25 replies to this topic

[Marc Haegeman]

They released a Sylphide with Dupont and Ganio. No chance they will release any other, no matter how many they may have in their archives - these are not intended for commercial release anyway.

[carbro]

chrisk217, on Jun 29 2005, 11:21 AM, said:

Marc Haegeman, on Jun 29 2005, 05:32 PM, said:

We don't really need to go back to anything, do we?  The Bournonville version doesn't have the girls on pointe and it's considered "normal" there.

I just meant that the effect of pointe on a modern audience cannot be the same. That is true of the Bournonville Sylphide also.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I disagree.  Putting the Scottish girls on pointe is, IMO, roughly equivalent to putting Desire's hunting companions on pointe.

[bart]

carbro, on Jun 29 2005, 03:33 PM, said:

I disagree.  Putting the Scottish girls on pointe is, IMO, roughly equivalent to putting Desire's hunting companions on pointe.

Quite an intriguing idea.  I'm thinking of submitting it to the Trocks.  What did Matthew Bourne do in Highland Fling?    

[Becca_King]

bart, on Jun 29 2005, 03:47 PM, said:

Quite an intriguing idea.  I'm thinking of submitting it to the Trocks.  What did Matthew Bourne do in Highland Fling?   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know if you're being serious or not, but - there's no pointe work in Highland Fling. The girls wear jazz shoes in Act 1 and bare feet in Act II. I doubt I'll make myself popular by saying this, but I think Bourne's sylph is more 'otherworldly' than the balletic sylph. That doesn't mean I prefer his version - I love them both.

From where can one get hold of the POB 1972 video, please? I've never seen it anywhere online or in a real shop.

[Giannina]

Just watched the new POB La Sylphide.  I liked Dupont and Ganio very much, and  Melanie Hurel as Effie was equally admirable.  Dupont's opening solo introduces her as a weightless entity, setting the tone of her character.  Surprisingly the camera misses all but the last instant of her chimney flight!  At the end of Act I Hurel has a terrific solo.  Just after that Ganio does a series of lifts with Dupont that made her absolutely weightless; amazing.  I agree that Act II does go on and ON, but there is lots of wonderful dancing and I can't complain.  I do prefer Bournonville's version.

Giannina

[Azulynn]

Actually, it was Manuel Legris who was supposed to be filmed with Aurélie Dupont in this Sylphide. Unfortunately, he got injured and Matthieu Ganio was I think the only "étoile" available at that time to do the video (premiers danseurs danced it just as well, is not better thanks to experience, but I think the management wanted an "étoile" for the commercial release).
It's a shame they haven't done one earlier, but still I think Aurélie Dupont and Mélanie Hurel are just admirable in that DVD. The first seems truly ethereal, and I just love Effie's solo ; I kept watching it again and again ! She doesn't show off and yet she catches the eye with her cleanliness and elegance, IMO. (Ms. Hurel also danced the title role in that very run, by the by)

[sparklesocks]

anyone want to give me a run-down of the versions of this ballet available on DVD or VHS.  I have been struggling to find a Bournonville recording.  I have the POB DVD, which was expensive by the way, and though I like it, I'm a bit more partial to the Bournonville version.  I vagely remember seeing clips of the National Ballet of Canada with Nureyev as James.  Is that all that available, or is there a full version of that on an old VHS somewhere?  I have done some light internet research to no avail, and have checked out my pathetic local library (which doesn't have much in the way of ballet on film unfortunately.)  Thanks!

[sparklesocks]

anyone?

[chrisk217]

sparklesocks, apart from the DVD you have ( Lacotte's La Sylphide with Dupont and Ganio) you can still maybe find an old VHS of the same choreography with Thesmar and Denard. I think Thesmar is enchanting and fascinating as La Sylphide and better suited to this role than Dupont.

Filming does not seem to have been a priority for the Royal Danish Ballet in the last 20 years so, unfortunately, I don't think you'll find a commercially availlable Bournonville Sylphide either in Europe or the US.

There was an old laser-disk(?) or vhs(?) version of Bournonville's La Sylphide with the Royal Danish Ballet. Good luck finding it. Maybe on e-bay...

If the excerpt you mention is the one with Nureyev and Carla Fracci, I think you can find it on the "I'm a dancer" film.

[sparklesocks]

Thanks.  Over the holidays I will begin my search.

[puppytreats]

I did not expect to enjoy this ballet, but I really was impressed by it, especially the second act.  In the first act, the stage was overly crowded, the costumes were unattractive, and the ensemble was disappointing.  However, the second act, after the witch scene, was delightful.  The dancing and choreography were really enjoyable.  Aurelie Dupont performs beautifully.  I can hardly believe Mathieu Ganio was only twenty years old in this DVD.  He did not seem very tall, but partnered Aurelie with such great ease.  (I observe this ability to partner tall dancers in most POB male dancers.)  My only criticism of him involved his hyperextended knees when he moved on the diagonal in the second act; however, I do not know if this is something a dancer can modify. It is difficult to look at, though.  I would like to see more performances by both of them.