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Sylvie Guillem


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Sylvie Guillem has reached 40 & seems to be coming to the end of her association with the Royal Ballet. What her future plans are I don't know.

Comparing Sofiane Sylve to Guillem is the old apples & oranges theme. The only thing they really have in common is that both are French.

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Guillem is doing some performances of Marguerite and Armand with the Royal Ballet next season, but she' s also appearing with Russell Maliphant in a new show at Sadler's Wells Theatre at the end of September - this seems to be the sort of thing she's more interested in these days.

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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.

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Thank you for that wonderful description, yiannisfrance. I enjoyed reading that.

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".

:)

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This is such wonderful news! I have only seen Sylvie dance once and that was the summer of 2004, when she danced with Murru in Marguerite and Armand as part of the Ashton Centenial at Lincoln Center. How much I would love to see her dance again in something classical.

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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.

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Sylvie Guillem at the NCPA dance festival Beijing (videos)

Interview with Sylvie Guillem

http://english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20121114/101330.shtml

Short feature on Sylvie Guillem's show

http://english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20121114/101297.shtml

Overview of NCPA festival, including review of Sylvie Guillem's show and discussion on the growth of dance in China

http://english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20121114/101332.shtml

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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

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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.

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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

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I saw her in her prime at the royal ballet - can still see her manon so vividly, it was so so stunning.

But I went to see a recent 'evening with Sylvie guillem' and really would not recommend, which is sad

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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.

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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

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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

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