The Royal Ballet | Summer 2012

Tamara Rojo and Rupert Pennefather in La Sylphide Photograph : Johan Persson

There are two notable events this summer at the Royal Opera House.  Firstly, The Royal Ballet revives Kenneth MacMillan’s The Prince of the Pagodas which hasn’t been seen since 1996 when Darcey Bussell danced the role created on her; Princess Rose. There are just 8 performances in June (no matinees) of two hours and forty minutes with two intervals. The top priced seats are £104.

The casting (which is a debut for everyone involved) is as follows :

The Prince of the Pagodas

Saturday 2^nd June 7pm Nuñez|Rojo|Kish

Wednesday 6^th June 7.30pm Nuñez|Rojo|Kish

Saturday 9^th June 7.30pm  Cuthbertson|Yanowsky|Pennefather

Wednesday 13^th June 7.30pm  Lamb|Morera|Bonelli

Monday 18^th June 7.30pm  Nuñez|Rojo|Kish

Thursday 21^st June 7.30pm   Cuthbertson|Yanowsky|Pennefather

Wednesday 27^th June 7.30pm  Cuthbertson|Yanowsky|Pennefather

Friday 29^th June 7.30pm  Lamb|Morera|Bonelli

Ballo della regina returns in a double bill with La Sylphide during May and early June and the revival of Ballo della regina is intended as The Royal Ballet’s marking of H.M. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide highlights the Danish Bournonville style he knows so well, especially for the male dancers. Again, there are just 8 performances but this time there is one matinee where the top priced seats will set you back £73 and the evening performances £91.

Ballo della regina/La Sylphide

Monday 21^st May 7.30pm  Nuñez|Polunin/Cojocaru|McRae*

Tuesday 22^nd May 7.30pm Cuthbertson|Bonelli/Rojo|Pennefather

Thursday 24^th May 7.30pm  Nuñez|Polunin/Marquez|McRae

Saturday 26^th May 2pm  Cuthbertson|Bonelli/Rojo|Pennefather

Saturday 26^th May 7pm  Nuñez|Polunin/Marquez|McRae

Thursday 7^th June 7.30pm  Cuthbertson|Bonelli/Lamb|Polunin*

12^th June 7.30pm Nuñez|Polunin/Cojocaru|Kobborg

Friday 15^th June 7.30pm  Cuthbertson|Bonelli/Lamb|Polunin

Also returning is Birthday Offering/A Month in the Country/Les Noces.  Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering hasn’t been seen in its entirety for more than a decade and this production celebrates the 50^th anniversary of The Friends of Covent Garden. A top priced seat comes in at £63. Role debuts over the 5 performances are as follows :

Birthday Offering

Saturday 30^th June  Rojo|Bonelli

Tuesday 3^rd July  Nuñez|Soares

A Month in the Country

Tuesday 3^rd July  Cojocaru|Polunin

Les Noces

Saturday 30^th June  Arestis|Hirano

Tuesday 3^rd July  McNally (with Hristov)

* denotes a debut in the role

Watch Darcey Bussell & Jonathan Cope in the pas de deux from Prince of the Pagodas

Watch Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev rehearsing Birthday Offering

Read my interview with Darcey Bussell