Marga Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 For those in Toronto interested in seeing Dimitri Gudanov and Elena Andrienko up close, here is the perfect opportunity. They will be featured in three performances of the Canadian Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker in the cozy (444 seat) Leah Posluns Theatre. Here are the particulars: December 20, 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm December 21, 1:30 pm Call ticketmaster at 416-872-1111 I believe the tickets are all $35, no matter which seats. The Leah Posluns Theatre has no bad seats, anyway. It is an intimate setting with a large stage. The same couple danced last year in the same production and it was just wonderful. It's a perfect venue to see the Bolshoi's choreography for the grand pas de deux of The Nutcracker with its spectacular lifts and dramatic jumps. For more information call the Academy of Ballet and Jazz at 905-886-0455 or visit Stars of the 21st Century Link to comment
Millie Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Marga, Could you tell us about the Canadian Ballet Theatre? Is this the comapany that uses young dancers from the Hamilton area? It is different from the Ontario Ballet company, isn't it? I believe it also has former Russian dancers? I saw the latter last year do Nutcracker and was not overly impressed. Would love to learn about the smaller ballet companies in Ontario. Thanks. Link to comment
Marga Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 Hi Millie, The Canadian Ballet Theatre has nothing to do with the two groups you mentioned. CBT does not use "former Russian dancers". Current principal dancers with the Bolshoi and American Ballet Theater, among other companies, have danced the leads in our Nutcracker with the advanced students of our school as soloists. A few of these students have gone on to train at the Bolshoi, the Hague and Monte Carlo's Princess Grace & the Harid Conservatory, while two have become professional ballet dancers, presently at the Budapest National Ballet and the Estonian National Ballet, both classical companies. Canadian Ballet Theatre is the name of the company associated with the Academy of Ballet & Jazz in Thornhill, Ontario. It is run by Nadia Veselova-Tencer and Solomon Tencer, well-known impresarios in the ballet world for the 15 or more (I've lost count) ballet galas they have produced in the last 10 years called the "Stars of the 21st Century International Ballet Gala." Click on the website link in my first post to read all about those galas. The next one in Toronto will be in April 2004. The next one in New York (Lincoln Centre) will be in February 2004. Nadia and Solomon have contacts, some quite personal, with some of the best known dancers in the world, especially those with the Bolshoi and the Kirov. Thus, Svetlanas -- both Lunkina and Sakharov, Igor Zelensky, Darcey Bussell, Agnes Letestu and José Martinez, Tamara Rojo, Ilina Cojacoru, Herman Cornejo, Susan Jaffe, Desmond Richardson, Wendy Whelan, Jock Soto, Alexandra Ansanelli, Charles Askegard, Daniela Severian, Rut Miro, Roberto Bolle, Farouk Rusimatov, Fernando Bujones, Paloma Herrera, Carlos Acosta, Johan Kobborg, Xiomara Reyes, Vladimir Malakhov, Yulia Makalina, and many others (I'm just listing from memory and in no particular order) have been chosen to perform in these galas. Additionally, Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre are so closely associated with these galas that it is Lucia on the official posters at each venue. She is a dear friend of Nadia's and Solomon's and recently won the Benois Prize in Moscow, having been nominated for it by Nadia. Nadia and Solomon invite guests to headline the performances of the Canadian Ballet Theatre, which is otherwise composed of the advanced students of their Vaganova-based school. So it is that Anna Antonicheva, Dimitri Belogolovtsev, Dmitri Gudanov, Elena Andrienko, Maria Allash, Marcelo Gomes, and many others have danced with our school in its annual Nutcracker and in Giselle, under the name of the Canadian Ballet Theatre. Giselle will be performed in early 2004 as well, with guest principals. The Canadian Ballet Theatre as yet does not pay its dancers (except for the invited quest stars, of course), but is on the road to becoming a permanent classical ballet company in Toronto with a mission of presenting only the classics with their original choreography as is done in Russia and many other European companies. Link to comment
Marianna Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 The Canadian Ballet Theatre as yet does not pay its dancers (except for the invited quest stars, of course), but is on the road to becoming a permanent classical ballet company in Toronto with a mission of presenting only the classics with their original choreography as is done in Russia and many other European companies. OH BLESS YOUR HEART MARGA!!! What great news for me - being new to Toronto, and coming from Almaty (that is one of the former Soviet Union cities) where I have gotten very much addicted to classical ballets, i've been missing those good old ballets here. SO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT NEWS!!! By the way - are you planning to attend that Nutcracker with Gudanov and Andrienko? Would be great to meet you there! Like i've mentioned, i'm new to Toronto and have been missing "real life" contacts with the people associated with the ballet world here. I've been keeping in touch via phone with all my ballerinas friends from the Almaty State Ballet (some of them graduated from Vaganova's Dance Academy, some from the Moscow Ballet School, and some from Almaty Ballet Academy - all are exteremly wonderful and generous at heart people), which is a great thing, however, i'm missing "live contacts" in my new place of living. Link to comment
Millie Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Marga, Thank you for your quick reply explaining the Canadian Ballet Theatre. I did go to the link, and I am very impressed with this school/company. I had no idea that this existed in Toronto. I will certainly try to go to their Nutcracker! I, too, would love to meet you if you are also planning on attending, it is always great to meet the Balletalert parents. My son is a current Harid student and will be home for the holidays at that time, too. Link to comment
