Arizona Native

Can't wait to see it! Hope I'll be able to see both casts ....

Cubanmiamiboy -- Fun idea! Bart -- Me, too -- The Joker from "Jeu de Cartes," with the message, "Congratulations, you've cracked the system." Cute, for sure. Next, I'll have to have my husband take it.

Thanks for the clip, Leonid. Looking forward to seeing him with the company this season.

In case you're still interested -- he's now with Ballet Arizona.

Ballet Arizona has put up its roster for 2010-11. While the company makes no announcement regarding changes, here’s a summary what I’ve gleaned from the web. http://www.balletaz.org/index.taf?mnid=about&smid=1126544328 Departures Chelsea Teel (Wilcox) Ian Poulis is with Louisville Ballet Heather Haar Apprentice Matthew Poppe has joined Boston Ballet II. Trainee Chloe Freytag is a School Apprentice with Miami City Ballet. New Hires/Promotions Elye Olson has returned to Ballet Arizona after some time with Ballet West. Breanne Starke is a Walnut Hill grad and comes to Arizona after 5 or so seasons with Kansas City Ballet. Zherlin Ndudi is a Ukranian who comes to Ballet Arizona via Miami City Ballet. He is listed as winning the silver medal at the World Ballet Competition in 2009 and the “Jury Award of Encouragement” from the United States IBC in 2006. Megan Chmelik, who trained locally at Scottsdale Ballet, has been promoted from Trainee to Apprentice. Amanda Eddleman has been promoted from Trainee to Apprentice. Jessica Phillips has been promoted from Trainee to Apprentice. Emma Fazuolli is a new trainee. She studied at the School of Ballet Arizona under Kee Juan Han and others, and is a graduate of SAB. Allison Trumbull is a new trainee. She is a graduate of Harid Conservatory and attended Indiana University.

We went last night, seeing the Hallberg/Herrera pairing. Acknowledging the faults of the production, there was still much to enjoy. Not least of the pleasures was Hee Seo as the Princess Florine. We assumed she was a principal and were floored to learn she is a soloist, and that, as of a mere two weeks ago.

Helene K. has a delightful review of this in "Dance View Times": http://www.danceviewtimes.com/2010/06/ballet-arizonas-balanchine-evening.html#more.

Natalia, so glad you enjoyed Anderson's piece. Compared to others of his, though, I thought it lacking, and the costumes reminded me of birds, too -- emus! With the small "tutu," and shaped bodice, they were flattering, though, don't you think? The pas de deux struck me, as well, as the strongest part of the piece -- lyrical, intimate, and an exploration of the long lines of the two dancers. Much as I appreciated it, however, I would have liked Anderson to allow Mr. Clarke to move -- as I recall, his part consists almost entirey of partnering of a difficult sort, manipulating Ms. Huang though space, outside of classical shapes, but with him constrained in a small space and rooted to the floor.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed the Ballet Arizona piece, Natalia. The pas de deux couple should have been Russell Clarke and Tsuchia Huang, who have a wonderful and consistent chemistry.

Yes, I saw it and loved it -- agree with Mr. MacCaulay in every respect regarding the merits of the performances. The "Prodigal Son" was extraordinarily moving. The "Four Temperments" was a fresh discovery of movement. While I did not see Mr. Johnson as Phlegmatic, I did see Russell Clarke -- twice. Mr. Clarke appeared fully recovered from injury that sidelined him for a year. More than recovered, he has gained, presenting a more mature and developed dancer, with greater emotional commitment and stage presence, to boot. He is no longer just a young athlete, but an artist with great promise. Jillian Barrell, too, is fun to watch -- at every opportunity distiguishing herself with her technique, presence and personality. She has wonderful space-engulfing jumps, fast feet, and turns that are the expression of an exuberant soul. On the minus side -- it looked as though the dancers as a whole could have used additional rehearsals, beyond the soloists. The Divertimento No. 15, in particular, is so devilishly difficult, with intense pointe work and nearly impossible changes of weight to be accomplished at warp speed, for instance -- they were fully capable, but needed a bit more time with it. The men's petite allegro and batterie suffered similarly. Lacking Mr. MacCaulay's broad perspective, it was gratifying to see in print what we Ballet Arizona fans have suspected -- this is a wonderful company of terrific dancers, ranking with some of the best. It was particularly pleasing to see them described as "one of the most musically intelligent in the world."

