Ballet – Page 6 – Dance Direct Blog. News, Reviews & Advice About Dance

The Royal Opera House Ballet Series

The Royal Ballet has recently hit cinemas all over America and is continuing to do! Select cinemas throughout the United States will present the 2013 ‘Royal Opera House Ballet Series,’ featuring 3, one-night-only screenings of the new Don Quixote staged by and starring Carlos Acosta, Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Peter Wright’s classic production of The Nutcracker. High definition cameras are used to film the performances, which provide multiple points of view including close-ups and wide shots with a Royal Opera House production truck transmitting the live feed via satellite to the US.

Don Quixote

Inspired by the adventures of Cervantes’ bumbling knight, Don Quixote tells the tale of Kitri (danced by Marianela Nuñez), her sweetheart the barber Basilio (danced by Carlos Acosta), and their adventures as they attempt to avoid Kitty’s father Lorenzo’s attempts to marry her off to the rich Gamache.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Pre-recorded in April 2013 and starring Sarah Lamb, Alice encounters out of the ordinary characters down the rabbit hole, including the Queen of Hearts, who performs her own version of the Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty, to dancing playing cards and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter.

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is an essential part of Christmas for audiences everywhere, despite the many versions available. The classic tale is suitable for all ages and loved by many. Originally seen at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in 1984, this production by Peter Wright is grand with elaborate costumes, a large cast, and one awe-inspiring Christmas tree.

The Achilles Heel

Historically, the term ‘Achilles Heel’ referred to the greatest weakness of an individual: Achilles was a figure of Greek Mythology, a hero of the Trojan War killed by a small injury to his heel. Today, following this tale, the Achilles is the small tendon connecting the calf muscle to the heel bone. The tendon is still a weakness for many dancers, most notable recently was the snapping of the tendon of a Bolshoi dancer during a performance. This was a result of tendonosis, a chronic and more serious condition where bouts of tendonitis are not treated properly or the dancer does not take adequate time to rest.

The job of the elastic structures of tendons at the end of each muscle is to connect muscles to bones. However, dancing places stress on the Achilles tendon and Achilles tendonitis occurs when the tendon becomes inflamed due to overuse, excessive pronation, bowlegs, tight or short Achilles tendons, or abnormally shaped heel bones. Without correct technique, dancers increase their likelihood of developing Achilles tendonitis, making it imperative that dancers maintain their technique and do not develop bad habits. Forcing turnout, failing to press the heels into the ground in landing from jumps and failing to rise to a full three quarter pointe also puts dancers at further risk.

Achilles tendonitis can be prevented by ensuring you are not forcing the feet further outwards in turnout and landing properly from jumps. Make sure shoes and ribbons are not too tight across the tendon and try to avoid using hard, unsprung floors, raked stages, or dancing in cold temperatures. If Achilles tendonitis does occur, it can be resolved through proper treatment including rest, ice, strapping the tendon up and anti-inflammatory tablets, and taking additional steps to ensure it does not return. By making sure you are warmed up, tendons are less likely to become inflammed and injured under repeated stress.

Let’s Make A Ballet with Chelmsford Ballet Company

The Chelmsford Ballet Company, an amateur company with professional standards, is holding its annual Let’s Make a Ballet at The Sandon School in Essex on Sunday 20 October 2013. Let’s Make a Ballet is a choreographic workshop resulting in a short ballet production for young dancers wishing to get a taste of what it is like to be choreographed into a ballet production.

By application students will be able to see first-hand what the Chelmsford Ballet Company epitomises by giving young aspiring classical dancers the opportunity to dance roles they may not have chance to – take part in Let’s Make a Ballet and you could find yourself dancing Aurora or the Lilac Fairy! This is in addition to experiencing costume and work set specifically on you.

Let’s Make a Ballet is an engaging choreographic workshop and fantastic performance opportunity suitable for students between the ages of 7 and 14 years (on the 1 September 2013). The day will see children working with the Chelmsford Ballet Company’s Artistic Director in order to create a short ballet in a day. This new production will then be open for family and friends to watch the performance.

The Chelmsford Ballet Company is an amateur company who set professional standards, offering choreographed shows, workshops and classes. The company is not a dance school, but a not for profit organisation. The company constantly strives to promote and maintain interest in ballet and provide addition ballet training to that already received in regular dance classes.

