La Bayadère 6

Cast -- Delphine Moussin, Stéphane Bullion, Stéphanie Romberg, Richard Wilk

Nice performance overall, but felt routine and didn't really come together. Which I can understand and sympathize with -- the corps de ballet seemed tired, considering that it was their second performance of the day. (Besides, they dance the same ballet 10-15 times in a row. It gets old, which is noticeable.)

In general, I admire how identically the Paris corps de ballet dances each time, but sometimes I almost wish they were more uneven, so there'd be more ups and downs, instead of one flat professionalism...

Moussin

Moussin, Romberg, Bullion

Solor passed out on the couch.

Shades.

I figured out why French Shades don't move me. They are preoccupied with being synchronized, so instead of responding to the music, they do all the steps as if it were an exercise. They accent the in-between steps, like 4th and 5th positions, the tendu before the arabesque, etc, and it's distracting. Rather than being carried away into a different world, of dreams, of poetry, of eternal beauty, you count the number of Shades who have a perfect fifth position and how many don't. Then you time how long they manage to stand on one foot without moving.

Although, it is interesting to look at them sideways -- they are more like white pieces on a blue background in a kaleidoscope. Which has little to do with the Kingdom of Shades, but at least it's somewhat entertaining.

Moussin and Bullion

Moussin is very graceful -- long lines and good, though somewhat subdued, acting.

I don't really have much more to add. I enjoyed seeing her, but the performance just felt so routine, and there wasn't much of a connection between the characters...

La Bayadère 5

Cast -- Dorothée Gilbert, Mathias Heymann, Ludmila Pagliero, Richard Wilk

The performance was one of the best Bayadères I've seen. It really came together, and the main roles were all equally well danced and acted. There was a relationship-triangle, if you will, rather than three separate people who just happened to run into each other.

Gilbert and Heymann

Of everyone I've seen so far in Paris, Gilbert and Heymann were the most "human," with visible emotions -- really in love, rather than the typical somewhat detached "ballet-relationship" (which is just as respectable).

Girls and boys

Eric Monin (?) as the Rajah

The exchange went something like this:

Rajah: "You will marry my daughter."

Solor: "Me? Marry?"

Rajah: "Why, yes, you, who do you think I'm talking about?"

Solor: "Uh..."

Pagliero, Monin, Gilbert, Saïz as the Slave

Saïz spectacularly played the role of the High Brahmin in two other performances, and I was happy to see him dancing. The role of the Slave often gets overlooked, but he had a palpable presence. He is also one of the few French dancers who has expressive hands.

The encounter between Gamzatti and Nikiya was emotionally charged and not merely the requisite angry Gamzatti and scared Nikiya. Two women both madly in love, Gamzatti rivaling Nikiya, Nikiya who stood up for herself.

Florimond Lorieux as the Golden Idol

The variation was a bit uneven, but he had huge jumps and the poses were well-defined and crisp.

Indian Dance with Sabrina Mallem and Yann Saïz

Pagliero and Heymann

Heymann's jumps are incredible -- I truly enjoyed his entrance with Pagliero, as well as his variation, more than I have in a long time. They both maintained a really nice line, and Heymann especially during his jumps -- they were not only very high and with a long air-time, but his form was impeccable (without that body launching/lurching).

Gilbert

I think Gilbert's Nikiya was one of the most logical interpretations of the role that I've seen. Often it seems rather disconnected: she's happy to see Solor, then she dances before Gamzatti and Solor, then there is the dance at the betrothal, then Shades... But Gilbert brought so much personality to the role it seemed very natural: we could easily imagine that there was a life that went on off-stage, so the "mood changes" made sense.

Charline Giezendanner

Gilbert and Heymann

How beautiful and refreshing were Gilbert's jetés entrelacés! The kind you notice how they are done, their perfect form.

Excellent performance, on all accounts!

La Bayadère 4

Cast -- Clairemarie Osta, Jérémie Bélingard, Mélanie Hurel, Richard Wilk

Hurel, Bélingard, Novis

Hurel and Bélingard

Bélingard

Osta

The Opera museum had a small exposition with portraits of the principal dancers.

Clairemarie Osta

Jérémie Bélingard

Nicolas Le Riche

Benjamin Pech

Marie-Agnès Gillot

Agnès Letestu

José Martinez

Emilie Cozette

Mathieu Ganio

Dorothée Gilbert

Delphine Moussin