{"id":31805,"date":"2019-01-07T15:53:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T15:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/?p=31805"},"modified":"2019-01-07T15:56:49","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T15:56:49","slug":"%ef%bb%bfpartnering-and-partnerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/%ef%bb%bfpartnering-and-partnerships\/","title":{"rendered":"\ufeffPARTNERING AND PARTNERSHIPS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MURIEL ZUSPERREGUY\u00a0&\u00a0VINCENT CHAILLET<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two First soloists of the Paris Op\u00e9ra Ballet on being partners, facing challenges and their debut in Rudolf Nureyev version of \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em>
Interview was published in Dance for You Magazine Spring 2013 <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY ALESSANDRO BIZZOTTO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she enters the\nstage as Kitri, Muriel Zusperreguy attracts attention like a magnet. She is a\nmix of beauty, strong charisma and elegance. Confident in technique \u2013 very\nprecise pirouettes and balances \u2013 and tremendously smart, the premi\u00e8re danseuse<\/em> shines in Nureyev\u2019s \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em> with her verve and her enchanting\nliveliness. By her side, premier danseur<\/em>\nVincent Chaillet evidently enjoys the performance: his Basilio can be as funny\nas <\/strong>imperious. <\/strong>The\npartnership works sparklingly well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I meet them\nin the canteen of the Op\u00e9ra Garnier, the day after their second-last <\/strong>show,\nthey both look quite pleased. Chaillet comes punctually to collect me at the\nstage entrance. It\u2019s almost impossible not to stare when Zusperreguy arrives\n(only five minutes late). There is no vain ballerina: only a chic girl, relaxed <\/strong>and\nmakeup-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your first partnership memory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> I was\nten years old, and it was on the occasion of the ballet school demonstrations\nshow\u2026 a little pas de<\/em> deux<\/em> from a folk dance, with a young boy\nof my same class. It was quite easy\u2026 almost nothing if compared to \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em>, of course. But, at that\ntime, it looked so very difficult to me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> My\nfirst partnering memory goes back when I was at the second division level,\nattending the ballet school. They needed a guy to make all the girls of the\nfirst division dance, and asked me to be brave and join them. Attilio Labis was\nteaching: he had choreographed a pas de\ndeux<\/em> on \u201cLa Source\u201d<\/em> music. All\nthe girls learnt it very well, while I didn\u2019t, and they were more experienced\nthan me\u2026 it was very stressing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long did your preparation of \u201cDon Quixote\u201d <\/em>take?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> One\nmonth and half\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> \u2026\nyes, more or less. We started rehearsing together two months before our premi\u00e8re<\/em>, but all in all it was one\nmonth and half\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong>\nIndeed. It was a quite intense period as we were scheduled to dance also in the\nWilliam Forsythe \/ Trisha Brown mixed bill at Garnier\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> \u2026 and\nwhen Forsythe \/ Brown shows started, at the beginning of December, our work\nintensified. On the whole, we had one month and half to prepare \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Muriel Zusperreguy in
Rudolf Nureyev version of \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em>
\u00a9 Julien Benhamo <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And how long did it take to make the partnership work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> Vincent\nand I know each other very well, as we meet every day here at the Paris Op\u00e9ra\u2026 but \u201cDon<\/em> Quixote\u201d<\/em>\nrepresented the first occasion to face a big ballet together. The complicity\nwas immediate, though\u2026 Clearly, we worked to refine our performances and to\nfind always new details to show to the audience, but everything was very\nnatural and easy between us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C. <\/strong>We\nhelped each other a lot. Preparing \u201cDon<\/em>\nQuixote\u201d <\/em>was a sort of adventure for\nus both and we tried to work on it the best way. We joked a lot, on stage and\nin the wings\u2026 a glance or a smile sometimes make the difference. I supported\nMuriel and she supported me, creating a very nice atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Muriel Zusperreguy and Vincent Chaillet in
\u2018Don Quixote\u2019 \u00a9 Julien Benhamo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was the hardest thing to achieve? A flowing\ninteraction or being on the same wavelength as actors?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong>\nComplicity as actors was far more easy to achieve. Technical stuffs required a\nlonger work to be fully developed\u2026 the pirouettes<\/em>,\nthe port\u00e9es<\/em>\u2026 but the acting play was\nbuilt quite quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> The\nmost important work, in rehearsal, was about finding solutions for the physical\ninteraction, due to the height difference, and adjusting each other, particularly\nwith the lifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the most difficult moment of \u201cDon<\/em> Quixote\u201d<\/em>,\nfor the leading couple?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> The\nlast pas de deux<\/em> is the true moment\nof bravura: everybody knows it very well, it is often performed at galas\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> It is\na legendary pas de deux<\/em> and the\naudience always waits for. It is difficult as expectations make it quite stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong>\nBesides, you are very tired when you dance it, as it comes at the end of a very\ndemanding ballet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> But,\nas for the technique, the second act pas\nde deux<\/em> can be more difficult\u2026 Nureyev created it on a music excerpt from \u201cLa Bayad\u00e8re\u201d<\/em>. It is very agreeable to\ndance, but the interaction with the partner is far more complicated than in the\nthird act pas de deux<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the hardest variation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> Of\ncourse there are steps and styles which suit my characteristics\u2026 and other ones\nwhich are more difficult for me. It is obvious I work above all on the last\nones. In example, Dulcinea’s variation from the dream scene: I like it very\nmuch\u2026 danced by someone else! It is very calm and requires a great control,\nwhile as a dancer I think to be more\u2026 \u201ctonique\u201d<\/em>.