Violet Kid / Tuplet / Grace Engine
Choreography: Hofesh Shechter, Alexander Ekman, Crystal Pite
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Maison de la Danse, Lyon
January 31, 2012

As the only dance company founded and bankrolled by a Walmart heiress, the New York-based Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was always going to be a maverick. Nine years after its birth, it has also proved a fruitful artistic venture, perhaps because of its very oddity: in a contemporary dance world where companies tend to exist only to serve a choreographer’s vision, Cedar Lake has no founding father or history to live up to. Fresh, hungry for new movement and blessed with the funds to make it happen, the 16-strong ensemble is the ultimate blank slate, and on the strength of the three new works it brought to Lyon this week, is right to aim high.

The UK-based Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter opened the evening with Violet Kid, his second creation for Cedar Lake. Premiered in 2011, it’s a trenchant piece, both attuned to its times and rewarding on an abstract level. The cumulative effect of the choreography as it builds is impressive, with Forsythe-like complexity throughout in the interlocking of structure and chaos. Shechter also composed the score, a dialogue of sorts between a live string trio and recorded percussion; the underlying rhythm drives the choreography forward relentlessly, with an urgency in ensemble work that has become typical of the Israeli dance scene. (…)

» Read the full article in the Financial Times

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in Ekman's Tuplet © Juliana Cervantes

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• Review: Legend Lin’s Ascetic Journey
• Review: Don Quixote in Eifman’s madhouse
• Review: The Spirit and Myths of Post-War France

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, one of France’s best-kept secrets, will be performing in New York and Costa Mesa (California) later this month, and my preview of the company and the repertoire for the tour is in the February issue of Dance Magazine – with added insight from the lovely Noelani Pantastico, who made the move from Seattle to the Riviera a few seasons ago and whom I interviewed for Pointe Magazine back in 2009.

Cover of the February 2012 issue © Dance Magazine

Jean-Christophe Maillot is a lucky man. In 1993, Monte Carlo handed him a gift most choreographers can only dream of: a full company of classically trained dancers, with the freedom to shape it as he wished. Two decades and 30 creations on, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo is bringing his unique brand of neoclassical choreography to the U.S. this February.

Les Ballets hasn’t been to New York since 2003, but with about 60 performances abroad and only 20 or so in Monte Carlo every season, the company is used to being on the road. Its 48 dancers are an international group, with one former Pacific Northwest Ballet principal among them: Noelani Pantastico, who fell in love with Maillot’s choreography when PNB performed his Roméo et Juliette. She joined in 2008 and relishes the pace. “The atmosphere is very relaxed,” she says. “Jean-Christophe is constantly refreshing the pieces we dance. It’s never the same.”

Pantastico has also had time to absorb the Frenchman’s sleek, visually inventive style, a blend of ballet technique and contemporary inspiration. “He’s very particular,” she says. “I had to stop performing so much to the audience and be really thoughtful about the intention behind every step.” The company dances works by other choreographers, including Balanchine and Forsythe, but Maillot creates at least one new piece every season. His stylish, cohesive ensemble is a testament to the benefits of working closely with one choreographer, and Pantastico now blends in beautifully with the group. (…)

» Read the full article in Dance Magazine: “A Winning Hand,” February 2012

Jean-Christophe Maillot's Altro Canto Part I © Christian Ganet

Related posts:

• Review: New-Old Classicism and Modern Dance in Lyon
• Review: Modern Echoes of the Ballets Russes in Monte-Carlo
• Interview : Voyager Noelani Pantastico in Pointe Magazine (February/March 2010)

Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear: Inside the Land of Ballet
Stephen Manes

Ever dreamed of being a fly on the wall (or the mirror) while a ballet company goes about its daily business? Stephen Manes did it. Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear, his behind-the-scenes account of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2007-2008 season, is a very impressive volume, a guide to the industry that goes beyond the stage to include students, orchestra and crew in the discussion. Many of us know the Seattle-based PNB only from reviews and bits of information gathered online, but by the last page, the company feels like an old friend.

Snowflakes lets us in on aspects of the art form few audience members even know of, no matter how seasoned the balletomane: technical issues and talks of tennis or card games over the crew’s headsets during the performances, board meetings and their jargon, casting negociations, the constant money worries and the petty cost-cutting measures that go with them. Manes is refreshingly matter-of-fact throughout, even comparing ballet and baseball, and he captures PNB’s contradictions with quiet affection, from union conundrums to the chaotic nature of the rehearsals leading up, more often than not, to successful opening nights. The company’s director, former New York City Ballet star Peter Boal, was then in his third season in Seattle, and we see the New York-style culture he brought with him (more new ballets, less rehearsal time) collide with old ways and strong characters.

