silvermash

well in Bolero, eroticm is especially among the corps...

She was Clairemarie Osta. (I didn't mean to slight anybody, but as I'm shortly rushing out for a second helping from this feast, I thought I'd better stop my growing essay somewhere, and I will try to return here when I can. Meanwhile, anybody else?) Anyway, she belonged! I mean this in the best way! (Versus the way Ossipova did not, as her context, the remainder of her production, was really on a lower level.) Though the Act II lighting really reduced her effect in some of the most important moments in the ballet for me, up in row U.

I really hope you don't see anything in Washington that reminds you of my remarks about lighting, Natalia!

I'm wondering if the real lightning wasn't slightly altered by the simulcast? It usually is...

Who danced last night? Aurelie Dupont or Dorothee Gilbert or someone else?

Clairemarie Osta !

Well casting has been revised due to major injuries.

Mathias Heymann has a stress fracture and withdrew from all his commitments until next season.

Ludmila Pagliero injured during Manon's rehearsals seems to be out for the tour, although I hope she will be able to dance in Orpheus and Eurydice in New York?

Agnès Letestu and Benjamin Pech both sustained injuries in April. They are probably not well enough for Giselle but might be for less physically demanding roles especially since New York is later in the tour.

I'm much surprised Laëtitia Pujol has completely disappeared

silvermash, Orphée et Eurydice is so bleak! Perhaps I'll give it another try with a different cast (I do like Renavand) the next time it's performed in Paris, since I'm not going to NYC. Dansomanie is listing the singers as Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble & Chor. I want to see Bourdon/Florieux in the peasant pd2, so perhaps I will give Pujol/Le Riche another chance. I agree Dupont would make a good Myrtha, same as she is probably better suited to Gamzatti than Nikiya. But I guess she likes the lead roles.

I fully agree with you, Dupont is a Gamzatti as well, but it's difficult to go from Giselle to Myrtha or Nikiya to Gamzatti... Marie-Agnès Gillot was to do it this year but she gave up.

For the peasant pas de deux, Giezendanner-Moreau or Révillion should be interesting as well.

Thanks for the casting it's the same than has been withdrawn on the French forum so I wonder why... Anyway :

Well I'm more or less on the same lines than cinnamonswirl for Giselle except for Dupont. She's not humble enough for the first act and not emotional enough for the second. I think in fact she should dance Myrtha... And I would give a chance to Laëtitia Pujol who can be really good in the role if she's in top form (she's not a weak technician) but she has been injured a lot recently. ( the DVD was an error, she was coming back from maternity leave).

Also, I would like to see Osta/Le Riche instead of Pech. And it will be Clairemarie's farewell the 19th of July.

The Bolero is entirely Nicolas Le Riche...

Arlésienne, yes Ciaravola-Bullion for sure

Really you dislike Orphée et Eurydice? it's for me a masterwork... Do we know who is singing, it's important as well?

Dancing wise, both casts are excellent but in fact, I would like to see Bullion with Renavand... but they aren't dancing together...

Bullion is stunning... He's spectral and powerfully frightening in his internal sufferering, Paul is more expressionist and lively.

Gillot is killing the psychological side of the role, she's just too excessive she doesn't show any emotion. Renavand is really living the story and her despair with a lot of subtlety

I think nobody really knows what happened with the recording. It's sometimes broadcasted on French TV (usually late at night) but no one is mentioning a future DVD. It's not unusual, it happened for example for Wuthering Heights from Kader Belarbi or Nutcracker more recently. But the tribute to Robbins (2008) took long to be released (end of last year) so perhaps it's still in the pipeline.

It has been said the filming was difficult with technical problems and also the cast was a... miscast... However, it is said also that the costumes and settings were so old they have been destructed after the last show. This would mean this recording is the last testimony of the ballet, unless it's decided to re make everything. However they did it few years ago for La Bayadère, so it's not hopeless...

As for me, if Ludmila doesn't possess the shining technique of Dorothée Gilbert for example, she has stage command and it's also what makes an Etoile. I think she will developp with growing confidence. She has only been Première danseuse for 3 years which means she has been new in almost everything she has done so far regarding first roles. This is not really possible to compare Gamzatti videos of Dorothée and Emilie who danced the role for years to the HD broadcast of Ludmila's Gamzatti: She took over the role the day of the broadcast with no rehearsals and she only had danced it twice before in 2010!

