su-lian

I think I just spent the most wonderful evening of my life! It started with a pas de trois from Suite en Blanc by Lifar, danced by Gwenaelle Vauthier, Maud Rivière and Alice Renavand. Nothing much to say about it, except that the music was very repetitive and quite boring in the end. The nicest arms were Julie Martel's. Then, there was the pas de deux from Fête des fleurs à Genzano, danced by Daphné Gestin and Adrien Bodet. She had very nice feet and arabesques, but her upper body was a bit stiff and her wrists "broken", as we say in french. He made a lot of noise while landing, but apart from that, there was nothing remarkable. The pas de deux from Esmeralda followed, brilliantly danced by Sabrina Mallem and Julien Meyzindi. They were both very calm, she had a lot of style and he was very elegant. He also had a brilliant technique with wonderful jumps and turns. She also had very nice arabesques and balances. Leila Dilhac, Gregory Gaillard and Julie Martel then danced the pas de trois from act I of Swan Lake. His manège wasn't very nice, it was too abrupt, one of the girls had a problem with her skirt which kept coming up and had also "broken" wrists. The next piece was the pas de deux from Cinderella by Nureyev. Eve Grinstajn was magnificent in it, but badly partenered by Sébastien Bertaud. He dances well on his own, but there, he just seemed terrible, there were many problems in the portés, the promenades and the pirouettes. But she was very graceful and had an appropriate style. Aurore Cordellier then had the difficult task of dancing the Rose Adagio, accompanied by Florian Magnenet, Audric Bezard, Gregory Dominiak and Vincent Chaillet. I normally like her, but there, I think it was a bit too much to ask her. Her développés seconde were very nice, but she had problems with the two sets of attitudes. And her arms were not very nice. Nothing much to say about the princes. The second part started with a new pas de deux by Jean-Guillaume Bart, Javotte, and it was danced by Laura Hecquet and Josua Hoffalt. The choreography was quite nice, and the dancers were good. Then, there was José Martinez's ballet Mi Favorita, which has been danced in Roissy by some dancers of the Opera, and this choreography has just entered the repertory. It is a very nice ballet, and it made many allusions to famous ballets, such as Giselle, Swan Lake, but also In the Middle...It was also funny. The only problem was that one of the dancers hurt her foot at the beginning. But it was one of the best pieces of the evening. The dancers were Séverine Westermann, Mathilde froustey, Miho Fujii, Charline Giezendanner, Pauline Verdusen, Charlotte Ranson, Florian magnenet, Simon Valastro, Martin Chaix, Aurélien Houette and Cyril Mitilian. Florian Magnenet did a wonderful sextuple (?) pirouette. The costumes were also nice and original. They were designed by Agnès Letestu. It finally ended with Tchaikovski pas de deux, danced by Dorothée Gilbert and Audric Bezard. She was simply astonishing, marvellous technique, and the style was there too, at least I think. He was also very good. It was very pleasant, and it was interesting to see different styles of choreography and dancing in the same evening. It was very good. There was also Laurent Hilaire, Jean-Yves Lormeau, Ghislaine Thesmar, Pierre Lacotte, Alessio Carbone, Delphine Moussin and Lionel Delanoe in the audience, amongst others.

I was going to post a reply earlier, but I finally didn't have the time to. The story is based on the novel Manon Lescaut, the music is by Massenet. It's interesting, because yesterday, I went to see a "Passeport" for Manon at the Opera. They show us like a practice session, and there, it was Delphine Moussin and Hervé Moreau, both Premiers Danseurs (soloists) who were rehearsing with Patricia Ruanne. They were doing the pas de deux from Act I when he is writing to his father. The choreography is very interesting with a lot of good promenades and portés. I can't remember the rest of it, I saw it, but it was a while ago. And it's also interesting to see how they work and the advice given by Patricia Ruanne. I remember that I was meant to see Sylvie Guillem and Laurent Hilaire in it, but she was injured, so I didn't get to see them. I was a bit disappointed, but it was still a good show.

Thanks Naoko! I'm glad you finally managed to get your ticket exchanged! I hope you didn't have too much trouble with transport and other stuff also. I haven't seen it yet, but I'll try to (if my exams give me enough time to). Who else danced? Were the first two that bad? I don't like too much the music of Webern opus V (I heard it in another ballet), but I haven't seen it, so... About "Phrases de Quatuor", I think it's meant to be about being a dancer and the fears a dancer has, like injury, age, etc, which is probably why Legris seemed to have a lot of "power of will and strong intentions to dance", because the dancer doesn't want to stop to dance.

