Angel Corella & Stars...touring

[4mrdncr]

For the second year in a row now, I have seen the repertoire Angel Corella is doing in Spain with his touring company and been very disappointed that I have neither the funds, nor break from a busy schedule, to hop on a plane to see it performed. Last year, (besides the ubiquitous Don Q), it was several pieces themed to "Shakespeare". This year, it's the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. I'd especially like to see the solo and pdd Christopher Wheeldon choreographed. (What a wonderful collaboration that is.) There is also the opportunity to see the accompanying NYCB dancers in the excerpts from "Corsair" also included on the program--which should be interesting. So my question is: Does Mr. Corella ever get a group together to tour some place other than Spain--say the USA? Or would that conflict with his ABT contract? Ethan Stiefel has toured the US with a similar group "Stiefel and Stars..."? Also, I remember once seeing Baryshnikov with a small group of ABT dancers (principals/soloists--NOT ABT II dancers) in Western Massachusetts, and NOT at Jacob's Pillow. So, I guess it's has been done before. Just curious.

[Helene]

Stiefel and Stars has a pretty snappy-looking website:

http://www.stiefelandstars.com/

While it's possible there may be some contracts that prohibit dancers from touring in the off-season, there are none that I know that have been made public, and there have been many examples over the years of small touring companies comprised of dancers from major companies. It is possible that Corella takes this opportunity to spend time in his own country in the off-season.

Does anyone remember if he talked about this in the Born to Be Wild DVD?

[drb]

Corella's programs include a one act summary of Corsaire. The Cornejos, Angel's sister, and Wendy Whelan are prominant dancers in his group, but for the Bilbao season he seems to be offering a 45 minute After the Rain starring Wendy Whelan, Sofiane Sylve, María Kowroski, Sebastien Marcovici, Ed Liang, Jason Fowler!???

http://www.angelcorella.com/index.php?opc=age

[bart]

Not to mention the rare (I would imagine) opportunity of seeing Wendy Whelan as an Odalisque in Corsaire.

I like the fact that Corella has included 9 very young dancers from the Youth Ballet of Catalunya. Spain is a country with some excellent training, but few chances to attend, let alone work in, serious ballet performances. So this is a fine experience for them.

[drb]

Seriously, one assumes it will be the 22-minute NYCB version of Wheeldon's After the Rain. I wonder if NYCB's permission was needed for this to be shown. In any case, this is a fabulous opportunity for the Spanish audience to see a true masterpiece, performed by great NYCB dancers. What a fine exposure of NYCB to a potential new audience. Hopefully, someone will see and report on this.

[bart]

What a fine exposure of NYCB to a potential new audience. Hopefully, someone will see and report on this.

After the Rain will be performed in Bilbao, which has become a major tourist destination in Spain following the opening of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum. There should be a large number of visitors there in August.

From Corella's website, you can click to the site of one of his performances: The Festival Castell de Peralada in Girona, not that far from Barcelona. It's an important European festival with a very interesting and varied program.

4rmrdncr's question about other starts who have toured with their own "companies" during the off seasonis a great one. Many of us remember Barykshnikov's small touring groups. But how about others? What did they do? Where did they go? Which dancers did they bring? Which ballets did they perform?

[Helene]

Girona is a convenient destination in Europe for countries that are serviced by the low-cost carriers for flights that are nominally to Barcelona, but which fly into the local Girona airport.

Maybe some of our London readers will be able to attend.

[Pamela Moberg]

Just had a look at the website - well, seems a bit late in the day to hop on a plane to Girona - whereever you are in the world. I am not that far, but even so... Lovely program and I realise I could get a very cheap flight.

But what interested me more was performances of "Luisa Fernanda". For those not familiar with the genre, I will give a very brief explanation. "Luisa Fernanda" is just one - there are many others - zarzuela.

Now think Viennese operetta stuff - a zarzuela is an operetta, but in Spanish. If one should try to distinguish zarzuelas from Vienna operettas it would be that zarzuelas are more about ordinary people, whereas Vienna operettas are all about counts and barons and princes. A kind of musical comedy, in fact. To explain the subject further and make the word zarzuela understandable to everybody in the world, I will simplify and say: Think "Merry Widow" with a Spanish touch.

[Leigh Witchel]

Seriously, one assumes it will be the 22-minute NYCB version of Wheeldon's After the Rain. I wonder if NYCB's permission was needed for this to be shown.

