Review: A Beautiful Tragedy

Today, I was finally able to see A Beautiful Tragedy, a film by Norwegian director David Kinsella documenting Mariinsky Theatre dancer, Oksana Skorik's training at the Perm State Choreographic Institute.

The opening scene narrated how Oksana ended up at the ballet school: after her birth, Oksana's mother realized that she was adequately proportioned for ballet and began stretching her daughter's feet and legs. When she was 4 years old, her mother attempted to "give" her to the ballet school, but she was not accepted until a year later because of her age. Three things about Oksana, then 15, become immediately apparent: her talent, her desire to leave the Perm school, and her skewed sense of reality.

Much of the story is told through Oksana's diary entries, which describe her emotional struggles with food/eating, her strict and sometimes flat out cruel teachers, and her troubles relating to and befriending other students at the school, specifically with golden girl Masha Menshikova. At times, her anorexia and self loathing overcome her; she goes days without food before her end of semester exams and then worries about what her scores will be, assuming that she will get the lowest grades in her class. She receives a 4+, which I understand to be the highest score one can earn in this type of exam, along with a harsh criticism from Sacharova, the main classical ballet teacher at Perm.

Despite her teachers' and mother's encouragement to eat, Oksana struggles with the constant pressure to be a "perfect" thin dancer. She repeatedly denies her talent and thinness, thinking of herself as fat and a horrible dancer.

At times, her mood changes: she is hopeful, finds joy in dancing and rehearsing, and realizes her tremendous grace and talent. Eventually, in the epilogue of the film, Oksana is shown in her final year at the Perm State Choreographic institute. She is happy again, has overcome her anorexia, is awarded the lead role in her class's graduation performance, and is offered a job at the Mariinsky Theatre, where she is currently dancing in the corps de ballet.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but I thought the media I had seen about it was a little misleading. The film is much, much more focused on Oksana's weight and social problems than it is on her dancing, which I would have liked to see more of, especially in the classroom scenes, which were portrayed, I'm sure intentionally, as a place more for scoldings and criticism than for learning to dance.

All in all, A Beautiful Tragedy was definitely worthwhile and provides much insight, somewhat biased as it may be, in to the lives of the young kids at the Perm school. I highly recommend it to any ballet lover.

Stay on your toes,

Selly

Toe Pads: It's Between You And The Floor

With the plethora of pointe shoe padding on the market today, it can be as long and hard of a journey to find the right toe pads as it is to find that rumored perfect pair of pointe shoes. While there are many many different brands and styles of toe pads out there, they all generally fall in to one of the following categories: gel, foam/rubber/lamb's wool, and cloth/paper. Each have advantages and downfalls to consider when choosing toe padding.

Gel: The Goodies and The Baddies
Eurotard/Leo's/Prima Pads: Toe pads such as these are probably the most frowned upon toe pads on the market. While the thick brightly colored gel provides comfort, it also inhibits the dancers ability to feel the floor, takes up way too much room in the shoes, and can cause exponential sweating and even numbness in the toes and feet. As always, these work for some people, but not everyone, or even a majority of dancer/foot/shoe combinations.
Ouch Pouch/Bloch: Contrastingly, Ouch Pouch type toe pads are highly recommended by many dance teachers and students. This type of toe pad generally has a very thin piece of gel encased in layers of fabric. They offer coverage and protection of the toes and metatarsal area without being horrifically bulky. However, almost every toe pad like this has a seam running up the side of it that are notorious for digging in to toes and causing some irritation. Because of their wild popularity, Bloch, Bunheads, Discount Dance, and many other brands offer a variation on this style of padding, all of which are virtually identical in shape, thickness, and quality.
SkinnyDips/Gellows: These are essentially a fusion of the previous two pads discussed usually eliminating the downfalls of each. A layer of gel slightly softer and thicker than that in Ouch Pouches coats one side of a reversible fabric pouch.
Mini toe pads: There are many different small toe pads available to help correct foot or shoe problems and discrepancies. Gel spacers are used to align the big toe and alleviate pressure from bunions. Small gel tubes can be used on toes significantly longer than others, or on a specific toe that always seems to get blisters. There are a lot of other mini toe pads on the market, all used to pad smaller areas of the foot instead of the entire toe/metatarsal area.

