Congratulation: Pech was promoted as ETOILE tonight in Shanghai Grand Theatre
after performing Giselle and L’Arlésienne.
Pointetown.net & Shanghai Ballet reports

Benjamin Pech is now an etoile. Congrats

The links is saying he has been choosen in China (the POB is on tour here) during a night where he danced Albrecht with Aurélie Dupont.


http://www.opera-de-paris.fr/Accueil/alire.asp

That's very exciting news. Congratulations to Pech.

Wow! That's a surprise ! It is the first time in a very long time that someone was promoted to étoile during a foreign tour (if I remember correctly, the last time was
Manuel Legris in NYC in 1986). I wonder if the promotion happened on stage, or after the performance ? During the Hugues Gall period, the promotions were done backstage after performance, which was IMHO a bit frustrating for the audience (and probably also for the dancers themselves), but Gérard Mortier seems to prefer to do it on stage as before.

Here's Pech's biography on the POB web site:

http://www.opera-de-paris.fr/?Rub=ToutSavo...ub=BenjaminPech

Actually I don't know when it was last updated (and they could have taken a better photo...)

Pech, now 31 and in the company since 1992, was a premier danseur since 1999 and had been dancing principal roles for years (especially as several of the present male étoiles are about 40 and so less active than before). I'm happy that he finally got promoted !

This is wonderful news indeed! I was in Beijing last week and had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Pech's Frederi. Congratulations to him

bee2, if you'd like to write a review of the Beijing performance(s?) you saw (preferably in a separate thread), I'm sure many people here would be interested in reading it !

Yes, please ! And a description of the reactions of the Beijing audience to the POB program(s) would be especially interesting. With the increase in the number of (1) western tours to Asia, (2) Asian company tours to the US, and (3) Asian dancers joining American companies, ballet seems to becoming mroe gobal than ever.

I did attend the performance last night and tonight.

I've got the menu, Sept.22-23. The menu is in French,but I don't know French,sorry.

Geiselle
Aurelie Dupont

Albert
Benjamin Petch

Hilarion
Karl Paquette

PDD peasant
Melanie Hurel, Emmanuel Thibault

Myrtha
Stephanie Romberg


L'Arlesienne

Vivette
Isabelle Laurent

Frederi
Benjamin Pech(Sep.22)
Alessio Carbone(Sep.23)


Jose Martinez has come,but it is said he will not perform.
Albert should be performed by Herve Moreau, but his right leg was hurt. Luckily, it's not serious. He was replaced by Pech and then Pech was promoted. What a tableau!

I was born in 1982 and toady is not only my birthday,but also the centenary celebration of my mother school -- Fudan University,one of the best University in China. At the same time, POB has come to my city. What a coincidence!
We plan to watch POB's ballet class and backstage. I'm too tired,I have to go to bed now. I'll continue tomorrow.

Pointetown.net & Shanghai Ballet report

A very happy birthday to you, le_corsaire! It looks like good fortune has arranged a very special way to celebrate.

Thank you for the casting!

A very long and interesting interview

http://www.resmusica.com/article_6923_entr...jamin_pech.html