Post by tmesis on Jun 9, 2019 12:29:58 GMT
I expected this to be a special night at The Garden and so it proved. The website had been very unrevealing about what to expect, not to mention who was dancing. Even on the day it just said 'Firebird - interval - Divertissement.' In the end, the later consisted of excerpts from Fonteyn's great triumphs, including Sleeping Beauty, Birthday Offering, Ondine, Sylvia and, at the end, a tantalising except from Apparitions that made me want to see it all. In one sense it was a very special evening in that you are unlikely to see quite so many principal dancers in one show ever again, and plaudits to ROH for not raising their ticket prices to match. I thought the choice of material very good with only two exceptions: Nocturne/The wise Virgins was a non-event and it was a little pointless having an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet (Osipova a very cold Juliet) when they have just done gazillions of complete performances. Surely something like Marguerite and Armand would have been better.
The only problem was in paying homage to such a unique dancer all the many talented ballerinas were obviously being compared to the incomparable original and, inevitably, even though the RB currently has some of the best in the world, nearly all were found wanting. The two that stood out and had the warmth and charisma of Margo where Francesca Hayward who did a wonderfully evocative bit from the excellent Ondine and Darcy Bussel (what an unexpected delight that was!) dancing the hilarious Tango from Facade.
An honourable mention to the blokes: Vadim Muntagirov was predictably thrilling in Le Corsaire and Matthew Ball (looking very fetching in black and white) was fantastic in Apparitions.
Also it was technically very classily put together, with linking projections and quotes about Fonteyn and quite rightly, it ended very touchingly with archive film of her dancing Salut d'amore accompanied live by the orchestra - a magical moment.
The only problem was in paying homage to such a unique dancer all the many talented ballerinas were obviously being compared to the incomparable original and, inevitably, even though the RB currently has some of the best in the world, nearly all were found wanting. The two that stood out and had the warmth and charisma of Margo where Francesca Hayward who did a wonderfully evocative bit from the excellent Ondine and Darcy Bussel (what an unexpected delight that was!) dancing the hilarious Tango from Facade.
An honourable mention to the blokes: Vadim Muntagirov was predictably thrilling in Le Corsaire and Matthew Ball (looking very fetching in black and white) was fantastic in Apparitions.
Also it was technically very classily put together, with linking projections and quotes about Fonteyn and quite rightly, it ended very touchingly with archive film of her dancing Salut d'amore accompanied live by the orchestra - a magical moment.
