Paris Opera Ballet, autumn 2023

[SheilaC]

At the end of September I was lucky enough to catch three performances by the Paris Opera Ballet in Aix en Provence. The company has an outreach programme, like the one the Royal Ballet has had in Doncaster, using a couple of junior dancers from the company to engage with young people in Aix, to get them dancing, and culminating in a number of performances in the splendid newish Grand Theatre de Provence.

 

It was an exceptionally well balanced programme, starting with Grand Pas Classique (Victor Gsovsky), Robbins's In the Night, the solos and pas de deux from Balanchine's Who Cares?, all in the first part, with the second part focusing on extracts from Nureyev's Raymonda (pas de six from Act 2 and grand pas classique from Act 3). The dancers included a clutch of etoiles, Paris's principals, as well as some new up and coming dancers. There were two casts for each programme- I saw two performances of the second cast and one of the first cast.

 

Unfortunately the one disappointment was of two young dancers in the Grand Pas Classique. This popular piece is technically very difficult, requiring sustained control by the ballerina, especially in holding her balances, and considerable partnering skills by the male. Guillaume Diop has yet to fully develop his partnering, very obviously 'paddling' Ines Mcintosh; my companion commented that she had never noticed a dancer paying so much attention to his partner but I suspect that the best partners are unobtrusive. Nor could either cope fearlessly with the technical demands, it was a matter of getting through the steps. Hannah O'Neil had originally been announced as Diop's partner so McIntosh may not have had much chance to practise the piece. I couldn't help remembering how Sylvie used to do it, not just spectacular balances but also a witty take off of the over the top piece. In the first cast, the much more experienced Valentine Colasante and Marc Moreau coped much more successively.

 

Who Cares had an impressive picture of New York at the back, applauded at each performance, and the dancers of both casts seemed to enjoy dancing it as much as the audience enjoyed watching it. The male stars were Mathieu Ganio, first cast, and Marc Moreau in the second, and each had the relaxed charm and sense of swing so important to this ballet. Marine Ganio (Mathieu's sister, who has not been given as many opportunities under previous ballet directors but seems to be faring better under Jose Martinez;  also their parents were dancers in nearby Marseilles so they are local to Aix) was in both casts but taking different dances. The main women were Colasante with Ganio and Amandine Albisson with Moreau, and Bianca Scudamore was in both casts. Altogether it was enjoyable although not as fast and sassy as City Ballet do it. (The music was recorded, as were all the pieces apart from the Robbins, and all the recorded music was a bit too slow).

 

There was no account given of the story behind the Raymonda  excerpts so it could have been a bit confusing for many in the audience and they may have wondered who the character of Abderam was in the Act 2 excerpts- and there was surprisingly a different dancer as Raymonda in the two sections. Nureyev's choreography is typically over fussy and difficult and it looks better on a larger stage but it was good to see some classical dance. In the first cast I was delighted to see Myriam Ould-Braham and Mathias Heymann resume their partnership, which I first saw when Alexander Grant selected them for La Fille mal Gardee. Heymann's career has been blighted by many long periods of injury so it's great that he's back again. Ould-Braham is retiring in Giselle in the spring. In the other cast Sae Run Park was very reserved but her partner, Paul Marque, was spectacular. The character of Abderam was more convincingly played by Auric Bezard in the first cast whereas Antoine Kirscher looked far too young and less sinister. The second cast Raymonda were Park, again, and Bleuenn Battistoni. A soloist I don't know, Clara Mousseigne, was impressive in both casts, she has lovely epaulement and movement quality.

 

The main draw for me to travel so far was to see In the Night. When Robbins was alive the extraordinary dancers that Nureyev had nurtured were unparalleled in this ballet, even better, in my view, than City Ballet, but the company still does it well. My favourite of the three duets is the final, fiery one, and in this Auric Bezard conveyed the anguish superbly, with Albisson a worthy foil. The first cast had a difference balance, with Dorothee Gilbert superb as the temperamental woman and Florent Melac as her unhappy lover. The first duet, often conveyed, when the Royal used to do it, as by a young couple but less so with the Paris troupe, was performed by Ould-Braham and Germain Louvet in the first cast, and Sae Eun Park and Paul Marque in the second, and the middle duets by Colasante and Moreau in the first cast, and Colasante (replacing Heloise Bourdon from the announced casting) with Moreau, in the second. All performances conveyed the emotional shifts in the relationships that Robbins reveals movingly through his fluent choreography.

 

In The Night will be the middle ballet in the excellent Robbins triple bill that POB will be dancing later this month (the other pieces are En Sol and The Concert). I think other Forum members will be attending as I will. That is why I have given this thread the title I have, as others may want to make their comments on that programme.

 

 

[jmhopton]

If only the RB did more Robbins.  I adore Dances at a Gathering but I would like to see more. Sadly he seems to slip through the net by not being a big name or traditionally classical or very modern, rather like the Ballet Russes rep and de Valois and much of Ashton.

[MAB]

At one time there were at least five of his ballets performed by the RB, so they were popular back in the day.