Foam, Rubber, and Lamb's Wool: Kickin' It Old Skool
Loose Lamb's Wool: Loose lamb's wool generally comes in a big wad. You tear of a piece, fluff it in to an approximately spherical shape, and sort of wrap it around your toes. Some people love this, others hate it. Many people complain about the wool sliding around in the shoe and getting caught in weird places. One thing almost everyone that's used this kind of padding agrees on is that it is highly advisable to also use toe tape.
Lamb's Wool toe pads: Lamb's wool toe pads are made of a layer of fluffy lamb's wool sewn in to a toe pad-shaped piece of fabric. They don't move around as much as loose lamb's wool adn are a lot easier to put on fast.
Lamb's Wool with Gel: Exactly the same as above, except with a thin layer of gel painted on to the outside tip of the toe pad.
Foam/Rubber: Foam and rubber toe pads offer a thicker differnt kind of padding than wool, without the use of gel. Freed and capezio are the only brands I know of that still make these. I've never even seen them, but from what I understand, they're known to be really stiff and sometimes cause blisters and a lot of sweating. Not a huge number of people use (or like) these.

Cloth and Paper Towels: DIY Pointe Shoe Padding
Many advanced, professional, or just tough-footed dancers choose to bypass conventional toe pads and make their own. Most commonly used are cloth, paper towels, and toe tape.
Cloth: Usually cut from the toe of a sock, soft cloth can be used to soak up sweat and provide a "buffer" between the inside of the pointe shoe and the skin. Many different dancers with different feet and different shoes use (gasp!) different types of material cut in different shapes in different parts of their shoes (I should win an award for that sentence).
Paper towels, etc.: Another common practice is the use of paper towels folded around the upper part of the foot for the same benefits as those of cloth. I've also heard of dancers using thin cardboard, duct tape lining the inside of the toe box, silicon painted inside the box, and many forms of toilet paper and paper towels as toe padding. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Stay on your toes,

Selly

INVITATION: Parsons Dance presents World Premiere collaboration with EVOC - Jan 6-18

Parsons Dance recently released an announcement of their upcoming world premiere collaboration with East Village Opera Company:

PARSONS DANCE

presents a World Premiere collaboration

with the lead vocalists and music of the

Grammy Award-nominated

EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY

The Joyce Theater, January 6 – 18, 2009

Tuesday, January 6th at 7:30pm (Program B)

Wednesday, January 7th at 7:30pm (Program B)

Thursday, January 8th at 8pm (Program A)

Friday, January 9th at 8pm (Program A)

Parsons Dance presents the World Premiere of an as-yet-untitled collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band. Program A premieres the new evening-length work with EVOC’s two lead vocalists live onstage with Parsons Dance. Program B will feature Parsons Dance favorites: the jazzy Fill the Woods with Light, Swing Shift, Ebben, My Sweet Lord, Shining Star, and the stroboscopic Caught.

David Parsons, Tyley Ross (lead male vocalist and co-founder of EVOC) and AnnMarie Milazzo (lead female vocalist) have created a storyline that connects EVOC’s signature operatic arias (fifteen songs from the band’s albums) with David Parsons’ original choreography. untitled is a thoroughly modern re-telling of a classic story of a tragic love triangle. With contemporary dance, aerial dance, live and recorded music, video projections, complex digital lighting and visual effects, untitled is the most ambitious production created by Parsons Dance in its 22 year history.

“Nearly two years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the members of East Village Opera Company. We realized that a great deal of artistic synchronicity existed between our companies, and we began to discuss the possibility of creating a work together. Peter Kiesewalter’s brilliant arrangements have proven to be incredibly inspirational. Now we are about to present this World Premiere in January,” said David Parsons, artistic director of Parsons Dance.

“David Parsons’ choreography marries tradition and renewal in a way that physically represents what we try to evoke as a band. It’s exciting to see our music take a three dimensional kinesthetic shape in his hands,” said Tyley Ross. EVOC recently received a 2008 Grammy Award nomination, Best Classical Crossover Album, for their album Olde School (2008, Decca Records).

“This piece is a strong departure from David Parsons’ signature themes, representing a paradigm shift in the work of a legendary choreographer, showcasing David’s maturation as an artist and expressing the breadth of his enormous creative range,” said David Harrison, executive director of Parsons Dance.

