10 replies to this topic

[cygneblanc]

POB Annual recruitment competition 2008 for school pupils is tomorrow while the external competition is on Friday 4th, 2008.

10 positions are available.

Good luck to everyone

[cygneblanc]

Results of the internal competition

No boys won positions. 4 girls got a permanent contract: Marion Barbeau, Leonore Baulac, Sylvia-Christel Saint Martin and Juliette Hilaire.

There is going to be a lot of talks about this.

Congrats to everyone, a special thought for the boys who worked so hard, for the girls who have to compete tomorrow, and also for the graduates of the last few years who haven't got positions because so few spots were available.

[ruteyo]

As controversial as these results may be, I wasn't very impressed with the POB school boys who performed soloist roles in Washington DC Proteges II this year. I remember graduation years with boys like Josua Hoffalt, Mathias Heymann...they had much stronger years before.

I was surprised because I feel like POB school often produces better boys than girls. I mean their male CORPS is beyond amazing! So perhaps that's partially the reason? The boys this year weren't on par with the rest of the other years?

[cygneblanc]

Well, actually and to make it clear, I think the controversy might be about the recruitment of former principal Laurent Hilaire's daughter Juliette. One can't say her results in the school were outstanding, and she only had a small soloist part in the school's performance. I think honestly she was one of the weakest this year in the graduation class but of course maybe her performance this morning was outstanding

The boys' result is surprising. It's true that boys' field this year wasn't deep but I thought Takeru Koste would make it. If there is a polemic, it will be for sure about the teaching and the teachers. 19 kids have been rejected from POB's school this year, including 4 four boys of the ante graduation class.

[Leigh Witchel]

To defend the POB boys a bit, I think Soir de Fete also was a more exposing ballet than was done by the other schools, and also more so than what was done when Hoffalt and Chaillet came to NYC several years ago. Not that they weren't very talented, they just weren't doing Staats or Lifar, which are choreographic obstacle courses. I'd give this year's crop another chance.

[cygneblanc]

Results of the external competition:

won permament positions: Marine Ganio-Khalfouni, Alexandre Labrot, Takeru Coste, Jean-Baptiste Chavignier, Hugo Viglioti, Alexandre Gasse

[Estelle]

Results of the external competition:

won permament positions: Marine Ganio-Khalfouni, Alexandre Labrot, Takeru Coste, Jean-Baptiste Chavignier, Hugo Viglioti, Alexandre Gasse

Thanks for posting the results, cygneblanc ! What is your opinion about these results ?
I guess Marie Ganio-Khalfouni is Mathieu Ganio's little sister ? (But why doesn't he have Khalfouni in his name too, as he is the son of Dominique Khalfouni too ?)

The only dancer of the list that I remember seeing is Takeru Coste, I have a good memory of him in José Martinez's "Scaramouche".

That must be a really hard period of the year for the students of the school, with so many talented students and so few positions...
Also, are there some explanations about the high number of students who were rejected from the school this year ? 19 sounds unusually high...

[cygneblanc]

Yes, Marine Ganio-Khalfouni is Matthieu Ganio's sister. She added her mother's name to her surname late for private reasons, but it has to do with her love for her Mom!

The results of the internal competition were expected. I believe Marion, Leonore and Sylvia were the three best dancers of this year first division. Marion is said to be the next Sylvie Guillem by her peers, so we'll see. I'm disapointed they hired Juliette but that's a "taboo-question"! I really wonder why Calista isn't even ranked. She's a very beautiful dancer, is only 16 years old, always received the highest score in her classes, and danced important part in school performances.

As for the external competition, the permanent positition in the ladies category seemed to be set apart for Lucie Fenwick but they finally gave it to Marine Ganio-Khalfouni. I haven't seen her dance for a while. She has an extraordinary technics but she doesn't have exactly the right body type according to POB's standings. You'll find pictures of her if you google her name and you'll understand what I mean. Several boys of this year 1st division got a permanent contract. I'm disapointed they didn't hire Nans Pierson. He's a amazing guy with a very beautiful sensitivity. I wonder if his idea of coming back now instead of staying in San Francisco until january was good.

[cygneblanc]

Sorry, about the 19 rejections: Miss Platel select more pupils than Miss Bessy in the lowest levels so there is more rejections. There were 11 boys in the 2ond division and that was too much. Miss Platel when she took her position recruited a lot of boys, very few boys were rejected the last few years in the lowest levels but now a skimming was needed. I deplore it was done at that time when the boys had only one more year to do before having their diploma. And harsch critics made on boys during DC's tour certainly didn't help.

Oh, and one can notice that Camille de Bellefon of the National Conservatory of Paris is ranked seven in the external competition. It's the first time in a lot of years that a student of this conservatory is ranked. She's also coached by Jennifer Goube and that training must be very beneficial for her.

[ruteyo]

Btw, what happened to Marie-Astrid Casinelli? I remember the school loved her when she was a student and I remember her graduation performance too and now it seems like she didn't compete OR wasn't classified in this year's concours d'externe again? I feel so bad for these dancers who have to WAIT FOREVER to be even admitted into the company!

I've seen Marine Ganio on stage here and there, she reminds me a bit of Eleonore Guerineau -- their physiques are similar.

The best graduation performance for me was Herve Moreau in Daphnis et Chloe, which he danced with Marie-Soulene Boulet. Now THAT was a talented year, with Mallory Gaudion, Nicolas Paul, Eleonore A, etc. That was a while ago though!

[cygneblanc]

I don't know what she's doing now but last year she danced with Europa Dance and the Cannes Jeune Ballet. I think she didn't compete at the POB's competition.