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Roland Petit By: Kathryn Marchand DAN 302

Personal and Professional Information Roland Petit was born in a town named Villemomble, on January 13, 1924. He was a French ballet dancer and choreographer. He choreographed ballets that were dramatic and incorporated realism.He did his early training at the Paris Opera Ballet school. He then joined the company in 1940 but only stayed there for four years. When he left he worked for the Les Ballets des Champs-Elysées company where he was a principal ballet dancer and a choreographer. He married Renée Jeanmaire, a French actress, in 1954. In 1948 he founded his own ballet company named, “Ballets de Paris de Roland Petit.” His choreographic style was very angular, tumbling/acrobatic, he appreciated using the use of props, he would occasionally sing and talk in his choreography and was very theatrical. His popular ballets were The Combat, Les Demoiselles de la Nuit, and Le Jeune Homme et al Mort. Carmen was one of his most popular. Carmen was inspired by Opera by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy. In Petit’s version of Carmen consisted of five scenes and did not have the same vibe as the original one. Fun fact was that he actually made his wife cut her hair short for the ballet.

Carmen: Choreographed by Roland Petit Roland Petit’s choreography of Carmen was composed of five scenes.

It mixes classical and Spanish ballet movement and music. There was stage fighting that happened multiple times throughout the ballet.

Don José falls in love with Carmen throughout the ballet. Carmen flirts with both Don José and Le Toréador. Out of Envy, Don José kills Carmen.

Roland Petit’s choreography style is very theatrical. His style was very angular, tumbling/acrobatic, he appreciated using the use of props, he would occasionally talk in his choreography. I saw this while watching this ballet. They used chairs in the second scene of the ballet. It was very humorous and made me laugh multiple times. The costumes were totally different than I am used to seeing, meaning it was not a typical tutu. They also used a black and white mask. They also did some talking in it which was cool to witness.

Carmen Carmen (Choreographed by Roland Petit), 37:44 Company: Les Ballets de Paris in London at Prince’s Theatre When: 21 February 1949

Critiques of Carmen Roland Petit made an impact using his choreographer skills in the ballet Carmen. His wife stated that “Petit was the planet’s coolest dance maker for many years and was responsible for bringing sex to ballet years before MacMillan” in an interview with Peter Sarstedt. the article also stated that “Carmen is rampant with sexuality”. Petit was a fearless choreographer. Petit used angles in his dances whether it was in the movement or the formation. Norman states that “The ensemble is wonderful in its symmetry” He brought theatrical aspect to his dances. He brought dramatic elements, humor, and suspense to the stage.

Andrew Miller wrote a review titled, “Roland Petit with the Paris Opera Ballet” states that, “Roland Petit would seem obsessed with the death of young men before their time, and one can sympathize with the urge to express and purge the darkness of the tragic waste of the war, even if it takes several tries.”

Personal Impact I appreciated watching ballet carmen. It brought me so much light and joy for the thirteen minutes it lasted. I loved how each movement was so effortless and being able to see the determination in the dancer's eyes. The way they performed this was impeccable and truly amazing. The chemistry in the performance was also very interesting to see. The technique from the dancers was beautiful. I appreciated the choreography. Roland Petit’s choreography is original and unique. I want my choreography to be unique and make an impact on people's lives. His choreography has inspired me to play and not take everything so seriously. I appreciated the angular aspect of his choreography. I enjoy playing with the angles of the body when I choreograph. I think it brings a different Perspective to the choreography and the dance as a whole.

Ballet Variation - Roberto O Bolle and Polina Semionova Carmen Pas de Deux

ROBERTO BOLLE and Polina Semionova ~ Carmen Pas de Deux

Work Cited Linda, et al. “Carmen.” The Ballet Bag, 16 Dec. 2015, www.theballetbag.com/2010/05/08/carmen/.

Miller, Andrew. “Roland Petit with the Paris Opera Ballet.” New York Arts, 7 Oct. 2010, newyorkarts.net/2010/10/roland-petit-paris-opera-ballet/.

Norman, Neil. “Review: Roland Petits Carmen, London Coliseum.” Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 22 July 2011, www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/260514/Review- Roland-Petit-s-Carmen-London-ColiseuM. The Biography.us. “Biography of Roland Petit (1924-2011).” The Biography.us, thebiography.us/en/petit-roland.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Roland Petit.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 9 Jan.2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Roland-Petit.