Saisons Russes 21st century (4th season)

Review by Christophe de Jouvancourt. Photos: Valeria Komissarova

Front picture Les Ballets Russes by Anna and Anatoli Nejny

PARIS: Last evening, it was the premiere of the “Russian Seasons of 21st Century” at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. The 4th season was promising, with Le Spectre de la Rose and The Firebird, by Mikhail Fokine, but also surprising with an original choreography by Patrick de Bana called Cléopâtre – Ida
Rubinstein. One more time, – it was a great success-.

There is nothing to say about the two Fokine’s ballets but that they were absolutely fantastic. The Russian dancers were all fantastic and the interpretation of Yana Selina as the young girl and Vladimir Shklyarov as the spectrum was perfect in Le Spectre de la Rose. The Firebird was restored in the original set by Léon Baskt and Alexandra Timofeeva performed a wonderful bird. The “Russian Seasons of 21st Century” still offers ballets of great quality in the purest tradition of the Sergei Diaghilev’s “Russian Ballets”.

But in this 4th season, there was something more than usually. This time there was a creation. With Cléopâtre – Ida Rubinstein, Patrick de Bana choreographed a tribute to Ida Rubinstein, great star of the Diaghilev’s “Russian Ballets”. Despite some parts that are too long, the ballet is very beautiful and interesting, and one can feel a great work on the choreography.

This ballet recounts the story of the creation of the ballet Cleopatre, by Fokine, created in 1909 with Ida Rubinstein in the title role. For the music, Patrick de Bana chose composers who have collaborated with the “Russian Ballets”, such as Igor Stravinsky, Nicolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexandre Glazunov, Jules assenet, Gabriel Fauré or Maurice Ravel. But in addition to these “old” composers Patrick de Bana has been searching after a new composer to underline the “original” Cleopatra part, in this he has found the wonderful music of Omar Faruk Tekbilek. Tekbilek is a famouse Turkish flautist. His father is a Turk, his mother is an Arab from Egypt who taught him to love Arabesque music .  Tekbileks music gives this part of the Cleopatre ballet an extra dimension. The ballet is beautiful, even if the story is a bit confusing sometimes
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Patrick de Bana is hesitating too much between telling a story and picturing an abstract spirit of the Russian Ballets, which makes it confusing. Ilse Liepa, fantastic ballerina, was perfect as Ida Rubinstein and all the dancers have an excellent technique, some of them are soloists at the Mariinsky Ballet. In other demanding roles we enjoyed Artem Yachmennikov as Robert de Montesquiou. Mikhail Lobuknin as Michel Fokine. Iliys Kuznetsov as Monsieur G. While Mikhail Martinyuk danced Vaslav Nijinski. As the three famouse ballerinas from Dhiaghilevs Les Ballets Russes, Tamara Karsavina, Anna Pavlova and Bronislava Nijinska we enjoyed Natalia Balakhnicheva, Alexandre Timofeeva  and Veronika Varnovskaya.

Paul Kaplevich (Scenograpfy)- with Ilya Kuznetsov (Monsieur G) and Patrick de Bana (Choreography). Photo: Valeria Komissarova

The sets by Pavel Kaplevich and the beautiful costumes, by Ekaterina Kotova are exquisite and contribute a lot to the success of this ambitious ballet. The last scene of the ballet is wonderful, and there is a great work in the choreography, with a real study of antic Egypt style, that reminds Nijinsky’s work on antic Greek’s figures for his Afternoon of a Faun. The history is written by Jean-Francois Vazelle.

It was a good idea to bring something new that remains in the spirit of Diaghilev’s “Russian Ballets” to go with the traditional ballets. May this experience be repeated over the years.

Andris Liepa is the artistic director of Les Ballets Russes 21th century.

Fiebird applause. From left The Princess, Natalia Balachnicheva, The Prince, Ilja Kuznezov, (who also dance M.G in Cleopatra) The Firebird, Alexandre Timofeeva, and Igor Pivorovich as The immortal Kashchey
. Iphone photo: Henning Høholt

– Thank you to Valeria Komissarova for letting us use her photos from behind stage. Unfortunately. Les Ballets Russes has not yet ready press photos.