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Mathilde Froustey


pherank

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SFB fans are no doubt looking forward to seeing Mathilde Froustey live on the War Memorial stage. I hope the season goes well for her, and she stays on indefinitely (though she wisely took a sabbatical from the POB).

For images of, and by, Ms. Froustey, I recommend her Instagram page:

http://instagram.com/mfroustey

She also has a Twitter page - that she updates less frequently (and I can't blame her):

https://twitter.com/MFroustey

At the laundromat (SF Mission District, I believe)

408984e4559211e3ba6e122b69781b89_8.jpg

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Here's a nice long interview with Ms. Froustey from Danses Avec La Plume:

http://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/pas-de-deux/interview-with-mathilde-froustey-the-new-principal-dancer-at-the-san-francisco-ballet/


How do you imagine the ambiance to be at SFB?

I had a lunch a few days ago with Helgi Tomasson. The relationships seem to be simple and direct. We had a very honest chat. I told him my anguishes and he tried to explain how everything would happen. We really want it to be a nice experience for both sides. It is quite a big deal having someone brought from out of the US; if they did it, they’ll probably want me to dance as much as possible and this is exactly what I want. So, on the paper sheet, everything seems perfect; of course, I guess there will be some difficulties but it is such a deep desire for me to go dance there…


What is your best memory on stage with this company?
The Four Little Swans in the Lake that I danced with Dorothée Gilbert, Myriam Ould-Braham and Fanny Fiat. There was a perfect harmony and we were all friends…

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Froustey posted this video via Twitter: her performance in SFB's Nutcracker Grand Pas de deux. Her Prince is Davit Karapetyan. Unfortunately, his solo is cut, but you do get to see hims bit during the coda. She is just wonderful.

Thanks for this; she's just lovely. The televised version with Kochetkova hasn't the same charm, to be honest.

SFB had better do its best to hold onto Froustey. From the little that I've seen of Sylve, one can never have too many French ballerinas in a company. happy.png

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Thanks for this; she's just lovely. The televised version with Kochetkova hasn't the same charm, to be honest.

Have to agree; Froustey's charm doesn't look like the kind that gets turned off the minute she leaves the stage. Very appealing.

SFB had better do its best to hold onto Froustey. From the little that I've seen of Sylve, one can never have too many French ballerinas in a company. happy.png

Really agree with that. Sylve can be variable, but when she's on her game, she's unique. I'm guessing Froustey is going to be very individual too.

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Froustey posted this video via Twitter: her performance in SFB's Nutcracker Grand Pas de deux. Her Prince is Davit Karapetyan. Unfortunately, his solo is cut, but you do get to see him a bit during the coda. She is just wonderful.

That was actually quite enjoyable - thanks. I'm usually not so intersted in this PDD, but Helgi seems to have updated some details, and MF and DK look great together.

Someone in the box seats is going to get in trouble for providing this video. ;) A Froustey family member, or friend, perhaps?

Froustey posted this video via Twitter: her performance in SFB's Nutcracker Grand Pas de deux. Her Prince is Davit Karapetyan. Unfortunately, his solo is cut, but you do get to see hims bit during the coda. She is just wonderful.

SFB had better do its best to hold onto Froustey. From the little that I've seen of Sylve, one can never have too many French ballerinas in a company. happy.png

Hear, hear - though I think it will be more up to Ms. Froustey - she may want to see more of the world...

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That Nutcracker video is exquisite. That's the first I've seen of Froustey that I find really encouraging. I have to say her Kitri looks far too over-emphasized and jerky for me. But as the Sugar Plum she has real nuance to the performance.

It's good she has someone in her corner (or rather box) to video her. Perhaps this is a modern-day American version of the claque.

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That Nutcracker video is exquisite. That's the first I've seen of Froustey that I find really encouraging. I have to say her Kitri looks far too over-emphasized and jerky for me. But as the Sugar Plum she has real nuance to the performance.

It's good she has someone in her corner (or rather box) to video her. Perhaps this is a modern-day American version of the claque.

Yes, I actually find myself re-watching the footage. The really encouraging part is that MF is brand new to the company, and over time (if she decides to stay on) she will only grow as she's exposed to so many different dancers of different backgrounds (SFB is very eclectic).

