Possible RB / POB collaboration / exchange?

[alison]

An interesting little snippet in Le Figaro suggests that there might be a possible Royal Ballet / Paris Opera Ballet co-production and/or exchange in the pipeline:

 

"Comme Alice avait été cocréé avec le Ballet du Canada, il se pourrait qu'une création «soit cocréée avec le ballet de l'Opéra de Paris», indique Kevin O'Hare. «Nous sommes en relation avec Aurélie Dupont. Brigitte Lefèvre avait invité le Royal Ballet à Paris, mais l'invitation s'est perdue au moment du changement de direction. J'aimerai que cela puisse se faire et que le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris puisse aussi se montrer à Londres. On ne l'a pas vu ici depuis 1984»

 

http://www.lefigaro.fr/theatre/2017/10/20/03003-20171020ARTFIG00007-londres-offre-au-monde-son-alice-au-pays-des-merveilles.php

 

Thanks to Dansomanie for the link!

[Sim]

Et moi, j'aimerais bien voir POB à Londres encore une fois!

 

[Bruce Wall]

 I must say I am finding this site difficult today. My text is automatically changed by the system when saved. Are others finding the same? if this continues I will certainly no longer post. Too frustrating and a waste of the very limited time I have to spare.   

 

The above has been saved seven times and every time my text has been altered. 

Forget this ... If I ever post a review here again it will be as a link published via a different source.  

 

Can I please ask the moderators to remove what is shown above.  it is NOT what I wrote. 

Edited October 21, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[zxDaveM]

If having edit problems, write in a word processor application, then copy/paste into the text field here, when you’re happy with it. Only takes an extra two seconds

[Bruce Wall]

Thanks, Dave.   Your advice is, as ever, appreciated. 

Please know I have written a note to Alison - who I have long looked on as a friend - to ask if the gibberish which was published by the system in my name might be removed.  I would be deeply embarrassed if it were not to be. 

 

I, myself, have sometimes had problems on this site when copying over material so will, I think, should I ever write a review here again, publish it elsewhere and then attach it as I suggested as a link.  Safer that way methinks.  

 

Must now turn to the boatload of work I should have been doing in the first place.  Perhaps I should chalk that up too to another lesson learned ... and I feel it has been ... learned that is.  

 

Times are not just a changing ... They have well and truly changed.  

Edited October 21, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[capybara]

I don't like the new system for this site, either. It is slow to load and often jumps around. But I have had no difficulty in posting, whether short or long - indeed, if I start a piece and then have to go away from it, it reappears when I return to BCF hours later.

[John Mallinson]

Bruce, I've spared your embarrassment and hidden your post.

 

Anyone else having problems with the editor misbehaving? Comments on this thread please.

 

[Bruce Wall]

Bless you, John.  Your kind largess is hugely appreciated.  

[Bruce Wall]

To try not to be too mysterious please know this is something akin to what I wrote earlier today and as is referenced above.   I have created a blog 'Balletic Runctions' which, if I write any ballet review in the future for BcoF, I will write such in that and then copy it over.  It seems simpler somehow.    

 

I spent a week in Paris for work recently and had the pleasure of seeing six performances of Balanchine's Jewels (Joyaux) by the Paris Opera Ballet at the majestic Palais Garnier and two of Neumeier's Nijinsky as performed by the National Ballet of Canada at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.

 

The ferocious hot bop and balletic swing of Rubies can certainly be said to not be entirely at home in Paris much as it struggled for so long in the UK.  Certainly there was nothing here matching the fevered fandangles of an Osipova or Ansanelli with McRae ... but the svelte Hannah O’Neil blindingly hypnotised in the soloist assignment much as she would later melt ravishingly into the Verdy role in Emeralds.  The ever piquant Alice Renavand also did yeoman service but without ever perfuming her own entirely exclusive polestar in both of those same.  

 

It was on the principal male front in Diamonds that standouts truly came to the fore.  The names of two new etoiles (well, new to me) certainly need to be mentioned.  While Hugo Marchand is a puissant powerhouse even more tellingly so is Germain Louvet, the most recent to be promoted.  This is an exquisite dancer in the Legris/Muntagirov mold ... and one who has the most ravishing port des bras since Dowell.  This is a name I think you will want to remember.  

 

I was somewhat disappointed by the opening performance by the National Ballet of Canada’s rendering of Neumeier’s Nijinksy only as I felt it dimmed (considerably in places) in comparison with performances I had seen by the choreographer’s own company in Hamburg earlier in the year.  Certainly it was competent (there is no question of that) just sometimes a tad dull.  

