SFB in Paris, summer 2005

[Estelle]

http://www.sfballet.org/news/detail.aspx?id=16

A Paris tour with three programs is announced on the SFB site.

[BalletNut]

Thank you for posting this, Estelle. I look forward to hearing about these performances.

[Estelle]

I've no idea whether I'll be able to go to Paris to see those performances, but I'd really like to see the mixed bill including "Who Cares" and "Square dance", especially as, as far as I know, "Square dance" seldom has been performed in France (it isn't in the repertory of any French company- I wonder if the NYCB performed it on tour ?). Also the program with three world premieres looks quite exciting. And the POB will perform two programs in July (R & J and a Petit mixed bill) so that will definitely be a good period to go there for balletomanes !

The performances will be part of a new dance festival organized by Claude Bessy (former director of the POB school) and Valery Colin (former POB corps de ballet dancer). It will take place outdoor, so let's hope July won't be too rainy !

[BalletGirl]

ANY REVIEWS ON SFB IN PARIS?? PLEASE POST ANY NEWS. THANKS!!

[bart]

There's an interesting Link today to Muriel Maffre's report about the SFB's first encounter in rainy weather with the courtyard stage at the Hotel de Rohan-Soubise.

The San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Muriel Maffre reports from Paris for the San Francisco Chronicle.

[Paul Parish]

Estelle, you're right, Square Dance is fabulous -- you must see it with Tina Leblanc, who's so on top of the difficulties she makes it look like child-s play -- in the finale when she takes a pique on every count for 32 VERY FAST counts you'll be laughing out loud -- at least I was -- it's so preposterously easy for her.

The other ballerinas can do it, but they can't toy with it like she can.

Go if you can.

[BalletNut]

From Links for July 10, a review by Jann Parry on SFB's all-premiere program:

And then comes Christopher Wheeldon's new piece, his fourth for this company, and the concluding jewel of the evening. Like others, SFB regards him as the white hope of ballet. For Quaternary, he has juxtaposed scores that inspire him, taking the four seasons as a linking pretext. The structure just about holds. Lit by Jennifer Tipton, the four-part ballet looks classical and contemporary, perfect for its Parisian setting.

Paul, I couldn't agree more about LeBlanc in Square Dance!

[Estelle]

Thanks for the link, BalletNut. Unfortunately, there probably won't be many available reviews in French of that tour, as the French press often pays so little attention to ballet (and some of the few newspapers who do publish ballet reviews, like "Le Figaro", generally don't put them on their web site )

One small article on yahoo.fr:

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/050706/202/4hott.html

An introductive article in "Les Echos" (financial newspapers):

http://www.lesechos.fr/info/rew_loisirs/4280428.htm

There are also the following articles on danceinsider.com:

http://www.danceinsider.com/f2005/f0706_1.html

http://www.danceinsider.com/chevalier/c070805.html

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend any SFB performance (I had originally planned to go to Paris this week-end for other reasons, and hoped that maybe I could get a last minute ticket, but had to cancel my Paris trip because of an ankle problem).

They haven't been lucky with the weather: it has been quite cold and rainy in Paris recently, and one performance was cancelled because the temperature was too cold.

[BalletNut]

They haven't been lucky with the weather: it has been quite cold and rainy in Paris recently, and one performance was cancelled because the temperature was too cold.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like Stern Grove (minus the rain). They just can't win, can they?

Thank you for the links, and I hope your ankle gets better!

[Estelle]

Thanks BalletNut!

Some other reviews:

-by Debra Craine in the Times:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/pri...1687160,00.html

-by Jenny Gilbert in the Independent:

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre...ticle298168.ece

It's a pity the organizers haven't thought about a way to protect the audience from the potential bad weather: having some rain in July isn't very surprising, I remember a performance in the Cour du Palais-Royal which was interrupted by a very rainy and stormy weather (lightning, thunder, strong winds... It even broke my umbrella when I was on my way to the metro), and fortunately it was a cheaper ticket (the SFB performances are quite expensive- the cheapest tickets are at 25 euros- considering that it uses recorded music, and that the POB is performing in both of its theaters in the same period with orchestras and some cheaper tickets- this is not meant to criticize the organizers, as they can't rely on public subsidies, but I wonder if they managed to sell enough tickets in such circumstances !)

