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Ballet Internationale in NYC


stinger784

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Ballet Internationale-Indianapolis will finally be making there NYC debut at Brooklyn College in the Whitman Theatre on April 3rd. Check out www.brooklyncenter.com for more information on how to buy tickets.

We will be performing Alonso's Carmen and Russian Treasures. So check it out!!!

www.balletinternationale.org

www.ianpoulis.com

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Thanks, Ian! Could you tell us what the Russian Treasures are?

For those who aren't familiar with the company, it's directed by a former Kirov principal Eldar Aliev -- hope I spelled that right! -- and they've done several rarely performed ballets, including "The Creation of the World," a ballet done in the Soviet Union for Baryshnikov in the 1970s. It's a company I haven't seen yet, and would like to, so I hope there will be many reports here!

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I saw Ballet Internationale and I guess I wasn't prepared for just how "Internationale" it was. Of the 27 dancers and 2 'trainees' listed in the program, only 7 (all corps members) and the 2 trainees had some American background. Dale Shields, a former Indianapolis dancer, is listed as the only American adminisstrator. The first part of the program was 'Carnival in Venice', 'Melody', 'Fairy Doll', 'Diana & Actaeon', and 'Le Corsaire'. This was followed by Alberto Alonso's 'Carmen'.

Irina Komarenko (a graduate of Alma Ata) did the 'Carnival' and 'Diana'. She is a dancer who appears to make up for her shorter stature with large exaggerated movements and a tendency to mug. At times she seemed to be a parody of a ballerina. She was more successful in the "Diana'---she toned down a bit but she should know that she doesn't have to smile so broadly all the time. Ogulcan Borova as Actaeon did a step in the coda I would have a hard time naming. With his skirt encircling his body he threw himself into a shape that resembled a barrell and opened into a grand jete; and repeated it. A largely Russian crowd loved it.

Chieko Oiwa was most appealing in 'Corsaire' PDD. The opening tempo of the PDD was slower that what I have come to expect and Miss Oiwa (in a calf-length chiffon tunic) set a beautiful serene mood.

There were short bios of all the dancers in the program, but I searched in vain for information on the one dancer who most impressed me; Karen Scalzitti-Kennedy---a young Plisetskaya if there ever was one. She performed Messerer's 'Melody' and Alonso's 'Carmen'. This girl deserves a first rate choreographer, and while watching her Carmen I could not help thinking---she is a natural for 'Tzigane'.

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Karen Scalzitti (as she was then) was a principal at Boston Ballet for a long while and I think before that at Ballet West, before moving to Indianapolis. I remember her especially as the Sleepwalker in Sonnambula, as Irma (?) in Abdallah, many others, she's a lovely dancer.

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Well the reason you had so much trouble finding Karen's bio, was because she is retired. She occassionally from time to time comes and guest artists for us and we love having her around. So I am so glad you enjoyed the show! Kepp those reviews coming!!!

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