Thank you for posting this awesome video. I would love to see the full ballet. I finally get to see Sylvie's facial expressions when she is dancing. Who is that guy dancing with her? They had great chemistry. My jaw dropped when I saw her partner. First time seeing Zoltan. Beautiful!
Not to be missed. Sylvie Guillem is reprising the role of Manon for only 3 performances at La Scala de Milan, January 27th, January 29th and February 2nd. A unique event. Her partner, the wonderful Massimo Murru. For further information see on the web site of Teatro Alla Scala.
I'M GOING TO SEE HER LIVE DOING THIS, IN FOUR WEEKS!!! i'M GONNA... I'M GONNA... THIS.... SYLVIE... FOUR WEEKS.... I'M... I'M... WWWOOOEARRAFFRRATTHH IN FOUR WEEKS, SYLVIE, MANON, ME, GOT THE TICKET. AARRRRGGHHH!!! (sorry for this, but it was one of my dreams, now coming true)
In my opinion she is too innocent and too sweet, Manon wasn't so innocent and was quite confused and had a bad streak in her to chose rich gifts over De Grieux whom she supposedly loved so much and let him suffer, it only changed when she had to run after her brother was killed by one of the gift givers. I liked Irma Nioradze's performance much better. She showed both sides of Manon so perfectly. Don't take me wrong, this is beautiful but not quite accurate in portraying her character.
BytomGirl but Manon is innocent! That's what makes her so vulnerable in becoming the victim of Parisian corruption. Sylvie's Manon is my all time favourite. In true Guillem fashion, her Manon is initially unknowing sensual, innocent and gullible. She matures as it is too late, and we see this in the final pdd. Haven't you seen her dancing the final pdd in 2005 with Johnathan Cope? Amazing.
But Manon is not innocent, she lets De Grieux suffer, dangling her expensive gifts in the front him and leaving him with her admirers and having a good time while he is watching them... See version of Nioradze and Tsiskaridze, it's amazing and it is here on YT, I can help you find it. Nioradze is teasing him and then loving him, showing off her gifts.. Innocent people don't let those they love suffer. She is confused, doesn't know which way to go, after all she is only 16 but being pimped out to men by her brother. If she was truly innocent she would flatly refuse the men and the gifts and leave with the Grieux as they did when her brother got killed by the old man who was giving her all the gifts and they had to run. She wanted a life of luxury and it brought her down.
Even in Margarite and Armand, Margarite has visions of Manon identifying with her being a courtesan herself. There is a big parallel between these two characters except Margarite actally loves Armand and leaves him not for gifts but urged by his father.
yes, Manon tries to play people like she has been played herself. innocently, she thinks she's in control. what I'm trying to emphasise is Sylvie's Manon has an arc of personal growth. Here she's is innocent. Later, as her relationship with wealth becomes more prominent, she evolves to be able to play the game. When she's arrested and dances that final pdd, she's seen the world, only it's too late.
And that exactly what I had in mind, I didn't mean the bed scene itself... when we take something out of the context it often can seem different than the entire piece...it's like cutting out a good part of a rotting apple... I was talking about the entire ballet and her character in general, in one scene anyone can play the part and look innocent. If you saw Nioradze, in a bedroom scene you can see complexity of Manon's character, both of her sides, she is brilliant. And so is Tsiskaridze. Both are amazing. To me all innocent Manon in jst a bedroom scene is simplified, or maybe even more conniving by playing innocence to get what she wants... we don't know for sure as being innocent in only one scene is just deception on her side.. it's not real if later she plays the game. Truly innocent person plays no games....
