Paris Opera Ballet. - Opera Bastille, Paris, France - dance reviews

Dance Magazine, Feb, 1995 by Roslyn Sulcas

The "Jeunes danseurs" program at Paris Opera Ballet (Opera Bastille, Paris, November 13 & 19, 1994) was truly amazing--a horde of fabulous young kids, most barely out of the company's school and usually confined to the corps de ballet, throwing off fouettes, renverse attitude, turns, triple tours en l'air, and indescribable invented jumps, just like the grown-ups.

Astounding performances from Adrelie Dupont, Jean-Guilliaume Bart (both in La Bayadere), Delphine Moussin and Yann Bridard (in Nureyev's ravishing version of Raymonda)--all fairly well-known up-and-coming soloists--were less surprising than the technical assurance and artistry of Melanie Hurel (in the Nutcracker pas de, deux); the pyrotechnics of Clairemarie Osta and Jeremie Belingard (in a Don Quixote worthy of any all-star gala); Peggy Grelat and Stephane Phavorin (Act III pas de deux from Swan Lake--only thirty-two fouettes?); Vanessa Legassy's high-kicking Esmeralda, and Sebastien Thill's superb cavalier to Nolwenn Daniel's Odette (Act II Swan Lake pas de deux). And that unfairly leaves out lots of other little starlets.

Where is the Opera ever going to find ordinary old swans and wills and peasants if it goes on like this?