La Fille mal gardée | Paris Opera Ballet

La Fille mal gardée (Paris Opera Ballet)

Choreographed by Frederick Ashton

Palais Garnier, Paris – 06 Jul 15

To see La Fille mal gardée, Frederick Ashton’s comically light-hearted ballet, performed by the Paris Opera Ballet at their home venue of the Palais Garnier was a genuinely rare treat this summer. Normally relying on touring productions to get a theatre-fix, it was a welcome change to experience this ballet in the glorious environs of the Opéra national de Paris. With its country setting, simple storyline and lovable characters Fille has always been a popular ballet – after all, who wouldn’t want to see professional dancers dress up in giant chicken suits? – and having seen a previous performance by the Royal Ballet earlier this year it was far too tempting to see it again by a different ballet company.

For any readers who do not know, the story follows Lise (danced by Myriam Ould-Braham) and Colas (Josua Hoffalt), a young couple in love who are constantly separated by the attempts of Lise’s mother Simone (traditionally performed by a male dancer, in this case by Aurélien Houette) who would prefer to see her daughter marry Alain (Simon Valastro), the son of a wealthy farmer. As one might guess, the young couple find plenty of ways to be together and out-wit Simone, and of course the ballet concludes with a happy ending. The plotline may be pleasantly predictable, but this allows for a greater appreciation of the quality of the dancing. Ould-Braham’s footwork and Hoffalt’s elevation were both stand-out elements, and Houette’s commitment to his character’s comedic appeal never faltered, even during the curtain calls.

Despite being a ballet of a cheerful and comic nature, this performance of Fille was in fact rather dramatic. Following an injury, étoile dancer Myriam Ould-Braham was unable to continue in the role of Lise in the ballet’s second act. It was impossible to tell exactly when she suffered the injury however it must have been of a serious degree if she could no longer perform, but I hope that it was not too severe and I wish her a speedy recovery. The character of Lise was taken over in Act II by Éléonore Guérineau, who matched Ould-Braham’s performance so beautifully it was difficult to tell it was a different dancer. Both ballerinas had feet to die for, making me wonder how many pairs of pointe shoes they can get through in one performance.

The Palais Garnier itself is a venue of such extraordinary splendour that it deserves its own particular mention in this review. From the towering pillars that adorn the front of the building to the ornate golden décor throughout one cannot help but adore such ostentatious grandeur, the intensity of which feels so perfectly fitting for an opera house. Further enhanced by its location, in the centre of a square in Paris with the grand Avenue de l’Opéra stretching out before it, it is impossible not to look twice at this display of sumptuous architectural design (created by Charles Garnier in the 19^th century). The interior is all red and gold, with sweeping staircases and elegant balconettes dominating the foyer and a stunningly beautiful ceiling design inside the auditorium. The chandelier, famous for its part in the legend of the Phantom of the Opera (initially in Gaston Leroux’s 1911 novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra), more than lives up to expectations. Indeed, only the start of the ballet could distract from the opulent surroundings – although the extra fold-out seats in the aisles would probably cause a health and safety riot in a theatre here!

Palais Garnier

The chandelier

Having now experienced a performance not only by a new company (new to me at least!) but in an exquisitely unique venue and in a foreign country, the element that struck me the most was how fantastic it is that dance and music exist as means of universal communication. To sit in a theatre surrounded by people who do not even speak the same language as each other, and yet all be swept away by the same performance and laugh at the same humour is quite an extraordinary experience. This performance of La Fille mal gardée will therefore remain particularly memorable for me for its state of universality, and I would love to encounter that again in future theatre trips.