silvermash

It was nice. Mélanie's little daughter brought her the bouquet and Mélanie gave it to Emmanuel who had his own thrown from the audience. Premiers danseurs are not given proper farewells but theirs were particular because their cararacters just appeared in the first act and don't bow at the end of the ballet. But they had two curtain calls at the end of the first act, which is not common.

Some pictures and comments on his facebook page

Yes, especially since quite a few dancers are new in the roles (La Sylphide)

and we have Dupont in Paris Opera Ballet edit : Frédéric Olivieri, former POB Sujet is acting ballet director at Milan Teatro alla Scala

Nicolas Le Riche, POB retired Etoile is now head of Royal Swedish Ballet, starting this autumn http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/kungliga_operan/pressreleases/french-ballet-star-to-head-royal-swedish-ballet-2045742

Well what was exactly reported in a Figaro article was that Dupont needed the dancers and that she couldn't let them take time for the "Academy" that Millepied had established. This academy was already closed this year. Only the four dancers in the quadruple bill had the opportunity to participate. The public never knew exactly what was the "Academy" and what means were given to the dancers. However dancers from POB had from time to time participate to smaller events to show their choreographic works, and a long time before Millepied. I hope it's going to continue even if they won't work with the same conditions, time off, budget for the staging, and dancers (Etoiles and Premiers danseurs).

I did. Quickly because I’m just getting ready to go back tonight. A too long evening up to me, it should have been split in two, all pieces were about more than 30-35 minutes, with a long interval. The Bertaud, Renaissance, was uninspired which is regrettable because it was supposed to be the neo-classic of the evening and morevover all the press communication has been done on this piece, presumably perhaps thanks to the Balmain group which designed the costumes (looking more like ice skating costumes than ballet costumes though) and the fact that Dorothée Gilbert’s husband is a fashion photographer who made a short promotional clip used by POB for the quadruple bill with only the piece his wife was in… Anyway, from most of the comments and mine, the piece itself was boring and more like a copy of a Millepied’s ballet… with less talent… It was followed by The Little Match Girl Passion (from David Lang eponymous piece) by Simone Valastro which was the opposite. A lot of imagination, perhaps too much sometimes, but a brilliant piece from the staging point of view with live singers moving on stage and off stage, and percussions, special effects completely in tune with the narrative, and with imaginative choreography in which Eleonora Abbagnato was fantastic as the little match girl. The piece by Bruno Bouché, Undoing world, was about migrants and how being a fugitive can be in relation to the world. It was ambitious, sometimes not really fully accomplished but as for the Valastro, with a lot of poetry, especially with Aurélien Houette touching singing the eponymous song by the Klezmatics. The main piece of the evening was by Nicolas Paul, an already experienced choreographer who delivered up to me a masterpiece, Sept mètres et demi au-dessus des montagnes, inspired (from far) by the deluge. The poignant and powerful choreography was supported by a video of the dancers slowly drowning with the use of their images and their reflects in the water. In addition, the dancers were coming from below the stage and disappearing under the video screen at an increasing speed which sustained the feeling of oppression. It was strongly danced by Stéphane Bullion and Josua Hoffalt, with a very supportive cast.

I was just asking because this is very confusing. Otherwise, Laetitia will have her adieux to Palais Garnier tomorrow with Stéphane Bullion in La Valse…

Is it official? in a recent interview, Aurélie Dupont said she wants Etoiles to have proper Adieux and mentioned those of Laetitia Pujol will be in Autumn

Yes, Agnès Letestu was the repetitor already at the creation

I support this! I've seen Boléro perfomed a lot of times, and it can be just great both with either a male or a female dancer. It a masterpiece and I can't help to see it again next year with new dancers... As regards to other comments on Béjart, well it's not my favorite choreographer, I think he often belongs too much to his time (a bit like Cunningham in fact). I haven't seen Le Sacre du printemps for a while but I have fond memories of this work. Firebird is also a powerful piece.

Not really, Reset is rather a hagiography.

Well it’s not strictly about triple bills but about mixed bills that all looks more or less the same for the French audience. Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Angelin Preljocaj, etc. can all be accommodated in mixed bills and this is the diversity which is welcome. What I think is boring is having so much of Balanchine, Forsythe, Robbins thrown in the seasons and repertoire (because much of it are new to it). It would be the same with the other choreographers even if it looks worse with those who are not familiar to the Parisian audience.

Yes, Cunningham was booed at the Première and the following shows as well. I think this Cunningham in particular (compared to Un Jour ou deux which was created for the POB) doesn't fit the French audience because even the regular ballet goers, if they didn't boo of course, were very critical. I think also that the POB audience (if it exists as such considering there is a lot of tourists in it) is very tired (well I am in any case) of the triple or quadruple bills programmed by Millepied. This not a critic of the works (and I personally really liked Walkaround time) but it doesn't fit the company, it doesn't belong do its tradition. I’m not sure how to interpret the fact that nearly only very young dancers from the corps are dancing the Cunningham but well, it’s striking

The absence of anything from Giselle is difficult to undesrtand. Yvette Chauviré was named Etoile with the ballet Lifar created for her, Istar. Both ballets were part of the homage POB paid to the dancer in 1998, so perhaps Dupont wanted something different? Yet, 1998 is nearly 20 years ago...

I don't think so. It's quite complicated to film the Défilé for a question of rights and it was filmed recently. As for the homage, it has been organized in a hurry with, up to many, a rather poor bill.

Thank you! I'm in France right now and it's available

It's probably not going to be a real improvisation. . Bélingard has choreographed a couple of pieces so far. But of course, it can be not so good as well!

Yes. I was thinking he might dance in one of the Forsythe but perhaps it's better, then he will improvise according to his physical condition. He has cancelled so many appearances the past years that it's a secure choice.

Well POB has very few short principal dancers except Mathias Heymann and Jérémie Bélingard, both unavailable for different reasons. The two other Oberon of this run are shortest but they are "only" Sujet, Paul Marque and Fabien Révillion. However up to me they were both better than Marchand, perhaps because they are shorter, lighter and quicker.

Balanchine's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by POB has been broadcasted live in cinemas last Thursday and will be available on French TV channel Culturebox from Monday March 27th . I don't remember if it's geoblocked or not but I do remember some of you can have access to. It was introduced by Sandra Jennings Cast : Titania : Eleonora Abbagnato Obéron : Hugo Marchand Puck : Emmanuel Thibault Hermia : Laëtitia Pujol Lysandre : Alessio Carbone Héléna : Fanny Gorse Démétrius : Audric Bézard Hyppolite : Alice Renavand Thésée : Florian Magnenet Bottom : Francesco Vantaggio Cavalier de Titania : Stéphane Bullion Papillon : Muriel Zusperreguy Divertissement - Sae Eun Park, Karl Paquette http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/opera-classique/opera/l-opera-de-paris/le-songe-d-une-nuit-d-ete-par-le-ballet-de-l-opera-de-paris-253861

"O Zlozony/O Composite" created for Paris Opera Ballet in 2004 is available for one week on French TV website Culturebox http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/opera-classique/opera/l-opera-de-paris/o-zlozony-o-composite-de-trisha-brown-254033

POB dancers are not civil servants. They are paid by the State on permanent contracts, that's all.

The dancers of the company launched an online petition you can view HERE

Bordeaux Ballet though has many full length classical ballets to its repertoire which even with 39 dancers proves to be tricky sometimes