 

Still there were two standouts.  Dylan Tedaldi was mesmeric in his etching of a grizzled Stanislav and there was an enormously emotional moment at the curtain call when Neumeier (himself a world respected Nijinksy authority) quietly received the French acclaim (and, yes, much yodelling from the supporting Canadians) on this stage which had been so historic for his work’s namesake.  That alone was worth the price of a ticket.

 

I then didn’t expect when I arrived at that venue for the Sunday matinee that it would become the highlight of my week.  Unashamedly it did.  (I had the great pleasure of sharing that particular outing aside the lovely DonQFan.) 

 

Neumeier’s Nijinsky is understandably framed by the dancer who embodies its title role.  Here, the young Italian NBoC soloist, Francesco Gabriele Frola, emblazoned all within his wizardly path.  To say his etching was ravishing would be to belittle his achievement.  Froa bewitched.  He conjured with a spellbinding charisma and a placement as magnetic.  The entire Company and its fine orchestra suddenly took fire.  This was a different world from the relative safety of the opening night.  Suddenly Tedali’s Stanislav had a mirror ripe to twist in and the ever potent Svetlana Lunkina was rapturously orphic as Romola.  

 

It was – in every way – an honour to be there. 

 

Edited October 21, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[alison]

Glad you managed to post it, Bruce - thank you.

[Duck]

Thank you so much for this post. As much as I would have liked to go to Paris to see the National Ballet of Canada in this piece, I needed to choose between Nijinsky in Paris and Hamburg Ballet performing the same work in Baden Baden the following weekend, and ultimately I went for the latter (post to follow). So your post is the next best thing to having been there myself.

As for Germain Louvet at POB, I'd recommend seeing his Romeo next time this is on, preferably with Leonore Baulac as Juliet.

 

Edited October 21, 2017 by Duck
amended final sentence

[Don Q Fan]

I enjoyed Jewels X2 in Paris and then a surprise performance of Nijinsky alongside Bruce as I was able to fit it in. With Nijinsky I wish I had known more of the story to fully appreciate the narrative. That said the choreography has some fantastic jumps and lifts and it's a big role for the lead most definitely. It was super to see Lunkina again and indeed to meet her and Francesco and Pyotr who played Diaghilev at stage door.  A couple of photos from the curtain call.

 

Francesco(Nijinsky)/Svetlana Lunkina (Romola)/Pyotr Stanczyk (Diaghilev)

 

Full company...very colourful too!

Edited October 21, 2017 by Don Q Fan

[alison]

6 minutes ago, Don Q Fan said:

Gabrielle/Svetlana/Pyotr

 

Could you elucidate, please, DQF?  Not everyone is familiar with the dancers, me included.

[Don Q Fan]

Hadn't got a cast sheet handy was doing it from memory. Svetlana Lunkina played Romola, Francesco Gabriele Frola was Nijinsky and Pyotr Stanczyk played Diaghilev

Edited October 21, 2017 by Don Q Fan

[Bruce Wall]

Further to my notations above, I just wanted to add that for the recent POB performances of Jewels there was only one interval which fell between Rubies and Diamonds.  Between Emeralds and Rubies there was only a very brief pause.  I myself don't understand why - short of a purely commercial imperative - the universal they in London and New York don't do the same.  With absolute certainty I can report that it  brings the curtain down in just under two hours of balletic beatitude; makes the personal narrative of each gemstone glitter all that much more assuredly and rendered the Parisian Joyaux  tres jolie.  Surely that is a 'win win' situation ALL can appreciate.    

[Don Q Fan]

I agree Jewels certainly didn't suffer from just one interval especially as Rubies is so short. 

[Sharon]

A bit late to add to this topic I know, but I wanted to give my impression of Nijinsky. I thought I was really lucky to get a couple of tickets for the opening night as it appeared to be almost sold out, according to the online site. The Champs Elysses Theatre was beautiful to look at, but I was so disappointed to discover all the negative reviews regarding the seats to be true. I'm very short and even I was uncomfortable - be warned, it has the worst seats and views I've experienced - the leg room and width of the seats were obviously made with short, (skinny) children in mind. However contrary to the online plan there were many unsold seats - and we all moved as one to other seats - just as uncomfortable, but nearer.

The performance itself was interesting if not totally successful. The Act 2 pdd was so long. Guillaume Cote as Nijinsky was mesmerising, I could not take my eyes off him. He dominated the show and I am now officially a fan. His interpretation and technical skill was amazing. The company as a whole were wonderful and I would love to see them perform here. But this opening performance was about Guillaume.