Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon rehearses dancers of The Royal Ballet in his new ballet, Aeternum, set to Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem. With dancers James Hay, Thiago Soares and Claire Calvert. Assistant to the Choreographer – Jacquelin Barrett. Piano – Tim Qualtrough.

Choreographers Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky discuss their new works created for The Royal Ballet. Interviewed by Tom Nelson.

The two choreographers present Aeternum and 24 Preludes

Benjamin Feliksdal, Photo by Dan Pickard

Diaghilev’s attitude to art exhibitions is quite interesting. He said, “There is nothing more harmful for a piece of art then to be exhibited in a big hall, next to pieces of art that have no semblance to each other, where they are not relatable to one another”. Valeria Uralskaya: editor in chief Russian Dance Magazine         

This statement is still valid for today’s mass forms of popular culture. Diaghilev’s intuition has unmistakable envisioned the forthcoming trends in the art world and especially in Ballet Competitions.

As Ballet professionals we have to ask the question what are the aims at these competitions? Is it the aim to have dance become just tricks of athleticism, more sports than art where the art of dance becomes less important than the ability to perform one flashy trick after another?

Hyun Hee Sim & Young Gyu Choi from Korea performing “Pray”, contemporary choreography by Soo Lee, in the Gala Concert of the 24th International Ballet Competition Varna 2010.

The upcoming 26^th Varna Ballet Competition, 2014  

 Since Varna began its first International Ballet competition in 1964, it has been followed by several others, taking on more or less the same concept.

Quite early, it was decided to include “modern” or “contemporary” choreography in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds of the Competition. The organization is aware of the changing demands of a dancers training requirements where more than just strong classical technique is needed. Since 1964, the ballet world, especially the art of choreography, has made tremendous development both in style and content.

When an economy is unstable, the first to be impaired is the arts in general and dance in particular. The dancers, who competed in the last two competitions in Varna and particularly the juniors, are part of a generation that will expand the face of dance and in essence are the very future of dance.

International Ballet Competitions are splendid platforms that allow the opportunity to meet, observe, discuss and exchange views that benefit the young professionals.  In today’s world of Ballet, the repertory of a ballet company no longer is reserved just for the Classics but may include a wide array of different styles of dance. The diversity of today’s balletic styles ranges from the neo-classicism of Balanchine and Forsythe to the more contemporary visions of Kylián, van Manen, Wheeldon and Ratmansky.

The work of these choreographers is based upon the understanding and implementation of solid classical training. Yet, the dancer must also be flexible in their approach to dance in allowance for the unique and modern twist found in today’s choreography.

Choreographers like Béjart, Mats Ek, Eifman and Bourne have developed their range of movements even beyond that, each having a unique vision that pushes not just the dancer but the boundaries of dance itself.

What defines a dance as “Modern” as opposed to “Contemporary”?  Is it Modern because it is danced with bare feet? Does one consider a dance as contemporary because of the choice of music used or perhaps the theme or concept of the production?

Abudureheman Adilijiang from China performing “Caress”, contemporary choreography by Olaf Kollmannsberger, in the 3rd round of the 24th International Ballet Competition Varna 2010

Free Contemporary  Dance 

Benjamin Feliksdal stated:  We saw in the Varna competitions of both 2010 and 2012, that in the second round a lot of new choreographers were seen. Jorge Donn, the famous Béjart soloist, once stated that “There are a lot of so-called choreographers, but there are a few real creators”.

During the second and third rounds, the competitors danced pieces from their contemporary repertory, even though these pieces were considered contemporary, they will not leave a lasting imprint upon the historical road of dance culture mainly because these pieces did not possess the depth of vision nor the exploration of movement that define the great contemporary choreographers of today.

Kylián, van Manen and Tetley are no longer considered contemporary choreographers.   If a competitor does not have access to choreography by an established contemporary choreographer, who then should supply the choreography? Should it be the teacher, the coach or the competitor themselves that supply the choreography, in which case if fair to call it choreography? By what standards of consistency is one going to judge these issues? Judging a performance of an excerpt of Balanchine, Forsythe, van Manen, Pastor or Tharp in comparison to the choreography supplied  by the competitor, is like comparing a van Gogh, a Rembrandt to the work of an ardent student in modern arts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Oldest Ballet Competition  

If the oldest ballet competition “IBC Varna” wants to keep up with the International ballet scene, IBC Varna should connect and have a dialogue or a debate with the rest of the ballet community and the existing ballet competitions. It’s up to the organizers and policy makers in which direction the competition has to go. The oldest Ballet Competition in the world has the responsibility to keep connected with the fast changing ballet world. To be the first means also to lead in leadership and show the ballet community and the existing ballet competitions new directions, stated Benjamin Feliksdal, CID member and ballet critic.                                                                                                              

It’s an obligation of the oldest ballet competition in the world to continue the old traditions with the idea to create new ones.                                                                                                                                                

IBC Varna should provide the competitors access to modern and contemporary choreography by international known names. These same choreographers should also be asked to participate as jury members (category Contemporary) and donate fragments from 1 or 2 of their masterpieces to be shown on the stage of IBC Varna. This would be a new challenge for the participants and the IBC Varna. One of the most important factors has been left out in most competitions. Going over the long list of jury members as published in the Varna Competition Booklet, the names of Kylián , Neumeier,  Mats Ek,  van Manen,  Lubovitch,  Kudelka,  Morris,  Eifman,  Bourne, Ed Wubbe, Pastor, Tharp, Cherkaoui, Duato, de Keersmaeker and many other prominent choreographers are sadly not there. If one is to attract the interest and attention of the present day choreography, should one not include the names of established choreographers as members of the jury?

Benjamin Feliksdal 

Int. Independent Jury Member

Author of Methodic Dance Books

CID Member

Ballet Coach

www.benjaminfeliksdal.com

Christopher Wheeldon in rehearsal of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, with dancers Beatriz Stix-Brunell, James Hay, Liam Scarlett and Alexander Campbell.

Down The Rabbit Hole….

Scene plot: There is a party in Alice’s house. Everyone is there: her severe mother, her sisters, and many guests. Alice dance all the time and, tired, falls asleep. She notices a talking, clothed White Rabbit with a pocket watch run past. She follows it down a rabbit hole when suddenly she falls a long way to a curious hall with many locked doors of all sizes. She finds a small key to a door too small for her to fit through, but through it she sees an attractive garden. She then discovers a bottle on a table labeled “DRINK ME”, the contents of which cause her to shrink too small to reach the key which she has left on the table. A cake with “EAT ME” on it causes her to grow to such a tremendous size her head hits the ceiling. Alice is unhappy and cries as her tears flood the hallway.

The Caucas Race

“What IS a Caucus-race? said Alice; not that she wanted much to know, but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that SOMEBODY ought to speak, and no one else seemed inclined to say anything. Why, said the Dodo, the best way to explain it is to do it.(And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)”

~ Chapter 3 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

After swimming around in Alice‘s pool of tears, the animals need to dry off, and The Dodo recommends a caucus race. There are no rules; all of the participants run haphazardly around in no particular direction, and everyone wins.

Forward, backward, inward, outward, come and join the chase.
Nothing can be dryer than a jolly caucus race.
Backward, forward, outward, inward, bottom to the top,
Never a beginning there can never be a stop
To skipping, hopping, tripping, fancy free and gay,
I started it tomorrow and will finish yesterday.
Round and round and round we go, and dance for evermore,
Once we were behind but now we find we are be-forward

The Queen of Hearts

Trail of the Knave of Hearts

The Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland cast and creative team give an insight into creating the much-loved character of the Queen of Hearts.

