggers on the hashtag #ROHdonQ.
What did you think of Don Quixote?
Don Quixote runs until the 6 November. Tickets are still available. The production will also be live streamed in cinemas on 16 October. Find a screening near you.]]>
Stefan Herheim's inventive opera productions have won worldwide acclaim. As rehearsals get underway for his UK debut, The Royal Opera's first ever staging of Verdi's Les Vêpres siciliennes, we look at some of the ideas behind Herheim's vision.
The story
Hélène longs to avenge her brother's death at the hands of the powerful Guy de Montfort. She plots Montfort's demise, together with her lover Henri and the revolutionary firebrand Jean Procida, who is driven by his own dark hatred. Henri's discovery that his life and Montfort's are closely entwined throws him, Montfort and Hélène into confusion – but nothing can shield them from the horror to come.
Verdi's first grand opera – but the last of a dying genre
Les Vêpres siciliennes was a tremendous success on its premiere, performed 62 times at the Paris Opéra in the first year alone. It was Verdi's first work explicitly intended for the Opéra, and he obeyed the exacting conventions of the genre, exemplified by Meyerbeer's operas, to the letter – including inserting a lavish set-piece ballet at the opera's centre. But the Parisian grand opera was on its way out, ceding to operetta and ballet, and Verdi's contribution quickly fell from the repertory. The Royal Opera's production uses Verdi's original French libretto and relocates the action to the stage of the Paris Opéra itself, in 1855, the year of the opera's premiere. The innate theatricality of the warring choruses of Sicilian and French is confirmed by the costumes; the Sicilians wear plush, romantic reimaginings of peasant dress, while the French wear Second Empire military costume or the lavish gowns of the Opéra audience.
Ballet: beauty, deception and the corruption of purity
A set-piece ballet was a crucial part of grand opera, and the ballet was notoriously used by its male sponsors as a grooming ground for their mistresses and courtesans. This seedy voyeurism was in sharp contrast to the ethereal beauty of the white-gowned dancers on stage, a beauty pioneered in the quintessential romantic ballet Giselle. But this hypocrisy only added to the deception at the heart of dance, where the dancers' elegance, grace and ease hide extraordinary physical sacrifices. The Royal Opera's production threads themes of dance and voyeurism throughout with a corps of eight ballerinas.
A complex attitude to power
At the time of the opera's premiere France was ruled by Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. He had been democratically elected president in 1848 – but in an 1851 coup had named himself emperor, so becoming France's first president and last monarch. After years spent in exile the emperor's newfound stability enabled him to find a wife, Eugénie, and by 1855 he was swapping his image as militaristic hero for one as a bourgeois family man. The Royal Opera's production sees Montfort as a man whose ruthless thirst for power has granted him everything but happiness, and for whom the discovery of a family is a last chance for redemption.
The march of death
Les Vêpres siciliennes hides a dark heart beneath its lavish splendour. Verdi wove an unmistakable death motif throughout the opera, which marches right from the overture through to the opera's shattering climax. The Royal Opera's production respects both the score's grandeur and its sinister nature, alternating a richly coloured Sicilian backdrop with a black-curtained funereal perversion of the Paris Opéra's auditorium.
Les Vêpres siciliennes runs from 17 October - 11 November. The performance on 4 November will be screened live in cinemas around the world.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Mrs Susan A Olde OBE, Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet, Mr and Mrs Baha Bassatne and The Maestro's Circle.]]>
The Royal Ballet 2013/14 season opens on 30 September with a gala performance of Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote.
The production, which will be screened live in cinemas on 16 October, is the first choreographic work that Carlos has created for The Royal Ballet.
'Don Quixote, as you know, is based on a classic book by Miguel de Cervantes,' says Carlos. 'What I like most is that there is nothing serious about it. It is fun and colourful, it's a story that anyone can relate, whatever their age.'
The ballet follows the adventures of bumbling knight Don Quixote and his simple squire Sancho Panza. 'It is full of great characters and Spanish flavours. People coming to see it are in for a tremendous spectacle,' continues Carlos.
Carlos is working with leading designers Tim Hatley and Hugh Vanstone (who both worked on Shrek the Musical), and began rehearsals at the end of last season. Watch backstage footage of the rehearsals.
Carlos has been performing as a Principal Guest Artist at Covent Garden since 2003. Previous choreographic works include Tocororo – A Cuban Tale, which broke box office records at Sadler's Wells Theatre.
Away from the stage, he has established himself as a talented writer: his most recent novel, Pig's Foot, made it onto the Waterstones annual list of most promising novels.
Don Quixote runs from 30 September to 6 November and will be screened live in cinemas on 16 October. Tickets are still available for performances on the Main Stage. The production receives generous philanthropic support from Mrs Susan A Olde OBE, Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson and the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.]]>
Dear #Bolshoi, you stole my heart with La Bayadere! Please return in time for Swan Lake on 14th @RoyalOperaHouse
— Martadelas13 (@Martadelas13) August 3, 2013
@RoyalOperaHouse another rechoreographed disaster. Have the Bolshoi forgotten how to act as well as dance.
— ros davis (@rosdavis9) August 3, 2013
Back @RoyalOperaHouse Bayadere with Olga Smirnova! There is a trumpeter playing Diamonds' tune beneath my seat, it sounds like a tribute...
— Pink Lady (@impressiondanse) August 3, 2013
Fav bit apart from shades Act 1 gamzatti nikita dance. Maria A very powerful liked her interaction with Zakharova. #bolshoi @RoyalOperaHouse
— McVic (@Vix_McVic) August 2, 2013
So lovely to watch the shades scene WITHOUT that flipping front gauze @RoyalOperaHouse this evening.
— Rachel Holland (@LowerSlipsGirl) August 2, 2013
Bayadere #Bolshoi @RoyalOperaHouse pic.twitter.com/VQz4dnxIqL
— David Hallberg (@DavidHallberg) August 2, 2013
@RoyalOperaHouse #bolshoi #bayadere Anyone else notice the bit from Luigini's Ballet Egyptien in Act 1? My ears did a double-take!
— Jack Murray (@ThinkErgoBe) August 3, 2013
#Bolshoi 32 wonderful Shades and 4 ramps to descend #Bayadere @RoyalOperaHouse. Spectacular. Sadly a Nasty injury to glorious Alexandrova
— Michael Llewellyn (@michael456789) August 2, 2013
Hats off to Daria Bochkova who stepped in to complete Gamzatti's variation in Act II of #Bolshoi La Bayadere after accident to Alexandrova
— Graham Watts (@GWDanceWriter) August 2, 2013
Smirnova verdict so far : exquisite & utterly beautiful. Exceeds all the hype no question. #bolshoi
— anna merrick (@annakardar) August 3, 2013
Soon to be the talk of the town: Olga Smirnova after her stunning @RoyalOperaHouse debut in 'La Bayadere' pic.twitter.com/bRdAd9aG5v
— Leena Hassan (@leenahassan) August 3, 2013
They ruined my fav bit, the Golden Idol, with the #BlackedUpBoys. The girls, I notice, are allowed to remain au naturelle. #Bolshoi
— Vampire Soup (@VampireSoup) August 2, 2013
#Bolshoi excellent in #Bayadere tonight. Ekaterina Krysanova as Gamzatti wonderful in second act.
— Stephen Jones (@stephenfj) August 3, 2013
Bolshoi #Bayadere - some nice moments from Obraztsova's Nikiya, particularly during death solo but she's still v much building her portrayal
— The Ballet Bag (@theballetbag) August 3, 2013
Extraordinary performance of #Bayadère - the #Bolshoi danced like they were born to take to the stage and Covent Garden loved it!
— Scott Dodsworth (@ScottDodsworth) August 3, 2013
Did you see the Bolshoi perform La Bayadère? Add your comments below.
The Bolshoi Ballet perform Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Jewels and The Flames of Paris until 17 August. Performances are sold out except for returns and there are no day tickets for Bolshoi productions.]]>
At the age of four I watched Robert Helpmann and Frederick Ashton cavorting as the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella and began a love affair with dance. While my career took me far away from that first experience of The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, I followed the Company over the subsequent years and was fortunate to witness the premieres of many of the great modern ballets. This year marked the first time, however, that I've had the opportunity to participate in the birth of a new ballet.
Last autumn, in the run up to the British premiere of Viscera, I was invited to a rehearsal by choreographer Liam Scarlett. This was followed by an illuminating chat between Liam and Kevin O'Hare about the influences on his work to date and his inspiration. A new Scarlett ballet had been announced for spring 2013 but aside from the identity of the choreographer, nothing more was known about it. Liam's enthusiastic and thoughtful approach however, convinced me that it would be a fascinating experience to support this new ballet, which in time was revealed to be Hansel and Gretel.
A finance syndicate was being formed around new ballets by the Royal's stellar triumvirate of choreographers: Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett. We each chose to be associated with one of the three, but as members of the syndicate we were witness to the development of all the ballets.
Steven McRae as The Sandman and Leanne Cope as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel © ROH / Tristram Kenton 2013
Bennet Gartside as The Father and Laura Morera as The Stepmother in Hansel and Gretel © ROH / Tristram Kenton 2013
We attended stage rehearsals of each ballet, and gained an insight into just how complex the creation of a new production is, and how much thought and hard work goes into every aspect. These included the demands of the Aeternum set-design, the intricacies of the fabulous wings for Raven Girl and the incredible involvement of Hansel and Gretel's composer Dan Jones in the development of the piece. We talked to the set designers, looked at models and invaded the Costume Department, peering into dyeing tubs while the designers told us about the particular requirements of each ballet.
Jon Bausor, who designed Hansel and Gretel, had rummaged in vintage shops for 1950s clothes to get just the right look, and the sequins for Vicky Mortimer's raven masks in Raven Girl were being painstakingly removed from their original material and transferred individually to the headgear.
Watch an interview with Jon Bausor about designing the set
As one of the supporters of Liam's ballet I had the privilege of attending a studio rehearsal at which Liam was creating the roles of the Sandman on Steven McRae and the Witch on Brian Maloney. The intensity and concentration of dancers and choreographer was compelling, broken occasionally by raucous laughter as a particularly impossible movement resulted in a tangled heap of bodies. Dan Jones was there seeing how Liam was using his music, and the two of them conferred often as to the perfect fit of music, steps and story.
Watch Liam working with the dancers in rehearsal:
After such involvement in the gestation of the ballets it was immensely rewarding to see each creation take final shape on stage. In each case all the elements which we saw being considered, made and rehearsed came together to bring the choreographers' respective visions to life. The whole process was a thoroughly enjoyable and eye-opening experience.
Bennet Gartside as The Father and Laura Morera as The Stepmother in Hansel and Gretel © ROH / Tristram Kenton 2013
James Hay as Hansel, Leanne Cope as Gretel, Brian Maloney as The Wtich and Steven McRae as The Sandman in Hansel and Gretel © ROH / Tristram Kenton 2013
Steven McRae as The Sandman and Leanne Cope as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel © ROH / Tristram Kenton 2013
Hansel and Gretel returns to the Linbury Studio Theatre in January 2014. Wayne McGregor is creating a new work for February 2014, and Christopher Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale will have its premiere in April 2014.
Find out more about supporting a production and becoming a member of a Production Syndicate.]]>
Through our Ballet Evolved YouTube playlist, former Ballet Mistress Ursula Hageli traces the development of dance over four centuries from 1740 to the present day, covering steps that range from the simple half-turn performed by Baroque dancers, through to the first form of the pirouette and the 32 fouettés executed by today's dancers.
The series, which features Royal Ballet dancers Melissa Hamilton, Yasmine Naghdi, Romany Pajdak and Claire Calvert; covers key ballerinas from across the ages, including Marie Taglioni (1804-1884), reputed to the be first dancer to go en pointe, and Anna Pavlova (1891-1884), whose performances in South America inspired the legendary choreographer Frederick Ashton.
The playlist also includes Romany Pajdak performing an extract of Frederick Ashton's Foyer de Danse, a work created on Alicia Markova in 1934, and an introduction to Danish Ballet Master August Bournonville (1805 – 1879) by former Royal Ballet Principal Johan Kobborg.
Subscribe to us on YouTube to see more films like these as soon as they're posted
Ballet Evolved was a Royal Opera House Insights event. Insight Events offer audience members the chance to find out more about Royal Opera House productions through demonstrations and discussions with artists and members of the creative teams. Find out about forthcoming Insight Events.]]>
It's a deafening sound - nearly 2,000 young people aged 8-18 years old clapping, cheering and whooping in appreciation of a Taylor Family Foundation Schools' Matinee performance by The Royal Opera or Royal Ballet.
We're pleased to announce six performances special for schools during the 2013/14 Season: Le nozze di Figaro, The Nutcracker, Carmen, The Sleeping Beauty, a Mixed programme of The Dream/Alastair Marriott's new ballet/The Concert, and La bohème. All of these performances cost just £7.50 a ticket, and schools can also apply for a travel grant.
I would give it 10 out of 10
Student at a Schools' Matinee performance
Watch the film for a glimpse into these in-demand events through comments from students and teachers, and hear the thoughts of Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare, and Director of Opera Kasper Holten.
Applications for the three Autumn/Winter Taylor Family Foundation Schools' Matinees are now open and close on the 10 July.]]>
Tickets for the Royal Opera House LIVE Cinema Season 2013/14 go on sale today. The Season, which kicks off on 17 September with a live relay of Puccini's Turandot, is expected to reach its largest ever global audience: an unprecedented five live operas and five live ballets will be broadcast live across the world.
The productions to be screened live during 2013/14 are:
Tonight's live screening of Britten's Gloriana draws the 2012/13 Season to a close. The Season featured nine productions broadcast in more than 35 countries.
The Nutcracker, broadcast live on Thursday 13 December 2012, was the second highest grossing film in the UK Box Office chart that day, between Hollywood blockbusters The Hobbit and Skyfall. Similarly, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, broadcast live on 28 March 2013, was seen by over 40,000 people in the UK.
The Royal Opera House Cinema Season is sponsored by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch.]]>
Arthur Pita's The Metamorphosis will be broadcast on Sky Arts 2 HD on Monday 27 May at 8pm.
A dance-theatre adaptation of Kafka's novella, The Metamorphosis follows the tale of travelling salesman Gregor Samson, who awakes one morning to find he has been transformed into a monstrous insect.
'For me it has so many themes,' says choreographer Arthur Pita in an interview with Sky Arts, 'being trapped, illness, being alienated, sexuality, rejection, growth and change.' Watch interviews with Arthur, composer Frank Moon and Royal Ballet Principal Edward Watson.
The production has received critical acclaim for both runs since its premiere in September 2011. It has won multiple awards, including a Southbank Sky Arts Award, Critics Circle National Dance Award and an Olivier for Outstanding Achievement in Dance, awarded to Edward Watson for his creation of the role of Gregor.
'I think it's the most extreme way I've ever used my body,' says Edward, 'We deconstructed a whole human and made it as insect-like as we could.'
The horror of the Gregor's mutation is emphasized by over ten litres of treacle.
'Dancing in black goo was completely disgusting,' continues Edward. 'At the start it was absolutely horrible, but during the performance it sort of becomes who you are.' Read the full interview with Ed.
The production was filmed earlier this season and, according to Arthur, it's ideal for the small screen.
'The beauty of catching something on film is that you can see it close-up,' he explains. 'There are moments that, in a play, would be a five-page monologue… With the cameras, you can really focus on these moments.' Read the full interview with Arthur.
The Metamorphosis will be also be staged at the Joyce Theater in New York later this year. Performances will run from 17-29 September, with Royal Ballet Principal Edward Watson reprising his role as Gregor Samsa.
Find out more about the production in our News and Features section.]]>
Author and visual artist Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife, Her Fearful Symmetry) has enjoyed huge success in the literary world but is about to embrace a new art form through a collaboration with Wayne McGregor. Together they have produced the dark balletic fable Raven Girl. We spoke to Audrey about the challenges of working in this new field:
Ballet is more traditionally associated with swans rather than ravens, and the title alone indicates that this is a ballet with a difference. What inspired the story?
