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Atlanta Ballet’s World Premiere Ballet Adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ CAMINO REAL

Video March 1, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

Photo Flash: First Look- Atlanta Ballet’s World Premiere Ballat Adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ CAMINO REAL

February 27

3:36

2015

This spring, Atlanta Ballet will present the world premiere of a ballet based on “Camino Real” by Tennessee Williams, the renowned playwright who authored such American classics as “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. Choreographed by Atlanta Ballet choreographer in residence Helen Pickett, Williams’ “lost classic” of love, redemption and courage will debut March 20-22 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Check out pictures and renderings from the show below!

Inspired by Williams’ 1953 Broadway play of the same name, the story is told from the perspective of Kilroy, a character based on patriotic iconography from the WWII era. The young American soldier and onetime prizewinning boxer finds himself trapped in the surreal, dead-end town of Camino Real forced to grapple with mortality, the burning desire to connect and the will to live.

Through his journey to bring renewed hope to the town of lost souls, Kilroy meets a cast of unlikely characters from various periods of history and pop culture, such as Casanova, Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Marguerite (The Lady of the Camellias), and Lord Byron, who together struggle to escape their fates.

“This is your classic good versus evil story,” said Pickett, whose adventure with the play began five years ago when her father handed down his copy from his college theater days, suggesting it would make a good ballet.

“I read it once and put it away, not understanding how I might tackle the content,” said Pickett. “A year later, I picked up the play again, and found my way into the story: focus on the characters first. Now, it is such a part of my reality, I can’t imagine how I will let go of these characters.”

Pickett announced the project shortly after accepting her residency with Atlanta Ballet in 2012 and has been working on the production ever since. Every aspect of the ballet, from the music to the costumes to the set design, has been a collaborative effort between Pickett and the team of artists she assembled.

To design the whimsical costumes, Pickett chose award-winning designer Sandra Woodall, who she has known since her days as a student with San Francisco Ballet. Woodall then introduced Pickett to lighting designer David Finn, whose commissions include Cirque du Soleil and numerous other major U.S. ballet companies. Finn then recommended set designer Emma Kingsbury, who he subsequently worked in tandem with on the scenic design. The rich, textured score, which Pickett has described as a character all its own, is the creation of composer Peter Salem.

“All of these people truly enjoy the art of collaboration,” said Pickett. “They are magnificent artists that bring all their ideas to the table. We are like mix masters; we just throw all of our concepts into the bowl and stir and filter. I am in love with each of them and their visions.”

The final layer of the creative process was the choreography- a collaboration as well with Atlanta Ballet’s full 23-member company. Pickett began working with the Company in September, devoting full days to rehearsal to ensure that the 75-minute ballet would be complete by its March premiere. By opening night, more than 300 rehearsal hours will have gone into bringing the production to stage.

To add to the theatricality, Pickett has also challenged several of the dancers to learn lines. Williams’ text – actual excerpts from the play – will be spoken by the principal characters throughout the ballet.

“It’s a new situation for them,” said Pickett in a 2014 interview with Creative Loafing. “But they are opening and unfolding in incredible ways. I wouldn’t have asked them to do this the first time we worked together. You have to build trust between you and the performer so that a person feels like they can open up, so cracks can happen in those walls, maybe even a breakthrough can happen.”

Atlanta Ballet’s world premiere of “Camino Real” will open at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Friday, March 20 with a red carpet opening night. Three performances will follow, including the finale on Sunday, March 22.

Tickets start as low as $20 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.atlantaballet.com or call 404-892-3303. For groups of ten or more, call Atlanta Ballet Group Sales at 404-873-5811, ext. 207.

via Photo Flash: First Look- Atlanta Ballet’s World Premiere Ballat Adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ CAMINO REAL.

Via : Broadway World

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Ballet tells Sacagawea’s story – Special – southcoasttoday.com – New Bedford, MA

March 1, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

ON STAGE-Reposted from South Coast Today Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 2:23 AM

Ballet tells Sacagawea’s story

COMMENT

Dartmouth and Westport residents are among the local dancers bringing “Sacagawea’s Song” to life. Back row: Victoria Cameron, Caroline Mello, Elicia Cormier, Felicia Garro and Kenzie Waskiewicz; middle row: Lily Johnson, Sophia Cameron, Olivia Cornell and Sarah Hurteau; front row: Maddison Medeiros and Brooke Spencer.