[Bruce Wall]

Today is the occasion of what would have been Jerome Robbins' 105th birthday.  How wonderful to have it on the actual anniversary date of New York City Ballet itself.  Such a meaningful union of minds in so, so very many ways.  Happy Birthday, Mr. Robbins.  

[SheilaC]

A reminder to Fille fanatics that general booking for the Paris Opera Ballet opens tomorrow.

Fille : March 15 - April 6

Giselle : May 2 - June 1

and for those whose passion for Don Q might need a further dose,  Don Q : March 23 to April 14

 

[SheilaC]

The Robbins triple bill opened last week and I saw three performances. At a time when we are all frustrated at the selection of ballets by the Royal Ballet it is heartening that the newish artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet chose this bill, well balanced with contrasting ballets, and honouring a choreographer who worked with the company for over 20 years, rehearsing 12 of his ballets there.

 

The first ballet, En Sol, to Ravel's Concerto in G, is a good opener, light and bright, with lots of fast movement representing swimming and beach games, and a meaty pas de deux in the middle. Like Ashton's, Robbins' choreography looks much simpler and technically easier than it actually is, in particular some of the partnering is quite tricky. Leonore Baulac and Germain Louvet coped well with all the demands but, surprisingly, Hugo Marchand coped slightly less well with the partnering of Hannah O'Neill.

 

The middle ballet was In the Night. The first three dances are pas de deux and it was interesting to compare how well they looked on the Garnier's vast stage compared to the much smaller stage in Aix. The Royal Ballet's excuse for not presenting some of the earlier Ashton works and other ballets from its past is that the main stage is too big for them; yet In the Night, a seemingly small scale piece, benefits from being on a larger stage, which rather undermines that argument. The dancers were largely the same as in Aix. I found Myriam Ould-Braham  and Paul Marque (he was paired with Sae Eun Park at a different performance) particularly moving as the first couple, he was very expressive especially in the use of his back; and Dorothee Gilbert and Hugo Marchand dramatically moving as the third couple. All performances were well received but the middle one attracted the orchestrated clapping that is now much less common in Paris than in the past. The Royal Ballet danced this ballet quite a lot before Covid, it would be great if they could do it again soon.

 

Another ballet that the Royal used to do was The Concert, a rare comedic ballet that remains funny no matter how often you see it. The key role of the ballerina was created on Tanaquil LeClerq, Robbins' muse (and Balanchine's last wife), apparently a wonderful comedienne; Lynn Seymour was brilliantly funny in the role. At the three performances, the dancer who impressed me most was Leonore Baulac, one of my favourite dancers in classic roles, but hilarious in this one. The least successful performance was the one where the dancers were less experienced, it is a ballet where performance skills matter more than dance technique. But in that performance a dancer I had admired in Aix, Clara Mousseigne, took on the role of the angry girl in spectacles, at first she didn't get the timing (so crucial in comedy) quite right but as the performance developed her confidence grew and she was very funny. She has very recently been promoted to 'Sujet' (soloist) so it may be one of the first roles she has taken. 

 

So, a good mix: pure dance, exploration of romantic relationships, comic sendup, all to wonderful music.

[Sophoife]

Thank you for these considered and thoughtful reports @SheilaC! 

 

We hardly ever get any Robbins here 🇦🇺 and it's so lovely to read about performances of his work.

 

I remember seeing En sol in Paris in 2017 and being completely confused, as the other ballet I know to that music swaps the order of the second and third movements.

[AnticaFiamma]

Thank you so much for the report, I'm going on closing night and can't wait!

[alison]

9 hours ago, Sophoife said:

I remember seeing En sol in Paris in 2017 and being completely confused, as the other ballet I know to that music swaps the order of the second and third movements.

 

Ravel's Piano Concerto in G?!  How on earth could anyone swap those two movements around?!  I mean, the final movement finishes with such ... finality.

[Sophoife]

27 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Ravel's Piano Concerto in G?!  How on earth could anyone swap those two movements around?!  I mean, the final movement finishes with such ... finality.

 

 

🤣 Graeme Murphy made a piece in about 1980 for the great Australian dancer Kelvin Coe, called Beyond Twelve. It has three dancers playing the central character: boy larking about and playing footy with his mates, young man working at ballet and meeting with his first love, and mature dancer close to retirement (nothing lasts forever).

 

The second movement is used for the mature man and at the end he walks off alone upstage, the backdrops parting to reveal (particularly in Melbourne) a vast empty backstage space.

 

With the right dancer (and I saw Kelvin several times in the role, and only Andrew Killian and Steven Heathcote ever approached him), it's a beautiful piece. And the rearrangement works 😉

 

https://youtu.be/HLFa_oHjKAg?si=0WbwqICvfwCi7-UU from 40 seconds.

[San Perregrino]

12 hours ago, SheilaC said:

So, a good mix: pure dance, exploration of romantic relationships, comic sendup, all to wonderful music.

 

i'm heading to Paris tomorrow to watch this triple bill more or less at the same time as Storm Ciarán (A Transnational Tempest)'s 150km winds land on our mutual shores..... i wonder if i'll make it??

