| | |  | Ballets & Classics | Home » » » Carolyn Carlson - Signes | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Marie-Agnes Gillot, Kader Belarbi, Rene Aubrey, Paris Opera Ballet | | Director:
| Olivier Debre | | Format:
| NTSC, DVD, DTS Surround Sound, Dolby, Widescreen | | Language:
| French | | Subtitle:
| English, French | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Bel Air Classiques | | Run Time:
| 113 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| May 08, 2007 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 6 reviews |
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| New | |
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| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 6 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Original and brilliant production by the eerily perfect Paris Opera BalletJul 28, 2008
By Richard Bookstaber
Signes is an artistic endeavor based on a year-long collaboration between choreographer Carolyn Carlson, composer Rene Aubrey and the great abstract artist Olivier Debre. The result is breathtaking and original in every respect, from the dancing to the music to the huge paintings that make the background. Or what normally would be called background -- in fact Debre's work is integral and on occasion takes center stage with the dancers. I was not familiar with Rene Aubrey's music before, but within the context of this contemporary ballet it is memorable.
The dancing is mesmerizingly perfect. As always, the POB corp dances impeccably. The long-limbed Marie-Agnes Gillot deservedly was awarded the status of etoile for her performance as the female lead. But most remarkable was Kader Belarbi. His role is principally comprised of many small movements, a turning of the hand or arm, a shift in posture. He manages to do even the smallest motion with gravitas and power. In this production Belarbi is near the end of his great career, and it is hard to imagine anyone with less maturity dancing in his place.
As with a number of other recent POB DVDs, the production quality of the DVD is top notch, although it is sometimes frustrating when the camera is shifted to a close up of one of the dancers, and I am left wondering what is going on elsewhere on the stage.
But one warning for the ballet purists: although there is the occasional arabesque and plie, this is contemporary dance. But the classical training shines through to create a production worth watching over and over again.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
What You See is What It IsJun 14, 2008
By I. Martinez-Ybor
"Ignacio Martínez-Ybor"
"Signes" treats the stage as a living organism, with decor, dancers, lighting, music interacting to create a total work of art. It is all taken in through your eyes and ears. What you see is what it is. And it is wonderful! California-born choreographer Carolyn Carlson (at one time with the Alwin Nikolais company, her career has centered in Europe) took her cues from paintings elaborated as scenery by artist Olivier Debré, indeed one could say that the colors and the moving panels inspired the choreography as opposed to the normal procedure in which the choreography is developed first and sets and costumes are developed upon it. Carlson has worked with composer René Aubry before, so that the original score also developed organically as the choreography moved along (Stravinsky's Agon, I believe, also was developed this way, between the composer and Balanchine). Patrice Besombes' lighting must be noted as part of this collaboration. The result is a merry fusion of color, sound and movement making space vibrate as a fully integrated whole.
No single element of "Signes" can stand on its own; it has to be taken as presented. The music is a sort of gallic minimalism with hints of Michel Legrand pop and Brian Eno's ambient experiments. It's never challenging and always charms. The dancing (modern, not ballet) is fun. Movements tend to be small scaled, but sweep there is when called for. It is thoroughly integrated with the music and the shifting decor. Costumes, of course, are also by M. Debré and are integral to the visual whole. Marie-Agnes Gillot, a tall, long-limbed supple woman, turns in a virtuoso performance combining elegance, strength, fluidity and femininity. Kader Belarbi's part seems to be all about control and he executes it flawlessly. There are significant parts for demi-soloists who, alas, are not identified. As usual in all their DVD's, the Paris Opera Ballet excels.
There is an interesting documentary on the collaboration between M. Debré and Ms. Carlson. The better your home system, the greater the fun you will derive from this DVD. It is truly a pleasure to watch. Warmly recommended.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Pure enjoymentMar 12, 2009
By Gil Kolan
This work by Carolyn Carlson is very inovative in a good sense. Although I did not grasp the relation between the dances and their titles, I was enchanted by what was going on. This creation merits a good audio system as well as the best and largest screen to fully absorb it's impact.
A visual and aural delightFeb 14, 2012
By Balletomane
Episodic? Yes. Abstract in form ? Yes.Do you have to understand the song of a bird to enjoy what you are hearing ? No and that is one if the reasons I have again enjoyed the experience that this production is. Not for a narrative but to go along for the ride- a fusion of painting colour dance and music which transitions seamlessly from one mood change to another raising questions rather than providing set answers- which to me is the challenge of good art and moves us from our comfort zone to a new level. The Rite of Spring did it and here's another work which attempts to push the boundary yet again.
And what an extension with Gillot and Belarbi so good along with the PO corps de ballet (as always)! There were moments when I was holding my breath it was so engaging.
After that I have to recommend it to anyone who has a love of dance if only for one particular episode which stood out above the rest (and you will find your own I'm sure).
It does suffer from the affliction some film directors have of not understanding the language of dance (too many closeup and three quarter body shots thus missing events in the big picture as has been mentioned) but as a whole this is a visual treat.It was also close to blu-ray quality with picture and audio (which may be due to the superb upscaling of my blu-ray player and the plasma screen I played it on) so that also was an unexpected plus.
Wiithout hesitation-highly recommended.
 I guess I am a Minority of One - but even One can be rightSep 01, 2011
By King Arthur
I am in the process of returning this DVD to its vendor. Something I rarely do. La raison? Because in my mind, this work, is the clinical opposite of what a ballet should be: A ballet, in my opinion, should be a composite work of dance, story, music, stage setting, drama and the art of mime all intertwined into a seamless whole pleasing to the eye, to the ear, and not an affront to the sensibilities of reasonable viewers (in which class I place myself). The other reviewers absolutely swooned over this work. Odd, in my opinion. I explain, What has made Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, Paquita, Sylvia, Don Quixote, Raymonda, Romeo and Juliette, Manon and Le Parc, to name but a handful of my favorites (and noting the frequent "new" productions of some of these masterpieces) the works of art that they are? They each tell their stories in ways easily understood. No need to guess. They bring the performers together. One soloist relating to another, and then the pas de deux, pas de trois, pas de quatre, even pas de six. Ballet is the art of touching while dancing. That's how human beings communicate when words are not spoken. That is how human warmth is communicated in real life, and in Ballet, its artistic Surrogate. And that is my primary objection to Signes. Aside from one, perhaps, two, furtive pas de deux, none of the performers touch each other, there is rarely any eye contact. Each individual does his or her thing, something abstract I couldn't grasp - leaving me cold. Even the captioning of the seven Tableau gave me little insight into what in the world these individuals were doing with their posturing, all in isolation. No warmth of a humankind. The changing colors were interesting to look at, for a moment or two. But there was no there there when it came to the "story line". In short, I watched the DVD twice, to see whether a second viewing might enlighten me as to what in the world was going on. No difference. Summing up my lengthy dissertation on the meaning of Nothingness: Signes was not a ballet as I understand the meaning of that most wonderful of composite art forms. I gave it only one Star, even a loser is entitled to one star.
King Arthur, Arthur Stanley Katz, 1 September 2011
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