This was supposed to be an interview with Alejandro Cerrudo about the world premiere of his new piece Deep Down Dos, but due to issues with the musical rights (archival v. commercial), the premiere has been postponed until next season.  In its place the company will revive Jorma Elo’s Bitter Suite, originally created for Hubbard Street in 2009 and currently in the touring rep.  Elo continued to “re-work and tweak” the piece throughout the 2009 run, so this version will be new to most of the audience.  Bitter Suite will be first on the program, which opens tonight at the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance, and is followed by a world premiere of Untouched by Aszure Barton and the return of Toru Shimazaki’s Bardo.  It sounds like it’s going to be a spectacular evening of dance.

Still, it is disappointing that Cerrudo’s new work will not be shown.  RB did get to talk with him about choreographing and his new piece and found him to be open, honest and charming (and fyi, he’s even cuter in person than on stage!).  That interview will run next season when Deep Down has its premiere.  Audience anticipation of his newest creative feat will continue to build, but two new projects — setting new choreographic works in Germany and for NDT II — will keep him busy over the summer.  Look for him on stage during the Summer Series (June 3-6) in all three works.

Earlier this week at Andy Warhol’s Silver Cloud exhibit opening at Crown Hall (IIT campus), HSDC II dancers performed a structured improv to live cello accompaniment amidst the floating silver balloons showing that the future of HSDC is definitely bright.  HSDC Artistic Associate and Rehearsal Director Terence Marling chatted with RB on the music rights issue and subsequent reshuffling of the 2010-2011 season schedule, which is already out.  He jokingly suggested they may need to have an entire evening of Cerrudo choreography as the Spanish choreographer is set for another world premiere here in December.  That wouldn’t be a bad thing IMHO.

Aszure in action. Photo by Liz Laser

“I feel very lucky,” she says.

At 34, Aszure Barton, a Canadian-born choreographer/dancer and founder/director of Aszure Barton & Artists, has received world-wide acclaim for her work and has choreographed for legendary performers like Alan Cumming, Cyndi Lauper and Fan-Yi Sheu (Martha Graham Dance Company) and an international array of top-level companies.  She has worked closely with Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was so impressed, he made her the first artist in residence at The Baryshnikov Arts Center in 2005.  She still holds that position today, as well as being the artist in residence at The Banff Centre (Alberta, Canada), former resident choreographer (2005-2008) for Le Ballets jazz de Montreal and is the Ambassador of Contemporary Choreography (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada).  And those are only a few of her accomplishments.  Lucky might be an understatement.

Obviously, she also has the talent to back it up.  Barton is no stranger to rave reviews.  Her work has been hailed as “beautifully mad” by The Edmonton Journal, “deliciously revealing” by the Santa Barbra Independent, “brilliant” by the San Francisco Chronicle, “audacious” by the New York Times, and “fearless” by the Palm beach Daily News.  The accolades keep her busy.  Very busy.  She’s already booking well into 2012.

Right now, she’s in Chicago working with one of our own internationally-acclaimed companies, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.  Having seen HSDC perform in New York, she was very interested in them as a group of amazing dancers.  She’s especially intrigued by the “grounded strength” and power of the women.  Setting the piece in four weeks is a bit of a change (she normally likes to take about six weeks).  “I like to take my time,” says the energetic artist, who is known for incorporating the quirks and personalities of the dancers.  She likens her process to making little families.  “I’m moved by the people I’m working with and try to set up a really positive atmosphere, so (they) can trust and feel involved.  That takes time.”

Rehearsing with the dancers on stage. Photo: Todd Rosenberg Photography 2010

The new work, with a working title Untouched, will make its world premiere next Thursday, June 3rd at the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance at Millennium Park.  The finished product, of course, is a collaborative effort utilizing fellow Canadians Njo Kong Kie and Curtis Macdonald, as well as her friend Liv “Ljova” Zhurbi for the music.  She brought the rest of her “team” with her from New York including assistant Jonathan Alsberry (you may remember him from a brief stint with Luna Negra), costume designer Fritz Masten (“an amazing eye”) and lighting designer Nicole Pearce (“magic”).  Barton says, “I’m in awe of the people I get to work with and the place I’m in and the opportunities I get to have in this lifetime are pretty amazing.”

