Tours en l'air organizes ballet-themed escorted holidays to see the best companies perform great ballets in beautiful places. You can join a trip from anywhere. A highly knowledgeable balletomane who has enjoyed 100s of performances in over 20 cities around the world,I speak English, French, and German, and am a Travel Industry Council of Ontario certified Travel Counsellor. I also teach ballet appreciation courses.
For a taste of what our trips are like, follow https://www.facebook.com/toursenlair/ on facebook.
Tours en l'air Ballet Holidays are offered in partnership with CWT Victor Travel, 101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5, 416-736-6010, TICO # 1892647

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Monday, July 2, 2012

Paris Opera Ballet Mixed Program Chicago reviews

Suite en blanc, L'Arlesienne, Bolero

Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/theaterloop/ct-ent-0702-paris-opera-ballet-20120701,0,6456522.story

For New York reviews, please click here:
http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2012/07/paris-opera-ballet-mixed-program-ny.html

More reviews will be posted as they appear.
If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here. 

 

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Joffrey movie screenings in Canada


Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance tells the story of this groundbreaking cultural treasure, known as the first truly American dance company. Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin and directed by Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones-A Good Man), the film documents how The Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet technique, combining art with social statement and setting ballets to pop and rock music scores.

October 5-8, 2012
Bytowne Cinema, Ottawa, ON Canada

-July 20-26, 2012
Landmark Globe Cinema, Calgary, AB Canada
-July 25-26, 2012
Cinecenta-University of Victoria, Victoria BC Canada
-July 27-August 2, 2012
Landmark Globe Cinema, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada

July 27-31st 2012
Bloor Hotdocs Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W, Toronto, ON Canada
Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become their principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon. What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance with bold new perspectives for edgy ballets that challenged conventions. Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, and on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.  They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the cover of Time magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance weaves a wealth of rare archival footage and photographs along with interviews featuring former and current Joffrey star dancers, showing the full history of the Company from its founding to the present. It describes how the Joffrey repeatedly resurrected itself after devastating financial and artistic setbacks and introduced cutting-edge choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Laura Dean and Margo Sappington to larger audiences.
The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as breakthrough collaborations with choreographers Twyla Tharp (Deuce Coupe), Kurt Jooss (The Green Table) and Leonide Massine (Parade).
Featuring: Kevin McKenzie, Helgi Tomasson, Lar Lubovitch, Ashley C. Wheater, Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Anna Kisselgoff, Adam Sklute, Christian Holder, Dermot Burke, Paul Sutherland, Francoise Martinet, Brunilda Ruiz, Jonathan Watts, Diane Consoer, Sasha Anawalt, Fabrice Calmels, and Hedy Weiss.



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Win tickets to POB Giselle in New York

The Huffington Post is running  a contest to win two tickets to Paris Opera Ballet's Giselle at Lincoln Center on July 17. Deadline July 10. For details click here.

Paris Opera Ballet Giselle reviews

More reviews will be posted as they appear.
If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here.

Chicago:
Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times:
"exquisitely uniform corps de ballet, ...in many ways are the true stars of this company. 
Ciaravola’s delicacy, lightness, quickness and musicality, along with the sublime beauty of her second act adagio, and Ganio’s remarkably fleet footwork and light-as-air jumps, consistently brought to mind those old prints of 19th century dancers poised between earth and air."
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/13427230-421/gorgeous-fluid-paris-opera-ballet-triumphs-with-giselle.html

Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/theaterloop/ct-ent-0628-paris-opera-ballet-giselle-20120628,0,6490652.story 
This one, staged by Patrice Bart and Eugene Polyakov in 1991, performed by clearly one of the best ballet troupes on the planet, is Dom Perignon, its subtle superiorities sublime. And they build magnificently: the fine Act I doesn't quite prep you for the spellbinding Act II, a singular, unforgettable rendering of the great classic this very same troupe invented.

Matthew de la Pena, time out Chicago:

http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/dance/15472401/paris-opera-ballet-dance-review

Lori Dana, Chicago Stage Review
http://www.chicagostagereview.com/?p=25752 

For Washington reviews, please click here: http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2012/07/paris-opera-ballet-giselle-reviews.html

More reviews will be posted as they appear.
If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

ABT Swan Lake reviews


Steve Ha, Youdancefunny: (Murphy, Gomes

http://youdancefunny.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/my-first-swan-lake-2/

Leigh Witchel's facebook page  (accessible even if you don't have a facebook account)

https://www.facebook.com/danceleighwitchel/posts/435911053106877

Review - American Ballet Theatre, Swan Lake (and Angel Corella’s farewell):

Gia Kourlas, New York Times
Mary Cargill, danceviewtimes
Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Globe
Tobi Tobias, Arts Journal

Marina Harss, dancetabs (Corella/Herrera, Simkin/Boylston)
http://www.dancetabs.com/2012/07/american-ballet-theatre-swan-lake-angel-corella-farewell-new-york/

Apollinaire Scherr, Financial Times: (Corella) "The Spanish dancer’s final dance for ABT demonstrated both technical brilliance and nuanced interpretation"

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/83c1fe78-c4f5-11e1-b8fd-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1zbQsdTE3 

Andrew Blockmore-Dobbyn, Huffington Post (Boylston)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-blackmore-Dobbyn/american-ballet-theatre-swan-lake-_b_1643712.html
More reviews will be posted as they appear.
If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here. 

