Monica Mason as Carabosse in ‘The Sleeping Beauty' [Royal Ballet, 1978]

[@ウズボー百田]

Dame Mason controls every important scene❤ She doesn’t say any words, but the audience including me can easily understand what she says! I have never seen such a beautiful but terrifying Carabosse❤Beyond perfection!🎉

[@JohnRaymondHall]

she does, and controls effortlessly - the perfect Carabosse. Ashton's Carabosse is over the top theatrical but works in it's way - the Carabosse of childhood nightmares

[@Susanmuir2]

Fantastic mime, are we losing that nowadays? Monica Mason's Carabosse is the best I've seen.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

i wonder why we are losing it - surely it must be being taught. i guess there are not good exponents

[@simone222]

Brilliant use of mime. Dame Mason certainly brought the character to another level with her acting ability and charisma. Thanks for yet another gem, Mr. Hall.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

my pleasure Simone - did you see the film of Frederick Ashton in this role? a very scary Carabosse

[@jamesdprovenzano3517]

After I first saw this version, no other version was possible for me. It was perfection. Now when I see male dancers making this role a supposedly humorous character I am totally bored. This is all about injured pride and vengeance. Bravissima Monica!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, it is THE version for me too - i saw Mason onstage in this role in the mid 1970s

[@jamesdprovenzano3517]

Thank you for all the wonderful ballet clips on your site. There is lots for me to see and enjoy. Thank you. Jim

[@JohnRaymondHall]

@@jamesdprovenzano3517 pleasure Jim - hope we chat again

[@johnsarkissian5519]

Watch the 1964 Soviet movie version, too! kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6rYqIZ4ptqgkNUsi=Dgaf7Zo_aUhVn0-d Carabosse is not only danced by a woman, she is in point shoes too. Sadly, like most Soviet era opera or ballet movies, it’s heavily abridged. But it’s still spectacular. And this version also proves that Carabosse can be portrayed through dancing equally well.

[@avesraggiana]

Dame Monica Mason. THE BEST Carabosse. And have a pair of forearms and elbows ever been as witty? She's totally riveting. I can' t take my eyes off her. She manages to be both completely terrifying and extremely funny too. How does she do that?! The use of her eyes was a given. But look at the way she uses her hands, her arms, or the bracing way she holds her back. She really sells the role of Carabosse. She sells it hard, and sells it well.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, a wonderful Carabosse! complex - not one dimensional as you say. i like Aston's too - did you see my post of him in the role?

[@robertrussellbennett]

Absolutely the best Carabosse ever!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

she is incredible, isn't she. and Ashton was a wonderful Carabosse

[@paolobesani171]

Mesmerised by her incredible eyes and hands, she’s terrific! 🤩

[@susanpaul4752]

Monica Mason excells in EVERYTHING she has ever done, for the Royal Ballet, on stage and off.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

i totally agree

[@kernowoggie]

I am so impressed by this superlative performance. Her mime and expressive facial gestures take the character to whole new level. I just love it!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

exactly right - i saw her in this role in the 1970s at the ROH and was equally impressed!

[@rlatimer10]

What stage presence, Mason is an incredible artist.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

isn't she! the eyes!

[@msjapan112]

I was thinking exactly the same!

[@UYTRELLO]

The pantomime is so important in The Sleeping Beauty! Miss Mason is amazing and looks so evil as Carabosse!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

agreed - and absolutely implacable! Ashton looked looks so evil but in a more pantomime rather than naturalistic way

[@elizzy8754]

It's possibly counter-intuitive, but Dame Monica's beauty and sumptuous costume make her evil spell even more terrifying. I do like Dowell's version. Also, but not Royal Ballet, Tsiskaridze's performance.

[@annamariagrosso5857]

Wow!!!!!!!! Stunning!!!! I never saw Miss Mason in that role and I can't stop watching her!!! Great artist and what an actress!!! Her musicality and what comes out of her eyes, her hands and from all her body! This Is Beauty! 🌹❤️💐 Thank you for posting It👏👏👏

[@janeelizabeth3420]

Thank you so much for posting this, Monica just radiates pure evil here! Simply the best Carabosse!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, a great Carabosse - did you see the film of Ashton in the role?

[@Talentedtadpole]

Iconic!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

indeed!

[@simaraft7373]

Absolutely terrific

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Sima :) yes, terrifying and enough to give you nightmares!

[@viewerabundzu6887]

Monica, absolutely brilliant.

[@isabeldiezlangre9411]

Buenísima bailarina Monica Manson Es la primera vez que le veo en este papel y esta esplendida. La había visto en las wilis de Giselle que también interpreta de maravilla. Gracias por compartir este vídeo.

