Meet Choreographers Robert Dekkers & Vanessa Thiessen
We continue to showcase the choreographers of “MOVEMEDIA: World Premieres” with a profile of Robert Dekkers , the founder and artistic director of Post:Ballet in San Francisco, and Vanessa Thiessen, a San Francisco choreographer known for her collaborative abilities.
Robert and Vanessa began collaborating in 2014, several years after first meeting as dancers with ODC/Dance in San Francisco. Working together to create original works for Post:Ballet, the two artists are passionate about integrating diverse disciplines, as well as the dance artists’ unique creative voices, to develop works that “seek collaboration as a force for change, for creative growth, for departure from the norm” (Critical Dance).
Named “25 To Watch” by DANCE Magazine, Robert is also resident choreographer for Diablo Ballet. Collaborating with eclectic artists to create choreography that is “anything but risk averse” (SF Chronicle), Robert’s work has been presented at SF International Arts Festival, Tanzsommer Festival (Vienna), Ballet Builders Showcase (NYC), Against the Grain (Seattle), and WestWave Dance Festival (SF). Recent commissions include Kansas City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, sjDANCEco, Smuin Ballet, and Quixotic/Fusion. Robert teaches for LINES Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and ODC/Dance, and is on faculty at Berkeley Ballet Theater. He danced professionally with Ballet Arizona, ODC/Dance, Company C Contemporary Ballet, and Diablo Ballet, where he was nominated for an Isadora Duncan award for “Outstanding Performance- Individual” in 2013. He has performed in works by notable choreographers including José Límon, Val Caniparoli, KT Nelson, Lar Lubovitch, George Balanchine, Jodie Gates, Trey McIntyre, Twyla Tharp, and Paul Taylor. Robert also holds a degree in business from Rio Salado College.
Vanessa, originally from Portland, Oregon, trained at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre with Haydée Gutiérrez and James Canfield. She danced for ODC/Dance, Smuin Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, Skinner/Kirk Dance, Opera Parallele, Tanya Bello’s Project b, and Post:Ballet, where she is now the company’s movement director. Vanessa has performed in works by diverse choreographers including KT Nelson, James Canfield, Brenda Way, George Balanchine, Eliot Feld, Kirk Peterson, Trey McIntyre, David Parsons, and Bebe Miller. She is currently a choreographic collaborator with notable Bay Area artists KT Nelson, Amy Seiwert, and Robert Dekkers. Vanessa also teaches ballet, repertory, and modern classes at Reed College, BodyVox, Sultanov Russian Ballet Academy, and Northwest Dance Project in Portland.
We’re very excited to see the amazing collaboration Robert and Vanessa will bring to “MOVEMEDIA: World Premieres” March 10-12 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre. Aren’t you? Tickets are available by calling 616.454.4771 or vising Ticketmaster or our website today.
Spring break is right around the corner and we have the perfect activity to keep the little ones busy!
Story ideas for ballets come from many places. Grand Rapids Ballet’s artistic director, Patricia Barker, came up with the idea for the company’s production for this year’s Spring Break for Kids program while snorkeling in Hawaii with her husband.
“I thought of the fairy tales that are out there, and then I thought it was time for something new,” said Barker. “It all takes place in a aquarium.”
The children’s ballet will be presented daily at Peter Martin Wege Theatre Tuesday, April 4 through Thursday, April 6 at 9:30am and 11am. Each performance will be preceded by 30 minutes of fun activities including arts-and-crafts, costume dress-up, prize giveaways, and more.
The 30-minute show is about Johnny Starfish, a rock star, who is getting ready for a show when his dolphin friends tell him one of his mermaids, who are part of his act, is missing and then is kidnapped by an Evil Villainess (pictured below) and her henchmen and taken to her lair.
“Her costume is over-the-top fabulous,” Barker said. “The costume shop has just gone wild with costumes.”
Johnny and his friends fan out across town to find the missing mermaid, calling upon the Mayor of Kelpville, the secret police, and even Julie the Newscaster.
“They all come from different places in the sea,” Barker said. “But Johnny’s a very American, California boy.”
The show stars Grand Rapids Ballet professional dancers. Brian Vander Ark, lead singer and principal songwriter for The Verve Pipe, is contributing original music with plenty of cultural flavor, such as Hawaiian ukuleles for the dolphins and music with a Spanish flair of the Villainess.
