Ballet's Greatest Hits: YAGP and Emerging Pictures, 31 March/2 Ap

[Helene]

This press release describes the selection process for "Ballet's Greatest Hits" and the program and performers for the film that will broadcast on 31 March and 2 April at these cinemas:

YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX’S “BALLET’S GREATEST HITS”

TO HIT MOVIE THEATERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

ON MARCH 31 AND APRIL 2, 2013

Following the tremendous international success of ballet documentary, FIRST POSITION, Youth America Grand Prix is proud to present its latest and its most ambitious project to date. “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” is a filmed Gala evening showcasing six of the most beloved classical ballets of all time: Don Quixote, Flames of Paris, Giselle, La Bayadere, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” arrives to movie theaters across the United States on March 31 and April 2, 2013 for a limited-run engagement. For showtimes in your area, visit http://bit.ly/ZL5mx5

Hosted by “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” Executive Producer, Nigel Lythgoe, “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” presents an all-star cast from the world’s leading dance companies in a live performance filmed by five-time Emmy Award winner, Clemente D’Alessio. For added insight into the history and meaning of classical ballet, the film offers exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, rare archival materials, and intimate interviews with choreographers, film producers, critics and luminaries of the dance world – such as Alexei Ratmansky, Benjamin Millepied, Susan Jaffe, and many others.

Artistic Director of YAGP, Larissa Saveliev, said, “We have worked hard in the two months since we filmed the live performance at the Straz Center in Tampa, Florida. And we are confident that the final version will take its viewers on an extraordinary journey into the art form of ballet. Quite frankly, you will see ballet like you’ve never seen it before.”

Vice-chair of YAGP, Sergey Gordeev, added: “We sat down with the artists to talk about what each ballet means to them, what the process is like, and what challenges they face in creating their roles. Artists like Ashley Bouder and Daniel Ulbricht discuss their partnership and unique approach to their performance. Marcelo Gomes talks about what ballet means to him. And Joseph Phillips lets us in backstage and shares with us his experience of preparing for two hours – just for a minute and a half on stage.”

“Ballet’s Greatest Hits” will be shown in movie theaters on March 31 and April 2, 2013 only. For showtimes in your area, visit http://bit.ly/ZL5mx5 .

CAST:

Stella Abrera (American Ballet Theatre)

Ashley Bouder (New York City Ballet)

Isabella Boylston (American Ballet Theatre)

Skylar Brandt (American Ballet Theatre)

Taras Domitro (San Francisco Ballet)

Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet)

Marcelo Gomes (American Ballet Theatre)

Greta Hodgkinson (National Ballet of Canada)

Maria Kochetkova (San Francisco Ballet)

Veronika Part (American Ballet Theatre)

Joseph Phillips (American Ballet Theatre)

Hee Seo (American Ballet Theatre)

Daniel Ulbricht (New York City Ballet)

Alejandro Virelles (Boston Ballet)

THE FILM INCLUDES INTERVIEWS WITH:

Lawrence Bender Film Producer

Matthew Bourne Artistic Director, New Adventures

Leslie Browne International Master Teacher and former Oscar nominee

Jose Manuel Carreño Artistic Director, The Carreño Dance Festival

Misty Copeland Soloist, American Ballet Theatre

Angel Corella Artistic Director, Barcelona Ballet

Alessandra Ferri Director of Dance, Spoleto Festival (Italy)

Susan Jaffe Dean, School of Dance at North Carolina School of the Arts

Denys Ganio Former Etoile, Paris Opera Ballet

Mathieu Ganio Etoile, Paris Opera Ballet

Benjamin Millepied Artistic Director, L.A. Dance Project

Wendy Perron Editor-in-Chief, Dance Magazine

Alexei Ratmansky Artist-in-Residence, American Ballet Theatre

Edward Villella Founder and former Artistic Director, Miami City Ballet

LIVE PERFORMANCE ARTISTIC CREDITS:

Swan Lake

White Swan Pas de Deux

Choreography: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov

Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky

Performed by:

Veronika Part (American Ballet Theatre)

Marcelo Gomes (American Ballet Theatre)

Nutcracker

Grand Pas de Deux

Choreography: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov

Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky

Performed by:

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: Hee Seo (American Ballet Theatre)

NUTCRACKER PRINCE: Alejandro Virelles (Boston Ballet)

La Bayadere

Pas D’Action and Bronze Idol

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Music: Ludwig Minkus/John Lanchbery

Performed by:

GAMZATTI: Isabella Boylston (American Ballet Theatre)

SOLOR: Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet)

BRONZE IDOL: Joseph Phillips (American Ballet Theatre)

Flames of Paris

Choreography: Vasilly Vianonen

Music: Boris Asafiev

Performed by:

Ashley Bouder (New York City Ballet)

Daniel Ulbricht (New York City Ballet)

Giselle

Pas de Deux

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Music: Adolphe Adam

Performed by:

GISELLE: Greta Hodgkinson (National Ballet of Canada)

ALBRECHT: Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet)

MYRTA: Stella Abrera (American Ballet Theatre)

Don Quixote

Grand Pas de Deux Act III, with one bridesmaid

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Performed by:

Maria Kochetkova (San Francisco Ballet)

Taras Domitro (San Francisco Ballet)

Skylar Brandt (American Ballet Theatre)

The live performance of “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” took place at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts on January 5, 2013. The film is distributed by Emerging Pictures - the company that has brought The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theatre to movie screens across America.

[vipa]

Just got my tickets for a NYC showing. As a New Yorker, I'm interested interested in seeing dances I read about but don't get to see.