Peter Boal rehearses Jerome Robbins' "Fancy Free" with Josh Spell, Casey Herd, and Jonathan Porretta © Angela Sterling

The season Manes followed was a momentous one for PNB, with modern premieres and a Laugh out Loud! festival in addition to well-reviewed American classics. The most fascinating production chronicled in the book is Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, a company and US premiere meant to replace the version staged by the company’s former directors. The drama surrounding the rehearsal process (not enough time, one of only two Juliets injured less than two weeks before opening night, dancers ready to defect to Maillot’s Monte-Carlo company) makes for compelling reading: you root for Noelani Pantastico, who is forced to play Juliet in all 9 performances, and the lengthy descriptions and interviews highlight wonderful facets of the ballet.

Maillot himself is one of many engrossing characters in Snowflakes (others include Pantastico, Stewart Kershaw, the company’s music director and conductor, and Bruce Wells, a former NYCB soloist who went on to choreograph and is now a teacher with PNB’s school). Like Twyla Tharp, also featured, the French choreographer shows little interest in restaging his past works, but his input when he makes it to Seattle, a few days before the premiere of Roméo et Juliette, seems to be a game changer for the dancers. Stagers recreating a work (and using wildly different methods to do so in the book) are the norm nowadays in ballet, not choreographers, and who is teaching behind the scenes clearly influences the way each work looks on stage, for better or worse, but to an extent the audience will hardly ever know about.

Jean-Christophe Maillot rehearses his "Roméo et Juliette" with Noelani Pantastico and Lucien Postlewaite © Angela Sterling

The rest of Boal’s programming at PNB, a diet more daring than what the company was previously used to, also raises interesting questions. With modern choreographers coming in, from David Parsons to Sara Pearson, the dancers are repeatedly asked to be less balletic, less controlled. Some embrace it, others aren’t so pleased with the style or the hierarchy issues that arise, and most choreographers and stagers are aghast at the strict union rules and various other PNB quirks. And yet Boal seems to foster creativity – a Choreographers’ Showcase brings new works by company members, and Principal Olivier Wevers has since created his own Seattle-based dance company, Whim W’him. The dilemmas today’s ballet companies face are evident throughout: is moving forward becoming synonymous with regularly “untraining” dancers and annexing modern dance pieces worked out for very different bodies? Is is the best choice for a large company, is there an alternative?

Noelani Pantastico in David Parsons' "Caught" © Angela Sterling

Snowflakes touches on too many other issues to list, but I was fascinated by the glimpse we get of the complex relationship between director and dancers. For the Principals former artistic directors Francia Russell and Kent Stowell handpicked over the years, Boal’s regime is a seismic change, a fast-paced environment devoid of parent figures, and some feel sidelined or resent the arrival of dancer Carla Körbes, who was very close to Boal in New York and has taken center stage in Seattle. Whether they are sensitive about the number of performances they get or feel they are cast below their rank, issues often seem to arise because Boal is not dictatorial enough, a rare occurrence in the ballet world according to Maillot:

“It’s interesting, because with Peter, we are a little bit similar. We are, the both of us, I believe, a little bit weak with dancers. We don’t see our job like other directors see it.” Typically, “in the ballet world, it’s very much you make the dancers children. You don’t want the dancer to be an adult. You keep them as children. And it’s so much more comfortable.” (p. 450)

(New York City Ballet almost serves as counterpoint in the book: a number of company members have danced there, and the picture that emerges from their profiles is troubling)

With so much information at every turn, When Snowflakes Dance and Swear is on the heavy side (860 pages!), and its structure isn’t always ideal, with abrupt transitions from one topic to another within many chapters. In terms of research, however, it is a colossal undertaking, unbelievably thorough and thought-provoking, a wealth of quotes and details offered without prejudice or judgement. It is left to the reader to form an opinion on what Manes calls the Land of Ballet, and while the Epilogue is pessimistic in some ways (the recession has hit PNB hard in the last few seasons), he obviously doesn’t agree with Jennifer Homans, who concluded in Apollo’s Angels that the art form is dying. In Seattle anyway, the actors of the ballet world seem to have a great deal more to say.