Tickets are only $5 each and are going fast, so don’t wait. Get yours today!
Now in its seventh season, our MOVEMEDIA series presents a stunning perspective into the world of internationally acclaimed dance makers. In fact, over the past five years, this creative incubator has produced stunning new works by the most significant and celebrated contemporary choreographers from around the globe. And our next installment entitled “World Premieres” March 10-12 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre will feature three never-before-seen works from three of them—and we’ll introduce you to them in a series of blog posts, starting with Penny Saunders.
We are thrilled and proud to have Penny as our choreographer-in-residence. This means we’re able to call on her talents at the drop of a hat for a variety of different reasons from creating an entirely new work for our Company to assisting in refining an existing piece. Her creative input and direction is invaluable to us and integral part of our success.
Originally from sunny West Palm Beach, Penny graduated from the Harid Conservatory in 1995, and began her professional career with The American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Septime Webre. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, MOMIX Dance Theater, Cedar Lake Ensemble and in 2004 she joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2011, Saunders won the International Commissioning Project which launched her choreographic career, creating pieces for Hubbard Streets’ main and second company, Whim W’Him, SFDancworks, Neos Dance Theater, Owen Cox Dance Group, and The Nexus Project. Saunders is honored to be the choreographer-in residence at Grand Rapids Ballet receiving support from New York City Ballet Choreographic Commissions Initiative and to be the recipient of the 2016 Princess Grace Foundation Choreographic Fellowship.
SOME OF PENNY’S FAVORITES THINGS:
Article of clothing: Tank tops Chicago restaurant:Royal Thai Dancer: Elisabeth Carroll Dessert: Mint chocolate chip ice cream
But enough words. Let’s take a moment to watch her magnificent work and completely unique style below. What she’ll bring to “World Premieres” we have yet to see, but we know it will be intimate, innovative, and unforgettable! For tickets to the show, call 616.454.4771 today.
Due to the popular demand for our upcoming run of “Black & White: Swan Lake,” we’ve added a special command performance on Tuesday, February 14. But that’s not the best part: We’ve partnered with the good folks at Humane Society of West Michigan (HSWM), too, and it’s called “Pas & Paws” (see what we did there?).
What does that mean exactly? Well, a sizable portion of the proceeds from the evening’s ticket sales will go to help in HSWM’s mission to promote the humane treatment and responsible care of animals through education, example, placement, and protection, that’s what. How great is that?
So, in addition to enjoying the amazing performance of “Black & White: Swan Lake,” you’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about the services provided by HSWM, including the adoption process. We even hear there will even be a few furry four-legged friends in attendance—in bow ties!—to greet guests in the lobby.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
Photos courtesy of Isaac Aoki.
And our good friends at Gilmore Collection have generously offered to donate 15% of your check if you dine at Gilly’s at The B.O.B. before the show. Gilly’s is the restaurant group’s delicious seafood concept which is conveniently located just a couple of blocks away. You could totally park once and walk to both locations. Just make sure to let your server know by showing your tickets. Reservations are not required but are encouraged, so call 616.356.2000 to make yours today. We mean, just look at these delicious plates of food!
What a wonderful way to spend Valentine’s Day evening, whether you’re single, coupled, and/or parents with kids but no babysitter, right? Tickets are available at here or by calling 616.454.4771. We hope to see you there!
Summer 2017 Ballet Intensive at Grand Rapids Ballet
When the average student thinks of summer vacation, words like “beach” (as in lazy days on), “sleeping” (as in late), and “binging” (as in Game of Thrones) are probably some of the first to come to mind.
But for others, the words might be “sweat” (as in breaking a), “work” (as in hard), and “intensive” (as in summer).
Grand Rapids Ballet’s annual Summer Intensive, scheduled for June 26-July 28 at the Meijer-Royce Center for Dance, gives you the rare opportunity to refine your ballet skills in technique and artistry. You’ll get face-to-face, hands-on training with some of the best stars and renowned master teachers from today’s ballet world including Patricia Barker (current Grand Rapids Ballet artistic director and former principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet), Nicole Ciapponi (Joffrey Ballet), Elizabeth Murphy (Pacific Northwest Ballet), and Aaron Renteria (Joffrey Ballet).
You’ll also gain valuable insights through seminars and specialized classes in nutrition, injury prevention, cardio training, and more.