EVOC’s signature works re-imagine opera arias as popular songs, including pieces by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Schubert. These classics collide with electric sounds from the golden era of rock and roll, pop, R&B, and soul, exploding into a mosaic of sound in a triumphant musical celebration. They have received commissions to pen new works from both the New York Public Theatre and New York City Opera, with whom they have also performed at Lincoln Center. EVOC alternately headlines in prestigious classical concert halls and rock clubs, and records exclusively for Decca/Universal records. They have released three CD’s, and are currently on tour supporting their newest release Olde School.

Parsons Dance creates American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. It is the goal of Parsons Dance to make contemporary dance accessible to the widest possible audiences. In addition to choreography and performance, Parsons Dance positively impacts children, students, and communities through student performances, lecture-demonstrations, master classes, post-show discussions and more. Parsons Dance has a company of eleven full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of more than 70 works choreographed by David Parsons, twenty of which feature originally commissioned scores by leading composers and musicians, including Dave Matthews, Michael Gordon and Milton Nascimento. Parsons Dance has collaborated with many other leading artists, including Julie Taymor, William Ivey Long, Annie Leibovitz, Donna Karan and Alex Katz (to name a few). The New York Times called David Parsons “one of the great movers of modern dance.” New York Magazine referred to him as “one of modern dance’s great living dance-makers.”

Parsons Dance dancers are Julie Blume, Eric Bourne, Sarah Braverman, John Corsa, Kevin Fitzgerald Ferguson, Patty Foster, Zac Hammer, Natalie Lomonte, Miguel Quinones, Abby Silva, Billy Smith, apprentice dancer Steven Vaughn, and understudy Trista Jennings.

The two programs follow:

Program A:

Thu 1/8, Fri 1/9 and Sat 1/10 at 8pm; Sun 1/11 at 2pm and 7:30pm; Wed 1/14 at 7:30pm;

Thu 1/15, Fri 1/16 and Sat 1/17 at 8pm; Sun 1/18 at 7:30pm

World Premiere of untitled featuring the music of EVOC: Overture, La Danza, Maria, Mari!, Habanera, Che Gelida Manina, Flower Duet, La Donna E Mobile, Ave Maria, O Mio Babbino Caro, Una Furtiva Lagrima, Un Del Di, Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana, When I Am Laid in Earth, Butterfly Duet


Program B:

Tue 1/6 and Wed 1/7 at 7:30pm; Tue 1/13 at 7:30pm; Sat 1/17 and Sun 1/18 at 2pm

Family Matinee: Sat 1/10 at 2pm

Swing Shift, Ebben (an excerpt from Program A), My Sweet Lord, Fill the Woods with Light, Caught, and Shining Star

Swing Shift, created for four couples and featuring compelling solos for female dancers, explores the human journey toward self-discovery through social interaction, as dancers “swing” and “shift” in order to couple, uncouple and couple again with another. Ebben is an excerpt from untitled. My Sweet Lord is based on the song of the same title by George Harrison and was originally choreographed for American Ballet Theatre. Fill the Woods with Light was inspired by David Parsons’ love of jazz music and dramatic lighting effects. This ensemble piece features a commissioned score by Phil Woods, recorded by the Phil Woods Little Big Band. The dancers occupy the nocturnal world of jazz music, lighting each other with a variety of hand-held lighting instruments. Caught is an internationally renowned stroboscopic dance masterpiece that features a solo dancer performing more than 100 leaps in less than six minutes. Each leap is “caught” by the flash of a strobe light, to create a breathtaking illusion of flight. Caught has been performed thousands of times, worldwide, for more than 27 years. Shining Star is an upbeat, high-energy romp set to a series of disco-era hits by Earth, Wind & Fire. The choreography blends social dancing with a jazzy, smooth style that celebrates the party scene of the 1970s.

