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And, an important point that we’ve skipped over: Why was Dane August Bournonville setting a ballet in sunny Naples (of all places) in 1842?? During a performance at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in 1841, a ruckus erupted. Bournonville, who was dancing that evening, stopped to address the king’s box to ask if the program should continue… The king nodded and the performance proceeded. Nevertheless, Bournonville had committed a serious breach of etiquette by addressing the king in public, and was obliged to take a six-month leave-of-absence. Jennifer Homans (Apollo’s Angels) says: “During this time, it was a nine-week stay in Naples that had an overwhelming impact on his creativity. In Naples, Bournonville found everything that Denmark seemed to lack: warmth and a warm-hearted people, spontaneity, sensuality, and a life lived on the streets with unrestrained exuberance and physicality.”

Here’s a bit of historical perspective on Bournonville’s setting of the blue grotto: The Blue Grotto (Italian: Grotta Azzurra) is a sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri, southern Italy. Sunlight passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. The cave extends some 50 metres into the cliff at the surface, and is about 150 metres (490 ft) deep, with a sandy bottom. (Wikipedia) Here are a few notes on why Bournonville may have chosen the Blue Grotto as a mise-en-scène: Bournonville attended a ballet, Il Duca di Ravenna, in which a shipwrecked young Duke is exposed to the temptations of the naiads of the Blue Grotto. Bournonville, himself, also visited the Blue Grotto. Known to the ancient Romans, and statues from that time have been found in the grotto. For centuries, the grotto was avoided because it was said to be inhabited by witches and monsters. ‘Rediscovered’ in 1826 The grotto became a favored tourist destination in the 1830’s. It owed its popularity in part to an autobiographical novel published by Hans Christian Andersen , The Improvisatore, published in 1835. Bournonville was a contemporary and friend of Andersen. The Blue Grotto today:

The Ballet says streaming for 24 hours only, but it’s posted on the Symphony’s youtube site, and the Symphony kept Act I posted for an entire week. So watch on Sunday, or take your chances later in the week… The RDB Blue Grotto set is multi-layered, and looks rather nice even on the video. And be sure not to blink during the magic costume change when Teresina renounces her naiadship (toward the end)! Lead Cast: Golfo, a demon of the sea Brian Leonard Coralla, a naiad Kenna Draxton Argentina, a naiad Jessica Phillips Teresina, Gennaro’s beloved Arianni Martin Gennaro, a fisherman Alejandro Mendez (Additional naiads and tritons available upon request…) If the back-of-the-hall view is a bit far away, you might enjoy these promotional clips: With close-ups from the 2014 production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyIP_kXoECc A lengthier studio promo with Mr. Andersen demonstrating character moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsK2zYzTqjM Here is Mr. Macaulay’s review: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/arts/dance/review-ballet-arizonas-napoli-embodies-a-culture-of-exuberance.html?searchResultPosition=1

Dancing the roles of Teresina and Gennaro in Napoli must be a portent of future marital bliss in real life. Alejandro and Arianni have since married, as have Jillian Barrell and Nayon Iovino, who also danced the leading couple. Perhaps there’s magic in the Blue Grotto! And Joseph (Skip) seems to always play the monk to perfection, even to the point of being called back out of retirement, be it Romeo and Juliet or Napoli... Stay tuned for the Blue Grotto (Act II) next Sunday!

This is apparently the 2015 production, which used the authentic Royal Danish Ballet lavish costumes and well-worn sets. The costumes were flown in, and available well before the performance. The sets, on the other hand, were shipped on a slow boat, and, as luck would have it, encountered a longshoreman’s strike on Longbeach. They were in danger of being stuck on a ship for the performance. Apparently by the grace of the Madonna’s medallion, the sets were allowed in, and arrived just in time… Cast: Gennaro, a fisherman Alejandro Mendez Teresina, Veronica’s daughter Arianni Martin Veronica, a widow Kanako Imayoshi Fra Ambrosio, a monk Joseph Cavanaugh Giacomo, a macaroni seller Carlos Valcarcel Peppo, a lemonade seller Roman Zavarov Giovana Jessica Phillips

Act 1 of Napoli will be streaming for 24 hours, starting at 9AM PDT, Sunday 7/12/20. Acts 2 and 3 will be streamed on Sunday, 7/19 and 7/26, respectively. Note that this ballet is posted on the Phoenix Symphony YouTube site.

Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Symphony will stream one act from their production of Napoli, on three successive Sundays, July 12, 19th, and 26th. These are allegedly posted for 24 hours only, however Act I was left up for a week. Each of these will be posted on the Phoenix Symphony’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePhoenixSymphony/videos More info and discussion here as the ballets become available: Ballet Arizona Forum Ballet Arizona announcements here: https://balletaz.org/virtual-events/ The sets and costumes are originals, imported from the Royal Danish. Here's Act II:

Ballet Arizonans might enjoy this Live from Lincoln Center program from 1983, featuring Suzanne Farrell, Ib Andersen, and Victor Castelli in George Balanchine’s Mozartiana. Presented shortly after Balanchine’s death in 1983, this two hour Tribute to Balanchine also includes Vienna Waltzes and Who Cares? Performed by NYCB and NYCB Orchestra, and presented as part of the Lincoln Center at Home series through July 14, 2020. Link to Mozartiana Link to Complete Program

Music and Casting: Three Studies After Couperin: Les Amusements Music by Thomas Ades Amber Lewis Helio Lima, Randy Crespo, Roman Zavarov, Eric Hipolito Jr, Jackson Dwyer Three Studies After Couperin: Les Tours de Passe-Passe Music by Thomas Ades Amber Lewis Arianni Martin, Chelsea Teel, Michelle Vagi, Rochelle Anvik, Jessica Phillips, Alison Remmers, Lauren Flower Syrinx Music by Claude Debussy Natalia Magnicaballi Bri George, Sasha Vincett Naomi Tanioka, Sarah Walborn Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun Music by Claude Debussy Nayon Iovino Roman Zavarov, Eric Hipolito Jr., Jackson Dwyer, Randy Crespo, Brian Leonard, Randy Pacheco, Annier Navarro, Fan Shi Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV1010: Sarabande Music by J.S. Bach Mimi Tompkins, Nayon Iovino Daphnis et Chloe, Suite No. 2 Music by Maurice Ravel 1st Movement Rochelle Anvik, Jessica Phillips, Chelsea Teel, Randy Crespo, Roman Zavarov, Jackson Dwyer, Brian Leonard, Eric Hipolito Jr., Helio Lima, Arianni Martin, Amber Lewis, Alejandro Mendez 2nd Movement Jackson Dwyer, Natalia Magnicaballi, Helio Lima, Mimi Tompkins Alllison Remmers, Lauren Flower, Michelle Vagi, Sasha Vincett, Ethan Price 3rd Movement Jackson Dwyer, Helio Lima, Arianni Martin, Mimi Tompkins Roman Zavarov, Eric Hipolito Jr. Annier Navarro, Fan Shi, Randy Crespo, Randy Pacheco, Brian Leonard, Michelle Vagi, Alison Remmers, Sasha Vincett, Lauren Flower, Amber Lewis, Chelsea Teel, Jessica Phillips, Rochelle Anvik

Ballet Arizona is streaming the complete production of Round for 24 hours only, starting 9AM PDT, Sunday June 21, 2020. More info here: Ballet Arizona Forum

Ballet Arizona is streaming the complete production of Round for 24 hours only, starting 9AM PDT, Sunday June 21, 2020. Round was the second of Mr. Andersen’s work at the Desert Botanical Garden. It was performed on a circular stage, with four ramps for dancer entry/exit. The audience was evenly distributed on all four sides, so there literally was no ‘front’ of the stage. Composers were Thomas Ades, Claude Debussy, J.S. Bach, and Maurice Ravel. Some more programmatic aspects of the music included elements of Afternoon of a Faun and Daphnis et Chloé. Audiences (including myself), perhaps not being particularly familiar with the underlying stories/mythology, were somewhat hard-pressed to comprehend the action. Fortunately, Mr. Macaulay was able to provide some tidbits of explanation: NY Times review of Round

The program notes for Eroica say: “Created in response to these divisive times (May 2018 premiere), Andersen devises a contemporary allusion to the philosophical innovations, personal realizations, and political confrontations that Beethoven experienced when he wrote his Third Symphony…” So there was apparently some sort of allusion to contemporary politics underlying the choreography. Personally, I never got it, and contented myself with simply enjoying the evening. Then again, there were those attendees who misread the title of the ballet and came expecting something a bit more steamy… My favorite movement: the third (Allegro vivace). In the pas de quatre, Ricardo Santos makes every move look perfectly natural... https://youtu.be/jbmPo21EPOQ?t=1834

Ballet Arizona is streaming the complete production of Eroica for 24 hours only, starting 9AM PDT, Sunday June 14, 2020. Eroica, an al fresco, site-specific work, choreographed to Beethoven’s Third Symphony, was Mr. Andersen’s third work to be performed at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden.

