Oops. Bintley's grammar <I>is</I> better than that.

Oh Cathy -- I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'll be excited to hear more reviews from you after you see other performances.

Could you help me. If you saw Sandpaper ballet, perhaps do you remember which are the soloist because I have some problem to recognize them. I'm not familiar with us.<BR>Audience was good for the three first ballet especially for Night and Chaconne where we heard too many "bravo". Against Sandpaper I loved really too much it was more cold. Polishes applause is all. Perhaps it's too "american" for audience. But I loved the music and the jazzy movement of bodies.<BR>Perhaps tonight will it have more success, I hope so.

Cathy, the soloists for "Sandpaper Ballet" change from performance to performance. Perhaps you can ask the SFB contact I put you in touch with.

Casting for <B>Sunday, May 13, 7:30pm</B> at Palais Garnier.<P><I>Prism</I><BR>Conductor: Emil de Cou <BR>Piano: Roy Bogas<BR>1st Movement: Vanessa Zahorian, Gonzalo Garcia, Guennadi Nedviguine<BR>2nd Movement: Yuan Yuan Tan, Pierre-François Vilanoba<BR>3rd Movement: Joan Boada <P>- - INTERMISSION - -<P><I>Night</I><BR>Conductor: Scott Speck<BR>Tina LeBlanc, Benjamin Pierce, Peter Brandenhoff, Damian Smith, Leslie Young, Julie Diana, Catherine Baker<BR>Erik Wagner, David Arce, Moises Martin, Sergio Torrado<BR> <BR><I>Chaconne for Piano and Two Dancers</I><BR>Piano: Roy Bogas<BR>Joanna Berman, Roman Rykine<P>- - INTERMISSION - -<P><I>Sandpaper Ballet</I><BR>Conductor: Emil de Cou<BR>Guennadi Nedviguine, Jason Davis, Steven Norman, Christopher Stowell, Ikolo Griffin, Yuri Possokhov, Benjamin Pierce, Michael Eaton, Erik Wagner <BR>Vanessa Zahorian, Muriel Maffre, Lorena Feijoo, Julia Adam, Kristin Long, Tina LeBlanc, Katita Waldo, Alice LuAn Lewitzke, Megan Low, Catherine Baker, Lindy Mandradjieff, Nicole Starbuck, Eliane Munier, Pauli Magierek, Dalene Bramer, Brook Broughton<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited May 13, 2001).]

Cathy, I forgot to add one thing. Please feel free to link to French reviews of SFB (some of us can read a bit of French). And perhaps you can just translate the headlines for us.

1st impression :<BR>The SFB is really one of the greatest company of dance today, able to show too many differents dancers, so classical than modern and various repertory.<BR>As Azlan said in Prism Vanessa Zanorian replaces Kristin Long in the 1st movement. She has a beautiful technique, especially wonderful pirouettes. Besides of her, I think Gonzalo Garcia would become principal quickly, he danced really well and perhaps better than Guennadi Nevguidine. In second movement, if yesterday night I found Lucia Lacarra marvellous, I dont know which word use to qualify Yuan Yuan Tan, she was so beautiful too, she has herself long legs and certainly again more lyrical than Lacarra and which arabesques. Pierre-François Vilanoba for his return in POB show all his quality of partnership and especially the famous french "chic". He is really a beautiful partner. Joan Boada was perhaps a few better than yesterday but it's not the kind of dancer I love really. The corps de ballet is excellent. I don't again identify really which is the boy I found very good, I hesitate between Davis and Eaton.<BR>Night is really a little masterwork and we see each day new thing to discover as the overture who seems to be like a music box to evocate the beginning of the sleep. Benjamin Pierce is really impresive by his side, and his charism. Tina LeBlanc seems to live so deep in herself the role. She is absolutely wonderful in all the ballet. Each scene evocate something different, even the men arrive always of the same kind as snake or dolphin.<BR>Chaconne for a piano and two dancers was danced tonight by Joanna Berman more wonderful than yesterday night, she dances so fast she looks a few to Monique Loudieres. At her side, Roman Rykine is good but it's difficult to see him after Possokhov who is so good.<BR>Sandpaper ballet is always a little cute masterwork. Today night Yuri Possokhov replaced Damian Smith, he was absolutely amazing, he moves like that, he has a complete american style, what a beautiful dancer. So sad he dance just one time Sandpaper ballet even Damian Smith is really good too. In the pdd he danced with Kristin Long instead of Julie Diana (yesterday night). Benjamin Pierce is always really good. I love particularly the "tango" for Lorena Feijoo, Julia Adam and Muriel Maffre, each one different but so good, the jazzies and the lyrical. I particularly enjoyed the ensemble movement for all the girls or all the boys. They look to dance like that. It seems so easy.<BR>To finish really a good evening and we see that dancers are really good, each evening. They all have a personnality and dance really well. Audience was better tonight especially for Sandpaper ballet.<P>As wrote a Boston globe critic, I think the two best companies in the world are really POB and SFB. I hope their exchange are long and we could see many more time this so good company.<BR><p>[This message has been edited by Cathy (edited May 14, 2001).]