 

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Bolshoi Raymonda on YouTube

For those of you who missed this in the theatres, the whole ballet is available on the Bolshoi's YouTube channel.UPDATE: This video was taken down from YouTube after 24 hours.

Ballet broadcasts in Canada 2012-13

Cineplex is offering a season including not just the Bolshoi but also the Royal Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. Here is the schedule:

Tickets on sale now!
  • Dance Series

    Bolshoi Ballet

    La Sylphide (Bournonville)

    September 30, 2012

     


    Dance Series

    The Royal Ballet

    La Fille Mal Gardée

    October 14, 2012

     


  • Dance Series

    Bolshoi Ballet

    The Pharaoh's Daughter

    November 25th, 2012


  • Dance Series

    The Royal Ballet

    The Nutcracker

    December 13, 2012

    December 22, 2012


  • Dance Series

    Bolshoi Ballet

    La Bayadère

    January 27, 2013


  • Dance Series

    Nederlands Dans Theatre

    Move to Move

    February 17, 2013

    The worldwide admired ballet Silent Screen from resident choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot and a world premiere by their hand: Shine a Light. Ohad Naharin is back at the Nederlands Dans theatre with the Dutch premiere of his ballet Secus.
  • Dance Series

    The Royal Ballet

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Christopher Wheeldon)

    March 28, 2013

    April 21, 2013


  • Dance Series

    Bolshoi Ballet

    Rite of Spring

    March 31, 2013

    This new choreographic version by Wayne McGregor brings new energy to the themes of the Russian Spring, the Adoration of the Earth, and of course the provocative Sacrifice of the Virgin. 

    Esmeralda Encore Presentation - Bolshoi Ballet - FRCE Dance 
    Important note: The Bolshoi has postponed this production of Rite of Spring. In its place Cineplex will be re-broadcasting the Bolshoi's Esmeralda  from last year.
  • Dance Series

    Bolshoi Ballet

    Romeo and Juliet

    May 12, 2013


If you would like a "ballet buddy" to attend these broadcasts with in Toronto, please get in touch: toursenlair@gmail.com 


If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here.

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Bolshoi Live Broadcasts 2012-13

Pathe Live, the producer of the Bolshoi Live Broadcasts, has announced the 2012-13 season. In Canada, Cineplex theatres will be showing some of these, combined with Royal Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. For Canadian broadcast schedule, click here.

NEW BOLSHOI BALLET SEASON SCHEDULE
2012 September, Sunday 30th : LA SYLPHIDE (Live)
                                                                                            

2012 October, Sunday 21st :   SWAN LAKE (Recorded)
2012 November, Sunday 25th:  THE PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER (Live)
2012 December, Sunday 16th : NUTCRACKER (Recorded)
2013 January, Sunday 27th : LA BAYADERE (Live)
2013 February, Sunday 10th : DON QUIXOTE (Recorded)
2013 March, Sunday 31st :  THE RITE OF SPRING (Live)
2013 May, Sunday 12th : ROMEO AND JULIET (Live)

If you would like a "ballet buddy" to attend these broadcasts wtih in Toronto, please get in touch: toursenlair@gmail.com 



If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here.

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

Friday, June 22, 2012

ABT Firebird, Dream reviews


Alastair Macaulay, New York Times:
" Herman Cornejo’s Puck is the most definitive performance of any role to be seen anywhere in ballet today, but no superlative will suffice...the dancing of the 16 female fairies, with much of Ashton’s most intricate choreographic detail, is among Ballet Theater’s finest achievements."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/arts/dance/american-ballet-theaters-dream-and-firebird.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share

Steve Ha
http://youdancefunny.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/face-your-fear/ 

Marina Harss, thefastertimes.com
" Titania is one of Murphy’s best roles–the petulant way she kicks the air when she argues with Oberon is priceless...But Reyes, too, showed fiery temperament and cunning femininity. Stearns and Hallberg are both excellent Oberons; Hallberg deals more cleanly with Ashton’s fussy footwork, but Stearns has an intimidating quality that works well in the role.Herman Cornejo’s Puck simply defies description."

http://www.thefastertimes.com/dance/2012/06/23/snapshot-%E2%80%9Cthe-dream%E2%80%9D-at-american-ballet-theatre/

Leigh Witchel's facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/danceleighwitchel

Steve Ha, youdancefunny

http://youdancefunny.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/reviewing-ratmanskys-firebird/

Cast change for Bolshoi Raymonda broadcast

Raymonda will now be danced by Maria Alexandrova rather than Svetlana Zakharova. Full casting here.

