It will be interesting to see what SFB brings with them on their next visit to UK. What do you think big story ballets or mixed bills? Or perhaps a combination?

Thank you, Odile. Julia Adam has a lot more to offer. If people in London liked <I>Night</I>, I am sure they will enjoy her other works as well, including <I>The Shroud</I> which was possibly the biggest hit at the most recent performance by Lawrence Pech Dance Company in SF.

Yesterday's matinee performance of SFB's 3rd programme started with "Prism" a neo-classical work by Helgi Tomasson choreographed to music by Beethoven. The clear and elegant choreography relies heavily on couples and trios for the creation of its fluent patterns. The central Pas de Deux was danced by Muriel Maffre and Cyril Pierre. Maffre's radiant but cool elegance proved to be just perfect for showing off the ballet's classyness.<BR>Julie Adam, Zachary Hench and Vadim Solmakha convinced in the Pas de Trois in the first movement and Guennady Nedviguine was truely amazing as the lead in the 3rd movement.<P>Next we were treated to a very different kind of work. Julia Adam's "Night" set to an especially commisioned score by Matthew Pierce takes us through a series of the lead character's dreams. The role was danced by Vanessa Zahoria who had the audience follow her through her dreams and nightmares without anyone even daring to breath. The choreography is full of unusual angular movements and Adam made use of a great deal of floor work normally associated with contemporary dance. I found the piece spell binding and if I had to choose a couple of favourites of the SFB London season "Night would definetly be among them.<P>Helgi Tomasson's "Chaconne for Piano and two Dancers" that followed is a charming Pas de Deux full of precise footwork. On this occasion we saw it danced by Lorena Feijoo and Roman Rykine. I could not help but feel that this piece, similarly to "Quartette", would work much better in Gala type setting fitted in between more contrasting works. It sort of got lost in this mixed bill without leaving an impression with the audience.<P>The afternoon closed with "Sandpaper Ballet" a piece created by Mark Morris to popular tunes by composer Leroy Anderson among them 'The Typwriter'. The choreography is funny, witty and charming using unusual entrances and jazzy movements and since it is an ensemble work showing of the company to great effect. The dancers are all dressed in pea green outfits with matching gloves, only the top parts are white. The colour combination cleverly takes into account the differences in height so when the dancers stand next to each other you see a one level line between between the green and the white.<BR>The audience laughed on more than one occassion about Morris's sense of humour and I am sure I was not the only one who was sad that the performance ended after 30 minutes.<BR>Time really went by in a blink.

Thanks for the review OdileGB. I am so upset that I did not have chance to go and see programme 3 and particularly The Sandpaper ballet. I have always like the children's classics that Leroy Andersen grought us and have used them a lot in my children's classes.<P>Is there a recording available of this piece on either video or DVD?

Another treat. Here's a photo of Sandpaper Ballet taken at the Palais Garnier in Paris (again, thanks to poor Jennifer at the SFB office who got left behind by her colleagues who are having in London ):<P> [img]../../../images/sfb-sandpaper-julie&damian.gif[/img] <p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited August 19, 2001).]