Posted Mar. 1, 2015 at 2:23 AM

New Bedford Ballet will host its annual spring fundraiser Sunday, March 8, 1 to 4 p.m. at NBB Community Theatre, 2343 Purchase St., New Bedford. The celebration of the arts will include an array of elegant desserts and beverages, live music provided by members of the New Bedford Symphony Youth Orchestra and performances of “Sacagawea’s Song” by the New Bedford Youth Ballet at 1:30 and 3 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit New Bedford Ballet’s arts education and dance scholarship programs.

“Sacagawea’s Song” is an original historical ballet created and choreographed by New Bedford Ballet’s artistic director Rebecca Waskiel-Marchesseault. The family-oriented ballet describes the story of Sacagawea, the Native American woman who served as interpreter and guide on the historic Lewis and Clark expedition across the western United States. Audience members will have the opportunity to travel back to the early 19th century and experience the renowned journey of an American icon who has become a symbol of women’s strength and independence.

The New Bedford Youth Ballet will also perform “Sacagawea’s Song” for elementary schools in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion and New Bedford in March as part of their Bringing History to Life through the Arts program. An educational curriculum, including workbooks, will be provided.

Sponsored by Alves Chiropractic Center, two special additional performances of “Sacagawea’s Song” will be presented in March: one for patients, their families and staff at Boston Children’s Hospital, and the second for PACE Head Start students and families.

New Bedford Youth Ballet is a company of the New Bedford Ballet Foundation Inc. Founded in 1987, the foundation is a non-profit whose mission is to promote and present classical ballets, grant scholarships and educate the community about the beauty of the art. Aided by the financial support of the foundation, thousands of local children and senior citizens have witnessed live ballet.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $5 for children.

More information is available by calling (508) 993-1387 or visiting newbedfordballet.

via Ballet tells Sacagawea’s story – Special – southcoasttoday.com – New Bedford, MA.

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New Choreography/Mariinsky Ballet: Репетиция балета “Бэмби” – The Birth of Bambi/In the Jungle

Video February 27, 2015 AFB 2 Comments

Composer: Andrei Golovin
Choreographer: Anton Pimonov
Librettist and Designer: Anna Matison
Lighting Designer: Alexander Sivaev

via Репетиция балета “Бэмби” – YouTube.

Evening of one act ballets by Anton Pimonov: The Birth of Bambi. In the Jungle (Classical Ballet) — In the Jungle

Composer: Andrei Golovin
Choreographer: Anton Pimonov
Librettist and Designer: Anna Matison
Lighting Designer: Alexander Sivaev

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Dwight Rhoden: Великий Гэтсби – The Great Gatsby (Kirov)- Interviews

Video February 27, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

via Великий Гэтсби – YouTube.

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NYC Ballet’s Amar Ramasar on Alexei Ratmansky’s PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

February 25, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WIf2YWseg8&feature=youtube_gdata

NYC Ballet’s Amar Ramasar on Alexei Ratmansky’s PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION – YouTube.

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Like this choreographer: Hofesh Shechter rehearses his debut Royal Ballet work

Video February 18, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

via Hofesh Shechter rehearses his debut Royal Ballet work – YouTube.

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Teen Ballet Dancer Harrison Lee Wins Prestigious Prix de Lausanne Prize

February 13, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

REPOSTED FROM THE AGE/JOEL MEARES
Harrison Lee, 15, back home in Castle Hill after winning the famed Prix de Lausanne. Photo: Steven Siewert

At first, Harrison Lee thought he was in trouble. His mother had called him into her bedroom early in the morning, and he was “a little scared” – this was not the regular morning routine at their Castle Hill home. Then she gave him the news: “She sat me down on her bed and said, ‘Congratulations, you’re going to Switzerland!'”

It was the news the 15-year-old had been waiting more than a month to hear, ever since he sent a DVD of himself performing a variation from the ballet Flames of Paris to the judges of the Prix de Lausanne, among the world’s most prestigious competitions for young dancers. From 300 entrants, he was one of 70 invited to Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva, for a week of classes and performances.