To be considered for our Summer Intensive, interested students must first audition in person (schedule below). Dancers attending these open auditions are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early in order to complete their registration on-site. Bring a head shot and a photo in arabesque; ladies, be prepared to audition en pointe, as well. The audition fee is $20. Call 616.454.4771 or email for more information on how to attend.
Once you’ve auditioned, you may receive an invitation to attend our Summer Intensive at Grand Rapids Ballet. Senior students (age 12-19) will attend class Monday-Friday from 10am-5pm and junior students (age 9-15) will attend class Monday-Friday from 10am-2pm; it’s called an “intensive” for a reason.
Tuition for senior students is $450 per week or $1,875 for the entire five-week course (save $375) and $250 per week or $975 for entire five-week course (save $275) for junior students. A limited number of scholarships are available and are awarded based on need and talent.
So, while it’s no day at the beach, your hard work will produce amazing results and give you tools you’ll use throughout your dance career. That’s way better than tan. For more information on auditions, tuition, housing, faculty, and more, call 616.454.4771 or email us today.
Also, be on the lookout for more information coming soon about our Summer 2017 Contemporary Intensive!
Save Tchaikovsky’s brilliant original score there was little choreographer Mario Radacovsky’s psychological ballet Black Swan White Swan (retitled Black & White: Swan Lake for 2017) had in common with traditional productions of Swan Lake. No feather-adorned tutus, no clack of pointe shoes hitting the stage floor and no love story of prince and a beautiful swan that transcends death. His contemporary version of the Marius Petipa classic instead had its dancers in modern-day costume, often barefoot, and told the story of a self-absorbed man who, faced with his own mortality, sought refuge in romantic relationships with two very different women only to be tormented by feelings of guilt and betrayal over his infidelities with them.
The world premiere of the black-and-white themed two-act ballet by Grand Rapids Ballet (GRB) at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre began with a darkened stage on which the moving image of the surface of a shimmering lake was projected. The lake’s waters gradually became more turbulent as apparition-like circles of white light rose from its depths.
The mesmerizing scene then shifted to two others that served as setup for the ballet’s storyline and where we were introduced to its main characters.
In the first, a brief encounter between Nicholas Schultz as Siegfried and Laura McQueen Schultz as the White Swan (she looking more like a secretary than a swan) left the impression that Siegfried was in poor health as he collapsed to the floor (repeating the gesture at intervals throughout the first act) and that whatever ailed him, as well as his inner demons, were being manifested in the form of the sorcerer, Von Rothbart. Dancer Kyohei Giovanni Yoshida was riveting in his portrayal of the clingy, jealous and sinister Von Rothbart who seemed to have an equal measure of aggression and desire for Siegfried. His dancing was a potent blend of skill and power.
The second found Siegfried at a dance party where he encountered Black Swan, Dawnell Dryja. Radacovsky’s contemporary dance choreography for the scene had its five couples rocking back and forth in each other’s arms in a slow dance then picking up the pace to a comedic level while the Black Swan fawned over a now-melancholy Siegfried while Von Rothbart inserted himself between the pair, grabbing at Siegfried or climbing onto his back.
Apart from the ballet’s leads, GRB’s dancers appeared at times uneasy in Radacovsky’s gesture-laden contemporary movement language; their dancing lacked energy and crispness.
Toward the end of the first act however, the ballet and the dancers’ performances seemed to come into their own thanks to a striking dreamlike scene where a corps of fourteen swans, barefoot and in white leotards, performed choreography that blended references to Petipa’s production with twisty, off-balance movement. The swans each danced in individual spotlights atop the shimmering lake projection that harked back to the ballet’s beginning and brought home the notion that the swans were in fact the apparition-like lights that rose from the lake’s depths. Backed by a wall of mirrored panels that multiplied the number of Swans, Siegfried and Von Rothbart slowly stalked each other as the swans danced, creating a marvelous juxtaposition of growing tension and animated beauty.
A lightning-quick dance of the four cygnets and a playful and acrobatic pas de deux between Siegfried and the White Swan followed to end the act. McQueen Schultz as the White Swan was radiant and her performance in the pas deft.
The ballet’s second act saw Radacovsky’s choreography abandon its sometimes cutesy elements in favor of rich, emotional and more technically challenging movement. It opened with Siegfried and Von Rothbart in another battle of wills in which both dancers shone.
The ballet then climaxed in the Black Swan pas de deux where a seductive and fierce Dryja partnered by Schultz wowed the audience. Darting legs, sharp turns and daring lifts were thoroughly enthralling.
