THE ROYAL BALLET
Director
Founder
Founder Choreographer
Founder Music Director
Prima Ballerina Assoluta
Exceptional Philanthropic Support from
Royal Opera House Principals Julia and Hans Rausing
Season Principal Aline Foriel-Destezet
Generous Philanthropic Support from Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE
The 2023/24 Royal Ballet Season generously supported by Aud Jebsen
Anemoi / The Cellist
20.10.2023 19:30
APPROXIMATE TIMINGS
GUIDANCE
Children under the age five are not permitted into our auditoria. Children over age five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.
Anemoi / The Cellist
Anemoi
The Cellist
Students of The Royal Ballet School appear by kind permission of the Artistic Director Christopher Powney
SYNOPSIS
‘O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?’
William Butler Yeats, ‘Among School Children’
The instrument lies unplayed.
Awoken by echoes of past performances,
the instrument is inspired to tell the story of a great player.
How a little girl heard the sound of the cello and fell in love with it.
How her mother started to teach her, until her abundant talent far outgrew her mother’s teaching.
How a new teacher opened the way to a community of peerless music-makers,
where she met a conductor,
who became her colleague and soulmate: their love impelled by music.
How they became celebrities, their fame amplified by many recordings.
How they married and embarked upon a whirlwind circuit of touring and concerts.
Until the cellist found herself beginning to flag, unable to keep up and the couple’s relationship started to unravel.
Because the cellist was battling more than tiredness: she was sick,
an illness that would destroy her nerves, cut short her career and in the end her life.
How then the cellist fought to keep playing
and when she could fight no more, shut away the instrument and fell silent.
How she lost her voice, but inspires still: the music she made resonating onward,
etched in the memories of those who heard her and the recordings she left behind.
Edward Kemp
THE ROYAL BALLET
Music Director
Resident Choreographer
Artistic Associate
Administrative Director
Rehearsal Director
Clinical Director Ballet Healthcare
DIGITAL CAST SHEETS
We are working hard on our commitment towards becoming more sustainable and are striving for our net zero goal of 2035. By using digital cast sheets and e-tickets, we have reduced our paper consumption by over five tonnes per year. You can view our digital cast sheets on a computer, tablet or smartphone by scanning the QR codes displayed around the building using your smartphone’s camera app. They are also displayed on screens outside the auditoria. Cast sheets are generously supported by the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.
GUIDELINES
Photography and filming are prohibited during performances in any of our auditoriums. You are welcome to take pictures throughout the rest of the building and before performances and share them with us through social media. Commercial photography and filming must be agreed in advance with our press team.
Larger bags and backpacks need to be check into our complimentary cloakrooms. Unattended bags may be removed.
Please do not place any personal belongings on the ledges in front of you.
Only bottled water and ice cream purchased from the premises can be taken into the auditorium.
If you arrive late to the auditorium or leave during a performance, you will not be allowed back to your seat until the interval or a suitable break.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the premises.
The safety of our visitors, staff and artists is still our priority. To help us provide a comfortable experience for everyone, please be mindful of others and their personal space.
Our staff are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and we ask that you show them and your fellow audience members respect too. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach in response to anyone who interacts with our staff or with fellow audience members in an intimidating, aggressive or threatening manner.
SUPPORT OUR ONGOING RECOVERY
We are so glad to welcome our artists back to our theatres to perform for you the opera and ballet you love. During the pandemic we lost £3 in every £5 of our income and we continue to feel the impact as we recover. Sustaining the future of ballet and opera has never been so important. Please consider making a donation to the Royal Opera House community today and help support the future of ballet and opera.