Years ago I read an article about a plastic surgeon who wanted to do avant-garde things, like letting people have wings or tails or horns or whatever else they wanted, and the only thing holding him back was the ethics behind it. At the same time, I found myself thinking about transgender people, who are applying medical solutions to existential problems. I thought it would be very interesting if a person who felt she was really a bird, encountered a plastic surgeon who was willing to make her into one.
Before I started work on this collaboration, I had this character – the Bird Girl – in my head. Her mother is a raven and her father is a postman, and she is the product of this inter-species marriage: part-human and part-bird. In a fairytale, she would have gone to a wizard or a sorceress, however in the modern world you just consult the medical profession to see what they can do for you.
Can you describe your creative process working with Wayne?
Wayne suggested creating something from scratch, and specified that he'd like a fairytale. I already had a little character in mind, and so I pulled together the basic bones of the story in writing. However, what had attracted Wayne to my work in the first place was the imagery and so I then started to get busy creating images.
Wayne's very disciplined but also very enthusiastic and so he was able to make suggestions that informed what the story became without being overbearing.
How involved have you been with the set and costume designs?
I've had several conversations with the designer Vicky Mortimer, but she is free to do what she wants to do. It is interesting to see her designs because they have a complete aesthetic of their own. She's not trying to imitate my drawings, but is taking elements from the prints that I made and reproducing them as 3D objects on stage. There are some things only mentioned briefly in the text that she has turned into actual environments, and there are some details that were in the pictures that she has realized as objects on stage.
Prior to working on Raven Girl you'd had no experience of ballet. What are your thoughts on the art form now?
About eight years ago I received an email from former Royal Ballet Principal David Drew. He'd read my book Three Incestuous Sisters and thought it would make a great ballet. When I was next in London, we met up and he quickly realized that I knew almost nothing about dance so he starting showing me around. He's been with the Company for years and is like a walking history of The Royal Ballet. It was wonderful to be a fly on the wall at the Royal Opera House and to see the dancers and the choreographers working.
In that respect, my experience of ballet is kind of backward. I am more interested in the making of things than the performance - watching it coming together.
My technical knowledge of ballet is almost non-existent, and, because I'm so ignorant of it, I'm always incredible excited by what I see. Because I've always been interested by the visual spectacle, it's like I'm six again and it's all brand new!
Raven Girl will be performed in a Mixed Programme with George Balanchine's Symphony in C. The production opens on 24 May and runs until 8 June. Tickets are still available.
Generous philanthropic support has been provided for the production from The Taylor Family Foundation, Mr and Mrs Brian Capstick, David Hancock, Linda and Philip Harley, one anonymous donor and The New Ballet Works Syndicate.]]>
Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling – like many of this brilliant choreographer's greatest works – depicts a mind driven beyond despair. For this 1978 Royal Ballet commission MacMillan and his dramaturg Gillian Freeman turned to a historical event: the Mayerling Incident, a tragedy and scandal of the late 19th-century Austro-Hungarian imperial family that shocked a continent.
The events one night in Mayerling, a Viennese hunting lodge belonging to the Empire's Crown Prince Rudolf, have been variously romanticized, scrutinized and mythologized; but in its simplest form the story is of a group of people at once instruments and victims of the rot eating at the heart of imperial Europe.
Early on 30 January 1889 the bodies of the 30-year-old Crown Prince Rudolf and his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera were discovered in his bed at Mayerling, with his gun beside them. Mary's uncles were urgently summoned; her corpse was dressed and her hair arranged over the bullet hole; propped upright by a broomstick, her body was escorted by carriage to a nearby graveyard and secretly interred. Rudolf's death was announced, first declared as a heart attack, then as an accident. At last his father, the Emperor Franz Joseph, officially acknowledged his son's suicide but not Mary's death, then opened an inquest only to close it abruptly and charge his Prime Minister with burying the investigation. For the rest of his life Franz Joseph maintained a rigorous silence, breaking it only to declare, 'The truth is far worse than all versions'.
That truth can never be fully known, but with the gradual release of letters and documents, and even some self-exonerating memoirs, a tapestry of facts begins to emerge. Rudolf's series of suicide notes suggest that some of the wildest conspiracy theories are wide of the mark. The notes themselves specify no further reason for the murder and suicide than that Rudolf's honour demanded it. Various rationales have been proposed: that Rudolf was heavily in debt, that he feared pressure from the Hungarian nationalists with whom he had become involved, that he feared the venereal disease that afflicted him, or the madness rife in his mother's family.
All no doubt played a part. But for much of his life Rudolf seems to have had an obsession with death, writing that 'the opportunity of watching someone die and hearing him breathe his last… is always a remarkable spectacle for me'. He seems to have needed a companion in death, and had begun his search months before the Incident. In December 1888 he asked his demi-monde mistress Mitzi Kaspar to commit suicide with him; she alerted the police chief, who apparently simply filed the report away. In the end it would be Rudolf's cousin and old flame Baroness Marie Larisch who played the gruesome role of procuress.
Marie fostered a relationship between Rudolf and the impressionable Mary Vetsera, who had been entrusted to Marie's care by her mother (herself allegedly another former mistress of Rudolf's). In her memoirs Marie claims she was trapped between the aggressive demands of the volatile Crown Prince and her duty to Mary's mother, who relied upon her daughter's success at court to boost the family's ailing finances. She further hints at a possible coup-d'état headed by Rudolf and a sinister conspiracy to suppress it. Whatever her reasons, letters from the time track a chilling story: Marie Larisch encouraging Rudolf in his suicide-wish, calming Mary's fears, even delivering the young woman to Mayerling on the night of her death.
Ultimately this was a time rife with corruption, endemic hypocrisy and grotesque decadence, from which no one player in the Mayerling drama comes through unsullied. It's difficult not to conclude that the whole era was at fault.
Nearly 90 years after the original incident, MacMillan and Freeman scoured letters, diaries, official reports both ostentatiously proclaimed and suppressed. What emerges is a series of portraits of uniquely compelling intensity. The result is MacMillan's masterpiece.
Mayerling runs from 19 April – 15 June 2013. Tickets are still available. The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Celia Blakey, Lady Ashcroft, John and Susan Burns and Gail and Gerald Ronson through the Gerald Ronson Foundation.]]>
It's one of ballet's most famous solos: prior to the wedding scene in La Bayadère Act III, a gold statue in the temple comes vividly to life and takes the spotlight.
First Soloist Alexander Campbell is one of the dancers performing this role in the current run of Natalia Makarova's production and he tells us a bit more about the preparation that goes in to becoming 'bronzed' from head to toe:
'The ladies in the shoe department, Jane and Màire, paint my Repetto shoes bronze (more gold really) with a special fabric paint. After painting, the shoes tend to have shrunk a little bit and the canvas becomes very stiff so I usually wear new painted shoes once or twice in rehearsal, or class, to wear them in for a performance.'
Of course shoes aren't the only element of getting Alexander stage ready: 'It takes about ten or fifteen minutes to be painted for the Bronze Idol. I've had two people paint me up and we are getting the job done quickly! It's nice to be able to get painted at the last minute as once you're painted you can't touch anything until you're off stage.'
Finally, there's the process of taking the paint off, which takes considerably longer than getting out of most costumes: 'I usually leave the theatre about forty minutes after the curtain has gone down on the performance but I wouldn't say I'm completely 'de-bronzed' by then, as I seem to glitter for a couple of days after!'
Are you inspired by the effort that goes into getting Alex ready? Perhaps you might consider helping all our dancers give their very best performances through a gift to the Pointe Shoes Appeal. Your donation will support the commitment made by every dancer in the Company, and those who work with us behind-the scenes to make each performance happen.
How could you help?
Find out more about our Pointe Shoe Appeal]]>
Kenneth MacMillan's dark and majestic Mayerling is one of the choreographer's masterpieces, with grimly intense pas de deux, intoxicating crowd scenes and a taste of the opulent splendour of the Austro-Hungarian empire set to a decadent score by Franz Lizst.
The ballet is based on the true story of the downfall of Crown Prince Rudolf and its cast includes key figures of the Austro-Hungarian Royal Family, as well as friends, lovers and servants. To help unravel the at times complicated relationships between the characters, we've created a family tree in partnership with The Ballet Bag:
(Click to enlarge)
Mayerling runs until 15 June 2013. Tickets are still available.
The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Celia Blakey, Lady Ashcroft, John and Susan Burns and Gail and Gerald Ronson through the Gerald Ronson Foundation.
Roberta Marquez will dance the role of Nikiya in La Bayadère on 20 April. Mara Galeazzi will dance Mary Vetsera in Mayerling on 25 and 30 April. They both replace Alina Cojocaru due to injury.]]>
The Royal Opera is much saddened by the death of Sir Colin Davis, Music Director of The Royal Opera from 1971 to 1986, who worked closely with many leading singers, directors and musicians here, during more than fifty years of his association with The Royal Opera House.
Sir Colin studied clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music. His first conducting position was as conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He became Chief Conductor of Sadler's Wells in 1959 and Music Director there in 1961. His first appearances at the Royal Opera House were for The Royal Ballet. He conducted La Valse in 1960 and Le Baiser de la fée in 1960, and several ballets in 1962, including The Rite of Spring.
Dame Monica Mason, former Director of The Royal Ballet, remembers:
'I first met Colin when he conducted the opening performances of The Rite of Spring in 1962. I was the Chosen Maiden and he was the most wonderfully encouraging conductor for the entire cast at that time. Fifty years ago he was a young man of 35, and he went on to make an enormous international career. We had remained friends ever since, and I am very sad to think I won't see him in the Royal Opera House again.'
In 1967, Davis was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. His first performance for The Royal Opera was conducting Le nozze di Figaro in 1965. He went on to conduct Der fliegende Holländer, Don Giovanni and Fidelio with the Company in 1967, and in 1968 conducted The Midsummer Marriage by Tippett, a composer he championed. In 1969 he conducted Peter Grimes for The Royal Opera, and in the same year conducted the first performance of Berlioz's Les Troyens staged in one evening in French for The Royal Opera, recording the piece the same year. More Tippett followed in 1970 with the world premiere of The Knot Garden.
In 1971 he joined The Royal Opera as Music Director. Sir John Tooley, who was General Administrator (later General Director) of the Royal Opera House from 1970 to 1988, has very happy memories of Davis's time here:
'With the death of Sir Colin Davis, we have lost a remarkable musician, and conductor who contributed hugely to all the organizations for which he worked. He arrived as Music Director of The Royal Opera with the reputation of being something of a firebrand. There was little evidence of that, but Colin, knew what he wanted orchestral musicians and singers to give, in terms of a performance which he would have regarded as true to the composer. And this was the case particularly in those early days of Mozart and Berlioz in the performance of whose music he already excelled. Colin was no slouch, and took on a repertory at the Royal Opera House much of which was not familiar to him at the time but which he wanted to explore.
'Colin's early days at Music Director at the Royal Opera House were not easy for him, as they had not been for his predecessor, Sir Georg Solti. There were some doubts that he could deliver and that he could begin to match some of the world's greatest conductors. In all of this, the doubters were wrong and proved to be wrong by Colin as he widened his repertory and excelled in much of what he undertook. One of his biggest challenges was the new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen from 1973 to 1976, in which he collaborated with director Götz Friedrich. Not an easy relationship, but one that nevertheless flourished and resulted in some remarkable performances. As I look back over Colin's life and particularly his 15 years at the Royal Opera House, he seemed to be on a journey through music in which he was constantly re-examining and developing his interpretations. Colin was an immensely humble person, for which he was to be admired, and never allowed himself to become an obstacle between the music and the audience. He was generous in that he allowed us to engage many of the world's great conductors and was in no way disturbed by the success they might have had; in fact, he rejoiced in it.'
During his time as Music Director, Colin Davis conducted a wide repertory. It included all the major Mozart operas, Der Freischütz, Wagner's Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde and Der Ring des Nibelungen, Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini and a revival of Les Troyens, Verdi's Nabucco, Il trovatore, Simon Boccanegra, Otello and Falstaff, as well as Carmen, Samson et Dalila, Werther, The Rake's Progress, Pelléas et Mélisande, the UK premiere of the three-act version of Alban Berg's Lulu, Eugene Onegin, Ariadne auf Naxos and Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg and Eine florentinische Tragödie. Many members of the staff of The Royal Opera have warm memories of working with him both during his tenure and after.
Peter Katona, Head of Casting, remembers:
'Sir Colin was Music Director when I joined the Royal Opera in 1983. Over the years that followed we became close. He was a wonderful and warm musician, devoted to the music he loved and free of all pomposity. Once or twice a year I would sit at his kitchen table in Highbury, made welcome by him and his wonderful wife Shamsi, and we would take a tour d'horizon of life in general and of his forthcoming projects, at Covent Garden in particular. With few artists does one have such a direct, human and honest contact. An occasion I will never forget was an orchestra rehearsal of Così fan tutte a few years ago – the singers in front of the curtain, no production to distract, and the music speaking with a richness and depth, an emotion and clarity such as I have very rarely experienced. Mozart himself would have been moved to tears, I am sure. Thank you, Sir Colin. You will long be remembered by those who had the good fortune to work with you as an artist and to know you as a man.'
David Syrus, Head of Music for The Royal Opera, worked closely with Sir Colin on many productions:
'On the day Colin started as Musical Director here I started as a fledgling répétiteur. He was my first and most stimulating professional teacher – singing bel canto in every language, using text as the driving force (in the first Friedrich Ring Götz talked music, Colin text!), discovering the rhetoric in accompanied recitative (not to mention the first two chords of the 'Eroica'!). But most of all he taught humility – towards the pieces and towards colleagues. He was staggeringly erudite, but never flaunted his knowledge, he was very funny, always ready for good exchange of ideas (though if it was about appoggiaturas, you'd run up against a brick wall eventually!). The modesty and humanity of the man irradiated his music. We loved him and we miss him badly.'
Many of the singers who worked with Sir Colin Davis here also have fond memories of him.
Thomas Allen worked with Sir Colin many times at the Royal Opera House, first as Melot in Tristan und Isolde in 1973, then in roles including Pelléas, Wolfram, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin and Don Alfonso. Allen remembers Sir Colin's tenure as a very fruitful time:
'He was Music Director of The Royal Opera at the most crucial stage of the Company's history and development, one that happened to coincide with my own arrival in WC2. Led by him, I will always remember the strength of the Company in visits to La Scala, Milan, South Korea and Tokyo and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, key moments in creating and establishing the international standards for which the company is renowned. Colin Davis led The Royal Opera through all of that vital period.'
Heather Harper also had a fruitful collaboration with Colin Davis, singing Ellen Orford and Nadia in The Ice Break for him with The Royal Opera, and other roles elsewhere:
'Colin and I started almost at the same time, just two years from each other; those years were his beginnings and also mine. We worked together quite a lot. I remember singing Vitellia with him at a performance of La clemenza di Tito in London when very few people had heard this opera. Much later when we were both established we worked together on many occasions, notably in Britten's music and also Tippett's. I remember the happy occasion when Elijah Moshinsky's production of Peter Grimes had its premiere in 1975; there was such a good atmosphere and he was so serene. Although Colin could be very emotional. When we went together to La Scala and Claudio Abbado came to London with the La Scala company, Colin showed in Italy much more of the fire and character associated with the Italians than Abbado, who was always cool. He laughed so much when I told him about it. It was he who got me to almost shout the word 'answers' in the recording of Tippett's Third Symphony. He was not only a well read intellectual but also a good motivator and colleague, as well as a sensational musician. He has gone, but those like me who were lucky to have known him and work with him will keep and treasure these memories.'
After he left The Royal Opera in 1986, Sir Colin went on to hold positions with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He was made Principal Guest Conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle in 1990, and Principal Conductor of the LSO in 1995. He became President of the LSO in 2007. He continued to appear regularly
with The Royal Opera, conducting Ariadne auf Naxos and Fidelio in 1987, Don Giovanni in 1988 and Die Zauberflöte, La clemenza di Tito and Der Freischütz in 1989.