» Learn more: Stephen Manes’ Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear (out in hardback and ebook format)
» Read the Prologue on the Snowflakes website

Pacific Northwest Ballet "Nutcracker" rehearsal: Choreographer Kent Stowell addresses the troops © Angela Sterling

Related posts:

• Review: New-Old Classicism and Modern Dance in Lyon
• Review: Modern Echoes of the Ballets Russes in Monte-Carlo
• Interview : Voyager Noelani Pantastico in Pointe Magazine (February/March 2010)

Napoli
Royal Danish Ballet
Palais Garnier, Paris
January 6 & 7, 2012

Where ballet is concerned, things haven’t exactly been rosy in the state of Denmark recently. So it seemed at least in Paris, where the Royal Danish Ballet showed its latest production of August Bournonville’s 1842 work Napoli amid rumours of looming budget cuts and lay-offs. Its unique calling card has always been the Bournonville repertoire, but director Nikolaj Hübbe, who spent most of his dancing career with New York City Ballet before returning to head his alma mater in 2008, made the choice to rejuvenate it completely, with muddled results.

It’s not a bad idea per se: the ballet world loves modernity breathing new life into its warhorses, and while Napoli’s beloved Act III is a national treasure in Denmark, the rest of the ballet has always been problematic. In the process, however, Hübbe has turned Napoli into a triple bill of sorts, where every act comes with its own wildly different period setting and aesthetics.

Act I has been updated to accommodate a Fellinian cinematic vision of 1950s Italy, complete with streetwise young people, cigarette-puffing prostitutes and a good deal of mimed swearing. It works surprisingly well for some scenes and shows how ballet mime can be adapted beyond its usual contexts, but no sooner have we adjusted than Act II introduces a different kind of modernity altogether: a new score by Louise Alenius (whereas Act I and III retain the usual music) and new choreography by Hübbe. (…)

» Read the full review in the Financial Times

Amy Watson & Jean-Lucien Massot in Napoli (Act II) © Laurent Philippe

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The Prix de Lausanne may just be the most respected ballet competition in the world, and its 40th anniversary is cause for celebration. I talked to artistic director Amanda Bennett about its unique features a few months ago, and my Dance Matters article about the Prix (January 29-February 5 this year) is in Dance Magazine’s January issue. As usual, the Finals will be streamed live on the Prix’s website on February 4 – don’t miss them!

Cover of the January 2012 issue © Dance Magazine

With most dance competitions, a pointe shoe ribbon coming undone would mean only one thing: a consolation prize. Not so at the Prix de Lausanne, where New Zealander Hannah O’Neill won the top award in 2009 after one such incident. Known for its caring atmosphere, the Switzerland-based competition, which celebrates its 40th anniversary from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, is all about rewarding potential and turning students into professionals.

Founded by the late Philippe Braunschweig in 1973, the competition now selects up to 75 young dancers from approximately 20 countries every year. The contestants prepare a classical and a contemporary variation selected from a list—this year, the number of classical choices has been doubled to about 10 in each category to allow for more options. The Prix itself lasts a full week, with daily classes and coaching sessions led by renowned teachers. “The well-being of the candidates is primary,” says Amanda Bennett, the new artistic director of the Prix. “They have time to make friends and to experience constructive feedback.”

The jury also observes the dancers in class. Contrary to popular belief about competitions, the jurors look for a range of qualities beyond technical facility; Bennett cites artistry, courage, individuality, musicality, and use of dynamics. The finals, which can be watched live on the Prix’s website anywhere in the world, showcase this vision of ballet. “The most exciting thing for us,” says Bennett, “is recognizing that elusive thing we call quality, the ability to touch the audience.” (…)

» Read the full article in Dance Magazine: “A Prize to Be Won,” January 2012

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• Mother, Politician and Ballerina: Svetlana Zakharova Interview (Pointe Magazine)
• Insider to Head The Royal Ballet (Pointe Magazine)
• Big, Bold, Bolshoi: Yuri Burlaka Interview (Pointe Magazine)

2011 may feel like a blur already, but looking back – what a rollercoaster it has been for ballet. From the Black Swan controversies to Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev’s “defection” to the Mikhailovsky on the eve of the reopening of the Bolshoi’s historical stage, the ballet world has had its fair share of drama over the past 12 months, but the live action was even better. From Petipa to Forsythe, Balanchine to Ratmansky, it’s been a year of superlative performances, and I was lucky to see very different dancers and companies at the top of their game or on the way up in Paris, London, Milan, Amsterdam or Moscow. My best of 2011 in 8 ballet moments:

• Miami City Ballet’s Paris tour (July)

A year ago, few in Paris had even heard of Miami City Ballet. And yet last summer they took the capital by storm, a company refreshingly vibrant, youthful and musical, performing American masterpieces every night at the Théâtre du Châtelet. The sheer vitality of Balanchine’s Western Symphony, the dancers’ accents in The Four Temperaments, their way of showing us the music in Square Dance, their unfailing enthusiasm: I kept going back for more, and by the end of the three-week run the house was nearly sold-out every night. Among the Principals, the Delgado sisters particularly stood out: Jeanette’s Square Dance, Patricia’s third pas de deux in In The Night were world-class performances. Here’s hoping they’ll be back in 2014 as promised.

» My review for the Financial Times
» Behind-the-scenes blog: MCB corps member Rebecca King (Tendus Under A Palm Tree) on the tour

Jeanette Delgado & Renan Cerdeiro in Square Dance © Kyle Froman

• Vikharev’s Raymonda reconstruction for La Scala Ballet (October)

Reconstructions have their detractors, but Sergei Vikharev’s staging of Petipa’s Raymonda for La Scala Ballet this year was one of the most successful attempts at recreating a period “ballet experience” yet. The sheer scale and grandeur of the production, which I saw in Milan in late October, are something to behold, and the different pace allows the characters to breathe: the story may be thin, but the ballet fully succeeds in creating an entire world on stage, where harmony is metaphorically threatened then restored.  This Raymonda also helped La Scala Ballet, a usually problematic company, pull together, and it is up to them now to build on this success.

» Vikharev’s Raymonda on Bella Figura (review, photos and additional comments)
» The full ballet (Italian TV broadcast) on Youtube

Olesya Novikova and Friedemann Vogel in Raymonda © Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano

• Forsythe’s Impressing the Czar (December)

At a time when contemporary ballet often seems stuck trying to deconstruct what has already been deconstructed, William Forsythe’s 1988 Impressing the Czar remains one of the masterpieces of the genre. Has anyone tackled ballet history quite so brilliantly in performance since? From the classical and modern worlds colliding in Potemkin’s Signature to Bongo Bongo Nageela, where an ensemble dressed as schoolgirls seems to mock yet bow to the sheer power of corps de ballet work, it’s an evening of dazzlingly clever invention.  The Royal Ballet of Flanders gave it their all in Paris, and as in Artifact the week before, their sharpness highlighted the high-definition extremes Forsythe took the ballet vocabulary to. The first cast gave a particularly electric account of the work’s centerpiece, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, with the diminutive Aki Saito literally slicing through the air in the final pas de deux. The most exhilarating performance of 2011.

» Promotional video for the Royal Ballet of Flanders, with footage from Artifact and Impressing the Czar (from 4:15)

Aki Saito & Wim Wanlessen in Impressing the Czar © Royal Ballet of Flanders

• Ulyana Lopatkina in London (August)

If the ballet world had a queen, it would be the Mariinsky’s Ulyana Lopatkina. At 38, she seems to be dancing better than ever, imbuing the smallest steps with meaning, and she was a glorious presence in London last summer. The level of detail and emotion she brought to Ratmansky’s Anna Karenina redeemed the ballet, and her Nikiya in La Bayadère, a portrayal of exquisite musicality and spirituality, is a memory I cherish. If you have the opportunity to see her in 2012, take it.

» Video: Ulyana Lopatkina and Sergei Berezhnoi in Anna Karenina (Youtube)

Ulyana Lopatkina & Yuri Smekalov in Anna Karenina © Natasha Razina

• The Bolshoi Ballet’s tour to Paris (May)

Last spring was a simpler time for the Bolshoi Ballet. Months before the Bolshoi’s historical stage reopened and the Osipova/Vasiliev duo stunned the ballet world by leaving for the Mikhailovsky Ballet, the company triumphed in Paris with two fiery ballets, Don Quixote and Flames of Paris. The supersonic Osipova and Vasiliev had the Palais Garnier screaming at their every turn, but the rest of the company matched them in style, with extraordinary performances from the larger-than-life Maria Alexandrova, newcomer Vladislav Lantratov and Nina Kaptsova, not to mention a Don Quixote matinée for the ages led by Ekaterina Krysanova and Viacheslav Lopatin.