They shouldn't need any permission other than Wheeldon's and the rights cleared for the music. I'd be stunned if Wheeldon was working for hire.

[bingham]

The Mozart program includes a solo for Angel and " the Messenger" with Angel and Wendy Whelan ,both choreographed by C Wheeldon.I wonder if we will see these program here in NY.

Joe

[FauxPas]

Wheeldon and Angel know each other well (I have seen them attend performances together and checking out each other's big premiere nights) so rights to the choreography would not be a major arm-twisting negotiation ...

Faux Pas

[4mrdncr]

Stiefel and Stars has a pretty snappy-looking website:

http://www.stiefelandstars.com/

While it's possible there may be some contracts that prohibit dancers from touring in the off-season, there are none that I know that have been made public, and there have been many examples over the years of small touring companies comprised of dancers from major companies. It is possible that Corella takes this opportunity to spend time in his own country in the off-season.

Does anyone remember if he talked about this in the Born to Be Wild DVD?

HELLO:

The place I remember him mentioning a touring group is during his June 2001 interview on the Charlie Rose program on PBS. Where he said (paraphrasing) that he "has his own group of dancers that he gets together to perform, but to do so in Spain had been 'very difficult'." Kind of an ironic quote now, but maybe it was that interview that finally convinced the Spanish Cultural Minister to do something about it. The purpose of touring Spain, something he has done for several years now, is both to give the populace a chance to see him and other major American stars, AND as a fundraiser for the Angel Corella Foundation & School.

And as usual with Corella ...the rest is history. Thanks for the input.

[CarolinaM]

I saw Corella and his troupe in Sant Feliu de Guixols this summer just when it was announced that his ballet school and company was not going to be established there, with a lot of complaints from the catalan ballet lovers. A lot of us write letters in newspapers and sent complaints to the government and the Opera House but I'm affraid we will not success It isn't completely decided yet but I'm pretty sure that they will go to La Granja de San Ildefonso.

Ángel opened with G. Balanchine's Who Cares? together with Xiomara Reyes, María Riccetto and Ana Liceica. Amaduo, music by Mozart with coreography by Margarita Fernández danced by Carmen Corella & Herman Cornejo followed and to finish the first part we saw After the Rain, Arvo Part music and coreography of Christopher Wheeldon with Wendy Whelan & Sebastien Marcovici.

The second part was the Corsario suite with all the dancers and the young ballerinas of the Jove Ballet de Catalunya.

As you say here a great opportunity was given by Ángel as we have very good teachers who are able to create great dancers who have then no possibility to show their art in Spanish companies.

I'm going to see him again in Terrassa, a town near Barcelona with a good dance season from a lot of years ago, next Sunday December 17 and on Friday December 15 Tamara Rojo in Barcelona with Iñaki Urlezaga and his Ballet Concierto. A great week of ballet with the two great Spanish dancers that seem to be able to run a Classical dance company.

I'm only a ballet fan but I collaborate sometimes with a great dance photographer in his dance magazine online fotoescena I hope it is allowed to link it here, if not please excuse-me and delete these links. All is in Spanish but just to see these so great photos about Angel's tour in Spain:

Angel performing in Spain

Hope you enjoy it, the pictures were made during Angel performance in his native town Colmenar Viejo, last year.

A report about Tamara in Giselle with José Manuel Carreño and the ENB company who were in Barcelona in September this year is due for the next issue.

[bart]

Thank you so much, Carolina, for that report --and for introducing me to Fotoescena. Every reader of Spanish who is interested in the dance scene in Spain should start following that website. I have just put it near the top of my "Favorites" so I can keep up to date.

In the edition you posted, there's a wonderful article about the Royal Ballet's performance at the Escorial this past summer, and lots of other information and photos about Spanish dancers and companies, as well as those who visit and perform in Spain.

The photos and interview with Corella should be of special interest to followers of his ABT career. I was not suprised to note that he feels that the current "ridiculous" treatment of classical ballet in Spain has led many dancers either to leave the country or switch to other forms of dancing.

[CarolinaM]

Thanks so much Bart! I'm happy you liked it

I think that next week a report about Tamara in Giselle performing wiht the English National Ballet and with José Manuel Carreño as her partenair will be published. The performance was made last September in Barcelona.

Don't miss it, Tamara was an incredible Giselle and for sure that Vallina's report will be as mervellous as she deserves it.