The rest of the ballet saw Siegfried seemingly defeat Von Rothbart only to have him return when the White and Black Swans met each other and exposed Siegfried’s infidelities. The ballet ended with Siegfried and Von Rothbart lying lifeless on the stage as the projected image of a swan in flight surrounded them and GRB’s swan corps slowly flapped their arms to Tchaikovsky’s stirring music.
Perhaps not a production for the ballet purist and in some ways a flawed one, Radacovsky’s ballet was nonetheless a triumph. For GRB, now in its 40thseason and the second under new artistic director and former Pacific Northwest Ballet prima ballerina, Patricia Barker, Black Swan White Swan was bold and successful step in the new direction Barker is taking the company from a little-known regional ballet company to one in the national spotlight.
Want to stay fit as a fiddle? Attila Mosolygo is already a pro in the ballet world, as well as the assistant artistic director and principal of Grand Rapids Ballet School. But did you know he’s also got some mad skills in the gym? Dancing already burns tons of calories and the sporadic movements call upon many muscles. Many people envy the physique but don’t actually realize they can get a similar shape. Check out how he trains for performances and implement some of his moves into your regimen.
Exercise 1: Basic Pushup
Keep you back flat, legs straight, and hands placed outside of your shoulders. 3 SETS OF 20 REPS 30-60 SECONDS REST
Exercise 2: Military Pushup
Push up with the hands placed directly under shoulders, upper arms remain next to the body in the down position. 3 SETS OF 20 REPS 30-60 SECONDS REST
Exercise 3: Crunches
On a flat back with legs at 90 degrees and toes pointing up, keep your arms vertical with your fingers above your shoulders. This is a basic crunch with fingers extending up to the same level as the toes. 3 SETS OF 30 REPS 30-60 SECONDS REST
Exercise 4: Starfish
In a basic pushup position create a wide X shape without twisting or tipping the torso. Raise one arm, hold it for 5-10 seconds, place it down, then do the same with opposite arm. And the with legs (one at a time) 2 SETS OF 20 REPS
“Follow exercise #4 with a moderate speed run for 1 mile and then repeat exercises 1-4”
And don’t forget we also offer adult ballet classes that will help you stay fit, increase flexibility, and raise your spirits. Find out more here.
Grand Rapids Ballet’s “Black & White: Swan Lake” returns to the stage at Peter Martin Wege Theater February 10-12, 2017. Here’s the MLive review of the premiere that was originally published in May of 2012…
Laura and Nicholas Schultz as Odette and Siegfried in the Grand Rapids Ballet’s premier of “Black Swan White Swan,” a variation of the classic ballet “Swan Lake.” (Chris Clark | Mlive.com)
By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk for MLive.com (May 11, 2012)
4 stars of 4
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Great art is great, in part, because, whether it’s Shakespeare’s plays or Beethoven’s symphonies, it can be created new again.
Natalie Portman, in the film “Black Swan,” is set against rehearsals for “Swan Lake.” Music from Tchaikovsky’s score is part of the 2010 film, but the tale of Von Rothbart, the sorcerer, is not told in Darren Aronofsky’s film.
Grand Rapids Ballet Company’s new production of “Black & White: Swan Lake” re-imagines it yet again to cap the company’s 40th anniversary season with an artistic accomplishment of the highest order. Startling special effects surround amazing choreography in the show.
Choreographer Mario Radacovsky’s new production – beguiling, captivating, ultimately enigmatic — is not a retelling of the story of Princess Odette, the White Swan; or of Von Rothburt’s daughter, Odile, the Black Swan.
GRBC’s production, which opened last weekend in its Wege Theatre, is the story of Siegfried and his journey of discovery, both in the real world as well as in the realm of his imagination, aided, abetted by Von Rothbart.
The most important duets, in fact, are those between Siegfried and Von Rothbart, as his Mephistophelean manipulator, and by Von Rothbart, as Siegfried looking inside himself, at his alter ego, mirroring his actions, sharing his coats, engaging in frequent combat.
Radacovsky’s tale is one for the 21st century, with a dance vocabulary to match. It’s classical dance, yes, but not at all classical ballet with women on pointe. Dancers all were in dance shoes or barefoot.
Manipulations of the spine, legs spread far apart, toes pointing at 90 degree angles to the leg were some of the unfamiliar, and even uncomfortable moves Radacovsky employed, to say nothing of any number of gestures to suggest swans in motion.
