Dear MathildeK,
I'll reply directly since you find me so ill-informed.
Very few dance festivals in Europe can afford to bring any ballet company for close to 3 weeks solely with mixed bills, and the Châtelet hasn't been full over this SFB season. That's the main reason given over and over in London for the Swan Lakes/R&J/DonQ the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky bring every year (they sell, including productions that aren't critical hits - see the Bolshoi's Swan Lake in NY). Some London seasons have been slightly more adventurous than the current NY one, of course, but they also come more often.
When SFB came for the first edition of this festival 10 years ago, to give you an example, they brought their production of Don Quixote alongside mixed programs. Miami City Ballet came with a mix of short works a few years ago and the season didn't sell particularly well. Programming only mixed bills again this year was a big financial risk for a festival that receives no public subsidy, and one that Les Etés de la Danse should be commended for taking, IMO. Commercial - not artistic - success was by no means guaranteed in a city where the company is relatively unknown, and they could have requested a Swan Lake or a DonQ, regardless of its quality.
And the kind of mixed bills they brought are indeed reliant on principals to carry them - many of the recent works SFB showed were built around 2-3 couples. I reckon 8 to 10 principals were on stage most nights here. With the "warhorses," you'll get 2-3 principals, and the quality of soloists/corps will be crucial to the success of a Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty.
Laura