The soprano Anna Tomowa-Sintow sang Ariadne under Sir Colin in 1989, and remembers him warmly:
'It was with the greatest regret that I heard the very sad news about the great loss of the beloved and much valued Sir Colin Davis. I will never forget the wonderful possibilities that I had to collaborate and make music with him in numerous performances and concerts, at Covent Garden, in Munich and elsewhere. His enormous commitment, always searching for the truth in music, will forever give direction to new generations of musicians. May his memory be full of light. He will always be in our hearts!'
Sir Colin's appearances with The Royal Opera in the 1990s included Turandot, La Damnation de Faust, Manon, Die Entführung aus dem Serail and The Turn of the Screw. From 2001 onwards he largely conducted Mozart with The Royal Opera, though he also conducted Hansel and Gretel in 2008.
Opera director David McVicar worked with Sir Colin when Sir Colin conducted his Royal Opera productions of Die Zauberflöte (2003 and 2011) and Le nozze di Figaro (2006 and 2011) and his new production of La clemenza di Tito (for Aix-en-Provence, 2012):
'When I first started listening to opera and especially listening to Mozart, it was Sir Colin's recordings I first listened to. So when it came to working with Sir Colin on Die Zauberflöte, Le nozze di Figaro and La clemenza di Tito, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to me. He was completely inspiring to work with, gentle and wise and he didn't give a damn about following fashion in Mozart. He followed his own heart and belief. His way with Mozart was the way I learned Mozart – and the most natural way to work on these operas. Everyone who worked on these productions benefitted from all his wisdom and experience: it was magical and very special.'
Simon Keenlyside, who sang Papageno for Sir Colin with The Royal Opera, has similar memories:
'In an age of ever more marketed, and image conscious musicians... Colin was always clear that first and last, music was 'the Thing', the only distraction worth driving for. His music making was fierce and uncompromising, but away from the podium, he was a mischievous, irreverent and deeply inquisitive man. We will miss him, even if his wonderful recording legacy remains often as a benchmark for excellence.'
Sir Colin Davis's last appearances with The Royal Opera were conducting Die Zauberflöte (2011) and Così fan tutte (2012).
Christopher Maltman sang Papageno in 2011:
'Great conductors don't simply keep orchestra and singers in time, they bind them together with an overarching artistic vision that imbues tempo with meaning and purpose, and mystically facilitate the sometimes convoluted process of lifting music from page to public. Sir Colin was a truly great conductor. Even more remarkably, he was one who managed his Herculean tasks with profound integrity, humility, depth and class. An example for us all. I was fortunate enough to work with him on music ranging from Mozart to MacMillan, including both my Covent Garden debut and The Royal Opera's 2011 incarnation of the eternal Zauberflöte, and, although the sparkling, rejuvenating energy he brought to each, even into his eighties, may have now departed, all of those pieces will for me be haunted forever by his warm, benevolent spirit.'
Sir Colin, thank you for so many years of marvellous music-making with The Royal Opera. You will be fondly remembered and much missed.
If you would like to leave a tribute to Sir Colin Davis, please do so using the comments form below.]]>
All the booking dates below open at 10am.
View the Royal Opera House 2013-14 Summer Season Seating Plan (PDF 1 MB)
Use the links above to see a full list of events that can be booked on that particular day. This can be useful when adding a number of tickets from different productions to your basket.
Johan Kobborg as Walter Sickert, Alina Cojocaru as Mary-Jane Kelly in Sweet Violets © Bill Cooper/ROH 2012
Please note: Although they will be staged in the summertime,Tosca and Dialogues des Carmelites are part of the Spring Season and as such will be available to book with Spring Season productions.
Dir: Jonathan Kent
10 May–26 June 2014
Drama, passion and fabulous music – Tosca is one of the great evenings of opera. Jonathan Kent's production is set against the turbulent backdrop of Rome in 1800.
Dialogues des Carmelites NEW
Dir: Robert Carsen
29 May–11 June 2014
Robert Carsen's award-winning production of Poulenc's sublime opera is set during the violent upheaval of the French Revolution.
Manon Lescaut NEW
Dir: Jonathan Kent
17 June–7 July 2014
Puccini's first triumph returns to Covent Garden for the first time in 20 years in a new staging by Jonathan Kent.
Musical Rumpus: The Mountain Shakers (Clore Studio)
Dir: Zoë Palmer
17 and 18 June 2014
Spitalfields Music present Handel's Acis and Galatea in an enchanting adaptation for babies and toddlers up to age two.
Quartett (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
Dir: John Fulljames
18–28 June 2014
A new production of this vibrant and unsettling opera by acclaimed Italian composer Luca Francesconi.
Ariadne auf Naxos
Dir: Christof Loy
25 June–13 July 2014 and in concert in Birmingham on 6 July 2014
Grand passions and comedy collide with wonderful effect in Christof Loy's production of Strauss's dazzling opera
Maria Stuarda NEW
Dir: Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser
5–17 July 2014
Two queens become bitter rivals in Donizetti's tragic opera, given a new staging by directors Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser
La bohème
Dir: John Copley
9–19 July 2014
A lost key and an accidental touch of cold hands in the dark – so begins one of the great romances of all opera. John Copley's production brings 19th-century Paris to the stage in vivid detail.
Gloria – A Pigtale (Mahogany Opera Group, Linbury Studio Theatre)
Dir: Frederic Wake-Walker
16–9 July 2014
Frederic Wake-Walker's production of this darkly comic opera makes the most of H.K. Gruber's brilliantly zany cabaret style and sharp satire.
Jette Parker Young Artists Summer Performance
20 July 2014
See the opera stars of tomorrow on the Main Stage at Covent Garden – a specially selected programme that showcases the talents of the Young Artists.
Moses und Aron (Welsh National Opera)
Dir: Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito
25 and 26 July
A thrilling new production of Schoenberg's rarely-performed masterpiece by Welsh National Opera.
Springboard (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
Verve | Ballet Central | Rambert School | Dutch National Ballet
6–29 May 2014
Springboard returns in 2014 with more compelling work from young professionals at some of the world's finest dance schools.
Serenade/Sweet Violets/DGV
14–26 May 2014
A mixed programme of exhilarating contrasts, from a dark Victorian melodrama to a celebration of hi-tech modernity.
The Dream/Connectome/The Concert
31 May–13 June 2014
A world premiere and two comic masterpieces make this a delightful evening of exuberant humour and flights of fancy.
Draft Works (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
2–4 June 2014
The Royal Ballet's Draft Works presents choreography in its most elemental form as Royal Ballet and guest dancers are given the opportunity to perform work still in development.
The Royal Ballet School Summer Performances (Linbury Studio Theatre)
2–5 July 2014
The Royal Ballet School presents a summer showcase of dance in the Linbury Studio Theatre, displaying the full range of the School's talent.
The Royal Ballet School Annual Matinee
12 July 2014
An exuberant showcase featuring a wide range of heritage and contemporary repertory, performed with verve by students from the Lower and Upper Schools.
Restless Creature (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
22–26 July 2014
Wendy Whelan of New York City Ballet collaborates with four young choreographers to create a suite of duets that she will perform with each choreographer in turn.
Nobody's Baby – The World's Greatest Show (Paul Hamlyn Hall) NEW
27 July 2014
Arthur Pita, creator of the award-winning The Metamorphosis, presents a unique new piece of dance theatre in the Paul Hamlyn Hall.
Cubanía NEW
21–3 July 2014
Carlos Acosta presents an exciting mixed programme featuring works from leading Cuban artists.
Romeo and Juliet
28-31 July 2014
The Mariinsky season opens with Lavrovsky and Prokofiev's iconic telling of Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers.
Swan Lake
1-14 August 2014
The Mariinsky dances Konstantin Sergeyev's classic production of Tchaikovsky's romantic masterpiece.
Apollo / A Midsummer Night's Dream
8-9 August 2014
The Mariinsky performs two Balanchine masterpieces, with music by Mendelssohn and Stravinsky.
The Firebird / Marguerite and Armand / Concerto DSCH
11-12 August 2014
The Mariinsky dances a spectacular mixed programme with works by Fokine, Ashton and Ratmansky.
15-16 August 2014
Ratmansky's first full-length ballet, set to Prokofiev's score, is a contemporary retelling of Perrault's fairytale.
To accompany the productions on-stage, Royal Opera House Restaurants are providing menus tailored specially for each production. Find out more closer to the time in our Restaurants and Bars section.
All the booking dates below open at 10am.
View the Royal Opera House 2013-14 Spring Season Seating Plan (PDF 1 MB)
Use the links above to see a full list of events that can be booked on that particular day. This can be useful when adding a number of tickets from different productions to your basket.
Thiago Soares as Prince Florimund and Marianela Nuñez as Princess Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty. © Johan Persson 2011
La Fille du régiment
Dir: Laurent Pelly
3–18 March
Donizetti's entertaining opera marches onto the stage in Laurent Pelly's production. Irrepressible humour and catchy melodies make for a delightful evening.
BabyO and SensoryO (Linbury Studio Theatre)
3–7 March
Scottish Opera's hugely popular musical adventures for babies and toddlers come to the Linbury Studio Theatre.
Brand New Ancients (Linbury Studio Theatre)
10 March
Poet and rapper Kate Tempest performs her epic story of everyday heroes, winner of the 2013 Ted Hughes Poetry Award.
Die Frau ohne Schatten NEW
Dir: Claus Guth
14 March–2 April 2014
Director Claus Guth reveals the darker elements of Strauss's exotic fairytale in a striking new production.
The Commission/Café Kafka (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
17–19 March
An unmissable double bill in the Linbury Studio Theatre, showcasing new work by Elspeth Brooke and Francisco Coll, two of opera's brightest talents.
Through His Teeth (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
3–11 April
The Royal Opera commissions rising star Luke Bedford to create a companion piece to Gounod's Faust.
The Crackle (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
5–12 April
Acclaimed electronic composer Matthew Herbert presents a contrasting take on Gounod's Faust, commissioned by The Royal Opera.
Dir: David McVicar
4 – 25 April
David McVicar's spectacular production of Gounod's grand opera is set in decadent 1870s Paris.
Jonas Kaufmann – Winterreise
6 April
One of the world's leading tenors sings Schubert's sublime song cycle on the Royal Opera House main stage.
La traviata
Dir: Richard Eyre
19 April – 20 May
Verdi's tragic tale of a Parisian courtesan who sacrifices all for love is vividly presented in Richard Eyre's production.
Le nozze di Figaro
Dir: David McVicar
16 September–15 May
Revolution is in the air in David McVicar's production of Mozart's glorious comedy.
Dir: Jonathan Kent
10 May–26 June
Drama, passion and fabulous music – Tosca is one of the great evenings of opera. Jonathan Kent's production is set against the turbulent backdrop of Rome in 1800.
Dialogues des Carmelites NEW
Dir: Robert Carsen
29 May–11 June
Robert Carsen's award-winning production of Poulenc's astonishing opera is set during the violent upheaval of the French Revolution.
The Sleeping Beauty
22 February–9 April
Journey with The Royal Ballet to an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers and magic spells in Petipa's classic ballet.
Ballet Black (Linbury Studio Theatre)
25 February–4 March
Cassa Pancho's company of black and Asian classically trained dancers returns to the Linbury Studio Theatre with a dynamic new programme.
The Winter's Tale NEW
10 April–8 May
The world premiere of a new full-length ballet by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, based on Shakespeare's enduring tale of love, loss and reconciliation.
If Play is Play… NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
16–24 April
HeadSpaceDance directors and curators Christopher Akrill and Charlotte Broom bring a programme of new work by contemporary choreographers to the Linbury Studio Theatre.
Ex nihilo/The Human Edge NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
29–30 April
Royal Ballet Choreographic Affiliate Mayuri Boonham creates two world premieres in the Linbury Studio Theatre in which South Asian dance engages with classical ballet.
Verve (Linbury Studio Theatre)
6 May 2014
The Northern School of Contemporary Dance presents its annual post-graduate performance.
Northern Ballet (Linbury Studio Theatre)
8–10 May
One of the UK's top ballet companies visits the Linbury Studio Theatre with a captivating mixed programme.
Ballet Central (Linbury Studio Theatre)
11 May
Ballet Central offers an exciting programme of ballet, contemporary and jazz dance from a mixture of highly acclaimed and emerging choreographers, newly commissioned works and much-loved revivals.
The Measures Taken NEW (Linbury Studio Theatre)
15–16 May
Cutting-edge technology meets thrilling choreography in a mixed programme by Royal Ballet Choreographic Affiliate Alexander Whitley.
Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance (Linbury Studio Theatre)
19 May
Students of the Rambert School dance a diverse programme of works by both students and established choreographers.
Dutch National Ballet (Linbury Studio Theatre)
28 - 29 May
Dutch National Ballet's new Junior Company performs a mixed programme of classical, contemporary and new work.
To accompany the productions on-stage, Royal Opera House Restaurants are providing menus tailored specially for each production. Find out more closer to the time in our Restaurants and Bars section.]]>
All the booking dates below open at 10am.
View the Royal Opera House 2013-14 Winter Season Seating Plan (PDF 1 MB)
Use the links above to see a full list of events that can be booked on that particular day. This can be useful when adding a number of tickets from different productions to your basket.
Le nozze di Figaro
Dir: David McVicar
16 September – 15 May
Revolution is in the air in David McVicar's production of Mozart's glorious comedy.
Dir: Francesca Zambello
16 December – 9 January
Spanish heat and gypsy passion are brought to the stage in Francesca Zambello's vivid production of Bizet's opera.
Dir: Laurent Pelly
14 January – 4 February
A young girl longing for love is corrupted by wealth and luxury in Massenet's classic opera, directed by Laurent Pelly.
Don Giovanni NEW
Dir: Kasper Holten
1 – 24 February; Live in cinemas 12 February
Director of Opera Kasper Holten presents a new production of Mozart's sublime tragicomedy.
La Fille du régiment
Dir: Laurent Pelly
3 – 18 March
Donizetti's entertaining opera marches onto the stage in Laurent Pelly's production. Irrepressible humour and catchy melodies make for a delightful evening.
King Priam (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Dir: James Conway
13 - 22 February
Michael Tippett's magnificent King Priam is brought to the ROH in one of English Touring Opera's most ambitious productions to date.
Paul Bunyan (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Dir: Liam Steel
17 - 21 February
The English Touring Opera also present Benjamin Britten's brilliantly inventive Paul Bunyan, which draws on an American folktale about a lumberjack giant.
Dir: Andrei Serban
9 September – 10 March
Andrei Serban's staging of Puccini's final opera is a glorious pageant of rich colour, dance and drama.
The Nutcracker
4 December – 16 January; Live in cinema 12 December
A young girl's enchanted present leads her on a wonderful adventure in this classic ballet, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's glittering score.
The Wind in the Willows
11 December - 1 February at The Duchess Theatre
The Duchess Theatre in the West End hosts choreographer and director Will Tuckett's hugely popular and critically acclaimed Christmas production of Kenneth Grahame's classic tale.
17 December – 7 January
George Balanchine's evocation of the sparkle of emeralds, rubies and diamonds is a ballet gem in its own right.
London International Mime Festival (Linbury Studio Theatre)
9 – 11 January; 30 – 31 January
The annual celebration of visual theatre returns, with spectacular, cutting-edge and inspiring performances.
Hansel and Gretel (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Artist-in-Residence Liam Scarlett's first full-length work for The Royal Ballet – a dark, adult take on a classic fairytale.
18 January – 10 February; Live in cinema 27 January
The greatest of all Romantic ballets – Marius Petipa's classic work is a dramatic story of betrayal, supernatural spirits and love that transcends death.
Rhapsody / The Art of Fugue / Gloria
7 – 15 February
A celebration of three defining choreographers of The Royal Ballet: Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan and Wayne McGregor.
Ballet Black (Ballet Black, Linbury Studio Theatre)
26 February – 4 March
Cassa Pancho's company of black and Asian classically trained dancers returns to the Linbury Studio Theatre with a dynamic new programme.
Young British Dancer of the Year Final 2014 (Linbury Studio Theatre)
8 March
A celebration of the best of British emerging dance talent – 16 finalists vie for the hotly contested award.
