J.G. Bart's La Source October/November 2011

[Nanarina]

I am really interested in this Ballet, and have decided to go and see it. If it still resembles the old classic, it should be something worth going to see. I have loved the music for many years, and am quite excited at the prospect. I much admired Jean G. Bart as a Dancer, and felt it was sad about his early retirement. But I sincerely hope he will b ring

his technique and brilliance to Choreography. I wonder if it is far too early to know more about the Production, and would find a mention of who is going to be cast in the leading roles most helpful. I wonder when they will be allocated in house, and when the rehearsals will start. If any of our Members with inside knowledge have any information can let us know it would be great. Hopefully there will be some publicity about it released, there is already an interview with J.G.B. I expect the time will fly by to

the Autumn.

[silvermash]

You can find a preliminary casting on the French forum dansomanie. From the names of the dancers, it looks like (more or less) there will be two leading female and male roles although only four Etoiles dancers are named (Ciaravola, Heymann, Paquette and Pujol).

[Nanarina]

You can find a preliminary casting on the French forum dansomanie. From the names of the dancers, it looks like (more or less) there will be two leading female and male roles although only four Etoiles dancers are named (Ciaravola, Heymann, Paquette and Pujol).

Thankyou Silvermash

I would not mind seeing Heymann, he was excellent in Onegin. As far as the Etoile's are concerned I think I would prefer to see Ould Braham. Though I have seen some of them, I dont know a lot about the others. Anyway I have decided definatly to go as my Birthday is in November and it is my chance to treat myself.

[Natalia]

Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere.

According to the POB website, J-G Bart's new LA SOURCE (to Minkus/Delibes score, with Christian Lacroix costumes) will be shown live via cinema "throughout France and Europe" on November 4 @ 19:30 (7:30pm), Paris time. Alas, not to the USA.

http://www.operadeparis.fr/cns11/live/onp/Saison_2011_2012/Ballets/spectacle.php?lang=en&event_id=2127&CNSACTION=SELECT_EVENT

[Natalia]

The big premiere was 2 nights ago (22 Oct) and, so far, reports on the web are wonderful! Stand-out dancers included Ludmilla Pagliero as Naila and (esp.) Mathias Heymann as the puck-like character Zael.

Below is a link to a short French TV report on preparations, focusing on Lacroix's ultra-luxurious costumes and Eric Ruf's fanciful sets. (Yesss...not an El Cheapo production!)

http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-we/dans-les-coulisses-du-ballet-la-source-6780340.html

Here's the first review in French by Ariane Bavelier for Le Figaro. Praise galore:

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2011/10/23/03004-20111023ARTFIG00269-la-surprise-de-la-source-au-palais-garnier.php

Is it too late for the Kennedy Center to request this instead of Giselle for the US tour?

[Natalia]

Full casting of all performances here:

http://www.operadeparis.fr/cns11/live/onp/Saison_2011_2012/Ballets/decouvrir.php?lang=en&CNSACTION=SELECT_CONTENT&content_id=2259&content_type=text&event_id=2127

Notice that the November 4th live telecast-in-cinemas (Europe only) -- which may eventually result in a DVD -- includes the following cast, similar to the Oct 22 opening:

4 November 2011, 7:30 PM

Naila - Ludmila Pagliéro

Djemil - Karl Paquette

Nourreda - Isabelle Ciaravola

Mozdock - Vincent Chaillet

Zael - Mathias Heymann

Dadje - Nolwenn Daniel

Le Khan - Christophe Duquenne

[Leigh Witchel]

Estelle and I were there - it's promising. It needs a little work, but not much. What's missing (the story's emotions, the "flesh on the bones" as it were) is probably just a matter of doing it more.

Bart is strong at pastiche and classical vocabulary. Lacroix's costumes have a fortune in brocade. The sets are a problem - they're too abstracted where a pastiche like this would benefit from a naturalistic setting (think of Giselle in a setting composed of all rope - you spend more time thinking about the concept than the characters.)

I'll write about this, probably for Ballet Review.

Natalia - that is exactly the opening night cast.