Alice in Wonderland

The Royal Ballet

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

Score: Joby Talbot

 Scenario: Nicolas Wright

Set Design: Bob Crowley

Lighting Design: Natasha Katz

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

New York City Center Presents

 The New York Premiere of  

MATTHEW BOURNE’S SLEEPING BEAUTY

A NEW ADVENTURES PRODUCTION

*Limited Engagement*

OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 3, 2013 

Directed and Choreographed by Matthew Bourne

Tickets will go on sale on March 25.

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty sees Bourne return to the music of Tchaikovsky to complete the trio of the composer’s ballet masterworks that started in 1992 with Nutcracker! and continued in 1995 with the international hit Swan Lake.

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty is a gothic romance for all ages: the traditional tale of good vs. evil and rebirth is turned upside down, creating a supernatural love story that even the passage of time cannot hinder.

The Sleeping Beauty creative team includes three of Bourne’s regular collaborators and New Adventures Associate Artists: The Tony and Olivier Award-winning designers Lez Brotherston (Set and Costumes), Paule Constable (Lighting) and Paul Groothuis (Sound Design) who created the acclaimed surround-sound for Bourne’s recent hit production of Cinderella.

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

Matthew Bourne is widely hailed as the UK’s most popular and successful choreographer/ director. He is the creator of the world’s longest running ballet production (Swan Lake), a five-time Olivier Award winner, and the only British director to have won Tony Awards for both Best Choreographer and Best Director of a Musical. Bourne has been the Artistic Director of New Adventures (formally Adventures in Motion Pictures) since 1987. During those 25 years he has created new audiences for dance with groundbreaking work both at home and internationally, including Nutcracker!, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Car Man, Play Without Words, Edward Scissorhands, Dorian Gray and Sleeping Beauty. Bourne is a Resident Artist at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, where New Adventures was invited to be Resident Company in 2006

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

NEW ADVENTURES

New Adventures is the UK’s most in-demand contemporary dance/theatre touring company. Under the inspired leadership of Artistic Director Matthew Bourne, it has, over the last 25 years, changed the landscape of British dance with an award-winning repertory of works that have brought unprecedented new audiences to theatres throughout the UK and internationally. Bourne and his team of world-class collaborators have consistently produced some of the most successful dance productions ever staged. Since its formation in 2002, New Adventures has created an enviable repertory of acclaimed new works (Play Without Words, Edward Scissorhands, Dorian Gray, Lord of the Flies and Sleeping Beauty), as well as new productions of popular favourites from Bourne’s former company, Adventures In Motion Pictures (1987-2002) – Nutcracker!, Swan Lake, Highland Fling, The Car Man, Cinderella and the mixed program Early Adventures. The company regularly employs over 60 dancers annually, and they are widely recognized as the finest group of actor/dancers working in the UK today.

The poster for “Midnight Express” with the former Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin and his new mentor Igor Zelensky. Polunin now dances with the Stanisklavsky Ballet in Moscow, which Zelensky runs. Pounian has been replaced by Johan Christensen in the London show. Source: Borkowski PR via Bloombe

Farah Nayeri

Sergei Polunin has disappeared once again.

The Ukrainian dancer, who suddenly quit the London’s top- flight Royal Ballet last year, has decamped without giving any notice from “Midnight Express,” a dance setting produced by the Peter Schaufuss Ballet in London.

Adapted from the film about a young American trapped in a Turkish prison for hashish smuggling, the ballet will open next week with a new Billy Hayes.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Sergei Polunin will no longer be performing in ’Midnight Express’ at the London Coliseum,” said an e-mailed release from the company.

The 23-year-old ballet star, who was last sighted late on April 2, failed to show up for rehearsals the next day, and has been unreachable since.

Polunin seemed no flight risk when he spoke to Bloomberg News during rehearsals on March 27 in a ballroom-turned-ballet- studio in southwest London. He wore a track suit, moon boots and revealed an elaborate tattoo on the back of one hand, one of 15 covering his body.

Sucking an imaginary joint with an exaggerated air in rehearsal, Polunin gave no special reason for his disappearance last year, beyond an urge to party and acquire lots of tattoos. On Twitter and in interviews he mentioned heroin and boasted of performing on cocaine.

New Mentor

He said he’d be willing to return to the Royal Ballet and said he had a new mentor: Igor Zelensky, the director of the Stanislavsky Ballet.

Zelensky, who hovered over him during the London rehearsal, was meant to dance the role of a jailer in “Midnight.”

He isn’t reachable either, according to the company.

Perhaps they are both dancing up a storm on Russian television? Having triumphed in a TV competition, Polunin said he was getting his very own “Evening with Sergei Polunin” in the theater.

Each year over 5,000 students audition worldwide in the Youth America Grand Prix Semi-Finals. The Semi-Finals are held in 12 major U.S. metropolitan areas as well as in Japan, Mexico, France, and Brazil. Of the 5,000 students that audition only 350 of the most promising, representing 30 countries on 5 continents, are chosen for the New York City Finals. The Final Round of the Competition has become one of the most anticipated events of the year.

The Final Round of The Competition is an opportunity for the general public to see the best of the competition as the top soloists in the Junior (12-14 years old) and Senior (15-19 years old) Age Divisions perform one last time before the winners are announced and the scholarship recipients disperse to continue their studies at top dance academies worldwide.

This year’s array of talent was extraordinary. Twelve Year old Isabella Franco began the evening with her Variation from Coppélia and what a start it was. Tiny as she was that did not stop her from tackling her variation with the utmost daring. Her pique turns were spot on, excellent in deed.

Winning the Youth Grand Prix Junior Women’s Division was 13-year-old Gisele Bethea from the Master Ballet Academy in Arizona. Ms. Bethea possesses am intrinsic lyricism to her dancing that made her shine during her Variation from Esmeralda.

Gabriel Figueredo, 12, from Brazil won the Junior Men’s Youth Grand Prix. He was a little powerhouse performing a stunning Variation from La Fille Mal Grande.

Daniel Alejandro McCormick-Quintero, 13, from the USA won the Junior Men’s Gold and we saw why with his Variation from Nutcracker. Mr. McCormick-Quintero had great height in his jumps and incredible control of his turns.

David Preciado, 14, from the USA and studies at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy came in Fourth in the Junior Men’s Division. I think we will hear a lot from this young dancer, he blends his dancing with a natural musicality that makes you want to see him perform.

Lex Ishimoto, 14, from Southland Ballet Academy, USA, performed a Variation from Flames of Paris that I thought near to perfection. All I could say after the performance was WOW! His ability to turn is amazing and it’s matched by his elevation and control of his jumps. A very exciting performance…

Sophie Sea Silnicki, 15, from the Pittsburg Ballet Theater must be mentioned for her Variation from Raymonda. Ms. Silnicki dazzled us; in a red tutu she performed faultless repeated Entrechat Quatre landing en pointe. My toes hurt just watching it…

Scout Forsythe, 16, from the San Diego Ballet School came in Seventh in the Senior Women’s Division. Her Variation from Raymonda was so inspired that not a sound was too be heard from the audience, collectively we became completely still. Ms. Forsythe danced with a somber dignity that quietly commanded our respect. She possessed the perfect amount of drama recurred for the role with beautiful arms and expression. Her performance was peppered with a triple pirouette here and there. It was a wonderful, wonderful performance and masterfully done.