Ballet Arizona has announced streaming of two more ballets from the Desert Botanical Garden. Each 24 hours only, starting Sundays at 9AM PDT. More info at the Ballet Arizona Forum once the videos are available… Videos link below. Ib Andersen’s Eroica, to Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony – Sunday June 14, 2020 Ib Andersen’s Round, to music from Thomas Ades, J.S. Bach, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel – Sunday June 21, 2020. Round is performed 'in the round', on a circular stage, with audience seating on all four sides.

I have to relate a standout moment from Topia. After a lively first movement, the second movement (‘Scene by the brook’) features three couples arrayed across the ultra-wide stage. At one point, they’re actually sitting on the stage (as if they were sitting on picnic blankets). Then the boy offers his hand, and the girl takes it – the simplest of movements, but it can be unbelievably majestic. At one performance, I was seated on the right hand side, fairly close to the stage. Helio and Arianni were perhaps fifteen feet in front of me. The majesty/eloquence/poise with which these two performed this movement (it’s hardly even dance – they were seated!) was simply stunning. I’m sure it had something to do with their elegant posture, and the grace with which the simple movements were performed. It was just stunning. Here’s the spot, near the end of the second movement; the three couples dance a bit, then seat themselves on the stage floor, pause, then take hands. Helio and Arianni are on the right: https://youtu.be/LjL14DE0a4g?t=1306 It may be hard to appreciate in a video from a great distance, but it was a sublime moment from a few feet away. I’m glad this video has been made available so I could share it.

UPDATE: The complete ballet is no longer available, but you can still watch several minutes of the actual performance at the Desert Botanical Garden here: Ballet Arizona presents TOPIA at Desert Botanical Garden Ballet Arizona is streaming the complete 2017 production of Topia for 24 hours only, starting 9AM PDT, Sunday June 7, 2020. Topia, an al fresco, site-specific work, choreographed to Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony (Pastorale), was Mr. Andersen’s first work to be performed at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden. 2017 Casting 1st Movement Jackson Dwyer, Eric Hipolito, Jr., Alejandro Mendez, Annier Navarro, Ethan Price, Roman Zavarov Rochelle Anvik, Kenna Draxton, Katherine Loxtercamp, Jessica Phillips Amber Lewis, Ricardo Santos Alison Remmers, Chelsea Teel, Lauren Flowers 2nd Movement Natalia Magnicaballi and Randy Pacheco Jillian Barrell and Eric Hipolito Jr. Arianni Martin and Helio Lima Rochelle Anvik, Ava Cobb, Lauren Flower, Katherine Loxtercamp, Kaelyn Magee, Jessica Phillips, Alison Remmers, Ana Maria Spear, Chelsea Teel 3rd Movement Nayon Iovino Rockelle Anvik, Ava Cobb, Kenna Draxton, Lauren Flower, Katherine Loxtercamp, Kaelyn Magee, Jessica Phillips, Alison Remmers, Ana Maria Spear, Chelsea Teel, Mimi Tompkins, Sasha Vincett, Riley McGregor* 4th Movement Jackson Dwyer, Erick Garnica, Eric Hipoloto Jr., Alejandro Mendez, Annier Navarro, Alberto Penalver, Ethan Price, Ricardo Santos, Roman Zavarov 5th Movement Entire Cast *Member of Studio Company An recent online discussion of what it is like to prepare, rehearse, and perform Topia, as experienced by dancers Jill Barrell and Sasha Vincett is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3VLDMtzeyw

Ballet Arizona will stream Ib Andersen’s Topia on Sunday, June 7, 2020. 24 hours only, starting at 9AM PDT. More info and discussion at the Ballet Arizona forum. Thanks for the head’s up, California!

Ballet Arizona will be hosting a live ‘post-show chat’ to discuss their video of George Balanchine's Symphony in 3 Movements on Monday, June 1st at 4:30pm MST. Ballet Arizona dancers Alison Remmers and Rochelle Anvik will answer questions about what it is like to prepare, rehearse, and perform Balanchine masterpieces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn8UwMH4eJ (Note: the youtube photo for this event shows a very misleading scene from Swan Lake…)