To accompany the productions on-stage, Royal Opera House Restaurants are providing menus tailored specially for each production. Find out more closer to the time in our Restaurants and Bars section.]]>
All the booking dates below open at 10am.
View the Royal Opera House 2013-14 Autumn Season Seating Plan (PDF 1MB)
Use the links above to see a full list of events that can be booked on that particular day. This can be useful when adding a number of tickets from different productions to your basket.
Anne Schwanewilms as Chrysothemis and Alfie Boe as Young Servant in Elektra © Clive Barda / ROH 2008
To accompany the productions on-stage, Royal Opera House Restaurants are providing menus tailored specially for each production. Find out more on our Menu option and prices page.
Inside Wagner's Head
Dir: Simon Stokes
6 September - 28 September
Simon Callow turns his attention to the life and legacy of one of opera's most influential figures in a one-man show for Deloitte Ignite.
Dir: Andrei Serban
9 September – 10 March
Andrei Serban's staging of Puccini's final opera is a glorious pageant of rich colour, dance and drama.
Le nozze di Figaro
Dir: David McVicar
16 September – 15 May
Revolution is in the air in David McVicar's production of Mozart's glorious comedy.
Dir: Charles Edwards
23 September – 12 October
A daughter's grief turns to bloody revenge in Charles Edwards's production of Strauss's most daring opera.
The Wasp Factory (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
Dir: Ben Frost
2 – 8 October
Opera with a sting in the tail: Iain Banks's cult novel is transformed into gripping music theatre by electro-acoustic composer Ben Frost and librettist David Pountney.
Meet the Young Artists: Performance (Linbury Studio Theatre)
Jette Parker Young Artists
16 - 18 October
A full staging of Spanish Catalan composer Xavier Montsalvatge's charming first opera, performed by the Jette Parker Young Artists and combined with a concert performance of Berio's Folk Songs.
Les Vêpres siciliennes NEW
Dir: Stefan Herheim
17 October – 11 November; Live in Cinemas 4 November
A great, neglected Verdi opera is brought to the Royal Opera House for the first time in an imaginative new staging by Stefan Herheim.
Greek / The Killing Flower
Dir: Michael McCarthy
21 – 26 October
Greek is a blazing and brilliant retelling of the Oedipus story by Mark-Anthony Turnage. The Killing Flower sees Music Theatre Wales present Salvatore Sciarrino's bewitching opera, based on the true story of Renaissance madrigal master and murderer Carlo Gesualdo.
Dir: Keith Warner
31 October – 15 November
Keith Warner probes the psychological depths of Berg's 20th-century operatic masterpiece.
Parsifal NEW
Dir: Stephen Langridge
30 November – 18 December; Live in cinemas 18 December
Wagner's final, majestic opera returns to Covent Garden in an inventive new staging by director Stephen Langridge and designer Alison Chitty.
How the Whale Became (Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
Julian Philips
10 December – 4 January
Ted Hughes's magical stories provide inspiration for a new Royal Opera commission by Julian Philips and Edward Kemp.
Don Quixote NEW
30 September – 6 November; Live in cinemas 16 October
Carlos Acosta, Royal Ballet Principal Guest Artist and one of the finest dancers of his generation, presents a new production of this exuberant tale of friendship, love and loyalty.
Romeo and Juliet
19 October – 7 December
A tragic tale of star-crossed lovers: Kenneth MacMillan's poignant ballet is a 20th-century classic.
Chroma / David Dawson NEW / The Rite of Spring
9 – 23 November
One hundred years of visionary ballet: from Stravinsky's 20th-century masterpiece to innovative choreography by Wayne McGregor and David Dawson.
New Petronio / Noces / Virtual Descent (National Dance Company of Wales, Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
30 October – 1 November
The National Dance Company of Wales makes its first visit to the Linbury Studio Theatre with a mixed programme celebrating its 30th anniversary.
MacBeth (De Oscuro, Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
12 – 13 November
Cardiff-based theatre company De Oscuro brings a radical reinvention of Shakespeare's tragic tale to Covent Garden.
Pictures We Make (Company Chameleon, Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
15 – 16 November
The London premiere of works by acclaimed choreographic duo Gemma Nixon and Jonathan Goddard, and Company Chameleon founders Anthony Missen and Kevin Edward Turner.
Repetition of Change / Tender Crazy Love / Ki / All Alight (Phoenix Dance Theatre, Linbury Studio Theatre) NEW
19 – 23 November
A boldly inventive new programme from leading contemporary dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre.
The Nutcracker
4 December – 16 January; Live in cinema 12 December
A young girl's enchanted present leads her on a wonderful adventure in this classic ballet, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's glittering score.
The Wind in the Willows
11 December - 1 February at The Duchess Theatre
The Duchess Theatre in the West End hosts choreographer and director Will Tuckett's hugely popular and critically acclaimed Christmas production of Kenneth Grahame's classic tale.
Whether opera and ballet are the 'hoity toity' preserve of the upper classes or simply high performance art at its best came under discussion recently at The Big Question, the first of a series of live-streamed debates organized in conjunction with the Telegraph.
Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, Written on Skin director Katie Mitchell, The Royal Ballet's Gary Avis and novelist Dreda Say Mitchell formed the panel that discussed elitism in opera and ballet, covering questions ranging from cost and accessibility to whether there is a stigma attached to attending opera and ballet.
'It's not so much about the opera or ballet,' said Dreda, 'but that it represents this notion that our society is cut into a pecking order of high culture and low culture. A lot of people go to opera because they want to be seen, not because they like the art form.' On the other side, Katie highlighted that the 'good art is good art', and emphasised that such barriers are imaginary and need to be overcome.
The evening included audience questions and comments, and prompted a lively debate online: read a selection of audience comments.
Watch highlights from the discussion:]]>
Royal Ballet First Artist Andrej Uspenski has released a book of photographs that offers an intimate portrait of daily life with the Company. Dancers: Behind the Scenes with The Royal Ballet features many Company members as well as guest artists such as Natalia Osipova, and showcases the best of Andrej's photography over the past five years.
The book includes a mix of over two hundred rehearsal, backstage and performance photos, reveals the unseen world of The Royal Ballet. 'Instead of perfect pictures of dancers in perfect positions, I want to show what we do to achieve that perfection on stage,' explains Andrej.
The book is more of a story than a collection of individual pictures. It shows a day in the life of a dancer, from daily class and rehearsals to backstage preparation and performances.'
'For example, in one photo Melissa Hamilton is trying on different pointe shoes to find the most comfortable pair for the performance. The photo shows the spotlights and the lines on the stage, revealing the auditorium from the dancers' perspective.'
Andrej grew up in St Petersburg and has been passionate about photography since he was a small child.
'My father was a photographer, and he always had a camera with him. I used to work with him in our dark room at home,' he said. 'Of course, my career is dancing, but when I'm backstage, so many things catch my eye to take photos of.'
Andrej, who is currently performing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, has been dancing with The Royal Ballet for over ten years.
'I'm here all the time with access to the studios and dancers and so I know them and the productions, as well as what is most interesting from a photographic point of view,' he explains. 'Sometimes I dance and photograph in one night – I just ask somebody to hold the camera for me while I'm on stage!'
Royal Ballet Principal Roberta Marquez preparing for a performance of Romeo and Juliet © Andrej Uspenski 2013
Dancers: Behind the scenes with The Royal Ballet is available to buy online now from the Royal Opera House Shop. Other titles currently on-sale include Darcey Bussell: A Life in Pictures and The Royal Ballet Yearbook 2012/13.
Passionate debate over the balance between creativity and technique was the defining characteristic of day two of an education symposium during the Royal Opera House's visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Does the introduction of a creative focus - in both the teaching and learning of ballet - detract from the importance of technique, and the standards that children will achieve? Are there similar implications for discipline?
These were two issues that provoked the most vigorous discussion. While some delegates felt strongly that teaching must concentrate solely on technique, I was particularly struck by a comment made by one young dancer: "Ballet is not a technique; it's an artform that requires technique."
On the issue of discipline (which emerged as a major one for Rio colleagues), again there were differing views on what discipline means and how to develop it in children. There was agreement though that discipline is a life skill, and the useful point was made that we need to present it as a positive thing, and explain to children why we think it's important and valuable.
Other themes that stood out were the importance of sustainability (in relation to both to dance initiatives and the policy/funding frameworks that support them), advocacy for the value of dance in children's educational and social development, and dialogue between colleagues who share a commitment to working with children in classical ballet.
The level of interest and intensity of discussion in the symposium were clear demonstrations of that last point. A visiting dance journalist suggested that there hadn't been an event like this for many years, so it was great that ROH could play a role in making it happen. And as we'd hoped, we learnt a huge amount that we'll bring back to our own thinking and practice.
And so to our day of practical activity, in which teachers from our Chance to Dance programme worked with children and young people from a variety of dance projects across Rio. The aim was to give the participants a taste of the way we seek to enable children to work creatively in and with ballet. The dancers varied in their levels of experience and technique, and also their familiarity with working creatively. The increasing number of smiles and laughs as each workshop progressed were for me a clear indicator of a growing confidence and sense of enjoyment.
Seeing each dancer in turn commanding the vast expanse of the Theatro Municipal mainstage, executing a jump they'd devised themselves, will be one of my abiding memories of the work in Rio. And at the end no one wanted to leave; they'd have stayed happily dancing on that stage until our Royal Ballet dancers arrive later this week to take over!
What's your view on the value of developing children's creativity, as well as technique, when teaching ballet?
We are grateful to the Oak Foundation and the British Council for their support of this trip. Read Paul Reeve's first and second blogs about the visit to Brazil.
Find out more about the Royal Opera House's trip to Brazil and read a Q&A with Brazilian Royal Ballet Dancer Roberta Marquez.
Well over 80 people with a shared belief in the potential of dance to be a positive force in children's lives: from university students to dance teachers; from people managing social projects to one of Brazil's most famous ballerinas. No wonder the energy and breadth of the discussions during this symposium have been so impressive.
A great many issues and questions were raised, and perspectives shared, but one theme that stood out was the central importance of teachers in the development both of children and of dance practice. Yet, opportunities for teachers' own development can be limited; several delegates commented that even the opportunity the symposium has presented to talk to other teachers, and learn that they share some of the same challenges, values and beliefs, has been incredibly valuable.
So it felt a natural step to move from discussion to practical work in the studio, in which the ROH team shared some of the teaching approaches on our Chance to Dance project. The delegates threw themselves into these participatory workshops (with the outside temperature touching 40 degrees, the air conditioning in the studio came in quite handy).
Perhaps the best indication of the desire to share ideas and learn from each other was that, at the end of long days, the after-workshop discussion went on way beyond the scheduled finish time, and carried on in the corridors of Theatro Municipal on the way out.
I'll be able to share some more of my thoughts on this amazing experience in my third and final blog post next week.
We are grateful to the Oak Foundation and the British Council for their support of this trip. Read Paul Reeve's first blog about the visit to Brazil.
Find out more about the Royal Opera House's trip to Brazil and read a Q&A with Brazilian Royal Ballet Dancer Roberta Marquez.]]>
How can approaches to ballet teaching and learning develop children as people as well as dancers?
This is the central theme of a symposium that begins today at the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. The education event has been programmed to happen as members of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera perform in the city.
Dancers from The Royal Ballet started their training at a young age alongside many thousands of others, and are part of a tiny minority who go on to have a professional career in ballet.
So if the vast majority of children taking part in weekly ballet classes - often for many years - are not going to become professional dancers, shouldn't there be a great responsibility for those who teach ballet and run dance schools to ensure that the skills children acquire go beyond just classical dance technique? Can ballet contribute in a positive and dynamic way to children's personal and educational development? And if so, what are the implications for the way we teach it?
These are issues that we've been grappling with at the Royal Opera House for several years, not least in relation to our Chance to Dance programme, which has been offering dance training to children in inner London boroughs for many years (and more recently in Thurrock). It has been exciting to hear about extraordinary work happening in Rio, where dance (and indeed other arts) projects in favelas - the city's most disadvantaged communities - are having a profoundly positive impact on children's development and aspirations.
There's a great deal to talk about, and a lot we can learn from each other's practice, ideas and opinions. The Royal Opera House team are really looking forward to discussions and debate with colleagues from Rio, and looking forward equally to having the opportunity to work directly with some children and young people from those favela-based projects. It's going to quite an experience.
We are grateful to the Oak Foundation and the British Council for their support of this trip. Find out more about the Royal Opera House's trip to Brazil and read a Q&A with Brazilian Royal Ballet Dancer Roberta Marquez.
The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme has broadened in scope since it began, 11 years ago, with just six singers. By 2002 it had ten singers on board, plus a fledgling opera conductor, a trainee répétiteur and a young opera director. In the last two years it has seen its first ballet conductor (Dominic Grier) fly the nest, and taken on its first ballet pianist (Helen Nicholas).
'There's an urgent need for specialism in the ballet world,' says The Royal Ballet's Director of Music, Barry Wordsworth, 'but on the whole the music colleges don't present ballet as a career option. Most of them incorporate an opera school, so both pianists and conductors can contrive to work with singers, but you need dancers in order to understand what it is to work in dance, and that's where we are ideally placed to help.
30-year-old conductor Dominic Grier, who recently completed the Young Artists Programme, spent a lot of time in his first year 'quietly getting hold of the ropes'. Weekday mornings would be spent with the other Young Artists. He'd accompany language-coaching sessions at the piano, take part in movement classes and even try his hand at opera coaching. Then, in the afternoon, he would sit in on some ballet rehearsals and chew over his observations with his mentor, Barry Wordsworth, eventually landing an official role as assistant cover conductor on productions.
By the end of his second year, Dominic had covered some 35 performances, considerably more than the number covered by his opposite in the opera department, whose duties included acting as a répétiteur as well as cover conducting. Dominic was even asked to conduct Symphony in C and Concerto, which were recorded for DVD. Since then, the Young Artists Programme has proved its worth as a springboard for contact with other ballet companies. He has worked with Scottish Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, and spent half of last year doing four shows a week on tour with Northern Ballet. This Season he has returned to the Royal Opera House to conduct The Royal Ballet in Onegin.
One of the things that makes conducting ballet so very different from opera, he says, is that you are the only person in the pit who knows what's happening on stage. While the orchestra can hear every detail of the singers' performance, the dancers require an intermediary. Strong stick technique is vital. 'And one does get swept up in it sometimes. There's a moment in The Nutcracker at the end of the Act I pas de deux, when I remember Alexander Campbell doing this round of jetés much faster than anyone else – he just whizzed around the space. I obviously had to react quickly, and I found myself beaming in the pit. That sort of energy compels you to go with it, and it's at those moments that you feel there's real collaboration going on.'
The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme is supported by Oak Foundation. Onegin is running until 8 February; tickets are still available.
This article was adapted from a piece in About the House, the quarterly magazine received by the Friends of Covent Garden.]]>
The Bolshoi Ballet is to return to the Royal Opera House in the summer of 2013, performing seven works (four full-length, and three one-act ballets) between 29 July and 17 August.
2013 marks the 50th year of the Moscow-based company performing at Covent Garden and ballets to be performed include classic works as well as a new piece byAlexei Ratmansky.
The Bolshoi's season opens with Yuri Grigorovich's production of Swan Lake before another chance to see Petipa's La Bayadère (The Royal Ballet's production is on stage in April). The Sleeping Beauty, also choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich, rounds off a classical trio.
A mixed programme featuring the UK premiere of Yuri Possokhov's Classical Symphony and George Balanchine's Jewels also comes to the stage. Hotly anticipated is Alexei Ratmansky's The Flames of Paris, featuring one of the most exciting pas de deux in the repertory. This UK premiere follows the choreographer's debut work for The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, which opens on 22 February.
Which work during the Bolshoi's season are you most excited about and why?
Friends booking for the Bolshoi season opens 12 March . General booking opens 9 April 2013.]]>
Répétiteurs Jonathan Cope and Lesley Collier recently coached The Royal Ballet's Fumi Kaneko and Nehemiah Kish in the Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux from The Nutcracker.
The session was watched by a live ROH Insights audience.