Ah, yes, I did. Haven't been on Ballet Talk for a while, and just checked in to see if anyone had posted recently. This company continues to be a pleasure to watch, with veterans who continue to grow as artists and promising younger dancers who are developing their physical and artistic skills before our eyes. With time constraints, I unfortunately was unable to attend more than one performance, seeing only the Saturday night cast. "In the Night," Ballet Arizona's first foray into Robbins, made me hope to see them perform more of his works. As many BTers know, this piece juxtaposes 3 couples, in this case danced by Paula Hartley and Roman Zavarov, Natalia Magnicaballi and Ilir Shtylla, and Ginger Smith and Astrid Zejnati. Ginger Smith was dynamic in the expressive third movement, playing it less angular and histrionic than it can be performed, yet still animated by a deep, conflicted passion. Her final movement, where she submits to him completely, was all the more moving as the result of her convincing efforts to escape. Mr. Zejnati, as always, was a masterful partner. When this is performed at the Kennedy Center, I hope some of you will weigh in on the Magnicaballi/Shtylla pairing, dancing the second couple. Ms. Magnicaballi has such a very strong stage presence, and I thought Mr. Shtylla, while physically attactive with her, and certainly a considerate partner, did not come up with the wattage needed to match such a regal thoroughbred. The Raymonda excerpt was nicely done, and showed the promise of a slew of young, young dancers -- one, Chloe Freytag, is only 16, and there are several not much older. There were, on occaision, some sloppiness with cabrioles that needs to be cleaned up before the summer. Raymonda's unison classism is unforgiving of technical lapses. One of the veterans, Kanoko Imayoshi, took the first variation and showed how it should be done. This versitile dancer continues to be able to dance and act in anything -- equally convincing as a friend of Juliet's or as Mythra. The World Premier, which, as I recall, ended up being entitled "Diversions," was a disappointment. Unlike Mr. Anderson's full-evening ballet "Play," it does not take advantage of his dancer's strengths, show them or his choreographic strengths to advantage, or provide the audience with eye candy, visual or emotional interest, food for thought, or serve other virtues. I am particularly distressed that this will be in the "Dance in America" programme, as it will not make a good impression. Tzu-Chia Huang is lovely, with her expressive feet, beautiful legs and port de bras, and she has an appealing gentleness that reaches out to us straight from her heart. I was very much looking forward to seeing her with Russell Clarke, who was returning after an injury. The two of them are beautiful together, and have a matching energy, as well as geometry, BUT their extended pas de deux came off as an extended exercise in manipulation, with no real dancing for him. While man next to me declared this piece "The best yet," the two young ladies a couple down immediately started to name all the pieces they preferred, and I must side with them. If Ballet Arizona is going to show the world that their dancers can do anything -- Robbins, strict classical, and contemporary, I would much rather they display good pieces, which, indeed, these dancers perform very, very well -- Twyla Tharp and Wheeldon are in the repertory, and would be much preferred. This performance was followed by "Play," the next month -- an nearly unadulterated pleasure, which served to remind me how much I disliked this new piece. We still have one home performance left -- Balanchine -- and then the dancers are off to Washington. We wish them well and hope many of you will be able to see them.

JmcN, I'm interested in buying one of these. What was your source?

Nice interview with Ginger Smith, one of Ballet Arizona's lovely Aurora's in upcoming "Sleeping Beauty": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teZRboC8wXU.

