The wolves are howling!

This just in.

The official trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street.

DiCaprio. Oscar Award please.

PS = Does this remind anyone of a young Michael Douglas...???

End of an era

At 49 years of age, Leanne Benjamin made her final curtain call last weekend at the Royal Opera House dancing Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling. It is truly an end of an era as she is the last "MacMillan girl" - a muse for a time when the late choreographer was creating his final works. She has been a Principle at the Royal Ballet for 20 years and the Telegraph has touted her to be not unlike that of the great Oscar Wilde character Dorian Gray - the girl that would never age. 

A remarkable career, this Australian ballerina (whom heralds from Rockhampton to be exact) won the prestigious Adeline Genée Award which enabled her to dart across the globe to the Royal Ballet School to complete her training at the age of 16. At the age of 18, she joined the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet and was made Principle by the age of 23. In 1987, she joined the Festival Ballet and later followed its departing director Peter Schaufuss to Berlin to dance at the Deutsche Oper Ballet. It was there that MacMillan picked her to dance in Different Drummer in 1992, which subsequently lead to her joining the Royal Ballet.

What is evident however, is that audiences will miss this feisty, energetic dancer. So we bid Ms. Benjamin farewell and all the best for the next road in her journey - and for us Australians, we are supremely proud to call this Superstar of Covent Garden our own. Congratulations and farewell Leanne!

I just have to say this...

I love Batman...

Yep. Love Batman so so much. (I should’ve been born a boy).

I love the suit, I love the fact he’s actually a real dude and not some super-power-enhanced hero. I love that he is all about defying the odds (well, in the case of Christopher Nolan’s Batman – which is the Batman I love most).

My love for Batman (and possibly more the admiration of) even lead me to download all three film’s soundtracks onto my geriatric iRiver (yes I don’t own an iPod…I own a 12 year old iRiver that is the size of a small glue stick and requires an auxiliary cord to record/ “download” any music onto it) just so that I could listen to those dun-duka-dun-duka-dun Batmobile chase sequences and really really intense fight scenes when I went for my daily run. What made me run faster was the thought of chasing after Bane to thwart his attempts at Gotham’s destruction…and okay, possibly also the thought of running away from Bane because just one squeeze of his fist around my neck would probably dislocate my head from my shoulders.

Yep. Confession. I listen to the music from the Dark Knight Trilogy when I train…

…and maybe some Irish jig, the soundtrack to Terminator Salvation and Sherlock Holmes…

What’s on your iPod/iRiver/portable music device thingie?

Furthermore, what makes you run faster/lift heavier/trainer harder? For me…there is this bizarre connection between John Connor, Batman and Christian Bale. It’s weird right – for a girl, you would think I would aspire to be like Lara Croft from Tomb Raider or be really kick-ass like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. But no. It’s Christian Bale. Again – I think I may have should’ve been born a boy….or maybe – maybe that’s just the inner-tom-boy in me???? Who knows. But all I know is, I extremely admire the work-ethic and psychology behind Christian Bale and his approach to his work and the characters he plays (ie. John Connor from Terminator and Batman). Google Bale and you’ll find endless sites and posts about his extreme weightloss or extreme weight gain or extreme this or extreme that, just to prepare for a role. He is die-hard method-acting 101 – in fact, rather than sending prospective actors to master class – they should just study Christian Bale because HE IS a master class.

This comes as a bit of a bizarre blog post for My Hub, but after completing my first ever 10km race…I just had to – I just simply had to – express how much I love Batman. This is possibly a pseudo thank-you note for keeping me motivated for the past three months because whenever I felt like I just “couldn’t be bothered” or it was just “all too hard” I would literally think – “what would Batman do?”

That is so epically hysterical (and geeky) I cannot believe I am making this confession online. Well there you have it folks. Love Batman. There is a lot of Batman love right here.

Potential dinner table discussion: who is your favourite Superhero and why?

Farewell!

Royal Ballet Principle Dancer, Mara Galeazzi performed her final Mayerling last night at Covent Garden. 

The Ballet World farewells a much-loved Ballerina as she begins the next chapter in her journey.

