2001-2002 season in Bordeaux in Toulouse

[Estelle]

The Ballet du Grand Theatre de Bordeaux (one of the few remaining ballet companies in France, lead by the former POB principal Charles Jude) has announced its 2001-2002 season:

-"Homage to Serge Lifar and Alexandre Kalioujny (nov.2001),

including Fokine's "Petrouchka" Nijinsky's "Afternoon of a faun", Lifar's "Icare" and "Suite en blanc"

-"The Nutcracker" (dec.2001, Charles Jude after Petipa)

-"Swan Lake" (May 2002, Charles Jude after Petipa)

The Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse (lead by Nanette Glushak) also has announced its next season. The URL of the web site of the Theatre du Capitole is:

http://www.theatre-du-capitole.org/sommair...ire/accueil.htm

The season will include:

-"Coppelia" (choreography by Enrique Martinez)

-a mixed bill with "Brel" by Ben van Cauwenbergh, "Na Floresta" by Nacho Duato, and "Fearful symmetries" by Peter Martins

-a mixed bill with "Rubies" by George Balanchine, "Before nightfall" by Nils Christe, and "Black Cake" by Nils Christe

The programming of the Ballet du Capitole looks a bit less interesting than in some of the previous seasons, in my opinion (for example Nanette Glushak had staged some Balanchine works which are rarely seen in France, like "Scotch Symphony", "Raymonda Variations", "Allegro Brillante", "Liebeslieder Walzer" or even "Stars and Stripes", and also Tudor's "Lilac Garden", De Mille's "Rodeo", Ashton's "Illuminations"...)

[Alexandra]

I agree that the Toulouse repertory seems rather disappointing. And Bordeaux is only going to do three programs?

[Estelle]

Well, the web site of the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux is not very easy to use (www.opera-de-bordeaux.fr) but yes, there seems to be only three programs. There are also invited companies (Ballet Biarritz, with three choreographies by Thierry Malandain, some flamenco...)

I wonder to what extent such small seasons are influenced by financial reasons. Both companies depend on theaters which mostly program operas and concerts (I know little about that field, but it seems that the Orchestre du Capitole is said to be one of the finest French orchestras), and probably most of the money goes to the Opera productions. Before Glushak's arrival, the Ballet du Capitole was a small company, which performed mostly in operas and operettes(I don't think the dancers perform in it any longer).

It's a pity that those companies don't tour much in France (and that the critics of the French dance magazines rarely write reviews of their performances- as if 3 hours of train between Paris and Bordeaux were really too much ). However, the Ballet de Bordeaux performed a few weeks ago in Paris, in a bizarre "americanized" version of "Coppelia", and seems to have been quite successful.

[Alexandra]

I think you'll find the Martinez version of "Coppelia" very Americanized, if not quite bizarre

[Estelle]

Actually, from the reviews, the main references for Jude's version seem to have been "On the town" and "West side story"... See for example that review by Sirvin:

http://www.imagidanse.com/francais/cadres_acceuil.html