“When she told me I got in, happiness just took over my body,” says Lee. But he did not leap down the road, Billy Elliot-style, painting his delight for the world in pirouettes and arabesques. “I’m not one to scream and shout and go crazy,” he says calmly. “It just took over inside.”

Harrison Lee: The dancer won the Youth America Grand Prix in 2014. Photo: Steven Siewert

Last week, after eight days of classes and major performances, Lee took top prize in Lausanne. He again showed trademark control when called forward from a line of finalists – some three and four years his senior. “I was shocked, and I was getting very emotional so I had to hold that in until it was over.” He adds with a laugh: “I didn’t want to watch this back five years later and see myself crying.”

The Lausanne win comes just shy of a year since Lee took out the equally prestigious Youth America Grand Prix: the one-two punch puts him among the most promising, and prized, young dancers in the world. Watching the YouTube video of Lee performing his classical variation at the Lausanne finals – a video that has clocked 37,000 views in less than a week – it is easy to see why. His control and strength astounds: he springs to impossible heights from the raked stage; his toes arch improbably towards his heel. One commenter writes under the video: “Good lord those feet are so good they should pay taxes!”

Brisbane’s Lucid Dance Theatre founder Louise Deleur was a choreographer at the Prix, and watched Harrison on stage and in classes, where the dancers are also scored. “He was blessed with these long legs and beautiful feet,” says Deleur, “but what also stood out about Harrison was his humility and graciousness in class. He’s a beautiful soul to work with.”

Lee spent a week in London before the competition taking classes at the Royal Ballet School. He did some sightseeing – Harry Potter World, even though he’s not a great fan of the boy wizard – but mostly it was business. It’s the same at home: he takes two hours of ballet every day at the McDonald College, and three more hours every day after school. His diet “is not as strict as the girls” but he watches what he eats. He points out, humbly, that teachers Josephine Jason, Jane Kesby and Allan Cross have sacrificed as much as he has for his success.

The goal, Lee says, is to become the principal dancer at a company so that “I can dance as many lead roles as I can”. He’s not being unrealistic. Following his successful 12 months, Lee now has his choice of schools: by September he will be living in New York and attending the American Ballet Theatre, or in London at the Royal Ballet, or anywhere else he chooses to attend in Europe. Recruiters are clamouring.

“It’s weird to think at 16 I will be on the other side of the world, living by myself and cooking and cleaning and washing up,” says Lee. “It’s scary, but it’s what I’ve been training for.”

For mother Cindy, a travel agent, the prospect of Harrison moving is bittersweet. The family delights in his success – his brother skipped schoolies to go to Switzerland and watch Harrison compete; Cindy gets giddy recalling how Li Cunxin (of Mao’s Last Dancer fame) told her he was looking forward to seeing her son dance.

“But it’s sad too to think of your child travelling so far away at such a young age,” she admits. “A lot of people probably don’t understand it – people who don’t have a child with a passion or dream and the talent don’t understand how you could see your child do that. We’re happy to see him reach his goals.”

And wherever Lee lands, mum will be visiting. A lot. “It will be a path well worn, I imagine,” she says.

via Ballet dancer Harrison Lee wins prestigious Prix de Lausanne prize.

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beat that! Millepied’s plans for the Paris Opéra

February 13, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

REPOSTED FROM DANCING TIMES

Millepied’s plans for the Paris Opéra : Wednesday, 04 February 2015

Benjamin Millepied has announced plans for the 2015–16 season of the Paris Opéra Ballet, the first he has programmed as director. It’s an ambitious season, with many new works, including one by new associate choreographer William Forsythe and a new production of The Nutcracker, to be choreographed by Arthur Pita, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Liam Scarlett, Edouard Lock and Millepied.

Millepied announced his season alongside Stéphane Lissner, who has been general director of the Opéra since July 2014: the two leaders promise a new level of cooperation between the ballet and opera companies. The new Nutcracker will be performed as a double bill with Tchaikovsky’s opera Iolanta – as these works were performed together at their premiere in 1892. The five choreographers will create separate scenes for the new production.

Millepied has also commissioned new works from Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, Jérôme Bel and himself. Peck’s work will be danced to Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, with designs by artist John Baldassari. McGregor’s piece will be set to Pierre Boulez’s Anthème II as part of an evening celebrating the composer.