Galeazzi was born in Italy and attended La Scala Ballet School where she earned her diploma with honors. In 1992, she joined the Royal Ballet and was swiftly promoted to First Artist in 1995. At the conclusion of the 1997/8 Season, Galeazzi was promoted to Soloist and was later promoted to Principle Dancer in 2003.

A career spanning 21 years with the Royal Ballet she has also appeared with the Stuttgart Ballet, Carla Fracci's Teatro dell'Opera in Rome and the Scottish Ballet.

Reknown for her portrayal of Mary Vetsera in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling, she has also danced the lead role in other great ballets such as MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet, Manon, Anastasia, Tatiana in Cranko's Onegin, Lisé in Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée, The Firebird, Giselle, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere, Paquita and The Sleeping Beauty.

Photo by Alice Pennefather 

A stellar technician, she has also excelled in contemporary ballets such as Wayne McGregor's Chroma, Ashley Page's Fearful Symmetries, Forsythe's In the Middle Somewhat Elevated and Stephen Baynes' Beyond Bach, to name but a few...

Galeazzi will relocate to Oman with her family, where she will continue to teach and pursue new projects as well as continue work on her charity foundation "Dancing for the Children" which raises funds for sick children in Africa.

For news and more on Mara Galeazzi visit here website here!

First Look

The trailer for the new Oliver Hirschbiegel production of biopic Diana - due out in UK cinemas on the 20th September has just been released. Check it out below.

 Naomi Watts stuns as the legendary Princess....

The Bright Stream

Brisbane audiences should consider themselves very lucky to have had the Bolshoi Ballet land upon their shores and perform for two weeks at QPAC's Lyric Theatre. For their special Australian Tour, they presented the classic swashbuckling extravaganza Les Corsaire and to cap off their fortnight Down Under, (for three nights only), a very rare Russian treat not seen (ever) on Australian soil, The Bright Stream - as revived by Alexei Ratmansky. 

The ballet was created in 1935, however what audiences saw last night was a reproduction made by Ratmansky as the choreographic notation for the original ballet no longer exists. Created by Fyodor Lopukhov to music set by Shostakovich, The Bright Stream features a farm festival with colourful characters that include dancing farmers, a tractor driver, a dog, an old idiosyncratic couple and even some cross-dressing with a sylph "in drag" (pointe shoes included) - such frivolity for 1930's Russia was quite radical and it was for this reason that in 1936 the ballet was condemned. The result for its creators heralded a very real threat to the end of their artistic careers - Shostakovich never wrote another ballet score and Lopukhov was stripped from his title as Director of the Bolshoi Ballet .

There is a lot of action in this ballet as two couples experience similar "marital dilemmas" when both husbands find themselves chasing after other ballerina's - one of which happens to actually be a man in a tutu.  The Bright Stream parodies classical ballet with a particular reference to the romantic era's ethereal spirits or "sylphs" - trademark maneuvers recognisable from classics such as Les Sylphides, Giselle and La Sylphide are heavily played upon and as a result become incredibly hysterical. There is a little bit of everything for everyone - a healthy dose of humor, some romance and some action. There is also room for some great virtuoso pas de deux showcasing Russia's signature style. Evidently however, despite the creative choreography, the music is the real star of the show. Shostakovich's score is simply fantastic. There is no other word for it.

The cast for Saturday evening's performance included the supremely elegant Nina Kaptsova whom captivated me with her undeniable grace and poise, as the frustrated farmer's wife Zina whom tricks her husband by making him believe she is the travelling parade's attractive ballerina he all-too overtly pines for. Pyotr, the husband was danced by Mikhail Lobukhin whom balanced well the comic behind his character to the bravura required in his variations. Maria Alexandrova appeared as the Ballerina, Denis Medvedev appeared as the Accordionist who chases after the school girl, danced by Ksenia Pchelkina and the Ballet Dancer (whom later dresses in drag) was portrayed ever so fabulously by Ruslan Skvortsov. 