Ballet in Europe - Master Performance Calendar 2012-13

I have just posted my master performance calendar for major European companies for the 2012-13 season.
Most major ballet companies and venues are listed Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, Ballet de l'Opera de Lyon, Ballet du Theatre du Capitole Toulouse, Ballet of La Scala, Milan (till end Nov. 2012), Ballet of the National Theatre Prague, Bavarian State Ballet, Berlin State Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Bordeaux Opera Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet (through January 2013), Finnish National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, National Ballet of Estonia, Nederlands Dans Theater, Northern Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Prague State Opera Ballet, Rome Opera Ballet (till end Nov. 2012), Royal Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Vienna State Ballet (Staatsoper and Volksoper)
Please click here for details.
North American master performance calendar coming soon!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Anna Pavlova's Dying Swan tutu

The Museum of London has a very interesting online "Dress for Dance" collection, including many Pavlova artifacts, most famous being her Dying Swan tutu:

Anna Pavolva's #ballet costume for The Swan heads our ne... on Twitpic

Visit the collection by clicking here.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Great Forsythe Rehearsal footage

Dutch National Ballet rehearses William Forsythe's steptext and the second detail as well as Balanchine's Symphony in Three Movements

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Tutu Project events at the Design Exchange

In conjunction with the National Ballet of Canada's 60th anniversary Tutu Project, in which 60 designers unleashed their creativity on plain tutus, the Design Exchange in Toronto, which will host the exhibition of tutus and a major exhibition about design for ballet from July 11 to September 2nd, is having 2 special events:

Designing the Ballet: Panel Discussion
July 18, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Internationally renowned dance historian and critic, Michael Crabb, will moderate an informative panel discussion offering an intimate look into the design of the ballet from wardrobe to choreography to set design.
Cost:
$10 / Free for DX Members

Register here: http://guestlistapp.com/events/100641

Talking Tutus with Caroline O’Brien
July 24, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Curator and costume designer Caroline O'brien presents on the iconic tutu from a historical and contemporary perspective. Following the talk, Caroline will invite guests “back stage” for an in depth tour of the 60 Years of Designing the Ballet Exhibition.
Cost:
$10 / Free for DX Members
Register here

The Design Exchange is at 234 Bay Street in downtown Toronto.
Hours: Monday 10-5
Tuesday 10-8
Wednesday 10-5
Thursday 10-5
Friday 10-5
Saturday and Sunday 12-5

Tuesday evenings between 5 and 8 are pay what you can admission
Free tours on the last Friday of every month at 1 pm.




60 Years of Designing the Ballet
July 11 – September 2

Exhibition Hall – Paid Admission

This exhibition offers an intimate look at the design of one of Canada’s most celebrated treasures – the National Ballet of Canada. The exhibition is organized thematically – highlighting the various ways in which the ballet as an institution is designed through hundreds of items from the ballet’s archive. The exhibition provides a private invitation into the world of one particular company. Unique to this exhibition is that the players themselves – the designers, dancers, creative directors, amongst others – are invited to comment on the process of designing costumes, dance, lighting, sets and so on. This back stage pass offers viewers a rare opportunity to engage with the theatricality, innovation, glamour and beauty that is the National Ballet of Canada.


DX 2012 SUPPORTING EXHIBITION

The Tutu Project
July 11 – September 2

Lobby – Pay What You Can

The tutu is the ballet's most universally recognized symbol and to celebrate the National Ballet's 60th anniversary, 60 tutus will be displayed during the 2011/2012 season. The Tutu Project is generously sponsored by the Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada.


If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here.

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR

National Ballet of Canada Gala Rep & Casting


Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 6:30 p.m.
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto


BALLET CHOREOGRAPHER MUSIC CAST
Amarant Matjash Mrozewski Scanner Xiao Nan Yu
Jiri Jelinek
Polar Night* Robert Binet Elgar Cello Concerto 1st Movement Heather Ogden
Guillaume Cote
Silence screams venom* Guillaume Cote Ravel Bolero Greta Hodgkinson,
Keiichi Hirano,
Etienne Lavigne,
Patrick Lavoie, Christopher Stalzer
Herman Schmerman
Pas de deux
William Forsythe Thom Willems Aleksandar Antonijevic
Sonia Rodriguez
Diamonds excerpt George Balanchine Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 3
Heather Ogden
Guillaume Cote
* = world premiere

If you love ballet, check out my season of outstanding ballet trips in 2012-13 by clicking here.

GET MORE BALLET OUT OF LIFE WITH TOURS EN L'AIR