"But as the Sugar Plum she has real nuance to the performance" - Masha's version on the DVD is of course precisely danced, but she's basically said she doesn't feel enthusiastic about doing Nutcracker, and so probably doesn't take the time to find and develop the details. I keep saying, the problem isn't the concept of the Nutcracker, and certainly not the music, but what choreographers have done (or not done) with the concept over time. Few choreographers have taken the ballet seriously.

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Yes, I actually find myself re-watching the footage. The really encouraging part is that MF is brand new to the company, and over time (if she decides to stay on) she will only grow as she's exposed to so many different dancers of different backgrounds (SFB is very eclectic).

I'm going to disagree a bit and say I hope it's the opposite, that the company be inspired by special qualities she shows here, of taking time to work out all the nuances of her phrasing – and for her not to pick up an international look.

I really don't know what the SF company's style is – eclectic as you say, Cuban and Spanish and American vitalistic? Chrisopher Wheeldon says he fit the speedier parts of Cinderella on the San Francisco dancers and the more intimate ones on the Dutch Ballet. I tend to like Balanchine style and commedia dell'arte of Diaghilev and Russia in the early 1920's, so in the past I liked Tina LeBlanc, Gonzalo Garcia, Julie Diana, Vadim Solomakha, Taras Domitro (when he was a bit rawer, before Allan Ulrich's approval this year), and of course Sofiane Sylve – but they're all wild cards in the company.

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Watching the video, and reading the interview, makes me think this is a dancer I'd like to follow. (Possibly because her head, and the way it sits upon the neck, remind me of a former NYCB favorite of mine, Kay Mazzo.)

The Nutcracker pdd was fascinating: parts lovely and subtle, parts that seem just to be sketched in. Possibly this is due to something phrank has noted:

Masha's version on the DVD is of course precisely danced, but she's basically said she doesn't feel enthusiastic about doing Nutcracker, and so probably doesn't take the time to find and develop the details.


On the whole, I wish (along with Quiggin) for her "not to pick up an international look." Her movement style, phrasing, and self-presentation reflect her training, but also her body and temperament. It might be a good idea, however, to work on torso flexibility; the lovely arm movements seem to be emerging a too-stolid central core.

A very interesting dancer. I wonder where her career will take her.

P.S. Recent threads from San Francisco -- with the generous supply of links and visuals -- are giving the rest of us a lot of material to be envious about. Thanks to all of you who post there.

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Two videos of Froustey in the Giselle Act II pdd.

Rehearsal with Manuel Legris (now there's somebody I'd love to have seen on stage).

And from 2004, Vienna with Josua Hoffalt (another one I'd like to see).

Has she ever performed Giselle at the POB? It's not listed as one of her roles on the SFB bio; it''l be interesting to see if she performs it this season. For some reason, she just strikes me as more of an Act 1 Giselle.

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Here is the principal casting for Giselle.

http://www.sfballetblog.org/2014/01/principal-casting-sf-ballets-giselle-program-1/

Froustey is scheduled to dance two performances of Giselle, on the 26th and 29th of January.

I'm going to the 1/26 performance. Based on the videos (and Allan Ulrich's comment about being 'driven slightly mad' by her individual phrasing), I'm guessing she won't be less than interesting.
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Here is the principal casting for Giselle.

http://www.sfballetblog.org/2014/01/principal-casting-sf-ballets-giselle-program-1/

Froustey is scheduled to dance two performances of Giselle, on the 26th and 29th of January.

Casting changes: Mathilde is now dancing on the 31st instead of the 29th. Lorena is now dancing on the 29th. Also, SVP now has a second performance and Vanessa is out. I wonder if she got injured during the gala. Of course, casting could change again. I was looking forward to seeing Mathilde - I was so impressed with her at the gala.

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Here is the principal casting for Giselle.

http://www.sfballetblog.org/2014/01/principal-casting-sf-ballets-giselle-program-1/

Froustey is scheduled to dance two performances of Giselle, on the 26th and 29th of January.

Casting changes: Mathilde is now dancing on the 31st instead of the 29th. Lorena is now dancing on the 29th. Also, SVP now has a second performance and Vanessa is out. I wonder if she got injured during the gala. Of course, casting could change again. I was looking forward to seeing Mathilde - I was so impressed with her at the gala.

One of the reviewers mentioned that Zahorian was having an off night (and I can't remember the last time I heard that about her dancing), so an injury could very well be the reason. Sad to get injured right at the beginning of the season.

The SFB schedule says that Froustey will perform on both the 26th and the 31st.

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