Dan Duell's Blogs
4/19/2010 - Ballet Chicago's "Classical Twist" A Touch of the Sublime, Diversity Galore
We are preparing a truly extraordinary program of works to be performed by the Ballet Chicago Studio Company this May 21- 23 at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre.
As I write, we are deep in rehearsals for our opening work, George Balanchine's exquisite "Divertimento #15", set to the Mozart music from which the ballet takes its name. Getting close to this lovely, wonderfully detailed piece is a dose of heaven on earth..an inside look at one of the most beautiful of works by two towering geniuses. The blessing of having learned and performed one of the ballet's three principal male roles under "Mr.B.'s" direction adds valuable first-hand knowledge to the preparation of the work.
In addition, we have engaged the staging expertise of long-time artistic friend and Balanchine repetiteur Sandra Jennings, who also performed "Divertimento # 15" with New York City Ballet under Balanchine's direction. An exceptional authority who now stages Balanchine works all over the world, Sandra brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. We are very happy that she is so thoroughly impressed by our dancers, the depth of their Balanchine-oriented training for this very challenging work, and the dynamic coaching of Associate Director Patricia Blair.
Balanchine profoundly revered Mozart, and is known to have said, "All of Mozart's music dances!" A personal story: one day in Mr. B.'s company class as I was working to perfect a complex sequence of petit allegro steps early on in my performing years, he stopped me, and said, "Dear, don't ignore glissade" (glissade is a transitional, connecting step). He went on, "You see, a composer is a very, very, great person. He starts with nothing, and makes a design of sound in time, and every moment of this design is conscious, so we (dancers) must show conscious attention to every moment of this design." He then went on to say, "You know, if you merely copied down one note per second of all Mozart's music, in seventy years you would not finish writing down what he composed from scratch in his thirty-five years." Mr. B.'s reverence for Mozart's music was made abundantly clear to me that day. That reverence and Mr. B's genius have resulted in a work that can only be called sublime in its aesthetic beauty and its wondrous illumination of Mozart's exquisite score. It is high time it is seen in Chicago again!
But audiences are also in for other special experiences in our program. Balanchine's jazzy, irresistibly high-spirited "Who Cares?" set to a suite of glorious George Gershwin songs, returns to close our program with a bang, and in between Balanchine's masterpieces are the return my "Mono No Aware", a martial-arts styled fantasy to music of Phillip Glass, and a world premiere by choreographer Ted Seymour to movingly tender and evocative music by Chopin, Project, MUM, and Max Richter. Diversity galore, indeed!
More commentary to come on this wonderful program...I look forward to seeing you at the Athenaeum Theatre May 21 - 23!
Sincerely,
Dan Duell
Artistic Director
1/26/2010 - BALLET CHICAGO CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL "NUTCRACKER", LEAPS INTO 2010
Ballet Chicago's "Nutcracker" had a very successful run at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre just a month ago. Overall attendance met our projections, a real accomplishment in this economy, and attendance by Chicago school children (in partnership with Urban Gateways and Chicago public schools) substantially exceeded projections! Advertising presence on the CTA helped bring many new faces into our audiences, and corporate sponsorships were up; in addition to Target as overall season sponsor for a sixth consecutive year, all our public performances were individually sponsored by Chicago corporations, a strong sign of growing support for Ballet Chicago from the city's business community.
Over twenty Ballet Chicago debuts took place in featured roles, marking tremendous artistic development in our dancers. Repeat collaborations with the highly respected dance companies Deeply Rooted Productions and Luna Negra Dance Theater brought us splendid guest artists to fill out our very large cast. Production enhancements included a stunning new Christmas tree, new lighting effects, and lovely all-new costumes for our "Waltz of the Flowers".
2010 sees wonderful things already happening at Ballet Chicago - we are honored to host the cast and crew of the smash-hit musical "Billy Elliot" in our studios, for which the building out of a fifth dance studio was recently completed to accommodate preparation of the show. Having accepted an invitation to teach the young male stars a special class on January13, I can testify first-hand to their very great talent. The show opens in March at the Oriental Theater, and rehearsals will continue at Ballet Chicago throughout the year.
Our most extensive national audition tour yet is also in full swing. During this month and throughout February, Associate Director Patricia Blair and I, along with guest teachers Ted Seymour and Sheila Rozann, are auditioning students coast-to-coast in twenty-one cities for our 2010 Summer Intensive. This tour provides students around the country with a sample of our training, enhances our recruiting, and helps maintain a national presence for Ballet Chicago. Thus far the tour is going extremely well, as numbers of auditionees and talent level are both up.
