Diana Vishneva in POB's "Don Quixote"

[Estelle]

The casts for the upcoming performances of "Don Quixote"

at the Paris Opera have been published, and it includes

Diana Vishneva as a guest dancer in the role of Kitri.

She will perform on May 18 and 20, partnered by José Martinez

as Basilio. The other Kitris will be the principals Agnès Letestu

(with Nicolas Le Riche), Aurélie Dupont (with Manuel Legris),

Elisabeth Maurin (with Jérémie Bélingard), and the

premières danseuses Clairemarie Osta (with Benjamin Pech),

Marie-Agnès Gillot (with José Martinez) and Laetitia Pujol

(with Manuel Legris). The role of the Queen of the Dryades will

be danced by Gillot, Delphine Moussin, Emilie Cozette and

Isabelle Ciaravola, that of Espada by Jean-Guillaume Bart,

Karl Paquette, Lionel Delanoë, and Yann Saïz, that

of Cupid by Pujol, Osta, Nolwenn Daniel, Fanny Fiat,

Mélanie Hurel and Myriam Ould- Braham. Actually there is an awful lot of

different casts for 15 performances, and some people will

have to rehearse quite a lot to dance two or three different roles

once or twice each...

It is interesting to note that the première danseuse Nathalie

Riqué, who has been absent for several seasons for health

problems, is announced to dance the "street dancer" on

April 28, May 2, 4 and 8 (alternating with Moussin,

Averty, Gillot and Gernez).

[Alexandra]

I hope you'll see some of these and tell us about them. I'd be very curious to see Paris dance "Don Q." I think of them as being coldly elegant (which I like; I don't mean that negatively), and would like to see how they adapt that to "Don Q."

[Estelle]

Well, actually I hadn't planned to see "Don Quichotte" at first, as I don't really care for Minkus and found the only "Don Q" I saw (by another company, years ago) quite boring, and also

the tickets for such "classics" generally are a bit expensive and hard to get (they sell out quickly)... But seeing the casts, I might try to attend it. Seeing Dupont, Legris, Moussin, Bart, Gillot, Osta, Bélingard, Didière and Fiat and Cozette in the same evening (for example) can't be such a bad experience!

Here's a link for the casts page:

http://www.opera-de-paris.fr/0102/f_sp/distrib_376.html

(But of course, there will probably be quite a lot of lastminute changes...)

By the way, in April there will also be the POB school program, with Balanchine's "Western Symphony" and a version of "La Fille Mal Gardée",

Claude Bessy herself will dance the role of Lise's mother on some performances (there are rumors that the other cast would be Carole Arbo- good to hear, as her farewell performance last season had been shamefully done, it seems that at least Ms Bessy recognizes her talent more than the direction...)

[Alexandra]

quote:

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Originally posted by Estelle:

But seeing the casts, I might try to attend it. Seeing Dupont, Legris, Moussin, Bart, Gillot, Osta, Bélingard, Didière and Fiat and Cozette in the same evening (for example) can't be such a bad experience!

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I can think of worse ways to spend an evening

That kind of all-star casting is so rare now. I remember first seeing "Suite en blanc" with the Australian Ballet and not thinking very highly of the work; it looked like an insipid "Etudes." Then I saw Paris do it -- what is it, Estelle? Three female etoiles or four, and two male etoiles. Even without the differences in technical and stylistic level, it was a different creature.

[Estelle]

Actually I've seen more "stars" castings in mixed bills than in full-length works, because often in full-length works there are two etoiles in the main roles and they never dance the others. Perhaps a consequence of having so few female principals now (and not so many male principals) is that many roles are danced by the premieres danseuses, and they actually perform more than the etoiles, doing several roles in alternance (perhaps not very good for the coaching).

I've never seen "Etudes": it was last performed around 1994 or 1995, and that was before I could attend POB performances regularly. Now, as Lifar's works, I wait for it to come back on stage every year, and it just doesn't happen. The photographs I've seen the most feature three etoiles (two males and one female), but perhaps that's just a particular part of the ballet. ("Suite en blanc" has got nice casts, too: the only performance I saw featured, in 1996, at least Jude, Platel, Guérin, Maurin, Le Riche, Letestu and Gaida. Ah, to be able to travel back into time...)

[Calliope]

Thank you for posting the casting link Estelle.

I did manage to get tix to see Don Q. and Vishneva is cast!

It's not until May, but I'm looking forward to it.

[Estelle]

I hope you'll enjoy it. Will you see the Stravinsky mixed bill too? I'm not sure if I'll see "Don Quixote", but plan to see the mixed bill (the casts haven't been announced yet). Perhaps we could meet when you're in Paris? (You can use private messaging to contact me).