cygneblanc

And a thought for Myriam Ould-Braham who deserves to be a principal, too. There are now 9 women who are etoiles. That's a lot. And that means the journey of some youngest will still be long...

Yeah, that's right. Congrats to both !

Wow, I've never seen it. Where does it come from ? Thanks and happy Easter.

Have a look at your PMs

Thanks a bunch RG!

For the course: Dominique Khalfouni is one of the most sought teacher in Paris. She's known as an excellent teacher and her pupils like her a lot. She coaches privately a lot of POB school pupils. I have only heard some excellent things about her and her courses. Some pupils rejected from POB's school attend her courses, but generally pupils are of different abilities and I wouln't say there will be a future in dance for each of them. About the curriculum: there is one ballet lesson each afternoon, with twice a week another course in pointes or repertory. A lot of pupils are taking courses at another places. If you want to take some jazz or contemporary classes, you need to pay some more fees. The school ins't a boarding one. You'll need to find your own accomodation (rent per month a very small one appartement : about 600 euros) or to apply for a place in a student house, but there are tons of applicants and few places. It need to be done now. It's about 1000 euros per month for a room with two meals per day. What about schooling ? Is your daugher fluent in French ? The center doesn't offer academic classes. Students attend some special schools allowing them to attend only half a day. They're academically selective. The schools with british curriculums are private and expensive according to french standarts (about 15 000 euros per year) and thus they woudn't allow a student to attend only part time. I'm going to ask for a contact!

Well, the costume is supposed to be a romantic tutu. The pas de deux was originally choregraphed by Marie Taglioni for Emma Livry and it was restaged by Pierre Lacotte for himself and Dominique Khalfouni in 1976. The story is that a prince a prince has captured a butterfly and then realize that it's not really a butterfly but a young girl to which a cast was spelled.

I remember this pas de deux was danced some time ago during a YDN by Aurore Cordellier or Juliette Gernez but it looked out place, too. But I heard that Héloise Bourdon, 17, was very good. Allistair Madin danced Alain in Ashton's la fille mal gardée. That's an interesting part for sure. I think there is a moment where eyes can't closed anymore. Among the corps de ballet men, he's the ONE to watch. He has some style and he's a true ballet dancer, which is becoming quite rare in Paris now... For the choice of the dancers: the newest recruits are choosen along with some older dancers. For these ones, it seems that will dance those who are popular with the direction at a given moment. For example, Alice Renavand who wasn't that young (I mean she was 25 when the other girls were 16-19!) performed during the last YAD. She was given some nice parts and was promoted at the same time. It's the same thing for Charline Giezendanner now. She's a lovely dancer and could have been promoted early but wasn't. Yes, I will see la Somnanbule later this week. I observe that Elizabeth Platel seems to like Balanchine a lot. Since she has been director, we saw Divetimento, the Tombeau de Couperin and now another work...It's an amazing opportunity for the teens who are cast but I'd like see more from the compagny... No, I don't think Manuel Legris tried to choregraph something else. I applaud the fact that is ballet and not an insignificant contemporary thing. It's quite nice to watch and easily enjoyable. Yes, Aumis is really lovely. The audience was clapping... There are some videos of the 2009 YDN on youtube...

Some pictures: http://www.fedephoto.com/fotoweb/GridB_con...ains(APO0453*))