I did not want Jennifer Grace, 16, from the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy, USA, to stop dancing. Ms. Grace came in Fifth in the Senior Women’s Division and I am sure we will hear much about this dancer in the not too distant future.

I was surprised that Amanda Moraes Gomes, 17, from the Bolshoi School in Brazil only came in Tenth in the Senior Women’s Division. She performed her Don Quixote Variation like a seasoned professional. Truly, I thought one of the best, it not the best performance in the Senior Women’s Division of the night.

Though Joo Won Ahn, 19, from the Korea National University, Republic of Korea won Gold in the Men’s Senior Division but it is the Bronze medal performance of Adhonay Soares da Silva, 15, for Bale Jovem Gustav Ritter in Brazil that I remember. At 15, Mr. da Silva is someone to keep an eye on; he performs great pirouettes with a tour en l’air that is effortless. All he needs is more seasoning to become a truly spectacularly gifted artist.

Cesar Corrales, 16, from Cuba has a bright future indeed. Coming in Seventh in the Men’s Senior Division his Bournonville La Fille Mal Gardee Variation I thought one of the best of the night’s performances. Mr. Corrales has amazing musicality and expression with great height on his jumps. I expect that he will be invited to join one of the major ballet companies soon.

Why Tomoha Terada, 18, from The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia ranked only at Fifth position of the Men’s Senior Division is beyond me. Mr. Terada gave the most exciting performances of the night, for any division. His Acteon Variation from Diana and Acteon was one of the best I have ever seen, period! He soared though the air, arching his body sideways in his leaps; his turns were powerful statements of passion. After I saw his performance I thought “Let’s just go ahead and award him the Grand Prix and go home.” So the fact he placed at only fifth greatly disappointed me. I am not questioning the judges at all, I have too much respect for each and every one…I was just somewhat shocked he did not receive at least a medal. But it must be stated that I witnessed only one performances of the many Mr. Terada performed during the competition, so perhaps the decision was based not just on this performance, but a total of all the performances preformed.

Launched in 1999 by two former dancers of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet, Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev, YAGP was created with a mission to provide extraordinary educational and professional opportunities to young dancers, acting as a stepping stone to a professional dance career. Each year YAGP awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide. Over 300 YAGP alumni are now dancing with 50 companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, among others.

by Andrea Ratuski

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet announced its 2013-2014 season and launching the season will be a new adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It’s a project that’s been in the works for eight years, with New York’s Lila York choreographing the dance to the music of James MacMillan.

“To create a work is what we live for ultimately,” says artistic director André Lewis.

A few years ago, Lewis realized it would be interesting to make a connection between the book — about a society that is controlled by the few, where people have no liberties — with the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“It’s an important aspect and we’re also bringing a message that is important to say,” says Lewis. “It’s a very powerful book and we felt it was appropriate.”

Margaret Atwood attended the announcement via Skype on a large screen. When asked if she ever imagined her work as a ballet, she laughed and said that she never thought it would be a film or an opera, either. She still can’t visualize it.

But she didn’t want to interfere with the choreographer’s creative process, saying, “it will be judged as a ballet, not as a novel. Each of these art forms has its own way of communicating.”
Lewis also announced a number of other Winnipeg premieres, including a work he has been anxious to do for some time, Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude. “It’s 11 minutes of pure testosterone,” says Lewis.

“It’s very high impact, very demanding, it allows the dancers to really delve into their technique in a way they’ve never had to do before. It’s still classical ballet but it pushes the envelope.”
That work will be presented at the season end along with the Winnipeg premiere of James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons and a new work by popular choreographer Jorden Morris called Défilé which will include the whole RWB company plus artists from the School.

Peter Quanz’s celebrated Q Dance will be featured in November with a series of innovative works while lovers of traditional ballet will be treated to Nutcracker in December and Romeo and Juliet in February.
In March the company welcomes Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal performing Peter Quanz’s Rodin/Claudel based on the heated romance between the artist Auguste Rodin and his muse, Camille Claudel.

Viengsay Valdes & Osiel Gouneo from the National Ballet of Cuba in Peter Quanz Double Bounce. Liza Voll Photography

The Youth American Grand Prix “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Gala that was held April 18 at the David H. Koch Theater, it was more than just good, it was excellent. The evening was divided into two exceptional sections, the Stars of Tomorrow and then the Stars of Today.

Stars of Tomorrow opened with a very young and very talented Violinist Elli Choi who begin the evening with Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy. Ms. Choi gave reason to why she is part of the Juilliard School’s Musical Protégé Series. I could not believe so much talent was packed in such a small body…..

Daichi Ikarashi, age 10 was awarded the Pre-Competitive Hope Award and performed the Variation for Don Quixote. I have seen seasoned professional dancers not do as well. He attacked his variation with a confidence that had to be admired.

Silver Medalist in the Junior Women’s Division, Maria Clara Coehlo, age 14, performed Magalenha. Choreographed by Ana Palmieri, it was a sassy Samba inspired work done en pointe. Ms. Coehlo had the audience in the palm of her hand. The performance was dazzling, a brilliant mix of Classical Ballet and Brazilian Carnival!

Jinchang Gu, age 15 preformed Disha Zhang’s My First Modern Piece and was just extraordinary. But it was not just the performance of Mr. Gu but also the choreography of Disha Zhang that must be mention. Mr. Gu came on in silence, wearing only white briefs; he begins to casually swing his body as if loosening up before a class, then quick angular movements to the floor. But it is the transitions and movement choices that create the work’s originality; they go from sharp and angular and close to the body to smooth elongated lines. Some of the shapes and positioning of limbs seemed almost insect-like. It was an outstanding performance of an equally outstanding work.

The second half of the program “Stars of Today” was a gathering of some of the most talented dancers from some the top ballet companies in the world such as New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The Bolshoi and the National Ballet of Cuba.

The U.S. Premiere of Double Bounce, choreographed by Peter Quanz was a great success. This is a whimsical contemporary work fully utilizing the classical vocabulary. Set to the fast paced score of David Lang, the work lives up to its name. Wearing a thin and very flexible white tutu with large black dots, Viengsay Valdes was seldom still. Osiel Gouneo also all in white with a single red dot over his heart follows Ms. Valdes about the stage devotedly. He is always there for her, a steady support in a topsy-turvy world. I am reminded of the complicated partnering often employed in the works of Forsythe or Kylián, a constant state of motion and exploration of space. Mr. Quanz is a choreographer of great talent and I am always excited when I have an opportunity to see any of his work.

I was just as excited to see Wayne McGregor’s Borderlands Pas de Deux performed by the San Francisco Ballet’s Maria Kochetkova and Lonnie Weeks. This Pas de Deux is filled with sculptural imagery and makes a statement that is deeply emotional. Mr. Weeks would sweep Ms. Kochetkova into his arms and then swing her almost haphazardly to the floor. As with just about every work by Wayne McGregor, Borderlands has its own unique signature of genius.

The definitive highlight of the evening was Paris Opera Ballet’s Dorothée Gilbert and ABT’s Marcelo Gomes in the Balcony Pas de Deux from Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet. It is easy to forget just how good a dancer Marcel Gomes is until you see him with other dancers just as renown as himself, for it is then that you are able to fully witness just how superb of a dancer he truly is.

