Isabelle Ciaravola, Étoile, Opéra de Paris: An interview (Part 1), February 22nd, 2023

We cannot get any closer to the description of a Star/Étoile as Noël Coward's words and praise for Gertrude Lawrence on stage, in film, and in real life. His comparisons while using words such as „incandescence", „shine", and „luminous", are the exact description of a star that has its radiance at the firmament. But what is the real description of this very special quality? What is it? To my way of thinking it is not describable. It is that certain „thing" that one can feel while you are experiencing this magical quality.

It is „it".

And no words are quite suitable or exact enough to express this precious feeling.

We can add many words such as spontaneous, glamorous, outrageous, and charming. There are so many „ingredients" to the composition of this „vitamin pill" that makes one a „Star" but its formula is still, let's say an unrevealed secret. That is why they are so rare to find.

Talking to Isabelle Ciaravola last week I once more realized that I was experiencing „live" that fabulous and uniquely indescribable sensation that I had experienced while watching her on stage.

Realizing that I started adding even more substantives and adjectives to „my" list.

Words such as spontaneity, Elegance, Charm, Wit, Intelligence, Discretion, Humour, „Le Chic Français", Beauty (exterior and interior) and so many others came to my mind.

But I am still far from finding out all the components of the above-mentioned „pill". And this is the fascinating thing about it. This „quality" is a mysterious combination. And it just works in the right „dosage".

By the end of our first meeting, I came upon a thought that revealed much more than I had expected. This „being absolutely genuine all the time". I felt „on the right track".

We greeted each other with great joy.

„We made it at last!", I said.

„Yes, and how are you? Feeling better?" (I had been ill and was forced to postpone our first meeting!), she asked, giving me immediately a sentiment of rapport, nearly a bond.

„Everything is fine and I am fully recovered from a strong cold!"

I could not explain why, but already in the few sentences that we had exchanged, I could feel a certain feeling of “complicity” developing in the air. I had the certain feeling that as going to be an interview to remember, an experience all its own. I could also feel that we were speaking the same language and by this I do mean a particular tongue. No.

We went on talking about the „modus operandi" I was going to use for this interview, strictly and intentionally forsaking some information which, to my way of thinking is „common knowledge", at least for the ones who inhabit the World of Dance. This was not going to be an interview about her Birth in Corsica – although her temperament, and strength, as history shows us in many other aspects. Not about dates. Not focusing on dates as the ones in which she began her studies, went to the Parisian Conservatoire, started her professional career, was promoted to a Première Danseuse, and later to an Étoile (Although we'll come shortly into that later!). No. It was not about that. To our readers, the „pointe" is a much more intimate and complex portrait of a personality that has brought not only emotions, depth, „gloom profound" (Thinking again of Noël Coward and his sad Song „Parisian Pierrot". A coincidence? No... I do not believe in coincidences!), visions, images, presents to the audiences but something that can be simply and much more easily described as pure joy.

It is about this and, as the „slogan" from a t t i t u d e (I am referring to this platform) simply says, „looking at things differently".

„Isabelle, how was the Gala dedicated to Patrick (Dupond) on the 21st? I saw pictures of the „crème de la crème" of the French Dance world reunited on stage! You, as always „chic"!"

„There are three evening performances altogether – the „retired" Étoiles only participated in the first one!"

„I see, I wish I had been there – so many „familiar" faces... Cyrill (Athanasoff), Manuel (Legris), Laurent Hilaire and so many others... and that brings me to a subject that I do not want to forget to mention: Do you know that I was at your last performance? Your farewell from the stage after „Onegin" with Hervé Moreau?"

With wide eyes she just say „Really?" and I could feel her surprise while thinking of a very cherished moment. „This was 2014... „

„I was looking for the program today. It must have been at the end of February or beginning of March 2014... „, I add.

„February it was!"

„I was lucky enough to get a ticket – not really a very good one as I was not sitting in the kind of seat which I customarily prefer, at the orchestra level... but it was an incredibly magical and emotional evening... half an hour standing ovation for you! Everybody was crying... such a „wave" of love that came from the whole audience at the Opéra Garnier to the stage, to you... „ while saying this my own emotions bring me back to that evening.

Evidently, she is thinking the same. One can see that plainly in her eyes.

„I would like to start, Isabelle, with a question that is related to one of the qualities I most admire about you. Whenever I watch your work again or remember it on stage, I am fascinated with the fact that even if you were technically so strong (Editor's note: Technique is here meant as the restricted notion that turned to be understood nowadays as „technique" in the ballet world - high legs, high jumps, double fouettés, etc.), you never abused of it...I mean no offense to Sylvie Guillem but I call this „attitude" the „Sylvie Guillemisms of life!„

„Oh, but I was never strong in this sense... Acting was the strongest part of my work!„, she says immediately

„I don't quite agree, what a strong „technique " is concerned", I add „but what fascinates me is that you never made a „circus", a „spectacle" out of your dance – what always caught and still catches my eye is what I'd simply call „style"... you see, thinking of you as „Giselle", I can only remember this perfectness of hands, holding your head, a light inclination of the neck and even – don't laugh – the way you looked up, pin-pointed to the last detail, even to the way you moved your eye-lashes... This is, for me, technique too – not the restricted notion that makes dance look more like a „sport" nowadays! Think of the emotion that you always brought to the last scene of Onegin. After throwing him out of your chambers, you turn back, hold yourself on a chair to keep your balance, and then face and walk toward the audience literally gasping for air... Beautiful! And think of Lacotte's „La Sylphide"!"

