naomikage

Nanarina, are you going to see Le Parc?

if so, the only information that I have for casts on Manuel Legris's Website.

http://www.manuel-legris.com/actualite.html

Paris Opéra Garnier : "Le Parc" (Angelin Preljocaj)

les 13, 16 et 18 Mars 2009

avec Aurélie Dupont

Ms Dupont will be appearing on those three nights.

The casting for Paris Opera changes very often and the official announcement is very late so you must consider yourself very lucky if you see the dancer you want to see.

I went to Raymonda on the New Year's eve performance with very expensive tickets and the last minute announcement told the audience that Larent Hilare is not performing that day.

Usually, Paris Opera Ballet tickets gets sold out quite quickly. But if you check their website every day patiently, there will be some return tickets sometimes. I managed to buy a good seat for a Raymonda sold out performance in December by that method.

Otherwise, you can buy tickets at FNAC Spectacles

http://www.fnacspectacles.com/

I took a look and there were some tickets for LE PARC - ANGELIN PRELJOCAJ in March. It is a bit expensive compared to the POB box office, 98 euros for category 1

You can also buy tickets at FNAC stores in Paris.

according to the Irina and Max official site, Irina Dvrovenko will be replacing Julie Kent for Juliet with Roberto Bolle.

News From Yahoo France

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/2/20090108/tcu-le...le-0b4785e.html

Le danseur étoile français Manuel Legris a été désigné pour diriger à partir de septembre 2010 le Ballet de l'Opéra d'Etat (Staatsoper) et de l'Opéra populaire (Volksoper) de Vienne, a-t-on appris jeudi auprès de ces institutions.

Another Press Release here

French top dancer Manuel Legris to lead Vienna opera ballets

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...8EMiEskUtPDxMhg (AFP News)

VIENNA (AFP) — French star dancer Manuel Legris will take over the Vienna Opera and Popular Opera ballets in 2010, the two companies announced Thursday.

Legris, an "etoile" of the Paris Opera, will replace current ballet director Gyula Harangozo of Hungary, whose five-year term runs out in September 2010.

He will also lead the Opera's ballet school.

Legris, 44, quickly rose through the ranks of the prestigious Paris Opera after joining the corps de ballet at 16, and was named "etoile," the top distinction for ballet dancers, in 1986 by then ballet director Rudolf Nureyev.

The French dancer, who will officially bid farewell to the Paris Opera on May 15, has already performed on several occasions as a guest at the Vienna institution.

Austrian Culture Minister Claudia Schmied welcomed the announcement Thursday, describing Legris as "one of the leading dancers of our time."

I am not sure Karl Paquette has his official site but etoiles such as Jose Martinez and Manuel Legris posts their schedules on their sites before the official anouncement. Manuel Legris is expected to appear in Proust so he won't be in Bayadere but Jose is likely.

I am extremely sorry for the delay of the reports. I will finish them in a while.

The Bolshoi's last performance in Japan will be tomorrow's Don Quixote in Osaka, with Osipova and Vasiliev.

And the last performance in Tokyo, which was also Don Q was supposed to be danced by Svetlana Zakharova but Svetlana Zakharova had injured her foot the day before (as she was senn walking around after her injury it does not seem to be a serious one) and the cast was replaced by Osipova and Vasiliev.

It was a sold out performance so at first most of the audience were disappointed (and Zakharova's Swan Lake on Sunday was perfectly beautiful) but the young pair did a very good perfomance in spite of the fact that they appeared in The Bright Stream the day before as leading roles. There seems to be no exhaustion for them and they showed us their usual ultra-technique.

As a whole the Bolshoi Japan Tour was very successful, and after most of the performances, autograph sessions were held which you can see the photo reports in the official blog. Even Filin's 12 year old son joined the autograph sessions.

http://bolshoi-ballet.seesaa.net/

Also the documentary for first soloist Morihiro Iwata was broardcasted on NHK (national TV) and it was a very good one, showing footage of experts from In The Upper Room, The Bright Stream and the Bronze Idol and SL's Jester solos. For that program, many people came to purchase rush tickets for the Bright Stream second day when Iwata was appearing as the Acordion Player.