[Natalia]

Many clips (30 and counting) of the October 25 performance have now made it onto YouTube. That performance's cast:

Naïla (white woman): Myriam Ould Braham

Djémil (green shirt): Josua Hoffalt

Nouredda (purple and blue woman): Muriel Zusperreguy

Zaël (green man, like Puck): Alessio Carbone

Mozdock (character dance): Christophe Duquenne

Dadjé (favorite's Khan): Charline Giezendanner

Here is one, with a solo by Alessio Carbone as the puck-like character, Zael:

A female group dance + solo for the character Nouredda (Zusperreguy):

From the look of these costumes & those of the male group dance also on YouTube, it appears that J-G Bart has shifted the location of the ballet from India to the Caucasus (e.g., Georgia).

[Natalia]

I couldn't resist...one more, with a solo by the delectable Myriam Ould-Braham as Naila (La Source), wearing her Swarovski-crystal tutu, to some of the music used by Balanchine in his own one-act neoclassical work based on Source:

'Merci' to videographer Lanou (whoever s/he may be)!

[bart]

Back in March, rg posted this illustration from an early production of La Source:

the 'slide' scanned here is captioned LA SOURCE, with little further identification.

the same picture is included in an issue of DANCE INDEX ("The Dance Criticisms of Carl Van Vechten") for an entry entitled Leo Delibes, the caption identifies the picture as "Act one," but i wonder if this is correct. The seemingly dried up 'stream' might just as well show the final scene, when the 'source' ceases to flow. additionally, the caption says the photo shows a 'stage model, ca. 1870' which may or may not be correct.

i assume the figures at the top of the stairway are Djemil and Nourreda, with the fairy of the spring, Naila, nowhere in sight, though her sylph sisters are seen languishing around the dry spring.

Attached thumbnail(s)

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[Helene]

Many thanks for the video links, Natalia!

For those who wonder how to find the rest of them in order, if you click on the uploader's name, you can find a list of that person's last three videos featured to the left, and the link below brings to all of the videos. Scroll down until you get to the first.

(As of now, only a handful of them come up as suggestions to the right of the actual video.

[Nanarina]

Many clips (30 and counting) of the October 25 performance have now made it onto YouTube. That performance's cast:

Naïla (white woman): Myriam Ould Braham

Djémil (green shirt): Josua Hoffalt

Nouredda (purple and blue woman): Muriel Zusperreguy

Zaël (green man, like Puck): Alessio Carbone

Mozdock (character dance): Christophe Duquenne

Dadjé (favorite's Khan): Charline Giezendanner

Here is one, with a solo by Alessio Carbone as the puck-like character, Zael:

A female group dance + solo for the character Nouredda (Zusperreguy):

From the look of these costumes & those of the male group dance also on YouTube, it appears that J-G Bart has shifted the location of the ballet from India to the Caucasus (e.g., Georgia).

I think the idea was that the Caucasians and Nouredda were on a journey, hence the flambyant carriage. I still feel as in my original post that something is lacking in this work. the ballet element is fine, but the character dance ensembles, just seem too boring without much style, yes it is quiet and simplle, with considerable port de brae, but it just does not create an impression for me of Caucausions, they are hot blooded, exciting people, it is all too "nice" and feeble. As far as the costumes, it seems like they have been made out of curtain material. far too fussy, and what have they (the girls) got on their feet, it gives the look of very high heels.

Still cannot make up my mind, if I really liked it or not. Maybe it will be released on DVD , I hope so.

[Natalia]

YouTube links to the November 4, 2011, 'Live-in-Cinemas' film seem to be popping up. The following link offers not just an excerpt but a link to the full ballet in the description on the site of the person who uploaded it ("ginofamussa").

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI6EbkNlJb4&feature=related

Link to ginofamussa site: http://www.youtube.com/user/ginofamussa#p/search/0/fI6EbkNlJb4

[Drew]

Wish they would bring this production on tour--it looks quite lovely and though I'm not a huge fan of pastiche, the bits I watched seemed to have real flair and to capture the spirit of the music with some charm and wit.

(Similarly, I'm a youtube skeptic when it comes to forming judgments of dancers, but at least preliminarily very impressed by Heymann--so much so I looked at some other videos of his dancing (Fille, Onegin, Sylphide) and...uh...if THAT is what comes across in the theater, plus what youtube can't capture, then...wow! I think I may be a little dizzy. Elegance, fluidity, ballon, line--where does one stop? delicious beats, gorgeous extensions, good looks--just, wow!)

[Nanarina]

Yes Mathias is amazing, I have seen him dance live, in Onegin, it was stunning. Sadly he was not in the cast I saw, neither wads Ludmila Pagliero who even just from the film seems by far to be the best Naila. Both Josua Hoffalt and Karl "P" looked pretty good as well.