maryrosesatonapin Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 I was so glad to be in the (very full and appreciative) audience of Ashton’s adorable ‘Fille’ last evening. The production was pretty much perfect, from orchestra to scenery to, most importantly, dancing. As Lise, Léonore Baulac was a delight. She really ‘got’ the Ashtonian style, and was both funny and touching. Her technique was rock-solid but she has so much more than that. I can’t imagine a better Lise. The new young star of the POB, Guillaume Diop, was cheeky and charming as Colas and seemed very comfortable with the technical demands, although if I were being picky I’d like to see improvement in his hands and his lifts. But these are only minor niggles – not real faults IMO. He has exactly the right combination of athleticism and elegance that I like to see in a male dancer. Simon Valastro (trained by La Scala) clearly relished the role of Mère Simone and was hilarious. Antoine Kirscher was outstanding as Alain – such a funny and technically sparkling performance. The whole corps were excellent too, as is usual with POB. The Paris school certainly produces some superb dancers. Although the patchwork of music isn’t of a great enough quality to stand on its own, as the vehicle for Ashton’s gorgeous choreography it does a wonderful job, and at multiple points the music seemed to underline what was happening on stage in a really pointed way. It was a terrific evening which went all too quickly. 9 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 Great review, thank you, @maryrosesatonapin! I wonder if the date can be changed to this year? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 10 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Great review, thank you, @maryrosesatonapin! I wonder if the date can be changed to this year? Done. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryrosesatonapin Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 Ha ha, sorry and thanks. I've just got back after train delays and am brain dead! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 I hear there was no pony! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missfrankiecat Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 1 hour ago, JennyTaylor said: I hear there was no pony! Serious defect! Next you'll be telling me no clog dance or dancing chickens. Have these people no respect for Ashton. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 I've seen some productions in smaller companies where they didn't have a pony and had two men pulling the cart - a bit like a modified rickshaw! - instead. Much better with a pony of course. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 Ponies were not used during the major outbreak of foot and mouth some years ago. I think BRB had 4 young men pulling the cart but I may have misremembered. It should also be borne in mind that perhaps some countries don't allow performing animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryrosesatonapin Posted March 20 Author Share Posted March 20 1 hour ago, JennyTaylor said: I hear there was no pony! No, there wasn't - but it was not missed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 17 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Ponies were not used during the major outbreak of foot and mouth some years ago. I think BRB had 4 young men pulling the cart but I may have misremembered. It should also be borne in mind that perhaps some countries don't allow performing animals. But a nice tartare from a Boucherie Chevaline was always good to fend off a winter cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 43 minutes ago, Naughty Peregrine said: But a nice tartare from a Boucherie Chevaline was always good to fend off a winter cold. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaC Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 Having now seen 3 performances I do think that the pony is missed given that so much of the choreography alludes to horses. Instead the cast sheet refers to 2 peasants, which confused me before I saw the production- they are the men that pull the cart and also help with the maypole. The first cast I saw was the one that will be shown Live in cinemas in Europe tomorrow. Lise was one of my favourite POB ballerinas, Leonore Baulac, who is very feminine, has a friendly personality and good technique so should be ideal for Lise. Colas was Guillaume Diop, who has been much publicised but, although he has a good technique, he still lacks stage experience and he didn’t establish a convincing relationship with Lise, so important in this ballet. Widow Simone was Simon Valastro, for many years a dancer with POB but brought in as guest artist from Italy where he has returned to develop his career as choreographer. When Alexander Grant mounted Fille on POB in 2007 he selected and rehearsed Valastro as Alain, and his understanding of the ballet deepened the performance, he didn’t overhype the humour but revealed the close relationship with Lise, whilst being funny in the clog dance and the battles with Lise. All the Alains were good and all won great applause at the end. The second Fille I saw had Marine Ganio as Lise; although there has been much discussion of the way the newish director, Jose Martinez, has given opportunities to young dancers with Fille, Marine has mostly only in his regime been given good opportunities, despite being a sujet for 12 years. Her famous brother, Matthieu, was sat in front of me- although he was 40 this week, so only has 2 more years to dance, he still looks boyish. She danced well and her Colas, Jack Gasztowtt, was easily the best one I saw, he has a stunning technique and their relationship was believable. Their Widow Simone, Hugo Vigliotti, mostly played for laughs. The third Lise , tonight, was Clara Mousseigne. She was initially supposed to do her first performance next week, and I was so impressed by her in the autumn that I booked to see it so it was a surprise when the performance dates changed. She has a very secure technique, a good jump and precise footwork and better epaulemant than many POB dancers and a lively personality and looks very young so she was an ideal Lise. She was only made a sujet last year so it was probably her first major role. Her Colas, Antonio Conforti, is also a new sujet, but has been in the company 12 years and was disappointing, his technique was suspect and he lacked partnering skills. Their Widow, Florimond Lorieux, was good. Each performance had the same Thomas, Alain’s father, but he was disappointing, even more of a cardboard figure than usual. The production was rehearsed by Christopher Carr, amongst others, including Elisabeth Maurin, whom I always regarded as the most English of the French ballerinas. The lighting was too dark in places and the music sometimes too slow, slower than the conductor, Philip Ellis, would normally play for BRB. But, despite slight reservations, it was wonderful to see Fille again, POB have performed it at least six times since they first produced it in 2007. Can the Royal Ballet say as much. 7 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stucha Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 (edited) a few extracts. The full ballet is available on Culturebox, but it is geoblocked. You can view it if you have a VPN. La Fille mal gardée à l'Opéra de Paris en replay (france.tv) Edited March 23 by stucha 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 (edited) Sadly