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CD Review: Music for Ballet Class Volume Three by Charles Mathews

March 31, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

Music for Ballet Class Volume Three by Charles Mathews

Charles Mathews

by Rachel Hellwig

If listening to a ballet class CD makes you want to get up and jeté, that’s a good sign (though perhaps inconvenient if you’re sitting in bookstore café.) This album is definitely going on my iPod for home practice. It has the engaging qualities of contrasting moods, many arrangements from ballet scores, and a movement-inspiring pulse throughout.

Selections for barre run for two consecutive tracks so that both sides of an exercise can be completed without restarting the music. As a student, this may or may not be to your taste depending on the steps at hand… It likewise reduces the possibility of a teacher forgetting to do the left side of a particularly tricky combination. But, I digress…

Some of my favorite pieces are “1st Female Variation” from Giselle Peasant Pas de Deux for jeté at barre, “Radetsky March” by Johann Strauss for frappé at barre, “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker for Pirouettes En Diagonal, and “Greensleeves” and Faure’s “Pavane in F-Sharp Minor” for Adage in center.

Filed Under: 4dancers, 4teachers Tagged With: ballet class music, ballet class music review, cd review, Class Music, Music for Ballet Class Volume Three by Charles Mathews

Dancing Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker

December 23, 2016 by 4dancers

Joffrey's Nutcracker
Yoshihisa Arai and Cara Marie Gary dance in Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker. Photo by Cheryl Mann

by Cara Marie Gary

I vividly remember the day Christopher Wheeldon came into the studio to start creating his world premiere of The Nutcracker. It was early August, and with enthusiasm, he said, “let’s crack some nuts!”. We instantly dove into the snow scene… I, however, might have dove a little too far. On that day I was attempting my first entrance as a snow soloist, where Christopher wanted the men to explode onstage with handfuls of snow and a few seconds later have the women burst from the wings and land horizontally in their arms. I was really excited to try my first step in the new production: run, run, run, jump…and that’s when I realized I had dove a little too far, bypassed my partner’s grip and literally found myself with my hands on the ground, my face inches from the floor. There were a few loud gasps and I could tell this definitely wasn’t the exact movement Christopher was hoping for, so without hesitating we gave it another try. This is not a moment I want to dwell on, but I tell this anecdote to portray how Christopher is a choreographer that inspires you to push your limits and go beyond your boundaries. His creativity and unwavering energy constantly drives you to try new things. I remember him once saying in rehearsal, “Let’s not think of it as fast, let’s think of it as exciting!”  The process of creating a new Nutcracker has been just that – fast and exciting. It has also been an experience I will treasure forever.

Group photo after Opening night in Chicago Photo Credit: Michael Smith
Group photo after Opening night in Chicago Photo Credit: Michael Smith

Just as Robert Joffrey’s 1987 version of The Nutcracker debuted at the Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City, Iowa, our first preview performances of the Christopher Wheeldon’s production took place at the Hancher, thanks to its longstanding partnership with Joffrey. I found this experience in Iowa City before the ballet’s world premiere in Chicago to be a tribute to the previous generation’s iconic rendition and also a memorable way to introduce the new generation’s reinterpretation.

What makes this Nutcracker unique from other traditional versions is that there is a new setting and storyline unique to our city and its history. The story takes place in Chicago on the Christmas Eve of 1892, before the grand opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Now focusing on an immigrant worker’s family instead of a wealthy Victorian family, the audience follows the story of Marie, her younger brother, and their widowed mother (who is revealed to be the sculptress for the fair).

I’m honored to be a member of the original cast of Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker. Not only did I get to work with one of the best choreographers of this generation and 2015 Tony Award® Winner for Best Choreography for “An American in Paris”, but getting to meet and work closely with his creative team has been incredible! I’m forever grateful for the encouragement, corrections, and insight I gained from working with Christopher’s assistant, Jackie Barrett. She has a keen eye for details and kept the company on their toes–as she wouldn’t let a single step go unnoticed. The award-winning team also included author and illustrator Brian Selznick, Tony Award-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Basil Twist, six-time Tony Award-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, and Tony Award®-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy.

Cara as Marie with Yoshihisa Arai and Fabrice Calmels.
Cara as Marie with Yoshihisa Arai and Fabrice Calmels. Photo by Cheryl Mann

Knowing the experience and achievements of all of these people was a bit daunting, but working with them and learning from their expertise was a fascinating part of this creative process. Early on, the company worked directly with Basil Twist. We had multiple rehearsals where we’d discuss puppetry ideas that might be incorporated into the production, and he taught us techniques for working with silks to create movements that had life to them. We spent time learning how to maneuver puppet rats and create shadow effects, and in the beginning some of the puppetry was very raw and the techniques seemed a bit unclear. As dancers it was somewhat challenging to grasp how the puppetry would turn out, but Basil blew our minds with the final products; they were so realistic and created a powerful and dramatic effect!