Paris Opera Ballet’s Dorothée Gilbert & ABT’s Marcelo Gomes in Kenneth MacMillian’s Balcony Pas de Deux from Romeo & Juliet. Liza Voll Photography

Ms. Gilbert and Mr. Gomes created a synergy that was felt by every member of the audience. His undying devotion to Juliet was without question. Ms. Gilbert moved about the stage as light as breath, her movements enchanting with every step and bourrée.

The Youth America Grand Prix was launched in 1999 by two former dancers of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet, Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev, YAGP was created with a mission to provide extraordinary educational and professional opportunities to young dancers, acting as a stepping stone to a professional dance career. Each year YAGP awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide. Over 300 YAGP alumni are now dancing with 50 companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, among others.

The Third Annual Dance Against Cancer Gala at the AXA Equitable Theater raised more than $96,000 for the fight against Cancer. More than 400 patrons attended the evening’s performance, produced by New York City Ballet’s Daniel Ulbricht and Manhattan Youth Ballet’s Erin Fogarty, which featured stars from New York City Ballet (NYCB), American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, and Norwegian National Ballet. It was a dazzling event with dazzling stars giving dazzling performances….

The evening began with Ballet Hispanico’s moving performance of Nacho Duarte’s Jardí Tancat (Catalan for “Closed Garden”).  Jardí Tancat is based on Catalonian folk tales collected and sung by Maria del Mar Bonet. It is a story so akin to the struggle so many face with cancer for it is the story of a people who work the barren land, praying to God for the rain that does not come.

Ballet Hispanico’s performing Nacho Duarte’s “Jardi Tancat”. Dance Against Cancer. Photo by Christopher Duggan

Alvin Ailey’s Alicia Graf Mack’s performance of Rene Aubrey’s Light as Air was unforgettable. The choreography flowed through Ms. Mack in a seamless integration of emotion and dance. Her long legs and incredibly arched feet soared through the movements with both bravura and grace.

Lauren Lovette and Daniel Ulbricht performed Rubies from George Balanchine’s Jewels. It was a stellar performance with Ms. Lovette’s point work sharp and exact. Mr. Ulbricht never fails to impress me with the strength and artistry of his performances.

Misty Copeland’s performance of Marcelo Gomes’ Paganini was little short of genius. Marcelo Gomes’ Paganini is a mix of classical vocabulary blended with a bit of whimsy. She performs a series of piqué turns that lead into slightly tilted steps with a flexed foot; this takes her off-stage but not quite all the way for still a part of Ms. Copeland’s leg is protruding from the wings. She recovers this slight faux pas with a semi dramatic reentrance on to the stage. Ms. Copeland swings between technically precise classical steps to a je ne sais quoi casualness to her dancing. It was a great performance of a great work….

Misty Copeland’s performing Marcelo Gomes’ “Paganini”. Dance Against Cancer. Photo by Christopher Duggan

Martha Graham’s Moon from Canticle for Innocent Comedians is as relevant today as it was when it was created in 1952. The duet was performed by Graham Company members Mariya Dashkina Maddux and Lloyd Knight, who were excellent. The piece has an emotionality that is hard to state in mere words.

Clifton Brown and Attila Joey Csiki performed Lars Lubovitch’s Concerto 622. First performed at Carnegie Hall in 1982 the work has a quiet dignity, a serenity that pulls you into the work. Mr. Brown and Mr. Csiki exhibited camaraderie, a brother relying on brother as they lean and support each other.

Jess LeProtta in “Just Kiss Me”. Dance Against Cancer. Photo by Christopher Duggan

Just Kiss Me, choreographed by Al Blackstone and Jess LeProtta was one of the many standouts of the evening. Mr. LaProtta grabbed us with his humor and antics. He exhibited virtuosity with his surprising turns and complex leaps. Great Job indeed.

A sneak peek performance of Christopher Wheeldon’s new Cinderella performed by Maria Kochetkova and Joan Boada of San Francisco Ballet gave us a tantalizing glimpse of this new work. Ms. Koshetkova and Mr. Boada seemed emotionally bonded during their pas de deux. The choreography exhibited the originality of both movement and shapes as only Mr. Wheeldon can do.

Christopher Wheeldon’s “This Bitter Earth” performed by New York City Ballet’s Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle. Dance Against Cancer. Photo by Christopher Duggan

A fitting close for the evening was Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth performed by New York City Ballet’s Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle. It was a moving and touching performance that held us spell-bound. Ms. Whelan and Mr. Tyler merged to become a singular expression of yearning and a perfect ending to an incredible evening.

Rose Caiola, Stuart Coleman, Julia Gruen, Heather Watts, Christopher Wheeldon and producers Erin Fogarty and Daniel Ulbricht presented the third annual Dance Against Cancer at the AXA Equitable Theater on Monday, May 6, 2013. The event marked the 100th birthday of the American Cancer Society.

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Jin Young Won & Guillaume Queau in Adonis Foniadakis’ “Horizons” Photo by Paula Lobo

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet opened its 2013 season at the Joyce Theater with the New York premiere of Jiri Kylián’s Indigo Rose and what an opener it was.

The music for Indigo Rose is a surprising mix that ranged from Robert Ashley and François Couperin to J.S. Bach and John Cage. The dancers of Cedar Lake brought their unique artistry, and together with the score, they created an expression of youthful exuberance.

Jon Bond is seen in a pirouette that seems unending and soon is joined by Matthew Rich. The teaming of these two is a powerhouse of adroit energies that explode into action. At one point a white curtain of billowy silk at a slight diagonal is unfurled.

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in Jiri Kylián’s Indigo Rose. Photo by Paula Lobo

Two women dance while casting their shadows on the curtain behind them. But what we see are the silhouettes of two men reflected back. The men shadow the women with every motion and each gesture, both moving in complete sync. It was the perfect blending of the female and male energies, the Yin and the Yang made visible.

Ebony Williams, a goddess of dance, exhibits a brief moment of complete stillness, the purity of her classical training evident. The images of the dancers’ faces are briefly projected upon the back wall, a hand covering the mouth, or the eyes… sometimes the facial expressions range from haunting and disturbing to light-hearted and humorous. The piece ends with the dancers standing still, the images behind them looking down as if in a captured moment of self-observation.

I was so excited when I discovered that Billy Bell had joined Cedar Lake, for I cannot think of a more perfect place for his singularly unique talents. I believe Billy Bell will be one day be regarded as one of the greatest dancers of his generation, much as Nureyev or Jorge Donn were dancers that defined their generations. When he took the stage for his all too brief solo, I was transfixed, for dance pours from his soul like water flows in a stream, clear, fresh and pure…

Crystal Pite’s Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue is series of duets that are woven together and interplay with one another. The work encompass a range of emotions that run the gamut of affection to anger, to offering comfort as well as refusing it.

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Jason Kittelberger & Joseph Kudra in Crystal Pite’s Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue. Photo by Paula Lobo

It all occurs in a place of austerity that lies somewhere between light and dark. A place that was masterly crafted with the use of 15 moveable standing spotlights by lighting designer Jim French.

The score for the work are selections from Cliff Martinez original soundtrack for the 2002 film Solaris.  It is a work for five dancers; Jason Kittelberger, Navarra Novy-Williams, Acacia Schachte and Mathew Rich who were joined by newcomer to the company Joseph Kudra.

The first duet between Mr. Kittelberger and Mr. Rich seemed almost conflictual in nature, as if struggling for dominance. The new company member Joseph Kudra exhibited a beautiful movement quality, fluid and strong.