This summer Barton will get some much-deserved time off, which she finds a bit scary.    What will she do?  Relax, spend time with family, travel…you know, “real people things”, she says with a laugh.  “It’s hard for me to just do nothing.”

See the music, hear the dance.

In a twist on the famous Balanchine quote, the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance  announced its 2010-2011 season line up with performances representing a wide arc across the artistic spectrum.  A violin concerto by Philip Glass, John Waters, Alan Cumming and a Japanese Butoh company.  The See the Dance portion of the line up is just as intruiging.  Chicago favorite Lar Lubovitch, Ballet Hispanico (newly under the direction of Eduardo Vilaro — founder of Luna Negra), Pilobolus turning 40! and Mark Morris’ Chicago premiere of his take on Romeo & Juliet (considering what he did with The Nutcracker/The Hard Nut, we can’t wait to see this).    Get your tickets now!

Ballet Hispanico, Batucada Fantastica. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Lar Lubovitch Dance Company – September 22 & 23, 2010

Ballet Hispanico – November 5, 2010

Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Pilobolus at 40:  Collaborating on the Future – January 28 & 29, 2011

Mark Morris Dance Group. Photo by Gene Schiavone

Mark Morris Dance Group, Romeo and Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare – February 25-27, 2011

For ticket information:  www.harristheaterchicago.org

Box Office:  312.334.7777

Reverence:  a feeling or attitude of deep respect; a gesture indicative of deep respect; the last exercise of ballet class where dancers pay respect to the teacher.  As two of Joffrey’s most-tenured dancers prepare for their final show this Sunday, reverence will be paid.  Respect earned as performers, teachers, family members and friends not only from fellow dancers and staff, but audience members and the larger Chicago dance community will permeate the air of the Auditorium Theatre as Suzanne Lopez and Calvin Kitten take the stage with the Joffrey one last time.  Each spent one year with The Joffrey II Dancers before joining the main company, Lopez in 1991 and Kitten following in 1992.  The two have been inseparable ever since.  “He and I are family for life,” says Lopez.  The duo are also the last dancers to have migrated to the Windy City from New York with the company in 1995.   “Moving to Chicago was the best thing to happened in my life,” Kitten states.  In NYC, the company mainly toured and performed Billboards, but Kitten says moving here allowed them to dance Artistic Director Gerald Arpino’s choreography and “have more of a home”.  A home with a surrogate family, friends and love.  Both met their husbands/partners while with the Joffrey.  Lopez married Joffrey Master Carpenter Keith Prisco in 2005 and now has two little girls.  Kitten will be joining his long-time partner Michael Andrew Currey, current Director of Production for Ballet West in Salt Lake City.

Kitten as Snow Prince (photo by Herbert Migdoll)

For 19 and 20 seasons respectively, Kitten and Lopez have been synonymous with Joffrey lending their expansive creative energy and talents.  Kitten, known for his impish charm, incredible speed and levity in his jumps is arguably most famous for his role in The Nutcracker as Fritz/Snow Prince (you may have seen his image as Snow Prince flying high over the city’s many billboards for years), but he credits the title role in Prodigal Son (for which he won one of his two Ruth Page Awards) as a turning point in his career.  He also was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine in 2001.  Lopez, with her precise, consistent technique, sprightly pointe work and effortless beauty is a joy to watch.  There is a sparkle in her eyes when she dances that lets you know she truly loves what she is doing and a calmness in her confidence that betrays her talent.  In other words, she makes everything look easy.

Lopez as Cinderella (photo by Sasha Fornari)

Here are some highlights and memories of their years with Joffrey.

RB:  What were some of your favorite roles?  Where there any roles you wanted to dance, but didn’t have the chance?

SL:  I can actually say that I got to dance everything on my list.  Some of those roles were also my favorites…Juliet, Sugar Plum, Arpino’s L’Air D’Espirit, Birthday Variations, Lilac Garden and The Moor’s Pavane.  I realized a little later in my career that I really loved acting roles.  They’re so much meatier and interesting to me.

CK:  My over-all favorite thing to dance probably has to be Fritz/Snow Prince in The Nutcracker.  It was the first thing I danced at Joffrey and was a challenge every time I did it.  I also loved doing Prodigal Son.  And anything Arpino.  I love the energy it takes to dance.  I have no regrets about roles.  I have been so fulfilled and blessed in my dance and normal life.  What more could you ask for?