I just wanted to make sure, in the first bar, after count 1, did you really mean count & or di you mean count 2? Otherwise, everything is OK with me.

I don't know...It's not that benesh seems complicated as such, but it's more that there are so many things to look at, to watch out for, and those lines everywhere, they are very clear and explicit, but when you first look at them, they just look like lines going in all directions. It seems like there are much more things on the stave. Maybe it just comes with time and habit, because now I think of it, there are quite a few things on a music sheet too, but it seems more simple to me.

Thank you grace! I don't know if it's just me or if it's because benesh is new to me, but it seems much more complicated than reading a music sheet, IMO;) . Unless Peregrin is talking about something else, but that's what I relate benesh the most to if you've got to compare it with music.

Sorry to ask this here, I've been wondering for a while, but haven't asked yet. What do IMO, IMHO and IMOFO mean?

Depends on who is dancing, but usually, I mainly focus on the line, the legs and the feet, while still looking at everything else. Sometimes, with some dancers with a lot of charisma, I tend to forget about line and legs and look at the way they move, in particular the arms and upper body. I also look at faces when I try to recognise each dancer, and somtimes, but rarely, if there are some pretty/handsome dancers (I'm not saying dancers are usually ugly, but their faces have to be really outstanding for them to make me stop looking at their dancing for a moment, so even when I do that, it's not long).

Sorry, cygneblanc and I answered at the same time, so I didn't see her post and you'll have twice the same!

Well, it depends what time, but usually, it's very difficult. No or very few public transports, which also means less taxis because everyone is using them or their own car, which slows down the traffic terribly. Depneds what time you arrive and how you wanted to leave the airport. In january, I went to see paquita with a friend, and the public transports had a surprise strike, so I had to beg my father to bring us, but we still arrived late and missed the beginning:mad: and then, we couldn't come back, and started waiting for a taxi, until my father got so annoyed that he came and picked us up at 2 in the morning (the performance finished at 9:30) because we were still waiting for a taxi! However, this is not a surprise strike, so people will probably take their cars , and it will be OK for taxis, so if you have to come on tuesday, no panic (unless it's rush hour), but if you can come on another day, then try to, it would be easier, and less stress, which would spoil your stay, and you won't enjoy the performances as much. Shops should be open, since it should only be civil servants on strike (I think). But, apart from transports, there's nothing I can think of which gets so annoying when there's a strike. Good luck! Su-lian.

If "Spring Water" is La Source, as i think it is, the music is by Delibes, and I think the original choreography was by Saint-Léon, so it was the same "team" as for Coppélia.

Estelle, I'm sorry to say that Jean-Marie Didière has already retired. But yes, I had forgotten him, I don't know how or why! And I had heard of that incident with Béjart.

Actually, I made a mistake, there was also Raphaelle Delaunay, who then left for Pina Bausch and now is somewhere else, I can't remember where exactly. I think Eric Vu An left the POB because he wasn't getting promoted (I'm not sure, and if he wasn't promoted, I'm not sure why either), but he recently danced at the Hommage to Nureyev, but it wasn't planned, it was because Leriche was quite sick, so he accepted to replace him. But at the moment, there aren't any "coloured" dancers in the POB, and I think there is one in the ballet school. But maybe it's also just because it happens that the ones who try to get in aren't good enough (since there have been some before, why would it be the colour issue stopping them from hiring coloured dancers?), but one can't really know.

Someone else will give a better answer, but here is mine. I think it depends on which companies, because it also depends on what they dance (if it's only strictly classical or some less classical too). At the Paris Opera Ballet, they don't have any "coloured" dancers (there used to be Eric Vu An, but he's not there any more), but they have some "asians". But the Royal Ballet has Carlos Acosta for example. The thing is, I think some people would be shocked to see in the middle of the corps de ballet in La Sylphide or 2nd act of Giselle, or 2nd and 4th act of Swan Lake people with dark skin, because it's unusual and goes against the tradition (even though no one ever said spirits are white and can't be anything else). That's probably because of history, because in those days, it was unusual to see people with dark skin, and even people who were tanned, so it probably seemed obvious to the people from this time that spirits were white etc, and never said it, because it was implicit that the dancers would be white, and then, it just goes on, and now people don't imagine it differently. I hope I don't sound racist or anything (I'm not really "white" either if it can reassure you on my thoughts).

Yes, that's what I liked about the site, the diffrent pictures, diagrams and animations!