Yes, isn't Yuri magnificent? We love him here.<P>I feel you are right about Pierre-François; he does seem to be intense, even offstage. It could be just his brooding good looks.<P>Gonzalo stole the hearts of everyone in the audience when he performed <I>Prism</I> in SF. Check out Rachel Howard's review in the <a href=../../../ubb/Forum4/HTML/000655.html target=_blank>SFB Program 1 thread</a>.<P>As to whether the soloist you saw was Jason Davis or Michael Eaton, I have a hunch it's Eaton but you could check with that SFB contact I gave you. Did the dancer look masculine or thin?

I think you're right it's Eaton after see the pictures on the SFB website, It seems to be thin, but Davis is good too. <P>I forget to say one thing about the company, she looks as a true company despite the different origins of all the principals, you don't have the feeling to see one Russian, one Spanish, one French, even they have some characteristic of their birth style. It's a company. All look american and dance as the same way.<p>[This message has been edited by Cathy (edited May 14, 2001).]

A positive review:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>The Ballet lights up Paris Opera</B><P>David Stevens, SF Chronicle<P>Paris -- The San Francisco Ballet is getting to be a familiar guest in the French capital. The company came in by the front door on its third visit in 12 years Saturday when it presented the first of two programs to an enthusiastic full house at the Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera's ornate, recently refurbished 126-year-old home at the end of the Avenue de l'Opera.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/05/14/DD87160.DTL" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

Last night for the first programm and again new cast in each ballet. It's great to have a company able to show so many differents dancers in four ballets.<BR>In Prism, Tina LeBlanc suceeded to Kristin Long and Vanessa Zahorian, if she was perhaps more lyrical than their she was a few less technical but perhaps was it the racke effect. Beside her, always Garcia and Nedviguine always perfect as well M. Eaton in the three soloist. The second movement allows to see Muriel Maffre and Benjamin Pierce. She dances not at all as Lacarra and Tan, she was not lyrical and dances with more strongh. Pierce was a perfect partner. In the third movement Rykine replaced Boada, and was more elegant. I particularly love the movement for all the boys.<BR>Night saw the first performance in Paris of Vanessa Zahorian and her second appearance in the ballet. She doesn't look at Tina LeBlanc, she looks less brittle. Her night isn't a nightmare but a serial of dreams. Perhaps is it also the fact that Damian Smith who replaced Benjamin Pierce is less tall and wide. The dancers are particularly good in this work.<BR>Chaconne for a piano and two dancers was performed by the same cast than at the first evening Joanna Berman and Yuri Possokhov. They are a wonderful couple, musical, bright, technical.<BR>In Sandpaper ballet, Pïerre-François Vilanoba for his debuts in the role of Benjamin Pierce was absolutely wonderful. To the french elegance, he added the american decontracted style, he is jazzy and dance fast. He's really good and it's sad that POB lets him go back but fortunately someone has known discover his true talents. Always in Sandpaper Stowell and Berman, Julie Diana was asbolutely perfect in Balladette. I particularly enjoyed Jazz Pizzicato danced by all the girl and Jazz legato danced by all the boys. And it's great to see the joy of the dancer in Fiddle Faddle particularly Joanna Berman, Damian Smith and Muriel Maffre. Lorena Feijoo makes wonderful tour attitudes renversés in Girl in Satin with Julie Adam and Muriel Maffre.<BR>What's it great is to see the apparent joy of dancer in this ballet. Azlan, I'm like Stuart Sweeney, I completely fall in love with this piece.<BR>It's strange that french ballet lovers don't go really to see this wonderful company. <BR>This first programm allows to discover a true talentuous choreographer as Julie Adam and her nightmarely Night and a little cute masterwork in Sandpaper ballet. Prism and Chaconne was more traditionnal even really good.<BR>The audience was really good tonight, only sad note, I don't understand why french ballet lovers don't seem to go see this wonderful troup or don't seem to love really it. <BR>I lived some of the most beautiful dance evening of all this last seasons.<P>Now it will be Othello. <p>[This message has been edited by Cathy (edited May 14, 2001).]

Could you give me some information about the age of Damian Smith, must he become principal, Can I have also some informations about Lorena Feijoo, Julie Diana, Michael Eaton, Benjamin Pierce, Yuri Possokhov.<BR>Thanks by advance.<p>[This message has been edited by Cathy (edited May 14, 2001).]

Cathy,<P>Your reports are so detailed--you must take a lot of notes or have an amazing memory, or both! Thanks so much--I can almost imagine being there myself.<P>I wonder--you mention that Paris audiences aren't coming to see SFB in great numbers. About how full would you say the theater has been? Three-fourths? More? POB played to full houses over here. SFB is such a great company I hate to think of them performing to small audiences. I wonder also if anyone can tell me how many people the Palais Garnier seats?

Belinda, the Palais Garnier is about 2000 seats.

Catherine,<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Could you give me some information about the age of Damian Smith, must he become principal, Can I have also some informations about Lorena Feijoo, Julie Diana, Michael Eaton, Benjamin Pierce, Yuri Possokhov.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Is there anything particular you would like to know besides the ages of the dancers and the bios already on the SFB web site?<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited May 14, 2001).]