RB:  What was it like filming the Robert Altman movie The Company (2003)?

SL:  That movie was a blast to film.  Our wedding is featured in The Company!  I have such fond memories of Robert Altman and working with him was inspiring…he was so respectful to the dancers.

RB:  What was it like rehearsing and performing Billboards?  Did you know what a big hit it would be?

CK:  I had no clue it was going to be a hit.  The process was so much fun.  How could it not be…working with four great choreographers and listening to Prince music all day.  It was my first year in the company and all I could think was “I am being paid for this?”.

SL:  The rehearsal process was really new and exciting.  It was the first (and only) time I’d ever had a full-length ballet created on me and I was given many great opportunities within that ballet.  I got to travel the world with Billboards.

RB:  Can you share a story or memory of Mr. A?

SL:  That’s really hard to answer.  These days, even the bad stories are some of my favorites because I miss him so much.  We were on a bus…I think we were all singing Christmas carols.  Now we all know Calvin is a phenomenal dancer, but his singing voice leaves something to be desired.  My singing voice isn’t great, but [I] can certainly carry a tune.  We were sitting right behind Mr. A, singing our hearts out, and Mr. A turned around and said, “Calvin, you really have a lovely voice!” — my jaw dropped to the floor.

CK:  Mr. Arpino did the New York Times crossword every day and when he needed help, he would ask someone for the answer.  Suzanne also does the crossword and is really quite good at them.  We were on the tour bus…he must have asked Suzanne for half the answers.  Then he asked out loud, “What is a five-letter word for chocolate?”  I actually knew the answer and shouted out “Fudge!” Mr. Arpino said, “That’s right!” and proceeded to praise me and tell me how smart I was.  Suzanne was sitting next to me.  The look on her face looked like she could just kill me.

RB:  What is it like deciding to leave your “family”?

CK:  It was a hard decision, but I felt it was time.  I always wanted to leave with people saying, “Calvin retired too soon”, not “He should have retired a few years ago”.  I have done everything and more than I thought I would ever do with my career.

SL:  I will miss my extended Joffrey family.  I can’t imagine any other job where you make such close and personal friends.

Post Joffrey plans for both involve dance.  Kitten will still be making guest appearances and teaching at Ballet West and Lopez will be working with the Gerald Arpino Foundation setting ballets and hopefully teaching. For their final performance (Sunday, May 9th), in addition to the Eclectica program, Mr. Kitten will be dancing Balachine’s Tarantella with Yumelia Garcia and Ms. Lopez will be dancing Helgi Tomasson’s Valses Poeticos with Mauro Villanueva.  Bring your Kleenex, it is sure to be an emotional show.

Opening night for Joffrey’s Spring program Eclectica was Wednesday night and wow! – they really brought it to the stage.  The energy in the audience, displayed by spontaneous bursts of applause, a couple shouts of brava! and a standing “o” or two, and that emanating from the dancers on stage was palpable.  Whether it was the excitement of two world premieres, Spring fever or just opening night anticipation, the vibe was electric.  After the obligatory pre-show announcements from Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, a video was shown with interviews of the choreographers and footage of the dancers in rehearsal.  This glimpse into the work involved in creating the evening’s performance added a feeling of inclusiveness and understanding for those that often – for whatever reason – choose not to read their program before the show begins.  (And let’s face it, opening night tends to be a hodge-podge of staff, board members, donors, press, fellow dancers, etc that are more interested in being seen and catching up than reading the preliminary facts before curtain.)  Mr. Wheater talking about Mr. Arpino and his vision gave words to an ever-present spirit in the theater, most notably felt by the empty seat in Box 1, stage left.

Arpino’s Reflections started the program with the pared down accompaniment of just a piano and cello (live).  A neoclassical delight with fast pointe work, a blizzard of turning combinations directed down center toward the audience (the “spot” light got a work out) and eight sections of pure dancing for the fun of it, showed off the Joffrey’s technique in classic Mr. A style.  There were a few opening night adrenaline wobbles in the first few sections, but overall the dancers delivered a bright, energetic piece.  The pas de deux with Victoria Jaiani and Fabrice Calmels was…like butter.  Ms. Jaiani’s extensions, floating port de bras and waif-like frame were an exquisite pairing with Mr. Calmels, whose flawless partnering skills made her every move seem effortless.  When the three men danced together, the timing was slightly off on the jumps, but considering the size/height difference, it was understandable.  Some stand outs:  April Daly – every time she’s on stage, she gets better and better; Anastacia Holden – her smile lights up the whole place; and Valerie Robin – her strength, technique and timing are outstanding.

