ballet quad cities

Dracula, Choreography & Artistic Ownership

October 10, 2012 by Ashley David

by Emily Kate Long

ballet quad cities — Ballet Quad Cities dancers Lauren Derrig, Kelsee Green, Margaret Huling, and Emily Kate Long

Last month I had the opportunity to return to the role of Mina Murray-Harker in Deanna Carter’s Dracula. It was the season opener for Ballet Quad Cities when I joined the company in 2009, and my experience then was radically different from now. The process of re-learning got me thinking about the dancer’s function in the existence of a role. To remember and pass on steps is one thing, but what about the aspect of characterization? We must preserve, but we must also advance. Interpretation and personalization are inherent in live art. How can we go about our work in a way respects the choreographer’s wishes?

Mina was the first real character role I ever danced, and Dracula was the first ballet I ever performed as a full member of a professional company. It was the beginning of my awareness of the huge clash between the academic, black-and-white (or, perhaps more appropriately, black-and-pink) framework I clung to as a student and the messy, splatter-colored, pick-your-own-adventure world of a professional career.

My professional performing experience up to that point had consisted largely of being the third-shortest girl in a line of umpteen in hundred-year-old tutu ballets. Conformity was the order of the day, and I quaked in my pointe shoes at the prospect of sticking out—being noticed usually meant you had done something wrong. We had a saying at Milwaukee Ballet among the trainees: “Know your role and shut your hole.” Great for staying out of trouble, not so great for artistic self-discovery.

I had anticipated that professional life would just be an extension of what I already knew: take class and do as I was told, learn choreography and do as I was told, perform choreography and hope I didn’t get reprimanded afterwards. Feedback or not, there was always the nagging question of whether my work had been good enough. Little did I know that being an artist has a lot more to do with being honest and generous and responsible than about being right by arbitrary standards. [Read more…]

10 Questions With…Jacob Lyon

August 29, 2011 by 4dancers

Today’s “10 Questions With…” features Jacob Lyon from Ballet Quad Cities….

1. How did you become involved in dance?

I had done a few years of show choir in high school with no formal training. Then, when I was 18, a friend of mine asked if I would join her in taking the ballet class at the community college we were attending. I didn’t have any reservations or anything better to do, so I did.

When I went to buy my first pair of shoes, and the store was attached to a studio. While I was trying on shoes, the owner of the studio walked in and stopped dead in her tracks and said, “oh, a boy!” She told me that if I took the ballet partnering class and one other ballet class a week, I could take as much as I wanted of everything for free. The partnering with the ladies was my favorite class, and I started taking as many ballet classes as I had time for. The rest is history.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

Currently, I dance for Ballet Quad Cities. We do a lot of contemporary work along with some character and modern dance. I love being in a small company because I dance till I drop. Even in shows when I don’t feel like I’m dancing much, I remember that in larger companies, people sometimes only get to do ONE thing in a show. We all get to dance a lot, and I get the opportunity to dance a lot of great parts that I would never have gotten in a larger company. The friendships I have made with the other dancers are also increasingly more important the older I get.

3. Can you share a special moment from your career? [Read more…]

10 Questions With…Emily Long

October 12, 2010 by 4dancers

I met Emily Long on Twitter and found her interesting…thought I’d ask her to do the “10 Questions With…” to get to know her a little better–and I’m glad I did! I’m sure you’ll enjoy her interview as well…

1. How did you become involved with dance?

I began dancing because a friend of mine in grade school did it. My favorite part of my first year of ballet was the flashcards; we sat in a circle and had to demonstrate steps one at a time as we were each flashed a card. But I was pretty theatrical as a kid—putting on Broadway shows in my basement with the neighbor kids, folk dancing in the backyard, improvising to a Putumayo CD of Latin music my dad had—I think it was inevitable for me to come to dance one way or another.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am beginning my second season as a dancer with Ballet Quad Cities. In two weeks we premiere the ballet “I, Vampire,” in which I am killed no fewer than four separate times under various character guises. It’s all very dramatic.

Emily Long

3. Would you share a special moment or two from your career?

Special moments for me have been times of being aware of connectedness—sometimes they happen onstage with the audience or a partner, sometimes in the studio, sometimes in discussion outside of rehearsal.