Nehemiah and Fumi will be performing in The Nutcracker on 15 January 2013. The production runs from 10 December 2012 - 16 January 2013. A limited number of day tickets will be available for each performance.]]>
In Russia, Pushkin's verse novel Eugene Onegin is as well known as Hamlet is in Britain and as cherished as Pride and Prejudice. It is little wonder, then, that it has inspired numerous adaptations, including Tchaikovsky's 1879 opera and John Cranko's 1965 ballet Onegin. Outside Russia, it is these lyrical adaptations rather than Pushkin's original that have entered our cultural consciousness.
In May 1877, Tchaikovsky was feeling bruised after the failure of Swan Lake in Moscow. Petipa and Minkus's La Bayadère had been that year's great balletic success, so, turning away from ballet, Tchaikovsky began to think about a new opera. The choice of Pushkin's much-revered Eugene Onegin, suggested during a conversation with friends, was decidedly bold:
The idea seemed wild to me and I did not say anything, but later, while eating alone in a pub I remembered about Onegin and started thinking. I thought the idea […] possible, then became captivated and by the end of my meal I had decided.
Rather than a straight word-for-word adaptation, however, Tchaikovsky's own libretto binned Onegin's youthful exploits and focused on Tatyana Larina's fate. For the many Russians who loved the original, the opera proved almost unrecognizable.
Not only had Tchaikovsky cut one of the most admired texts in Russian literature to ribbons, but he had also changed its tone, echoing a predominant new trend for realism. One reviewer sarcastically pondered "How can you really write music to words like these: 'Hello, how are you?' – 'Very well, thank you'?" But that emotional honesty was the opera's eventual key to success and was due to Tchaikovsky's own experiences in matters of the heart.
Simon Keenlyside as Eugene Onegin and Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Simon Keenlyside as Eugene Onegin and Peter Rose as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana, Simon Keenlyside as Eugene Onegin and Peter Rose as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Simon Keenlyside as Eugene Onegin and Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Thom Rackett as Young Eugene Onegin and Vigdis Hentze Olsen as Young Tatyana in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana and Vigdis Hentze Olsen as Young Tatyana in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Pavol Breslik as Lensky, Simon Keenlyside as Eugene Onegin and Thom Rackett as Young Eugene Onegin in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana and Diana Montague as Madame Larina in Eugene Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana and Diana Montague as Madame Larina in Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Thom Rackett as Young Onegin, Vigdia Hentze Olsen as Young Tatyana and Krassimira Stoyanova as Tatyana in Onegin © ROH / Bill Cooper 2013
Eugene Onegin was written at a decisive moment in the composer's life. Bowing to external pressures, he married Antonina Miliukova in July 1877, 'a woman,' he said, 'with whom I am not the least in love'. The marriage was Tchaikovsky's well-meaning attempt to conceal his homosexuality, as he had explained to his gay brother Modest the previous year:
"I am now going through a very critical period of my life. I will go into more detail later, but for now I will simply tell you, I have decided to get married. It is unavoidable. I must do it, not just for myself but for you, Modest, and all those I love. I think that for both of us our dispositions are the greatest and most insuperable obstacle to happiness, and we must fight our natures to the best of our ability. So far as I am concerned, I will do my utmost to get married this year, and if I lack the necessary courage, I will at any rate abandon my habits forever."
The marriage was disaster and, as Tchaikovsky's fame grew, that balance between public and private life became ever more precarious. Tchaikovsky poured his insecurities into Eugene Onegin, completed shortly after his marriage collapsed. Pushkin's story offered a perfect opportunity to explore the wrestle between desire and social convention.
The opera took a while to find favour at home, but its expressive and musical power communicated immediately in countries where audiences were less familiar with the original. Gustav Mahler was an early advocate for the opera and performed Eugene Onegin both in Hamburg and in Vienna, where he became director of the Imperial Opera House. Since its UK premiere at the Olympic Theatre in London on 17 October 1892 it has been a staple of the British repertory, providing a dramatic and musical showcase for subsequent generations of actor-singers.
Tchaikovsky's opera had a even wider impact in 1965, when its structure - rather than Pushkin's verse novel - became the inspiration for John Cranko's ballet. Cranko had originally pitched the idea to the board of the Royal Opera House, though it was rejected, possibly due to their unswerving admiration for Tchaikovsky's opera. Moving to Stuttgart, Cranko was determined to pay his homage and commissioned a 'new' Tchaikovsky score from Kurt-Heinze Stolze, who in turn became Cranko's most important musical advisor.
In creating the score for Onegin, Stolze deliberately avoided any material from the opera. Instead he focussed on music from The Seasons, Tchaikovsky's collection of piano pieces composed a couple of years before Eugene Onegin. Additionally, Stolze employs themes from the opera Cherevichki (performed as The Tsarina's Slippers at the Royal Opera House in 2009) and, for Tatyana and Onegin's gruelling farewell, the second half of the symphonic fantasia Francesca da Rimini.
Whether sung or danced, however, Tatyana Larina and Eugene Onegin's story has an irrepressible power to move. Their tragedy may be Pushkin's invention, but it was Tchaikovsky's emotional honesty that gave the opera its clout. In the fatalistic tones of Swan Lake and Eugene Onegin or the fairy-tale narrative of The Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky continually reminds us of his negative views of love.
Providing a suitably heady soundworld for those tales, audiences now treasure his adaptations as much as the originals. Adapting Pushkin's Eugene Onegin was a particularly bold decision, but it proved decisive, producing one of the greatest operas of all time and, in turn, spurring an equally poignant full-length ballet.
Eugene Onegin will be screened live into cinemas on 20 February. Find your nearest cinema.]]>
Last night we met our newly-appointed Royal Opera House Student Ambassadors. This group of like-minded and passionate students will help us shape our student-focused events at Covent Garden, around the UK in cinemas and on their campuses. The scheme will initially run for a year.
Not only are the Ambassadors a talented bunch of people but they have bags of enthusiasm and ideas on how we can move the Student Standby scheme forward and engage with students in general.
The creation of the Student Ambassador scheme is not just a way of helping us reach more people in universities around the UK, but opens a crucial dialogue between the Royal Opera House and our student audience. We want to hear what students have to say and to act upon it. Following their visit to the Royal Opera House for The Royal Ballet's Mixed Bill of Viscera/Infra/Fool's Paradise, we're getting to know the newest members of our Student Standby Team and look forward to them challenging us with new approaches to opera, ballet, music and dance.
It can't go unsaid that we're sorry we couldn't take more of you on, as the hundreds of applications we received showed us what a fantastic and passionate audience you are. We're thrilled that so many of you care enough about the art forms and the Royal Opera House to put yourself forward.
We will continue to bring our Extraordinary World to you, as our new Student Ambassadors help us shape the best student scheme we can offer. Here's to an exciting year ahead!
Our Student Standby scheme offers £10 tickets for unsold performances to current students. Sign up to Student Standby.]]>
Liam Scarlett has been appointed the first ever Royal Ballet Artist in Residence. The position will allow him to focus solely on his choreographic work. He will take up the position with immediate effect and make his last appearances with the Company as a dancer in the current run of Swan Lake.
Liam's latest work Viscera receives its UK premiere at the Royal Opera House this weekend as part of a Mixed programme also featuring Wayne McGregor's Infra and Christopher Wheeldon's Fool's Paradise. Previous works choreographed by Liam include Sweet Violets, Asphodel Meadows and Diana & Actaeon from Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 (a collaboration with Will Tuckett and Jonathan Watkins).
Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O'Hare said:
"This is a very exciting moment both for Liam and also for The Royal Ballet. We've seen Liam's choreographic talents develop since his time at the Royal Ballet School and subsequently as a member of the Company with Monica Mason's encouragement and I'm delighted that we're now able to offer him this opportunity to concentrate full time on his choreographic work."
Liam reacted to his appointment saying:
"It is such an honour to be made Artist in Residence. For the past 16 years The Royal Ballet School and The Royal Ballet have been my home and it is with immense pride that I accept this position. I have had a wonderful and fruitful dancing career and now look forward to this next venture continuing to develop and create new work for the world's top dancers in the most outstanding company in the world."
The Royal Ballet has been very lucky to receive generous support for new choreography, most recently through the New Ballet Works syndicate, launched in September to support three new works being created by Liam, Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon. Gifts received so far have raised over £450,000, which goes a very long way in enabling the extensive time and resources required when creating new choreography.
If you wish to find out more about the syndicate, please contact Deborah Lewis on +44(0) 207 212 9587 or email email@example.com.]]>
With The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera back on stage in Covent Garden, it'll soon be time for the return of our popular Cinema relays.
The Cinema Season begins on 23 October with a live relay of Swan Lake and over the course of the season, our two resident companies will be beamed - in nearly all instances live - around the world to 900 cinemas in 32 countries. Watch the Season trailer.
Highlights of the coming season include The Nutcracker (allowing even those who usually celebrate Christmas in tropical heat a taste of a winter wonderland), Kasper Holten's new production of Eugene Onegin and modern classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Tickets for all screenings can be booked at participating cinemas. See all productions being screened.
The Swan Lake screening on 23 October will star Principals Zenaida Yanowsky and Nehemiah Kish and during the intervals will feature exclusive glimpses behind the scenes at the Royal Opera House. Before curtain up watch a film that goes behind the scenes on Swan Lake film.
We filmed with a range of artists and staff from the Royal Opera House to look at the experience of coming to a cinema screening - from going backstage with the interval films, to seeing top international stars in your local cinema. Watch out for Tony Hall, Federico Bonelli, Lauren Cuthbertson and many more:
Take a look into our Broadcast Department to find out how we deal with the huge technical challenges involved in Cinema relays:
Following Swan Lake, November will see David McVicar's production of Les Troyens screened around the world.
As part of the Autumn Season, The Royal Ballet are to perform for the first time choreographer and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon's Fool's Paradise.
Staged alongside Wayne McGregor's Infra and Liam Scarlett's Viscera, the work is an abstract ballet to a score by Joby Talbot, with whom Christopher worked on the acclaimed Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland. Fool's Paradise contains a moving pas de deux, rehearsed in this clip by Principals Sarah Lamb and Federico Bonelli, which builds to a glittering arrangement for the whole ensemble as gold petals shower down onto the stage.
Last season we filmed a rehearsal of Christopher's ballet Polyphonia as part of Royal Ballet Live. Watch footage of Christopher rehearsing Polyphonia.
As well as Fool's Paradise and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a brand new work by Christopher will also be staged during the 2012/13 season, opening on 22 February 2013 alongside a new work from Alexei Ratmansky and George Balanchine's Apollo.
Fool's Paradise runs from 3 - 14 November as part of a mixed programme.]]>
One is a full-contact team sport played out over 80 gruelling minutes and known jokingly as "a thug's game played by gentleman", the other an aesthetic art-form composed of complex steps, lifts and jumps performed in the spotlight of the stage. Rugby and ballet, though both physically demanding, seem to be at opposite ends of the physical spectrum. However, a discussion between two rising stars of the respective disciplines at a Young Friends Insider event revealed that, from relaxing before the big moment to building the optimal physique, the disciplines do share some common traits.
Royal Ballet Soloist Kristin McNally (who presented Royal Ballet Live) hosted the talk, which featured England Rugby Union player Charlie Davies and Royal Ballet Soloist Dawid Trzensimiech. During the talk, it emerged that both had their first taste of what was to become their future career before they hit double figures (Charlie playing rugby with his dad at home, Dawid in Poland and then at the Royal Ballet School), both spend hours in training to practise steps and patterns of play, and both make the most of free-time away from their career to rest and relax.
Kristen McNally, Dawid Trzensimiech and Charlie Davies at the Young Friends Insider event hosted by Ralph Lauren
However, rugby and ballet ask very different things from the human body. "Ballet is all about strength and not bulk," explained Dawid. "You don't want to build up muscle because of the aesthetic lines that we have to show up on stage. The ballet class is perfectly constructed for the dancer, but I also go to the gym twice a week and work with a personal trainer. However, it's not about looking strong but about feeling strong: when it comes to partnering and lifting the girls, a lot is about the co-ordination."
In rugby however, bulk can often be an advantage. "In rugby, we do a lot of fitness and weight training to keep our size and strength up," added Charlie. "However, it very much depends on what position you play. My position involves a lot of running – making breaks, going for tackles, sprinting down the pitch - and so I focus on explosive power exercises."
Pre-match preparation also differs substantially from pre-performance rehearsals. Every day this week, the ballet company has been doing complete rehearsals of the full four acts of Swan Lake, which opens on 8 October. On the rugby pitch however, the team avoids full practice games. "We only do certain moves and run through patterns of play in training," explained Charlie. "We'd never do a full game as you don't want guys getting injured."
Charlie has been playing professional rugby for four years. He began his career at Nottingham RFC in the Guinness Championship before going on to play for French rugby giants Stade Français, joining London-based Wasps in 2010.
"I think my career highlight so far has been playing against Jonny Wilkinson in my first game over in Paris. To play against someone who has achieved so much in the game (and come back from injuries), and to meet him afterwards, was humbling," said Charlie.
Dawid, who was recently promoted to Royal Ballet Soloist, came to the company via the Royal Ballet School and is currently rehearsing six different roles. Following Swan Lake, he will dance in Liam Scarlett's Viscera, Wayne McGregor's Infra and Christopher Wheeldon's Fool's Paradise, followed by roles in The Nutcracker and Onegin.
"My career highlight was last season when I got a chance to dance the role of James in La Sylphide. I didn't expect to be cast for the role, and it was the first time I did a narrative ballet. I had the chance to become an artist rather than just a dancer doing steps," said Dawid.
The event, which was hosted by Rugby Ralph Lauren in Covent Garden and offered attendees the chance to preview the Rugby Ralph Lauren fall collection, was a Covent Garden Insiders event. Each Season Young Friends of Covent Garden are invited to attend four events that offer a special insight into the work and artists of the Royal Opera House. Find out more about becoming a Friend of Covent Garden.]]>
Starring The Minotaur and five artists from The Royal Ballet (Christina Arestis, Claire Calvert, Leanne Cope, Nathalie Harrison, Laura McCulloch), the trailer references and expands upon the much-talked-about Autumn Season brochure cover starring Marianela Núñez and the mythical half-man, half-bull.
The filming took place over two days at The Backstage Centre at High House Production Park in Thurrock. Of the experience, Royal Ballet First Artist Nathalie Harrison said:
"Filming in such a vast space certainly felt very different to performing in the Covent Garden auditorium. After acclimatizing to the height of the shoot, playback of the music began and we began exploring the expansive warehouse space. We couldn't see much at all, with the smoke, lighting and costumes, we kept a breathing rhythm and synced our movements as much as possible. It grew to feel quite animalistic up there, a little surreal and unlike anything any of us had done previously. The film has a personal vibe, not a performance but something more intimate, like a snap shot of a performer's private preparation. Making it has proved an exciting start to a new season."
See how the film was made with our behind the scenes photo gallery.
If you'd like to find out more about our Autumn Season, read our essential guide. Tickets are on sale now.
What do you think of the film? What are you most looking forward to seeing during the Autumn Season?
The staging of a new ballet at The Royal Ballet involves a lengthy and creative collaboration between the choreographer, costume designer, lighting technician, stage manager and Director of the Company. This pooling of experience is one of the things that makes work generated by the Company so strong, and enables The Royal Ballet to push the boundaries of ballet as an art form.
As Wayne McGregor discussed in his recent BBC Hardtalk interview: "There is a hunger and an appetite amongst the dancers here at to engage with new work and to engage with living choreographers."
The 2012/13 Season offer dancers a number of opportunities to create new work. One instance of this is our annual Draft Works, which allows members of the Company to put themselves forward to choreograph parts of a mixed programme for the Linbury Studio Theatre.
There are new ballets also in store from three choreographers with proven credentials of creating new work: Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett. Collectively they have produced some of The Royal Ballet's greatest successes of recent years, including Infra, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Asphodel Meadows.
We have established a New Ballet Works Syndicate to support these choreographers and their productions; two for the main stage and one in the Linbury. Joining a syndicate is a very special way of discovering more about how a production comes together. In this case, each supporter will join us for a series of experiences that will bring the creation of new works to life.
