Degas wishes everyone a happy Labor Day, and speaking of labor, did all of you catch the outrageous New York Times article today about our tiny dancers making not so tiny payments to enter dance competitions!  I have questioned the virtue of dance competitions in my discussion of the documentary First Position which at least ended with participants going to well known schools and companies to further a chance at a dance career.  What do 12 year olds get out of a rendition of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", a Beyonce inspired performance that apparently took place at a California DANCE competition in 2010.  Mr. Sharenow of Lifetime brushes a broad stroke when he paints critics of these events as "classist"!  Really!  Lets just agree to take out the dance in dance competitions.  Calling all dance lovers, please put your foot down and stop this pollution of a wonderful art form.

By the way, Degas is busy painting and preparing for a show this coming weekend, September 8 and 9 in Greenwich Village, NYC.  (12-6).  A bientot!

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Enchante Mesdames and Messieurs,

Do you feel good?  Life is beautiful at the Paris Opera Ballet's Giselle which Degas thoroughly enjoyed last Friday, Friday the 13th no less.  It was a journey into Grimm fairy land with the beautiful Aurelie Dupont and the handsome Mathieu Ganio in the lead roles.  The Paris Opera is of course different from our companies because the dancers live and breath Paris Opera from their first tendu to their final reverance.  The wealth of shared experiences creates a uniform style which perfectly suited Giselle.

Oh my, what comportment these dancers hold and how we are carried away by their magic to enter the haunting world of the Wilis in an exquisite Act II.  We all know that Giselle has lost her two timing lover and died with a broken heart.  Giselle has entered the realm of Wilis betrayed by their betrothed and they taunt her to engage in their deadly revenge on bad dudes.  Aurelie gives us a spirit that is not of this earth (that comportment again) and beautifully protects her prince from the Wilis with only glimpses of the young girl she once was.  Who cannot visualize a deceased loved one answering our earthly plea.  We know our love is not really present.

Shame on Alastair Macauley in his New York Times review commenting the dancers are not inhabiting their role and demonstrate "Brechtian alienation."   Otherworldliness is precisely the point of this company's interpretation and removes us from the familiar so we can enter a world of our dreams, which often are disturbing quite frankly. The technical proficiency of the Paris Opera Ballet frees them to convey such artistic mastery and they keep their efforts beautifully hidden.

 Life is disappointing?...Forget it!  Here life is beautiful...The girls are beautiful...Even the orchestra is beautiful.  So Alastair, just go to the Cabaret.  Now that's Brecht.