During the creative process, it seemed that Christopher never slowed down or seemed tired. As a choreographer in high demand traveling back and forth to Chicago, he’d often step off an airplane, jump in a taxi, and walk straight into Joffrey Tower, ready to start rehearsals with enthusiasm. True to form, when he fell into the orchestra pit and broke his ankle during our technical rehearsals in Iowa, Christopher went to the hospital, got a cast boot, and came back to finish the rehearsal!

Working with someone like him is also inspiring because of the way he relates to his dancers – even the many children that are included in this production. Without ever raising his voice, his energetic presence was enough to keep the attention of the children, and he wasn’t forced to diminish the quality of his style; instead, he expressed how he wanted the steps to be executed in creative ways that children could comprehend.

Snow scene, Nutcracker
Snow Soloist, Cara Marie Gary (right), with Joffrey dancers. Photo by Cheryl Mann

With the company dancers, when tensions got high, Christopher told us to have confidence in ourselves and remember that with anything new it takes time to refine the details. He reminded us that it was a process and that we didn’t need to pressure ourselves to execute the steps perfectly on the first try. Although it sometimes felt like chaos, he assured us that everything would come together in the end, and it did!

I really appreciated how Christopher led us to approach our movement with layers and texture. He challenged each person to develop their own characters and come up with an inner dialogue – to find a personal story, believe it, and use it to add nuances to the choreography. I was very fortunate to be cast to learn the role of Marie, and in one of our final rehearsals, Christopher reminded me that Marie has a journey in this ballet. He told me the audience must follow her story and see it completed. As Marie, I not only physically placed myself in the scenes Christopher and his team developed, but I tried to incorporate myself emotionally in those scenes as well.

This was a fun process, because Marie has a younger brother, Franz, and in real life I have a younger brother, Coleman. He’s not so little anymore and doesn’t need my assistance with much, but I would do anything to protect him. Throughout the ballet I get to channel different emotions in this relationship – I’m protective when the teenage boys pick on him, sad when he breaks my Nutcracker, nurturing when I tuck him into bed, frightened when rats drag him away from me, terrified when the Rat Catcher threatens to kill him, and desperate when he’s tied up and held captive.

A deeper element that I was able to quickly relate to was the void in Marie’s family situation, as her mother is a widow taking care of her two children. In the ballet, Marie is surrounded by immigrant families with both parents and her dream is to have a complete family again. Marie’s imagination is piqued when the Impresario arrives on Christmas Eve and she witnesses him interacting with her mother – she finds herself hoping that one day they might end up together and fulfill that longing for wholeness.

Similarly, my father recently became a widower after my mother passed away due to ovarian cancer, and my dad, my brother, and I are learning how to do life in a different way, which is incredibly hard. I have a constant yearning to have my mother back in our lives, and the void she left feels irreplaceable. Although my personal experience is not exactly the same as Marie’s, many of these emotions naturally transfer to the way I portray her story and her feelings along the journey that she takes.

Photo of myself, Christopher Wheeldon, and Yoshihisa Arai Photo Credit: Alberto Velazquez
Photo of myself, Christopher Wheeldon, and Yoshihisa Arai Photo Credit: Alberto Velazquez

Of course, it wouldn’t be The Nutcracker without the title character! This is an element that has been kept close to many traditional versions – Marie’s Nutcracker doll given to her by the Impresario is transformed into a Prince named Peter, danced by my wonderful partner and friend, Yoshihisa Arai. Yoshi and I joined Joffrey Ballet at the same time in 2012 and this is our first full length ballet together as partners. He has been so encouraging throughout this process and I always have a sense of calmness when we dance together – a great asset when approaching a new character and dancing in a challenging production.

From the first days of my “crash course” in the snow scene to our currently full schedule of performances each night in Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a world renowned choreographer and a powerful creative team on this fascinating world premiere. I’m also thankful for Joffrey Ballet’s artistic staff and my fellow coworkers who have worked diligently during this process, which has taken strong commitment, teamwork, responsibility, and determination from everyone involved. In the end, we know that our art form creates magic onstage for our audience members, and we look forward to sharing the magical experience of Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker with people for many years to come.


Joffrey performs The Nutcracker through December 30th, 2016 at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.