For Wayne McGregor's new piece, for example, events will include a private orchestra rehearsal - offering a first chance to hear music by award-winning composer Gabriel Yared; invitations to stage rehearsals to see the work come together; and opportunities to meet the dancers and choreographers involved. If you would like to know more about being part of this season's syndicate, two supporters of Les Troyens recently wrote a piece for us about their experience of watching the production develop. It's an amazing way to take a front row seat at the development of a new work.
If you would like more information about syndicates, please contact Deborah Lewis: firstname.lastname@example.com, +44 (0)20 7212 9587.]]>
There may be no productions on stage in Covent Garden this August, but things are as busy as ever at the Royal Opera House. The Costume Department, in charge of preserving and fitting the thousands of costumes that appear on stage at the Royal Opera House, is already hard at work getting ready for the forthcoming season.
The team is currently preparing for The Nutcracker, re-making skirts for 36 snowflake ballerinas. Each skirt will be double-layered and decorated with more elaborate detail. At a rate of one skirt per day, it is already over a month's work. In addition, the costumes for John Cranko's Onegin and the dresses for the 40 swans that will dance in Swan Lake are being altered and adjusted.
Working on five to six opera and ballet productions at a time, carrying out around 6,000 fittings per season, it pays to plan ahead. Mal Barton, Costume Department Manager, explains:
"At the end of the season we tend to fit the first three or four productions of the next season so that the costumes are ready to go in September. Every production revival involves a refit, and each production can have some 500-600 costumes."
However, despite such planning, unavoidable last-minute cast changes for The Royal Ballet can lead to the department starting refits at 5.30pm, for a performance at 7.30pm. Soraya Parsa, who has been working with the Costume Department for eight years, explains:
"Fittings can take anything from five minutes to two hours. Towards the end of the season, there are always lots of last minute re-fits to do and we often have to make adjustments just before performances or from the side of the stage."
The Costume Department is focused on heritage, as well as performances, and works hard to maintain costumes true to their original designs. Faded colours are re-dyed, worn darning is repaired, and shapes and patterns are revised to ensure that costumes can stay in use for decades.
Tailors work from a "costume bible", a hefty volume that meticulously details original designs and subsequent revivals, to make sure that costumes stay accurate to their original design. The oldest costumes still in use include those from La bohème, which date back to 1974, and Swan Lake, which are from 1986.
Find out more with a look at Soloist Claire Calvert's Lilac Fairy costume from The Sleeping Beauty.
The Royal Opera House is home to the largest collection of theatre costumes in the UK, a selection of which is available to view online. The earliest opera item in the collection is a pair of shoes worn by Italian soprano Adelina Patti from her debut in 1861. The earliest ballet item in the collection is a single pointe shoe worn in the 1930s by Royal Ballet Founder Ninette de Valois.]]>
It's entirely fitting that the Royal Opera House has joined forces with BP and The Olympic Museum to host the unique The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games exhibition in July and August. There are plenty of parallels between the world-class dancers and singers who appear on the ROH stage and top-level athletes. We highlighted some of these in the last four videos in the ROH World Stage series, which showed artists such as Lauren Cuthbertson, Edward Watson and Angela Gheorghiu filmed in a sporting context.
Who better to compare athletes and artists' rigorous training and dedication to excellence than Jonathan Edwards, world-record holder and Olympic gold medallist in the triple jump, and Deborah Bull, a former Royal Ballet Principal and Creative Director of the Royal Opera House.
Deborah Bull began by asking Edwards whether a certain physique, or body type, was necessary for excellence in triple jumping. 'Rowers are probably more of a type, but with the triple jump you've got more variety,' says Edwards. 'There's me, who is relatively skinny, but the current British champion is 6ft 6ins. And the length of your legs doesn't make a difference, it's what you do with them.' He turned the question back to Bull: 'Is there an ideal physique for a dancer?'
'The interesting thing about ballet is that it's not a single event,' she explains. 'You have to be a bit of an endurance athlete, you have to be a high jumper, you've got to have quickness of response as well as the elegance of a skater or a gymnast. The reason I was quite a good ballet dancer is that I was an all-rounder.'
Edwards wanted to know how dancers built up their endurance. 'It's not exactly an endurance sport because the activity is stop-start,' says Bull. 'The best analogy is a football match, 90 minutes with an interval (or three acts for us). Sprint, stop, recover, sprint. It's not marathon running, but it's sustained over a long period with bursts of the explosive energy you use in the triple jump.'
Edwards described his training routine, which consisted not of endless triple jumping, but 'a massive amount of weight training, single repetitions with maximal effort'. He was curious to know how dancers trained. Until recently, said Bull, ballet dancers trained only through dancing itself. 'The potential to gain muscle strength through alternative training, in order to increase elevation for instance, is relatively new for us. Today men do more gym work and they focus particularly on the strength needed to lift women – remember they are lifting the weight of another person,' says Bull. 'Women dancers don't want to bulk up, so their gym routines are often more focused on stamina. But if we really wanted to increase our jump we'd benefit from the type of training you did.'
'I didn't do classic jump training, but I did depth-jumping, off one box and onto another,' says Edwards. 'Obviously the triple jump is all about being able to absorb force and then respond. I was able to do that better than anyone else.' Watch Edwards in action.
That action is known as eccentric loading and Bull says there's an obvious parallel with ballet. 'When a muscle is at full stretch, at the bottom of the landing from a jump, the hardest thing is for it to contract to spring up again – quickly – as in the 32 fouettés (in Swan Lake). Watch exactly how a fouetté is performed.
Bull continues: 'If you're jumping from the left leg to land on the right, the left leg goes back to a normal state, but if you're going up and down on the same leg, as you do in the triple jump, that's one of the toughest demands you can make on a muscle. Imagine doing that 32 times in succession.'
So next time you watch a Royal Ballet Principal making those 32 fouettés look effortless, remember that it demands the strength and skill of an Olympic athlete.
The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games is a free exhibition at the Royal Opera House from 28 July to 12 August, 8am–7pm. Find out more in our News and Features section.
This feature was adapted from a piece originally featured in About the House magazine, received quarterly by the Friends of Covent Garden.]]>
Tonight's relay of Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 as part of BP Summer Big Screens is a perfect opportunity for audiences to sample the diversity of choreographic talent within the Royal Opera House.
Three different creative teams formed by a contemporary artist, a composer plus a pair or a trio of choreographers have produced three brand new dance pieces in response to the Titian paintings currently on display at the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing: Diana and Callisto depicting the moment where the chaste goddess is shocked to discover the pregnancy of the most beautiful of her nymphs, Callisto, Diana and Actaeon in which the young hunter intrudes upon the bathing Diana, and The Death of Actaeon where the hunter - turned into a stag by the revengeful goddess - is torn to pieces by his own hounds.
Considered among Titian's greatest works, these large canvasses are the painter's own creative response to Ovid's poems, Metamorphoses, and they are the best starting point in order to understand what now motivates each of these three creative teams:
The first work by Wayne McGregor and Kim Brandstrup, Machina, eschews narrative in favour of suggestion and minimalism. Extreme angular shapes by the dancers, a baroque-influenced score by Nico Muhly and a high-tech concept by artist Conrad Shawcross. Known for his structural and mechanical montages, Shawcross has distilled the essence of Titian's main character in his "Diana-robot". The machine takes centre stage, sometimes vulnerable, but mostly dominant: Diana as a huntress on the look out for her next target.
In Trespass we see the symbols from Titian's paintings come to life. Mark Wallinger has put his artistic focus on the crescent moon headdress worn by Diana in two of the paintings, as well as on the peculiar juxtaposition of Diana/Actaeon across Titian's canvasses. Diana is goddess of the hunt but also of the moon, thus the idea of celestial bodies, the suggestion of man exploring and trespassing, with a nod to the Apollo mission. With a thrilling score by Mark-Anthony Turnage and a set that provides a 180-degree viewpoint for audiences (thanks to Wallinger's giant curved mirror), Alastair Marriott and Christopher Wheeldon have created for dancers Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Nehemiah Kish and Melissa Hamilton solos and duos of exquisite shapes (spot the crescent moon-shaped lift) that often recall antique sculpture.
Dance is an ideal medium for fleshing out emotion. While in Titian's paintings we can only imagine Diana's outrage at being discovered naked by the hunter Actaeon, on stage choreographers can attempt to translate those feelings into steps. Against the exotic and colourful landscape designed by Chris Ofili, Will Tuckett, Liam Scarlett and Jonathan Watkins examine the focal narrative point in Titian's work and explore this encounter between "Diana and Actaeon" from three different angles: surprise, outrage, anger, fear, threat and desire are suggested in the three pas de deux danced by Royal Ballet principals Marianela Nuñez and Federico Bonelli.
These three works, brimming with creativity and personality have much to offer to art lovers. Machina might appeal to those who admire contemporary dance, Trespass has a distinctive neoclassical flavour, while Diana and Actaeon will appeal to story-ballet lovers. All in all, this is a wonderful opportunity to see a cross-collaborative project come alive, a unique event in the London 2012 Festival calendar.
Federico Bonelli and Marianela Nunez in rehearsals for Metamorphosis: Titian 2012. © ROH/The Ballet Bag 2012
Federico Bonelli and Marianela Nunez in rehearsals for Metamorphosis: Titian 2012. © ROH/The Ballet Bag 2012
Leanne Benjamin in rehearsals for Metamorphosis: Titian 2012, with Edward Watson and Carlos Acosta. © ROH/The Ballet Bag 2012
Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 runs until Friday 20 July at the Royal Opera House with the performance on 16 July screened around the country as part of BP Summer Big Screens.
Emilia Spitz and Linda Uruchurtu write about ballet and dance at www.theballetbag.com. They have been named among the "100 Best Arts Tweeters" by The Times.]]>
Royal Opera House Collections has loaned a selection of prints to Tate Britain as part of the gallery's Picasso & Modern British Art exhibition.
The exhibition explores Picasso's connections to Britain and his influence on British art, in part focusing on the artist's work creating theatrical scenery and designing costumes for the stage.
Francesca Franchi, Head of Collections, explained:
"Picasso only made two visits to Britain and the first was in 1919 when he was designing the costumes and set for Leonide Massine's ballet Le tricorne [The Three Cornered Hat], first performed at The Alhambra Theatre by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company."
The exhibition includes stencilled colour prints of the costume and set designs created by Picasso, as well as a selection of costumes including the shirt and waistcoat worn by Léonide Massine in the 1949 production of Le tricorne at Sadler's Wells.
The costume collection at the Royal Opera House is one of the largest collections of historic theatre costumes. It includes not only costumes but also an array of accessories, wigs, and facial hair.
The exhibition runs at Tate Britain until 15 July 2012 before travelling to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, in time for this year's Edinburgh Festival.]]>
Audiences around the world will be treated to a visit to the Suffolk countryside on 16 May as Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardée is broadcast live to cinemas around the world.
The story of Lise, her suitor Colas, and Lise's larger-than-life mother who tries to marry her off to the simpleton son of a rich neighbour, La Fille mal gardée is full of comedy and wonderful choreography. Despite its distinctly French name, the work is viewed by many as the quintessential English ballet in The Royal Ballet's repertory.
The acclaimed pairing of Steven McRae and Roberta Marquez star in this production which is perfect for audiences of all ages.
Ahead of the screening, get a taster for the ballet with our collection of production photographs and watch the trailer:
Find your nearest screening and buy tickets on our cinema website. Screenings are updated and added on a daily basis so please check back regularly to see if your local cinema is showing this production.
If you're a Twitter user and are going to one of the screenings, follow the conversation and share your thoughts using the hashtag #ROHfille. We'll be showing a selection of your comments on screen to cinemas around the world.
The relay of La Fille mal gardée is the final cinema screening of the 2011/12 season. Cinema relays begin again in 23 October when the 2012/13 cinema season opens with a live broadcast of Swan Lake.
View next season's full programme.]]>
A service of thanksgiving for the life of former Royal Ballet dancer Alexander Grant is to be held at noon on Friday April 27. All are welcome at the service at St Paul's Church, Covent Garden.
Alexander Grant was born in 1925 in Wellington, New Zealand. In 1946 he moved to the United Kingdom where he took a place at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School. He subsequently became a member of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet before subsequently transferring to what became The Royal Ballet. His career was particularly associated with the ballets of Frederick Ashton including La Fille mal gardée, currently onstage at The Royal Opera House. On hearing of Alexander's death, Director of The Royal Ballet, Monica Mason announced that the revival of this particular ballet will be dedicated to the dancer's memory. Alexander left the company in 1976 to become Artistic Director at the National Ballet of Canada, continuing to dance all the while. He died in September 2011 aged 86.
View a gallery of photos taken over Alexander's career with The Royal Ballet:
Royal Ballet Principal Tamara Rojo recently visited China to create a new piece of work with choreographer Fei Bo. Tamara is one of a series of artists from different disciplines to appear in the CNN series Fusion Journeys. Other artists featured include opera singer Thomas Hampson, photographer Roger Moukarzel and fashion designer Trelise Cooper.
The piece created by Tamara and Fei Bo infused traditional ballet with kung fu and Chinese opera. Episode 1 was shown last night and you can watch clips from it now:
Of working with Fei Bo, Tamara commented:
The first thing I noticed about the Chinese ballet is that it is much more influenced by philosophy than physicality - there was a lot more emphasis on meaning.
These ideas are typically expressed with little gestures of the hand or head. Such movements might not be the most beautiful to my eye, but because they have a shared cultural meaning - a meaning that is understood by onlookers because it is part of their tradition - it's beautiful to them.
One of the main challenges I experienced out there was trying to understand this complicated and subtle language. While I could always admire Chinese and Asian dance from a distance, I felt that I could never really understand the depth of meaning - and everything that comes with it - until immersing myself in the culture first hand.
Read more of Tamara's thoughts on the experience on the CNN website
Tamara Rojo and Fei Bo in front of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing © CNN International/Fusion Journeys 2011
Tamara Rojo and Fei Bo have dinner in a restaurant in Beijing © CNN International/Fusion Journeys 2011
The two remaining films, which follow Tamara on her 'Fusion Journey', will air on Wednesday 11 April and Friday 13 April at 9pm BST on CNN International (available on Sky 506, Virgin Media 607, Freesat 207 & Tiscali 506).]]>
A while ago we asked some of our followers on Twitter to name their top films featuring ballet. Ahead of the live cinema relay of Romeo and Juliet, we take a look at some of their favourites...
Billy Elliot (2000)
A gritty tale of a young boy's transition from boxing to ballet set against the political and social unrest of the 1980s, Billy Elliot is a classic of modern British cinema. Jamie Bell is fantastic as 11 year old Billy, misunderstood by his family and struggling to hide his love of dance in a world dominated by macho prejudice. Not only does he execute some fantastic dance sequences on his quest to join The Royal Ballet School, but he shows improvement and progression in his dancing as the film develops. The directorial debut of renowned stage director Stephen Daldry, this is a touching coming-of-age film that showcases the physical demands and dedication required to make it in ballet.
The Red Shoes (1948)
Based loosely on the fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen and said to have been inspired by the meeting between ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev and British ballerina Diana Gould, The Red Shoes tells the story of a young ballerina torn between love and her dancing career. One of the first feature-length colour films focused exclusively on ballet, it premiered to huge success, launching the film career of Scottish ballet dancer Moira Shearer. Featuring legendary ballet dancers of the era, including star of the Ballet Russes Léonide Massine and renowned French dancer Ludmilla Tchérina, the film includes some breathtaking dance sequences and made hundreds of girls want to become ballerinas.
White Nights (1985)
A Cold War thriller described by critic Roger Ebert as "a pas de deux between the KGB and the CIA", White Nights is loosely based on the life of lead dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. A complex story following the relationship between a Soviet ballet dancer (Baryshnikov) and an American tap dancer (Gregory Hines), the film is known for its red-hot dance sequences rather than its sharp script. The star of the film is undoubtedly Baryshnikov, considered by many to stand alongside Nijinsky and Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers in history. His dynamic dance sequences, at once passionate and elegant, made him a movie hero. An explosive combination of ballet and tap from two of the world's best dancers make this movie a dance classic.
