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

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 “1^st 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.

Review: “Gennadi’s Choice” by Atlanta Ballet

March 18, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

Atlanta Ballet in Gemma Bond’s
“Denouement.” Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

by Rachel Hellwig

Gennadi’s Choice marks a new chapter for Atlanta Ballet as the company is shaped by the new artistic direction of Gennadi Nedvigin. The first mixed bill of his inaugural season, the program provides a glimpse of his commitment to classical ballet and contemporary works with a strong classical basis. It features excerpts of Paquita, Denouement by Gemma Bond, and Vespertine by Liam Scarlett.

Paquita’s sunny foray into classicism showcases Christian Clark’s calm strength and finesse and Rachel Van Buskirk’s precision, musicality, and creativity. Variations also highlight Ashley Wegmann’s long lines, serenity, and sumptuous phrasing, Monika Haczkiewicz’s elastic jumps and balance, and Jackie Nash’s projection and pointe work.

In Denouement, a premiere by Gemma Bond, the company evinces its continuing strength in one-act, abstract, contemporary works. With themes of time and choice as inspiration, Bond constructs a detailed work that casts a quiet, increasing tight spell. Imagery recalling Swan Lake surfaces at times, including frequent, wing-like motions of the arms and bourrées conveying a struggle for freedom. James Whiteside’s costumes also contribute to these echoes as strips of pale fabric forming skirts sometimes appear to be feathers fluttering in the wind. Predominantly cold, blue lighting by Joseph R. Walls coupled with scrims to suggest doorways and distance adds dimensions to the drama.

Vespertine, the North American premiere of a work Scarlett created on the Norwegian National Ballet in 2013, likewise highlights Atlanta Ballet’s adeptness in one-act, contemporary works. In Vespertine, Scarlett is at his most poignant when melding contrasting movement elements—grounded, historically-inspired and naturalistic steps with the abandon, force, and freedom of contemporary ballet. Adding to this is his gift of charging small gestures with intensity and layers of meaning. As in Denouement, the lighting design—here by Michael Hulls– has a leading role in the drama: clusters of lights hovering above stage, most evocative when dimly glowing, represent both chandeliers and a canopy of magnified stars.

Gennadi’s Choice repeats on March 18 at 8 p.m. and March 19 at 2 p.m.

Disclosure: Atlanta Ballet Dancer Alessa Rogers is a contributing writer at 4dancers.

Sidelined?

March 17, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

By Samantha Hope Galler

Louise in Kenneth MacMillan’s “Carousel” with Miami City Ballet. Daniel Azoulay.

Understanding Injuries

Since I began my career nearly 10 years ago, I have discovered that professional ballet dancers are among the strongest human beings. When I was 5 years in to my professional career, I met with a sports medicine doctor. During our conversation he said to me, “Well, it’s not like you are playing tackle football.” I could not believe it. His comment opened my eyes to how little people understood the dance world and the risks that come with it. Dancers put their careers on the line every day. We must deal with disappointments, but, most of all, we must deal with injuries. Discovering mental stamina while sidelined is the biggest challenge.

The Worst News

The worst news a dancer can receive is that she or he must hold off on what they live and breathe. Dance injuries come when you least expect them. Performing and rehearsing is going along so well and then all of a sudden things come to a screeching halt. It is a complete shock. Many injuries will take weeks, months, or even years to come back from. Emotional attitudes are compromised and difficulties arise from being sidelined. Fortunately, dancers today have access to advanced dance and sports medicine doctors who will answer any questions they have regarding their path to recovery. Depending on the severity of an injury, movement may be limited. This can force a dancer to be away from the studio for quite some time. Other injuries may allow a dancer to continue some normal activity like watching rehearsals or marking in the back of the studio. It is common to find a young dancer joining a company and sidelined early on from an overuse injury. A professional dancer’s schedule can be drastically different from that of a student and they may not be used to it. I have learned that a dancer’s first injury is a crucial learning experience. It was for me. It is the first time a dancer is forced to sit out, cross train, and build back mental and physical strength. There is a significant amount of time to reflect on yourself and any recent experiences. Reflection can be a positive experience, especially when the person is in their most vulnerable state. Reflecting can build a dancer’s confidence while they discover new ways to approach goals. This is when a dancer finds their deepest strength to pull through.

Learning to Cope

Mental stamina and mental clarity are two crucial elements dancers require to tackle their careers. Interestingly enough, our training prepares us for injuries in more ways than one. It is a matter of finding the patience we need to keep our head in the game. Most professional dancers are accustomed to spending 7-8 hours a day rehearsing. It can be quite a shock when all of a sudden you do not have that schedule anymore. Time seems to go by more slowly because the schedule is quieter. It is important to fill that schedule with activities that keep the mind and body alert. A portion of time can be spent working with a sports psychologist to learn how to compartmentalize, gain focus, and grasp the situation. Feeding the mind with positive thoughts and meditating has helped me find trust and confidence. I really have to believe there is a master plan behind it all.