[@susannevollmer2347]

Wow, Monique Mason has Medusa eyes!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

doesn't she!

[@lilbatz]

Dame Mason is glorious as Carabosse. TY for posting this.😍

[@JohnRaymondHall]

my pleasure Enjay :)

[@daffo595]

Finalleeeeee. I was waiting for this to be reuploaded T.T thank you, John

[@JohnRaymondHall]

wait no longer LOL - pleasure

[@kellym8142]

thanks for sharing this! It´s brilliant!!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

pleasure Kelly - Mason's eyes are suitably intense and scary

[@markbeck8384]

I love this scene in the ballet; and I think the English do it the very best: just brilliant.

[@classicalaid1]

I saw one Russian version with Carabosse played by a man....that was also terrifying. Ms. Mason's version here is also sublime. Among the very best of all time and I have seen them all. And in real life she is endearing, patient and gentle. In fact she was the director of the Royal Ballet.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, one of the best. Ashton's was more ghoulish - have you seen it?

[@classicalaid1]

@@JohnRaymondHall Yes, you are right about Ashton's portrayal. And indeed he likely had that side to him, as he explored his many and varied aspects. Robert Helpmann, a friend of his, who I actually saw perform live years ago, with the Australian Ballet...in Don Quixote...was also a great stage presence. I recall he played the part of the bejeweled, plumed fop. And he appeared in the same role in the justly famous Nureyev film with the Australian Ballet, considered one of the greatest dance films of all time...again Don Quixote. The ballet movie, the Sleeping Beauty with Farouk Ruzimatov, filmed in Montreal is also regarded as one of the greatest ballet films. It might be on KZbin. Ruzimatov's dancing is the stuff of legends. And my family was friends with Maya Plisetskaya and her composer husband in Moscow. I live for dance!!!!!!!!!And dance lives for me!!!!!!!!!

[@natashaselivon4695]

Прекрасная Карабос. Сколько новых красок. Замечательно. Свое оригинальное, не похожее прочтение этой яркой роли.. Цискаридзе тоже хорош и Дудинская, но она там хоть и злая, но красавица. Какие разные образы, но так интересно их сравнивать. Каждый вложил свое видение и частицу души.. Спасибо. 🌼👍

[@natcat555]

Thank you Mr Hall. Do you have more material of Miss Mason?

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, 'Elite Syncopations’, Monica Mason Rehearses Myrtha, Queen of the Willies 'Giselle' with Norman Morris and Gerd Larsen, 'Giselle' Monica Mason as Myrtha

[@edsonantunes50]

Quando o organizador da lista de convidados leva a culpa. Kkkkkkk

[@geraldinebutler2647]

Who is the ballerina playing thhe lead role of the sixteen year old Princess?

[@fido652]

That's Dame Merle Park

[@patriciacarson4309]

Who plays the prince?

[@JohnRaymondHall]

Wayne Eagling - www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=14135&row=12

[@patriciafoster3347]

Her Myrtha is the best EVER.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

agreed - saw her on stage as Myrtha

[@karllieck9064]

The sound is so muffled.

[@moniquelegarda1842]

Who is dancing Aurora?

[@braga144]

I think she is Merle Park

[@robertrussellbennett]

Merle Park

[@JohnRaymondHall]

@@braga144 Merle Park :) www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=14135&row=12

[@nordiskkatt]

Too over the top, but that's pretty par for the course for the Royal Ballet.

[@koher0025]

Great! But this fairy is emotionless. Mariinsky verison is quite better, it looks more eldest and effective with stick, and the whole character looks more traditional as in a magic story, not as in horror movie like this) Many details were borrowed from Sergeev

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, indeed this seems like from a horror movie - well put

[@Frenchmisto]

Whatever….

[@chalkedlines8960]

1. I don't think you've ever seen a horror movie. 2. Fairy tales in their original forms were dark and terrifying, not that I consider this particularly dark or terrifying. Monica Mason is not emotionless here, she just isn't using schtick or over-the-top campiness.

[@koher0025]

@@chalkedlines8960 you will never believe, but I have watched hundreds of horror movies! The character of dark fairy should correspond with the classical ballet and the traditional story.

[@avesraggiana]

@koher0025: The Russians have never known how to do mime, Carabosse or even The Sleeping Beauty. When the Maryinsky or the Bolshoi Sleeping Beauty it's one long, dancy, crashing bore. As if the Russians have completely missed the point of Sleeping Beauty. I can't stand to watch them. The Maryinsky version is most bloodless and most emotionless of them all. A hard pass for me.