Cara Marie Gary
Joffrey Ballet dancer Cara Marie Gary

Contributor Cara Marie Gary is a native of Belton, South Carolina. She joined The Joffrey Ballet in July 2012. Prior to joining The Joffrey Ballet, Ms. Gary danced with American Ballet Theatre’s ABTII and was an apprentice with Orlando Ballet. Ms. Gary began her formal ballet training at International Ballet Academy in Greer, South Carolina, under Hennadii Bespechnyi and Vlada Kvsselova. Ms. Gary received additional training at summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Brianskv Saratoga Ballet Center, Ukrainian Academy of Dance South Carolina Governors School, Ballet Spartanburg, and Chautauqua Institution. Ms. Gary graduated with honors from Belton-Honea Path High School and is currently pursuing a Business Administration degree online through North Greenville University.

In 2010, Ms. Gary was a competitor in the IX USA International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi. She was a top twelve finalist in the Youth America Grand Prix National Finals in 2008 and 2009. She also received the overall Grand Prix Award in the 2009 YAGP regional semi-finals. In 2006, she was awarded a Diploma of Laureate at the VI Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition held in Kiev, Ukraine.

Ms. Gary has had the opportunity to tour throughout the United States and Europe. Ms. Gary has performed the title role in classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Don Quixote, Paquita, Markitanka pas de six, and Coppelia. Her repertoire with ABT II includes roles in the Flame of Paris pas de deux, Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, Antony Tudor’s Continuo, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Stars and Stripes pas de deux, Jessica Lang’s Vivace Motifs, Roger Vanfleteren’s Pavlovsk, Jodi Gate’s A Taste of Sweet Velvet, Aszure Barton’s Barbara, and Edward Liang’s Ballo Per Sei. Ms. Gary has performed roles in new choreography by Robert Hill. Her repertoire with Orlando Ballet also consists of Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake.

 

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Filed Under: 4teachers Tagged With: Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, Basil Twist, Ben Pearcy, cara marie gary, chicago dance, christopher Wheeldon, Christopher Wheeldon's Nutcracker, Hancher Auditorium, Joffrey Tower, Julian Crouch, Natasha Katz, Obie and Drama Desk, robert joffrey, the nutcracker

CD Review: Music for Ballet Class Volume Two

December 14, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

charles-mathews-cd-volume-2-cover-imageMusic for Ballet Classes Volume Two

Charles Mathews

by Rachel Hellwig

If you’re a ballet class regular, chances are you’ve plié-d and rond de jambe-d through this CD before. If you’re a teacher and haven’t added it to your collection yet, you should.

Music for Ballet Classes Volume Two takes dancers through a range of emotions–yearning, to pensive, to lighthearted–that help encourage expressiveness. For my own practice, I felt that the slower, more reflective pieces most enhanced my movement and that delightful feeling of being so guided by music that you become lost in it.

Arrangements include selections from opera, classic ballets, non-ballet classical music, and original compositions by Matthews.

Some of my favorites include Beethoven’s serene “2nd Movement Sonata Op. 13” for warmup at barre, the grand and wistful “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria Rusticana for plié, and the tender ache of Puccini’s “O Mia Babbino Caro” for port de bras.

Yes, I’d have to say this album brought out more of my inner Swan than Swanhilda. And that’s lots of fun!

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Filed Under: 4teachers, Music Reviews Tagged With: ballet class cd review, ballet class music, cd review, Charles Mathews, dance class music, Music for Ballet Classes Volume Two

CD Review: Music for Ballet Class Volume Four

June 15, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

Charles Mathews CD

Music for Ballet Class Volume Four
Charles Mathews

by Rachel Hellwig

I’ve always found it helpful for artistry and musicality to dance to melodies from ballet classics in class. Also, it’s just plain fun. I was delighted to discover that Charles Mathews’s Music for Ballet Class Volume Four is mainly made up of such selections, including pieces from Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Coppélia, Giselle, Napoli, and others.

You can channel your inner Osipova, or its as-humanly-close-as-possible approximation, when you fouetté to Kitri’s Act I variation. You’ll be tempted to add Odile-ish accents to your barre work as you frappé to the less frequently performed, though more evocatively sinister, version of the Black Swan variation (which is not to imply that there’s anything inherently evil about frappé at barre; in center, that’s another story, but I digress…) And Raymonda’s  dream/vision variation may inspire a royal grace in your pirouettes en pointe; or perhaps draw you into uplifting daydreams of dancing in the Prix de Lausanne where this piece is often performed–as you likely know from regular intervals of artistically edifying YouTube ballet binges.

