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 Royal Ballet Principals |
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Leanne Benjamin | |||
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Benjamin has been offstage for a whole year, and though it was for the happiest of reasons - a new son - it was a shame it had to be that particular season she missed, with so much of the MacMillan repertoire in which she gives such fine performances. It will be good to see her back, first as Juliet and then in the new Wayne McGregor piece. Later in the season she's doing Mary Vetsera in Mayerling with Carlos Acosta, which could be quite something, and also gets the first night of the revival of Anastasia. If you've never seen her in one of the big MacMillan ballets, now is the time to put that right: MacMillan liked her enough to persuade her to return to the Royal Ballet in the early 90s, and it's easy to see why. {principals}
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Federico Bonelli | |||
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Although he's mostly scheduled to partner Yoshida (Cinderella, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty), the first chance to see him was his debut as Romeo, with Mara Galeazzi. Perhaps the most interesting is that he's the first cast Daphnis in the revival of Daphnis and Chloe. Later, we presumably may hope to see him in Onegin.
{principals}
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Darcey Bussell | |||
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Since she returned from the birth of her first child, many people feel that her acting has greatly improved, with her characterisations showing a new depth and thoughtfulness. We look forward to next season, to watch this process continue.
{principals}
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Alina Cojocaru | |||
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She's tiny and very slight, and looks even younger than she is - a natural for the very many 'young girl' roles in the ballet repertoire - so her success last year in Mayerling and Manon came as a surprise to many people. Makarova's new Sleeping Beauty suited her so well it might have been made for her - maybe indeed it was made for her. A couple of unfortunate accidents towards the end of the season took her out for a while, but she looked fine when she danced in Kobborg's Out of Denmark programme in September, especially in another out-of-character performance as the pupil in Flindt's The Lesson.
{principals}
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Jonathan Cope | |||
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Cope remains a popular choice for choreographers setting new works as well.
This was illustrated by last years performance of Wheeldon's Tryst (with
Bussell) which showed off his beautifully understated support for his
partner, and by the role Bintley made or him in the summer pas de deux from
Les Saisons - again seemingly effortless partnering. In the 2003/4 season
he features mainly in MacMillan works, reprising Mayerling again, and
appearing in Anastasia. {principals}
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Mara Galeazzi | |||
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Johan Kobborg | |||
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There's little new for him this season in the casting so far announced - only yet another Prince, this time in Ashton's Cinderella. But it's good that he continues to dance some of the less prominent roles - the first movement in Symphony in C, for instance.
{principals}
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Marianela Nunez | |||
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Ivan Putrov | |||
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Last season was one of consolidation, as Putrov extended his repertoire. The joyous youthfulness of Kylian’s Sinfonietta clearly suited him. He also had chances to shine in Don Q. Individual virtuoso roles, rather than intricate partnering, seem to suit him more at present, and he is deservedly popular in showpieces such as the Bronze Idol in Bayadere. If he returns to the role of Lensky in Onegin in the 2003/4 season, this could be an interesting prospect: previously he has had moments of real feeling for the role and an elegance in the execution of it without it all quite coming together. More experience could make this a compelling performance.
{principals}
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Tamara Rojo | |||
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She dances with a ballerina authority and with a passionate intensity unmatched in the present company - she's the sort of dancer you daren't take your eye off for a second, for fear of missing some glorious moment that will never come again. The flip side of this is the occasional night when she doesn't take fire and can seem rather withdrawn.
{principals}
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Viacheslav Samodurov | |||
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Jamie Tapper | |||
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This season she takes on Ashton's Cinderella for the first time, which could be a good role for her, and she's also featured in some of the Balanchine ballets, including the second movement in Symphony in C and the pas de deux in Agon, which she takes over from Darcey Bussell. She's to be partnered several times by David Makhateli, and a settled pairing might help her establish a stronger identity.
{principals}
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Inaki Urlezaga | |||
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Urlezaga's most important new role this season is Daphnis in the revival of Ashton's Daphnis and Chloe - not the most obvious choice, perhaps, but his dancing has some of the fluidity Ashton needs and it will be very interesting to see what he makes of it.
{principals}
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Zenaida Yanowsky | |||
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Yanowsky had her moment of fame in the Queen's golden jubilee year when she
danced the Black Swan pas de deux with Roberto Bolle in the ballroom of
Buckingham Palace in a classical concert seen by millions. It's a role in
which it would be good to see her cast more often. In the 2003 / 4 season,
she will be appearing as Gamzatti, Empress Elizabeth in Mayerling, Tsarina
in Anastasia, and in the Balanchine works. Do look out for her as the Bride
in Les Noces where her iconic presence has real power.
{principals}
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Miyako Yoshida | |||
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At this stage in her career, there cannot be many seasons left for Yoshida. Do try to catch her if you want to see effortless technique and scrupulous presentation of the choreography, without flash or trickery , but with respect, precision and authority. In the 2003/ 4 season she appears in Cinderella, Daphnis and Chloe and Giselle - all roles that suit her classicism and character.
{principals}
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