giselle – Page 4

10 Questions With…Alexsandra Meijer

November 28, 2011 by 4dancers

Today I’m excited to announce 4dancers new partnership with Ballet San Jose. Much like our relationship with the Joffrey, in the coming months you will see interviews with various dancers from this amazing California ballet company, and today is our first…please welcome Alexsandra Meijer…

BalletSJ_TheToreador_Meijer — Alexsandra Meijer

1. How did you become involved with dance?

I suppose you could say my mother has always loved dancing. Even in her sixties she loves to salsa. So when my parents made us kids participate in all sorts of after school activities of course dancing was among them. My father thought that ballet was an excellent form of discipline, and he hoped that we would learn to move with grace outside the studio. It wasn’t until I discovered ballet’s athleticism, musicality and story telling that I started to understand its beauty.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?
I am dancing as a Principal with Ballet San Jose.

3. Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?

Without a doubt the greatest moments in my career are linked to roles like Swanilda and Odette/Odile, however one of my most cherished moments on stage didn’t involve being the lead in the ballet let alone my face even being seen. It was a little known ballet by the late SFB director Lew Christensen, named Il Destratto. Towards the middle of the ballet the lights suddenly go out and the stage is left completely dark. As Haydn’s music continues, slowly a pair of arms consisting of only an upper torso eerily emerges floating in midair. Some of the audience gasps while others giggle at this unexpected twist. Then shockingly a pair of legs bourrée from the wings on the other side of stage completely void of an upper body. As we perform a sort of “Dueling Banjos” pas de deux assisted magically by our men dressed all in black, as not to be seen, the audience starts to chuckle. Now, I have performed in many comedies in my time on the stage, and as always when the audience starts to crack up I know my timing is right and it brings a lightness to my heart. However what I could never have imagined was the intensity and roar of pure, whole-hearted, gut wrenching, explosive laughter that swept the audience. As I sailed offstage upside down in the splits, I couldn’t contain this infectious laughter. I was truly grinning ear to ear and it was at this moment that I felt that I had caught a glimmer of what comedians like Dave Chappell and Dane Cook must truly experience.

4. What is the best advice you have ever received from a teacher or mentor regarding dance? [Read more…]

10 Question With…Marina Surgan

September 26, 2011 by 4dancers

Today on 10 Questions With… we talked with Marina Surgan….

1. Can you tell readers a bit about how you got into music?

Getting into music was very easy and natural for me. Everybody in my family played an instrument and to keep the family tradition my mother sent me to a piano teacher when I was seven years old. It was a “must” in my family to have a subscription to Philharmonic concerts, to the Opera, and to Ballet Theatre. When I was nine years old I was accepted to the very famous music school for gifted children named after Professor Stolyarsky in Odessa, and I continued my education in Moscow’s Pedagogical Institute (former USSR) as a Soloist, Concertmaster and Piano Teacher. I was also composing music.

2. How did you get involved with the dance world?

When I was seven I thought that the minute I put on some pointe shoes I’d be able to spin and run across the stage as easy as those magical ballerinas. One day I persuaded my mom to buy me a pair of pointe shoes. I couldn’t wait to get home and try them on, but when I put them on the excruciating pain at once destroyed all my dreams of becoming a ballerina. I decided that it was better for me to stick with piano, as it wasn’t that painful.

When we emigrated to Toronto I met a former dancer from the Igor Moiseyev Dance Company who was looking for an accompanist. She asked me if I could play by ear – folk music. This is where I gave thanks to God for the gift of perfect pitch and improvisation. This is how I got involved with the dance world.

3. You have composed music for the Cecchetti Grade Examinations – what was that like?

It was in 1980, Carol Chadwick who was Vice Principal of ballet at Canada’s National Ballet School at that time asked me if I could compose new music for the Cecchetti Grade Examinations. I didn’t know grades music so I told her that I needed a studio with a student and teacher who could demonstrate each exercise for me – so that I could improvise on the spot and everything would be videotaped.

I should proudly say that I did quite a good job and didn’t have to edit any of my compositions. I just had to score all the music that was recorded by videotape and it was subsequently published by the Canadian Branch of the Cecchetti Society in 1983.

4. You have also held workshops for accompanists- what are those like? [Read more…]

Teaching Tip: Keeping Things Fresh In The Adult Ballet Classroom

August 4, 2010 by 4dancers

If you teach an adult ballet class you are probably already aware of how rewarding it can be. Adult students are typically serious about doing well and try very hard to improve. While this is great–as the instructor, it is up to you to remind them of how much fun dance can be as well. Try to keep things fresh so that your students maintain their enthusiasum and love of dance.

Here are a few ideas you can incorporate into the adult ballet class that can be helpful in that regard:

Periodically have a class where each student can pick something that they would like to work on in the centre. It can be helpful to announce this at the beginning of class to give them time to think about what they’d like to do.
Mix in some music from the big ballets here and there. Nothing is quite as inspirational as moving across the floor to a piece from Swan Lake or Giselle.
Pair them up. Rather than having students do their combinations alone across the floor, have them go in twos. This changes things up a little bit and can help break the ice between people in class–especially if there is someone new.

For Fun: Ballet Quizzes

December 25, 2009 by 4dancers

After a holiday, nobody is in the mood for anything heavy. Today I thought I would share with you some fun ballet quizzes that can help you pass the time until you are ready to ease back into the working world…

Pulled together from BalletMet in Columbus, these quizzes are about subjects such as Giselle, tap dance and ballet trivia in general.

Have at it–I know I learned a thing or two!

Dance Cards & Prints

May 25, 2009 by 4dancers

Artist Linda Paul has some pretty images of ballerinas for sale as cards. She also has giclee canvas prints available. If you are looking for a present for a dancer (or for yourself), check out her work–it’s beautiful.

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