Parsons Dance will perform January 6 – 18, 2009 at The Joyce Theater, with performances Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. There is a Family matinee performance on Saturday, January 10 at 2pm. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC. Tickets are $59, $35, and $19 (Joyce Members $44, $26) and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

Parsons Dance is committed to building new audiences for contemporary dance by creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. The company tours regionally, nationally and internationally. Since 1985, Parsons Dance has toured an average of 32 weeks per year, to a total more than 235 cities, 30 countries, six continents and millions of audience members. Many others have seen Parsons Dance on PBS, Bravo, A&E Network, and the Discovery Channel. Millions watched Parsons Dance perform live in Times Square as part of the internationally broadcast, 24-hour Millennium New Year’s Eve celebration. In New York City, Parsons Dance has been featured at The Joyce Theater, City Center, New Victory Theater, Central Park Summerstage, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and The World Trade Center.

David Parsons (Artistic Director/Founder) has enjoyed a remarkable career as a performer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer of dance. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. He was a leading dancer with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, where Mr. Taylor created many roles for him in works such as Arden Court, Last Look and Roses. He is a recipient of the 2000 Dance Magazine Award, as well as the 2001 American Choreography Award, for his work as a co-producer of AEROS, a production featuring the Romanian Gymnastic Federation that was featured on Bravo. Mr. Parsons has created more than 70 works for Parsons Dance. He has received commissions over the years from The American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, the Spoleto Festival and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, to name a few. His work has been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Nederlands Danse Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Hubbard Street Dance and BatSheva Dance Company of Israel, among many others. In June 2007, Mr. Parsons was honored to be the very first contemporary choreographer ever to stage work at the centuries-old Arena di Verona, in Verona Italy, where he choreographed Verdi’s Aida. The Arena is one of Italy’s most respected operatic venues. In September 2007, he directed and choreographed Gotham Chamber Opera’s production of María de Buenos Aires, which made its world premiere at a sold-out engagement in New York, at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Arts.

East Village Opera Company was formed in New York City’s East Village in 2004 by Canadians Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross. The East Village Opera Company turned the heads of New York’s music community with a series of electric genre defying shows at Joe’s Pub, the intimate venue housed by the Public Theatre. Initially meant as a one-off project, they were quickly signed to Decca/Universal records and met with universal praise from both classical and rock critics and fans. The Washington Post proclaimed that “Opera crossover acts are becoming a veritable cottage industry, but the East Village Opera Co. is markedly different.” They have toured the world with a unique live show, combining a seemingly incongruous classical string section with a powerhouse rock band. Time Out New York stated that the group “electrifies the classics for a new generation.” The Associated Press mused the band was “dramatic” and “mesmerizing” while the Wall Street Journal agreed, noting “The band rocks hard, and deranges the opera stuff with savvy skill.” In a rare feat not many artists can claim, EVOC headlines around the world in both eclectic rock clubs as well as some of the most prestigious classical concert halls. The band’s appeal is evident in both cases. The Chicago Tribune raved “Nobody puts a fresher, friskier contemporary spin on opera’s greatest hits than the East Village Opera Company.” The band has also performed at esteemed events such as the Sundance Film Festival, the Miss USA pageant (nationally televised on NBC), and the world-premiere of “The Da Vinci Code” in Hong Kong. EVOC’s PBS Special “EVOC LIVE” was celebrated with an Emmy at the 2006 Emmy Awards. Their most recent Decca album entitled Olde School was nominated for a Grammy in the Classical Crossover Album category.

Tyley Ross (Male Vocalist / EVOC co-founder) A native of Ottawa Canada, Tyley started performing professionally in his early teens while still a student at Canterbury’s school of the Arts. In the years since then, has been a street busker, a cartoon and voice artist, acted for the small and large screen, written and recorded two solo albums (his composition You Take My Breath Away was featured in the film Woman Wanted directed by Kiefer Sutherland and starring Holly Hunter), and he has performed as a guest soloist with orchestras across Canada and in the USA. After being discovered by Pete Townshend of The Who in 1994, Tyley was cast in the title role of the Canadian premiere of the Who’s Tommy. For his work in that show, he was honored with the Dora Award for Outstanding Performance in a Musical. He spent the next ten years on musical stages across North America, including starring roles at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, and on Broadway. In 2001, Tyley was introduced to Peter Kiesewalter and they began experimenting with recording opera arias in a variety of modern contexts. This project led to the release of the CD La Donna and the unveiling of the East Village Opera Company in 2004 with a series of acclaimed performances at New York’s Joe’s Pub. Within a year the band had signed a multi-record deal with Decca/Universal, and has since released two CD’s: East Village Opera Company (2005) and Olde School (2008). Tyley has his master’s degree in voice studies from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama.