You're welcome! Well, yes, I would say that if you don't get seats at the very beginning of the opening date (either by internet, correspondance or telephone) and you have time to queue, then queue, because if you're there early enough, you're sure to get what you want (or very nearly sure), while if you try to get seats later after the opening, you're not sure to them. They have a system where a certain number of seats of each category is sold by first correspondance and internet, then by telephone, and the rest is sold at the counters starting from two weeks before the performance, plus other tickets (once again from each category) which they keep until the last minute (for sale for employees or associates...) and which they sell 45 minutes before the performance. There are always some of these left, so this is why you're sure to get anything you want if you go there on the day of the performance, whilst you're not if you try at that sort of intermediate period when a lot of tickets have already been sold, if you see what I mean.

Hi Naoko! About getting tickets: -You can try getting some at Bastille or Garnier (any of the two if you're going in advance) if you want them in advance. It starts at 11am, but try to be there before, because there will be many people. At Garnier, after the main entrance of the building, go to the right and once you're facing the shop, go to the left of it, there is another big door, and it's there. At Bastille, it's on the right side of the opera, and if you arrive before they open, you'll be queueing outside. They might tell you they don't have any tickets and it's sold out. -If you don't get any before the performance, no panic: they WILL sell some just before the performance. They always have more tickets, the people from the opera selling the tickets told me so. You will have to go where the performance is, so in this case, Bastille, but, instead of queueind at the side, you go to the main entrance, go in, and go to the right. There are some sorts of cabins, I don't know how to call them (even in french) with shutters down. This is where the tickets are sold. There are some seats there, so if you get there early enough, you'll be able to sit. There is the same thing on the left, BUT this is for reduced price tickets for students...and the priority is to the people buying full price tickets, so my advice: even if you would be able to get reduced price tickets, don't (I myself could, but it's just not worth it, because you're not even sure to get tickets, but you still have to queue). Another thing: they say they start selling the tickets 45 minutes before the performance (18:45 pm), but, if you want the best choice, be there much before (I usually try for about 4:30 pm or 5 pm, and I'm 2nd in the queue. You might say it's crazy and boring, but since they sell all the categories of tickets, even on the day itself, you can get some of the best seats if you get there before the others;) ). I think I've said everything now. Good luck!

I posted a reply earlier, but it seems to have disappeared! I was saying thank you very much for the link, but it's not really complete:( . Anyway, I was able to make sure I had understood! And it helps seeing other diagrams and pictures.

I hope too that you're not going to stop! Unless it's really too much work for too few people, which I would understand, but I'm sure more people are interested and reading this thread than the ones who have posted on it. I'm nearly sure that the place to study benesh notation in Paris is the CNSM (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris), I'll check, but it should be.

Here is what I announced earlier: www.dansenet.com/videodanse/ and another one with other videos: www.dansenet.com/videodanse/pages_folder/videos_page.html I'll check about the others later (not today, I'm sorry, I can't).

Marie-Agnès Gillot and José Martinez both have videos on their sites: www.marieagnesgillot.com www.josecarlosmartinez.com dancenet also has a video with extracts from performances and Letestu, and more, but I don't know the exact addresses, so I'll check and tell you later.

I can't compare them to what rg suggested, but I know there is a version of La Bayadère by Nureyev with Guérin, Platel and Hilaire (all very good dancers) and the Paris Opera Ballet (which I like), and a version of Swan Lake by Bart With Scherzer and Matz and the Berlin Opera Ballet.

She might have her own website, I can't remember, I'll check, otherwise, try on the site of the Scala: www.teatroallascala.org

Yes, I had the same reaction as Estelle, but I think that you would enjoy any of these two, I have both and like them very much. Let us know which one you finally get, then maybe we can discuss about it somewhere...

Hi ballerina idol! I'm no expert on videos, but I know there is a version with the Paris Opera Ballet from 1999, but that might not be helpful, as it won't be the same choreography (I suppose that it's easier if it's the same, even if you don't necessarily want to watch the technique), since it is by Nureyev. You might also have problems watching it, but they have it on DVD too. However, if you still want to see it as a leisure, it is with Aurélie Dupont and Manuel Legris in the main parts, Benjamin Pech and Delphine Moussin in the blue-bird pas-de-deux, Marie-Agnès Gillot as one of the main fairies, along with Hénault, Hallé, Baey, Hurel, Pujol, Kudo as the others, and Nathalie Aubin as "the wicked fairy" (I don't know what she's called in English) and Béatrice Martel as the Lilac fairy, Marie-Agnès-Gillot and Jean-Guillaume Bart in the Precious stones pas-de-cinq with Baey, Hallé and Rousselière. There's also the same one but with the Canadian Ballet, but I don't know if it's available commercially. And many other versions, but I can't think of them right now.