Azulynn

I'd bet on Pavlenko/Sergeyev, because Pavlenko is the only principal cast, but then hierarchy does not always mean much at the Mariinsky ! Anyway, I only know the women, but Pavlenko, Tereshkina and Golub have all struck me as beautiful, mature dancers. I'm glad they're cast.

The listing of all dancers is on this page (from the menu, under Tout savoir sur/Le ballet de l'Opéra). You can click on the names of the étoiles and premiers danseurs to get their bios. Unfortunately though, the website is poorly updated and the bios of the latest premiers danseurs (Dorothée Gilbert, Myriam Ould-Braham and Stéphane Phavorin) have not been added.

In Paris we got : Lopatkina for the opening night, then Somova and Bolshakova. I saw Bolshakova while Lopatkina had been announced (on a matinee), and I so regretted it that I would recommend booking for the opening night if you can make it... Although promising, she's indeed below standard, and I was much happier when I saw the POB do the ballet a couple of months later. ;)

I agree with canbelto - it is a pretty traditionnal version. It's just been called "freudian" because of the relationship between Siegfried and Rothbart, which is more developed - for instance the traditionnal "Black Swan pas de deux" becomes a kind of "pas de trois". Solor, this POB version was filmed in December with Agnès Letestu, José Martinez and Karl Paquette, so it should come out by the end of the year.

Natalia, as a matter of fact, Evgenia Obraztsova has already danced "The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude", last November in Paris. IMHO she did more than well, showing a clarity of line and a speed that not everyone in the cast achieved. Catch her in it if you can ! ;)

Unfortunately, nysusan, Evgenia Obraztsova has never danced Giselle. A shame, IMO, because she seems to be a natural for the part...

I think you've missed some news, Natalia : the Neumeier's evening scheduled on April 26th has been replaced by yet another Giselle. The casting (see the Kirov website) is Daria Pavlenko - Ilya Kuznetsov I'm so glad for Daria Pavlenko, who is such a wonderful dancer, and I envy whoever will see the actual performance - I bet this is a cast that is very likely to show up in DC as well !

The young girl playing Aurore is Margaux Châtelier, a POB student, currently in 2nd division.

As far as the POB is concerned, three principals have just had children or are about to : Clairemarie Osta had a baby last year, Delphine Moussin has just had hers (she won't return to the stage until April), and Laetitia Pujol has just stopped dancing because of her pregnancy. They're very much missed right now - and strangely enough, while it should allow young dancers to get a chance, this doesn't even happen. Talk about 3 female principals sharing between them 16 performances of Bayadere...

This is a shame indeed, Estelle. And don't you think this might well happen again in the coming years ? Nathalie Riqué is the only première danseuse who retire really soon, and with the latest promotions, there are 10 premières danseuses. Among the étoiles, it's going to be a good 5 years before Delphine Moussin, the oldest one, retires, if nobody gets injured or chooses an early retirement. I find it a bit worrying for the ladies, because there will be few positions available...

The results should be up by tonight for the women. Positions available for them : 2 "Première danseuse" 4 "Sujets" 4 "Coryphées"

If the cast remains the same, the four big swans should be : Emilie Cozette, Stéphanie Romberg, Aurélia Bellet, Laurence Laffon. The Czardas was Fanny Fiat/Alessio Carbone on the first filmed performance.

Live : Daria Pavlenko Agnès Letestu (for her Odette mostly) But I haven't had a chance to see so many Odette/Odile. I'm supposed to see Marie-Agnès Gillot from the POB in early January - maybe a future favourite of mine as well.

Aurelie Dupont will probably be in Rubies - that's the only part she is scheduled to dance, along with Marie-Agnès Gillot. Should be just great to have as well Letestu, Martinez, probably Pujol and others in the same performance... ;)

It is contemporary and has been created in 1994 for the POB. The production has been quite successful and shown regularly since then. It lasts about an hour and a half, and deals with love games (one sees, I think, the main characters' relationship evolving) - it was inspired by French literature from the 17th and 18th century. Hope this helps - maybe someone who's seen it will be able to tell you more about it. I'll see it myself in Paris in early October.

What's her rank right now ? It might be written in Russian, but I can't read it. Hopefully I'll be able to see her next time the Bolshoi comes to France, but who knows when that will be... By the way, could anyone give a link of a web page where the whole hierarchy of the Bolshoi is given, please, if there's any ? I never found any in English, and I'd be grateful !