 » Video: Ekaterina Krysanova and Viacheslav Lopatin’s Don Quixote Grand Pas on May 14 (Youtube)

• Aurélie Dupont & Evan McKie in Onegin (December)

Partnerships are a tricky business, and one the Paris Opera Ballet hasn’t really excelled at in recent years. Aurélie Dupont had made only a modest impression in John Cranko’s Onegin when the ballet entered the company’s repertoire two years ago, but when Nicolas Le Riche, her original partner, injured himself two weeks before opening night this season, an unexpected guest changed everything. Her performances with Stuttgart Ballet Principal Evan McKie had the ballet world abuzz with excitement, and rightly so – their instant chemistry made for a heartrending reading of the ballet.

» My review for the Financial Times + photos
» Video: Act III pas de deux (Youtube)

Aurélie Dupont and Evan McKie in Onegin © Michel Lidvac

• Jean-Guillaume Bart’s La Source for the Paris Opera Ballet (October)

No review as I attended a number of rehearsals for research purposes, but former POB Principal Jean-Guillaume Bart has done a tremendous job for his first full-length creation. The rich, musical classical choreography he devised is a departure from the current Paris Opera repertoire, and the ballet is likely to become one of the company’s hits once the dancers settle into it.

» Video: La Source on the Paris Opera Ballet’s website

• Ratmansky’s On the Dnieper and Psyché (February/September)
  

His full-length Lost Illusions for the Bolshoi Ballet and Anna Karenina (Mariinsky London tour) may not have lived up to his usual standards, but Alexei Ratmansky still provided some of the choreographic highlights of 2011. The Dutch National Ballet acquired his On the Dnieper, a stunningly rich narrative work, in February, and he collaborated with the Paris Opera Ballet for the first time in September. Psyché wasn’t universally loved, but I fell for its fluid, quietly beautiful first scene, quirky ensembles and ambitious soloist work. Dorothée Gilbert and Matthieu Ganio shone as Psyché and Eros.

» My review of On the Dnieper (Dutch National Ballet, A la russe triple bill)
» Video: Trailor for Dutch National Ballet’s A la russe triple bill
» Video: Aurélie Dupont & Stéphane Bullion in Psyché on the Paris Opera Ballet’s website

Anna Tsygankova & Casey Herd in On the Dnieper (Dutch National Ballet) © Angela Sterling

Runners-up include Evgenia Obraztsova’s debut in Swan Lake and Svetlana Lunkina & Vladislav Lantratov in Lost Illusions in Moscow last April. Bring on 2012 now… Happy New Year everyone!

Related posts:

• Review: Balzac in Russia – Ratmansky’s ‘Lost Illusions’
• Make Your Own Ballet Christmas in Paris
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Balanchine/Millepied mixed bill
Concerto Barocco / Sarabande / This Part in Darkness
Lyon Opera Ballet
Opéra de Lyon, France
December 17, 2011

You can interpret Balanchine in different ways, but you can’t fake it. The dancing itself is the event, and on Saturday night, the Lyon Opera Ballet, a company better known today for its large repertoire of modern works by Mats Ek, Maguy Marin and Merce Cunningham, returned to the classical canon with mixed results.

Strictly academic technique is no longer the company’s natural language, and there is nowhere for them to hide in Concerto Barocco, a pared-down ballet whose only plot is its Bach score. Playful interaction between technique and music is crucial for the two female soloists who impersonate the two lead violins, and while Mariane Joly’s expansive arabesque worked well in the adagio section, no one in the cast delves deep enough into Balanchine’s architecture to create the abstract drama the steps call for. Fluidity and co-ordination at an individual level were also missing in the eight-strong corps de ballet; if they are to dance this repertoire, what they really need is time and experience.

This New York City Ballet classic was the prelude to a programme designed as a homecoming for French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who trained in Lyon before joining Balanchine’s company as a dancer. The PR for him is solid gold: choreographer of the hit film Black Swan (as the poster for the run obligingly points out), potential heir to Balanchine and Jerome Robbins in New York, photogenic face of several advertising campaigns. His ballets come wrapped in the hype, and in the case of Sarabande and This Part in Darkness, don’t quite have what it takes to stand on their own. (…)

» Read the full review in the Financial Times

Benjamin Millepied's This Part in Darkness © Michel Cavalca

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Onegin
Choreography: John Cranko
Paris Opera Ballet
Palais Garnier, Paris
December 11, 2011

It was meant to be an uneventful revival of John Cranko’s Onegin in Paris. But when the dancer scheduled to dance the title role on opening night sustained an injury two weeks ago, the Paris Opera Ballet found itself scrambling for a last-minute replacement. It finally enlisted Evan McKie, a principal in Stuttgart, where the ballet was created in 1967 – and, one dazzling premiere later, what was an emergency fix has turned into the sensation of the season.

