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Paris Opera Ballet School‘Démonstrations de l'École de danse’ (School Presentations) December 2007 Paris, Palais Garnier by Ferlodewal |
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As posted on our Postings pages... On a rainy Paris afternoon, Saturday 1st December 2007, having made my way to the Palais Garnier, I headed for the box office to enquire about tickets for Sunday’s students of the Opera Ballet school presentations. I read somewhere that Sunday's performance being the première was sold out therefore I was pleasantly surprised when the ticket seller in the guichet informed me that tickets were available. I bought the best seat available, a fauteuil in the balcony similar to the front row center of the stalls circle at the Royal Opera House. A perfect vantage point but of course heaps cheaper. Sunday afternoon 1430hrs, the curtain went up. Elizabeth Platel walked across to center stage greeted with tumultuous applause. She introduced the programme, praising the students, stressing on their hard work and dedication and pointed out that this show was to celeberate 30years of presentations by the students of the school. The school’s grades range from 1 to 6. The higher numbers 6th division, 5th division being the junior grades and 1st, 2nd, 3rd divisions the senior. The 6th, 5th and 4th divisions were appearing on different dates led by professeurs Fanny Gaida, Elizabeth Maurin and Bertrand Barena among others. These I am not able to go and see Wednesday 12th and Saturday 22nd December. Back to Sunday afternoon, each year presented a class on stage starting with the 3rd division boys given by Bernard Boucher. He talked through every exercise encouraging and correcting as in a normal day to day class. The boys several of them looking a lot younger than their sixteen years were responsive and relaxed. They manifested an admirable sense of professionalism, a love of their art, absorbing every correction and showing off what was required with confidence. 3rd division girls presented by the gracious Fabienne Cerutti came on next. It was evident from the precision in their dancing that solid foundations were instilled into these girls and Miss Cerutti was nurturing and tending these talents. The 2nd division boys then girls completed the first part maintaining the same spirit of enjoyment and hard work. After the interval we were treated to more fun with a higher level of work from the senior troupe the 1st division boys and girls together with two barres on stage. The teachers were Carole Arbo and Jacques Namont and the work was reminiscent of the ballet Etudes. Every exercise was attacked with aplomb and poise, the pupils’ faces hungry for more. Each group then gave separate presentations underlining the difference between male and female technique and the two groups joined together later in the adage pas de deux. The 3rd division girls and boys “danse de caractere” a series of Irish gigs was next. They were well dressed for the part with girls in green thigh length tops and ribbons and pony tails and the boys in black trousers and white tops. Though enthusiastic in their dancing, for me, they were not convincing enough. This was perhaps due to the fact that I have seen Lord of the dance too many times. The 1st division boys’ class stole the show with their multiple turns and virtuoso jumps. At one point Jacques Namont stopped the pianist and clapped through a series of coupe jete en tournant en attitude en diagonal showing off his pupils then the audience went wild.
During the 1st division boys and girls' adage pas de deux which brought the show to a close, one couple had difficulty with an over the head lift ending with one hand holding the girl aloft as in Don Quixote but were undeterred and repeated it until they perfected it. The audience’s appreciation was evident throughout hence the multiple curtain calls. The rest of Sunday I languished in the thrills of an afternoon well spent.
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