I will write later but the performances of The Bright Stream were so great! It was officially the last performance for Sergei Filin to dance with the Bolshoi, but his Classical Dancer was so funny and at the same time great technique and acting, it is very sad that we cannot see him again with the troupe when he has that brilliance and star power.

Thank you, naomikage. I am very happy to read that Belogolovtsev is on the mend and back on the stage.

By the time that you read this message, you shall have experienced the Osipova-Vasiliev DON Q marvel. How did it go or -- more to the point -- how loud were the cheers?

I am very sorry for the delay in reports.

So far, I have seen 5 performances. Osipova-Vasiliev DON Q, Antonicheva-Gudanov Swan Lake, Alexandrova- Shpilevsky SL, and Zakharova-Uvarov-Belegolovtsev SL.

Belegolovtsev's Evil Genius (Rothbart) was really great! I must tell all the people worried about his injury that he is fine by now.

Osipova-Vasiliev DON Q certainly did make the audience go crazy. This is the fist time the Japanese audience experiencing a full DQ with the two. Osipova's leaps were so large that she was like a superball, so bouncy. her fouettes were all double in the first half, and after one triple continued with single-double combination, finishing with a quad! The music by the Bolshoi Orchestra was so quick that I thought it was impossible to catch up with the speed in fouettes, but Osipova did it!

She was so technically strong on stage, but for the dream scence her arms seem to look too tense and stiff. But her jetees were so large!

Vasiliev was also super, everyone gasped when he showed his first great leap. At the one-hand lift in act1, he even lifted his leg to arabesque position which was jaw-dropping. He did a small miss at the Act3 variation- he landed on his knee but that was the only flaw.

But some of the audience had the opinion that was it really a ballet? They insist that too much acrobatic tecniques shown and doesn't look like art. But I myself enjoyed the flashy techniques and positive power of the two young dancers.

The Queen of the Driads was danced by Ekaterina Shipilna and was very elegant. Espada was Shpilevsky but he had no musicality and it was almost a disaster. The act 3 first variation was by Ekaterina Krysanova, 2nd variation was Nelli Kobahidze and although they had different character, they danced very well. Krysanova's crisp and clean jettes, Kobahidze's musical, eloquent arms were beautiful. These two dancers are the bright future of the Bolshoi, I think.

Heinz Spoerli’s Peer Gynt is currently being staged at Opera House Zürich - Switzerland.

The title role was danced by Stuttgart Ballet's Marijn Radmaker.

http://www.opernhaus.ch/d/ballett/produkti...ll_peergynt.php

http://www.opernhaus.ch/e/spielplan/spielp...tellID=10325181

You can find some clips of the work on You Tube.

DON QUIXOTE

Dec. 3 (Wed.) 18:30

Kitri:Maria Alexandrova

Basilio:Dmitry Belogolovtsev

Espada:Andrei Merkuriev

Lucia(Street Dancer):Anastasia Meskova

Mercedes: Maria Isplatovskaya

Queen of the Dryads:Anna Nikulina

Cupid:Anastasia Stashkevich

Gypsy Anna Antropova

Ist Variation: Yekaterina Krysanova

2nd Variation:Chinara Alizade

Gamache: Denis Savin

Maria Alexandrova's Kitri was excellent. Very glorious, powerful and charming. She has already established her Kitri charater, a sassy girl but very independent and lively, sparkling with joy. The music by the Bolshoi Orchestra were very, very fast but she had good musicality and her fouettes in act 3 were are singles but matched so much to the music..very fast and precise. Her pas de bourrees were very clean. She did not show too long balances, but as a whole her balances were exellent. She made everyone in the venue smile with her charms.

Also she was very elegant and had the class to make a look like a real princess in the dream scene of Act 2. Although her jetees were high and floating, no pointe noise was there and all the Dryads were very beautiful.

Dmitry Belogolovtsev was a replacement for Denis Matvienko. He does not seem to recovered fully from his injury and sometimes he was saving his energy, but his leaps were very clean and light. He looked very youthful and slim, tall. He had to walk during the single hand lift in act 1, but generally his supports and lifts were very good. And the acting of Kitri and Basilio at act 1 and 2 were very funny, especially at the fake suicide scene.

