(The dress rehearsal)

I am lucky to know someone that can invite me to visit at his place of work which happens to be the Palais Garnier. He was quite gracious to invite me the night of the dress rehearsal of the very exclusive Gala that was performed for the AROP (l’Association pour le Rayonnement de l’Opéra de Paris) which is a group of the big, Big, BIG sponsors of the Opera house and company. Their soirée is complete with a lavish dinner and a show with both displays of dance and opera.

I was lucky to be able to watch the show, preparations, commentary (by Brigitte Lefèvre) and all! The first half, la partie dansé (I didn’t stay for the entire second half which was the opera pieces, plus my battery died), consisted of the défilé of the ENTIRE dance company and school, from the little ones all the way to the danseurs étoiles. Imagine an entire stage full of dancers!

Then there was an excerpt of Balenchine’s Pas De Deux with Tchaikovski, excerpts of Paquita by choreographer Pierre Lacotte -I have fond memories of doing these very same excerpts at my dance school on Cape Cod –

And then… MY FAVORITE piece of choreography in the whole world : Boléro, by Maurice Béjart (to the music of the same title by Ravel of course) danced by the very stunning very muscular Nicolas Le Riche….swoon!

And of course I thought of all of you, my faithful readers… I wouldn’t leave you hanging! (Here’s just a few excerpts of the excerpts)

Enjoy!