\nThat\u2019s why I worked a lot on it, in order to appreciate it the most and to\ndance it the best way. It was not just about the technique\u2026 it was about\nfeeling appropriate for that solo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> The\nfirst act is the most difficult part of \u201cDon\nQuixote\u201d<\/em>. Basilio is often on stage and dances a lot. It was like being in\nfront of a wall, at the beginning. Two variations, an adagio, a coda, lots of\nlifts\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst moment in rehearsal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> There\nwere days in which things did not work that well. I felt Vincent was not at his\nbest: he was hesitant\u2026 he was not at his ease. It was a bad moment for me as\nwell, as I wanted to help him and I felt useless. That’s what happens when\nthere is empathy between two dancers. Finding the way to support your partner,\nthe right words to say at difficult moments in order to make him trust himself\nagain\u2026 it is a mutual exchange. That’s ballet, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> We\nhad two terrible days of rehearsals. I was in very low spirits and I didn’t\nwant Muriel to suffer such a situation. I just wanted her to believe I was\ngoing to be able to manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> It\nwas hard as we were rehearsing Forsythe\u2019s and Brown\u2019s ballets too. It is not\neasy, especially while you are getting ready for such a d\u00e9but: \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em> is so very challenging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong>\nIndeed. If one of us was on stage at the Palais Garnier in the evening\u2026 it was\nalmost impossible to give the hundred percent rehearsing \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em>. You try to save most of your energy for the\nperformance of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your d\u00e9but was even anticipated, due to other dancers’\ninjuries. How was it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong>\nStressing, but exciting. We knew we were ready, we knew we could do it. I must\nadmit we had a moment of panic\u2026 one week less of rehearsal! It is not a trifle.\nBut we chose to have a go at it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> We\nhad had a very few stage rehearsals\u2026 and we had never rehearsed \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em> with the other soloists and\nthe corps. Monique Loudi\u00e8res coached us, and it was truly nice to be in a\nstudio just with her and Muriel. But you don\u2019t know what to expect, when you go\non stage with the whole company. It was cool to find out they were happy to\nhave us with them\u2026 a new Kitri and a new Basilio. After so many shows, our\npresence gave them new energy, and their support gave us even more confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you feel tired now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> I\nfeel better today than on the opening night. I\u2019ve always preferred the final\nperformances\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> We\nfelt so very tired after the first act of our first \u201cDon Quixote\u201d<\/em>\u2026 I was really weary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> The\nenergy of the d\u00e9but, you know\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> Sure!\nLast night, on the contrary, after the second act I felt totally fine and ready\nfor the third act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of coordination for the lifts\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> It is\nindispensable! It is really essential: it is not just up to the boy. The\nballerina has literally to work with her partner. She must know her partner\nvery well and adapt her movements to those of her partner. Each partner has\ndifferent needs: someone wants the ballerina to help, someone else prefers her\nto be very calm\u2026 Vincent, in example, needed me to have a big pli\u00e9<\/em> for the lifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vincent, do you prefer a shorter partner?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> Yes,\nI do. Many colleagues don\u2019t\u2026 but I have always preferred to work with a little\nshorter ballerina. Not just because they are lighter! Different proportions\nmake pirouettes<\/em> and interaction\neasier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, Muriel, do you prefer to dance with a taller\ndancer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> I do!\nI don\u2019t think shorter dancer are worse partners, of course. But I prefer taller\nones\u2026 I like the male dancer to tower a little on his partner. Besides, with a\ntaller partner the port\u00e9es<\/em> are\nhigher\u2026 and I like it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your favorite ballet couple here at the Paris Op\u00e9ra?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Z.<\/strong> It is\ndifficult to mention just one couple\u2026 Probably Monique Loudi\u00e8res and Manuel\nLegris\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V.C.<\/strong> I saw them dancing many times when I was attending the ballet school, I have always admired them. But a younger couple comes to my mind as well, Ang\u00e8s Letestu and Jos\u00e9 Martinez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MURIEL ZUSPERREGUY\u00a0&\u00a0VINCENT CHAILLET The two First soloists of the Paris Op\u00e9ra Ballet on being partners, facing challenges and their debut in Rudolf Nureyev version of \u201cDon Quixote\u201dInterview was published in Dance for You Magazine Spring 2013 BY ALESSANDRO BIZZOTTO As she enters the stage as Kitri, Muriel Zusperreguy attracts attention like a magnet. She is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":31806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31805"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31814,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31805\/revisions\/31814"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danceforyou-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}