Les Etés de la Danse

WHY ARE WE NOT IN PARIS RIGHT NOW?

I mean seriously, it seems like everybody is in Paris right now. I am oozing with a serious case of FOMO. Different ballet companies from all over the world have been flying into the 'city of lights' to perform in Les Etés de la Danse (summer of dance) festival at La Seine Musicale, a theater located on the outskirts of Paris. 

This year's festival is a two part event. The first part of the festival is a homage to Jerome Robbins. This year marks the centennial of his birth. Program one and two contained some of the best works by the beloved choreographer performed by some of the most outstanding artists of this generation. The ballet companies participating included:

• The New York City Ballet
• Miami City Ballet
• Joffrey Ballet
• Perm Opera Ballet
• Pacific Northwest Ballet

The New York City Ballet brought some of their biggest names including Tiler Peck, Sara Mearns, and Tyler Angle to perform in Dances at a Gathering, probably one of Jerry's best works. They also brought Suite of Dances performed by Anthony Huxley (his debut) and Joaquin De Luz. 

The Joffrey Ballet shared the same program with NYCB, rounding it out with Interplay and Glass Pieces. Program two included In the Night and Other Dances (both performed by Miami City Ballet), The Four Seasons (performed by Perm Opera Ballet), and Opus 19/The Dreamer (performed by PNB). The only ballet missing from these festivities, in my opinion, is West Side Story Suite. 

The dancers in the Pacific Northwest Ballet are the lucky ones extending their stay until July 7th. They comprise part two of the festival. They also have two programs:

• Program I
• Tide Harmonic (ChristopherWheeldon)
• Red Angels (Ulysses Dove)
• Little Mortal Jump (Alejandro Cerrudo)
• Emergence (Crystal Pite)
• Program II
• Her Door to the Sky (Jessica Lang)
• Slingerland Duet (William Forsythe)
• Appassionata (Benjamin Millepied)
• Waiting at the Station (Twyla Tharp) 

Even though it is too late to see the homage to Robbins, I would fly over in a heartbeat to see the programs put together by PNB. The works listed above are choreographed by some of the leading choreographers in the world of ballet today. 

I personally have been dying to see Emergence, and it couldn't hurt to also grab a pain au chocolat along the Seine on my way to the theater in the city of lights.