inspirations - Cherry Radford
Cherry Radford
Sensual, witty, and at times deeply moving, Cherry Radford's first novel is a sweeping tour-de-force.
Inspirations
In Rosie’s bag On Rosie’s and Emma’s DVD shelves On their bookcases You too could take a backstage tour Take classes with the English National Ballet Or try some Cuban salsa! In Rosie’s iPod / car stereo
In Rosie’s bag:
The Faber Pocket Guide to Ballet by Deborah Bull, Luke Jennings. Faber & Faber 2004.
Forget reading the programme’s synopsis; there’s never time after you’ve got rid of your coat and queued for the loo. A few pages of this on the way to the theatre is all you need, and you’ll love Deborah’s fascinating ‘Views from the Wings’ – personal and often amusing accounts of her experiences in some of the roles. Fabulous, essential book, but needs updating to include new ballets.
Sadler’s Wells is Dance (the theatre’s seasonal brochure) www.sadlerswells.com
Something for everyone – contemporary dance, ballet, salsa, tango, hip hop, you name it. Fantastic value (particularly if you become a Friend), informal and friendly, and they’ve got the best theatre ice creams in London.
The Classic Piano Course (Omnibus Edition: Books 1,2,3) by Carol Barratt (Music Sales Ltd).
The piano tutor book Rosie used for Alejandro and Jessie (with a bit of artistic licence). Excellent – makes me want to teach piano again.
On Rosie’s and Emma’s DVD shelves:
La Bayadère, starring Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez, Tamara Rojo. Opus Arte 2011. Mayerling (Kenneth MacMillan’s) starring Edward Watson, Mara Galeazzi. Opus Arte 2010.
Passionate stuff. Ed is terrific, but also check out other dancers in the coveted Crown Prince Rudolf role – I also liked (the much maligned) Rupert Pennefather and (on DVD) Irek Mukhamedov .
Swan Lake, starring Marianela Nuñez, Thiago Soares, Christopher Saunders. Opus Arte 2009. Giselle, starring Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg, Marianela Nuñez, Martin Harvey. Opus Arte 2008. La Fille Mal Gardée, starring Marianela Nuñez, Carlos Acosta, William Tuckett. Opus Arte 2008.
Carlos says he hates those yellow tights, but by God he fills them well. Marianela is adorable. Perfect casting.
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake / Nutcracker! / The Car Man. NVC Arts, WMV 2008
What can I say... If you haven’t yet seen MB’s Swan Lake, GO (or buy it). Once you have, you’ll need to see everything Bourne does (he has a show on every Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells, and his company tour extensively). See your non-plussed ballet-hating friends turn into dance theatre fans!
Romeo and Juliet (Kenneth MacMillan’s), starring Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo. Deutsche Grammophon 2009.
A good first ballet for the tutu-phobic. You know the story, so sit back and savour the expressive choreography to this heart-wrenching music. You need potent chemistry between the leads for this ballet; Carlos and Tamara have it in Hispanic spades.
Great Pas de Deux, starring Baryshnikov, Bussell, Fonteyn, Makarova, Mukhamedov, Nureyev & more. NVC Arts, Warner Music Group 1997.
Uh, I defy any sensitive being not to be enthralled by at least some of these - buy it while you still can! How could Rosie have fallen asleep watching this?!
And probably:
Fonteyn and Nureyev - The Perfect Partnership, starring Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev and Robert Powell (narration). Beckmann Visual Publishing 2001.
Title says it all.
The Turning Point, starring Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Mikhail Baryshnikov. Twentieth Century Fox 1977.
Enjoyable, but Misha’s somehow embarrassing, Leslie Browne (or her character) is a drip, and it could have done with more ballet and less arched-eyebrow angst from the leading ladies. It was originally cast with ballerina Gelsey Kirkland - she and Misha, with whom she was having a destructive relationship, were supposed to be more or less playing themselves - but she made herself ill (as if to get out of it).
Strictly Ballroom, starring Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Baz Luhrmann (Director). Carlton 1992.
For Kenny. Irresistible.
Manon (Kenneth MacMillan’s), starring Jennifer Penny, Anthony Dowell. WMV 2004.
Another MacMillan must-see, but mug up on the plot beforehand.
The Company, starring Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco. Momentum Pictures 2004.
For me, together with White Nights, the best ballet film. Love it. Naturalistic, almost a documentary. Wonderful dancing.
White Nights, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Helen Mirren, Gregory Hines. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2006.
The ultimate dance film. Forget Misha’s chump appearance in The Turning Point; he and the rest of the cast turn in superb performances here. Fantastic dance sequences – especially the one with Misha and tap star Hines sparking off each other and fusing styles. Worth buying for the opening ballet alone (Le Jeune Homme et La Mort).
