Tuesday, December 04, 2007

After the Bolle's Over

Roberto Bolle Gala - Photo Luciano RomanoWell last night was the night, Roberto came to Roma and the town succumbed. Teatro dell'Opera was packed - not a poltroni or palci to be had - with the great, the near great and the "don't I just think I'm great!" There were insane Italian TV personalities, Bolle-boppers of both sexes, Government Ministers, movers in the arts world, dancers - we shared our box with a lovely ex-dancer and her husband - and then those of us that just wanted to see the ballet... oh okay and Bolle.

And make no mistake Bolle was the reason we were there and he knew it but in a rather modest self-effacing way. He shared the stage with 10 other dancers - all leading dancers with their respective companies - and only appeared in four of the eleven numbers. It was a mixed programme with a fascinating range of choreography: from the Romantic (the Petipa Esmeralda and Swan Lake, the Coralli/Perrot Giselle) to 20th century classics (Petit's Carmen and MacMillan's Manon) to the modern (John Neumeier, Jiri Kylian, Jiri Bubenieck and Ben Van Cauwenbergh.)

Programme Bollo GalaHighlights? Well of the Bolle's bits the Carmen with Polina Seminova was well done if slightly cool (but then no one sizzled in Carmen quite like Zizi.) But the Manon finale with the Royal Ballet's Mara Galeazzi tore the place apart. The impassioned dance that MacMillan created for Des Grieux and the dying Manon blazed across the stage with raw intensity - God I wish I had seen Bolle and Ferri in it.

The rest of the selections were well danced but the two that grabbed the audience's attention the most were a male pas de deux and a male pas de trois. Neurmeier's Opus 100 for Morice danced by Otto Bubenicek and Ivan Urban, a simple but beautiful tribute to friendship and affection was brilliantly danced to the music of Simon and Garfunkel (Friends and Bridge Over Troubled Waters.) Equally well received was Jiri Bubenieck's Le Souffle de L'Esprit with Urban and Bubenicek joined by Alexandre Riabko dancing an exuberant number to the Pachabel Cannon. All three are with the Hamburg Ballet which suggests they have a very strong group of male soloists. Kylian's Bella Figura as danced by the Nederlands Dans Theater's Natasha Novotna and Vaclav Kunes had some stunning visual moments. And Novotna closed the evening with Bolle in Kylian's Petite Mort which was a stunning opportunity to admire their joint technique and Bolle's near naked body. But understand we were there for the ballet!

The only gripe about the evening - the recorded music. It worked in the modern dances but worked against the dancers in the classical pas de deux. Normally a ballet conductor bases the tempi on the dancers, here the dancers were at times forcing themselves to keep up with the recorded tempi. And Roberto could have given us an encore!
Programme Ad
There were only three ad pages in the nicely done free programme - the one above, another for a 5 star Hotel in Rome and the one below.

UNICEF Ad - Bolle Gala
Bolle was appointed a UNICEF Ambassador several years ago and has shown special support for children of the Sudan.

04 decembre - Santa Barbara

9 comments:

BigAssBelle said...

oh. my. goodness.

damn. i can only say it again. my goodness, what a man. delicious in every aspect. wow. did you use your high powered opera glasses?

it certainly doesn't carry the sophistication of your evening at the dance, but i was once enticed to become a baseball fan because the Houston Astros' 3d basement had an enormously well packed cup and a magnificent physique. my friend and i would traipse to the stands every time they played, high powered binoculars in hand, simply to watch him scamper about the field.

i'm not a huge fan of ballet, but i'd be enticed to become one given the beauty of this boy.

i'm teary this afternoon thanks to tater, so i can see that your next post is going to make me cry and i must work. i'll be back shortly. hugs.

more cowbell said...

Ok, I don't know ballet from Shinola, but ... that ad for the Fiuggi or whatever it was ...

Holy 6-pack.

Doralong said...

If I didn't adore you so I'd be seething with jealousy. OK, so I am a little..

Carmen! *sigh* Manon *sigh* Bolle- well that just induces tears of joy.

I'm so happy you were able to get tickets! And, recorded music?? What's up with THAT?? That is so wrong on so many levels I can't even address it, I feel faint and must rest a bit.

Anonymous said...

Recorded music is to live performance what photos of hot Bolle is to live hot Bolle naked in my bed.

Doralong said...

Hat- bet you really aced out the verbals on the SAT, huh? Yeah, I've had that fantasy since the first time I saw him dance in his live, sweaty glory too..

Anonymous said...

My test skills on the SAT are to aced as Jerry Springer is to Reindeer Games.

Doralong said...

PS- And there were hot firemen guarding the door again, right?? Have to get my vicarious thrills where I can buddy..

Elizabeth said...

"with the great, the near great and the "don't I just think I'm great!" Ha!! Wonderful line.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, mama has a case of the vapors. I would crawl through crushed glass to see that gorgeous hunk of man dance. You are so fortunate!