Ballet Arizona will stream Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements on Sunday, May 31, 2020. 24 hours only, starting at 9AM PDT. Symphony in Three Movements was presented in May of 2018, the first of three Balanchine pieces. Also on the program were Prodigal Son and La Sonnambula. This video is pretty much a fixed ‘balcony view’ of the performance. This is the price we pay in order to see these archival videos which were almost certainly never intended to be shown to the public. Choreography by George Balanchine Staged by Ib Andersen Music by Igor Stravinsky Original Lighting Design by Mark Stanley Lighting Recreated by Michael Korsch Costume Design by Karinska Cast: I. Jillian Barrell, Helio Lima Mimi Tompkins, Randy Pacheco Rochelle Anvik, Ethan Price Colleen Buckley, Amber Lewis, Kaelyn Magee, Allison Remmers, Chelsea Teel Connor Cohen, Eric Hipolito Jr., Annier Navarro, Alberto Penalver, Ricardo Santos Christine Arendt, Alli Chester, Ava Cobb, Sarah Diniz, Annika Erickson, Gillian George, Ana Leticia Godoy, Aubrey Kazimi, Marina Lee, Lauren Kness, Katherine Loxtercamp, Riley McGregor, Jelena Mitrovic, Katherine Moser, Jessica Phillips, Camille Sevrain, Ana Maria Spear, Sasha Vincett II. Jillian Barrell, Helio Lima III. Entire Cast Note: Many, if not most, of the corps were members of the Studio Company.

BAZ fans might enjoy watching AD Ib Andersen dance the leading role of Oberon for the NYCB in a Live from Lincoln Center recording from 1986. This will be available from Saturday, May 30 at 5:00 pm PDT until Tuesday, July 14 at 5:00 pm PDT here: · YouTube channel New York City Ballet production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Ib Andersen as Oberon, choreography by George Balanchine. Titania MARIA CALEGARI Oberon IB ANDERSEN Puck JEAN-PIERRE FROHLICH Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons VICTORIA HALL Theseus, Duke of Athens CORNEL CRABTREE Titania’s Cavalier JOCK SOTO Helena, in love with Demetrius STEPHANIE SALAND Hermia, in love with Lysander JUDITH FUGATE Lysander, beloved of Hermia KIPLING HOUSTON Demetrius, suitor of Hermia PETER FRAME Bottom LAURENCE MATTHEWS Butterfly KATRINA KILLIAN Act II Divertissement MERRILL ASHLEY and ADAM LÜDERS Broadcast on May 24, 1986, Live from Lincoln Center

Ballet Arizona fans might enjoy this documentary entitled The Art of Silence, which focuses on balletic mime, a Danish specialty. This gives some insight into the traditions AD Ib Andersen grew up with at the Royal Danish Ballet. (Watch carefully, and you’ll spot him.) This 27 minute film by Signe Roderik looks at character dance as a key element in classical story ballets, with leading exponent Morten Eggert as guide. In Danish with English subtitles. Streaming: Friday, May 29 through Monday, June 1 at 7am PDT Thanks to kbarber for the head’s up!

Ballet Arizona will stream Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements on Sunday, May 31, 2020. 24 hours only, starting at 9AM PDT. More info and discussion at the Ballet Arizona forum, once the video has been released…

Buddy, here’s my guess: I suspect the thrust is to make this every bit as ‘theatrical’ as an actual theatre performance, with lighting playing an important role. At the DBG, there are only side-lighting towers (no front lighting), so dancers are outlined, and really stand out against the fairly dark background, and the focus, for the most part, is purely on forms and the dancing. However, at a few quiet moments (minutes?), the lights are pointed at the desert background and it makes for a stunning setting (below) – especially if the palo verde are swaying in the breeze. Overall, this is, I think, a good balance – you wouldn’t want too much of a good thing. As to sunsets, skies are normally very clear in May, so sunsets are beautiful, but not especially colorful. If you're lucky enough to show up on the right night, you'll have a few high clouds, the reward being a magnificent background behind the dancers while they’re warming up: https://youtu.be/aDqlllawALo?t=2743

Alas, the strip mall facility where BAZ had been located (with parking lot rehearsal space) is a thing of the past. It's amazing what they had been able to accomplish in such a modest home. About a year after this video, they moved into new purpose-built facility. It includes a black box theater large enough to rehearse even Topia.

Just noticed this on BAZ website: “Join us on YouTube for a live post-show chat to discuss the documentary ‘Topia: Desert Dance’ on Tuesday, May 26 at 4:30pm PDT. Ask Ballet Arizona dancers Jillian Barrell and Sasha Vincett questions about what it is like to prepare, rehearse, and perform at Desert Botanical Garden. Click here to watch.” (Here's where I found the info, just in case the link changes - https://balletaz.org/virtual-events/ )