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Wilfried Romoli, will retire on May 6, after performing the "Phlegmatic" variation of Balanchine's "The Four temperaments", and exceptionally in Angelin Preljocaj's "Un trait d'union" with Laurent Hilaire (already retired, but who will come back for that special occasion). Born in 1963, he joined the POB school in 1973 and the POB in 1979. He became a coryphee in 1982, sujet in 1983, premier danseur in 1989 and finally an étoile in 2005 (probably the oldest promoted étoile in the POB's history... Many thought that it should have happened much earlier).
Kader Belarbi, born in 1962, will retire on July 13, after a performance of Carolyn Carlson's "Signes", he will also dance soon in Mats Ek's "La Maison de Bernarda" (April 26- May 11). He joined the POB school in 1975 and the POB in 1980, became a coryphee in 1984, a sujet in 1985, a premier danseur in 1988 and finally was promoted to étoile by Rudolf Nureyev in 1989.
Both have had quite large repertories, as can been seen on their biographies on the POB web site:
http://www.operadepa...phie.asp?id=216
http://www.operadepa...phie.asp?id=267
They are said to be good friends (sometimes giving interviews together) and often were cast in the same roles. In recent years, Belarbi performed less often, focusing mostly on modern dance roles, and also on his own choreographies (most notably "Wuthering heights" for the POB- in which Romoli premiered the role of Hindley).
I have especially fond memories of them in Robbins' "In the Night" (Belarbi in the second pas de deux, Romoli in the third), of Belarbi in Ek's "Giselle", Taylor's "Speaking in Tongues", Balanchine's "Jewels", Lifar's "Les Mirages", Massine's "Le Tricorne" and of Belarbi in Robbins' "The Concert" and "The Cage" and Balanchine's "Four temperaments", they also were wonderful in a video of Jacques Garnier's "Aunis"... Thanks Wilfried and Kader for all those wonderful memories
I guess that now Belarbi will work mostly as a choreographer. I don't know what are Romoli's plans...