The second act Donizeti pas de deux choreo of Manuel Legris, danced by Eleonore Guerineau and Fabien Revillon This pas de deux allowed the two dancers to show a lot of very difficult skills in a short time, what they did very well. It’s very appropriate for such performance and as such was very warly received by the audience. Otherwise, it isn’t particularly interesting and I need to see more in order to be convinced of ML qualities as a choregrapher. The costumes are quite questionable. The idea of having Eleonore Guerineau wearing footless black tights (with a tutu!) isn’t excellent. Sylvia Pas de Deux, by John Neumeier with Amandine Albisson and Yannick Bittencourt. A strange choice for such a night but the two interpreters were very good, even excellent pour the young Amandine. She’s one of those who must be followed very closely in the future. Figure Libre by Beatrice Martel with Fanny Gorse and Alexandre Gasse, on a music by Webern. It may be an interesting piece but not in the context of a young dancers night. The dancers don’t dance a lot, and we don’t got to see them a lot because of the darkness in which the stage is put. The most visible thing was a plant, which of course, wasn’t dancing!!! Aunis of Jacques Garnier, with Axel Ibot, Daniel Stockes and Mickael Lafon. I was afraid of this work I’ve never seen but I finally liked it a lot. It’s set on accordion music with two accordionists on stage. It’s very very fresh, full of energy, definitively not contemporary but rather a mix of different dancers. All men were very involved and maintained a good energy during all the piece, which wasn’t easy! Overall, it was a very, very, enjoyable afternoon, even maybe the highlight of the season. The audience was very warm and each dancers was made very welcome. Congrats and thank you to all the dancers

It was an excellent afternoon. 1. The Corsaire, Pas de Trois des Odalisques : Lenonore Baulac, Juliette Hilaire, Silvia Saint Martin A very good start. These young dancers graduated from POB’s school in june 2008. They were very fresh. A lack of rehearsal was sometimes visible in the group but each individual performance was excellent. I was amazed that Juliette Hilaire has improved so much since she has joined the company because in the school she often looked weakest than her colleagues. The leader of these young dancers was clearly Miss Baulac though. 2. The Butterfly by Pierre Lacotte Wow wow wow. It featured Marine Ganio and Allister Madin. The woman part was re-created by Pierre Lacotte for Miss Ganio's mother, Dominique Khalfouni, in the 1970s. I was very surprised by the brilliant performance of Marine Ganio. I wasn’t expecting her to be that good in such a romantic part. She has always been a very strong technician but wasn’t known for her lyricism . She was so precise and light. Kudos to her. Her partner was amazing too, a model of style, but it’s quite usual for him. 3. The Swan Lake adagio, act II by Laure-Adelaide Boucaud and Yann Chailloux. A very strange choice for a young dancers night. Both dancers tried their best but they’re still very green. The performance looked rather weak because of this but the interpreters were deserving. 4. Degas’ Little Dancer with Aubane Philbert, Ludmilla Pagliero and Gregory Dominiak A extract from a work that will be seen in Paris next year. I was so happy to see Aubane Philbert so strong and healthy. She was very present, and her usual poetry was there. That being said, the music always seems very bad and the choregraphy is rather boring if not ridiculous. And finally, to close the first act, we got to see… Yes, a Balanchine’s work other than Jewels !!!! It was Tchaikovsky Pas de deux, with Charline Giezendanner and Marc Moreau. If Miss Giezendanner was very good, charming, smiling and precise, I’m not convinced at all by her partner’s performance. It reminded me Emmanuel Thibault in the sense I’m under the impression M. Moreau danced for himself and to get applauses, without style and without caring of his partner. Some people looked more convinced than me though ! See you later for the second act.

Please check your PMs!

http://www.manuel-legris.com/actualite.html It's now official: Manuel Legris will dance with Clairemarie Osta for his farewell performance

Apart from the NYCB and the competition, I' haven't seen too many performances: the Robbins' mixed bill, Raymonda twice, National Ballet of China's rendition of Sylvia, the school's demonstrations, and Mahler's third symphony. Next stops are the young dancers night and the school spring show before Oneguine in May. I promise I'll try to write something about the past or present performamances of these season if I can find time. I definitively will review of Manuel Legris' farewell performance on May 15. It seems he'll finally dance with Clairemarie Osta rather than with Laetitia Pujol.

Well, at least there is ballet . Things aren't great but could have been worse, though. I'm very disappointed Jewels are scheduled again. I like them a lot, but there are so many great pieces by Balanchine and they have been performed so many times in the last years. I was hoping the very sucessful tour of the NYCB would bring some ideas to our AD. And to bring in Bejart's compagny which is touring France each year doesn't seem exciting. Overall, this season seems less exciting than the current one.