Back to Work

Visualization plays a key role in my return. As I approach the weeks before returning to the studio, I begin to visualize my pirouettes and jumps. Sometimes I watch rehearsals just to become accustomed to the sounds of the pointe shoe hitting the floor. In addition, I find time to research and study ballet videos. Even though injuries stop us from being able to physically practice, we can still keep our minds going. Watching these videos reminds the mind what the movements feel like without actually doing them. All of these practices guide us in the right direction. When the chance comes to finally step back into the studio, it is important to feel ready. I find comfort in knowing what muscles I can and cannot move. This helps me narrow down a productive workout routine to stay into shape. Although it is not easy to work out equivalently to a daily rehearsal schedule, two or three hours in the gym can make a huge difference. The more I do while recovering the more I can focus on the main issue once I am given the ok to move on. My workouts typically include reformer sessions, gyrotonics, biking, and swimming as permitted. My advice for those coming back from an injury is to try all different forms of cross training. If you do Pilates all the time, make sure to throw in a few sessions of swimming to build stamina in a different way. This career is first and foremost visual so it is important to understand how to make an appropriate comeback so that you can feel confident with your progress once you are in the studio or on stage. Be ready to face anything that comes your way.

3 Lessons From A Liam Scarlett Rehearsal

March 9, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

by Rachel Hellwig

Alessa Rogers and Christian Clark in Liam Scarlett's rehearsal of "Vesperine." Photo courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — Liam Scarlett (right) rehearses Alessa Rogers and Christian Clark’s pas de deux in “Vesperine.” Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

A popular meme in the dance community online depicts the diagram of an iceberg—the 20% above the water labeled “The Show,” the 80% below marked “The Rehearsal.” Humor aside, the rehearsal process yields depths of learning and insight.

Liam Scarlett, Artist in Residence at The Royal Ballet, was at Atlanta Ballet last October setting his work Vespertine on the company. The piece, originally created on the Norwegian National Ballet in 2013, will appear on the program Gennadi’s Choice from March 17-19.

Scarlett is articulate, thoughtful, and detailed in his discussion of dance and choreography, smoothly navigating the always stormy waters of translating the language of movement into the language of words.

Here are some ideas gleaned from his rehearsal that can be applied to any dance rehearsal…

Create Safety to Experiment

Scarlett says that a rehearsal should be a place to make mistakes, not be afraid of looking silly, and that when laughter arises in the process, the artists are “laughing with each other, not at one another.”

Filter Movement Through Emotion

Though Scarlett’s Vespertine is abstract, it’s all about feelings, specifically those reflecting the definition of “vespertine”– an “active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Scarlett believes that, in dance, a glance can be more powerful than a virtuosic display like 32 fouettés.

That said, he doesn’t get unrealistically carried away with this idea. After giving a correction that emphasized the importance of a particular glance between two dancers, he added–with good humor–“Don’t get so lost in each others’ eyes that you get behind the music.”

Remember That Choreography Lives Through Performers

As a choreographer, Scarlett admits that he is sad when the creation process is over. Yet, he points out that finishing a dance work is “not like finishing a painting.” Choreography goes on living. Performers bring it to life again and again. He says, “It’s different every night, different for every interpreter.”

Beyond Rehearsal…

Scarlett sees dance as a magnification of the universal language of body language; the age-old reflex of expressing feelings in movement.

As he told The New York Times in March, “The body has automatic reactions […] We cry, laugh, our heart quickens, we hold our breath. Everyone speaks with their hands. Dance is just an amplified version of this.”

“Gennadi’s Choice” will be presented from March 17-19, 2017 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The program will feature Scarlett’s “Vespertine,” selections from “Paquita,” and a world premiere by Gemma Bond. Tickets Start At $25. Purchase here.

Save

Vancouver International Dance Festival Will Showcase Butoh, Ballet, and More

March 1, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

Alonzo King LINES Ballet in”Shostakovich.” Image by Quinn Wharton.

The 17th annual Vancouver International Dance Festival will present 14 companies at various venues around the city from March 1-25. Highlights include San Francisco’s Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Japan’s Dairakudakan, and Denmark’s Kitt Johnson. The festival will offer an “eclectic balance of local and international groups,” says Barbara Bourget who co-produces the event with Jay Hirabayashi. “We not devoted to one mode of expression.”

Returning to VIDF a third time, Alonzo King LINES Ballet will perform the Canadian premieres of Shostakovich (2014) and SAND (2016) at the Vancouver Playhouse from March 3-4. Bourget, originally a ballet dancer, is drawn to the cultural diversity and rigor of the company and the impact of their productions. She says their works speak to the “heart, mind, spirit, soul” and “what it means to be a human.”

Dairakudakan. Image courtesy of Vancouver International Dance Festival.

Dairakudakan, Japan’s longest-standing Butoh ensemble, founded in 1972, will present its latest work, Paradise, at the Vancouver Playhouse from March 10-11. Bourget and Hirabayashi have been fascinated by Butoh since they discovered it in 1982. Bourget says they felt they “had to learn more about its aesthetic” and its “reimagining of time and space.” Attending a workshop held by Dairakudakan in 2015 led to them engaging the company for its Canadian premiere two years ago. Bourget says the audience’s excitement was “palpable” during those VIDF performances.

Kitt Johnson. Image by Per Morten Abrahamsen.

Kitt Johnson, a solo performer, will make her third visit to the festival to perform POST NO BILLS at the Roundhouse Performance Center from March 23-25. Bourget says that Johnson is a strong artist whose work always “pulls her in.”

The Vancouver International Dance Festival will also feature free and inexpensive performances at the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall and the Woodward’s Atrium from March 9-25. Groups and artists will include Molly Mcdermott, Rob/Jane/Kim, Ouro, Mutable Subject, and KTL Company. For more information see here.

To purchase tickets for Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Dairakudakan, Kitt Johnson and other performances see here.

Create Safety to Experiment

Filter Movement Through Emotion

Remember That Choreography Lives Through Performers

Beyond Rehearsal…

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

Copyright Notice