All of the soloists were good, including an elegant and attractive, stylish Espada by Merkuriev and the Gypsy woman Anna Antropova's powerful, emotionally touching solo. Also the corps were great, especially the male corps in the gypsy scene and the matadors. The music by the Bolshoi Orchestra was maybe too fast but added livelyness to the stage, well played.

As a whole, this performance had so much fun made everyone smile. It was a big success. Today I am going to see the Oshipova / Vasiliev Don.Q.

Bolshoi Ballet has started their Japan Tour on November 22nd beginning in Mie Prefecture then Biwako, Fukuoka, Oita and Sapporo, and the Tokyo Performance (Don Q, Swan Lake and The Bright Stream) will start today. The tour continues till December 14th.

Here is a link to the Official site in English

http://www.japanarts.co.jp/html/2008/balle...hoi/english.htm

Also, there is a weblog reporting about the news and backstage photos which are very curious but all in Japanese.

http://bolshoi-ballet.seesaa.net/

A lecture was held by Alexei Ratmansky yesterday which I attended and was very very interesting. He said he has a premire of a Prokoviev new work on January 1st 2009.

And a documentary about the Japanese soloist Morihiro Iwata will be broadcasted on December 9th, NHK which expects many stage footage of the Japan tour.

Anyway, I will try to give reports here for the Tokyo Performances because I plan to see almost all of them.

Some of you Kirov fans may know that 2 wonderful DVD disks are released in Japan entitled "Uliana Lopatkina Variation Lessons" and "Diana Vishineva Variation Lessons" that shows the performances of those beautiful great ballerinas and speaks of their deep insight how they think about their acting and technique, and shows us how they rehearse.

A third disk will be released next January and it is, to my horror,

"Somova Tereshkina Variation Lesson"

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2817720

Oh, I think Viktoria Tereshkina is an academic, beautiful dancer but what shall we learn from Somova.

But it was not the worst thing happening.

As Vasiev will be artistic director of Teatro Alla Scala, his wife is following him to the Scala, but now Somova's coach is Tatiana Terekhova.

My biggest complaint is with the conductor, who doesn't always wait for Valdes to finish a turn. I know the music must be served, but really, if a dancer hits a fantastic balance (which she does pretty much all the time), is it fair to rush him/her just so a dead composer isn't insulted?

For this performance, I think the music is not live...it has been recorded prior to the performance.

I agree that the music doesn't wait enough for Valdes' incredible balances .

cubanmiamiboy,

Thank you for introducing the DVD to this forum.

The cast is,

Kitri：Viengsay Valdes

Basilio：Romel Frometa

Mercedes：Sadais Arencibia

Espada：Miguel Angel Blanco

Young Gyspy:Taras Domitro

Queen of the Driads：Yanela Pinera

And this disc is in fact compatible NTSC/PAL and it played on my NTSC player.

The quality of the film such as camerawork is good, and the performance is of course marvellous.

And there is a bonus documentary, Interviews of Alicia Alonso and Valdes, Frometa, with rehearsal scenes in Grand Palais Paris and some footage of Alonso and Plisetky Giselle, Alsonso and Vasiliev Don Q and this is valuable I think.

I purchased the new DVD of Don Q by Ballet Nacional de Cuba in FNAC in Paris. It was issued by BelAir Classiques and is a recording of their July 2007 performance in Paris.

I knew that Viengsay Valdes and Romel Frometa were incredible dancers, but Miguel Angel Blanco's Espada and Taras Domitro's gypsy was unbilievable! They are jaw-dropping performers.

I hope the audience in US can see this DVD. You can buy this on the French FNAC website, and it is NTSC region free.

Best wishes for Taras Domitro and Miguel Angel Blanco!

Acosta "Spartacus" filmed at Bolshoi's visit to Paris this January will be broadcasted in June 30 in Japan's NHK.

The filmed performance is 19/22 of January.

Does Bejart in this ballet uses the typical Japanese movements, shaman gestures, taken from the National Japanese THeatre, or it is just a Europian classical choreography with eastern motives?

I would so much appreciate at least couple of sentences, which describe this ballet.