The corps provides movement, pattern, and imparts feeling in a way that no mere soloist ever could. I'm with Carbro on prefering the balcony in order to see pattern and rhythm. Some of the most exciting moments in dance have been provided by a unified corps in lines, coming straight downstage, as in "Stars and Stripes" and some "Romeo and Juliet" ballroom scenes. Depending upon how they are used, too, the corps may provide the most interesting relationships -- physical and emotional -- in a dance. Even standing still, the corps can take your breath away -- Think about the curtain going up on "Symphony in C" or "Serenade." I know a woman who became a major benefactor of the ballet, upon seeing one of those moments for the first time. Go to as many ballets as you can, iczerman, and, sooner or later, one of those magic moments will be yours.

So many reasons to try to attend more than one performance! For those who haven't seen Jillian Barrell -- she's a great addition to the company. A highly-versatile dancer, her quick feet, space-devouring leaps, and strong presence make her a nice match for Mr. Zavarov's Bluebird. We are looking forward to a beautiful and exciting production. In addition, we welcome back to the roster Russell Clarke, returning after an injury. It will be a great part of our Valentine's weekend.

ABT's facebook site posted this link to "Only When I Dance: the Story that Makes Billy Elliott Seem Tame," from the "Times Online UK": http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle6960668.ece. Ms. Coracy has a contract with the Sao Paolo Dance Company. The article notes that she was one of only 5 chosen, from 140 auditioning, and will be the only black dancer in a country that has a black population of about 50%. She begins in January.

Thank you for posting this lovely review, which allowed me to revisit these special performances. Ross Clarke performed locally this summer with "Novaballet," so perhaps we haven't seen the last of him. He danced with an upper body pliancy that was mesmerizing and appropriate to the particular contemporary choreography. There were various other Ballet Arizona dancers in the performance, including Giselle Doepker. A pleasure to see them.

Happened across this recent YouTube post of an interview with Astrit Zejnati: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9AB04vs-4. Nice.

Ah -- I hope he smiled at the article and ate the cupcake! But I do not know, as it was an anonymous act of admiration. The Tucson paper obit, which seems to have a new link, has a charming picture of him in stylized cowboy outfit: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tucson/ob...p;pid=136270410. The comments are beautiful, with remarks from important figures in the development of Arizona dance education, including Frances Cohen, Sandra Noll Hammond, and John Wilson. I believe Ms. Cohen began the University of Arizona dance department, and Mr. Wilson furthered developed it, bringing particular recognition to the modern program. Sandra Noll Hammond was a long-time ballet faculty member and author. As noted earlier on the board, Mr. Zoritch died after a fall. Ms. Hammond quotes her daughter as suggesting that it was perhaps "a fall into heaven."

While not a dance major, I was fortunate to be allowed to take those classes from him at the University of Arizona. Mr. Zoritch was beloved by his students not least because of his courtesy and gentlemanly behavior. One morning, following a student performance, he addressed our class: "I was a professional dancer, and I am not as critical as most of *you.*" He went on to say that the things he had overheard the students say about one another's performances were far too harsh; in the future, he expected them to look for the positive and support one another's efforts and successes. Not a bad lesson, for dance and life. Around that same time, I came across an old article describing Mr. Zoritch as "the Most Beautiful Man in the World." I couldn't resist making a copy of the article and sneaking it onto his desk with a cupcake. He had a wonderful way with a phrase, and a great sense of humor. At the memorial service there will no doubt be many great stories.

That's funny -- seen them a few times together, and Kenna has looked shorter. Maybe it was a matter of posture or a trick of perspective. Regarding the other -- no, Stinger, about this I am correct. I've been looking at this company and it's predecessor for lo 20 years and more, now. The average female dancer is *much* taller than in the past. Being tall yourself, and having the perspective of your own relatively recent timeframe, perhaps your idea of "average" is relative to your own height and the change has been less apparant. It says something when the four "small" swans include dancers who are around 5'6", like Chelsea Wilcox, noted above. Similarly, Ginger Smith and Jillian Barrell are around 5'5". They are in the range of the average American woman. Kanako Imayoshi, Tzu-Chia Huang, Chelsey Saari,Beau Campbell, Jennifer Ham, Sasha Edelman, Kara Hanretty -- all are several inches taller. As I said, several in the 5'9", 5'10" range. There was a time, back in the Uthoff days, when the short dancer was the teenincy Bonnie Rich -- at what? -- 4'9 -- and the tallest was Judith Adee, at about 5'7". Over time, the Uthoff dancers have left, and Ib Anderson has more and more tended towards taller female dancers.

