Ballet and Nationalism

[aspirant]

There is a running joke where I work that the American Ballet Theatre should be renamed the Cuban Import Group. It has raised a few questions about whether or not a company should be "pure bred" or should be tempting stars from out of town (for longer stays, not simply to guest). Or whether or not it is appropriate to hire foreign dancers to fill out the ranks. It doesn't appear to be an issue in companies with large schools to draw from (Kirov, POB, SAB) but in places where there aren't as many people in the talent pool to begin with (sheer numbers). Somewhat a different angle, but of the same cloth is the case of Dance Theatre of Harlem-- does one need to be from Harlem, or at least appear to be, in order to appease the aesthetic eye of the audience/board/artistic staff? What about Ballet Hispanico--is this a rep-based title or one describing the make-up of the company? Does the name of the place neccessitate a number or percentage of authentic inhabitants?

eek.

[Ari]

It's funny you should bring this up. A couple of weeks ago I was looking at an ABT brochure in which they had a spread of their principals, and the information given included their birthplace. I couldn't help noticing that of the 17 principals pictured, only 3 were American. Now, I value the contribution of artists based on their talent and not on their birthplace, but at the same time I wonder whether the word "American" in the company's name is valid any longer -- and whether the company cares about it. It's hard to say in ABT's case, because eclecticism has for so long been their hallmark. When foreign dancers join NYCB, they adapt to the company's style, so their nationality is not so important -- no one doubts that Nikolaj Hubbe and Sofiane Sylve are NYCB dancers. But what happens when a dancer does not adapt, but dances in a style contrary to that of the rest of the company, or (in ABT's case) has no company style to adapt to?

[Alexandra]

Great question! I can remember a certain European company that seemed to be looking to hire foreign dancers, mostly Americans, to be corps members with the expectation that they would NOT be principals -- sort of "guest workers," imports to do the heavy lifting and other dirty jobs, like standing around bashing tambourines There was grumbling in Frankfurt that most (surely not all, as I've read?) of the dancers of the Frankfurt Balett were American.

In Europe, there's an economic issue as well as a stylistic one -- the state has paid for the education of British/Danish/French dancers. The state company has an obligation to provide employment for the dancers it trains. There are also issue of nationality that are hard to quantify. I've heard Danes say that a foreigner will never really be able to dance Bournonville, even if s/he acquires the Danish plie and soft arms, because "one needs to be brought up in the atmosphere, with the sense of Danish humanity" to understand the ballets.

I agree with what Ari wrote. And it feels odd, as an American, because we're all immigrants, to look at a company and say, "it doesn't look American." but the influx of Latin American dancers has come so fast, and some of the stylistic elements they're bring in are jarring. I don't mind the Cubans -- they're trained in a very fine classical scool. but some of the others, especially the men, look as though they've been trained in gyms, on the Medal Winner fast track. They can jump, and they can turn, and that's it. During the 1980s, when the company still did its Americana repertory, the presence of good dancers, lke Johan Renvall and several Russians, mostly corps, made those Americana Ballets look very foreign. I'd never realized how American "Billy the Kid" was until I saw Renvall (a dancer I greatey admired) do it.

Yet, to be contrarian, San Francisco Ballet has dancers from every race and clime, and they all look like San Francisco Ballet dancers. Tomasson is beginning to create a recognizable look and style (give the man another ten years....)

American schools turn out thousands of good dancers every year, yet American companies are hiring foreigners. And it's regional as well as ABT; Cincinnati Ballet put out a press release a couple of seasons ago that it had become international because there were several countries now represented on its roster.

Where are the Americans to go? Why, Denmark and Frankfurt, of course!

[atm711]

Another case of Globalization? Perhaps it will become a campaign issue. B)

[carbro]

During the 1980s, when the company still did its Americana repertory, the presence of good dancers, lke Johan Renvall and several Russians, mostly corps, made those  Americana Ballets look very foreign.  I'd never realized how American "Billy the Kid" was until I saw Renvall (a dancer I greatey admired) do it.

I missed Johann's "Billy," but I can imagine what you mean, Alexandra. I wonder how it would have looked had he been given time to "feel" the role.

By the same token, the ONLY times I enjoyed Leonid Kozlov at NYCB were during Western Symphony, where he was really superb. Western also showed Igor Zelensky to terrific advantage. Go fig!

Back to the "Americanism" of ABT. It is, like the nation whose name it bears, a conglomeration of people who bring different cultures and schoolings with them. Is it any less American than it would be if it took its students from different schools (some Cecchetti, some Vaganova, some Balanchine, some mish-mash) from within the 50 states? I doubt it. What ABT needs -- and this surely isn't the first time it's been said -- is a real school of its own.