As for The Kabuki, basically the choreography is based on classical plus some contemporary choreography, but some movements uses the traditional Japanese Kabuki and Noh movements such as the feet of female dancers that scratches the ground which are called "Suriashi" with feet turned inside, oppostite of ballet movements. The costumes are Japanese style Kimono arranged by Bejart and some male dancers are dressed in Japanese traditional underwear called Fundoshi which is a red cloth wrapped around the hips.

Although this page is in Japanese, you can see some photographs to imagine the costumes and choreography.

http://www.nbs.or.jp/stages/0701_kabuki/story.html

And for Bugaku, it is a completely different piece from Balanchine's. Just the music by Toshiro Mayuzumi is the same. In four corners, there are men dressed in football protectors, and some sherman women dressed in traditional red and white Kimono approaches from right to left. In the center there is a young man half naked with traditional Japanese Hakama pants who dances a solo. It represents the present travelling to the past meeting medieval ceremony by magical dancing. The movements of women are traditional Japanese dancing but the young man's movements are westernized.

"M" is a biography of a famous Japanese novelist Mishima Yukio. This is also a mixture of western and eastern culture and dancing. Images of St. Sebastian receiving arrows appears along with a man representing death and young half naked men and beautiful women, and patriot men in soldiers uniform. Mishima commited suicide so there is a Harakiri (cutting stomach) scene of a young boy in school uniform with cherry blossoms falling down like rain.

http://www.nbs.or.jp/stages/0510_m/story.html

I hope this will be of some help.

Here is a link to the description of "The Kabuki" which was choeographed for the Tokyo Ballet by Maurice Bejart.

http://www.nbs.or.jp/english/stages/0701_kabuki.html

The Kabuki (1986), M (1993) and Bugaku (1989) are the works by Bejart and created for the Tokyo Ballet.

I have seen all of the works so please ask me questions for them.

The Hamburg Ballet are expecting new productions of Le Pavillon d'Armide and Le Sacre du printemps. The latter is that choreography by Nijinsky, reconstructed by Millicent Hodson. June 28 | 30, 2009, July 11, 2009.

Also, they are reviving Daphnis and Chloe/Afternoon of a Faun/ Le Sacre by Neumeier. November 7 | 8 (2x) | 13, 2008; July 9, 2009

And they have a 100 Years Ballets Russes – Jubilee Performance which is the masterpiece "Nijinsky" by Neumeier on May 19, 2009

http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/spielplan_08_09.htm

I must fly to Hamburg!

What made me post this time was Alistair MacAuley’s

review in Monday’s New York Times. How did this guy ever get to be the chief ballet critic of the New York Times? When I read one of his reviews I always think (besides the fact he’s out to be as cutting as possible just for the fun of it) “Did he see the same performance I did?”

“Scheherazade” was very enjoyable, even though the intermission before this ballet was about 40 minutes and the overture was like 10 minutes. Lopatkina was again wonderful, and her Golden Slave, Yevgeny Ivanchenko, danced very well. But I didn’t see a lot of chemistry between the two leads – I didn’t see a lot of smoldering passion in this “Scheherazade”.

I totally agree with you. I came to New York on Thursday and saw 4 performances (one Petipa and 3 Fokine) and was totally overwhelmed by the virtuoso performances here and returned to Tokyo on Sunday. It was a very short trip but very enjoyable.

So I was very, very annoyed by Alistair MacAuley’s review. He should return to UK, I think.

I was feeling a little sad that there were very few posts regarding performances on Saturday so I am very glad that Colleen shared her report to us. As for my limited English ability I don't think I can write a good reveiw, but I would like to share my thoughts.

Danila Korsuntsev in “Chopaniana" was such a treat to watch. His Jean de Brienne was also very elegant. He is such a good partner, ideally proportioned with very long limbs and beautiful lines, and is romantic and handsome. His supporting is so soft yet accurate and the women seemed to float on air. I agree that he is not the virtuoso type, and he is very tall (more than 6' 4") so he might have heavy landings but his elegance was so delightful and one of the gifts I received in New York.

Of course the women in “Chopaniana" were just wonderful. Before I saw this by Kirov, I thought Les Sylphides was a very dull and boring piece. But “Chopaniana" was a beautiful moment filled with sheer joy. the corps had the musicality, and Yana Selina's musicality was the best. The music was played very slow, but her arabesque panche was stretched full to the music and created a wonderful atmosphere. The corps did not make any sound with their pointe shoes, and I was taken away to a deep forest.