World premiere #1:  Jessica Lang’s Crossed.  Set to music inspired by religion with moving set pieces that formed random right angles (or crosses) and the same configurations displayed prominently on the costumes, this piece was strangely not religious.  Certainly there were religious undertones and overtones, but it wasn’t about that.  For me, at least, it was about the dancing.  By far the audience favorite, Crossed came across as a joyous tribute to movement.  The dancers I spoke with prior to the show were very excited about this piece.  One of them stating that the movement was so gratifying that it was one of his favorite ballets to dance.  That is a wonderful tribute to the choreographer and the fact the dancers were so into it really made the piece shine.

World premiere #2:  James Kudelks’a Pretty BALLET.  The first image you see when the curtain goes up is a ballerina held in a horizontal position over the head of her partner.  The lights are dark, the back drop is dark and she is in a white, romantic tutu with red pointe shoes.  She looks dead or asleep, held aloft in the silence.  It is quite dramatic and one cannot deny the intended splash of color on her feet and its ties to the ballet movie that doesn’t end so well.  In the opening video montage, Kudelka says that in creating this ballet he is “trying to take care of the muse”.  The music, Bohuslav Marinu’s Symphony No.  2, sounds like a Danny Elfman soundtrack to a Tim Burton movie.  In fact, the entire piece seemed Burton-esque (I half expected strange looking creatures to start coming out of the wings) with a little Giselle and Les Sylphides thrown in for good measure.  Again, the timing of the dancers was off in the ensemble movements, but for once, I didn’t mind.  Another wonderful duet involving Ms. Jaiani, this time partnered by Miguel Angel Blanco, was the stand out in the ballet that ended with the cast around the couple in the same lift as the opening, but with the ballerina moving her arms and feet in a trance-like way, like she was walking on air.

The “all stars/no stars” policy that makes this company unique gives all the dancers a chance at a good part.  It is not only fair, but lifts the level of dancing across the board.  Each dancer brings their own style to the table, which you can clearly see on the stage.  I think that’s why the timing issues didn’t bother me.  By definition it is a troupe that is most comfortable in not being the in sync corps.  The evening lived up to its name.  One of the reasons the Joffrey is so beloved is their tendency to really push the envelope of what they present.  That had been lacking in recent years, but Mr. Wheater & Co. really made some bold, interesting choices for Eclectica that, I think, really paid off.  Kudos!  I can’t wait to see it again.

The Joffrey held their annual Spring Gala last Friday and enlisted local photographer/videographer Sasha Fornari to create this opening video montage.  Pretty cool, huh?  Check out more of Sasha’s fierceness on his blog, his mag (with Joffrey dancer and photographer, Michael Smith – love him!) or vimeo.  He’s also co-creator (with the fabulous Fabrice Calmels) of the dance video site 30 Seconds of Dance.

Also, Wednesday is opening night of Joffrey’s Eclectica performances — get your tickets now!

Rogue Ballerina was lucky enough to see ABT perform last Wednesday night and Saturday night.  Two completely different shows — two completely different outcomes.  At least, for me.  First,  I’m very happy that they made it to the Windy City this year.  They are always a welcome addition to the local artistry and are missed when they don’t hit Chicago on the annual tour.  As a long-time fan, I relish any opportunity to see them perform live.  Wednesday evening’s performance was an All-American Celebration featuring works by Jerome Robbins, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp.

First up – Twyla.  In it’s Chicago premiere Tharp’s The Brahms-Hadyn Variations was a delicate mix of stunning classical technique and contemporary off-kilter extensions and en pointe assisted slides.  The cast of 30 dancers seemed electric on the stage with a slight darkening of the costume color designating the hierarchy within the company (the principals being the darkest).  When all the groups were on it was difficult to tell who was in which group and even more difficult to follow.  There was so much going on.  I’ve always enjoyed Tharp’s choreography – and this was no exception – I do though, at times, find some of her work challenging.  I would like to have seen it again and from a little further back to fully appreciate the complex patterns and partnering.  I was admittedly distracted when some of the bigger names came on stage (I couldn’t take my eyes off of Gillian Murphy for long and therefore missed everything else currently happening).  Each of the featured couples boasted incredible technique and stage presence, but unfortunately (and surprisingly) the inter-couple timing was a bit off.  Julie Kent and Sascha Radetsky seemed to be a split second behind, but it was a great way to start the show.

