Frederick Ashton's The Two Pigeons in rehearsal – World Ballet Day 2015
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Published 2015-11-05
Frederick Ashton, Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, created Les Deux Pigeons for The Royal Ballet Touring Company in 1961. He restaged the work for the main company later that year as The Two Pigeons. He and his regular collaborator John Lanchbery (La Fille mal gardée) worked together to adapt André Messager’s 1886 score, created for a ballet by Louis Mérante at the Paris Opéra. Like Messager and Mérante, Ashton turned to La Fontaine’s fable of the same title for inspiration – but Ashton tells quite a different story. He explores the nature of love in a work that has deft comic lightness and soulful pathos in equal measure.
Lynn Seymour and Donald Britton created the roles of the central pair (though in the premiere Christopher Gable danced the male role, taking over for an injured Britton). Ashton was drawn particularly to Seymour’s vivacity and effervescence; together they created a personality for the Young Woman that is charming, impetuous and lively, adding character to the ballet’s charming humour. Ashton’s choreography draws a strong distinction between the uninhibited sensuality of the gypsies and the lovers’ interactions, which often – to both comic and heartfelt effect – suggest the movements of birds.
All Comments (21)
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I cannot properly put into words how much I love ballet instructors. Just older dudes going de da de la rererererere poses majestically, is the perfect accompaniment to an already very charming dance. It just puts so much clear focus on every little thing that is happening, I almost prefer rehearsals to finished productions
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I love how he says, "why can't you hold your leg up there longer?" and she just does it! Yuhui is amazing, love to see her perform <33
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i so so so wish yuhui would be promoted to principal ugh. this chemistry is just so special and rare
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"Not too fast, Kate!" LMAO I loved this so much! Yuhui and Alex have great chemistry. :D
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YUHUI CHOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE HER!!!!!!!!
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Yuhui is just fantastic. I'll watch any clip where she's dancing. She needs to be promoted.
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How can they absorb all the corrections in this small laps of time!! I could never handle this much stress
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Christopher Carr is my cousin!! Great seeing him doing his great work x
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14:33 Alex forgot the step and had to run to Yuhui jajajaj
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She's lovely, there's beautiful detail in her dancing. Lots of character is the port de bras. This is not easy choreography!
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Alex has already been promoted to principal.... when's Yuhui's turn???
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"And a ONE and a TWO and a PIROUETTE CATCH and BACKWARDS and a WRAP." It's like sports commentary, except way more tuneful.
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She is the cutest thing I've ever seen...
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Yuhui gives me life!❤😍😍 Does she even know that so many of us love her?
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I love how the ballet master has such respect for the dancers. He has so much passion, as the keeper of the ballet. and the dancers are so insanely talented that they can literally do what he asks... immediately. I'm in awe of the physical talent but also the intellectual talent ~ to be able to remember the choreography as well as each piece of criticism and nuance. Fantastic...
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Alex is just amazing as always. Yuhui looks so cute as well!
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This was an extraordinary piece of artistry! The emulation of the bird like mannerisms as well as the technique and the control was amazing.
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I love you Yuhui💖 It amazes me, Yuhui's persona and ability is all so inspiring. She takes correction and critic so gracefully. Truly the pressure to learn and grow on the spot is a wonder in its self. How the dancers are able to let thier honed skill, talents and love for dance, flow through them. How they project the joy of dance and emotion through their movements. Is beyond inspiring. So beautiful and graceful. We will never know the pain, the dancers dance through, for us. I bow with gratitude to all that give everything and leave it on the stage, for us. Thank you💖 God bless you
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reseals are so much more interesting than the actual performance. you see the deconstruction of the ballet and the rebuild back to the performance and can appreciate how terribly difficult it all is