Yana Selina in Le Spectre de la Rose was also very sweet and delicate, wonderful. Anton Korsakov’s performance was good. He was a very young and fresh rose, good leaps and a romantic atmosphere. His port de bras were excellent. This time I saw Roses by Igor Kolb and Leonid Sarafanov. Kolb often dances this piece in galas and this is nearly a trademark for him. His Rose is a kind of a dark sexual sprit although his flexible lines are so beautiful and his leaps are amazing. The girl's dream might be a nightmare! (I like Kolb's potrayal very much)

Compared to that, Sarafanov's rose was childish. He is not a short dancer, he is rather tall but very very slim, and although he is a virtuoso dancer with incredible technique, he is not a kind of sprit that appears in girl's sweet dreams.

Lopatkina's Dying Swan is so divine... I have seen several performances of her Swan and each time her expression is different. Her body is an incredible instrument with so much to tell from the subtle movements. A noble creature struggling to live but finally embraces death with so much dignity. Her arms are not eloquent but the slight whillowy movements moves and touches our soul. I cannot help crying each time I see her Swan. Lopatkina was born to dance a Swan, I belive.

And Scheherazade! I absolutly LOVE this piece and this is the reason why I came all the way from Tokyo to New York. The City Center Stage was cramped but the gorgeous sets, the wonderful music by the Mariinsky orchestra, and the amazing dancers!! I agree with Colleen opinion of didn’t see a lot of chemistry between the two leads on Saturday matinee and although Lopatkina was very sensual and great, and Ivanchenko is a good dancer with mauculine body and great technique, his expression was rather dull. Kolb's golden slave was very wild and sexy, his dancing was like a flame and many bravura moments, his amazing flexibility and passion was great but Vishneva's Zobeida was rather cool, good technique and very beautiful but the partnership didn't work this time.

What was so amazing was the chemistry between Lopatkina and Kozlov at the soiree. As many of the readers know, Kozlov is Lopatkina's favourite youngster. Although Kozlov is a exteremly handsome young man he was rather out of shape, very tall and large and his lines were not classical. He does not have the Vaganova trained lines, and his leaps were large but heavy.

But, what drama this couple brings to the stage! I could feel the fire like a serpant licking his tongues running all over the stage. Lopatkina was so wild and sensual. It was so difficult to belive that she was the one who performed the serene Dying Swan. She was a bored, beautiful but lonely woman who was set by a fire inside the moment she saw the Golden Slave.

Kozlov's slave was arrogant, strong and wild, a very bad boy, very sexy. And their passion bursted on the stage, no limits.

The drama on the stage was so hot, Lopatkina's expression was so versatile. She was a sweet, sad babe to the Shar Zehman until she saw the corpse of the Golden Slave and suddenly struck by agony and despair.

Lopatkina and Kozlov can make a drama so hot!

Hubby and I will be on our way to National Airport soon...off to NYC for the opening night. We are absolutely-totally psyched!!! After having purchased tickets one whole year ago and counting the months, we're all really to roll!

OK - off to the airport. Wheee!!!![/i]

I am going to fly to New York from Tokyo to see 4 performances.. from Thursday to Saturday and return to Tokyo on Monday. I too was counting the months. I would die for seeing Kolb and Vishneva in Sheherazade as well as Lopatkina.

One thing that worries me is the article on NYT. The absence of Vaziev.

re: the identification of the dancer being coached by Legris in the role of Bluebird - one post says Mathias Heymann is the dancer being coached but i don't think the segment given at the top of this thread shows Heymann - who is dark haired i believe. - isn't Legris heard to say Fabien? more than once - and if this is correct - is this dancer the sujet Fabien Roques? (Heymann is also a sujet i think.)

I must explain the whole concept of the program. It is consited of two parts. Legris coaches young dancers, mainly quadrilles and coryphees. The dancer in Bluebird clip is Fabien Révillion, a coryphee dancer. After the coaching, more experienced dancers such as sujet and etoiles show their technique in the latter half. The program is 25 minutes each. Many young good dancers appear as students such as Laurene Levy, Axel Ibot, Eléonore Guérineau, Marc Moreau and Aubane Philbert.

