Royal Ballet's Cross Cultures - Preview information

sylvia · **Posted:** Thu Apr 04, 2002 4:13 am

Casting for Cross Cultures has just been updated. 10 Apr In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated Nunez, Yanowsky, Bolle, Kobborg, Kura Por Vos Muero Artists of the Royal Ballet Carmen Guillem, Murru. 13 Apr In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated Bussell, Yanowsky, Bolle, Kobborg, Kura Por Vos Muero Artists of the Royal Ballet Carmen Guillem, Murru. 16 Apr In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated Bussell, Yanowsky, Bolle, Kobborg, Kura Por Vos Muero Artists of the Royal Ballet Carmen Guillem, Murru. 19 Apr In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated Bussell, Yanowsky, Bolle, Kobborg, Kura Por Vos Muero Artists of the Royal Ballet Carmen Guillem, Murru. 23 Apr In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated Nunez, Ortueta, TBA, TBA, Cervera. Por Vos Muero Artists of the Royal Ballet Carmen Rojo, Whitehead 24 Apr In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated Nunez, Ortueta, TBA, TBA, Cervera. Por Vos Muero Artists of the Royal Ballet Carmen Rojo, WhiteheadAnd there's a bit more info on the triple bill on the ROH website <A HREF="http://www.royalopera.org/Calendar/Index.cfm?cls=33&cl=263&cDay=4&cWeek=0&cMonth=4&cYear=2002&atf=n" TARGET=_blank>here</A>. In case anyone hadn't noticed the first 4 aren't exactly the same. Nunez is opening the bill, and Darcey takes over before handing it over to the 2nd cast.Nice that Thomas Whitehead is being given such a prominent role with Rojo. I'm sort of looking forward to Carmen. I've seen the costumes for the ballet and they vary from "...ummmmm..." to "Wow!" Sylvie/Tamara's amazing red flouncy dress costs 4000-5000 pounds. Sure hope the ballet's worth it!

_____________________________A few edits. Urlezaga and Persson have been replaced by TBAs in In the Middle. Will be curious to see if he can still do R&J.And the TBA for Por Vos Muero has been replaced by Artists of the Royal Ballet. All changes are in italics.[This message has been edited by sylvia (edited April 08, 2002).]

Emma Pegler · **Posted:** Mon Apr 08, 2002 4:19 am

I'm glad to see Marianela Nunez is back on form.

Stuart Sweeney · **Posted:** Wed Apr 10, 2002 12:35 am

Mats Ek and here is the <A HREF="http://www.riksteatern.se/asp/English/cullberg/englmats.htm" TARGET=_blank>link to his biographical material</A> Capering across a minefield As his modern Carmen comes to Covent Garden, Sweden's Mats Ek talks to our critic Luke Jennings. From The Times. To the Swedish choreographer Mats Ek, the Royal Ballet is a revelation. “I had a completely wrong image of the company,” he admits. “I thought they’d be very English, very precise, very buttoned-up. Technically efficient maybe, but conventional.” When he started rehearsals with the Royal a fortnight ago, however, Ek discovered that the dancers were a long way from the “English standard model” that he was expecting. “There were fat ones and thin ones, tall and small ones — a great richness and variety. I found a real company of individuals.”<A HREF="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-260981,00.html" TARGET=_blank>click for more</A>Stuart adds: Good to see that Luke Jenning's perceptive eye on dance is being put to good use on The Times. The Evening Standard's loss is their gain. This is an article we missed from Tuesday's edition of The Times. Thanks to Anne Williams of ballet.co for finding it. [This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited April 10, 2002).]

sylvia · **Posted:** Thu Apr 11, 2002 3:20 am

From ROH's Special Offer email bulletins.Cross Cultures Special Offer from the ROH 23 | 24 April at 7.30pmBook tickets to see Cross Cultures on 23/24 April and you can get a 20% discount off the best available seats in selected top seating areas:£53 seats reduced to £42 £48 seats reduced to £38 £35 seats reduced to £28Your ticket will include a voucher for a complimentary glass of champagne either before the performance or during the interval, with Tamara Rojo as Carmen.To Book Telephone the Royal Opera House Box Office on 020 7304 4000 and quote 'Cross Cultures Bulletin Offer'.Click <A HREF="http://213.232.90.124/click_through.php?email_id=241&id=306" TARGET=_blank>here</A> for more information on the production and casting.[This message has been edited by sylvia (edited April 11, 2002).]

