La Scala Milan recruiting new dancers

[leonid17]

With so many young dancers unemployed or looking to move on (and upwards) the La Scala Milan ballet is holding Competition and auditions for Male Dancers 7 October 2006, 01 pm and for Female Dancers

8 October 2006, 09 am. More details on website(In English) at http://www.teatroallascala.org/

[bart]

Thanks, leonid, for posting this interesting advertisement:

Those complying with the following requirements may participate:

[ ... ]Italian citizenship or citizenship of a Member State of the European Union;

Is this common with ballet companies in EU countries?

The examination trial [ ... ] consist of:

a classical dance lesson, also with pointes

a classical variation of no more than 90 seconds

90 seconds! IS there such a variation?

[Leigh Witchel]

Bart - the work requirements are standard EU requirements having less to do with ballet companies than general work laws. There are plenty of short variations out there right around that length - I think the Sugar Plum's variation is, Aurora's might be as are many of the fairies. The Peasant Pas variations in Giselle are right around that length as well.

[Geier]

[ ... ]Italian citizenship or citizenship of a Member State of the European Union;Is this common with ballet companies in EU countries?

Yes, as far as I know it is stated by law for public auditon (it's the same in the competitions for any kind of job).

Coming from outside the EU you can have a private audition or enter in a company by a "direct call".

[bart]

There are plenty of short variations out there right around that length - I think the Sugar Plum's variation is, Aurora's might be as are many of the fairies. The Peasant Pas variations in Giselle are right around that length as well.

I really am amazed by this. Each of those you mention seem much longer -- in the sense that so much occurs, and so much must be expressed and delineated during their course. Wow!

Thanks, Geier, for the distinction. This explains how it is possible to hire so many Russians and other non-EU citizens, including those from the US.

[Paul Parish]

Yes, Bart, it IS amazing that variations can be so short when so much happens within them, and they are so important in he overall impact of a ballet.

Vaganova said that she realized too late for her own career that success as a dancer meant success in variations, and that she made this the foremost feature of her teaching, to produce dancers who excelled in variations -- and the particular quality Vaganova developed in herself, which she was able to pass on, was the ability to heighten, clarify and amplify the impact of each detail of the dance. They called her style heroic, since the aplomb, strength, and accuracy of her execution revealed the geometry of the dance so clearly, and it became the hallmark of the Soviet style, the bridge between the aristocratic dance of old and the dance for the people of communist times.

My favorite example of this is Alla Sizova dancing Aurora's first variation -- the clip probably lasts only 30 seconds -- it's no less than astounding, the clarity, freedom, and the variety of effects, the many facets she shows, and the scale of everything in those few seconds. It demonstrates right off in her first appearance that she's received the fairies' gifts.

Simultaneously in hte US Balanchine was pursuing clarity in a similar way. There are brilliant and REALLY short variations throughout his work -- .e.g., in Theme and Variations, the one right before the pas de deux is incredibly effective and very short, with double-pirouettes to coupe, pas de chats flying sideways, soutenu, etc. -- Gelsey Kirkland was fantastic in that, it just made people scream -- so many facets perfectly presented, and over in NO TIME.

[sandik]

Theme and Variations, the one right before the pas de deux is incredibly effective and very short, with double-pirouettes to coupe, pas de chats flying sideways, soutenu, etc. -- Gelsey Kirkland was fantastic in that, it just made people scream -- so many facets perfectly presented, and over in NO TIME.

We're seeing this in Seattle right now (opened Thursday, and finishes a week from today) and I was struck again by the precipitous nature of the solo -- it starts and just keeps powering through, heightened by the busy, busy score.

[Alexandra]

Re variations -- I think most of the classical variations are about a minute to a minute and a half, although there can be a range depending on the dancer. I remember a young dancer in Denmark trying to find music for a solo (off a tape) and there was the 75 second one and the 90 second one, and he needed one about 82 seconds! Bart, you're right -- there is so much packed into them, and, if done properly, with attention to placement, epaulement, etc., so much for a dancer to worry about! If the dancer does his/her job, we don't notice.