The Turning Point (1977)
One of the most acclaimed dramas of the 1970s, The Turning Point follows the story of two dancers - one who left the stage for marriage and motherhood, and one who went on to become an international ballet icon – tackling the conflict between a career in dance and personal life. Starring Leslie Browne, who had just joined American Ballet Theatre, and Mikhail Baryshnikov - who dazzles with some characteristically impressive leaps - there are some beautiful dance sequences and a wealth of scenes from classic ballets.
Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky's brutal psycho-drama about a ballerina's descent into madness, is a controversial film amongst ballet-aficionados. The story, an inversion of Swan Lake, has been condemned for outrageously exaggerating clichés of the ballet world. Lauren Cuthbertson, principal of The Royal Ballet, noted at the time of release: "It makes ballet look all blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice… it doesn't show any of the pleasure". However, the film, when considered a portrait of obsession and madness rather than a reflection of ballet, is compelling, following in the footsteps of Aronofsky's previous releases Requiem for a Dream, Pi and The Wrestler.
What are your favourite examples of ballet in film?]]>
Beatriz Stix-Brunell and Nehemiah Kish are to perform the roles of Alice and Jack/Knave of Hearts for performances of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on 24 and 29 March and 3 April.
Both dancers will make their Royal Opera House debuts in the roles.
Beatriz Stix-Brunell joined The Royal Ballet in 2010 from Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. Prior to this the Miami, Florida born dancer trained at the School of American Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet School and completed her studies with Fabrice Herrault in New York.
Nehemiah Kish joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal in 2010, formerly dancing with the Royal Danish Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada. His other upcoming roles include performing in Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia - part of a triple bill with Wayne McGregor, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt's Carbon Life and a new work from Liam Scarlett - as well as in The Prince of the Pagodas.]]>
Ballet and dance productions to be staged as part of the 2012/13 season have now been announced. Opening on the main stage with Swan Lake, Kevin O'Hare's first season as Director features six world premieres and two works new to the company. Three ballets will be screened as part of the Royal Opera House Cinema season.
Updated 22 April 2012: You can now watch Kasper Holten and Kevin O'Hare talk about highlights of the Royal Opera House 2012/13 season
Tickets are not yet available with booking details yet to be announced. For more information, please register your details.
All main stage unless detailed
* = world premiere
Three & Four QuartersROH2/Linbury Studio Theatre*
Choreo: Mats Ek, Javier de Frutos, Luca Silvestrini and Didy Veldman.
7 | 8 | 10 | 11 Sept
Swan Lake
Choreo: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov.
8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 mat and eve | 15 | 17 mat and eve | 23 | 25 | 27 Oct
6 | 9 | 10 mat and eve | 15 | 22 | 24 mat and eve Nov
Phoenix Dance Theatre Phoenix Dance Theatre/Linbury Studio Theatre
Choreo: Ana Luján Sánchez, Henri Oguike, Sharon Watson and Kwesi Johnson.
25 | 26 | 27 Oct
Viscera/Infra/Fool's Paradise
Choreo: Liam Scarlett, Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon.
3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 14 Nov
FAR and 3 new works* Wayne McGregor | Random Dance/Linbury Studio Theatre
Choreo: Wayne McGregor, Robert Binet, Alex Whitley and Paolo Mangiola.
15 | 16 | 17 Nov (FAR)
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 Nov (Triple bill)
Concerto/Las Hermanas/Requiem
Choreo: Kenneth MacMillan.
17 | 21 | 27 | 29 | 30 Nov
5 Dec
Be Like Water ROH2/Linbury Studio Theatre*
27 | 28 Nov
The Nutcracker
Choreo: Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov.
8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 23 mat | 27 mat and eve | 28 | 31 Dec
1 | 2 mat and eve | 5 mat | 8 | 12 mat and eve | 15 | 16 Jan
The Wind in the Willows ROH2/Linbury Studio Theatre
Choreo: Will Tuckett.
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 mat and eve | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 mat and eve | 27 mat and eve | 28 mat and eve | 29 mat and eve | 30 mat and eve | 31 mat and eve Dec
2 mat and eve | 3 mat and eve | 4 mat and eve | 5 mat and eve Jan
The Firebird/In the Night/Raymonda Act III
Choreo: Mikhail Fokine, Jerome Robbins and Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa.
22 mat | 29 mat and eve Dec
4 | 9 | 11 Jan
Choreo: John Cranko.
19 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 26 mat | 30 | 31 Jan
1 | 2 mat and eve | 5 | 7 | 8 Feb
La Valse/Méditation from Thaïs and Voices of Spring pas de deux/Monotones I and II/ Marguerite and Armand
Choreo: Frederick Ashton.
12 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 23 Feb
Apollo/New Wheeldon*/New Ratmansky*
Choreo: George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky.
22 | 23 mat February
7 | 9 mat | 14 Mar
Ballet Black ROH2/Linbury Studio Theatre
February and March
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Choreo: Christopher Wheeldon.
15 | 19 | 21 | 23 mat | 25 | 27 | 28 Mar
2 | 6 mat | 11 | 13 Apr
The Metamorphosis ROH2/Linbury Studio Theatre
Choreo: Arthur Pita.
16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 mat and eve Mar
La Bayadère
Choreo: Natalia Makarova after Marius Petipa.
5 | 9 | 12 | 20 mat | 27 mat Apr
1 | 2 | 6 mat and eve | 13 | 14 | 22 May
Choreo: Kenneth MacMillan.
19 | 25 | 30 Apr
3 mat | 30 May
1 mat and eve | 5 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 Jun
Raven Girl*/Symphony in C
Choreo: Wayne McGregor and George Balanchine.
24 | 28 | 29 mat and eve May
3 | 8 mat and eve Jun
New Scarlett Linbury Studio Theatre
Choreo: Liam Scarlett. May
The Royal Ballet School Summer Performances Linbury Studio Theatre
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 mat and eve Jul
Main stage | 14 Jul
We're teaming up with A Younger Theatre to give an exclusive insight into The Royal Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet as it is broadcast live to over 700 cinemas around the world on 22 March.
Six people aged between 18 and 26 will be live tweeting and blogging about their experience of seeing a ballet for the first time, as well as giving a glimpse behind the scenes with backstage access prior to the performance.Tweeting will happen before and after the performance as well as during the intervals.
If you'd like to be one of the six, have never previously attended a performance by The Royal Ballet, are digitally competent and use social media, apply online. If you're in the Royal Opera House or in the cinema that evening, tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #ROHmeo.We are planning to show a selection of tweets on-screen during the second interval. Please don't tweet during the performance itself.
A Younger Theatre is a platform for young people under the age of 26 to have their voices heard in the arts. Founded in 2009, AYT boasts over 100 young writers covering reviews, interviews, featured articles and blogs about theatre. AYT also hosts events, offers competitions and ticket offers, and is partnered with The Guardian's Culture Professionals Network. AYT was named About.com's Top Theatre Blog of 2011.
The deadline for applications is noon on 15 March.]]>
Following last season's well-received Joan Sutherland exhibition, Royal Opera House Collections present an exhibition focusing on the career of Dame Monica Mason, Director of The Royal Ballet.
The exhibition features a wealth of archive material including photography, costumes, and material lent by Dame Monica herself. BBC News were recently given a preview of the exhibition, which is available to watch online.
Retiring at the end of this season, Dame Monica has enjoyed a stellar career with The Royal Ballet in artistic and administrative capacities over the past 50 years. The South African dancer joined The Royal Ballet in 1958 as the youngest member of the corps de ballet before rising to the rank of Principal, acclaimed for her interpretations of major roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She also famously created the demanding role of the Chosen Maiden in Kenneth MacMillan's The Rite of Spring. On retiring from dancing, she joined the Company's administrative staff, becoming Director of The Royal Ballet in 2002.
The exhibition is open until July and is free although tours will be offered on selected Thursdays. Tickets for these tours are priced at £7 (Adults), £6.50 (Senior concessions) or £5 for students/UB40 holders/children. Phone Box Office on +44 (0)20 7304 4000 to book.
Did you see Dame Monica perform with the company? What are your highlights from her phenomenal career?
Monica Mason with Alexander Grant and Georgina Parkinson in La traviata (1965) © Donald Southern/ROH 1965
Dame Monica Mason with David Drew, Derek Rencher and Rudolf Nureyev in Hamlet (1964) © Donald Southern/ROH 1964
On 1 March, Royal Opera House Insights returns to Thameside Theatre in Grays, Essex, offering a deeper look at The Royal Ballet's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Join choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Royal Ballet dancers and members of the production team as they explore a world of tiny hedgehogs, croquet mallet flamingos, and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter.
Premiering last year, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is bursting with fresh, witty choreography and bold designs. At the insight you'll get an exclusive glimpse at dancers rehearsing the roles that take weeks to perfect as well as hearing from the production team about the challenges of creating a balletic hit.
Nearby Purfleet is the home of High House Production Park, the home of our scenery workshops and the UK's first ever national centre of excellence for technical skills, crafts and production for the performing arts and live music industries.
Tickets for the Insight event are currently on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office on 020 7304 4000.
Excitement is building ahead of the next Welcome performance for those who have never had the chance to see The Royal Ballet on stage before; The Royal Ballet's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on 31 March.
Welcome performances offer families that have never previously attended, the perfect introduction to The Royal Opera House. As well as tickets for as little as £5 (with a top price of just £20), all audience members are invited to arrive early to experience a variety of activities in the front of house areas. These include opportunities to don The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera's stunning costumes, meet the creative team and ask them questions, listening to a reading of Lewis Carroll's tale and trying out some of the orchestra's instruments. As well as these activities, a reasonably priced, family-friendly offering from our bars and restaurants is available.
Please note that this ticket offer is only available to visitors who have never been to Royal Ballet performance.
"I was over the moon to be able to take my children to see something I have wanted to be able to go to since I was a child, but never previously able to afford. Thank you"
Choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, Alice premiered to rave reviews last season. Funny, beautiful and enchanting, the ballet is perfect for all ages. As well as first rate dance, Joby Talbot's score magnificently evokes Alice's surreal journey, brought to life by principal dancer Lauren Cuthbertson.
If you have children aged from six to 12 and have never been to a performance at the Royal Opera House, why not register your interest?]]>
As we hurtle towards an Olympian summer, we've launched a new World Stage film for Spring 2012.
The film features Edward Watson, Principal of The Royal Ballet and is set to a soundtrack by acclaimed pop act Florence + the Machine, following its highly successful predecessor which showcased the talents of Lauren Cuthbertson to the sound of indie rock band The Horrors.
World Stage puts the spotlight on the world-class dancers and singers who appear at the Royal Opera House, but also makes a connection between the physical skill of these artists and that of sportsmen and women. The Spring 2012 film will be seen in over 700 cinemas in 22 countries during our Cinema screenings, as well as online.
Acclaimed dancer Edward Watson has been with The Royal Ballet since 1994 and was promoted to Principal in 2005. Since then he's danced a wide array of roles including Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Des Grieux (Manon) and Oberon (The Dream). Last year he memorably created the role of Gregor Samsa in Arthur Pita's The Metamorphosis.
In 2012 Edward will be dancing roles including Romeo and Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), as well as a number of parts yet to be announced.
See content featuring Edward on iTunesU.
The track used in the film is Florence + the Machine's 'No Light, No Light', taken from the album Ceremonials. Acclaimed by both the press and audiences alike, the band's sound has been described as "somewhere between classic soul and midnight-on-the-moors English art rock" and with a penchant for the epic that reflects the scale of the World Stage campaign.
We went behind the camera on the shoot for the Spring season World Stage film.]]>
Looking ahead towards the coming Olympic summer, this week the Royal Opera House launches its new World Stage Campaign for Spring 2012.
Following last season's Lauren Cuthbertson film, we've created a trailer starring Royal Ballet Principal Artist Edward Watson. As with last season's promo, the film will feature an exciting contemporary soundtrack, to be revealed later this week. Ahead of the release, here's an exclusive look behind the scenes:
See previous season's World Stage films
This week, The Royal Ballet stage a double bill from two of the choreographic heavyweights of 20th-century ballet, Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Kenneth Macmillan. The Dream and Song of the Earth were created just two years apart in the middle of the 1960s, and yet they speak to the audience in strikingly different ways.
Last week, Royal Opera House Insights invited Director of The Royal Ballet, Dame Monica Mason, and Guest Ballet Master, Christopher Carr to explore these works in front of a live audience.
Dame Monica and Christopher tackled a number of questions during the evening. What were Fred and Kenneth like to work with? Where did they draw their inspiration from? Was there a creative tension between them? And, are there elements in their ballets that make them inherently British?
Listen to an extract from the discussion. We will be uploading a longer version later in the week.
You can buy tickets to The Dream and Song of the Earth on the Royal Opera House website.]]>
Dame Monica Mason announced this afternoon that Principal Sergei Polunin has resigned from The Royal Ballet with immediate effect.
Born in the Ukraine, Sergei joined The Royal Ballet in 2007 from The Royal Ballet School. He rose rapidly through the ranks and was promoted to Principal at the end of the 2009/10 season aged just 19.
Speaking about the announcement, Monica Mason said:
"This has obviously come as a huge shock, Sergei is a wonderful dancer and I have enjoyed watching him tremendously, both on stage and in the studio, over the past few years. I wish him every success in the future."
You can watch videos featuring Sergei and Royal Ballet Principals including Rupert Pennefather, Sarah Lamb and Lauren Cuthbertson on our YouTube channel.
The winners of this year's National Dance Awards were announced today at a ceremony at The Place in London.
Among the winners was Steven McRae who won the Dancing Times Best Male Dancer Award. Steven was nominated alongside Jon Goddard (Rambert Dance Company), Sergei Polunin (The Royal Ballet) and Edward Watson (The Royal Ballet). The Australian dancer's upcoming performances include Romeo and Juliet, The Dream/Song of the Earth and La Fille mal gardée.
Gary Avis took the award for Outstanding Performance (Classical). Yonah Acosta (English National Ballet), Tobias Batley (Northern Ballet) and Esteban Berlanga (English National Ballet) were also nominated. Gary was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from University Campus Suffolk.
Other Royal Ballet artists nominated included Lauren Cuthbertson, Tamara Rojo and Marianela Núñez (Best Female Dancer); Akane Takada and Melissa Hamilton.
Choreographer Kim Brandstrup was also nominated for his piece, Invitus Invitam which he created for The Royal Ballet in October 2010.
With Wikipedia offline today in protest at US anti-piracy legislation, we thought we'd take the opportunity to air a few opera and ballet facts:
What are your opera and ballet facts?]]>
Carlos Acosta has announced that his debut novel will be published in 2013. The as yet untitled story is set in Cuba with a narrative unfolding from the 19th century, through the Revolution in the 1950s, to the present day.
Senior Commissioning Editor of publisher Bloomsbury Bill Swainson commented that, "The story unfolds in the present day, told by the teenage great-grandson of the first generations brought as slaves to Cuba from Africa… [it has] extraordinary twists of plot, fascinating insights into Cuba's history, and is written in a voice that is warm, funny, intimate and convincing."
Although this is his debut work of fiction, Carlos published an autobiography, No Way Home, in 2007.
The dancer returns to The Royal Ballet in January for performances of Romeo and Juliet (10 January and 19 January), The Dream / Song of the Earth (1 February - 5 March) and La Fille mal gardée (20 April and 26 April).]]>
With today being Thanksgiving in the United States - the day of turkey eating (aside from those pardoned), family and American Football - we thought we'd take our pick of operas and ballets from over the pond.
'Rubies' from Jewels - George Balanchine
That most American of dance pieces, 'Rubies' is one of three elements of Balanchine's Jewels cycle alongside 'Diamonds' and 'Emeralds'. Soaked in razzmatazz and featuring sparkly choreography, 'Rubies' is set to the music of Stravinsky, the Russian composer who became a U.S. citizen in 1945. As to what inspired the work, one story claims Balanchine had the idea when purchasing a ring for his muse, ballerina Suzanne Farrell. 'Rubies' is often performed on its own and is a staple of The Royal Ballet's repertory.