She answers this time really surprised „What? You saw that with me?"

„Yes!" I say smiling. „It was just perfection!"

„You see, Ricardo, when I did „La Sylphide" I was not yet an Étoile, I had been just promoted to a Première Danseuse. I became an Étoile with 37... But for me, as I was already not so young anymore, and waited a long time for my promotion, I had also plenty of more time to think – about the characters, style, and everything in my life, which was sometimes not an easy one but exactly this helped me „feed" the stage persona. It „served" my Art in a very positive way. The important thing was to create a character and to only a technical dancer. To be very honest with you, I must confess that I was not very confident. My favourite coach, Clotilde Vayer, always told me to think of the „personage" (Editor's note: The character), think of the story, the „whys and becauses" of everything and you will forget the technical issues of a part and forget to be afraid of anything that you, perhaps, cannot do so perfectly, technically speaking."

„I understand", I say while admiring such openness and no affectation, no „aura and graces" while talking about her career.

„I don't want to be coy about that but, honestly, „La Sylphide" was quite natural to me... Nobody had to teach me how I should use my hands, and position my neck and head. It was there, already, in me. Naturally. Pierre Lacotte, well, he chose me, he wanted me to do the role. Perhaps because of my fragility and the love that I have for being „another person" on stage, although using my body to express these other „feelings" at the same time. Working hard with my „grey cells", with my soul not to be Isabelle on stage. Of course, I could understand that I had to "show my feet", and she says this just by turning her hands out, suggesting en dehors, „using my arms, etc."

I keep looking at her and realizing that by the way she moves, I am having the honour of having a private performance given to me as a present. How enchanting!

„But, we come now to an even bigger issue, Ricardo", she continues making me more curious about what she is going to say „Music and my relation to musicality are very important to me. I had sometimes to dance without music. In complete silence. And that was really hard for me. So difficult, so difficult. But perhaps even worse was dancing to the kind of music which I don't like!" she adds laughing, showing how much sense of humour she has.

„But, Isabelle, sorry for interrupting you, when thinking of some pieces and characters, for example, „Marguerite" or even more modern pieces such as „Glas pieces" and others, what comes immediately to my mind is your „phrasing", this very beautiful way in which you use the music... never being „ahead" of it but, on the contrary, always being a thousandth of a second later, which is so much more beautiful and much, much more effective... But, excuse me, I interrupted you... „

„Music was and is very important to me. You see, when I now teach (Editor's note: Miss Ciaravola presently teaches at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris) I work a lot on musicality with my students. It is so important. I do believe that on stage we need „to be one". The music and the dancer. I, personally, cannot be alive without music. Music was always like a friend to me, perhaps even better than a friend. It went through my skin, allowing me to play with its intensity, the different nuances!"

„So music was „home" for you, right?"

„Yes!"

A sudden thought occurred to me „There is a choreographer, who shall remain nameless, who has quite a peculiar sense for musicality. A few months ago I was at a Première in which he used Mahler's „Adagietto". Talking to a friend of mine, I mentioned that it must be terribly difficult for the dancers to „play with music" while dancing his pieces, just to find out that he choreographs without music in a darkened studio. And then the dancers have to adapt his very repetitive „Frankenstein's Monster movements" into the music... what do you say to that, dear? I do not understand it. I am not criticizing him. I am just saying that I do not understand it."

„I know that. I had once or twice done this with choreographers who changed the music. I explain: We rehearsed with certain music. Later the score was changed to another... It makes it even more difficult to be able to understand the language of the choreographer. I think that the only one who did this successfully was Roland Petit for „Le Jeune Homme et la Mort". Did you know that he did not originally choreograph it for Bach's music? It was written on „jazzy music"! Can you imagine that? Just a few days before the Première he had this idea... „

„This is absolutely interesting", I say „I did not know that!"

And I think: I couldn't agree more and throw a question, just like that, into the air, „But it did not hurt you to behave like this... it did not hurt your career... and as you said before today: You had more time... I remember how you impressed me and made me come nearly to tears with your „reading" of „Giselle". The essence of the character – completely! And I must add one point, going a few "steps back" in our conversation before I forget something that I wrote down today while talking to you. You made a point of saying that when you danced „La Sylphide" you were not an Étoile. For me, dear you were always one. I think that the Opéra de Paris „overslept" a bit in what your promotions were concerned. A big mistake. I just wanted to say that! For the record!"

To be continued on June 12th, 2023

Ricardo Leitner