At the middle of the program was Paul Taylor’s Company B set to music by the Andrews Sisters.  I loved the music, appreciated the intent, but nothing seemed to happen.  It was just…beige.  The dancing was good and there weren’t any discernibly big dancing mistakes, but it lacked the energy of the first piece.  The most memorable moment was when one of the dancers shoes fell off.  While it sat there on the quarter marker, she went on dancing perkily, but it was an obvious distraction.  She eventually grabbed it and threw it into the wings (a lovely 20-foot-high arc!) and kept on going.  I wonder if she got fined for that?

Closing the show was Jerome Robbins Fancy Free.  This is what I was waiting for!  I may be a bit biased having already interview one of the dancers, Daniil Simkin, plus I’m a big Robbins fan.  Two of the three sailors were making their debuts in the piece.  All went well and I’m sure there were a few sighs of relief after the curtain.  Sascha Radetsky performed the lead sailor role and was oozing with charm though he was off on a couple of his landings.  Carlos Lopez did some amazing feats involving double tours and bar stools as the gullible one that always gets stuck with the tab.  Simkin was a definite bright light in the show.  He had an advantage by getting (IMO) the best solo to show off his stuff, but proved he could hang with the best of them and for being the littlest one on the stage somehow produced the biggest swagger.

The audience held a who’s who of the ballet admin world and I have to say I got excited when I saw ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie hug Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater just a few feet from my seat.  (Yes, I’m fully aware that I’m a geek.)

Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky in "Swan Lake". Photo by Gene Schiavone.

The rest of the run was Swan Lake.  Big, romantic classics are ABT’s bread and butter and they did not disappoint.  Saturday night’s cast featured the Russian-born, husband-and-wife team of Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky in the lead roles.  Everything from the sets to the live orchestra to the costumes and, of course, the dancing was spectacular.  The only misstep I noticed were two dancers stage left that fell out of an en mass double pirouette at the end of the Act I maypole peasant dance.  (Upon later reflection, I found I enjoyed knowing that even dancers of that caliber can falter on something so basic.)  The casting of every role was spot on.  The dual-casting of Von Rothbarth was particularly intriguing with Vitali Krauchenka dancing the evil sorcerer in his non-human, giant bat/bird form (creepy!) and Sashca Radetsky dancing in the wickedly charming, human prince-like form.  Radetsky’s Act III solo was a delight (and I was glad to see him perform so well after the slight fumbles earlier in the week).  Act III has always been my favorite for all of the foreign-themed variations and the sharp, wily Black Swan pas.  This is where the action happens.

Speaking of the Black Swan pas…wow!  The partnering, the solos, the coda…the couple’s talents were perfectly matched with each one performing their part to seeming perfection.  It just kept getting better and better.  The back-and-forth virtuoso dancing in the coda overlapped at times, so I didn’t know which one to watch.  The famous 32 fouettes (actually 31, finishing with a double, but who’s counting) were lightening fast!   This isn’t to say the White Swan pas of Act I wasn’t delicious in it’s own right.  The slightest tilt of Dvorovenko’s head was visible to the rafters, her arms fluid and toes floating across the floor in her bourres off.  In one of his adagio solos, Beloserkovsky did an amazing turning in second, arabesque promenading, fouette combination thingy that left me thinking…what was that?  How?  Then, he did it again.  A piece of cake.  Together, they were just beautiful effectively emoting to the last row of the theatre and looked like, well…they were really in love.  (Confession:  I got a little teary when they threw themselves off the cliff at the end.)

Other standouts were (obviously) the swans.  Always together, lovely arms, nice balances, great timing.  The cignets and demi soloists – great too.  The only distraction was the noise from their shoes.  (Those ducks were LOUD!)  I don’t know if it was the Civic Opera stage, used more for acoustic purposes or what, but ladies, a little hammering goes a long way.