[Ari]

Back to the "Americanism" of ABT.  It is, like the nation whose name it bears, a conglomeration of people who bring different cultures and schoolings with them.  Is it any less American than it would be if it took its students from different schools (some Cecchetti, some Vaganova, some Balanchine, some mish-mash) from within the 50 states?

Well, yes, I think it is. I like it when I watch the Kirov and see dancers who are all from nations of the former Soviet Union, or POB and see all French dancers. When I saw the Danes last month, the foreigners really stood out -- in a negative way, they weren't the same. One of the miracles of the RDB used to be that such a tiny country could consistently field a troupe of world-class dancers. And they did it for 200 years. The Royal also represents a small country, but it always included dancers from Commonwealth countries, in much the same way that Russian companies include dancers from outside what is strictly Russia. But there's enough similarity there, and not just in training and style, to present a cohesive picture.

Besides, leaving aside for the moment the question of how well foreigners can dance "Americana" ballets (which ABT doesn't do anymore anyway), I think that young American dancers should be able to dream of becoming a star in a world-class company in their own country. But as long as ABT continues to purchase most of its stars ready-made instead of developing its own talent, these stars are going to be mostly foreign.

[Amy Reusch]

Sometimes I've wondered if isolation doesn't end up as a benefit, growing a distinct style rather than a bland homogeneity... it might be a gift to be isolated, but only if there is funding enough for excellence to grow... too bad so many of our regional companies are underfunded... we might have a new wealth of choreography (so long as they were forbidden to travel?)...

Do you think ABT is trying to rectify it's imported talent situation by building up it's school again?, or do you think the school is mostly an attempt at supplementary income?

[Clara 76]

But then you'd just have Communist Russia...

I personally think that the diversity adds much to a company, and like Alexandra mentioned about Helgi, I believe it is up to the AD to achieve cohesiveness.

Clara

[diane]

Alexandra wrote:

"Where are the Americans to go? Why, Denmark and Frankfurt, of course!"

And I would add: Also to nearly every other company in Germany.

Opera or Ballet or Modern: there are lots of Americans, north and south.

One wonders where all the German dancers are going.

I also agree with what Clara 76 said about diversity and cohesiveness.

-d-

[Mashinka]

In Europe, there's an economic issue as well as a stylistic one -- the state has paid for the education of British/Danish/French dancers.  The state company has an obligation to provide employment for the dancers it trains.

I don't really think this applies to Britain, as of the eighteen Royal Ballet principals currently listed only two are British. Of the two, one is on maternity leave and her return is in some doubt and the other, aged over forty must surely be due for retirement sooner rather than later. In the near future it is entirely possible the RB will have no British dancers at all at top level.

[diane]

Does anyone know the percentage of foreign students in the state academies of the countries Alexandra mentioned? (Britain, France, Denmark)

I have heard, and to some extent seen, that in Germany at least there are quite a few foreign students in the state academies. The percentage of foreign dancers in companies is also quite high.

-d-

[Alexandra]

I don't think foreigners in German companies hits more than economic issues, as the academies don't represent national styles in the same way as they do in Britain, France and Denmark. I think the Royal Ballet School is open now -- I think the EU has changed things, too, because you're not a "foreigner" if you're a from an EU country. Denmark is still pretty much Danish because it's not a boarding school, but they're working to change that.

[Estelle]

I don't know about the number of non-French students in the POB school, but as Alexandra wrote now the conditions are the same for EU citizens as for French citizens (as far as I know, non-EU people can apply only as "paying students" at age 14 or more, which normally doesn't allow them to take the competition to get into the company, but there have been some cases of "paying students" who became "normal students" after one or two years). Also this isn't a complete boarding school, as the school closes on week-ends, so it makes things more difficult for the people whose families are abroad (and even the French ones whose families are far from Paris). In the POB, there are now a few non-French dancers (well, perhaps they've acquired the French nationality after getting into the company, I don't know), like José Martinez (principal, Spanish), Eleonora Abbagnato and Alessio Carbone (both premiers danseurs, Italian), Kim Young-Geol (corps de ballet, Korean), Simone Valastro, Francesco Vantaggio (corps de ballet, Italian)... but not many.

[BryanM]

I worked and danced in Japan... same local first mentality exists there as everwhere.

Bottom line: open system, recruit the best, allow everyone to compete will create the world's best schools and companies. We can only benefit.

I would think that for younger dancers, starting out careers, we need to suport a regional/ national system. However, for performance age dancers, globalized attitudes, mixed cultures, are true to the best qualities of our country.

-Bryan