Six pupils of the POB school (Awa, Coralie, Héloise, Kelly, Salomée, and Theodora), will travel to Australia with the corps the corps de ballet to perform in the Manou dance. They're 11 or 12 years old and are studying in the 5th division. Each pair will dance 4 times. That will be an extraordinary year for them since they'll also travel to Japan at Easter to dance Scaramouche.

You can also queue the day of the performance you wish to attend from about 5 PM at the house where the performance is held because remaining seats are sold I believe 30 minutes before each performance. But people begin to queue for that at least 60 minutes before the actual beginning of the sale. Good luck !

Well, it's great for both Vienna and him but a great lost for POB. He would have made a very good AD as one of Nureev's heir. I hope the fact he haven't got Paris isn't Gerard Mortier's departure gift...

I'm sorry but nothing is official now concerning AD and Onegin. The only thing made public is what has been announced on Manuel Legris' official website. He will dance Onegin with Laetitia Pujol but he will dance the Parc with AD http://www.manuel-legris.com/actualite.html Here's the phone number for foreign spectactors (no e-mail available on POB website!) but I don't know if they speak English 33 (1) 72 29 35 35

MAG was choosen, because AD is already featured on some dvds and each principal must unofficially of course be featured at least once on a dvd. AD danced the main part, and was very good from what I have neard but I think it would have been a good idea to select Dorothée Gilbert as Raymonda for this dvd

a very merry christmas to everyone !

Quadrilles Compulsory : Lifar’s Cigarette of La flute en blanc. One can wonder where is the so famous Lifar’s style. It looks there is a problem in the way POB hands over Lifar’s heritage to the youngest generation…Notable showings were made by Amandine Albisson (19) and Aubane Philbert (20) Free: More classical choices this year: I particularly noticed: -Amandine Albisson-Pivat, an future etoile for the observers, but still a work in progress, although of course she’s already incredible for one so young -The poetry and freshness of Aubane Philbert who made a very difficult choice (Clara, The Nutcarcker, Act II) and did extremely well until a fault which has disturbed her until the end. I really hope she will finally pbe romoted next year, she deserves it so much - The authority of Héloise Bourdon-Noury, only 17, in Don Quixote -Pauline Verdusen, an excellent star in Paquita Could also be remarked Miho Fuji in Emeraudes and Sophie Parczen in Cendrillon. The result is quite correct, although I think Aubane Philbert could have been saved and get promoted since this competition is so curious. From what has been seen in the past, a promotion for her wouldn’t have been scandalous, but the history is done. See you later for the coryphées

Women results Coryphées : 1. Charline Giezendanner (promoted): Romeo and Juliet, act I 2. Caroline Robert 3. Eléonore Guérineau 4. Séverine Westermann 5. Lucie Clément 6. Alexandra Cardinale Quadrilles : 1. Pauline Verdusen (promoted) : Paquita 2. Amandine Albisson-Pivat (promoted) : Bejard's Bhakti III ( 3. Héloïse Bourdon-Noury (promoted) : Don Quixote, Act II 4. Marine Ganio-Khalfouni I haven't seen the men competition. The results are discussed as usual, but nothing very scandalous this year. The quadrilles results are fine, but the promotion of an oldest dancer with an easier choice for his free variation to the rank of of sujet seems to be to questionable when there are talended youngsters who did better with more difficult choices for the free variation. One has to have in mind that talended sujets who can cope with principals parts are needed now, and I'm not sure Alexis Renaud's fits that criteria. A complete review of ladies to come.

No Leigh, no premier danseur positions were opened this year, and there won't be no premieres positions available as well.

Men Coryphées : 1. Alexis Renaud is promoted (seven greek dances, Bejart) 2. Fabien Révillon 3. Allister Madin 4. Daniel Stokes 5. Sébastien Bertaud 6. Grégory Dominiak Quadrilles : 1. Florimond Lorieux is promoted (La sylphide, act I) 2. Marc Moreau is promoted (La sylphide, act II) 3. Yannick Bittencourt is promoted (Paquita, Act II) 4. Yvon Demol is promoted (Dances at a gathering) 5. Yann Chailloux 6. Alexandre Gasse Women will compete on Friday. Congrats to everyone, and a special thought for the ones who weren't promoted.