Yes, Insider, I'd agree with your charecterization of Slawomir Wozniak as "boyish." Since he arrived last year, Mr. Anderson has been determined to push him to the fore, using him in soloist roles he is not yet ready for, often juxtaposed with the more mature Roman Zavarov, which only serves to highlight that young Wozniak has only recently graduated. While he shows promise, it is puzzling that more seasoned dancers, with demonstrated greater physical and emotional maturity, are underutilized. As for young Shea Johnson, he does display his competiton roots, does he not? Big on the bravura end and giant jumpts, with partnering and ensemble a bit weak. We saw an amazing demonstration of confidence and physical prowess courtesy of Mr. Johnson during the "Ballet Under the Stars" series, earlier this year: he and Paula Hartley performed an exerpt of "Don Q." Ms. Hartley was her usual fearless self, even on the less-than-ideal portable outdoor stage, giving as if it were her last dance. The two of them began a supported turn -- one which she begins with a standard pirouette in passe, then drills the supporting leg down and continues, spinning, spinning, spinning. She started the turn -- and he pushed her over, failed to catch her, whatever -- she *kept* drilling and spinning -- one, two, three, four, *five* turns -- though he didn't catch her until she was 45 degrees from the floor of the stage! Brava, Paula! Regarding references to the relative height of the dancers -- this is an increasingly taller company. There remain a couple of small women -- Kendra Mitchell and Paula Hartley, and one of the new hires is in that category -- but there are quite a few ladies hoving in the 5'9", 5'10" range. There is even a new dancer taller than the 6' Kenna Draxton.

Not that Ms. Magnicabelli needs defending, *but* she did do doubles. Beyond that, her Odette was poignant, sweet, and honest, as Odette should be. Her unusually long arms and pliancy contributed to her transformation. As Odile, she was an otherworldly creature, less a minion of von Rothbart than a power unto herself, providing glimpses of a crouching, predatory cat, making a toy of the prince. Her juxtaposed portrayals, in conjuntion with Mr. Zenjati's prince, seemed a commentary on a particular kind of man: he will take the loving heart, but is in thrall to the ultimate unattainable woman.

Helene, while the woman begins speaking, the video tracks Daniel Marshalsay with one of the new dancers -- Megan Chemlik, perhaps? The video lingers on her for just a bit, as the voice continues. Stinger, in partial response -- I would charecterize my impression as "underwhelmed." Both the production and the content could have been much better. The blury camara work strikes me as just not competant, as opposed to artistic, I also don't like the angle of coming up from under the dancers, as it does for the most part. As done, it gives a chaotic feeling, rather than the romantic it was probably going for. I also found the chosen music to be annoying, slightly loud, ponderous and with a distracting drum beat background. As for content -- these are interesting, thoughtful people with life experience. Someone asking the right questions could surely get out of Mr. Anderson, for instance -- a star dancer beginning in his teens, a painter, choreographer, Balanchine repetituer, choreographer -- more than completely superficial remarks. If not, let's see more of him working with the dancers. Of course, this comes from my admiration and appreciation of the company -- if administration puts videos out there, they should reflect the same quality that the dancers acheive. If this were just a particular dancer's home video posted for friends, fans, and the curious -- well, that would be something else entirely. Or, it may be that I'm just crabby. And, Stinger -- nice pirouettes.

Oh, dear. I think administration/marketing needs to give a lot more thought to who their target audience for this kind of video is, what the possibilities are, and how best to showcase the company, the production, and the director. These days, with high-powered editing software and a Flip available to everyone, it is not a matter of spending more money so much as knowing their company, having that vision thing, and getting familiar with the tools. It was quite underwhelming, I thought. This didn't do them justice. Still looking forward to seeing the production, despite the video.