Marga Posted December 10, 2003 Author Share Posted December 10, 2003 Dear Millie, Yes, this school and associated company and world-wide activity, emanating from an industrial office complex just above the metro Toronto city limits and just east of Yonge Street, does seem like the best-kept secret in Canada sometimes! I would love to meet you, Millie. I will be there for all three performances as my son is dancing the part of Fritz. Last year, my daughter (she's the former student who now dances with the Estonian National Ballet) danced the part of Clara, with her brother as Fritz and the Nutcracker Prince. This year, one of our boys who has also attended Harid, will dance the part of the Nutcracker Prince, the Russian doll and the boy in Pas de Trois. Another of the students, who graduated from Harid last year, is recovering from a stress fracture and can't perform in this Nutcracker, unfortunately. If you are able to attend, please send me a PM and we can arrange to meet. Thank you so much for asking about the Canadian Ballet Theatre! Marga Link to comment
Marga Posted December 11, 2003 Author Share Posted December 11, 2003 Dear Marianna, Thank you so much for your message! I have read many of your posts, coming both from Almaty and now from Toronto and have thought about contacting you. I would love to meet you, too! As I wrote above, I will be in attendance at all 3 performances. Once you get acquainted with the Academy of Ballet & Jazz, you will find the same generous hearts among the teachers (from the Kirov, Bolshoi and Latvian National Ballet), students and visiting dancers. It's a wonderful ballet atmosphere to be in! You and I can also arrange through PM to meet each other, Marianna. Marga Link to comment
Millie Posted December 11, 2003 Share Posted December 11, 2003 Marga, It would be delightful to met you. I will try to get tickets next week, as I am now on my way out of town. I do not have enough posts to PM, but perhaps we can communicate here about getting together. Link to comment
Marga Posted December 11, 2003 Author Share Posted December 11, 2003 Marga,It would be delightful to met you. I will try to get tickets next week, as I am now on my way out of town. I do not have enough posts to PM, but perhaps we can communicate here about getting together. Absolutely! I don't think that that should be a problem, as it is certainly not "off topic". I'll look forward to your next message. Marga Link to comment
Millie Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 Hello Marga I am back in town and did get tickets for the Sunday afternoon show. We are looking forward to seeing the show and meeting you. Let me know if you will be there for sure and how I will recognize you, other than the cheering for Fritz. My son will be with me. He is quite tall. We are sitting in row N left side. Link to comment
Marga Posted December 16, 2003 Author Share Posted December 16, 2003 Hi Millie, I am so glad you got tickets. I will be there for sure. If you get there about 15 minutes before the show, we can meet in the lobby. Maybe I'll wear a name tag! I've got long brown hair, I'm 56 years old and 5'4" tall. I don't know what outfit I'll be wearing yet. I'll look for you at the tables and chairs to the left of the lobby to see if you got there early. If I don't see you then, I'll track you to your seat after the show or at intermission! We will probably see each other quite easily at some point. Link to comment
Inga Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 Hi Marga, thank you for the info. I think Dmitry Gudanov is very talented dancer, and Nutcracker Prince is one of his best parts! His bio (in Russian) can be found on http://www.ballet.classical.ru/b_gudanov.html Marga, do you know the names of the “ few of these students have gone on to train at the Bolshoi”, may be I saw them in Moscow? What Dmitry Belogolovtsev danced with CBT? I hope after the performances somebody will write here the impression, I curious to know how it will be. Link to comment
Marga Posted December 18, 2003 Author Share Posted December 18, 2003 Hi Inga, Yes, Dmitri Gudanov is absolutely wonderful in Nutcracker! He danced it with us last year, as well. Thanks for the clickable link to his bio. Dmitri Belogolovtsev and Anna Antonicheva danced Nutcracker with Canadian Ballet Theatre a few years ago. I will PM you the students' names at a later time, as I don't want to put them on a public board without asking them first. There may be a Toronto critic writing about Saturday night's performance, and, if not, I hope someone else will. If I have the time (Christmas being so busy), I may do it, although writing a review usually takes me a couple of hours as I am a persnickety editor. Dmitri and Elena are in town already, having arrived last night. I am going over to to the theatre with my son in an hour. It will be great to see them rehearsing tonight! Link to comment
Marianna Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Dear Marga, I am all excited about seeing Nutcracker tomorrow!!! You've mentioned that you were off for the rehearsal last night, and the natural question is fighting its way - would that be possible for me to attend the morning rehearsal or class at the Leah Posluns Theater with you? IF there will be rehearsal or class. That will be my best Christmas experience ever!!! I've attended only very few rehearsals in my life and each of them is a very special and precious never-fading memory of my whole life. ANd I can't tell you how many times I've heard NO, YOU CAN'T ATTEND THE REHEARSAL/CLASS - so i'm prepared for either outcome: positive or negative. I'll be checking my PM inbox during the day today and hopefully you'll have a moment to drop me a note. Thank you either way and I am looking forward to Saturday!! Marianna ) Link to comment
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