[SheilaC]

I had intended to mention that there is currently another theatre in Paris showing Robbins' choreography. The famous Chatelet theatre has programmed the musical West Side Story, with Robbins' original choreography. It will be on until 31 December, ticket prices from 14,90 to 119,90 Euros. Unfortunately I didn't know about it until I was in Paris so was unable to attend.... but perhaps other forum readers who are going to Paris may be able to go.

[AnticaFiamma]

11 hours ago, SheilaC said:

I had intended to mention that there is currently another theatre in Paris showing Robbins' choreography. The famous Chatelet theatre has programmed the musical West Side Story, with Robbins' original choreography. It will be on until 31 December, ticket prices from 14,90 to 119,90 Euros. Unfortunately I didn't know about it until I was in Paris so was unable to attend.... but perhaps other forum readers who are going to Paris may be able to go.

Going on Wednesday!

[San Perregrino]

On 31/10/2023 at 00:41, SheilaC said:

The Robbins triple bill opened last week and I saw three performances. At a time when we are all frustrated at the selection of ballets by the Royal Ballet it is heartening that the newish artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet chose this bill, well balanced with contrasting ballets, and honouring a choreographer who worked with the company for over 20 years, rehearsing 12 of his ballets there.

 

The first ballet, En Sol, to Ravel's Concerto in G, is a good opener, light and bright, with lots of fast movement representing swimming and beach games, and a meaty pas de deux in the middle. Like Ashton's, Robbins' choreography looks much simpler and technically easier than it actually is, in particular some of the partnering is quite tricky. Leonore Baulac and Germain Louvet coped well with all the demands but, surprisingly, Hugo Marchand coped slightly less well with the partnering of Hannah O'Neill.

 

The middle ballet was In the Night. The first three dances are pas de deux and it was interesting to compare how well they looked on the Garnier's vast stage compared to the much smaller stage in Aix. The Royal Ballet's excuse for not presenting some of the earlier Ashton works and other ballets from its past is that the main stage is too big for them; yet In the Night, a seemingly small scale piece, benefits from being on a larger stage, which rather undermines that argument. The dancers were largely the same as in Aix. I found Myriam Ould-Braham  and Paul Marque (he was paired with Sae Eun Park at a different performance) particularly moving as the first couple, he was very expressive especially in the use of his back; and Dorothee Gilbert and Hugo Marchand dramatically moving as the third couple. All performances were well received but the middle one attracted the orchestrated clapping that is now much less common in Paris than in the past. The Royal Ballet danced this ballet quite a lot before Covid, it would be great if they could do it again soon.

 

Another ballet that the Royal used to do was The Concert, a rare comedic ballet that remains funny no matter how often you see it. The key role of the ballerina was created on Tanaquil LeClerq, Robbins' muse (and Balanchine's last wife), apparently a wonderful comedienne; Lynn Seymour was brilliantly funny in the role. At the three performances, the dancer who impressed me most was Leonore Baulac, one of my favourite dancers in classic roles, but hilarious in this one. The least successful performance was the one where the dancers were less experienced, it is a ballet where performance skills matter more than dance technique. But in that performance a dancer I had admired in Aix, Clara Mousseigne, took on the role of the angry girl in spectacles, at first she didn't get the timing (so crucial in comedy) quite right but as the performance developed her confidence grew and she was very funny. She has very recently been promoted to 'Sujet' (soloist) so it may be one of the first roles she has taken. 

 

So, a good mix: pure dance, exploration of romantic relationships, comic sendup, all to wonderful music.

A wonderful write-up thanks @SheilaC.  
I saw the Robbins Triple Bill twice this week.

Seen after the whirlwinds of colour and choreography that have been the BRB’s recent Black Sabbath and RB’s Don Quixote it took a moment to recalibrate and for me to engage with the Robbins but I’m so glad that I did. 

There is something beautifully understated and clean about Robbins choreography that, at first, makes it seem a bit ‘simple’ ‘to the naked eye’ in these pieces. But that would be missing the point because it isn’t simple at all. It is uncluttered and so one’s attention is drawn to what is important to the choreographer. The dancers have nowhere to hide be it on the brightly lit sunny beach of En Sol, in the almost magical stillness and vastness of Into The Night or the stage within a stage of The Concert.
I fell in love with Into The Night. The simplicity of Chopin’s notes seemingly dripping from the piano at random but full of emotion in a way that couldn’t fail to cast a spell over both dancers and spectators. 

 

[Lizbie1]

Saw the Robbins bill last night, but left at the interval (only because I was very tired and I've seen The Concert relatively recently).

 

I really enjoyed En sol and In the Night, and thought POB looked a lot more comfortable in these than they had in the Balanchine bill back in (?)February.

[PatC]

I too saw 2 performances last week.

 

En Sol was new to me - enjoyable and light, but I mainly  thought about Fin du Jour in its original costumes and wondered if that would ever make it back to the RB stage.

 

In the Night - again seen before and by RB - could that please be restaged.
 

Finally The Concert … here come the ghosts …Anthony Twiner / Lynn Seymour / Michael Coleman / Georgina Parkinson… then later casts Jennifer Penney / David Wall and incredibly Sylvie Guillem. So much fun and again why is this not cheering us up in Covent Garden!!