Stuart Sweeney · **Posted:** Fri Apr 12, 2002 1:11 am

Sylvie Guillem interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’ Martha Kearney interviewed Sylvie about her new role as Carmen in the Mats Ek ballet, which has just entered the Royal Ballet's rep.Sylvie, who has just signed a new 5-year contract with the RB, started by talking about the character of Carmen:She is someone against rules. She has her own rules, her own life and it’s a battle to be her. First I went back to the original, because the audiences tend to think of the Opera. The book by Prosper Mérimée is wild, less superficial. And even the choreography of Mats Ek is more earthy, more real, not glittering or superficial. It’s wild - that’s what I was looking for.There is humour, there is depth from one emotion to another - talking and screaming; the freedom is new for us to use the voice. As dancers we sometimes feel tight. Sometimes it’s necessary to go over the limit and use these things. Martha Kearney: You’ve talked about the passions that lie behind the role. What of yourself do you bring to the role? Everything! I have a reputation to fight, to be aggressive. It’s true; in a way that it is my nature. I had to fight my shyness – to go on stage. I had to break some rules and I did it with aggression. I had to be there the way I wanted, without my shyness. This part of me is in Carmen. The fact that I love men. The fact that I love to play and don’t like rules. I can be like a bull and not accept any compromise. Carmen is a bit like that she would not accept any compromise and would prefer to die.What do you need to challenge? Why do you still need that aggression? It’s less now. I use it for the stage. I started like that. There are still a few bits I have to fight. Part of myself can accept things and part refuse. We want an audience to love us. But you don’t have a desire to please off-stage. I hope I please when I speak my mind. It’s not my fault if I don’t agree with some of the people. But I hate to humiliate people. Even if I don’t use them all the time I prefer aggressivity or anger rather than humiliate.You started as a gymnast. How did you come to dance? It started by chance. I did a lot of sport and gymnastics and I was part of a national selection to come to Paris Opera to make gymnasts more elegant. A lot of us were not very elegant. Some of us were selected for a year, and then I switched. At the beginning the training was boring and more stiff - gymnasts had more freedom. At the end of this year when I did both, the Director asked me if I would like to participate in a School performance, even though I was a gymnast. I said ‘Why not. It’s an experience.’ Then I discovered the stage and that was it! One of the highlights must have been working with Nureyev. Of course. Not only working but to see him. I’ll never forget his eyes. He didn’t like to talk which could make things difficult. But on stage if you knew how to take it, the way he was looking, the way that he behaved, you knew that he was different and a genius also. Really rare. I guess partnerships on stage should always be intense, but sometimes they’re not like that.That’s true! It’s really, really true. That’s why I’m quite picky with my partners I really like someone in front of me with intelligence and who can choose the right moment to respond with emotion . I really like communication . I don’t like a beautiful person who loves himself and does not communicate. At the end you don’t give the audience anything.Is there a risk for someone like you at the very top of your profession of loneliness or isolation? Yes, but it’s not always and also depends where you are and on yourself if you want to accept it or not accept it; if you want to go towards the others. But I never find it painful. At the end you meet other people who are lonely as you and it makes two. [This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited April 12, 2002).]

sylvia · **Posted:** Sat Apr 13, 2002 6:06 pm

You can listen to this interview for yourself on the BBC website <A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/08_04_02/friday/info1.shtml" TARGET=_blank>here</A>.


	public forum

Royal Ballet's Cross Cultures - Preview information

Who is online