Ms. Schachte joins Mr. Rich in a moment of anguish and seeks unsuccessfully to comfort him. Their upper bodies hunched over, hands in the air as the foot travels up the leg to the knee on one leg and then the other. It’s a powerful performance of a powerful work.

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in Adonis Foniadakis’ “Horizons”. Photo by Paula Lobo

Adonis Foniadakis’ Horizons, utilizing a score by Julien Tarraide and with the lighting of Clifton Taylor, explores the urban world. Mr. Tarraide’s score is comprised of voices giving advice and direction. Dancers come and go, freezing in tableaus but only momentarily.

Jin Young Won and Guillaume Queau engage in a duet of surprising beauty. Dressed in loose fitting costumes of cream colored silk, they move with tenderness and passion upon a red carpet. As they dance rain begins to fall, soaking them. The wet costumes cling to their bodies, becoming almost transparent, allowing nothing to be hidden and the rain washing away all doubt and any fear.

Benoit-Swan Pouffer has to be commended on the excellence of his leadership and the beauty of his artistic vision. Thank you for sharing that with us……..Now, if only he would revise his Cold Song…….

Now, I am greatly looking forward to the Cedar Lake 360 summer installation on July 24-26….Information on the Company’s website….

http://cedarlakedance.com/

Taylor Stanley, Photo by Lora Robertson

I was recently invited to a rehearsal for Troy Schumacher and the BalletCollective’s newest work, The Impulse Wants Company, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. The Impulse Wants Company is a collaborative work between Mr. Schumacher, composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, poet Cynthia Zarin, and new music ensemble ACME. It was such a joy to be in a rehearsal setting again and to witness such fine dancers at work.

This new work will be premiered at the Joyce Theater for the Ballet 6.0 festival on August 14 and 15. The Joyce has designed this ballet festival to recognize the many dancers and choreographers who are creating work outside the traditional large company milieu and are forming their own small companies. Featured are companies from across the US, whose work represents a range of ballet styles, from neo classical to contemporary.

The Impulse Wants Company began as a narrative poem written over several months by poet Cynthia Zarin, Mr. Schumacher and the composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone. The words of the poem are meant to be seen as dance notation or musical notes that indicate possibilities as opposed to actual movement or sound. Once they arrived at a draft or a working version of the poem, the music was written and then, Mr. Schumacher began to choreograph the ballet.

Ashley Laracey, Photo by Lora Robertson

Mr. Schumacher’s Neo-classical approach to the work is evident in his use of the body in space, in how he combines his steps and his applying those phrases to the music. The piece has a sense of playfulness as friends ran together, slapping hands as if glad to see one another.

The choreography had elements of waves as one dancer would execute a phrase of movement, another copies it and so forth, and then the whole would be reversed. It created a beautiful visual, like waves lapping a sandy beach. There were stops and starts as Mr. Schumacher consulted with the musicians as to timing and tempo for a particular set of steps. Taylor Stanley performed his solo in bits and pieces as his dancing and music was carefully synched. During this process lighting designer Brandon Baker would artfully try differing approaches to his schematic as to what could/would be the final result.

There are moments of simplicity, such as walking backward into the wings as the music swept in stirring moments of beauty. The imagery in the poem is one of motion, wind and grass bending, a dolphin slicing through the water, swimming in sunshine.

Ashley Laracey & Taylor Stanley, Photo Erin Baiano

Mr. Schumacher reflects this imagery by abstractly incorporating the concept of that motion. A wave rising, a breeze felt, a shadow looming, they are all created by the joining of music and choreography.

Taylor Stanley’s solo held a mystery and developed with fast-paced virtuosity into wonderful leaps and awesome turns. His focus and change of direction was suggestive of the wind during a storm. His moves are effortless and he was beautiful to watch.

Kaitlyn Gilliland and David Prottas have wonderful duet. Ms. Gilliand assumes a majestic arabesque as Mr. Prottas joins her in dance.

The fact that Mr. Schumacher informed us that this work is the product of only ten days in the studio was phenomenal. There is already such acuity of statement visible, that I cannot wait for the unveiling in August.

Lauren King, Ashley Laracey, Harrison Coll and Meagan Mann must be mentioned for their sublime dancing during rehearsal. 

The Impulse Wants Company

Ballet 6.0/BalletCollective

August 14^th, Wed @ 7:30pm

August 15^th, Thurs @ 8pm

175 8th Ave @ 19^th St.

New York, NY 10011
(212) 691-9740

Click Here to Purchase Ticket

(Call JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 for $10 tickets. All other tickets can be purchased online.)

The CW Network’s critically-acclaimed docu-series “Breaking Pointe,” which follows the world of ballet through exhausting rehearsals, gorgeous stage performances and behind-the-scenes drama, at Ballet West will return on Monday, July 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) with new dancers and a new production.

Returning Breaking Pointe Dancer

Christopher Ruud, 31 -
Principal and Ballet West II Artistic Director

Christiana Bennett, 32 – Principal

Ronnie Underwood, 30 – First Soloist

Allison DeBona, 29 – Demi-Soloist

Rex Tilton, 25 – Demi-Soloist

Beckanne Sisk, 20 – Demi Soloist

New Breaking Pointe Dancers

Joshua Whitehead, 25 – Corps Artist

Silver Barkes, 32 – Guest Dancer

Zachary Prentice, 19 – Ballet West II Dancer

Ian Tanzer, 19 – Ballet West II Dancer

Ballet West

Yubal Eduardo Morales Rubio (Mexico) in Viktor Kabaniaev’s Notturno. Photo by Yelena Yeva

I was reminded of just how good of a dancer Daniel Ulbricht is during the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition’s Gala Performance, held June 30^th at the LaGuardia Concert Hall in NYC.

Mr. Ulbricht and Ana Sophia Scheller performed a rousing rendition of George Balanchine’s Tarantella, which is set to Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s Grand Tarentelle for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 67 (ca. 1866).

The Tarantella is an Italian folk dance that’s based upon the myth that when bitten by a Tarantula you had to dance the poison out of your body. Mr. Ulbricht and Ms. Scheller are dressed as gypsies and appear to actually be dancing for their lives. It was festive, vivacious and invigorating. These two dancers, both with the New York City Ballet, were the highlight of the evening.

Michelle Wiles (Ballet Next) and Georgina Pazcoguin (NYCB) performed Mauro Bigonzetti’s La Follia. I had seen Ms. Wiles perform this work once before, I remember liking it but not loving it. This performance chanced my perception greatly. The piece itself, as well as the performance was masterful. Brava to both Ms. Wiles and Ms. Pazcoguin.

Ballet Next’s Michelle Wiles in Mauro Bigonzetti’s La Follia. Photo by Gene Schiavone

Ximena Emiliani from Panama, who placed third in the Student Division (ages 13-14) began the evening with a beautifully danced variation for Grand Pas Classique. Ms. Emiliani blended her lyricism and technique for a wonderful performance. For so young an artist she is someone to watch, truly a gifted ballerina.

Yui Sugawara (Ellison Ballet), Jaimi Cullen (Tulsa ballet, Corps), Indiana Woodward (NYCB Corps), and Amber Miller, formerly a member of Eifman Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia performed Jason Ambrose’s Women of Tudor.