AnnMarie Milazzo (Female Vocalist) is a singer, arranger, composer and lyricist living in NYC. She has done the vocal arrangements for Spring Awakening, the Broadway musical at the Eugene O’Neill Theater; Next To Normal, which premiered Off Broadway at Second Stage Theatre; Bright Lights, Big City at New York Theatre Workshop; and the Paramount feature film “The Marc Pease Experience” starring Ben Stiller. Some of her most recent work includes a new musical Pretty Dead Girl, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival and is now being produced by the Araca Group in New York City, book by David Henry Wang. Also currently in progress is the musical Sea Change based on the Lois Gould novel, book by Karen Hartman. AnnMarie is the lyricist for Franco Dragone’s Carmen, which premiered at The Jolla Playhouse and will open in Madrid, 2009. She is currently writing lyrics for Cirque du Soleil’s, Le Reve, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. AnnMarie’s singing credits include working with artists such as Angelique Kidjo on her Black Ivory Soul Tour also singing with Carlos Santana. She also toured with Jonatha Brooke and performed on her DVD Back In The Circus, shot live in NYC.

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences since 1982. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce is named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther’s clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to establish the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant New York home for more than 290 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 1996, The Joyce created Joyce SoHo, a dance center providing highly subsidized rehearsal and performance space to hundreds of dance artists. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyce’s Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Humanities discussions. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 135,000. Additionally, for the last five years The Joyce has co-produced Evening Stars as part of the River To River Festival in Battery Park.

The World Premiere production is made possible by lead commissioning support from The Ellsworth Kelly Foundation; and Dr. and Mrs. Edward Prostic, in honor and memory of their daughter Elizabeth Anne Prostic.

For more information, visit parsonsdance.org and eastvillageoperacompany.com.

PARSONS DANCE

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC

January 6-18, 2009

Tue, Wed and Sun at 7:30pm; Thu, Fri and Sat at 8pm; and Sat and Sun at 2pm

Family matinee performance on Saturday, January 10 at 2pm.

Tickets: $59, $35, $19 (Joyce Members $44, $26)

JoyceCharge: 212-242-0800

joyce.org

Stay on your toes,

Selly

What did everyone think of Misnomer?

I really liked Being Together. Rock.Paper.Flock was my favorite section. Most of it was improv, but it was structured enough not to be awkward, even with things like "Be a bowling trophy" and "Draw on the back wall" as directions given to the dancers by the choreographer, Chris Elam, who remained onstage the entire time.

This is one of those pieces, like Cedar Lake's DECADANCE, that will sound really horrible when I try to describe what happened in them, but was actually really really good. I went in to this having no prior experiences with the company and no expectations. Their dancing, especially partnering, blew me away. Coco Karol, Dorian Nuskind-Oder, and Luke Gutgsell were definitely the standouts of the night.

All of the dancers had exquisite technique and skill. The lighting, costuming, and choreography were also great. They pulled off dark lights without inhibiting the sight of the audience.

Because of some technical/feed problems, I barely saw any of the third piece Zipper, but from what I understand, the video from tonight will be available at the Misnomer website until the end of the year so hopefully anyone who missed out will be able to watch the end.

Did anyone else watch the performance (live, or broadcast online)? What did you think of it?

Stay on your toes,

Selly

Misnomer Dance Theater: Live Online

This performance was made possible, in part, by The Joyce Theater Foundation, which owns and operates Joyce SoHo. www.joyce.org

Tonight, Misnomer's last performance of Being Together will be broadcast on either The Winger or the MDT website. Honestly, I'm not quite sure, but I'll update when I find out the MDT website various dance websites including The Winger, Dance Advantage Interactive, Misnomer Live, and Dance Outlook (that would be here) at 8PM EST. The performance is in three sections: Too Late Tulip, Rock.Paper.Flock, and Zipper which are each about 20 minutes long. There will be a 15 minute intermission between the second and third sections.

See you there!

Stay on your toes,

Selly

Back Bay Dancewear saved my life!

Ok, not really. But I finally did find an online source for Gamba 93s in a hard shank.