Millepied, who danced at New York City Ballet (NYCB) from 1995 to 2011, brings an American slant with some of his programming. The season will include Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Duo Concertant and Brahms-Schönberg Quartet, Jerome Robbins’ Opus 19/The Dreamer, Goldberg Variations and Other Dances. Justin Peck, the resident choreographer at NYCB, is represented by In Creases as well as his new commission; Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, created for NYCB, also joins the repertoire. The season will also include company premieres by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Alexei Ratmansky and Maguy Marin.

There are just three evening-length revivals: Giselle and Rudolf Nureyev’s productions of Romeo and Juliet and La Bayadère. There will also be works staged in the foyer of the Opéra Garnier. Choreographer Boris Charmatz will stage a new event to open the season, with 20 dancers performing solos from the 20th-century repertoire in the public spaces of the Opéra Garnier.

Millepied and Lissner also announced a new digital platform, “3e Scene”, or “Third Stage”. Hosted on the Paris Opéra website, this will present new work by composers, choreographers, directors, visual artists, filmmakers and writers. There will also be a new Paris Opéra Academy, which will offer residencies to young choreographers from inside and outside the company. The choreographers will be mentored by William Forsythe. Millepied told the New York Times that the academy aimed to teach dance-making as a craft. “We won’t necessarily discover more geniuses, but there will be more competence,” he said. “Composers learn the principles of harmony, counterpoint, technique, and choreography is no different.”

Millepied has also announced touring plans, and works scheduled for later seasons. The company will visit one French city each season, touring to Brest in the 2015–16 season. Major tours to the US are being planned. Guest companies at the Paris Opéra will include Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Rosas, Batsheva Dance Company and English National Ballet, who dance Le Corsaire at the Opéra Garnier in June 2016.

Looking ahead, Millepied has commissioned an evening-length work from Alexei Ratmansky for the 2016–17 season. He also expects to schedule some work by the iconic modern dance choreographer Merce Cunningham. At the press conference, critic Laura Capelle reports, Millepied explained that he had almost left NYCB to dance for the Cunningham company.

Performances for the Paris Opéra Ballet’s 2015-16 season are now on sale.

Picture: Benjamin Millepied at the Opéra Garnier. Photograph: Julien Benhamou

via Millepied’s plans for the Paris Opéra.

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Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to direct Royal Ballet Flanders

February 13, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

REPOSTED FROM DANCING TIMES Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to direct Royal Ballet Flanders: Wednesday, 04 February 2015

Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is to be the new artistic director of Royal Ballet Flanders, it was announced on February 4. Cherkaoui will take up his post on September 1, 2015, with Tamas Moricz as his associate artistic director.

Cherakaoui joins the company after a series of upheavals. In 2012, director Kathryn Bennetts left Royal Ballet Flanders after clashing with Flemish culture minister Joke Scahuviliege; her successor, Assis Carreiro, left abruptly in 2014.

As a contemporary choreographer taking over a classical ballet company, Cherkaoui has said that “The course I will be seeking to pursue with the company is one of reconciliation”. Tamas Moricz said: “We want to take Royal Ballet Flanders to a new and inspiring place in the world of dance. We both share the aim of allowing dancers to maintain their firm classical background by continuing classical training and repertoire, while also bringing the company into a contemporary space. Classical ballet and contemporary dance can exist alongside each other, and that is the situation at present. Our aim is to draw both these worlds into a creative hub within this company.”

Cherkaoui praised the company’s achievements: “As a contemporary choreographer who was born in Antwerp, I have been following the development of Royal Ballet Flanders for 20 years now. The talent, technical virtuosity, sensitivity and musicality of its dancers have always inspired me, so it was an honour for me to share a piece from my own repertoire with the company last season. Faun [as part of Diaghilev Unbound, 2013–2014 season] was a first step towards an exchange of repertoire with the ballet company.

“For the past ten years, as well as developing my contemporary choreography work I have also worked with foreign ballet companies every year… Through all these experiences I have gained the confidence and energy that I will need in the role of artistic director at Royal Ballet Flanders…

“For a number of years there has been a constantly growing exchange between the different dance disciplines, as classical ballet and contemporary dance increasingly complement each other. Although there is always a key idea running through the content of my work, what I am able to achieve with ballet dancers in terms of form and technique is very different from my work with contemporary dancers. I am therefore looking forward to seeing these differences evolve further in future.