[KarenAG]

I'll be seeing it April 7 at the Proctor's Theater in Schenectady, NY. Looking so very forward to it!

[abatt]

I was looking forward to seeing the movie, but upon further reflection I realized that a significant portion of the film will probably be interviews, rather than dancing. I will probably skip this one.

[Dale]

I'm hoping you are wrong, abatt, but with the Kennedy Center honors still fresh in my mind, I fear you are right. But I'm going to attend, hoping the interviews are placed around the performances. It's not a long program of dancing and this is listed as 90 minutes.

[angelica]

In my mind, the opportunity to see Veronika Part and Marcelo Gomes dance the pas de deux from Swan Lake is reason enough to attend. They are never paired in ABT's New York spring season.

[abatt]

I remember reading on this forum that Alicia Graf Mack performed Ailey's Pas De Duke. Why did they eliminate her from the film version!?

[Dale]

Very enjoyable. Filmed in a mostly clear way that would be appreciated by dance lovers. More tomorrow when I can type on a real keyboard.

[mira]

I loved it! Taras Domitro is perfection!

[vipa]

I was there this morning. I just want to give quick impressions. - (Swan Lake act 2 pas) Marcelo Gomes is god's gift to partnering. (Nutcracker pas) Alejandro Virelles is full of potential. Sorry to those who are her fans, but I don't get Hee Seo. She seems like a nice person, has a lovely smile and a beautiful body, but seems really unmusical to me and doesn't seem technically in control. (Bayadere) Isabella Boylston looked assured and beautiful. (Flames of Paris) Bouder & Ulbricht were both amazing. (Giselle) Didn't care for Greta Hodgkinson as Gisele but Stella Abera as Myrta was excellent - principal quality. (Don Q Pas) Maria Kochetkova was lovely, technically sparkling and had a warm and lovely performance quality - wish I could see her more. I didn't care for Dimitro and wondered why Skylar Brandt was even there. I'm leaving out some I know.

I enjoyed the interview segments. It was fun hearing the dancers speak about their partners and the roles and Ratmansky and others gave historical insights that were quite interesting to me. The Paris Opera Ballet - Ganio & Ganio conversations were particularly entertaining.

I'm eager to hear other impressions. Please post.

One thing - instead of talking about Balanchine. I wish we could have seen a little - maybe a pas from Who Cares. I'm very interested in the impressions of others. I must say - well worth $15.

[Kerry1968]

I saw it today and enjoyed it. The interviews were fun -- e.g. Misty Copeland opining that Nikiya gets what she deserves, etc. At 90 minutes, it does seem kind of short, though.

[KarenAG]

After reading your comments about the film, I can't wait to see it!

[Dale]

vipa, I wished Balanchine could have been represented by something, like Tchaik pas or Stars & Stripes. Watching Bouder and Ulbricht do Flames of Paris - a pas de deux so connected in my mind with Osipova and Vasiliev - I couldn't help but wish we had seen them in Tarantella. I enjoyed them very much in the Flames but I've seen them bring down the house with Tarantella.

The film was a little rough in spots, but in a sweet naive way. A hope it gets tightened up in spots (music would just drop out during interviews, odd little editing cuts when the dancers were entering the stage) and released on DVD. The format worked well, with interviews with the dancers, interviews with "experts." It was odd that they went right into Swan Lake and had the history of Swan Lake come after the dancing, whereas it came before with all the others. The camera work was fine, especially in the first half. It seemed like you'd see a sequence of steps first from the front. The camera angle changed only at the repeat.

As for the performances, It was a pleasure to see Gomes and Part in the white swan pas on a 20-foot screen. It was a lovely performance. A shame they don't dance together in NY anymore. As I said above, Bouder and Ullbrict were great fun. Probably not proper Russian style but they brought the pizazz. I agree with Vipa on Hee Seo. I enjoyed her upper body but the energy in the lower body just stops. I look forward to seeing Alejandro Virelles at BB. The program lacked a little star power in the middle. Abrera gave a satisfying account of Myrta. I liked Greta Hodgkinson. I would have preferred to see her paired with one of her NBoC partners.

I got into it and would applaud softly after each dance. It would have been more fun with a group that was treating it like a live performance.

I'm debating on whether to go back Tuesday just to see Part and Gomes again.

[abatt]

Perhaps the reason they didn''t include any Balnchine (or the Ailey ballet performed by Alicia Graf) was that they could not work out the copyright issues regarding those performances.

I didn't see the film, but I agree with the general comment of not understanding the casting of Hee Seo in certain roles. I've seen her often at ABT. She is lovely in lyrical ballets that require little from her in the way of difficult footwork or great technical achievement. I can't even imagine how she is going to manage certain lead roles (Aurora, Odile) they have assigned to her in the upcoming Met season. Maybe she'll undergo a transformation in her technique now that she has been promoted, but I tend to doubt it.

[Dale]

Perhaps the reason they didn''t include any Balnchine (or the Ailey ballet performed by Alicia Graf) was that they could not work out the copyright issues regarding those performances.

I was thinking the same thing. The Balanchine Trust can be very obtuse when it comes to these matters.

[Dale]

Thanks to Dirac for this link:

http://arts.heraldtribune.com/2013-04-01/featured/dance-review-ballet-live-vs-ballet-on-film/

I suspected that there was some figure skating-style retakes of performances shown in the film (the writer who saw the live performance suspects so, too). There might be some hand-wringing about live vs. film. I feel each platform has a different experience to offer. Seeing a concert live is not the same as listening to a recording. Seeing a film is not the same as seeing a theater production.