This Week in Dance History: November 16-22
Submitted by Valery Lantratov’s Ballet Blog
November 16, 2002- William Marrie, 33, was tragically killed when his motorcycle collided with a cab in New York City. A former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, he was performing in the Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel Broadway hit Movin’ Out at the time of his death.
November 17, 2002- More than 200 dancers completed Russia’s first 24-hour ballet marathon. The dancers performed about 20 arrangements, both classical and modern, at the Marinsky theatre in St. Petersburg.
November 18, 1989- The Los Angeles Times reported on a new dance craze. “Lambada is a mix of Latin rhythms like Colombian cumbia, Dominican merengue, Argentinan tango and Brizilan samba ensembled in a new and contagious sound.”
November 19, 1988- Alan Covacic of Great Britain finished square dance calling after 26 hours and 2 minutes, a Guinness World Record. The event happened at the Wheelers and Dealers Square Dance Club in Aylesbury, Great Britain.
November 20, 1903-Russian ballerina Alexandra Danilova was born. One of the most popular dancers of her day, she began her career at the Marinsky Ballet before forming a small group with George Balanchine and left Russia for a tour to Europe in 1924. From then on she was a presence in the West, engaged by Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes from 1924-29, she next danced with de Basil’s Ballets Russes and Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Read more about her life and career at Andros on Ballet or watch her in action at Youtube.
November 21, 1766- The first permanent theater in America, the Southwark Theater in Philadelphia, opened.
And on this date in 1912- Eleanor Powell was born. Known as the “Queen of Tap,” she began her career in Vaudeville and went on to be one of the greatest film dancers of Hollywood’s golden era. She co-starred with many of the silver screen’s greatest stars including Jimmy Stewart, Robert Taylor, Fred Astaire, Nelson Eddy, and Robert Young. (The clip below features Eleanor Powell in Ship Ahoy. Singing at the beginning is Bert Lahr best known as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.)
Also on this date, in 1937- Eugene Von Grona’s American Negro Ballet debuted at Harlem’s Lafayette Theater. The company was comprised of respondents to an advertisement in the Amsterdam News offering free dance lessons at the Harlem YMCA. Thirty of the strongest dancers were chosen, and trained. The original program, choreographed by Von Grona to Ellington, Stravinsky, W. C. Handy, and J. S. Bach, received a lukewarm reception by critics. The company survived only five months.
November 22, 1928-The one act ballet Bolero with music by Maurice Ravel opened at the Paris Opera. The music was more enduring than the ballet.
World Class Ballet Company to Open World Class School
Founded in 1956, the Joffrey Ballet Company became one of the most famous ballet companies in the world. Many credit the Joffrey Company for changing the face of American Dance. The Company has performed in over 400 U.S. cities and in all 50 states.
Now, the Joffery Company has announced that on January 5th, 2009, the company will open its inaugural school on East Randolph Street in Chicago. I am excited that the school will not only cater to aspiring professional but will also allow the community to be introduced to this beautiful cultural experience.
The school will offer classes starting at 3 years old right though adulthood and will cross over multiple genres including traditional ballet, jazz, African, Latin, tap, Pilates and workout programs. The school will be run by associate artist directors Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik with many Joffrey associates as teachers in the school. Chicago has been lucky enough to be home to this world famous ballet company since 1956, Now, Joffery gives back to the community that it has called home for over 5 decades.
White house Chief of Staff Rahm Israel Emanuel’s big secret
Written by Michael Vass
Here is something that you only see in America. It is only in this nation that a man can rise from obscurity, come from a position of some ridicule, and become a powerful leader shaping the lives of millions. You might think I’m talking about President Obama, I’m not. I in fact mean his newly appointed White house Chief of Staff Rahm Israel Emanuel.
Now when I speak of his trials I do not mean his family. Though his fater was a memer of Irgun (a questionable Zionist group) and his mother once ran a nightclub, neither is a hardship or overly remarkable. Nor do I speak of Chicago, a city noted for its questioanable politics. And I definitely don’t mean the fact that the character Josh Lyman on The West Wing was modeled after him – that is a positve in my book.
No I’m speaking of the big secret of Rahm Emanuel. The item rarely spoken about. You won’t even see it on Wikipedia right now if you look. Rahm Emanuel is a ballet dancer.
When I say a ballet dancer I’m not kidding. He was trained in classical ballet. He was so good in fact that he was able to get a scholarship to the renown Joffery Ballet. He learned ballet at Evanston School of Ballet, and obviously he learned quite well.
In my 40 years of life I have heard many comments and jokes about ballet. This is mostly directed at male ballet dancers. I’m sure that we all have heard these comments. But somehow I don’t see cracking a joke like that at one of the most powerful men in the world.
But what does being classically trained in ballet say about the former 4th most powerful man in the House of Representatives? Perhaps this gives a clue.
Suffice to say hard work and determination always pay off. And if the intensity of classical ballet is a reflection of this Chief of Staff, he will be quite the Chief indeed.
Ballet has a Latin heart too
Written by Michael Vass
For far too long ballet has been seen by far too many as boring, unoriginal and “something rich White people do”. It’s a real shame that so many ignore this expression of human nature and life as being outside their sphere of interest and something relegated only to a specific group of people.
But the New Jersey Ballet is one of many dance companies that looks to break that impression this year with their 50th anniversary performance. On November 15th this dance company will be performing Ballet with a Latin Beat.
This is a celebration of Spanish-American culture with a 1999 ballet by Pedro Ruiz, Guajira. Ruiz is a Cuban-born choreographer and the ballet explores his time in Cuba as a child with the music mixing Afro-Cuban and Latin beats.
Another ballet premiering on the 15th will be Sophisticated Salsa. This is a mix of classic Latin ballroom dancing and includes some Rumba and Mambo. This is a style of dance that is quite popular these days and I wouldn’t be surprised if you catch a glimpse of it on Dancing with the Stars or other such ‘reality’ oriented dance competitions.
And to finish the night will be a bit of flash with Entre Dos Aguas. In this piece you can expect to see a bit of ballet, jazz dance and flamenco all fused into a flash of dance and style. Here is a video of just the music - performed by Paco de Lucia a few years ago. Just imagine the dance that can go with this.
Now I’m sure some might be saying that the expressive and exuberant nature of Latin dance wouldn’t work with something as poised and minimalized as ballet. And I would argue that point. Because ballet is more than just one form of dance just as rock n roll, or Jazz, or rap are all more than just one style of their respective music genres (ok, rap is not the best example these days but you get my point).
I decided to take a look around the web to see a hint of what you might expect on November 15th and I found this short bit of dance videos
and in a different style of Latin expression via ballet there is
Suffice to say, ballet is never just what some think. Its expression is as wide as it’s viewers and just as complex and entertaining. So I suggest a trip to see the NJ Ballet if you are in the area.
San Francisco Ballet Company Gets Excellent Reviews
This is the third time over the past 3 days that I saw or heard a raving review about the San Francisco Ballet Company’s New Works Festival. Judith Mackrell of the Guardian said, The levels of adrenaline and enthusiasm that were buzzing around put British ballet culture to shame.
For more information, listen to these interviews with the choreagraphers.
