THE PARIS OPERA BALLET: Seven Ballets

Product Description

Featuring the Stars of The Paris Opera Ballet Company, this exclusive DVD consists of seven works choreographed by
Marius Petipa and
Norbert Schmucki, set to the music of
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Camille Saint-Saens,
Edvard Grieg, and
Jean Sibelius, among others. Among the many fine dancers, you will discover
Sylvie Guillem, acclaimed as the most exciting new talent in years;
Patrick Dupond, the wonder boy of the world dance scene; and
Noella Pontois, the epitome of a French ballerina.
The Paris Opera Ballet Company is stronger than at any time during the last 25 years and perhaps longer than that, said The New York Times. With strong dancers at every level… it is visibly made up of individuals who are capable of breathing life into old forms.
Housed in the largest theatre building in the world, The Paris Opera Ballet stems from a tradition of over 300 years and is known as the cradle of classical ballet. With this special film on DVD, the tradition continues.
Selections Include:1. ESCAMILLODanced by Fabienne Cerutti and Theirry MogneMusic: Spanish Folk Music
2. LE PETIT PANDanced by Patrick DupondMusic by Composer Edvard Grieg
3. BAMBOU (EXTRACT)Danced by Isabelle Cividino, Felix Vivvian, Kader Belarbi, Carole Lagache, Danielle Doussard, Lionel Delanoe, Fabienne Cerutti, and Theirry MogneMusic: African Folk Music
4. GRANDE PAS CLASSIQUEDanced by Sylvie Guillem and Manuel LegrisMusic by Composer Daniel Auber
5. RIXEDanced by Kader Belarbi, Lionel Delanoe, and Theirry MogneMusic by Composer Camille Saint-Saens
6. UNE FEMMEDanced by Carole Lagache and Kader BelarbiMusic by Composer Jean Sibelius
7. THE WHITE SWAN (SWAN LAKE)Danced by Noella Pontois and Patrick DupondMusic by Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
DVD BONUS FEATURES:Bonus Video Clip from the Paris Opera Ballet CompanyPatrick Dupond BiographyNoella Pontois BiographySylvie Guillem BiographyDolby Stereo AudioDigitally Re-Mastered Audio and VideoInstant Access to the DancesDVD Recommendations

Review

Patrick Dupond shows he’s a bravura dancer… Dupond partners Noella Pontois in a pas de deux from Swan Lake that is worth the price of the tape. She is reminiscent of Ulanova in her prime… some really exciting dancing –Variety

Both choreography and music are spellbinding, even to those with little knowledge of or interest in dance… especially well done. For ballet students, the program is a study in excellent technique… keeps viewers on the edge on their chairs. –School Library Journal

The first is a solo by Dupond and is a funny, acrobatic, amazing piece of dancing to Schmucki’s choreography as part of Grieg’s Peer Gynt. Petipa’s choreography is used for the White Swan duet, and in it Dupond partners Noella Pontois. It s a perfect few minutes of dance… In all, this is a nice hour of dance. –Pulse Magazine

About the Actor

Sylvie Guillem Biography
Born in February of 1965, French ballerina Sylvie Guillem originally trained to be a gymnast before enrolling in the Paris Opera Ballet School at age 11. At 16, she was promoted into the Company and a year later, after winning the Varna International Ballet Competition, Guillem became an
Etoile of the company after her first performance of Swan Lake. She went on to create a lead role for
William Forsythe’s modern ballet
In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated in 1987, before shocking her fellow Company members, particularly
Rudolf Nureyev, and leaving the Paris Opera Ballet Company to become the principal guest artist at the Royal Ballet.
Guillem was often criticized for her high extensions, which were said to disturb the line of classical form. However, Guillem viewed her extreme flexibility as an asset that helped develop her reputation as a world class dancer and solidify her influential style as a pioneer of contemporary ballet.
Patrick Dupond BiographyAfter experimenting with sports and martial arts as a child, Patrick Dupond found himself taken with the dramatic flair of classical music coupled wi