This time, I think they might work. Yes, one pair exploded mid pique, and another died in one class, but the first was a defect and the latter because of a too-soft shank (stinking dancewear companies seem to only carry medium shanks in these shoes, which I mistakenly thought would be hard enough. They weren't. I rolled over the platform hugely and the front edge of the box collapsed and went to total mush).

After the two failing pairs of 93s, I tried out a pair of Gamba 97s just for kicks, and because they're available in Discount Dance while 93s are not, nor did I want to have to drive two hours to my fitter just to pick up a pair of shoes in the size/width/shank combo I need. The 3/4 shanks on the 97s didn't suit me and twisted a little. The fit was slightly off, but I didn't expect them to be perfect, just good enough to tide me over until I could get a pair of the 93s. But, one thing I learned from those shoes was that the Jet Glue on the inner platform really really helps to keep the tip from going totally soft after one class or less; I'm hoping that it will do the same for the new pair of 93s.

I sewed them surprisingly fast as soon as I got them this afternoon, cut the satin off the platforms, flexed the shanks a little, ripped out the suede lining that bunches up under my toes, Jet Glued, waited for them to dry, put a little duct tape over the potentially pokey staples in the shank, and rolled through demi-pointe a few times. As I type, I'm wearing the shoes under a pair of rainbow knee socks to mould them to my feet a little before class tomorrow.

They're super comfortable (or, as comfy as pointe shoes can be) so far, and I have a good feeling about these shoes' lifespan. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crosed that they'll last me through a performance (only one piece is on pointe) and 3 more pointe classes before Winter break.

Oh, and anyone else that uses a harder to find pointe shoe brand should definitely check out Back Bay; they carry a lot of the less common ones.

Stay on your toes,

Selly

Upcoming company and SI auditions

In the past few weeks, I've been seeing more and more audition notices for Spring and Summer 2009. The following are what I have heard about so far:

Missouri Contemporary Ballet is seeking male dancers for immediate position for Winter/Spring 2009. Start date is somewhat flexible. For more information, please contact Artistic Director Karen Mareck Grundy at grundy.mcb@mchsi.com.
http://www.missouricontemporaryballet.com

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet will hold open auditions for women on January 14 and for men on January 15. Send a head shot and resumé to audition@cedarlakedance.com. http://www.cedarlakedance.com.

Bavarian State Ballet Munich is looking for dancers with strong classical technique. Ladies must be at least 5' 5" and men at least 5' 11". Auditions will be held on January 25. Send resumé (including height and date of birth), full-length body photo in leotard and head shot to: Bettina Kräutler, Platzl 7, 80331 Munich, Germany or bettina.kraeutler@st-oper.bayern.de. http://www.staatsballett.de.

Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company is currently seeking strong male and female dancers who have a solid background in modern dance and/or ballet. Experience in other dance forms is a definite plus. Auditions will be held on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. Email your resumé, dance photos and availability to info@dakshina.org
http://www.dakshina.org

Alonzo King's LINES Ballet is looking to hire a female dancer immediately. You must be at the caliber of a soloist or principal dancer. Those interested should send a video or DVD in which you are figured prominently (solo work is best/contemporary to classical). Footage should not exceed 10 minutes in length. If sending group work, please explain in the letter who to watch for. Also send head shot and resume to arturo@linesballet.org.
http://www.linesballet.org

Pacific Northwest Ballet will hold two company auditions for the 2009-2010 season in early February. More information can be found at the PNB website.
http://www.pnb.org

Ballet Talk For Dancers has a huge list (you must be a member of BT4D to view the link, but it's definitely worth it just for the Pointe Shoe and SI forums alone, not to mention everything else on the site) of schools that have announced audition dates and cities for summer 2009 intensives. Yes, it's that time already.

The first round of SYTYCD5 auditions were held in NYC mid-November. The Fox website hasn't been updated since then and I haven't heard anything else of when the other auditions will be. It does seem, though, that the casting/show format might be slightly different this year considering the location of the auditions, Mark Morris Dance Center, instead of the usual giant theaters.

Those are all for now. If anyone else hears of any other auditions of interest please let me know and I will gladly post them.