Sascha Radetsky in "Fancy Free" - photo: Marty Sohl

Tonight at Chicago’s Civic Opera House, the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) presents an All-American Celebration featuring the choreographic works of Jerome Robbins, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp as part of their 70th Anniversary Celebration.  Tharp’s The Brahms-Hadyn Variations is a ballet for 30 dancers which will feature Gillian Murphy, Jose Manuel Carreño and Julie Kent to name a few of the big guns.  Paul Taylor’s Company B, choreographed in 1991, is a fun romp set to music by the Andrews Sisters.  But I’d like to focus on Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, a story of three sailors on leave during WWII in NYC and lookin’ for love.

Fancy Free premiered at The Met in 1944 and was Robbins’ first try at choreographing a ballet.  Needless to say, it was a hit!  Robbins, also a Broadway dancer, collaborated with then-unkown Leonard Bernstein who composed the music and Oliver Smith who designed the set.  These young artistic guns were just 25 years old.  The ballet was such a success that it was quickly adapted into a musical comedy On The Town, which then was turned into the movie starring Gene Kelly.

Tonight’s sailors are Daniil Simkin (see earlier blog post!), Carlos Lopez and Sascha Radetsky (pictured above).  Radetsky is making his debut in a new role, while Simkin is debuting in the piece and in Chicago.  A problem arises as the three sailors meet two girls:  inevitably someone is going to get left out.  A light-hearted competition ensues showcasing a clever network of solos, duets and ensemble work.  Set on a hot summer night in the Big Apple, this little ballet with tons of personality and swagger is now one of ABT’s trademarks.

ABT is coming to town!  In addition to a seven-performance run of Swan Lake (yes!), the New York-based troupe will present a one-night-only showcase of American choreographers.  The All-American Celebration featuring works by Jerome Robbins, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp, is also the Chicago debut for 22-year-old soloist Daniil Simkin.  This Russian-born wunderkind has exquisite technique, an inextinguishable creative curiosity and oodles of charm.   Think of him as a mini Misha.

Simkin performing "Les Bourgeois"

Daniil grew up in Germany with dancer parents Dmitrij Simkin and Olga Aleksandrova (his Mom was his teacher) and at age 6 made his stage debut alongside his father.  Within 6 years, he began competing and collecting myriad awards including:  Senior Gold Medal at the USA International Ballet Competition, (Jackson, 2006), Grand Prix International Competition (Helsinki, 2005) and First Prize and Gold Medal at the 21st International Ballet Competition  (Varna, 2004).  Not bad for a kid, huh?

After  dancing with the Vienna State Opera for a year he landed his first principal role (guest artist) as Basilio in Don Quixote with the Lithuanian National Opera in 2007.   *Check out his Act II pas solo at min 5:50 and entrance for the coda at min 6:46.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojll9w1rGW8&feature=player_embedded#]

Since joining ABT as a soloist in 2008, he’s been racking up an impressive and ever-expanding rep including Company B, Allegro Brillante, the Son in Prodigal Son, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and now one of the three sailors in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free in which he is making his Chicago debut on Wednesday, April 14th.  Not one to sit idle, the elfish phenom also travels the globe dancing in numerous galas throughout the year like the World Ballet Festival in Japan and Intensio in Athens where he is also the organizer.

One thing that does make him stand out — besides his dancing — is his online following.  A self-proclaimed tech nerd, Simkin is expanding his fan base via the internet.  His presence can be found on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and he has his own website.  Videos of his virtuouso dancing on YouTube have received well over a million views.  While some may think it an exercise in ego, he feels that it is more about information and demystifying the world of a  ballet dancer.  Other dancers are following this line of thinking (most notably in Chicago, Joffrey dancer Fabrice Calmels) according to this New York Times article.

Rogue Ballerina caught up with the 5’7”, trilingual ballet star, via email (of course) to ask a few questions:

RB:  Out of all the awards you’ve won, which one means the most to you and why?

DS:  It is hard for me to pinpoint a specific award since all of them were an equally important part of my growing up as a person and artist.  The awards themselves do not really mean much; the important part for us, my mother and me, is having done all the work and being a part of the competition.  We always saw competitions as an opportunity to prepare and improve new variations and movements and an opportunity for me to meet up with dance students my age.  The awards were a welcome perk.