4. What is the best advice you have ever received regarding dance?

The best advice I’ve ever received was from a very, very dear teacher I had, Kimmary Williams, who told me that as long as I wanted to dance, there would be some way to do it. The corollary to that, I infer, is that if I can’t find a way to dance, it must mean I don’t want it enough and should probably stop. Sometimes I wonder if that’s an oversimplified way of looking at things, but it’s worked for me so far.

5. Do you have any advice for those who would like to dance professionally?

Find what works for you. Realize that the only factor in the equation of personal or professional success that you can know and control is yourself, and knowing yourself is an ever-changing, ongoing process.

6. What has been your biggest challenge in dance?

My biggest challenge physically has been my tendency to overwork. I’ve been called “bulldog” by more teachers than I’d like to count! A manifestation of my reluctance to trust my body’s natural tendency toward balance and efficiency, I think. But I believe self trust is one of the great human challenges, so I’ve begun to grow out of the overwork as I’ve begun to grow up.

7. What is it that you love so much about ballet?

I love that there is so much to study: different techniques and frameworks of movement in the broadest, most absolute sense; the movement philosophies of individual choreographers; and on the most personal level the emotions or ideas one can inject into one’s own dancing. I love the process of finding the appropriate vehicle to convey a particular thought or feeling.

8. Do you have a special routine that you go through before a performance, or is each one different?

I make sure I have time onstage before curtain to go through any bits of choreography I find scary or inconsistent…usually that also involves a lot of pep talks and/or lectures under my breath, too! I eat some small complex carbohydrate three or four hours before the show. Basically make my body as ready as possible, whatever happens to mean for a given show. I also usually put my eyelashes on before class to get used to having to focus through that filter.

9. Where you do think dance is headed?

That’s a big question. To the extent that the state of art reflects the state of society, I think it will become increasingly plural and increasingly relativistic—what’s considered innovative, classical, or deviant changes so quickly. Dance is also increasingly trans-generic; all the styles are informing one another. And one can’t even begin to address the impact technology is having on dance in terms of access and the exchange of information. Those are probably all pretty obvious statements.

10. What is next for you?

Next for me is, of course, the rest of the season: “Nutcracker;” a mixed bill, “The Ugly Duckling;” and “Cinderella.” Many more years of dancing following that, I hope.

BIO: Emily Kate Long began her dance education in South Bend, Indiana, with Kimmary Williams and Jacob Rice and graduated in 2007 from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Schenley Program. Ms Long attended Milwaukee Ballet School’s Summer Intensive on scholarship before being invited to join Milwaukee Ballet II in 2007. She also has spent summers studying at Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive, Miami City Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, and Ballet Chicago.

Ms Long has been a member of Ballet Quad Cities since 2009, during which time she has danced featured roles in Deanna Carter’s Ash to Glass and Dracula, and participated in the company’s 2010 performances at Ballet Builders in New York City. Prior to joining Ballet Quad Cities Ms Long performed with Milwaukee Ballet and MBII in Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker and Candide Overture, Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty and La Bayadére, Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Bournonville’s Flower Festival in Genzano and Napoli, and contemporary and neoclassical works by Tom Teague, Denis Malinkine, and Rolando Yanes. She also collaborated extensively with the Milwaukee Ballet Education Department to create Maria and the Magic Doll Shoppe, which toured to over 20 venues throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Favorite roles danced to date include Simone Ferro’s EVOL and Deanna Carter’s Ash To Glass with Ballet Quad Cities, and Petr Zahradnicek’s Dessert Pas De Trois with Milwaukee Ballet II.

10 Questions With…Heidi Dunn

August 30, 2010 by 4dancers

Today on 4dancers we have an interview with Heidi Dunn from Ballet Quad Cities sharing her insights on ballet and the future of dance…

02 15 08 A- 243 — Property of Ballet Quad Cities, Photo by Joe Maciejko

1. How did you become involved with dance?

My mother took me to see a performance when I was five years old and I said to her “I want to be a ballet dancer when I grow up”. I always thought it a bit funny because who really believes it when their five year old makes a statement like that, but my mother did. I could never really thank her enough for believing in me from such a young age.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently employed by Ballet Quad Cities and have been dancing with the company professionally for seven years. I grew up in this community so it is great to be able to give back through performances and the interactive educational programs we take into the schools. Last year we touched over 10,000 students with our art form.