Stay on your toes,

Selly

NBC UNVEILS 'SUPERSTARS OF DANCE’, AN HISTORIC DANCE COMPETITION EVENT FEATURING THE MASTERS OF DANCE GENRES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

NBC recently announced the premiere of a new dance competition reality show, Superstars Of Dance (formerly title "Superstar Dancers Of The World"). It seems like it could go either way: horrible or amazing. Each team will feature two soloists, one duo, and one large group. It's rumored that some ex-SYTYCDers will be competing on the American team.

Here's the press release:

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., November 14, 2008 - NBC will broadcast "Superstars Of Dance" a breathtaking international dance competition led by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, two of the masterminds behind "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" and hosted by Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance"). For broadcast in early 2009, the unique series will pit the masters of various dance genres from eight countries against each other. Equal parts sporting event, rock concert and artistic exhibition, "Superstars Of Dance" is poised to become one the greatest spectacles of dance performance ever seen on television.

The announcement was made by Craig Plestis, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, Development and Specials, NBC Entertainment.

"This dance competition is very much like the Olympics," said Plestis. "The physical feats these athletes and artists pull is mind-blowing, and we're so excited to form what we hope will be the definitive dance competition to decide which nation has what it takes to be the best of the best in the world. With so much at stake, this is sure to be a roller coaster, and you never know what will happen next. Plus, with Nigel and Simon running the show, it will be done first class all the way."

"This is the most challenging and exhilarating project I've ever done," said Lythgoe. "Nothing of this magnitude has ever been attempted before on television. We will bring to America different cultural styles of dancers -- each performer the best in their genre -- and the sheer mosaic of styles and energy is going to be nothing short of awe-inspiring."

Eight countries will participate in the competition with each team comprised of two soloists, one duo and one larger group. Viewers will get to know the competitors and the coaches through the trials and tribulations, both behind the scenes and on the stage. The stakes are high for these artists, as they are not only representing themselves, but also their dance form and their entire nation.

The eight countries currently scheduled to participate include: Ireland, India, USA, Argentina, China, Russia, South Africa and Australia. The dance styles that will be represented on the show will be announced at a later date.

"Superstars Of Dance" is from 19 Entertainment. Nigel Lythgoe ("American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance") and Simon Fuller ("American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance") are the executive producers.

The show will premiere on January 5th and air through January 26th.

Stay on your toes,

Selly

Nut' 08

Once again its December, and once again, every ballet school, studio, and company is performing or getting ready to perform their production of The Nutcracker. Well, every one except mine that only dances Nutcracker every other year, but we won't get in to that.

Every year, you see the same ballet over and over- Girl gets present at party, present breaks, creepy uncle fixes it, girl falls asleep and dreams of a land of sweets. While it is a cheerful holiday experience for many an audience member, it's almost sad that the only impression most of the American public has of ballet is such a trippy ballet that's based on a quite creepy story and that every dancer hates. You perform the same roles to the same music year. After year. After year. Not that we don't have fun along the way.

Some companies stick to the old classic story and variations. Others are trying to spiff it up. While few end up with a watchable and entertaining ballet (whether it's classic Nutcracker or not), most completely fail (these are usually the ones that attempt a darker version, sometimes with Drosselmeyer-Clara pedophilia alluded too, and some just strange). Usually the ones that succeed only deviate from the original in setting, whether time period, country, or both. Versions exist set in the Revolutionary War, at Mount Vernon during George Washington's presidency, during the 1920's at a vaudeville nightclub, in a poor orphanage, and many other creative and weird settings. I saw one example of a successful Nutcracker in a different-than-usual setting today in Saint Louis Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.

Gen Horiuchi's The Nutcracker is set in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri (aka World's Fair mania) at the home of a local dignitary. The dancing and stage presence were all very good, especially for a production predominantly featuring company apprentices and children from the company's school. There were some oddities, like the random bunnies in the battle scene and a few problems with fog and snow obstructing the movement and vision of dancers, but it ran quite smoothly.

As in almost every Nutcracker, Snow Queen (Kate Highstrete), Sugar Plum Fairy (Jennifer Welch Cudnik), and Arabian (Pamela Swaney) were the definite standouts. It was a fast paced show that didn't drag in the party and transformation scenes like many others do. I have definitely seen better (read: Joffrey, but I wouldn't expect a small Midwest company to be up to par with another of Joffrey's caliber) and also much worse (touring productions a la Great Russian Nutcracker), but all in all, it was quite enjoyable. However, the ending was sort of unclear. Clara is left sleeping in a different house than she fell asleep in, and it is implied that even the Christmas party was a figment of her imagination.