Satyagraha - Philip Glass
It may be based on Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence and sung in Sanskrit, but Satyagraha is arguably one of the finest American operatic achievements. A prime example of operatic minimalism, the opera makes up one part of Glass's 'Portrait' trilogy, alongside Einstein on the Beach and Akhnaten. The piece is divided into three acts, each related to a historical figure: Leo Tolstoy, Rabindranath Tagore and Martin Luther King Jr..
Dr Atomic - John Adams
With a libretto based largely upon declassified US military documents surrounding the Trinity test - the detonation of the world's first nuclear weapon in 1945 - Dr Atomic focuses on the stresses and strains upon the scientists who ushered in the nuclear age. First performed in 2005 at San Francisco Opera, the original production saw Royal Opera favourite Gerald Finley singing the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called 'father of the atomic bomb'.
Porgy and Bess - George Gershwin
The opera that spawned jazz standards 'Summertime' and 'I got plenty o' nuttin'', Porgy and Bess was a trailblazing work at the time of its premiere in 1935. The opera tells the tale of an African-American neighbourhood in Charleston, South Carolina during the 1920s – something of an operatic first in terms of focus. Originally run on Broadway, the production wasn't seen as a legitimate opera until the 1970s when it was re-evaluated. The opera has been hugely successful since its premiere, despite controversy surrounding portrayals of African-American characters.
Rainforest - Merce Cunningham
Rainforest was inspired by Cunningham's childhood memories of Northwest America and is set in an abstract space with the soundtrack of birds and forest chatter. The movement reflects animal behavior and Cunningham's interest in nature – the choreographer filled sketchbooks with his drawings of animals and birds. In collaboration with Cunningham, Andy Warhol created the décor Silver Cloud – several enormous silver pillows that gently swirl and bounce off the stage and dancers as they move through the space.
Nixon in China - John Adams
John Adams' first opera, Nixon in China brings to the stage U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 state visit. With an ever-changing score, musical styles including the big band sound that was the staple of the President's youth in the 1930s are blended together. The work allowed Adams to explore his personal experience of politics during the period, such as avoiding military service in Vietnam. Nixon in China took two years to complete, a period during which Adams claims to feel like he was 'pregnant with the royal heir, so great was the attention focussed on it by the media and the musical community'. Still, Adams's labour was worth it, the critical opinion since its 1987 premiere being that the piece is a significant work in American opera.
What's your favourite American opera or ballet? Which American composer or director do you most admire and why?]]>
Would you like to spend an afternoon rubbing shoulders with some of the world's finest dancers?
Together with Freddy – purveyors of stylish Italian dancewear – we're offering three lucky winners the chance to take part in a London photo shoot with dancers from The Royal Ballet. The winners will also take away a selection of goodies courtesy of Freddy and Berkeley Square Cosmetics.
Three winners will each win:
How to enter
Send a photo of yourself wearing an item of Freddy clothing to email@example.com, Post to our Facebook wall or tweet with the #FaceofFreddy tag.
We'll pick three winners at random on Friday 16 December 2011.The Royal Opera House's decision is final and we reserve the right to amend or end the competition at any point.
Good luck!
*The Royal Opera House will pay the travel costs to London within the UK for three individual winners only. Under 18s must receive parental permission and be accompanied by an adult.
Visit the Royal Opera House Online shop to see the full range of Freddy and Royal Ballet Body products.]]>
The Critics' Circle Dance Section has announced its nominations for this year's National Dance Awards with a slew of the company's top talent nominated.
In the Best Male Dancer category, Steven McRae, Sergei Polunin and Edward Watson are all nominated. Lauren Cuthbertson, Tamara Rojo and Marianela Núñez are up for the Best Female Dancer award.
Gary Avis - recently presented with an honorary doctorate from University Campus Suffolk - has been nominated for Outstanding Male Performance in the Classical category while Akane Takada and Melissa Hamilton have both been nominated for Outstanding Female Performance in the same style.
Choreographer Kim Brandstrup has been nominated for his work on The Royal Ballet's Invitus Invitam.
Winners of the 12th annual awards will be announced on Monday 23 January 2012 at a ceremony at The Place, London.
View the full list of nominations
Let us know who you'd like to win this year.]]>
In a love affair straight from the stage, Royal Ballet Principals Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares finally tied the knot last summer after five years of engagement.
In a charming In Conversation event as part of the Royal Opera House Insights, they spoke to Kevin O'Hare about their onstage and private relationships, their Latin American roots, and some of the roles they relish performing.
From the age of 8, Marianela recalls waking up at 6am every day for seven hours of ballet lessons. At the same time, Thiago was on the beach in Rio, dabbling with hip-hop and then joining circus school.
Despite the demanding pressures that come with being a principal they still find plenty of time to joke around. When Marianela complimented Thiago on his stage presence, she made an aside to the audience that she'll now get the handbag she had always wanted!
In this extract, the couple are asked if there an element of competitiveness to their professional relationship:
Full download on iTunesU
Thiago and Marianela take to the stage in Romeo and Juliet on Friday 13 January]]>
The scheme brought ballet to 900 Year 3 students from 20 primary schools in Lambeth and Southwark. Children were wowed by Royal Ballet dancers and members of the Orchestra who presented scenes from La fille mal gardeé. All of the children are now taking part in six creative dance workshops run by dance practitioners. On top of this, those children who show an aptitude for dance will be invited to become part of the Chance to Dance Company. Not only will they be able to take part in free weekly dance lessons for up to four years, but they will also be able to take part in an annual performance alongside dancers from the Royal Ballet.
Students were enthusiastic and inspired by the demonstrations and for many it was an insight into a world they knew nothing about. Feedback from teachers was also overwhelmingly positive:
The children without exception loved the performance - it is such a magical thing to see enraptured faces of children - your demonstration session managed to transfix so many of our SEN [Special Educational Needs]children - wondrous!
- Sophia Henderson, Sudbourne Primary School
The class were almost universally inspired...for them to see two first soloists in that setting was an amazing experience. One of the boys who got up to dance as one of Lise and Colas's friends was obviously having a little ballet epiphany as, when he had previously looked at pictures of ballet dancers or watched the YouTube clip of La fille mal gardeé, he had been especially giggly. Not so after the Royal Opera House's exciting demonstration however! He was doing the mime for dance in an unfamiliar school hall while Ricardo and Yuhui danced around him on point. Well done for running such a fabulous scheme.
- Joe Smyth, Boutcher Primary School
For more information about opportunities for young people visit Chance to Dance.]]>
The Frederick Ashton Foundation has been launched, with the principal aim of perpetuating the legacy and work of the distinguished choreographer.
The Foundation will have a close association with the existing Ashton ballet copyright holders (the Ashton Trust) and will, amongst its other activities, work with them to develop the skills of those who will be registered to teach, coach and stage Ashton's ballets in the future, thus ensuring the survival of the Ashton Legacy for future generations.
We are hugely indebted to the generosity of Lindsay and Sarah Tomlinson, without whose support we would not have had the means to establish the Foundation. As committed supporters of The Royal Ballet and great lovers of the works of Frederick Ashton, they realise how important it is to ensure Ashton's legacy is maintained, and we are very grateful to them. I am delighted too that they, together with ROH chief executive Tony Hall and vice-president of The Royal Ballet Lady Sarah Chatto, have agreed to become Founding Patrons of the Foundation.
- Tony Dyson, Chairman of the Foundation
The establishment of the Foundation follows the hugely successful exhibition looking at the work of the choreographer's work, which ran over the Summer in his hometown of Ipswich, Suffolk.
The establishment of The Frederick Ashton Foundation has been made possible by a generous donation from The Tomlinson Family Trust.
I am delighted that it has been possible to set up the Foundation. It is of paramount importance that, as Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, Ashton's choreographic legacy can be safeguarded for future generations and the rights holders of his works can be supported by the Foundation's activities.
- Dame Monica Mason DBE, Director of The Royal Ballet
Initial projects with which the Foundation is associated include:
Additionally, Opus Arte will release a DVD of Ashton's work in November 2011 (Scenes de ballet, Divertissements, Les Patineurs).]]>
As an excited eight year old boy struggled to hold the weight of a real and comically oversized (deactivated) rifle, the Thurrock Community Chorus members filed onto the glass balcony to perform to a waiting audience of families who had never been to the Royal Opera House before. The ensemble then launched into a few short pieces with energy and enthusiasm including the 'Anvil Chorus' from Il Trovatore to an extremely warm reception from the crowd. Thus began the first Welcome Performance of the season.
It was certainly a day of exciting contrasts. The event for families on Saturday not only brought together a broad range of backstage departments to give the new audience an insight into the time, work and energy that is invested in putting a professional performance on stage, but also brought together The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera companies for a very rare combination of short productions - 'Rubies' from Balanchine's Jewels, and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
Aside from the music and movement workshops in the ballet studios and the free backstage tours available for ticket holders, there was also the chance to see the Royal Ballet dancers warming up in their morning class – from stretching at the barre to full-on leaps and lifts.
Away from the studios, the thrilled audience - most of whom were bringing young children for their first experience of a big theatre - had the opportunity to see real rubies courtesy of Van Cleef and Arpels, delicately displayed on the model of the stage set for the ballet. They also had the chance to dress up in a dazzling array of opera and ballet costumes, try their hand at playing the violin, get creative in the design workshop, listen to the story of the opera on comfy beanbags and even talk to professionals about how they might get a job here one day!
It was a day full of wonder, excitement and memorable experiences, topped off with a fantastic double-show by our resident professional companies. Thanks to the generous support of Gregory and Regina Annenberg Weingarten through The Annenberg Foundation, there were many, many smiles
Winkball reporters were on hand to capture your thoughts on the day - click each thumbnail below to play.]]>
The Royal Ballet is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Alexander Grant, who died on Friday 30 September, aged 86.
Alexander Grant's death is a great loss to The Royal Ballet in whose history he holds a unique place. As a dancer he created many roles for Frederick Ashton and returned often to work with today's dancers on those roles. We also welcomed him back regularly as the custodian of La Fille mal gardée, and this season's revival of the ballet in April and May of next year will be dedicated to his memory.
- Dame Monica Mason, Director of The Royal Ballet
Alexander Grant was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1925. He started dance classes, aged 7, later winning a scholarship from the Royal Academy of Dance to study in England. However, Grant remained in New Zealand due to the outbreak of World War II, eventually taking a place at the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in 1946, when he was 21. Within a short time, he became a founder member of the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, and during his first tour with the company, transferred to the parent company at the Royal Opera House, today's Royal Ballet. He was later promoted to the rank of soloist, and during his career with The Royal Ballet became noted for his interpretation of character roles, creating many roles for Frederick Ashton, The Royal Ballet's Founder Choreographer. One of the most famous roles he created was Alain in La Fille mal gardée, a rich farmer's son who is rejected by Lise, a widow's daughter who finally marries her poor sweetheart. For five years from 1971, Grant directed The Royal Ballet's popular touring offshoot, Ballet For All. In 1976, he moved to Toronto to take up the position of Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada which he held until 1983.
He is survived by his partner of 54 years Jean-Pierre Gasquet, and his brother Garry Grant, also a former dancer of The Royal Ballet.
Do you have any memories of Alexander Grant? Share by commenting]]>
If you've ever found yourself gawping at the sheer spectacle onstage at the Royal Opera House, then this new online highlights exhibition courtesy of the Collections department by photographer James McDougall should set your pulse racing.
The photographer took technical photographs for nearly all Royal Ballet and Royal Opera productions as well as some by Birmingham Royal Ballet between 1963 and the early 2000s prior to his death in 2007. These photographs are used by the production team when staging revivals. James's collection of work was recently generously donated to the Collections department who are charged with archiving over 200 years of history at the Royal Opera House.
Whilst originally created as a reference tool, they provide a fascinating history of set design and the changes in style over five decades.
The online highlights exhibition was created by members of the Cultural Quarter Programme.
View the full selection of highlights
What's your favourite set you've seen at the Royal Opera House? Tell us via the comments below...]]>
Although we may not want to admit it, winter is now fast approaching here – but with the drop in temperature also comes a brand new Season at the Royal Opera House. To coincide with this we have been creating a new trailer for the World Stage Winter Season.
The location for last Monday's filming was worlds apart from the Covent Garden stage, taking place in a huge hidden TV studio on a West London industrial estate.
Royal Ballet's principal Lauren Cuthbertson is in the spotlight this Winter for the Olympic themed trailer. With the upcoming games in mind, Lauren blends her balletic abilities and with that of a gymnast.
Here's a behind the scenes sneak preview of what went on on the set
The Royal Ballet's Akane Takada and Emma Maguire have been promoted to Soloists in the recent Company promotions. Akane Takada, 21 from Japan, joined The Royal Ballet in 2008 as a Prix de Lausanne Dancer and was promoted to First Artist in June 2010. Emma Maguire, 28 from Leeds, joined The Royal Ballet in 2002 and her promotion comes after critically acclaimed performances over the course of last Season.
Also promoted are Sabina Westcombe, James Hay, Dawid Trzensimiech and Valentino Zucchetti to First Artists. Jonathan Howells becomes Assistant Ballet Master.
During the 2010/11 Season, Royal Ballet School graduate Francesca Hayward and Fumi Kaneko joined The Royal Ballet as Artists. Joining the Company for the new season are Soloist Alexander Campbell who joins from Birmingham Royal Ballet and Artists Claudia Dean and Tomas Mock (both graduates from The Royal Ballet School) and Meaghan Grace Hinkis from American Ballet Theatre.
The Royal Ballet bids farewell to Soloist Bethany Keating, First Artist Vanessa Fenton and Artist James Butcher.
Find out more about the dancers of the Royal Ballet]]>
"I spent a lot of time studying movement in wildlife shows – looking at them up close, how they move and how they live and worked out a movement language that wasn't human at all". After 17 years spent dancing to critical and audience acclaim in The Royal Ballet, this must be the first time that Edward Watson has had the work of David Attenborough as a stimulus to his work, not to mention the first time dancing the role of a beetle.
Edward is dancing the role of travelling salesman Gregor Samsa in Arthur Pita's new ROH2 production – a contemporary dance theatre adaptation of Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis. Samsa wakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into an insect for a reason never discovered. The work explores how the character reacts to his transformation and how his family deal with events.
Kafka's novella carries undercurrents of dark comedy, as well as tragedy, something noted by Edward and the rest of the cast as they read through the book during the development stage; "It's absurd. It's funny, it's strange and sometimes it's moving. But there are lots of moments of humour in there where you laugh and go 'God, but that's so ridiculous'," enthuses Edward about a work famed for its depth under a claustrophobic and cold exterior. "When you read it, you realise every sentence can mean four different things. You start looking for reasons in everything"
Such claustrophobia is mirrored in the set design – a stark, white staging ("You'll see why" offers Edward mysteriously) which shows only two rooms of the Samsa household – the living room and Gregor's bedroom. The staging is in traverse, meaning that there's an opportunity for the audience to get close to the action on the far side of the stage as well as on the stage itself (booking details for these seats at the foot of the page).
In terms of differences from the original novella, Edward notes that the dance theatre adaptation is a relatively faithful one, "The biggest change is that Greta doesn't play the violin, she does ballet instead, that's her thing and I think it works really well". Pita's production features the debut of Royal Ballet School student Laura Day, currently in her Graduate year. Of Laura's role, Edward muses that as well as the obvious physical transformation of Gregor, "The work is more about her own metamorphosis, her change in growing up into adulthood". Pita's production is sure to provide a great opportunity for such a young talent.
Aside from The Metamorphosis, Edward is also rehearsing more traditional Royal Ballet works such as the triple bill of Asphodel Meadows, Enigma Variations and Gloria. The principal artist however, is celebrating the difference, "[The Metamorphosis] doesn't feel that different. It's only different in that the cast is from different backgrounds and disciplines. We're not all classically trained dancers. Laura and I are the only ones but learning about the way everyone else moves has been great. I've been very lucky that I've been able to start the season with this brand new work."]]>