For more details and an application form visit: www.thechelmsfordballetcompany.co.uk

American Ballet Theatre’s Project Plié

ABT Logo American Ballet Theater has announced a diversity programme in beginning a partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and regional ballet companies across the country in order to increase the number of minority dancers. Project Plié will offer scholarships to talented young dancers and train dance teachers who work in underrepresented groups and communities, boosting diversity within ballet to reflect the US population.

ABT Soloist Misty Copeland has become the face of the new national initiative following appearances in a Diet Dr. Pepper advert – her stretches and pirouettes viewed almost half a million times on YouTube – and in magazines such as New York, Forbes, and Essence. These have hooked fans from outside the ballet world: ultimately, the company hopes to attract not only more dancers, but also more audience members from minority groups. Copeland values her commercial opportunities which enable her to present ballet as a mainstream not just in a grand theatre where young aspiring children may not have the chance to gain inspiration from ballet dancers’ work.

Project Plié will not just be taking steps to encourage broader participation in classical ballet but also addressing the issue of training access, which can be limited for children by cultural, economic and geographic factors. Project Plié aims to find the next Misty Copeland how she was discovered: by participating in Boys and Girls Club activities when a local dance teacher came to offer free classes, Copeland’s physique was noted and encouraged to begin studying ballet, aged 13. This is considered late by balletic standards yet Copeland had entered American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet by 19.

One-hour presentations will be launched at select Boys and Girls Clubs around the country with an introduction to ballet and hands-on play with pointe shoes and tutus, followed by a movement class. Children of high potential will be identified and eligible for one of 10 scholarships that could cover costs such as classes, shoes and transportation, for a year of study with an ABT-certified teacher in their area. Upon completion, those students will be eligible for scholarships to ABT’s Young Dancer Summer Workshop.

Matthew Golding – New For The Royal Ballet

Matthew Golding, Principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet, is set to join The Royal Ballet as a Principal in February 2014. The Canadian dancer has recently appeared on London soil during English National Ballet’s run of Swan Lake earlier this year in which Golding’s ‘dance’ acting, or lack of, was scrutinised by critics. An expansive dancer with exceedingly long legs, Golding is seemingly the mute prince, unable to express himself through the choreography.

Despite this, Golding’s first performance with The Royal Ballet will be in The Sleeping Beauty later this season, partnering new addition Natalia Osipova on 27 March. Osipova is arguably the coup of the pair of dancers for The Royal Ballet, with her fiery passion and outstanding technical ability. Not to say Golding is without these traits, simply the ability to narrate through his facial expressions.

Golding trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Universal Ballet Academy in Washington D.C. In 2002, he was awarded the Grand Prix from the Youth American Ballet Competition and received a prize scholarship at The Prix de Lausanne to attend The Royal Ballet School. Following his studies there he graduated in 2003 and went on to join American Ballet Theatre. He then made the move to Dutch National Ballet in 2009.

Golding made his UK debut with The Royal Ballet last Season in which he danced as a Guest Artist, partnering Zenaida Yanowsky in La Bayadére. The roster of Principal dancers at The Royal Ballet is without a doubt impressive, yet is rivalled considerably by that of English National Ballet. Artistic Director Tamara Rojo – taking on the role following her Principal contract with The Royal Ballet – has done much to build the company up to an even higher status than it held under previous director Wayne Eagling, and looks set to achieve even more before the year is out.

Uniform Standards

Dance Uniform Whilst the stereotypical uniform for dance is much the same, different uniform is required for different dance schools, different exam boards and even different dance grades. For a non-dancer, the assumption of pink ballet tights and a leotard for ballet is not so far from the truth, the stereotypes also formed for tap and modern jazz. Contemporary and lyrical classes tend to be a little more free and liberal in terms of what the dancer dons, and can range from anything to short shorts and tights tops to tracksuit bottoms and baggy pyjama-style tops, known on the whole as ‘baggies’, often used in any dance class for warming up.

Despite the stereotypes, dance teachers all employ certain uniform and dance wear standards for their students. Some prefer their dancers to be comfortable with what they are wearing, whereas others maintain that a dancewear uniform enforces discipline and technique as the teachers are able to see the dancers’ bodies easily. For those who like to see their dance school uniform worn, or neat dance wear purchased, their dancers are more likely to adhere to the standards required during dance exams too. Some dance examination boards define each grade through different coloured leotards, waist elastics or style of ballet shoe.