Meanwhile, in our beautiful new studios we have resumed training of our talented young artists in today's dynamic American classicism, utterly unique in this region. American classical training is now an established leading force in the art form, attracting students from around the world as well as from the United States. Forged on American dancers at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet, its innovations and beauty can be found abundantly right here in our own studios. On January 22nd we celebrated Mr. Balanchine's one hundred sixth birthday, and we have much to thank him for!
Plans are being finalized (soon to be announced) for our Spring Repertory performances this May 21- 23, bringing our full-year program to its annual culmination in performances of major Balanchine works along with innovative recent and new work...a live-performance experience not to be missed!
So save the date, and stand by for more news from Ballet Chicago as we continue our vital contributions to Chicago's cultural scene and to our beautiful art form.
Sincerely,
Dan Duell
Artistic Director
12/10/09 - BALLET CHICAGO'S "THE NUTCRACKER" - - - A PRODUCTION WITH A DIFFERENCE
Since its first performances in Russia in 1893, "The Nutcracker" has delivered delight and joy to millions. The simple tale of a little girl's dreams around Christmas touches hearts the world over, and Tchaikovsky's beloved score, brimming with beautiful melodies and colorful orchestration, carries the story line irresistibly with majesty and mystery. There are many versions of this beloved work; herewith a few things that distinguish Ballet Chicago's "Nutcracker":
The traditional Battle Scene in many productions involves regiments of toy soldiers and mice in extended battle sequences. In our version, the battle is kept to a struggle between the two primary opponents, the Nutcracker, who has magically come to life, and the Mouse King. Our production also condenses the Party Scene, resulting in a streamlined Act 1 that flows by quite swiftly. This makes the overall length of our production somewhat shorter than most, and very family-friendly.
Another special feature of our production is George Balanchine's stunningly lovely Act II Grand Pas de Deux for Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. This beautiful duet is America's successor to the original choreography by Petipa and can only be seen in Chicago in our production.
Then there is the great diversity of our performers, who appear from age three and up and span all cultural and economic backgrounds. High-quality performances from our own star-caliber Studio Company members are supplemented by outstanding guest artists Pierre Clark and Joshua Ishmon of Deeply Rooted Productions and Hamilton Nieh of Luna Negra Dance Theater, as well as the return of one of our own graduates, Ted Seymour, who now performs with the internationally renowned Suzanne Farrell Ballet of Kennedy Center.
Another unique artistic aspect of Ballet Chicago's "Nutcracker," is the Snow Scene in Act I and Waltz of the Flowers in Act II, often used primarily as a vehicle for one or two soloists with the ensemble very much in the background. In our production, these dances feature a constant flow of movement patterns and brilliant steps for the ensemble that complement exciting virtuoso choreography for the leading dancers. This enhances opportunity for all dancers to shine, and results in a rich viewing experience for audience members no matter where they are seated. It also provides a strong aesthetic core to the production; were we to strip away our vibrantly colored costumes, props, and scenic elements, viewers could enjoy our "Nutcracker" for the dancing and movement design alone.
Of course our "Nutcracker" provides a full array of gorgeous costumes, charming props, and beautifully painted scenic backgrounds, presented in Chicago's historic Athenaeum Theatre. A cultural gem on Chicago's near North side, this intimate theatre has excellent viewing throughout the house. No audience member feels distanced from the action on stage, a special feature in its own right.
Twelve years after its studio debut, Ballet Chicago's "Nutcracker" has evolved into a beloved treasure in Chicago's holiday offerings, and its popularity continues to grow. Get your tickets now! Call Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787, or visit the Athenaeum Theatre box office at 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60657.
Warmest holiday wishes,
Dan Duell
Artistic Director
11/5/09 - Classes and Programs Begin in Ballet Chicago's New Quarters
Wonderful things have been happening at Ballet Chicago since my last blog! We are up and running in our new space, thanks to the exceptional organization, energy, and dedication of our small staff and large crew of volunteers. Dancers, parents, and visitors are all overwhelmed by the beauty and the spaciousness of our new quarters.
In addition to School of Ballet Chicago classes and Ballet Chicago's vibrant production of "The Nutcracker" in full preparation, our resident troupes Deeply Rooted Productions and Luna Negra Dance Theater are busy rehearsing, reveling in the airy lightness of the studios, and no longer hearing the "El" roar by during classes and rehearsals.
