Paris Opéra Ballet - Palais Garnier

Spectacle de ballets - Odile Duboc/Martha Graham/Pina Bausch

By Patricia Boccadoro

PARIS, 7 December1998 - Sandwiched between works of the two greatest pioneers of contemporary dance, Martha Graham and Pina Bausch, the kindest words one can say regarding Odile Duboc's " Rhapsody in Blue " is that it was simply non-existant.

As expected, Graham's " Lamentations " was impeccably interpreted by Fanny Gaida, and in "Temptations of the Moon ", the corps de ballet and soloists Letestu and Martinez showed once again their capacity to express and adapt to a different dance medium than their own. Moreover, it was breathtakingly beautiful, a poetic dream.

Pina Bausch's masterpiece, " The Rites of Spring " was brilliantly performed by the corps de ballet with Miteko Kudo as an unforgettable Sacrifice, and received the tumultuous acclaim it deserved.

But in the middle, the audience was subjected to Duboc's " Rhapsody in Blue ". The work began with the dancers duly dressed in blue, but instead of the immortal Gershwin strains, we were treated to a recording of the traffic outside. When the orchestra finally struck up, the dancers ran offstage, to return looking squat and dumpy like a bag of olde English black and white humbugs. Decor and lighting were equally as unflattering and vulgar.

The étoiles and corps de ballet then spent the rest of the time trying to decide whether or not to remain onstage while many people in the audience fell asleep. The choreography of the Opéra school teacher, Claire Baulieu, which I saw the following day was twenty times richer and more inventive.

Such a resounding failure as Duboc's " Rhapsody " should not put Paris Opera Ballet artistic director Brigitte Lefèvre's policy to create new ballets into question. However, in view of some disappointing creations recently shown at the Opéra, particularly by French choreographers, it would seem important to invite only those who have experience of working with large national companies, and who appreciate a classical vocabulary.

The dancers at the Paris Opéra are perfect instruments for any choreographer and didn't deserve this.