The Canadian-born dancer comes close to an ideal reading of Pushkin’s hero. Onegin’s selfishness and lack of empathy can read as near-macho brutality in the wrong hands, but McKie shows us the Byronic dandy from St Petersburg, driven to extremes by sheer boredom. The slightly affected elegance of his lines contrasts from the start with the rural society and folk dances of Act I. Blasé, arrogant, dismissive of anything and anyone unrefined, this Onegin is an example of Romanticism gone terribly wrong, and all the more fascinating for his change of heart in the last act.

McKie takes his Tatiana, Aurélie Dupont, along for the ride, and the chemistry is obvious. Dupont is the POB’s supreme classicist, a guarded vision of poise and femininity; few partners have brought out so fully the emotional fire beneath the ice. The mature Tatiana of Act III fits her like a glove, and her last pas de deux with Onegin was a blaze of defiance and abandon unlike anything seen in Paris recently, with both dancers utterly lost in the roles and in each other. (…)

» Read the full review in the Financial Times

Aurélie Dupont and Evan McKie in Onegin © Michel Lidvac

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• Review: Jazzy Distortions (Wayne McGregor in Paris)
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The Bolshoi Ballet’s Svetlana Zakharova is a busy prima: in addition to being a member of parliament in Russia, she had a baby last February with violonist Vadim Repin and quickly returned to her usual performance schedule. I met her in Moscow last spring, while she was gearing up for her return to the stage – we talked maternity leave, politics and achievements, and the interview is in Pointe Magazine‘s latest issue (Reverence column):

Cover of the December 2011/January 2012 issue © Pointe Magazine

You’re coming back from maternity leave. How does it feel?
It’s not easy! But as soon as I stepped back in the studio, I told myself: Svetlana, you have time to get back in shape. There used to be days when, if something went wrong in class, I wouldn’t leave until I got it right. I tried to take it easier this time.

What are the pluses—and minuses—of being a tall dancer?
Long lines, long hands I think are very beautiful. But it can be difficult to find a partner. I often have to decline offers to dance abroad because the partner wouldn’t suit me heightwise.

You always change a detail of your costume to make it yours. Why?
It’s great to have something that no one else has. Whenever possible, I like to work with costume designers, because they know how to tailor a costume to my body, how to emphasize my personality and also how to hide some things.

Who is your toughest critic?
My mom. She attends most of my performances, and if she likes something, it means it really was good. (…)

» Read the full interview in Pointe Magazine: “The Transcendant Svetlana Zakharova,” December 2011/January 2011

Svetlana Zakharova in rehearsal for Cinderella © Elena Fetisova

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• The Power and the Passion: Marianela Nuñez Interview (Pointe Magazine)
• A Noble Radiance: Johan Kobborg Interview (Pointe Magazine)
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Cinderella
Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev
Paris Opera Ballet
Opéra Bastille, Paris
November 27, 2011

Cinderella goes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: that’s the gimmicky concept behind Rudolf Nureyev’s version of the fairytale, revived by the Paris Opera Ballet in time for the holiday season.

The ballet was created in 1986 for a young Sylvie Guillem, and Nureyev, who made her a star during his time as director in Paris, cast himself as her producer and guardian angel, a character originally named “Pygmalion Diaghilev”. Guillem left the company soon afterwards, and while the production celebrates its 100th performance this season, this Cinderella feels like an increasingly empty shell.

Nureyev the choreographer never trusted in fairytales, but the 1920s Hollywood setting makes for a decidedly unmagical story. The producer conveniently crashes his plane on Cinderella’s doorstep and whisks her off to a cinema set for tryouts. She finds a hysterical crew and extras mainly preoccupied with their scheduled breaks, and Nureyev has her sign a contract before she is allowed to dance her final pas de deux with the Star Actor. Of course, this modern dream scenario comes with small print: if she doesn’t look good on camera, she will be back to her sweeping routine in no time. (…)

» Read the full review in the Financial Times

Agnès Letestu & Stéphane Bullion in Nureyev's Cinderella © Sébastien Mathé

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• Review: Les Enfants du paradis, from screen to stage
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