20 replies to this topic

[Françoise]

I think it's the conception of the part who seems modern or not.

Aurelie and Agnès made modern Giselle before their madness, especially Agnès who seems to look in side of Mats Ek's version without be like in.
The both don't cry, don't run too over the stage when they feel the heart attack. They have too many little intentions in their acting before, with their look, their smile and it's difficult to explain.
Mélanie Hurel I saw tonight was a very traditionnal Giselle too, she is not crying, but she runs too, she feels the cold freeze of death in her arm, but I don't know why I like more her madness than Cojocaru's one.
And for the hairs, Agnes has all the time long hair as Cojocaru. Against Aurélie released some of her hair not all.

It's very difficult for me to explain in english why I found Aurelie and Agnès modern. What is sure it's for me the best Giselle was Aurélie Dupont.

[Françoise]

Yesterday night was the débuts in Giselle Part of Mélanie Hurel, she is a traditionnal Giselle too, in the POB style. She is a very shy peasant, who is attracted by the gentle way to be of Loys, he kiss her hands, a knee on floor for example. Technically she is very correct even if she is not as Aurélie or Agnès who have long high balance in their arabesque for example. Her madness is perhaps a few scolar, but she is interesting and could be a very good Giselle in future. In second act, she is very light, she makes any noise when she jumps, but she lacks of some torso movements.

She was well partnered by Benjamin Pech, he is a perfect parner, his acting is very interesting and very modern too. I love when Bathilde discover the truth, the way he tries to said to her to not say nothing to Giselle, but it's too late. Technically, he is amazing with very good jumps, and superb battery.

Nathalie Aubin, unfortunately injuried herself on stage yesterday night but I didn't love her Myrtha before, is it due to the injury or to her way to play her, I never know. I hope she will recover quickly especially she is a dancer who never injuried, it's hard to see that on stage. She was replaced by Muriel Hallé to make go out from wings    and not from her grave the Ghost of Giselle. After she was replaced by the young Aurore Cordellier who was interesting in the few we saw her.

Stéphane Elizabé is a good Hilarion, he knows that Giselle will never love him and he seems to accept but he wants open her eyes about the true Loys, he doesn't  want act by revenge, but by love !

In peasants pdd, Myriam Ould Braham and Mallory Gaudion were technically excellent but they lacks of something, they seem dance "alone together" and never we saw the play between the two actor as wth Dorothée Gilbert and Alessio Carbone.

Despite the injury of Nathalie, it was a very interesting evening, and very strangely I love also this traditionnal view of Giselle part  :shrug:

[traviata]

Personally, I appreciated a lot Mélanie Hurel as Giselle. Physically, she fits the role, and she makes the best of her medium height. It seems she worked a lot the top part of her body. Her acting was spontaneous, vivacious and touching.
I think I also did enjoy so much the performance because of Benjamin Pech, who was an Albrecht perfectly suited to Mélanie.
As regards the peasants pas de deux, I totally agree with you, Françoise: Myriam ould-Braham and Mallory Gaudion didn't seem to be dancing together... But they were very good individually.

[Juliette]

As the performances of Giselle are now over, I'd like to say some words about all the Giselles I had the opportunity to see.
Aurélie Dupont gave us, by far, the best rendition of the title role. She has everything you expect a Giselle to have: style, beautiful rounded technique, a great acting and the little something more that makes a ballerina an "Etoile". In the first act, her dance is light, joyful and you totally understand why Albrecht loves her. Her variation is amazing, with beautiful balances. Her madness is very interesting and when you see Aurélie in it, you understand what this scene really means; she is discret, but you can really see how powerful her sorrow is; her heart attack is also very well announced and her death is really the climax of a long suffering. But the highlight of a performance is without a doubt her second act; she is a beautiful and moving wili. Her dance is once again perfect (I particularly like the way she is moving her arms and the head of her body) and you can see what a wonderful Giselle she will be by the years. Her Albrecht was LeRiche and, although he is a really interesting Albrecht, deeply in love with Giselle and with such an amazing technique, their couple lack the chemistry one should expect to see between Albrecht and Giselle.
Agnès Letestu also gave us a beautiful performance of Giselle and it is a lot to say for me as I'm not a big fan of Agnès. Her first act really impressed me: she has a very particular way of playing the character (with some mind problems or something like that); her variation and her madness were very good. Her second act was exactly how one should expect Agnès to be in it and therefore I like her second act a little less, but her technique was brilliant. Martinez's Albrecht was the best and the most complete I saw; he perfectly fits Agnès' Giselle and their couple was therefore the most moving of all.
I also very liked Zakharova's Giselle; the Bolshoi star gave us a different face of the character but it was very interesting, and what a delight to see her dancing! Her madness is a little overplayed, but it fits totally with the rest of her part and therefore her first act was really charming. Her second act was also very well-danced, but I liked a little less the way she was playing the character (but what a relief to see at last a Giselle who is still acting in the second act, even it's a little more); she is too living for me. Hilaire's Albrecht was a good surprise for me, as I haven't see him in a classical part for a long time; his technique is still good and his first act was really moving (he has the best reaction to the death of Giselle), even the best. His acting in the second act was a little less interesting, as Zakharova's, but I spent a wonderful night.
Alina Cojocaru was a discovery for me and I was eager to finally see her dance after all I have heard or read about her and her Giselle. But I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by her Giselle, although I really liked the ballerina. Her first act is really charming and she dances beautifully, but I find she lacks some dramatic weight, particularly in the second act: too living, almost too light, she made me think of a "sylphide" and not of a wili. Her couple with Legris (who was a good Albrecht, although I would have liked to see him in the part a few years ago)didn't work at all. But Cojocaru is an endearing ballerina and after having seen her in Giselle, I just want to see her again and in another part who perhaps fits her better (Juliet, Cinderella, Aurora...)
Last but not least was Laetitia Pujol's Giselle, as everybody praised her performance in the role in July. Although she is very good in that role, has the perfect style, a wonderful technique  and physically fits the part, I must say that I was not totally convinced by her Giselle, and I was particularly disappointed by her madness: too classic, exactly how I figured she would be and thus not really moving. Her couple with LeRiche was working, but that was the night I less liked. And I really wonder when Pujol will grow in her interpretations of her roles, because, although she has an amazing technique, I expect something more from an Etoile.
Among all the Myrthas I saw, Marie-Agnès Gillot was by far the best: authority, elegance, wonderful technique! Moussin danced also very beautifully (one of the most beautiful ballerinas of the Paris Opéra), but she lacks something.
The best Hilarion I saw was Bridard; a really moving and interesting way to play the part.
And finally, in the Peasant pdd, Dorothée Gilbert gave us once again a wonderful performance; she really appears (and even more everytime I see her dancing) as the future great Etoile of the POB.
The corps was also very good.
Well, that's all about Giselle. I hope you will understand all I wanted to say.