Jason Ambrose’s “Women of Tudor” – Amber Miller in the center, Indiana Woodward upstage of her, Yui Sugawara on the right, Jaimi Cullen on the left. Photo by Yelena Yeva

Mr. Ambrose took the Tudor women such Elizabeth I and Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary) as his inspiration for the quartet. Ms. Miller was the consummate diva, expecting/demanding the other women acquiesce to her in all things. A surprise ending ensued when the other three soon tired of Ms. Miller’s overbearing manner. It’s an intriguing work that Mr. Ambrose hopes to develop into a full-length ballet. Mr. Ambrose is a young choreographer of great vision and talent.

Yubal Eduardo Morales Rubio from Mexico performed Notturno, a contemporary work for which he received the Male Compulsory Award- Excellence in Interpretation. Choreographed by Viktor Kabaniaev to Franz Schubert, Notturno was the VKIBC 2013 compulsory male contemporary solo. Each male competitor was required to learn the work via a video which also included detailed notes concerning movement and phrasing.

It was obvious from the smooth transitions and his wonderful ballon that Mr. Rubio is a natural dancer. Mr. Rubio also received the Bronze Medal in the Senior Division (ages 18-25) as well as an offer of a contract with Houston Ballet II for the 2013-2014 Season.

Kota Fujishima, Silver Medalist in the Senior Male Division (ages 18-25) hit the stage like a bolt of lightning. Performing a variation from Flames of Paris, Mr. Fujishima’s execution of his tour jetes, switch leaps and revoltades was perfection. He would do six to eight pirouettes and end while still on demi-point. He was greeted with a standing ovation after the performance.

Kota Fujishima, VKIBC 2013 Silver Medalist in the Senior Male Division in Flames of Paris. Photo by Yelena Yeva

Formerly the Boston International Ballet Competition, the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC) was founded by Valentina Kozlova, former principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and New York City Ballet.

Approximately 90 dancers, ages 13-25, from 21 countries around the world came to New York City to participate in the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition, performing before the distinguished panel of judges led by Andris Liepa, President, and Mikko Nissinen, Honorary President. They danced for company contracts, scholarships, and monetary awards, performing solos and duets from the repertory list provided by VKIBC.

MARK THE DATES

***April 28 and 29, 2014 at Symphony Space in New York City***

VKIBC will bring a new event: the International Contemporary Choreographers and Dancers Competition scheduled for April 28 and 29, 2014 at Symphony Space in New York City. The competition will feature solos, duets, and ensemble works of contemporary dancers and choreographers.

For information, visit www.vkibc.org.

 VKIBC will happen the following year, in 2015.

Dates to be announced later

Cedar Lake 360° Installation 2012: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo by ©Julieta Cervantes

 360º PERFORMANCES 2013

July 24 – 26

Two Shows a Night

7:30 & 9

Advanced students perform alongside members of the company in an installation at Cedar Lake’s Chelsea home, featuring excerpts from Orbo Novo by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Horizons by Andonis Foniadakis plus original choreography by Cedar Lake company members Jason Kittelberger & Acacia Schachte, Jon Bond, Rachelle Scott, and Ebony Williams.

Cedar Lake 360° is a unique summer intensive experience, offering a group of 33 talented young dancers a three-week glimpse into the artistic life of the company. The summer intensive participants will be divided into two groups for the installation performances. One group will perform at 7:30pm and the second group will perform at 9:00pm.

Tickets & Info

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

547 W. 26th Street (btw 10th & 11th Aves.)
New York, NY 10001

Création au Forest National de Bruxelles – 1971 – Francette Levieux

After the death of Paolo Bortoluzzi, Jorge Donn and Nureyev – all three died of the same illness – Maurice Béjart didn’t want “Songs of the Wayfarer” to be danced any more. He only permitted it on the occasion of the gala organised at the Palais Garnier to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Nureyev’s death on January 20th 2003. Laurent Hilaire and Manuel Legris – both promoted “principal dancers” by Nureyev – were splendid performers, moving and inspired.

After having danced the major works of a classical repertoire in London, along with creations by Ashton and MacMillan, in 1967 Rudolf Nureyev moved on to the French contemporary repertoire, firstly with Roland Petit and then with Maurice Béjart.

He wanted to start working with foreign contemporary companies to ensure he was better able to absorb a choreographer’s style. So after creating « Big Bertha » in New York with Paul Taylor’s dancers in 1970, Nureyev went to Brussels to dance Béjart’s « Le Sacre du Printemps » alternately with Jorge Donn and then in March 1971, he created – on the same programme – « Songs of a Wayfarer » in the vast National Forest Hall. This ballet was inspired by a series of melodies for baritone and orchestra by Gustav Mahler (« Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen ») and Béjart imagined a duo in four sequences, bringing together his best classical dancer, Paolo Bortoluzzi and Rudolf Nureyev. One was dressed in a maroon costume and the other in white (or black on some evenings !). The choreographer commented, « He is a wayfarer like the young apprentices of the Middle Ages, who went from town to town in search of their destiny and their master : here we have a romantic student (Nureyev) pursued by his destiny (Bortoluzzi), who suffers as he learns to use Mahler’s words (Mahler also wrote the words), ‘as if he had a knife plunged into his chest’, which is what the constant battle against oneself and against loneliness is like ». The four songs (“When my love”, “This morning I crossed the field”, “I have a burning blade in my breast”, “My beloved’s blue eyes”, in English) opposed Bortoluzzi, virtuoso, light and brilliant as the relentless Destiny to Nureyev, feline, supple and tormented, as the romantic hero looking for freedom but condemned to unhappiness, in an expressive, lyrical and highly intense duo.

The “Nureyev and Friends” group performed this beautiful, deeply human ballet all over the world. It travelled easily thanks to its extreme starkness. As well as the incomparable Paolo Bortoluzzi, Rudolf Nureyev had several other partners such as the Frenchmen Jean Guizerix and Charles Jude (on the many foreign tours until 1991) and Patrick Armand with the Ballet de Nancy at the Champs Elysées Theatre in 1983.

After sadly leaving the management of the Paris Opera Ballet, Nureyev was invited to take part in “Carte Blanche to Jean Guizerix” on October 23rd 1990 at the Palais Garnier. He danced the first and fourth songs with his young rival, Patrick Dupond, who had just succeeded him at the head of the Ballet de l’Opéra. The confrontation between the two dancers – one was shining at the height of his glory and the other star was already on the decline – was particularly poignant. The final image of Nureyev, dragged away by his Destiny, as he turns back for a final adieu to life and to the audience, took on a pathetic dimension since he – as well as his friends – knew he was appearing for the last time in this Theatre that was his home and that he had loved so well. The expression of despair on his face, with his hand painfully reaching out – in vain – towards the audience, to the very last words, “All is clear once more, yes, all is clear! Love and grief, the world and dreams”, remains engraved on the hearts of those who saw this unique performance. R.S.

Rudolf Nureyev – Rebellious Genius is the title of a new film about the great Russian dancer and choreographer. The premiere was held in St. Petersburg. The two-part documentary was made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev’s birth which will be marked on the 17th of March. In the near future the film will be shown in Moscow, Kazan, Ufa, the European capitals and at the Cannes International Film Festival.