“At Eastman I open up specific themes that allow contemporary dancers to translate them into earthbound gestures with strong contrasts and an animalistic flexibility, but in ballet I can develop feather-light pointe movements to draw outlines in space in a more calligraphic way. In time, I also want to be able to reverse those ‘differences’; I find it exciting to let the two worlds flow into one another without losing any of their fascinating differences or nuances.

“I am not making this move to Royal Ballet Flanders alone. I am bringing with me Tamas Moricz as my right hand man: a highly talented dancer and dance teacher who has himself danced for many years in performances created by William Forsythe. Together with him I will be working out the future direction for the ballet. That direction will respect its history while also cherishing the ambition to open up new paths. Eastman will still be my contemporary company. Organic exchanges with Royal Ballet Flanders will of course develop, but I am definitely not going to force that.”

Picture: Sidi Larbi Cherkaou. Photograph: Koen Broos

via Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to direct Royal Ballet Flanders.

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NEW! Marcelo Gomes Scholarship at Harid Conservatory ($25,000)

January 10, 2015 AFB Leave a comment

The Harid Conservatory

11 hrs ·

BIG news! Please share…

HARID Conservatory Announces $25,000
Marcelo Gomes Scholarship Program

The HARID Conservatory recently announced an exciting new initiative to support the training of male dancers. The Marcelo Gomes Scholarship Program will provide a number of qualified finalists the opportunity to attend HARID’s four-week Summer School on full scholarship. During the Summer School, they will compete for a grand prize: the Marcelo Gomes Scholarship. The Scholarship will support the winner’s continued studies at the school during the 2015–16 academic year.

Each of the Program finalists will receive an award valued at $3,200 to cover his tuition, room, and board at HARID’s Summer School. The Marcelo Gomes Scholarship, valued at $6,000, will offset the winner’s fees for room and board during the academic year. (All students study tuition free at HARID during the academic year.)

HARID director, Gordon Wright, stated, “We are pleased to name this new scholarship initiative in honor of Marcelo Gomes, one of HARID’s most-distinguished alumni. Marcelo has enjoyed an esteemed career as a principal artist with American Ballet Theatre in New York City. He is revered worldwide for his technical expertise, artistic sensibility, and his exceptional abilities as a partner. Being named the winner of a scholarship bearing Marcelo’s name will be a tremendous honor and a feather in the cap of any young male dancer.”

Male dance students 13–16 years of age are invited to apply to the Marcelo Gomes Scholarship Program by attending a HARID Summer School audition in January or February (www.harid.edu/auditions), or by submitting an electronic application on or before February 15, 2015. Electronic application requirements include a video presentation of class work and a personal statement. Visit www.harid.edu/marcelo-gomes-scholarship for details. The finalists will be selected by a jury comprised of HARID’s director and ballet faculty. The winner of the Marcelo Gomes Scholarship will be announced at the conclusion of Summer School.

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Marcelo Gomes left his native Brazil at age fourteen to enroll at The HARID Conservatory. While a student at the school, he competed at the Prix de Lausanne international ballet competition. There, he was awarded the Hope Prize in recognition of his significant potential. After graduating from HARID, Marcelo spent an additional year studying at the Paris Opera Ballet School and was then asked to join American Ballet Theatre. He was soon promoted to soloist and, just two years later, he was made a principal dancer of the Company.

Most balletomanes know that Marcel Gomes was (in part) a product of the famed Harid Conservatory in FL, and the prodigal son has returned to endow the school with the well-spent fund in hopes of assisting male dancers to their dreams of becoming ballet dancers. This is an amazing endowment (from a dancer). Called putting your money where your mouth is….call it a LEAP of faith. They are very happy and would appreciate a SHARE-

HARID Conservatory Announces $25,000
Marcelo Gomes Scholarship Program

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Gomes was named one of “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine in 2001. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious Benois de la Danse following a performance of Lar Lubovitch’s Othello in Moscow. Marcelo has performed at numerous international dance festivals and as a guest artist with many companies, including the Kirov Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Mikhailovsky Ballet, The Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, and the New York City Ballet.

Marcelo has recently begun a successful career as a choreographer while maintaining his schedule as one of classical ballet’s most sought-after male dancers.