[bart]

Estelle, thanks for the incredible reviews -- a great tribute to the dancers, company, and choice of choreographers. I was interested by Jenny Gilbert's statement that the SFB is America's "most stylish" ballet company.

[Leigh Witchel]

At this point, SFB may be the most familiar US company to London critics, (NYCB and ABT visit less frequently) which may account for some of that.

I know that Possokhov is represented by his and Tomasson's setting of Don Q, but I'm sorry they didn't bring either Reflections or Study in Motion. He's homegrown and I think as unique a voice as any out there in classical ballet (actually, more so.)

[cygneblanc]

I will attend a Don Quixote performance the next week and I can't wait !

Would someone know who is the dancer who is on the advertisement that is on almost every walls of Paris ? She has some incredible feets.

The weather is warmer now, and it isn't raining anymore. I hope it will stay the same !

[BalletNut]

Is this picture online? What's the link? If it's not online, can you describe it?

[Estelle]

cygneblanc, is it the photograph which is there (with a couple of dancers) ?

http://www.lesetesdeladanse.com/fr/presentation/index.html

From what I've seen on another site, it is Yuan Yuan Tan and Yuri Possokhov.

There's also a tiny photograph of a dancer in a red tutu there:

http://www.parisinfo.com/rub988.html?OTCP_..._type=evenement

The official site of the festival announces that the audience of the cancelled performance of July 7th will get free tickets for a new performance on July 14th (I wonder what they have planned for the people who can't attend a performance on that day- a lot of people are likely to go on vacation in this period...) and that those of the cancelled performance of July 8th will

get their money back. Also a new performance of the Balanchine-Tomasson program will be scheduled on July 16 at 3:30 PM.

[cygneblanc]

Yes, the picture is the one you posted. Thanks for the infos

[Lynette H]

Estelle, thanks for the incredible reviews -- a great tribute to the dancers, company, and choice of choreographers.  I was interested by Jenny Gilbert's statement that the SFB is America's "most stylish" ballet company.       

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As Leigh says, SFB are well known in the UK. SFB have visited the UK five times in almost as many years, bringing a very generous selection of work, nicely chosen to show the strengths of the company. They have made a very positive impression, and I hope they will be coming back. They gave the impression of a very cohesive company with a very succesful AD. Other US companies have visited, but not to the same extent - ABT not for, what, maybe 20 years or so. NYCB came to the Edinburgh Festival a few years back - the second time was an all Diamond project bill.

[Paul Parish]

Any more reviews of the later programs?

Wonder how Lorena went over in Don Q..... I think she's a knockout in the role, myself, a real successor to Plisetskaya and Terekhova....

[cygneblanc]

Well, Paul, I saw the final dress rehearseal, so I will stay general:

I was expecting much more than what I saw. I have loved everything I have seen from the SFB until now, especially their Othello the last time they came in Paris.

Firstly, I just would like to say that I have some mixed impressions because of the surroundings.

There is just a very small outdoor stage which don't allow ellaborate sceneries, the weather was quite cold for the season the last few weeks, and the version of DQ that the SFB gave to Paris has had to be shortened for the Paris' performances because the show is beginning at 9.30 PM and has to be finished at 00.00 AM due to public transportation.

So I don't wish to speak too much of a production that I couln't see under its usual settings.

As far I'm concerned, it's appearing that DQ is a too big production for such a small stage. It is just a waste. THis compagny deserved a much better stage and a real theater!

It is very difficult to put some names on the faces of the dancers, since they didn't give us the casting that wasn't announced either.

I was amazed by the excellent work of the corps de ballet. It has a very good discipline, which lacks cruently to the POB now. There are some wonderful individualities, too although I can't name the dancers. I feel sorry for them.

I think Nicolas Blanc danced Basilio, Tina LeBlanc (but I'm almost sure at 50% I'm wrong) Kitri and Muriel Maffre the Queen of the Dryads.

I'm under the impression this production has an american tone we don't find in the NUreev's production I'm used to but that doesn't mean it is bad. It is just different and some moments are really funny.

[BalletNut]

Thank you for the review, cygneblanc.

If it was LeBlanc you saw, and Maffre as the Dryad Queen, they must have been rather interesting to see dancing next to each other in the dream scene, given the considerable height difference.

It's too bad you didn't get to see it in a proper theatrical setting, without the time constraints, but thanks for keeping us updated.