RB:  You are making your debut in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free.  Tell us about your experience learning this iconic ABT piece.  Do you enjoy dancing his style of choreography?

DS:  Indeed I have to say it is a blast to dance, but I am saying that NOW.  Robbins’ style is very distinctive and includes many non-classical elements from tap and jazz.  Coming from an almost only ballet background…it was hard for me to adapt to his style.  Nevertheless, after many hours of rehearsals and the help from my ballet master Victor Barbee, I can say now that I feel very comfortable in it and it is just a delight to dance it.  Besides, I have to say Fancy Free is part of ABT’s history and I feel honored to have the chance to be a little bit part of it!

RB:  What is your favorite role you’ve danced so far?  What roles would you like to perform that you haven’t yet?

DS:  I have performed Basilio in Don Quixote many times abroad and it is a blast to dance.  I think the role fits me currently, where I am in life and my character.  It involves being genuinely happy with and in yourself and to just dance your heart out!  I would also love to perform Albrecht in Giselle someday.  This tragic role involves a lot of acting and deep inner emotions with a lot of drama, which I would like to explore and hope that I can manage to do that in the future.

RB:  You’re pretty tech savvy.  How do you think your online presence has helped in developing a broader fan base?  Are any of your fellow ABT dancers following your lead?

DS:  I would say that my online presence helped me tremendously to extend my popularity!  I think that I was simply at the right place at the right time when I uploaded my first clips onto YouTube when (it) first launched.  It is a new and exciting way of communication!  I honestly think that this is just the beginning.  There is a lot of unused potential in the way you can engage and reach your audience.  Many of my fellow colleagues are experimenting and trying new ways of communication – most of them are on Facebook, many are tweeting and I encourage any curiosity expressed by my colleagues.

RB:  You’ve accomplished so much already at 22 – where do you see yourself in ten years?  Do you have any personal goals set?

DS:  I have to say that I was recently quite influenced by Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now.  I try to stop myself from thinking too far ahead and setting too many goals.  I live in the here and now and that is what I am enjoying most.  I work hard a try to be the best I can be and, in the meantime, enjoy the ride.  What will be will be, especially in ten years.

RB:  What’s your favorite dance step?

DS:  I love any movement of the human body, since it is hard to define the border of what exactly a dance step is.

RB:  What do you like to do on a day off?

DS:  I love the Internet and anything involving tech or in general gadgets.  Some guys are drawn towards engines, cars and planes, whereas I have always been drawn towards anything with a display.  I also love being around my friends and generally meeting and socializing with new people.  Besides that I love the arts, especially visual art like movies, photography, graphic art or computer games, which involve me in a passive way.  Most of the time, I am so physically exhausted that during my off-time I like to be entertained without exerting too much physical energy.

RB:  If you were a super hero, what would your super power be?

DS:  I would be called the HappyMan, and my super power would be that whoever looks at me would become instantly happy for a short time.

photo credit: danmerlo.com

All the buzz this week in the Chicago dance scene is about The Seldom’s premiere of Marchland at the MCA (*check out the related clips below).  Artistic Director Carrie Hanson, known for staging her athletic, thought-provoking, timely pieces in unconventional spaces, has hit the collaborating mother load this time sharing her inspiration with a plethora of local artistic talent.   Artist Frasier Taylor — his animation film “Crevice” inspired the piece — provides the film as a backdrop and stepping off point.  Add costumes by Lara Miller, lighting by Julie Ballard, live percussion by Tim Daisy, sound design by Nick O’Brien, set consultation by Joel Huffman, and of course the time, energy and focus of her seemingly fearless group of dancers and Hanson has a strong base set to explore the concept of spatial politics – the designation, negotiation and claiming of space.  The 70-minute Marchland refers to a border region or the threshold between two places and the physical tensions and boundaries that may happen within.  The space in between (the sets, the dancers, the images on the film) is the focus and the set extends out to encompass the audience, bringing a sense of inclusion by breaking the fourth wall.

Rogue Ballerina will sit down with Ms. Hanson for a post-performance interview to get her thoughts on the show and the troupe’s upcoming trip to Russia.  Stay tuned…

Marchland, March 12 – 13 7:30 pm, March 14 3:00 pm

MCA Box Office 312.397.4010, Tickets $25

*TimeOut Chicago

*Chicago Reader

*Chicago Tribune

*Chicago Magazine