Our new space enables us to develop our young artists and foster diverse artistic collaborations in an environment that reflects the quality of the work being produced. This environment helps us better prepare the educational and performance offerings that occupy such an important niche in Chicago's cultural landscape. In addition to our major performances of "Nutcracker" and annual Spring Repertory, each year we do multiple performances for young people at Chicago's Cultural Center and at the Athenaeum Theatre, providing valuable performing experience for our young artists and inspiration for future audiences. In-studio performance events will also complement our programming; as an example, this past September 27, in association with the Auditorium Theatre, we conducted a Balanchine Symposium that drew 111 participants in a combined program of master classes and lecture-demonstration by Miami City Ballet principal ballerina Jennifer Kronenberg, her partner Carlos Miguel Guerra, and Ballet Chicago School Director Patricia Blair. (I am grateful to Ballet Chicago Board members Mary Ann Cronin and Sandy Popik , Miami City Ballet Artistic Director Edward Villella, the Auditorium Theatre's Executive Director Brett Batterson and his staff, Ballet Chicago staff members, and of course the two glorious dancers for making the event such a success).
Our upcoming "Nutcracker" performances are next! Our production emphasizes beautiful dancing as little Marie's magical story unfolds; the excitement of our dancers' polished technique and the flow of lovely movement patterns keep the action moving along delightfully. With our vibrantly colorful costumes and Tchaikovsky's irresistible music, our "Nutcracker" is a special experience. And in our new space we are able to prepare our dancers in a large studio with dimensions much closer to the actual stage of the Athenaeum Theater.
An important note here: stepping up to a new future in this wonderful new space means we have incurred acquisition costs far above and beyond our normal operating budget, including movers, set-up of phone and internet systems, cleaning and clearing out of our previous space, and other costs. Please help keep us strong by giving generously to offset these extra costs. You may donate through our website by clicking here, or you can call, or mail, or deliver your contribution in person.
Balanchine-based, American classicism in Chicago is going strong!
9/13/09 - Ballet Chicago on the Move
In the midst of a challenging economy and a competitive cultural environment, Ballet Chicago is taking an important step that significantly upgrades the platform for its future. Effective November 1, 2009, Ballet Chicago will take up residency in its new quarters at 17 N. State Street.
This change heralds a new era for our organization. We will be conducting our fall term with the largest pre-enrollment we have ever had in four freshly re-furbished studios with more space than those in our current facility, improved client amenities, full administrative offices, and increased opportunity for long-term growth.
This crucial, life-changing move is made possible through the efforts of the Board of Ballet Chicago's Real Estate Committee, and I wish to express deep thanks to David Fleener, Mary Ann Cronin, Rebecca Halpern, Ellen Layton, and Wes Broquard for their indispensable expertise and generous help.
Students, their families, dance professionals, and visitors will enter our building at ground level through a beautiful marble lobby with 24-hour security. After a ride to the 19th floor in one of the multiple elevators, clients will encounter air, light, and quiet as they are greeted by administrative reception. Full facilities in dressing rooms, including multiple showers for both men and women, will enhance attendees' experience as they prepare for work in the studios.
All four studios receive abundant natural light from large windows that look out onto lovely views of Chicago's downtown skyline. Comfortable sprung wood floors will support the vital ongoing work of Ballet Chicago and the Ballet Chicago Studio Company (Chicago's only Balanchine-based training institution), and its resident companies, Deeply Rooted Productions and Luna Negra Dance Theater.
A resting and eating area with sink, refrigerator, and microwave all situated by large windows affording natural light will pleasantly accommodate clientele and visitors during breaks and waiting times.
To help kick off our new residency, on September 27 Ballet Chicago will host its first ever Balanchine Symposium in the new studios. Developed through association with the Auditorium Theatre and its presenting of Miami City Ballet, this event will offer to area dance students master classes taught by Miami City Ballet principal ballerina Jennifer Kronenberg, Ballet Chicago Associate Director Patricia Blair, and a special advanced men's class taught by me. A lecture-demonstration that I will host features an in-studio performance of selected Miami City Ballet repertoire by Ms. Kronenberg and her partner Carlos Miguel Guerra. Go to our website at www.balletchicago.org/balanchinesymposium.asp, or call Programs Coordinator, Sara Ludington at 312-341-9290 for more information.
Ballet Chicago's commitment to fostering diversity in our art form continues apace through our performances for young audiences, our SOAR program through the state of Illinois, collaborations with our resident companies, and our encouragement of applicants for training from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.
With a uniquely American classical curriculum that points to the future of the art form, multiple training programs and performance opportunities well established and increasing, and a fresh new facility to grow in, Ballet Chicago is indeed on the move!
8/13/09 - "Turn the Fifth"
This little phrase, the special catchword for the School of Ballet Chicago summer course this year, carries within it a world of significance.