This week, OvationTV aired their annual Battle Of The Nutcrackers. I would have loved to see this but all of the times any of the ballets aired were times that I was in my own dance classes or weird times like 3 AM for a production that wasn't worth staying up that late for. This year, Balanchine, PNB, Bolshoi, Bejart, Mark Morris, and Matthew Bourne versions of the ballet competed for the coveted Christmas Eve slot. Viewers can still vote for their favorite production at the OvationTV website.

The Nutcracker is a ballet that I am always fed up with, yet always want to see and participate in anyway. What is your opinion of The Nutcracker in general and/or any specific production that was particularly different from the original?

Stay on your toes,

Selly

Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. BlogCatalog, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of HIV/AIDS Policy’s AIDS.gov are teaming up to raise awareness and reduce stigma through Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008.

I would be lying to you if I said that HIV/AIDS was something that I knew a lot about, something that has affected my life personally. I'm taking this opportunity to educate myself and the readers of my blog on HIV/AIDS, the toll it is taking on the dance community, and what organizations like Dancers Responding to AIDS are doing about it.

What is HIV/AIDS?
By definition, AIDS is "a severe immunological disorder caused by the retrovirus HIV, resulting in a defect in cell-mediated immune response that is manifested by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and to certain rare cancers, especially Kaposi's sarcoma. It is transmitted primarily by exposure to contaminated body fluids, especially blood and semen. " In 2007 the estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS was 33 million. AIDS caused an estimated 2 million deaths in 2007 alone but has been an international epidemic for the past 25 years. The Youth AIDS and AVERT websites offer more detailed, easy to understand AIDS statistics, both nationally for the USA and globally.

What is Dancers Responding to AIDS?
Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA) is a fundraising program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, founded in 1991 by Denise Roberts Hurlin and Hernando Cortez, both former Paul Taylor dancers. DRA has hosted Fire Island Dance Festival, Dance From The Heart, and Dancing at the Crossroads. It raises money and awareness through events like these, audience appeals during performances by many major dance companies, and through a Dance Student Outreach Program. Alvin Ailey, ABT, LINES, BalletMet, Battleworks, Cedar Lake, Complexions, Jazz Tap Ensemble, the Trocks, Mark Morris, Martha Graham, NYC Tap Fest, PNB, Pilobolus, RBS, and Twyla Tharp are just a few of the biggest names in dance, and all DRA supporters.

DRA's National Grants Program "grants money to almost 500 AIDS and Family Service Organizations across the country as well as in Canada, Puerto Rico, and South Africa". Other DRA money is used to fund programs of The Actors' Fund of America. None of the money raised by DRA is used for medical research; it is given to "individuals in need and the organizations that serve them."

Arnie Zane, Michael Peters, Rudolf Nuryev, Roberty Joffrey, Christopher Gillis, Ulysses Dove, Jorge Donn, Michael Bennet, and Alvin Ailey are only a handful of the dancers that have lost their lives due to HIV/AIDS. Organizations like DRA can't bring these people back, but they can provide assistance to those currently living with AIDS and help raise awareness of the effect the disease has on our community.

You can make a donation to DRA at their website.

What is World AIDS Day?

World AIDS Day (WAD) began in 1988 at the World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. WAD is now mainly run by international AIDS organizations and charities, such as the World Aids Campaign (WAC). World AIDS Day is "about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done." Every year since its inception, WAD has had a theme, a list of which can be found here.

From the WAC website:

Leadership is the theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008, promoted with the campaigning slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.” Leadership encourages leaders at all levels to stop AIDS. Building on the 2006 theme of accountability, leadership highlights the discrepancy between the commitments that have been made to halt the spread of AIDS, and actions taken to follow them through. Leadership empowers everyone – individuals, organizations, governments – to lead in the response to AIDS.

I really need to bring this all to a point; I hope I don't sound like I'm rambling on. I hope someone learned something from this, because I sure did.

Stay on your toes,

Selly