Aside from ballet, jazz dance and modern jazz is also sometimes subject to requirements such as these. Some exam classes, or even individual teaches, will ask that no split sole jazz shoes be worn, for example, or alternatively that split sole jazz shoes are preferable. Some argue that split sole shoes – be it jazz, ballet, jazz trainers or even tap shoes – offer no support and a full sole provides more for the technique. However, dance shoes, like the rest of the catalogues and wardrobes full of dance wear, are usually dictated by teachers and dancers grow up with these views instilled.

Learning To Be Carabosse By Birmingham Royal Ballet

Birmingham Royal Ballet, the sister of the capital’s Royal Ballet, is renowned for its outreach and engagement activities. Just recently audiences were able to get a taste of what it is like to be truly ballet wicked, in a workshop with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Assistant Director Marion Tait.

As part of Birmingham’s 4 Squares weekender (6-8 September) participants from the Midlands and surrounding areas were able to engage in an open rehearsal, in which Tait taught the role of Carabosse, the wicked fairy from The Sleeping Beauty. While Carabosse is usually played by a male dancer each member of the rehearsal audience were able to experience the mood and emotion behind the character.

Tait focused on the mime of Carabosse rather than the choreographed steps, making the rehearsal accessible to ballet lovers of all ages and abilities, rather than confusing the process by including the technical jargon of classical ballet. Tait shared many tips and secrets of the role for her varied audience, having been a ballerina in her prime and also a renowned dance actress. The audience were also able to watch a dancer of the Birmingham Royal Ballet within the rehearsal who was being taught by Tait: First Artist Callie Roberts, who will be taking on the role of Carabosse for the first time as part of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s autumn performances of the classic tale.

The weekend-long festival also included a performance by Freefall, Birmingham’s acclaimed company for highly gifted young people with learning difficulties. The performance was also interspersed with Birmingham Royal Ballet dances, led by dancers no longer with the company, and staff from Fox Hollies Performing Arts College. The audience were, again, a special part of the dance here, provided with a rare chance to see this unique company on stage.

Conversation With Marguerite Porter: A Royal Ballet Diamond

Marguerite Porter, director of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, is a British ballet diamond. From joining The Royal Ballet aged just 17, to partnering ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev, Porter’s ballet career has been full of iconic and incredibly memorable moments. Today sees Porter at the helm of the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School, leading it towards its fundraising Gala at Sadler’s Wells at the end of the month.

Where did you train?

I trained with Louise Browne in York and then at The Royal Ballet School for two years before joining the company.

What was your typical day like?

Class was at 10:30am followed by all day rehearsals which would end around 6pm, however if there was a performance in the evening and one was dancing the principal role, one would finish around lunchtime in order to prepare for the evening performance.

What is a typical day like now?

There is no typical day, as the Summer School approaches it becomes extremely busy. My PA arrives around 10am and typically we will work until around 3pm. At present in preparation for the Gala I am working all hours of the day and night with various deadlines to meet.

Who inspired you to dance?

I began to dance by accident; I was extremely tall for my age and developed a stoop in order to fit in with my peers! In order to try and correct my poor posture, my grandmother asked a friend of hers if her twin daughters (who attended the Rambert School in London) would give me ballet lessons in their bedroom during the holidays. As soon as I started to put music to the exercises I had been taught I knew I wanted to dance. Later when ballet came fully into my life I would say Lynn Seymour and Margot Fonteyn were my inspiration.

Did you train in any other techniques other than ballet?

At the Royal Ballet School we learned character dances and Spanish dancing.

What was life like as a Royal Ballet Dancer?

In my early years with the Royal Ballet as a corps de ballet member I was blissfully happy. Sir Frederick Ashton, Michael Somes and Jack Hart were the joint directors. It was a wonderful atmosphere in which to begin my career. I joined the Royal Ballet aged 17; I had never been out of the country before and in those days we did extensive tours abroad. Four months in America and Canada with a six week run at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was a thrill for someone who had never been on a plane before or indeed until the age of 15 out of Yorkshire. These were the golden years with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev leading the company, it was such a thrill for us young dancers to be a part of it. As I progressed through the ranks to become a principal the pressure and responsibility increased and somewhat diminished the freedom and pure joy of those early years.

Do you think life there is different now?

Very difficult to answer this question, I can only imagine the pressure is even greater as they do many more performances than in my day.

