17 replies to this topic

[bart]

Yes, thank you very much for posting this, Leigh.  I saw Agon in one of its earlier performances and have  always wondered how the dancers handled the complex rhythmic demands.  Bollender answer my quesetions, and incidentally tells us something about his own individual approach to dancing:

Quote

Was the ballet set to counts - were the counts of the ballet always the counts of the score, or did it have an independent rhythm? Were counts added later?
"I got to a point where I simply gave up counting. He taught it to counts, but they were always so peculiar" Milly [Melissa Hayden] and Diana [Adams] insisted on counting - and they were insistent about their correctness. They were counting on stage "to the bitter end." He remembers hearing them hiss their final count under their breath as they took the last pose with the arm across the chest in the opening. "I finally did it primarily by ear, sometimes it would be necessary to close your ears to their counts. I almost never counted anything ever." For the variation, he did it by listening, the relationship to the music was so specific.

[ViolinConcerto]

A memorial service will be held this week in Kansas City.  At the tribute on Monday night to Melissa Hayden, Jacques d'Amboise mentioned that he will be hosting this event.  He said he's beginning to feel like "Mr. Memorial."

Quote

Posted on Tue, Dec. 05, 2006  


BALLET
A community tribute to Bolender
Legendary dancer to help host an evening of remembrance for legendary choreographer.
By PAUL HORSLEY
The Kansas City Star

Todd Bolender died Oct. 12, but it’s still hard to believe he won’t be popping in to check on the Kansas City Ballet dancers during this year’s “Nutcracker.”

Bolender’s family and friends held a private memorial service in October instead of a public funeral. But this week the Ballet hosts a public tribute to the dancer, choreographer and teacher that will include comments from colleagues and performances by Ballet company members and others.

The tribute, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Music Hall, 201 W. 13th St., is open to the public.

. . .

The tribute will be guest hosted by Jacques d’Amboise, the legendary dancer who met Bolender at age 12 and was later a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.

. . .

The program will include excerpts of Bolender’s choreography from “Souvenirs,” “The Nutcracker” and “Chopin Piano Pieces,” accompanied by Ballet music director Ramona Pansegrau and musicians from the Kansas City Symphony, whose services the Symphony has donated to the event.

Featured speakers include Robert Barnett, former artistic director of Atlanta Ballet; Sally Brayley Bliss, former director of Dance St. Louis; Sarah Rowland, a local philanthropist who was among those responsible for bringing Bolender to Kansas City; William Whitener, current Kansas City Ballet artistic director; and James Jordan, a former Bolender dancer and current ballet master with the company.

. . .

A tribute to choreographer/dancer Todd Bolender will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Music Hall, 201 W. 13th St. It is free and open to the public.

[carbro]

Thanks, ViolinConcerto.  I hope we get a report from Kansas City.

A direct link to the article from the KC Star: http://www.kansascit...nt/16162470.htm