These cities were not chosen at random. In St. Petersburg Rudolf Nureyev was trained as a ballet dancer and became a soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre. In Moscow, as a young beginner, Nureyev brilliantly performed his part at a ballet contest and made the whole country talk about him. In Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, ethnic Tatar Nureyev is respected as the most famous representative of his nation in the world. Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, is the city where Nureyev spent his childhood years. He left Ufa to conquer the world, via St. Petersburg to Europe where he settled down in the early 1960s. First Nureyev cast his lot with the London Royal Ballet and then with the Paris Grand Opera. This ‘ballet leap’ from little- known Ufa of the 1950s to the capital of France, the birthplace of ballet, is thoroughly described in the film about Nureyev. Talking about the filming, producer Alfia Chebotareva says:

“We walked along all the streets of Old Ufa where Rudolf Nureyev used to walk. They have survived but probably soon will be demolished because they date back to the 1940s. Then we walked along the Grand Opera corridors and were astonished by the height to which he soared, by what he achieved due to his talent and perseverance that overcame all obstacles.”

Rudolf Nureyev

Famous Russian dancer and choreographer Andris Liepa took part in the film as the narrator. In the 1980s, soloist Liepa worked with choreographer Nureyev. Today he remembers about this:

“I did not only see but also danced his choreography which was one of the most difficult that I ever performed in my life. It was in his version of Swan Lake in the Paris Opera. It was extremely interesting, it was unique. When his versions of ballets were staged he was the scenic artist, the wardrobe director and the choreographer. He was totally dedicated to ballet and everything mattered to him in it.”

Introducing the film Rebellious Genius, Andris Liepa emphasized:

“I tried to persuade the film-makers to pay more attention to his biography and professional career. It was significant to me. I said that I wanted to take part in a film that would show him as a unique dancer and choreographer, as well as a talented actor and a very complicated but warm-hearted outgoing person.”

Director of the film Tatiana Malova interviewed dozens of ballet stars and Rudolf Nureyev’s friends and relations. Only a small part of the 50 hours of those interviews were used in the two parts of the documentary. Now the filming crew is planning to use this material in TV series. French and British producers have already joined this project. There are also plans to make a feature film about Rudolf Nureyev but who will star as the great ballet dancer remains to be seen.

Léon Bakst, Russian, 1866–1924, Costume design for Vaslav Nijinsky as the Faun from The Afternoon of a Faun, 1912, graphite, tempera, and gold paint on paper, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund

The Ballets Russes—the most innovative dance company of the 20th century—propelled the performing arts to new heights through groundbreaking collaborations between artists, composers, choreographers, dancers, and fashion designers, with such familiar names as Picasso, Stravinsky, Balanchine, Nijinsky, and Chanel, among many others. On view from May 12 through September 2, 2013, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington—the sole US venue—Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909–1929: When Art Danced with Music showcases some 135 original costumes, set designs, paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings, photographs, posters, and film clips in a theatrical multimedia installation in the East Building.

Mikhail Larionov, Russian, 1881–1964, Costume for the Buffoon’s Wife from The Tale of the Buffoon, 1921, cane stiffened felt and cotton, V&A, London © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

On view for the first time in a museum in the United States are the largest objects ever exhibited inside the Gallery: Natalia Goncharova’s backdrop for The Firebird (1926), measuring 51.5 feet wide by 33.5 feet tall, and the front curtain for The Blue Train (1924), 38.5 feet wide by 34 feet tall, designed by Pablo Picasso and painted by Prince Alexander Schervashidze, Diaghilev’s principal set designer. Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev (1872–1929) founded the Ballets Russes in Paris in 1909.

Pablo Picasso, Spanish, 1881–1973, Costume for the Chinese Conjuror from Parade, c. 1917, silk satin fabric with silver tissue and black thread, cotton hat with woolen pigtail, V&A, London © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

“This landmark exhibition celebrates one of the most dazzling cultural enterprises of the 20th century,” said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. “These historic collaborations initiated by Diaghilev revolutionized the art of ballet. We are very grateful to lenders from around the world, particularly the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and to the sponsors and supporters who have made it possible for the Gallery to present this exhibition.”

Sonia Delaunay, French, 1885–1979, Costume for title role from Cleopatra, 1918, silk, sequins, mirror, and beads, wool yarn, metallic thread braid, lamé, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council Fund © Pracusa 2012003; Digital Image © 2013 Museum Associates / LACMA / Licensed by Art Resource, NY

The exhibition has been adapted from Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909–1929, conceived by and first shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in 2010. In Washington, the exhibition includes some 80 works from the V&A’s renowned collection of dance artifacts, as well as some 50 objects not seen in London, on loan from 20 museums and private collections, among them the Dansmuseet in Sweden and the National Gallery of Australia.

Léon Bakst, Russian, 1866–1924, Costume for a Brigand from Daphnis and Chloe, 1912, wool, cotton, and paint, V&A, London © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. With the exception of the atrium and library, the galleries in the East Building will be closing gradually beginning in July 2013 and will remain closed for approximately three years for Master Facilities Plan and renovations. For specific updates on gallery closings, visit www.nga.gov/renovation.

Eugène Druet, French, 1868–1917, Vaslav Nijinsky in Siamese Dance from The Orientals, 1910, gelatin silver print, Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gilman Collection, Gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation, 2005

For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery’s Web site at www.nga.gov. Follow the Gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalGalleryofArt and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ngadc.

Richard S. Thomas (1925-2013)

Richard S. Thomas, a prominent ballet teacher and a former soloist with the New York City Ballet, died on July 27 in a hospital near his home in Paintsville, Ky. He was 87. The cause was a stroke during treatment for a pulmonary embolism at the hospital, in Prestonsburg, Ky., his son, the actor Richard Thomas, said.

Mr. Thomas achieved wide influence teaching at the New York School of Ballet, which he and his wife, the ballerina Barbara Fallis, founded in 1958 in Manhattan. Both he and Ms. Fallis, who died in 1980, had danced with the Ballet Theater in New York as well as with Alicia Alonso in Cuba.

Soon after opening their school, they moved it to the former studios of the City Ballet-affiliated School of American Ballet, where George Balanchine had choreographed some of his major works.

Mr. Thomas and Ms. Fallis brought fresh energy to the studios, at Broadway and 83rd Street, where dance history was virtually embedded in their comfortably worn floors and walls and ratty dressing rooms. The school was a family affair. Before his success as John-Boy in the television series “The Waltons,” their son was sometimes seen registering students for class.

Already-famous dancers like Cynthia Gregory studied there. And many of the school’s other students went on to achieve renown, among them Twyla Tharp and Sean Lavery. Mr. Thomas was in particular a lasting mentor to the modern-dance choreographer Eliot Feld and the choreographer and director Daniel Levans.

Mr. Thomas and Ms. Fallis imbued their teaching with old-school classicism, a quality that shone in the performances of their school-affiliated U.S. Terpsichore troupe.

Their teaching styles were complementary. Where Ms. Fallis was serene and quietly authoritative, Mr. Thomas was exuberant and mercurial with a teasing wit.

He was also plain-spoken. His advice to a young dancer auditioning for Mr. Feld’s first company in 1969 was just “keep your nose over your left foot.”

Both Mr. Thomas and Ms. Fallis encouraged innovation in choreography and dancing, but for Mr. Thomas, the ideal was the Ballet Theater of the 1940s, whose dancers “could create drama on stage” but “also get in line,” as he told The New York Times in 1983.

Mr. Thomas valued expansive, full-out dancing and urged students to let the music guide them. “You cheat, you cheat!” he roared amiably in a class in 1991 at a child slacking off at Mr. Feld’s New Ballet School, which was created to bring classical ballet training to minority children in New York City’s public schools. “Plié and see what happens.”

