all POB reviews all Rubies reviews

Given the build-up to the POB's 'Jewels' - the nail-biting, on-off strike - it was probably inevitable that the actuality would be an anti-climax, and so it proved, for me at least, at the two performances I attended, on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 December.

On 28th. 'Emeralds', the opening ballet in this Balanchine triptych, was blandly danced by Elizabeth Maurin and Lionel Delanoe in the leads. I don't think that Emeralds is one of Balanchine's better ballets - he did himself no favours by choosing the Faure music - so perhaps it isn't fair to judge the dancers by it. Karen Averty in the second solo was better and she and Kader Belarbi in the second pdd were excellent. I thought the Lacroix costumes for the women - densely-sequinned dark green bodices over rather clumsy mid-length skirts - were unflattering. I would have paid more attention to Eleonora Abbagnato in the pas de trois as she is a special favourite of mine, but unfortunately it took place during one of my frequent snoozes in this most soporific of ballets. A very untypical piece of Balanchine, if you ask me.

'Rubies' to the Stravinsky Capriccio music was perhaps the biggest disappointment. With Carole Arbo and Eric Quillere in the leads it was danced perfectly well (though Quilliere made a few slips towards the end), but somehow it never blazed into life like the Kirov's at Covent Garden last summer. At the end of that performance, I just wanted to leap out of my seat and yell with excitement. Somehow, the POB dancers seemed too reserved to do real justice to this joyously subversive Balanchine work. It's difficult for me to single out any dancers; they all danced admirably and perfectly correctly, but seemed to lack the wit and attack to bring the piece to life. Perhaps I just caught the wrong cast. Lacroix's sleekly glittering red costumes worked well here and his set was outstanding; a huge illuminated scarlet pillar cut from a silvery-grey flat. I must mention the excellent pianist, Christine Lagniel, who well deserved the cheers she got.

I'm greatly relieved to say that the final piece 'Diamonds', to Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3, was a triumph. This was evident from the moment the curtain went up, when the audience burst into spontaneous applause at the stunning set - swathes of sparkling silver baubles strung like a necklace high against a brilliant blue background, so the whole thing appeared like a magical ice kingdom. The white and silver costumes added to this illusion. Marie-Agnes Gillot and Nicolas le Riche danced the breathtaking pdd, and what a wonderful partner Le Riche proved - I wouldn't have suspected it of him! His solo dancing too was mightily impressive, with huge, space-devouring jumps and fast turns. I did find, though, that some of his finishing was untidy. Marie-Agnes Gillot was lovely, but despite Le Riche's careful partnering she looked a little tentative at times - perhaps the role is still new for her.

I should say that throughout the whole of the Jewels programme the POB corps looked wonderful, a real credit to their schooling.

As regards the 29th performance, the major disappointment for me was that exactly the same casts were dancing the first two ballets, despite the fact that the box office had given me a list stating that Isabel Guerin and Le Riche would be appearing as the major couple in 'Diamonds' and that Manuel Legris would be appearing in 'Rubies'. Not so. Since I couldn't face 'Emeralds' again with Maurin and Delanoe, I sat this one out. 'Rubies' at least was sharper and slicker than the previous night, so maybe the POB will relax into this one with experience. 'Diamonds' was the only ballet with a new cast - Agnes Letestu and Jose Martinez - and how magnificently they danced it! Letestu is exquisite, expressive and musical with a most beautiful line, and Martinez I thought showed Le Riche up somewhat. He had almost the same powerful technique, with big juicy jumps, but he showed much cleaner, crisper finishes. He just looked more in control, I thought.

If I had to sum up I'd say that the POB is a wonderful company, any one of whose dancers, from etoiles to corps, could more than hold their own with either the Kirov or NYBC, but there is some puzzling element missing from the company as a whole which currently makes them less satisfying that either of these companies.

Which doesn't mean that I won't be over to Paris like a shot to see their 'Manon' in Spring.