18 replies to this topic

[Estelle]

As I had written in a thread about Laurent Hilaire, it is now known that Elisabeth Maurin, who is now 42, will retire next June, performing Juliet in Nureyev's "Romeo and Juliet" (her partner will be Manuel Legris). She joined the POB in 1979, and was promoted to étoile in 1988. She had been on maternity leave for most of the last season, but came back this season, and recently performed in Laura Scozzi's "Les sept péchés capitaux".

Here's the official biography of Elisabeth Maurin on the POB web site:

http://www.opera-de-...ElisabethMaurin

and also here's a link to an interview of her in "Dance View" in 2002, by Marc Haegeman:

http://www.danceview...ews/maurin.html

and a few photographs of her:

http://www.ballerina....com/maurin.htm

http://www.manuel-le...com/maurin.html

[Naoko S]

No doubt Mlle Maurin's adieu performance will be the highest point of 04/05 season.... the question is:  How can I secure a ticket for the special event?  You can rarely access casting info. well in advance, and it's not unusual tickets are completely sold out by the time the official distribution is out......

Another question is whether or not Hilaire will dance Tybolt in the ballet with Maurin and Legris - if that happens it will surely be a very special performance for all......

[Jane Simpson]

Oh dear - who's going to be left to do Le Parc in London next season?

[Estelle]

Naoko: I haven't seen any official announcement about the date yet. From Manuel Legris' site, it seems that Maurin's farewell will be his only performance of the season as Romeo (and I wonder whether it will be in fact his last Romeo ?) but the date is not announced there.

Jane: I didn't know the POB will tour to London next season... Are they supposed to perform only "Le Parc", or also other works ? Maybe she will perform it as a guest dancer... Besides the initial two casts (Guérin- Hilaire and Maurin- Legris), I remember that "Le Parc" also was performed by Aurélie Dupont and Yann Bridard, but I don't remember if there were other casts yet...

[Jane Simpson]

One of the newspapers had a preview of 2005 which mentioned that POB would be making a 'brief' visit to Sadler's Wells in October, and that they'd be doing Le Parc - and so far as I know that's all they're doing. I hope Legris at least will still be there, and it would be lovely if Hilaire and/or Maurin came too. (And maybe Guillem will be a guest artist too?)

I saw Maurin do Le Parc with Legris in Paris - the first time I've seen her since she danced Aurora with the Royal Ballet, years ago - and liked her very much.

[Estelle]

Thanks for the explanation, Jane. It really seems that "Le Parc" has become one of the ballets the POB always brings on tour... But as far as I know, Guillem has never performed it, so I don't know how likely she'd be to perform in it.

I saw Maurin and Legris in "Le Parc" (I never saw Hilaire and Guérin in it) and, though I didn't like that much the ballet itself, they were very good. Actually I regret not having seen Maurin more often, for example I'd have liked to see her as Giselle.

[Naoko S]

About POB's visit to SW this autumn - after having read the snippet of the info. I enquired with the theatre for a confirmation, in January.  At the time they apparently were not in a position to discuss Autumn/Winter Season, which was still being finalised - yet they didn't deny the possibility either.  A full season announcement is likely to be released around May.  

If they ever stage Le Parc in London - I can't think of anyone other than Hilaire who could do justice to the role..... after all it's his role, and Guérin's - together they created the roles for POB back in 1994.  In the reprise of the work in POB's 01/02 season Hilaire danced with Dupont, then last summer in Tokyo the pair again danced the excerpt from the work - I'd lay my bet on Hilaire & Dupont   taking the first night!   (But first of all let's just hope their coming to London becomes a reality....)

[cygneblanc]

Misss Maurin's farewell performance will be on June 29, 2005. It is written on Manuel Legris' website. You can order a ticket on the POB website. I have a one. It was hard to find something on the parterre, I had to try out in each category !

[Naoko S]

Thanks cygneblanc for the alert - I could secure a pretty nice place in the parterre on line.  Three cheers for M. Legris's website!

[cygneblanc]

Excellent Naoko   ! I have a pretty good seat too. And yes, cheers for ML's website  

[Estelle]

http://filinfo.franc...160133.yq3wy1ki

The direction of the POB has just announced that Elisabeth Maurin has been appointed teacher of the POB school, she will start teaching there next fall.

(Actually the article includes one mistake: it mentions Francesca Zumbo as a former étoile, but as far as I know she never was an étoile).

[sophia]

Sorry to announce that Manuel Legris will not dance as Romeo for Elisabeth Maurin's farewell performance. It is announced on his website.
Benjamin Pech will be her Romeo for the two performances on June 27th and 29th.

[Estelle]

Thanks for the casting update, sophia. It's a pity that Manuel Legris won't be able to perform, as I guess many people were looking forward to seeing him as Romeo (his only performance in this role this season) and he has already partnered Elisabeth Maurin so often. Anyway, her farewell performance will be a moving event- I regret not being able to go to Paris for it !

[Estelle]

An article in "Le Figaro" (in French) about Ms Maurin's retirement:

http://www.lefigaro....066.html?074338

She says that it was important for her to come back after the birth of her daughter Hortense 13 months ago to make her farewell performance, and recalls some memories (her first dance classes at 4, her first "Giselle" with Nureyev in Vienna, the day when she was promoted to étoile in 1988...)

[cygneblanc]

Just a few words to say it was a wonderful night. Miss Maurin was into the part so much. I saw Aurelie Dupont too and I thought her Juliette was just too clean.

I will never forget this day. An exceptional dancer said goodbye to the POB tonight ! What a musicality and what an actress! I had some tears in my eyes.

During the last few years, as far I'm concerned, I think her dance was smaller than when she was younger but it was really big tonight and she let herself go into her part.

A lot of her fellows were in the audience, including Aurelie Dupont (who by the way wasn't wearing any jewellery   ), Laetita Pujol, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Agnes Letestu and some others. I was seated near Ghislaine Thesmar and she was very nice.

The "etoiles" who were in the audience came on stage at the end to take some bows with Miss Maurin and congratulate her.

And the conductor, the american Kevin Rhodes, was a very pleasant surprise. The POB orchestra usually is quite bad, but he's doing a very good job with our damned musicians!

And finally, if Miss Maurin ever read this: thank you so much for everything !