Actually, it was Manuel Legris who was supposed to be filmed with Aurélie Dupont in this Sylphide. Unfortunately, he got injured and Matthieu Ganio was I think the only "étoile" available at that time to do the video (premiers danseurs danced it just as well, is not better thanks to experience, but I think the management wanted an "étoile" for the commercial release). It's a shame they haven't done one earlier, but still I think Aurélie Dupont and Mélanie Hurel are just admirable in that DVD. The first seems truly ethereal, and I just love Effie's solo ; I kept watching it again and again ! She doesn't show off and yet she catches the eye with her cleanliness and elegance, IMO. (Ms. Hurel also danced the title role in that very run, by the by)

I don't really mind the predictions becoming true or not, since I've already got my ticket. I'll see the performance, be Vostrotina or Pavlenko, but I'd be most glad if it could turn out to be the second one ! Thanks for the answer, Natalia ! ;)

Daria Pavlenko's website gives the dates of 21, 24, 26, 27 and 29 July ; 21 July is the only date that isn't actually stated in the casting provided in this thread. Any chance she might be finally replacing Vostrotina in the last Swan Lake, according to you all ?

Thanks, Natalia. I've got a ticket for Obratzsova's Juliet... I keep my fingers crossed. I'm just so looking forward to it, after having seen the Nureyev's Romeo & Juliet last week !

There's no guarantee that a good student from Nanterre will always be a good corps de ballet member. I believe the work between the school and the corps is quite different indeed. I agree that most students adapt (easily or not, I have no idea), but still, miss Pagliero has proved her worth in the corps and alongside the other girls who have way more experience. It wouldn't be fair to kick her out now. Besides, not all girls spent 5 years in the school. Marine Ganio for instance arrived 2 or 3 years ago I think. (I've nothing against this young girl of course, I admire her for completing her education at the POB school, it's a great achievement, and I'd be glad if there were more places for her and others) Well, Ludmila Pagliero spent 2 years in the corps. And it must be just as challenging and the conditions must be just as hard for a surnuméraire who isn't sure she will be able to stay at the end of the year (not to talk of her previous schooling, which I don't know anything about). Isn't being a surnuméraire already quite a POB schooling with all the hard times it implies I think ? Besides, few of the surnuméraires from outside the POB are given steady contracts... But I guess we'll just have to agree to differ, cygneblanc - at least it was interesting to see how differently one can see the situation. ;) I hope that a few girls will be given a surnuméraire contract, if that's their wish of course.

Now some of the talented girls from the school (Marine Ganio, Marie-Astrid Casinelli, Amandine Albisson maybe ? depends on how many contracts they give) will probably get a chance to prove their worth in the corps as surnuméraires. It's quite fair since Ludmila Pagliero has already done so, and she deserves her place too (congrats to her !). Of course it would be so much better if there were more steady contracts, but the situation is likely to get better and those who get a surnuméraire contract today might very well get a steady place in the future. Let's hope so at least, for I'm sure these girls really deserve it.

I was puzzled because the "foreigners" in the corps were mostly recruited some years ago, when there was probably a need for them because the retirement reform hadn't been passed yet (and at that time, there were at least two or three girls from the school who would get in each year I think). One of the current surnuméraires (I think there are Ludmila Pagliero and some others) might get a contract today, but if so the girl has been recruited a few years ago, and I don't think it's fair either to just tell the current surnuméraires to leave when they're doing a good job in the corps. After all it would be a shame to lose them as well if they've adapted well to the POB's style and proved their worth. It must be such a hard choice to make for the management. Right now I think we can only blame the reform, which prevents the POB from taking more girls in the corps IMO. I think the balance was right before that and it should get better next year or the following year.

Who do you refer to, cygneblanc ? Girls that are already in the corps ?

You were right, Agnes, the POB will indeed tour China in September (Pekin & Shanghai) As far as I know, they will be doing Giselle, Suite en blanc (Lifar), L'arlésienne (Petit) et Bolero (Béjart) in Pekin, and only L'arlésienne et Boléro in Shanghai (but it does seem rather short, there might be other things). Manuel Legris is supposed to dance L'Arlésienne with Clairemarie Osta on September 16th et 17th in Pekin, and with Isabelle Ciaravola on September 22nd and 23rd in Shanghai. I'm afraid I don't know the other dates. Besides, according to the French site Dansomanie, are scheduled to dance : Dupont/Letestu, Bart/Martinez and Cozette/Romberg (as Myrtha) - in Giselle Daniel, Letestu, Dupont, Martinez, Bart - in Suite en blanc Gillot - in Boléro There are more details on Dansomanie.