nanushka Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I'd be interested to hear thoughts on any dancers who'll be in one of next week's casts for Emeralds, as I'm not very familiar with most POB dancers. First Pas de Deux: Dorothée Gilbert (Étoile), Hugo Marchand (Étoile) Second Pas de Deux: Léonore Baulac (Étoile), Germain Louvet (Étoile) Pas de Trois: Valentine Colasante, Sae Eun Park, Marc Moreau Any insights or general impressions much appreciated! The other cast, by the way, is as follows: First Pas de Deux: Laëtitia Pujol (Étoile), Mathieu Ganio (Étoile) Second Pas de Deux: Myriam Ould-Braham (Étoile), Mathias Heymann (Étoile) Pas de Trois: Hannah O'Neill, Sae Eun Park, François Alu Link to comment
canbelto Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Pujol's Emeralds was preserved on video. But that was over 12 years ago and she's retiring. Ganio is probably the best classical male dancer the POB has right now. Saw him a few years ago in Giselle and he was magnificent. Here's a clip of Pujol's solo: Link to comment
nanushka Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share Posted July 15, 2017 (edited) 9 minutes ago, canbelto said: Pujol's Emeralds was preserved on video. But that was over 12 years ago and she's retiring. Ganio is probably the best classical male dancer the POB has right now. Saw him a few years ago in Giselle and he was magnificent. Yes, I'm more familiar with the cast I'm not seeing, because of that video (Ganio is in it too) –– which, overall, I think is a really satisfying production of the whole ballet. I figured she/they must now be in the end stretch of their careers. Also love Ganio in the POB Sylphide video. Edited July 15, 2017 by nanushka Link to comment
canbelto Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Gilbert is also a very strong classical dancer (there aren't many left in the POB company, sad to say). Here she is in Giselle's variation: Link to comment
nanushka Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share Posted July 15, 2017 10 minutes ago, canbelto said: a very strong classical dancer (there aren't many left in the POB company, sad to say) That's too bad, and surprising to hear. Link to comment
ricaineballet Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Marchard/Gilbert and Ould-Braham/Heymann are the star couples of the POB. Though I much prefer the former with respect to both technique and artistry, all of the dancers cast are elegant representatives of the French style. The pas de trois with O'Neill, Park, and Alu should also be a treat; they are all potential étoiles (and very strong classical dancers). Pujol will be offficially retiring during this run of Jewels. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 (edited) There seems to be conflicting information about Pujol and her retirement. At the moment she listed in the preliminary casting for "Emeralds" in Paris in the autumn. https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/season-17-18/ballet/joyaux I am pessimistic about the future of ballet dancing in general. Hugo Marchand is one of the very few young dancers who gives me hope. Edited July 15, 2017 by volcanohunter Link to comment
nanushka Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share Posted July 15, 2017 4 hours ago, ricaineballet said: Pujol will be offficially retiring during this run of Jewels. That's interesting. Am I imagining it or did Clairemarie Osta (who's also in the POB Jewels DVD) also give her retirement performance in NYC, when POB came with Giselle? I know I attended the farewell of someone, and I'm pretty sure it was her. Link to comment
Balanchinomane Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 Yes, her final performance was Giselle, partnered by her husband, Nicholas LaRiche. They announced it ahead of time and had several flower presentations. That 2012 tour visit was a marvelous gift - wish they were presenting similar programing this year. Link to comment
naomikage Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 3 minutes ago, Balanchinomane said: Yes, her final performance was Giselle, partnered by her husband, Nicholas LaRiche. They announced it ahead of time and had several flower presentations. That 2012 tour visit was a marvelous gift - wish they were presenting similar programing this year. Osta's retirement was Manon. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 (edited) Yes, Osta's official farewell complete with confetti shower was a performance of Manon at the Palais Garnier on 13 May 2012. https://www.memopera.fr/SpectRepres.cfm?SpeCode=MANO&SpeNum=41195&Dist=9334 But she subsequently went on tour with the company to the United States, and her final performance took place in Giselle in New York on 19 July 2012. She was wonderful. Edited July 16, 2017 by volcanohunter Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 1 hour ago, Balanchinomane said: That 2012 tour visit was a marvelous gift - wish they were presenting similar programing this year. And tickets were a lot less expensive, too! Link to comment
nanushka Posted July 16, 2017 Author Share Posted July 16, 2017 1 hour ago, volcanohunter said: Yes, Osta's official farewell complete with confetti shower was a performance of Manon at the Palais Garnier on 13 May 2012. https://www.memopera.fr/SpectRepres.cfm?SpeCode=MANO&SpeNum=41195&Dist=9334 But she subsequently went on tour with the company to the United States, and her final performance took place in Giselle in New York on 19 July 2012. She was wonderful. Thats so interesting. Was she expected to dance right up until her birthday because of the state funding? Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 I doubt it. Osta probably wanted to go on the tour. At that point the POB hadn't been to the United States for a very long time, something like twenty years. All the company's able-bodied étoiles went on the tour. (Too bad the Bolshoi doesn't follow the same practice!) I think the sole exception was Myriam Ould-Braham, who stayed behind in Paris to dance in La Fille mal gardée and was promoted just before the tour began. I seem to recall that in early 2014 Isabelle Ciaravola went on Japanese tour of The Lady of the Camellias after her official retirement from the company in Onegin. I can't recall now whether the formally retired Agnès Letestu was also on that tour. Maybe it's easier for the dancers to leave the stage more gradually, rather than to go cold turkey after the shower of star-shaped confetti. But to your point, Pujol won't turn 42 until the autumn. Link to comment
