Kulturkompasset | critics of culture events

Sucsess for National Ballet of Norway in Paris with Kylian


Sucsess National Ballet of Norway in Paris with Kylian.

Jiri Kylian photographed at the “home” of the Norwegian National Ballet, Oslo by Henning Høholt

By Henning Høholt

PARIS/FRANCE: The guesting of the Norwegian National Ballet, opening the TRANSCEDANSES Festival in Paris became a success for the beautiful and very well dancing company, who knows their Kylian programme so well, as the company in fact are having 30 ballets by Jiri Kylian at their programme, the company who to day are having most ballets of this nestor choreographer in the world today at their programme, even more than Netherlands Dance Theatre, who,as far as I know, to day, not has any ballets by Kylian left on their repertoar. This special connection between the Nationalballet of Norway and Jiri Kylian is at the one way build on trust and friendship through many decennier, and on the other way of the very high quality of the company.

Christophe de Jouvancourts review is following, planned for to morrow.

As mentioned earlier in our presentation of the Paris programme, it included Bella Figura, Gods and Dogs and Symphonie des Psaumes.

The Norwegian National Ballet 2014. Bella Figura by Jiri Kylian. Foto Jörg Wiesner

The company presented it self with a very high quality, the audience and the many critics from all of the world were astonished for the high quality, the lines, the clean dance of the difficult and very demanding choreography by Kylian. The theatre was remarkable silent during each of the ballets, and with long, very long applause and bravos in the end, after the last one the applause wouldn´t stop, it was extraordinary. Leading critics from all of the world, commented to me, words like extraordinary, very well performed, bravo. Some asked: “When will they come back”

Gakuro Matsui in GODS AND DOGS, foto Erik Berg.

For me, as I as a critic has seen and criticised these ballets earlier here in Kulturkompasset. I had the feeling that on stage here in Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Paris, which has a smaller stage than we are used to at Bjørvika in Oslo, it became even more beautiful than in Oslo, the light for this smaller room was even more beautiful and more intime, which suited the production even better. The dancers were all so well prepared, so it was like “watching a fairytale come through”.

Philip Currell and Yoel Carreno brilliant in Symphony of Psalms, foto Jörg Wiesner

It was a pleasure to see again on stage, three of the leading soloists after having got each the baby:

Maiko Nishino, Eugenie Skilnand and Christine Thomassen. Furthermore it is great to notice that Ingrid Lorentzen and her leader team are giving possibilities also to some of the new dancers in the company, to show their great work at such importent occassions, and to see how well they do it, in cooperation with more established dancers in the company.

Maiko Nishino at the Paris poster.

My only regret was that I would have enjoyed, as a contrast in the programme, to include a work by one of the great Norwegian choreographers to day, where Norway has many brilliant names, as in fact the company did, when they lately guested the Mikhailovich Theatre in Saint Petersburg, and had included a work by Jo Strømgren in the program. This gives contrasts needed for the variation in a long ballet evening. It will of course be wrong to mention a few choreographers, but still i want to do it, out from my knowledge of the most talented names we have in the norwegian choreographic world to day, first some great talented names connected to the Nationalballet, Kaloyan Boyadjiev, Kristian Støvind, Andreas Heise, Cina Espejord, Daniel Proietto and the two house choreographes Alan Lucien Øyen and Jo Strømgren. Furthermore the leading star choreographer Sølvi Edvardsen and others.

As the National Ballet of Norway not only are dancing contemporary works, but in deed also are so great in classical ballets. Personally I would hope that the company also will return to Paris with a classical whole evening ballet. Hopefully the Festival Les Etés de la Danse will invite the Norwegian company to be one of their summer companies, or the new boss at the Ballet de l´Opera de Paris Benjamin Millepied, and then to present both contemporary and classical ballets at the program. It is wellknovn in ballet circles that the Paris Opera Ballet earlier has negitated with Espen Giljane regarding an guesting as invited company, but it has not so far been possibel due to the planned progamme scedules. Perhaps now the time has come for a new invitation
.

At least, this guesting of the Norwegian National Ballet to Paris has been a big success and the Paris audience wants them back. – Soon.

Please enjoy; National Ballet of Norway, Video from last applause at the last performance 24.9.2014.from the guesting at Theatre des Champs Elysees, Paris, with Jiri Kylian Symphonie des Psaumes, music by Igor Stravinsky
. during the Transcedanses Festival
Foto: Henning Høholt

http://youtu.be/5rErTSRueLM

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