To begin with, the phrase refers to classical ballet's fifth position, fundamental to the ballet vocabulary. By drawing the feet together so as to fit, turned out, exactly heel-to-toe, it becomes the position that most completely collects the energies of the human physique into a single focal point, that point from which dancers can move in more directions in more ways than from any other single position. It is also the position that most often completes movements. Thus, fifth position is truly classical ballet's "home base."
As taught at the School of Ballet Chicago, the kinesthetic action required to make fifth position is carefully developed through the use of turn-out in a way that beautifies and makes secure all the movements that stem from, or arrive in, fifth position. Indeed, this action of turning from in to out, this constant spiraling of energy, enhances the beauty of all movements in today's classical ballet. Thus, "turn the fifth." At Ballet Chicago, fifth position is given its full due every time one arrives in it --- no rebounding out of it, which is an unmusical and inarticulate way to use this fundamental position.
A constant awareness of this vital action is a key ingredient to dancers' training. Often a single phrase, applied in conjunction with specific instruction, fosters such awareness. Mr. Balanchine, as he developed his specifically American approach to technique, often employed useful word phrases to help people remember important things. Our dancers have been hearing "turn the fifth" a great deal this summer! So simple, and so easy to remember, these three little words instantly recall all the kinesthetic processes our dancers work on so hard in our studios, and thus become a tool that they can carry with them to continue teaching themselves.
Thinking about the nearly forty dancers who have found professional employment after training at the School of Ballet Chicago since the year 2000 (our School opened in January, 1995), from companies in Chicago to ones throughout the United States and beyond, it is inspiring to realize that key little phrases, and beautiful fifth positions, follow those dancers throughout their careers.
As we close our 2009 summer program, once again students experiencing SBC's teaching for the first time this summer are clamoring to join our annual program. With just a few weeks to get acquainted with our American, Balanchine-based approach to classical training, they realize its sophistication and beauty, and crave more of it.
Watch for more on twenty-first century American classicism in my upcoming blogs!
7/6/09 - Why Balanchine for the School of Ballet Chicago?
One might answer that question simply with, Just look at his magnificent ballets. As the region's school for Balanchine-based training and performance of his choreography, every year Ballet Chicago affords audiences the opportunity to see major Balanchine works during the Ballet Chicago Studio Company's Spring Repertory performances.
But the question is truly a bigger one. Ballet Chicago is about a vision of dance that Balanchine developed here in America on American dancers at his own School of American Ballet. That vision that is now recognized the world over. Balanchine-based technique is truly an American form of classical ballet, therefore Ballet Chicago is about teaching today's American classicism.
What makes it different from other approaches? For one thing, it is a highly sophisticated, contemporary classicism that evolved from its various roots, which include Balanchine's experience as a student at the Maryinsky School in St. Petersburg, technical vocabulary and method applied from Enrico Cecchetti and from the great Danish master August Bournonville, and the grand palette of American dance, customs, athleticism, and adventuresome spirit that so entranced Balanchine throughout his long career. That evolution continues to this day through schools such as Ballet Chicago's.
In addition to standard technical necessities like sound bio-mechanical alignment and placement, this technique demands heightened precision in leg and footwork, enhanced lyricism in arms and heads and upper body, great internal muscular support, and great rhythmic awareness (rhythm being a primary component of musicality). It also asks for warmth of spirit, alacrity, generosity, and a willingness to bring out one's natural persona without affectation in every class, every day. This cultivation of natural persona translates beautifully to performance onstage.
These enhancements, these amplifications if you will, of the traditional Russian technique from which Balanchine came (and for which he had an abiding love), are aimed at serving the requirements of Balanchine?s ballets, of which over seventy are in active repertoire throughout the world. They are known and loved for their beauty, their vitality, their high technical demands, and are especially revered for their peerless musicality. While many do not describe a specific plot line, they have a deep and encompassing humanity that tells the magnificent and compelling story of the human spirit expressed through the human body in movement.
Bringing dancers to the place where they can dance Balanchine choreography takes years of preparation. Fortunately, my fifteen years in the New York City Ballet (ten under Balanchine's direction until he passed away in 1983), in addition to three prior years in his School of American Ballet, serves as a broad first-hand grounding. In addition, the School of Ballet Chicago benefits from the invaluable experience of School Director Patricia Blair, who worked with one of Balanchine's great stars, Edward Villella, and began rehearsing and teaching major Balanchine ballets while still an actively performing ballerina.
So, why Balanchine? It is a vast subject that no single message can cover, but here you have the beginning of an answer. Look for more in my next blog! |
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