In Paris,
in the seventies,
I discovered the music of Michel Colombier
while watching the closing titles of a French television channel
(Antenne 2)
with my friend, Odile Versois.

Odile had made it a ritual
to be home every night,
in time to see the “Blue Men” fly away.

The melody was very haunting.
I wanted to know who wrote it.
Odile said: “I’ll ask my friend Folon!”

A few years later,
Michel and I met while we were both working on the movie “White Nights”

A few months later
Michel, Folon and I
were having dinner
in New York,
talking about Antenne 2.
Jean-Michel said:
“Why don’t you dance Emmanuel? You should be the Blue Man!”
and he started drawing the story for the ballet right there, on the paper covering the table.
The circle was completed.

We haven’t made the ballet yet,
but,
to this day,
I often sit at my piano
to play the theme of “Emmanuel”
and to dream of Flying Blue Men.

Mikhail Baryshnikov,
March 2004

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