boston ballet – Page 2

Boston Ballet’s Lauren Herfindahl

June 24, 2014 by 4dancers

Today we’d like to welcome Lauren Herfindahl to 4dancers. Lauren is a dancer with Boston Ballet, and she was kind enough to talk with us about preparing for her roles in the company’s upcoming engagement at Lincoln Center.

____________________________________

Can you tell readers a little about your background in dance and how you wound up dancing at Boston Ballet? I started ballet at a very young age after my mother noticed my strong interest and desire to move and express myself to music. I loved putting on mini dance performances for friends and family members, so you could say I always had an innate passion to be a performer. My family and I moved to the Boston area from the West Coast when I was eight and my mother enrolled me in Boston Ballet School. I studied at the school for 7 years before getting an offer to join Boston Ballet II. I grew up watching Boston Ballet and performed many children’s roles in large productions, including six years of children’s roles in The Nutcracker, so it was a dream come true to be offered a job with my home company. It is now only a week away from the end of my first season as a Corps de Ballet member!

This is Boston Ballet’s 50th season and it will be the first time they have performed at New York’s Lincoln Center. What is it like to be a part of this historic event?

It is truly an honor to be able to be a part of such an amazing company. Even from my ten years of watching and now dancing with the company, I have seen it grow into a sensational organization filled with so many amazing artists! To be able to bring this to a new audience is a great opportunity, especially to perform at Lincoln Center. I have learned a lot about the history of Boston Ballet this year, and without George Balanchine and the Ford Foundation, Boston Ballet might not be what it is today, so it seems fitting that we are now closing such a historic season in New York City.

Would you talk a bit about this performance series and the role(s) you will be dancing in New York? What has been the biggest challenge for you personally in preparing for it?

[Read more…]

Helen Pickett: Atlanta Ballet’s New Resident Choreographer

November 19, 2012 by 4dancers

Helen Pickett started dancing at the age of eight after her mother called in and won tickets to see Nutcracker in a contest on the radio. Now, she will be taking on the title of resident choreographer at Atlanta Ballet–a three-year commitment that includes new works and an annual workshop. In-between, her life has been quite a journey.

Helen performed with William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt for more than a decade and she has choreographed for companies such as Boston Ballet, Ballet X, Ballet West, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Smuin Ballet. These are just a few of the accomplishments she has garnered over the course of her career thus far.

4dancers.org asked Helen some questions via e-mail to learn more about her background and what her thoughts are in terms of signing on with Atlanta Ballet…

What is your background in dance?

At 14 started training with San Francisco Ballet School. At 19, I met William Forsythe while he was creating New Sleep for SFB. I flew to Frankfurt to see the company and take class. I started Ballett Frankfurt the next season. I moved to NYC in 1999 to start acting with the theater company, Wooster Group, director, Elizabeth LeCompte. Also in 1999, I started teaching at The Ailey School, under the direction of Denise Jefferson.

How did your dance career wind up evolving into choreography?

In 2005 I received a call from Mikko Nissinen, director at Boston Ballet, asking me if I would like to choreograph for the company. I said yes. The wind up was urgent. Meaning I knew I must say yes now. Prior to this call, I had choreographed solos for students at The Ailey School, Purchase College and Julliard. I need to be in a dance studio.

Did your time with William Forsythe have an impact on your choreographic style? Why or why not?

Bill sees/saw/will always see possibility in life. Tapping into one’s curiosity creates possibility. Forsythe and many others, inside and outside of dance, have influenced my lifestyle. The sum of our lives impacts all decisions we come to.

How would you describe your style and process? [Read more…]

Dance In The US…The Portland School Of Ballet

September 21, 2010 by 4dancers

This week on “Dance in the US” we have a school from Maine…

Name: The Portland School Of Ballet

Location: 517 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

About: Founded in 1980 by Artistic Director Eugenia L. O’Brien, the Portland School of Ballet is associated with the Portland Ballet. Students from the school have been accepted by noted institutions such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Pennsylvania Ballet and the Kirov Academy.

The class offerings include character dance, modern technique and creative movement, in addition to ballet. The school also has formed a partnership with Portland High School, creating C.O.R.P.S.; a performing arts high school program designed to support both the academic course work and the pre-professional dance training of the students involved.

10 Questions With…Luke Willis

March 22, 2010 by 4dancers

This week we have 10 questions with Luke Willis of San Francisco Ballet….enjoy!

Please tell me your name and your current job title.

Luke Willis, San Francisco Ballet, Corps de Ballet

1. How did you get into ballet and what made you decide to do it for a living?

Well I’ve always danced. I remember when I was a kid my dad was always very proud because I could do any dance moves that the fly girls did when we all watched in living color together. I used to create shows with my little brother and I ended up going to an arts high school for acting. I was at Boston University still studying acting when I fell in love with ballet. I was going to every performance of the Boston Ballet I could and I started taking open adult ballet classes around the city. Eventually I enrolled in a dance minor at my university. I was given a scholarship to spend a summer at Jacob’s Pillow and two weeks later I withdrew from the university and enrolled in classes at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Now here I am.

2. How did you wind up at San Francisco Ballet?

I sent in a video tape and Helgi asked me to come audition in person. He offered me a job after two days of taking company class.

3. What is it like to dance with the company there?

It’s fantastic. I am living my dream. The hours are long. The emotional and physical stress is difficult. But, in the end I’m doing what I love for three thousand people every night.

4. Can you share an especially great moment from your career thus far?

Hmmm, so many. I have to say I really enjoyed dancing Nicolo Fonte’s Left Unsaid in Gucci suits on an outdoor stage, on an oceanside cliff in Greece. That was special, but there are so many moments like that that I have stored up in my memory bank. Every moment is special when I am dancing.

5. What tips would you give male dancers who are serious about doing this professionally?

The same advice I would give females, work hard, everyday, and stay positive. Also, watch dance as often as possible and form your own opinion of what you think is beautiful and what dance should be.

6. Who are some of your favorite dancers, and why do they appeal to you?

It’s a difficult question because I admire so many other dancers and Im always looking for something to love about each one so that I can incorporate those traits into my own self as a dancer. But, I admire all of my co-workers here in San Francisco. They are all artists with strong commitment and something vital to share with an audience. I also love Katie Dehler of my former company, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Her dancing is cathartic for the audience members and her work ethic is incredible.

7. What about favorite ballets? Any that you just love performing or watching?

Anything by Jorma Elo. I love to watch and dance his ballets. They are all seamless journeys and they excite and inspire the dancers and the audience. As for full lengths, I have yet to dance the lead in a full length, but I dream of playing Romeo one day. I will be very good in that role. I’m also very excited about John Nuemeier’s the Little Mermaid which we are dancing this summer. I like dancing my role, but I think I would be fantastic as the Poet which is the character in the ballet that represents Hans Christian Anderson, the author of the fairytale.

8. You write about dance as well–can you tell readers a bit more about that?

I write for two different blogs. I recently started Dancing Raw where I talk about what I eat and how it relates to the demands I make on my body everyday. I also write for the San Francisco Ballet’s blog, called Open Studio 455. That is a more general blog about dancing with San Francisco Ballet. I have entries about what I do on my lay off, or stories about when I was cast in a principal role and only had one week to learn it, etc.

9. Have you ever had an injury that sidelined you? If so, what was it and how did you deal with it?

So many. Mostly I have tendonitis. I rest and find cross training options that help prevent re-injury. Yoga is my favorite cross training for injury prevention.

10. Can you share a bit about any new projects you are working on?

The Little Mermaid is going to be really great. You should come see it.

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

Copyright Notice