Richard Scott Thomas was born on Dec. 3, 1925, in Paintsville and grew up in Muddy Branch, Ky. His father was a coal miner and his mother a nurse. As a boy Richard wanted to join the circus and be a trapeze artist, but his father wanted him to be an engineer. So he enrolled at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, but lasted only a semester.

He traced his interest in ballet to a performance of the Ballet Russe he attended as a young man in Seattle, where he was visiting relatives.

He later moved to California to study ballet with Bronislava Nijinska, a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer who had settled in Los Angeles to teach. He also trained with Vincenzo Celli, a noted ballet teacher in New York City. His early dancing career included stints with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Ballet Theater, where he met Ms. Fallis.

They married in 1950 while performing with Ms. Alonso in Cuba. Their son, Richard, was born in 1951 and their daughter, Bronwyn, who is also a dancer, in 1960. They are his only immediate survivors.

Mr. Thomas danced with Ms. Fallis at City Ballet from 1953 to 1958, performing several roles in Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” as well as in the premieres of Todd Bolender’s “Souvenirs” (1955), Balanchine’s “Jeux d’Enfants” (1955) and Robbins’s “Concert.” (1956).

Mr. Thomas, whose father had shared with him a love of foxhounds, had a second career breeding dogs and later horses at his farm in Kentucky. His wife and daughter helped to show Great Danes and later Brussels griffons, the latter breed favored by their friend Mr. Robbins. Showing dogs, Mr. Thomas once said, was at least as unnerving as performing dance.

By JENNIFER DUNNING

BALLETX Allison Walsh and Billy Cannon by Alexander Iziliaev

In the past when you mentioned ballet, it brought to mind images of Giselle, Swan Lake and the annual Nutcracker at Christmas. But that is yesterday’s ballet, the Joyce Theater’s annual festival, Ballet 6.0 has gather six smaller companies from around the United States who are employing dancers and choreographers that are expanding, experimenting and pushing the envelope of what is expected of ballet and ballet dancers. The work that will be seen during the two-week festival will be a range of ballet styles, from neo classical to contemporary.

On August 6^th and 7^th, the Philadelphia based company; BalletX, opened the festival with an evening of three works. Netherlands-based choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Still @ Life from 2008, Director of The Foundry in San Francisco Alex Ketley’s intriguing work Silt from 2009 and BalletX Artistic Director Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass which premiere in 2010.

Still @ Life is a perplexing work, as I find most of Ms. Ochoa’s choreography. The program notes stated the work follows Michelangelo’s career and brings frozen moments of his paintings to life.

Set to early Baroque concertos by Bach and von Wassenaer, frozen tableaux would come to life, sleek forms weaving in and around one another. The tableaux would play with architectural prospective in interesting ways and Drew Billiau’s lighting design created sfumato around the imagery.

Dancers are pulled on stage for demanding duets and then pulled off stage when finished, only to have another dancers being dragged on for the next duet. Ms. Ochoa’s works lean towards abstraction, but that abstraction became muddy with the incorporation of green apples that are seen periodically through the work.

BALLETX Allison Walsh by Alexander Iziliaev

Tossed about (and dropped a couple of times), using the mouth to pass from dancer to dancer, either a single apple or a group are rolled on stage throughout the performance and at one point a dancer appears, holding apples in his skirt which are carefully lined up across the front of the stage.

But I did find hints of Kylián in the melodious movement and the hint of humor. It’s an interesting work, not my favorite but others seemed to have enjoyed it greatly.

Alex Ketley’s Silt, set to a musical collage by Tar©JMB of the compositions by Chris Clark, Giovanni Pergolesi and Arvo Pärt, the piece starts out in silence as two dancers began to slowly move their bodies in awkward ways. My first impression at the start was not positive, but that changed quickly as the dance progressed, for it developed into a work of surprising complexity and depth.

Acceptance and rejection of self and by others is explored in ways almost flirtatious, a female dancer would step towards, around and then away from a man. He would stand and watch, unsure of her intent or how to respond.

The work is for six dancers and when they not dancing they become spectators, sitting or standing in the shadows created by the pool of light that is the center focus of action. Macabre body positions become suspended as if held by time, frozen only momentarily.

Elements of the classical vocabulary, cabrioles and pirouettes are freely dispersed in choreography that flows continuously. Odd body positions abound, the torso slightly off a kilter and the arms in a third position port de bra, this became as natural as standing upright to the dancers.

BALLETX Chloe Felesina by Alexander Iziliaev

Bodies could be seen standing in the shadows like thought that’s just on the edge of your mind. The dancers exhibited a sense of intimacy and caring but in a way that did not appear to be in any way personal. The music is haunting, a tune you hear that brings forgotten memories, memories that are edged with darkness. Alex Ketley’s Silt is an impressive work, a work that displays the processes of the mind’s inner workings.

BalletX Artistic Director Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass closed the evening. Using the music of indie-rock band Beirut, Mr. Neenan’s The Last Glass brings to mind the Carnival or perhaps the Circus with its theatricality and the array of wandering characters.

Chloe Felesina looks somewhat perplexed, perhaps anxious as she slowly crosses the front of the stage wearing dingy knickers and a just-as-dingy top. Eight dancers are in the back, each seeming in their own world. At one edge of the stage a man and woman are seated, staring out blanking, and at the other end two women are standing with their backs to the audience, each is playing with her hair while their hips swaying provocatively like a couple of dockside doxies.

Zachary Kapeluck is wearing boxers and seems in the midst of doing a prison-yard style of Tai chi. While Colby Damon seems slightly intoxicating, throwing an arm out to the side or kicking his leg in the air as he weaves from side to side.

BALLETX Jesse Sani in Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass, photo by Alexander Iziliaev

The two dockside doxies are the only women en pointe, and after they turn around they seem to transform onto delicate ceramic dolls come to life.

Jesse Sani is one of my favorite male dancers for a reason. He performs a solo that is filled with child-like exuberance; there is innocence to his performance, an inner-joy like a young boy playing on a summer day.

The work is filled with feats of athleticism and takes polished technically abilities to be able to pull off. But BalletX has plenty of both, their dancers are all excellent. Jesse Sani jumps like no-one else and Zachary Kapeluck has a great stage presence with incredible lyricism to his dancing. But it is Chloe Felesina that steals your heart especially at the end, when she peeks out at the audience as the curtain slowly falls as if not wanting us to leave…….wow, what a performance.

Troy Schumacher, Director of BalletCollective (formerly Satellite Ballet) will make its Joyce Theater debut on August 14 and 15 with a program that will include a world premiere collaboration between Schumacher, composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, poet Cynthia Zarin and new music ensemble ACME, as well as a revised version of the company’s Epistasis (2012).

Ashley Laracey, photo by Lora Robertson

Aug. 14, Wed. 7:30pm
Aug. 15 Thurs. 8pm

175 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 691-9740

Click Here to Purchase Tickets

 (Call JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 for $10 tickets. All other tickets can be purchased online.)

BalletCollective, based in New York City was founded in 2010 as Satellite Ballet by choreographer Troy Schumacher of the New York City Ballet and architect Kevin Draper.

http://www.BalletCollective.com

Filed under: Ballet, Dance Tagged: Ashley Laracey, BalletCollective, Cynthia Zarin ACME, Ellis Ludwig-Leone, Joyce Theater, Kevin Draper, Lora Robertson, New York City Ballet, Satellite Ballet, Stanley Taylor, Troy Schumacher, Troy Schumacher’s Epistasis