Center Stage, UCA 2006.
Slightly corny guilty pleasure.
Bolshoi Ballet Spartacus, starring Carlos Acosta. DECCA 2008.
The ultimate in men dancing! And that’s what you need to be for this incredibly arduous lead role: a MAN (I read somewhere that it has them vomiting in the wings). I saw young Ivan Vasiliev as Spartacus – stunning. But Carlos is also superb, bringing something personal to the role.
Only When I Dance. Beadie Finzi (Director). Revolver Entertainment 2010.
Inspiring documentary about two young Brazilians hoping to dance their way out of Rio.
La Danse – The Paris Opera Ballet. Soda Pictures 2010.
An extraordinary fly-on-the-wall doc. A bit too much of the sun going up/down over the Parisian rooftops, a man picking up rubbish between the theatre seats, a man hoovering between the theatre seats... but fascinating watching all those rehearsals. Laurent Hilaire – now ballet master – was the ‘coolly handsome, intellectual étoile’ Rosie found on the internet. See him in Petit’s Carmen on YouTube... mon dieu!
The Flames of Paris, starring Natalia Osipova, Ivan Vasiliev. Bel Air 2010.
And mon dieu again! Can’t get the image of Ivan Vasiliev and his partner (and fiancé) Natalia Osipova FLYING together out of my mind...
On their bookshelves:
Margot Fonteyn by Meredith Daneman. Penguin 2005.
Massive but very readable balletomane essential in which we learn that her offstage life was as extraordinary as her onstage one. Can understand why Rosie would prefer this to her research papers.
Rudolf Nureyev: The Life by Julie Kavanagh. Penguin 2007.
I fell in love with him. A narcissistic, impetuous, difficult man with (delightfully) filthy language – but also a hard working, striving-to-learn genius, and a kind and generous friend. And he PLAYED THE PIANO!
Lynn. The autobiography of Lynn Seymour, with Paul Gardner. Panther 1985.
Now difficult to get hold of, but an honest and moving account of the sacrifices for her (unique) dancing.
Dancing on My Grave by Gelsey Kirkland with Greg Lawrence. Doubleday and Company, 1986. AND The Shape of Love: The Story of Dancing on My Grave Continues by Gelsey Kirkland with Greg Lawrence. Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1990.
My favourite dancer biography, despite stiff competition. I have a massive crush on this woman; how could she dance like that (see YouTube) and write like this? Passionate, beautifully written account of her struggle with her demons (including her feelings for Baryshnikov) to achieve her dream of artistic perfection. Couldn’t put it (or the sequel) down.
Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. Penguin 2009.
True story of a small boy plucked from his family in a remote Chinese village to become a ballet star. You feel everything with this humble, sincere man, including – most exhilaratingly – the sensation of dancing. A deserving bestseller. So why is DVD of the film still not available in European format?
No Way Home: A Cuban dancer’s story by Carlos Acosta. HarperPress 2007
A very engaging, saucy and at times moving account of his rags to riches story, but I would have liked to know more about how he feels when he dances.
You too could take a backstage tour:
There are backstage tours of the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD) three times a day, Monday to Friday, lasting about 75 minutes and costing £10.50 (less for concessions). There’s also a new ‘Velvet, Gilt and Glamour’ Tour most days, but you need a head for heights. www.roh.org.uk.
Combine with a trip to their shop, early dinner and a show...
Take classes with the English National Ballet...
ENB do adult classes for various levels, including complete beginners. Classes are held at ENB, 39 Jay Mews, London SW7 2ES and taught by ENB dancers. www.ballet.org.uk.
Inspiring stuff! Not mentioned in the story, but presumably Rosie and Emma tried this at some point...
Or try some Cuban salsa!
www.salsamap.com locates your nearest class.
But doesn’t show my lovely salsa club: Julia and her crew (previously including Yersin Guillen Rivas) at SalsaJulia www.salsajulia.com
In Rosie’s iPod / car stereo:
Eternal Light – A Requiem. Howard Goodall. EMI 2008.
A beautiful secular/sacred requiem for orchestra, choir, soloists and DANCERS (Rambert Dance Company). Why isn’t there a DVD of their Sadler’s Wells performance? Hopefully Rambert will repeat this (and film it) before too long.
Como me duele perderte. (How it hurts me to lose you). Gloria Estefan.
Perfect for beginner salseras!
Havana City / Temba, Tumba, Timba / Quien no ha dicho una mentira. Los Van Van.
From salsa class. Make you smile when you’re shivering waiting for a bus.
Ketama / Antonio Carmona (flamenco ‘fusion’) and Chambao CDs (flamenco ‘chill’) in the car.
Good for your Spanish, and provide an aural equivalent of the light box.
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