You may not (or you may) be a prima someday, but it’s a joy to point your toes to memorable tutu-and-tiara tunes on stage or off.

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Filed Under: 4teachers, Music Reviews Tagged With: ballet class music, cd review, Charles Mathews, dance class music, Music for Ballet Class Volume Four

Advancing Students With Special Needs Through Movement

March 9, 2016 by 4dancers

dance-971082_640

by Janet Rothwell

This past semester I had the opportunity to teach a high school dance class to students with special needs. From this experience, I have learned the value of movement to all bodies and seen the positive changes that can occur for students because of the opportunity to move. Dance educators need to be empowered to teach all kinds of minds and bodies that we might come across, and all too often this population can easily be left out of the dance field.

Working alongside special needs teachers, I created a structure that supports multiple behavior issues, adheres to NCAS, and offers students opportunities to practice social and emotional skill-building, such as staying on task, showing respect and care for peers, and more. Creative problem solving activities that foster accomplishments and growth in confidence and competency help to create an environment of respect and student engagement.

My personal creativity has been challenged and fulfilled through working with these students. My students have a wide range of physical disabilities from wheelchair-bound, to walking with assistance, to slight physical limitations. They also have a wide range of intellectual disabilities, ranging from low functioning autism to slight cognitive impairments. Their unique needs push my skills in new and enlightening ways. I learned how to craft an effect movement lesson so that each student is engaged the whole time and few behaviors arise. I kept activities short and varied to maintain student focus in the class. Freeze dance with creative shapes in the body was a great way to introduce levels while transitioning to a new activity. Lessons included the use of Laban efforts, creative choreography projects and props. Some examples of props used are spots on the floor so students know where their place is in the space, and creating an obstacle course with hula-hoops, ribbon sticks, and plastic cones.

whiteboard-accessories-69155_640Every day I wrote the order of class on the whiteboard so students would know what to expect next. A consistent warm up helped my students get focused at the start of class each day. I used basic isolations throughout the body, followed by improvisation traveling across the floor. For example, “hop like a frog,” “travel low on the floor like a crab,” and “walk, kick legs across the floor,” etc. Constant positive encouragement made a big difference for my students. They really grew and took chances following my supportive feedback.

Creative Dance Project example: I will use the example of a scary Halloween dance that I did with my class to demonstrate what worked well for them. First, the students learned scary movements like spider fingers (wiggling fingers creepy), Frankenstein arms (walk like a Zombie), skeleton knees (knees shaking in and out), and ghost arms (arms floating at side). I wrote the names of the movements and the order we did them on the whiteboard. When the time came for them to create their own pattern, we had visual images of each movement on paper for students to use to assist in this process.

Students got a paper timeline and cut and pasted the movement images onto the timeline in the order in which they wanted to do them. Students practiced their sequence, some added a change of facing (walls had colored paper on them to help with this), then one by one each student performed their solo for the group. We talked about being a good audience member (watching, listening, applauding). Students also made scary paper masks that they could wear while they danced if they wanted to. This activity was great for students of all ranges of abilities. There were many ways to differentiate instruction and challenge those more advanced students like changing facings with movements. I also kept it easier for students with more severe disabilities by holding their timeline in front of them while they performed for the group.

After teaching this class I still have these lingering questions which I will continuously try to answer: How can we maintain a dance classroom of respect and safety with students with special needs? How can we utilize student aides in the most effective way? What is appropriate movement to expect from students within a large spectrum? How can we challenge creativity and performance with this group of students?


Have you taught this population before? Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share regarding your experience? We’d love to hear any comments you may have…


dancer posing upside down
    Janet Rothwell

Contributor Janet (Neidhardt) Rothwell has been a dance educator for 10 years. She has taught modern, ballet, and jazz at various studios and schools on Chicago’s North Shore. She received her MA in Dance with an emphasis in Choreography from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and her BA in Communications with a Dance Minor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout her time in graduate school, Janet performed with Sidelong Dance Company based in Winston-Salem, NC.

Currently, Janet teaches dance at Adlai E. Stevenson H.S. in IL. She regularly seeks out professional development opportunities to continue her own artistic growth. Recently, Janet performed with Keigwin and Company in the Chicago Dancing Festival 2012 and attended the Bates Dance Festival.

When she isn’t dancing, Janet enjoys teaching Pilates, practicing yoga, and running races around the city of Chicago.

 

Filed Under: 4teachers Tagged With: dance class, dance for special needs students, dance in schools, High School Dance Class, janet rothwell, movement lesson, Special Needs Dance Class, tips for dance teachers

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