3. Would you share a special moment or two from your career?

The opportunity to perform in New York city with BQC as part of Ballet Builders 2010 was something I didn’t expect to do in my career and I was definitely nervous. When we finished our piece “Ash to Glass” and the audience started clapping I was overwhelmed with pride for the company and myself. What a great feeling! I also can’t forget all of the great people that I have been fortunate to work with. Deanna Carter, BQC’s resident choreographer, has pushed me to do more than I ever thought possible through her coaching and her belief in me as an artist.

10 17 08 A- 387 6x9 — Property of Ballet Quad Cities, Photo by Joe Maciejko

4. What is the best advice you have ever received regarding dance?

There really isn’t just one. There seems to be this data bank full of all of the ideas my teachers have given to me over the years that have laid dormant until someone else has said the same thing to me years later. The one that I have had on my mind is how to work smarter not harder. I love that piece of advice because so often I would push myself so hard all I would do is end up more frustrated and tired than need be. I would just muscle through things to make things happen. Taking a step back though has helped me to step forward and grow into a more of a thinking dancer.

5. Do you have any advice for those who would like to dance professionally?

Be humble. I think without humility one loses the ability to grow and learn. I am definitely not saying to lack in confidence but check your ego at the door and be open to whomever may come in no matter how crazy you think their theories may be. You will never know until you try. I have seen dancers be so resistant to teachers and choreographers simply because they didn’t “agree” and they end up fading into the background. Just work hard and be ready to learn.

6. What has been your biggest challenge in dance?

I think my own self image has hindered me more than anything. Not letting you get the better of you is a daily struggle. When judging yourself so harshly on a daily basis it is hard to keep things in perspective. Injuries seem to be unavoidable but I have found that dealing with the physical side of dance is easier to manage than the mental challenges that come with the job.

7. What is it that you love so much about ballet?

Pointe shoes. But, in all seriousness, if it weren’t for them I would have been a modern or contemporary dancer. I think there is a sort of romanticism about pointe shoes that a young girl has when she sees someone floating across the stage en pointe. I don’t think I ever got over that fantasy. I also love the way ballet in general can fuse such great athleticism and pure artistry. The challenge of how to make those things work together is what really drives me to keep doing what I am doing.

121108 B-_0586 — Property of Ballet Quad Cities, Photo by Joe Maciejko

8. Do you have a special routine that you go through before a performance, or is each one different?

My routines always seem to change but there are a few things that I never do! First I have to stand at the same place at the barre once we get into the theater. Secondly I have to put on and take off my pointe shoes because they never seem to feel quite right the first time around. I also can’t have my hair feel loose. If it does it’s time to start over and there has to be tons of hairspray. I am not really a superstitious person I just need to feel ready. One has enough things to think about when performing without thinking about hair or shoe malfunctions.

9. Where you do think dance is headed?

Dance could go in so many directions. With dancers doing more and more physically each year choreography has the challenge to keep up while maintaining the balance of virtuosity and artistry. I also sincerely hope that ballet companies keep the classics like Giselle and Swan Lake even though it is difficult for many companies to stage such productions today.

10. What is next for you?

I am really looking forward to the upcoming season. Our first performance will be “I Vampire”. It will be based on a book written by a local author, Michael Romkey. I have just finished reading it and can’t wait to see how his book comes to life through dance.

Bio: Heidi Dunn began her ballet training at City Center School of the Arts, now Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance. She also trained with Ballet Conservatory of St. Louis with Nathalie Levine. In 1999, she was invited to become an apprentice with Cassandra Manning Ballet Theater under the direction of Johanne Jakhelln. Since becoming a full company member in 2003 she has worked with Dominic Walsh in “Die Hochzeit” and was featured as Clara in his 2008 version of the “Nutcracker”. She has worked with Deanna Carter in “Dracula” as Lucy, “Ash to Glass”, and as Carmen in “Carmen”. While working with the company she has also had the pleasure of working with Domingo Rubio, Cleo Mack, Simone Ferro, and L.D. Kidd. This will be Ms. Dunn’s 8th season with Ballet Quad Cities.

Dance Job: Ballet Quad Cities

July 23, 2010 by 4dancers

Ballet Quad Cities is looking for one paid female dancer for a 29 week contract beginning September 7th, 2010. The diverse repertoire of Ballet Quad Cities requires dancers to be classically trained as well as comfortable in all contemporary styles of dance.

Interested dancers should submit a resume, headshot, and video/dvd by email to: clyonballetqc (at) sbcglobal.net

or by mail to:
Ballet Quad Cities
Attn: Courtney Lyon
613 17th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201

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