What are the most memorable parts of your extensive career?

Working with the likes of Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth McMillan, Jerome Robbins and many other wonderful choreographers, also performing with some of the greatest dancers of the 20th century including Anthony Dowell, Rudolf Nureyev and others too numerous to mention.

Do the same things motivate you each day for ballet and dance?

The motivation each day for dance is the love of it, the discipline which is innate in a dancer’s body and constant striving for perfection.

Do you still take classes?

No.

What’s the best part of dance and performance?

I used to find the rehearsal period and preparation the most exciting, creating and developing a role and making it one’s own. If it all comes together in the performance which is what one strives and hopes for, then it is exciting and fulfilling.

Of all the iconic dancers and choreographers you’ve worked with, what is the one moment that will always be with you?

Performing as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake with Rudolf Nureyev as Prince Siegfried at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to a ballet or dance career?

It is a very hard life and I would advise anyone wanting to be part of it, to consider whether or not they have the physical stamina and emotional strength to withstand it. If, after serious soul searching, (and they have all the physical attributes necessary to become a dancer) I would suggest they work hard, wear blinkers and soldier on.

What are you looking forward to most for YBSS?

To continue in the same way with all the positive things that David Gayle the founder of the YBSS instilled at the beginning.

What’s next?

To continue as we have in the past 40 years, hopefully inspiring, guiding and helping young talent.

The RAD’s Virtual Launch

On 10 September the Royal Academy of Dance will be launching Progressions: the launch of the new Advanced Foundation, 1 & 2 syllabi. It will be a virtual launch of the new work of the vocational graded examinations meaning members and non members alike will be able to watch the first ever virtual launch of new RAD syllabi on 10 September. Also on offer to engage with are demonstrations of the new advanced work, interviews with the creative panel and even a live Twitter question and answer session.

The online launch will be available to view at intervals throughout the day depending on where viewers are located. In addition to the launch events are being organised across the world by RAD National and Regional Managers with countries such as USA, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Jamaica, Sri Lanka and Mexico in discussion about holding events for members to attend to watch the launch together. There will also be ‘coffee morning’ style events round the UK in many regions, and one held at RAD headquarters too.

The new syllabi (Advanced Foundation (male & female), Advanced 1 (female) and Advanced 2 (female)) challenge students to meet higher technical and artistic demands than previously, with a nod towards current ballet training and performance. Each of the new syllabi provides opportunities for self-expression and achievement through dance, while building on the foundation of previous grades offered by the RAD, in both the graded and vocational graded strands of work.

The virtual launch will highlight the RAD at the forefront of dance training, with the examination syllabus reflecting this. The new syllabi have been developed with an emphasis on choreography, music and performance through dancers’ technical development at an advanced level. As a result candidates will prepare for an internationally recognised portfolio of examinations which is seen as an industry benchmark for students working towards a professional dance career.

Fit to Dance?

Dance Fitness

Dancers are renowned for their slick technique, exquisite muscle tone and fantastic ability to perform convincingly in front of an audience. Particularly for ballet and contemporary dancers, they are used to the demand of lengthy and extensive choreographed pieces which can last for any given length of time! As a result, their aerobic fitness levels must be adequate to deal with these demands and work the body effectively through the performance.

Despite the high levels of fitness required by dance, most dance techniques require short bursts of energy, rather than prolonged ones: a sprinter in comparison to a marathon runner. By default this means that dancers will perform anaerobically, meaning the oxygen used in an aerobic sense is not transferred to the muscles and red blood cells, dancers are dancing on reserves.

In addition to this, dancers are becoming increasingly aware that they are only fit to dance, rather than fit to run long distances, for example. Many dance companies now complement their dancers training with body conditioning and alternative fitness classes, even encouraging the dancers to use a gym to build up cardiovascular fitness. Although dancers are described as being “fit” in their ability to dance through incredibly long days and strenuous performances, it seems they are now required to ensure they are fit and versatile, able to cope with extreme demands and engage as “artistic athletes”.

There is consequently much debate as to whether dance is an art, a sport, or even a combination of the two. Naturally dancers will argue that dance is not a sport, due to the aesthetic demands and specific artistic performance quality which is lacking from sport. However it is a disservice not to refer to dancers as athletes in their ability to soar above the stage and perform great works, and as Albert Einstein and Martha Graham separately declared, they are ‘athletes of God’.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.