the VPN route is not working for me. Maybe they block VPN, like North Korea do! thank you for the extracts 🙏 Edited March 23 by FionaM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Aren't claquettes tap shoes, or am I imagining it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryrosesatonapin Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 48 minutes ago, alison said: Aren't claquettes tap shoes, or am I imagining it? Google translate says 'yes'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stucha Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 12 hours ago, FionaM said: Sadly the VPN route is not working for me. Maybe they block VPN, like North Korea do! thank you for the extracts 🙏 you may need to create an account on France tv. It's free. There's an icon top right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tattin Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 stucha, I have tried to create an account on France.tv but failed as, among other details, it asks for your post code and as mine is Spanish it won't accept it. I have thought of putting in a French one!!! I wonder whether that would work?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruna S Posted March 24 Share Posted March 24 32 minutes ago, Tattin said: stucha, I have tried to create an account on France.tv but failed as, among other details, it asks for your post code and as mine is Spanish it won't accept it. I have thought of putting in a French one!!! I wonder whether that would work?!! It doesn't work, Tattin. I tried that but the site detected that I was logging in from Italy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stucha Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 2 hours ago, Tattin said: stucha, I have tried to create an account on France.tv but failed as, among other details, it asks for your post code and as mine is Spanish it won't accept it. I have thought of putting in a French one!!! I wonder whether that would work?!! It will. Just make sure you are already using your VPN before you go to the site and try to create an account. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Did anyone here get to Paris to see Marcelino Sambe dancing Colas with Bleuenn Battistoni? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Could the mods change the title so it isn’t date specific please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 1 hour ago, Emeralds said: Did anyone here get to Paris to see Marcelino Sambe dancing Colas with Bleuenn Battistoni? I know Francesca Hayward did 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) In French, of course! English subtitles for this one. Edited March 25 by Roberta 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Tonight (26.03.23) Paris has une nouvelle Étoile in the sky. Bluenn Battistoni was promoted on stage at the Palais Garnier at the end of this evening’s La Fille Mal Gardée. A standing ovation of many minutes was given by an appreciative audience. On the way out I overheard an audience member say “I don’t know who he [Colas] was but he should have been promoted too. He was referring to RB principal Marcelino Sambé! who danced his socks off in his second guest appearance here. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josette Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I'm so happy to hear this news about Mlle Battistoni and not at all surprised! I can't wait to see her Giselle in May! And no one can be surprised that they loved Marcelino Sambé, as we all do! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 13 hours ago, San Perregrino said: On the way out I overheard an audience member say “I don’t know who he [Colas] was but he should have been promoted too. He was referring to RB principal Marcelino Sambé! who danced his socks off in his second guest appearance here. hilarious! Thank you for sharing that 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 @BalletcoForum Moderators please can you change the title of this thread so that it is not date specific. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stucha Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 On 27/03/2024 at 08:26, Josette said: I'm so happy to hear this news about Mlle Battistoni and not at all surprised! I can't wait to see her Giselle in May! And no one can be surprised that they loved Marcelino Sambé, as we all do! According to her Instagram, she rehearsed the role of Lise with Lesley Collier and Sambe at the ROH, In the days after the ballet icons gala. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelie-DALP Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Hello to the BalletCo forum! A brief explanation about the absence of the pony: a pony was indeed planned! But the rehearsals didn't go well, he didn't like the stage at all. So it was decided, for animal welfare reasons, not to put him on stage... And there was no replacement available. I wasn't able to see the duo Bleuenn Battistoni/Marcelino Sambé. But all the "balletomanes" whom I know were thrilled by this duo. 4 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Bonjour Amelie et bienvenue au forum! Many thanks for your post. 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 24 minutes ago, Sim said: Bonjour Amelie et bienvenue au forum! Many thanks for your post. 😀 @Sim could you please change the title of this thread so that it is not date specific? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 (edited) Curious to see what members think as I suspect there isn't an exact equivalent: What are the equivalents of premiere danseuse, premier danseur and etoile in companies like the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre? We know that senior Principal Dancers who are now established stars like Marianela Nunez, Vadim Muntagirov, Natalia Osipova, Momoko Hirata, Celine Gittens and Herman Cornejo are the equivalent of etoile. I would assume that experienced first soloists like Melissa Hamilton, Yuhui Choe and James Hay are definitely premieres danseuses and premier danseur. When Shiori Kase was promoted to Principal Dancer on the Paris Opera stage after Le Corsaire some years ago, Tamara Rojo said in French that she was being promoted to premiere danseuse (I thought she would say etoile so that's why I wondered if there wasn't an exact equivalent). For those who attended the performance/s of La Fille mal gardée this month, what was Marcelino Sambe described in his artist biography in the souvenir programme as - etoile or premier danseur? (The website doesn't have a description yet.) If he's described as premier danseur, I can understand why an audience member might be confused and think he was eligible for promotion. My feeling is that Sambe- assuming that there are no politics involved holding him back - has already attained the hypothetical level of etoile at Royal Ballet. (There are as many discussions and complaints in international ballet cyberspace as to why certain dancers in the Paris Opera haven't been promoted to Etoile from premiere danseuse or premier danseur as there are about why certain dancers in the Royal Ballet haven't been promoted from first soloist to principal.) Very delighted for Bleuenn and a lovely outcome after travelling to London to dance at the Coliseum as well as to take time to get coaching and practice with an Ashton expert like Lesley Collier. Edited March 29 by Emeralds 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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