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Some sublime extracts from a report on Greek television with Sylvie Guillem and Massimo Murru for the premiere of "Marguerite et Armand" presented at Megaron Mousikis in Athens this Christmas. Sylvie also presented there "Sacred Monsters" (7 performances + 6 of "Marguerite et Armand" in about 10 days. A true Greek marathon). http://www.megatv.com/megagegonota/summary.asp?catid=27386&subid=2&pubid=32796782

Wonderful to have such a great artist back. I am really looking forward to her upcoming collaboration at La Scala with Neumeier based on Eleanor Duse.

For those of you who will be in Athens, Greece during Christmas time, you have a rare chance to catch Sylvie Guilem in two very different facets, in modern and classical dance. She will be presenting at the Megaron Mousikis (Megaron Concert Hall) in Athens from December 19th to December 23rd "Sacred Monsters" with Akhram Khan and then, even more dazzingly "Marguerite et Armand" with Massimo Murru and the Tokyo Ballet from December 25th to December 30th. For more information, look at the following link (4 pages with Sylvie's performances) http://www.megaron.gr/default.asp?pid=35&la=2&cy=14&pct=3

Wonderful Since official recordings of Guillem's performances are more than rare, these glimpses are all the more precious.

Actually that "stunning" quality is still very much present, like when she reprised her Manon at La Scala in 2011; it was a summit by anyone's standards and having seen her in that part in the past I would very safely say that not only she had lost none of her stunning qualities, she gained with time and the result was utterly amazing. The same would be said when she did "Steptext" recently in Florence she really was extraordinary. I can understand people's hesitations about more recent repertory (although I can take anything with Sylvie) but she still ventures into the classical or neoclassical repertory and it seems that she will portray Marguerite in "Marguerite et Armand" in the near future in Athens. More on the subject will come up soon hopefully.

Sylvie is now appearing until June 25th at the Chekhov International Theatre Festival at the Mossovet Theatre in Moscow with "6000 miles away". Her partner for Forsythe's "Rearray" is Nicolas Le Riche. They added two extra performances for her shows due to the demand for tickets. http://www.chekhovfest.ru/en/program/ Right away after Moscow, next stop Paris at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées where she is reprising her hit show "Sacred Monsters" for 3 performances, June28th, June 29th and June 30th 2013. http://www.theatrechampselysees.fr/danse/sylvie-guillem-akram-khan

1) With regards to Sylvie Guillem, she now has besides her official web page, an official Facebook page. This is the address: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sylvie-Guillem/206175282869244 2) I saw the performance of Sylvie in "Steptext" in Florence twice. Unfortunately due to a strike movement, the premiere was cancelled and various problems of organisation arose since the compagny of the MaggioFiorentino is in danger of closing down. But fortunately the Divine Sylvie was there to grace the stage for three nights. The ensemble program was of great quality. The first piece was Balanchine's "The Four temperaments" (there was also Kylian's "Sechs Tänze" and Stravinsky's "Les Noces" choreographed by Andonis Foniadakis wonderfullly performed by the members of the MaggioDanza compagny. After the Balanchine piece came Sylvie in "Steptext". It is hard to find the right words to describe her. Although she has not danced this most demanding piece for more than 17 or so years, she has lost none of her extraordinary ability to infuse life, rigor and passion in each Forsythe step. People were gasping with awe at her undiminished powers as she lifted her legs exquisitely as if to reach the sky, but what really impresses is how movement simply flows naturally and beautifully, her tempo is right on target, her musicality is without equal and her stage presence elecrifying. I honestly hope that we will have another chance in the future to see the Divina Sylvie in "Steptext" since it remains in my mind a perfect moment of absolute grace.

Sylvie Guillem will be performing William Forsythe's "Steptext" a piece she has not performed for many years (so this makes the event all the more rare and exceptionnal) at an evening on great choreographers which will take place in Florence at the Teatro Communale, from June 10th to June 13th. Also in the program, pieces of Balanchine, Kylian and Foniadakis. Here is the link for more information on the event: http://www.maggiofiorentino.it/content/grandi-coreografi

I would hardly call Sylvie Guillem a "dull" dancer as she is considered as elegant and "cool" as any dancer can be, with an extraordinary diversity both in classical and modern dancing and she sure has personality on and off stage. I know that some people do not like her, but there can be no doubt that there is an era before and one after Sylvie Guillem. Most dancing schools around the world and most dancers single her out as a model (people like Vishneva, Zakharova, Lopatkina, Rojo, Cojocaru, Letestu etc) and she has inspired so many great choreographers and directors (Nureev, Bejart, Forsythe, Mats Ek, Maliphant, A. Kahn, Robert Wilson, Lepage etc). Give me more "dull" dancers like Sylvie and I will never complain about a single "dull" moment in a theater again> When she portrayed her Manon at La Scala at the end of January 2011 beginninings of February she rbought the house down and everyone in the theater was transfixed by awe and emotion> And she has proved in her latest show "Sylvie Guillem 6000 miles away" (which will be presented in New York in the spring) that she remains on top form and still inspires great choreographers around the world

I hope they do that. Many people are dreaming see Sylvie Guillem returning to the Paris Opera where she made her sensational debuts many years ago (her last visit there was 2003 if I am not mistaken for her sentational Manon). Nothing is certain, but there is hope and Sylvie seems willing to dance Manon (she is still at the peak of her powers as she proved during the triumphant performances of "Manon" at la Scala in Milan recently). Le Riche is still dancing, not that much at this season though at the Paris Opera House but he is still a possibility. There is also Massimo Murru who after Laurent Hilaire's and Jonathan Cope's retirement is Guillem's most frequent partner in "Manon". On the other hand, I think Le Riche will dance with Sylvie (in the Forsythe piece) in the new program she is presenting at Sadler's Theater in London next July. Is sounds really exciting: http://www.ballet.co.uk/dcforum/news/4969.html

Thank you for sharing this, it made me live the Manon representation at La Scala all over again. Amazing, isn't it? She is still as light as a feather, a heavenly dream, sensual, fascinating, unique and I could go on and on.