silvermash Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 There is flexibility for Etoiles when they are giving their farewell when they arrive near retirement age because each year, they danced the ballets they agree in a special contract, so they have an overview of the possibilities during the season (and even the season before). Agnès Letestu was administratively retired when she gave her farewell but Lady of the Camellias was the first ballet of the next season and she wanted this particular ballet to retire. She was a “guest Etoile” in 2014 Japan tour and in Palais de Cristal the next year in Paris. Isabelle Ciaravola was not in Japan, she had not reached the age at her farewell but she wanted to dance in Onegin. Clairemarie Osta as well when she was In the US, so it was up to her to dance or not. Laëtitia Pujol is supposed to give a farewell in Paris in September Link to comment
naomikage Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 13 hours ago, volcanohunter said: I seem to recall that in early 2014 Isabelle Ciaravola went on Japanese tour of The Lady of the Camellias after her official retirement from the company in Onegin. I can't recall now whether the formally retired Agnès Letestu was also on that tour. Yes, both Isabelle Ciaravola and Agnes Letestu were on that Japan tour March 2014 dancing Marguerite in La Dame aux Camellias. Ciaravola had just officially retired in Onegin that February. Letestu was given a ceremony on stage after the performance with confetti but Ciaravola didn't. (I don't know why) Link to comment
silvermash Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 30 minutes ago, naomikage said: Yes, both Isabelle Ciaravola and Agnes Letestu were on that Japan tour March 2014 dancing Marguerite in La Dame aux Camellias. Ciaravola had just officially retired in Onegin that February. Letestu was given a ceremony on stage after the performance with confetti but Ciaravola didn't. (I don't know why) I think Agnès was more popular in Japan than Isabelle who has been Etoile very late in her carreer. Besides, Agnès gave the last performance of the tour and farewell was also celebrating Brigitte Lefevre. Link to comment
miliosr Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 3 hours ago, Gnossie said: Alu: the company's only born show man, should be a principal but never will be, but anyway he's not dancing in NYC because he's injured. Fabien Revillion is his replacement in the pdt, he's ok. I came thisclose to buying a ticket and flying to New York to see Alu based on word-of-mouth about him. (Mimi Paul is said to be very high on him.) I wonder if he will hang on forever waiting to be named etoile. Emmanuel Thibault should be a cautionary tale for him. Revillion, too, should consider decamping to another location where he could probably be a principal dancer. Link to comment
canbelto Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Hmm I was there last night and will write more later but I was shocked at how many accents were deleted. For instance Ould-Braham and Heymann did not do the staccato arabesque with the leg slowly being raised and held at different intervals. Link to comment
KarenAG Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 31 minutes ago, canbelto said: Hmm I was there last night and will write more later but I was shocked at how many accents were deleted. For instance Ould-Braham and Heymann did not do the staccato arabesque with the leg slowly being raised and held at different intervals. I look forward to reading your review, Canbelto, and others of this three-company event. Link to comment
Drew Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 3 hours ago, canbelto said: Hmm I was there last night and will write more later but I was shocked at how many accents were deleted. For instance Ould-Braham and Heymann did not do the staccato arabesque with the leg slowly being raised and held at different intervals. That's not just an accent, that's the pas de deux 'signature'-- is it possible they just did it in some very, very soft way that obscured it? (Either way...disconcerting to read.) Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 17 minutes ago, Drew said: That's not just an accent, that's the pas de deux 'signature'-- is it possible they just did it in some very, very soft way that obscured it? (Either way...disconcerting to read.) Even this is not as bad as the recent Bolshoi staging of Emeralds, in which the entrance diagonal of the "Mimi Paul solo" is done totally on pointe...even the usually flat-footed bowing movements. Link to comment
alexL Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 19 minutes ago, Drew said: That's not just an accent, that's the pas de deux 'signature'-- is it possible they just did it in some very, very soft way that obscured it? (Either way...disconcerting to read.) Heymann did it very softly but I could still see that he is doing the choreography. With Ould-Braham I barely noticed it. To me, the highlight of yesterday was (drumroll.....) NYCB dancing Rubies. Surprise, surprise!! Link to comment
abatt Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 33 minutes ago, Drew said: That's not just an accent, that's the pas de deux 'signature'-- is it possible they just did it in some very, very soft way that obscured it? (Either way...disconcerting to read.) No, the stacatto movement of Emeralds was actually left out of the portion that canbelto was alluding to. It was not merely obscured or softened. My jaw dropped. Link to comment
canbelto Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) For what I'm talking about, it's 22:50 in this video. The POB dvd with Clairemarie Osta definitely includes this movement too. It's not as staccato as the way NYCB does it but it's there. Actually when I watch the 2005 dvd I'm shocked at how much that French style has deteriorated. Edited July 21, 2017 by canbelto Link to comment
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