Actually it seems it was a little bit too early to publish them... so they have been withdrawn...

there is a similar topic on Paris Opera Ballet Board... I will try to post it there as soon as we know (presumably late unfortunately)

Well casting is always late with POB but usually, earlier for tours... I will post news as soon as available...

Congratulations to Ludmila !

Perhaps also because they are quite a lot to be close to retirement age, they prefer to concentrate on short works instead of full length classical ballets…

I hadn't thought of that.

As to casting, there are a lot of retirements coming up, especially amongst the ladies -- Osta this season, and Ciaravola, Letestu and even Dupont in the next couple of years. It would behoove the company to start casting younger dancers now, rather than later, when they actually have to carry the company -- such as what is happening now with Héloïse Bourdon, who is debuting in La Bayadère next week.

Among the male Etoiles and Premiers danseurs also! Nicolas Le Riche has already a bit withdrawn from major full length for a few years. Yann Bridard is not dancing anymore and Christophe Duquenne will be the next...

I personally quite fancy the new season.

I’m not sure mixed bills will give more opportunity for youngsters, especially in main roles, as the Etoiles just love these works and the direction didn’t use to have many casts until now. Perhaps also because they are quite a lot to be close to retirement age, they prefer to concentrate on short works instead of full length classical ballets…

By the way, Clairemarie Osta will retire in May on Paris stage but she is due to give her final performance in New York with Giselle.

the full season is now on the Paris Opera website : http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/saison_2012_2013/Ballets/index.php

it will be by mid March.

I kinda miss this one so perhaps the answer is too late... but I don't think the opening hours of ticket office changed anything. Perhaps now you queue outside if the ballet is popular (Bayadère for example)...

I’m shared. Up to me, choreography lacks originality and the magical world supposed to be at the chore of the work is ruined by some impossible costumes. Bullion and Dupont saved the ballet with their presence and skills on the Premiere trying to throw us in a different world but with Osta/Pech and Ganio/Gilbert down to earth dancing, it turns to be really boring.

BORING ?????

Yes, deadly boring… and this is really what I feel after more than a week of shows, considering the fact that now I’m familiar with and so are the dancers. I find the choreography redundant and aiming to nothing, it is steps for steps and this is not what I fancy in ballet. The central pas de deux is far too long and completely conventional,as is the "reprise" of the last pas de deux. Everything you expect to happen, actually happens...

no. It's taken from Le Parc by Angelin Preljocaj and was created in 1994. The dancers are Benjamin Millepied from NYCB and Virginie Caussin, a dancer from Ballet Preljocaj.

Well Phèdre is a difficult ballet with a dramatic ending... But as a matter of fact, it has even been lightly booed at the Premiere.

I’m shared. Up to me, choreography lacks originality and the magical world supposed to be at the chore of the work is ruined by some impossible costumes. Bullion and Dupont saved the ballet with their presence and skills on the Premiere trying to throw us in a different world but with Osta/Pech and Ganio/Gilbert down to earth dancing, it turns to be really boring.

Etoiles are chosen by the AD but because of the administrative structure of the opera, this is the (general) director of the opera who is responsible for the nomination. That said, the degree of involvment of the director in the decision process depends from his interest in the ballet company. Some were clearly, some not.

You can find a preliminary casting on the French forum dansomanie. From the names of the dancers, it looks like (more or less) there will be two leading female and male roles although only four Etoiles dancers are named (Ciaravola, Heymann, Paquette and Pujol).

well as far as I'm concerned I much prefer Bart's version than Lacotte's one! I admit that some Frantz steps are a bit awkward but overall the ballet is rather interesting with a beautiful dancing role for Coppélius.

Cast changes (January 27)

CALIGULA - Stéphane Bullion

LUNE - Clairemarie Osta

MNESTER - Nicolas Paul

CHAEREA - Aurelien Houette

INCITATUS - Mathias Heymann

CAESONIA - Eleonora Abbagnato