Yes, it is indeed wonderful to see in in the classical repertory. I was lucky enough to see her several times when I was living in Paris at the Paris Opera House and in London as well as Manon, Juliet (in the MacMillan and Nureyev version), Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Marguerite and Armand). I honestly hope that her triumphant return at La Scala as Manon will convince Sylvie to do more classical work in the near future, since there is no doubt that she is still at the peak of her powers, but I am not certain that she will. What is certain is that she is preparing a new work with three great choreographers (Matts Ekk, Forsythe and Kyllian) which I believe will be presented at the Sadler's Theatre in London in July. The work created by her by Matts Ekk was presented at a world premiere in Stockholm last December and was a huge success. I think it is called "AJO" (Adieu) with a music on Beethoven. At any rate, "Mademoiselle Non" has still a lot to offer to the dance world.

Thank you as well. It was such a magical experience, I am still in heaven thanks to "Mademoiselle Non", who said "oui" and returned at last to the classical repertory.

I was at La Scala for the première of "L'histoire de Manon" with Sylvie Guillem and it was in every sense of the word an unforgettable experience. Even while entering the prestigious theatre of La Scala one was aware that this was a very special event indeed. Was I apprehensive too? Yes, with no doubt. I was scared to death. Adoring Sylvie like I do, still I was wondering. Would she be able to pull it off? I had already seen Sylvie in her incomparable Manon three times before this performance, the first being in 1998 forn her triuphant return at the Paris Opera at the Palais Garnier where she portrayed the part with the marvellous Laurent Hilaire. But from the moment she entered the stage magic worked like a miracle and my fears were gone. I have never seen or heard an audience welcoming a performer on stage like they did at La Scala for Sylvie's entrance with such thunderous applause. Everyone was thrilled to see her again on stage, especially in this wonderful ballet, one of her signature roles. Her dancing was divine but what realy impresses always is how fluid and natural it all seems. Every single movement seems to occupy the entire space of the stage, every single extension is part of the dramatic characterisation of the part of Manon. Guillem a dancer of genious has only deepened her characterisation of Manon over the years. And she is such a great actress-dancer. Every single expression of her face, her hands, everything tells us something about Manon's free and naive nature, her inner conflicts, her desire to be loved by De Grieux but also unable to resist the temptations of a luxury life. During the brothel scene she danced her solo (I believe it is called Manon's variation) and you could feel that no one was breathing in the audience. Everyone was suspended at her movements, her seduction, her charm. And at the end someone cried from the audience "Diviina!" and everyone burst into applause. A wonderful, unforgettable moment. Her death scene will certainly remain one of the greatest moments in dance, a heartbreaking, magnificent moment of desperation and virtuoso dancing which seems to be caught in a moment of eternity. Sylvie's partner was the wonderful Massimo Murru from the Scala. A wonderful, true magic couple. The evening was a great triumph, everyone rose to his feet and applauded like mad and Sylvie was the Divina of that night. At the stage door there was such a crowd waiting to see her, to take her photograph and sign autographs and Sylvie was trully happy to have this warm contact with her audience again. When I told her that it was such a wonderful magical experience to see her again as Manon, even more so at La Scala, such a mythical, prestigious theatre she smiled and said maliciously and charmingly (Oui c'est mon théâtre), "Oh yes it is my theatre". She is right. One could feel tghat she was indeed at home that night. The triuphant return of an artist of genious to a legendary part, in a mythical theatre. Merci Sylvie.

The scenes censored in the widely circulated print of "Mata Hari" and included in the original print make a lot of difference for comprehending both the characters of Mata Hari and Rosanoff played by Novarro. Even the first dance scene of Mata seems much more sensual and original if seen in its longer version. On the DVD released by Warner Bros and the print shown on TCM (and in most repertory movie houses), the dance scene seems short and even awkward. But the additional footage adds something, an element of eroticism, a provocative and ambiguous touch which would be in line both with Garbo's personna on screen and even the real Mata Hari. If you add to that the two love scenes cut (the first when Rosanoff follows Mata to her apartments and the second one when she asks him to put out the Madonna's light) you get a better understanding of what goes on between the two characters and especially Mata Hari's progressive transformation from a distant, calculating ormented with gold goddess to a human self-sacrifising goddess. In the first love scene deleted you can see that when Mata Hari says goodnight and slowly closes suggestively the golden satin curtains, she leaves enough space for Rosanoff to follow her and as he prepares to leave he hesitates and then unfortunately... cut. When he sees her the next day and she is cold and indifferent to him he says to her disoriented : "I am sorry but last night you told me that you love me". "Oh did I she says cynical? Well that was last night, today I am very busy"; and we understand that they spent the night together. This time Garbo's character is still calculating but her ultimate transformation will come during their second love scene together. What is a fascinating too, is that in the uncensored version we get to see Garbo in one of her most provocative and sensual outfits (you have a photo of this in the Mark Viera book). The same goes for the second love scene cut. In the original version Rosanoff kisses Mata Hari passionately and we see him carrying her to his rooms and then we hear the two lovers in the dark only lit with the cigarette smoke talking tenderly about their future together. So the next morning when Mata Hari walks out of his rooms we see that she is beginning to melt down from her expression as she leaves his room and as she writes him a note. In the cut version, it is hard to guess why she has changed like that but if you add the love scene you can see that the lady has fallen in love so she is a different woman.