And the broadcasat station is NHK, that is a major public broadcast channel like BBC in the UK. It broadcasts quite a few good ballet programs such as Ferri's farewell gala in Tokyo, Bolshoi Mariinsky Gala, Legris and Cojocaru Giselle. Super Ballet Lesson is aimed for ballet students and also ballet audience. The channel is actually Educational channel. Maybe there will be a sequel to this series because it was highly praised but no announcements yet.

In terms of ballet broadcast Japan is very good environment because NHK airs some performances about once in a couple of months and also Tetsuya Kumakawa appears on TV quite often.

I think JGB has some projects abroad. One teacher position is available because Noella Pontois who turned 65 got retired and Ghislaine Thesmar will get retired soon, too. So there are some possibilities for JGB to teach at POB but I don't know if he wishes it.

Recently JGB was teaching in Japan with the Tokyo Ballet, and he spoke in a interview of Japanese magazine Dance Magazine that he wishes to teach at POB and is likely to do so as soon as there is a vacancy for the position (which we be availale soon). He is also teaching at Mikhailovsky Theatre for a short period.

Super Ballet Lesson is being re-broardcasted this winter and the last lesson, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated will be onaired this Saturday afternoon.

The program was consisted of 15 programs, with dancers such as Dorothee Gilbert (R&J, Arepo), Herve Moreau (R&J, In the Middle), Mathias Heyman (La Sylphide, Blue Bird), Eleonora Abbagnato(Spring and Fall), Mathilde Froustey (Giselle), Myriam Ould-Braham(Sleeping Beauty), Josua Hoffalt(Sleeping Beauty).

Although no plans of DVD release are announced, Super Piano Lesson was released in DVD so there are some possiblity of that.

Here is the link to the official site (in Japanese but you can see some pages of the text book)

http://www.nhk-book.co.jp/piano/

Arepo

R&J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYEvKrbY-j4

Swan Lake is about to start in Melbourne. Has anyone seen it and would you give a comment? I have his Nutcracker - which I can see is an interesting piece -but I am very in love with Lopatkinas version of Swan lake and I fear Murphy's will not match up. As well, for the price of the tickets I could buy one if not two DVD versions.

I have seen Graham Murphy's Swan Lake at the Australian Ballet's Japan tour and I enjoyed the version very much. But it is very much different from the Kirov-Mariinsky Swan Lake by Sergeyev so you shold think it is apart from that. The variation in Act two has no pas nor movements close to the traditional Petipa-Ivanov choreography. But it is very beautiful and dramatic.

This is a bit of a spoiler so don't read if you don't want to know the plot.

The whole plot is different. The story is about a Princess Odette married to a Prince but the Prince had a lover, Countess Rothbart, and the lover appears at the wedding party, thus Princess Odette gets totally out of her mind as though she was like Giselle. Act two starts in an asylum where she gets comfort only when she is dancing with the swans. The icy lake scene is very beautiful, and Odette is not dressed in a classic tutu but a short tutu like ones used in Balanchine works. But she is a swan.

Act 3 plot is very entertaining.. it looks a little like the brothel scene in Manon but it will be not good to tell you the plot.

But I really like this version, the artwork and costumes are very beautiful, choreography is unique but based on classical technique. And the dancers, Kirsty Martin, Damien Welch and Lucinda Dunn were excellent. I recommend this version as fine entertainment.

Julie has in the past done Don Q. - I think even a few years ago in Tokyo - but my point was that she is not a current Kitri because the company has dancers who are much more suitable for the role.

Julie Kent danced Kitri in Tokyo in July 2005 with Jose Carenno and I saw the performance but it was not a good Kitri..she had problems with fouttes, she is not a technical dancer. I read in an interveiw that she was asked by McKenzie that she had the choice of dancing Raymonda or Kitri, and she chose the latter because she seldom performs the role.

As a matter of fact Part replaced Annaniashivili in Raymonda at that occasion and it was a failure, she fell down at the act 3 last variation. So many dancers stumbled that day but Part was the worst.

But I really loved her Kirov elegant style and I will miss her so badly. Her Odette waas so beautiful and dramatic.