The Russian style is distinct for its attack and no one can fault the sheer power behind their movements. As a result, their allegro whilst feather-like in lightness is electric in its execution. Like a bullet they blast into the air but with such feline-finesse they land on two feet as if momentarily channeling the dexterities of a cat. Their legs zip up past their ears and when required to demonstrate unwavering control in adage, they rise to the occasion as if without challenge. The Bolshoi Ballet dancers seem to have limbs that span for days, with legs that seem to never end and arms that stretch to the heavens - it makes every grands jete appear epic in its span and scale. Their pirouettes have a whip-like quality to them, which result in some of the most accurate fouettes in the world. In fact - speaking of fouettes, Nina Kaptsova was required to perform three sets of fouettes throughout the entire ballet and all of them were faultless, to the point where I would have to say they are the most accurate fouettes I have seen in a live performance to date. She did not move from the position that she began - it was thrilling to watch.

Maria Alexandrova in flight

I must make special mention of Maria Alexandrova as she is undoubtedly the Bolshoi's darling (she is all over their program). Her dancing was mesmerizing, but so was her ability to connect with the audience. She was a comic and flirted endlessly with the audience - she took three curtain calls with her partner last night and amongst all the cheering and squealing she still found time to elicit laughter from her admiring patrons by demonstrating quick wit and a sense of humor so infectious it was becoming of an esteemed ballerina of the Bolshoi. It is undeniable - Australian audiences love Alexandrova. 

All dancers demonstrated supreme technical efficiency and a command for the stage. Whilst at times the corps de ballet were not entirely in unison, this was masked by the vibrancy of their colourful costumes and the extravagance of their sets. The stage sets were amazing - even featuring a steam-train that puffed real smoke as it crossed the stage. The Bright Stream as a result was a vibrant, exciting and thoroughly entertaining show from start to finish and I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to see a rare Russian beauty. A truly enjoyable evening and memorable for all its fun and frivolity.

Depleting ranks...

The Royal Ballet abruptly announced that Principle Dancers, Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg would perform their final performance with the Company in Mayerling earlier this week. This comes as rather a stunted farewell and the ballet world is somewhat of a flurry of conspiracy theories as to why the star couple are leaving the company. Further statements are yet to be made regarding their next venture in their illustrious careers, but some are wondering whether it is due to the fact that Kobborg (now nearing 40 years of age) had campaigned heavily for the role of Artistic Director at the Royal and had subsequently lost out to the current head, Kevin O'Hare. Other reasons suggest it was due to the fact both dancers were prone to injury - citing Alina's most recent injury which left her to withdraw from several performances of Balanchine's Symphony in C earlier this year.

Johan Kobborg and Alina Cojocaru
in Romeo & Juliet

A couple both off-stage as well as on, the pair have been Covent Garden favorites but also have been sincerely loved across the globe in their numerous guest appearances and Gala tours. Alina still has much more to give and as a dancer in her 30's, it is unusual to think that she may take early retirement, but until an official announcement regarding their future plans is made, one is only yet to speculate.

The Royal Ballet's elite rank of Principle Dancers seems to be depleting at the helms with also the impending departure of Australian, Leanne Benjamin. Benjamin who has served at Covent Garden for 21 years will be retiring at the end of the season. Her final performance at Covent Garden is scheduled for 15th June, whilst she will accompany the company to Japan to make her final farewells. 

In addition, another Royal Ballet principle, Mara Galeazzi is set to retire at the end of July. Having recently returned from maternity leave, the new mum made the courageous decision to hang-up her pointe shoes for good at the close of the 2012/2013 season.

Mara Galeazzi set to retire...

Whilst the Royal Ballet has the exciting and heavily anticipated arrival of Russian superstar Natalia Osipova to look forward to, one superstar is not enough to make up for the gaping hole that will be left by Cojocaru, Kobborg, Galeazzi and Benjamin. One must also not forget that the Royal also lost Tamara Rojo late last year as she took up her post with the English National Ballet as Artistic Director. Over the past twelve months, this will have equated to five Principle Dancers departing Covent Garden. Not to mention, the on-again-off-again appearance of Sergei Polunin...the on-again-off-again nature of his employment with the Royal Ballet deems one to not even "count him" as a stable and constant member of Principles.

However, when vacancies are made, this gives opportunities for younger dancers within the company to rise to the occasion. Who knows, we might see a few more dancers shoot up the ranks over the next twelve months?