Four strong dancers, with strong characterizations to match, tell the 80-minute story to most of Tchaikovsky’s much loved, pre-recorded score to “Swan Lake.”
Friday’s cast, to open its second weekend of three performances, included Nicholas Schultz as Siegfried, Kyohei Giovanni Yoshida as von Rothbart, Laura McQueen Schultz as the White Swan, Dawnell Dryja as the Black Swan.
Schultz, a fine leading man, has developed the tools to grow a character in the short space of a show as well as the strength and stamina to partner so many people so much of the time.
Yoshida, an exciting dancer always, gave Von Rothbart a cunning, commanding presence, with some spectacular moves, but riveting even when he moved with catlike stealth.
McQueen Schultz danced a graceful, White Swan, partnered often off the floor, frequently in surprising lifts and carries, suggesting her sad, remote distance.
Dryja, as the Black Swan, was a sexy, magnetic personality with a touch of femme fatale. Her solo variation had energy crackling at the tips of her fingers and toes. The trust between her and Schultz when paired together is unmatched.
Radacovsky’s party scene, establishing the normalcy of Siegfried’s world, was witty and gay with five couples dancing the world’s oldest game.
No fewer than 14 swans, matching white outfits with loose, flowing hair, were a strong corps de ballet with willowy gestures often in perfect unison.
As Shakespeare’s plays profit from modern lighting and Beethoven’s piano concertos feature modern instruments, Radacovsky’s 21st century version of a 19th century ballet benefited greatly from set and lighting design by Marek Holly and projection design by Michael Auer.
Mirrored drops reflected the action and provide subtle entrances and exits. Pools of light served as accent lighting as well as destinations marking turning points in the tale.
Best of all were breathtaking projections transforming the Wege Theatre into the semblance of a lake itself. A surprising special effect at the end sealed the deal.
Grand Rapids Ballet Company’s 40th season ends on a high note, though two more chances remain to see “Black Swan White Swan.”
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Ballethas spent years of dreaming of a new production of “The Nutcracker.”
Years of planning and designing, and months of choreographing and rehearsing its new production of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” culminated on Friday in DeVos Performance Hall.
It’s simply divine, delicious and delightful.
“The Nutcracker,” conducted by John Varineau, leading the Grand Rapids Symphony, opened to enthusiastic audience acclaim as Grand Rapids Ballet’s first, brand-new production of the holiday ballet in some 30 years.
Tchaikovsky’s beloved score is the same as before. The tale of Clara and her magical nutcracker doll come to life is mostly so as well. After that, everything’s new.
Settings by Chris Van Allsburg and Eugene Lee provide the authenticity of the Stahlbaum home down to shadow silhouette portraits over the fireplace mantle that set the scene in early 19th century Vienna. The meticulously painted drops also supply the whimsy of the imaginary Marzipan Castle in the second act, which Clara and her Prince reach by traveling on a boat pulled by dolphins.
Sumptuous costumes designed by artistic director Patricia Barker reflect the handsome, cutaway jackets and empire waist gowns of Regency Era. Clara’s godfather, the eccentric Drosselmeier, naturally, is something of a throwback in an old-fashioned, 18th century long coat and knee breeches.
What’s more, Grand Rapids Ballet’s new “Nutcracker” is a production full of surprises.
Lights, projections and special effects add a touch of 21st century magic to supply falling snow, fireworks and scampering mice. As Clara falls asleep on Christmas Eve, her mesmerizing transformation into a tiny figure, coming face to face with now-gigantic mice beneath the Christmas tree, is a wondrous delight you have to see yourself.
Yet glitz, glamour and production values aside, the essence of the show is new choreography by Val Caniparoli, one of the best-known and best-traveled American choreographers working today.
Caniparoli’s “Nutcracker” is classical ballet at its best. Graceful and elegant, understated at times, Caniparoli fills the stage with deceptively simple yet highly technical ballet steps. Frequently his choreography flows as if the dancers were on ice skates instead of toe shoes. But the sheer athleticism of his lifts and carries cannot be dismissed.
The Stahlbaum’s Christmas party in full flow tells the tale of adults conversing and sharing social dances, children playing with drums and dolls, causing an occasional ruckus until distracted by Drosselmeier’s life-size Sugar Plum and Nutcracker dolls, both of which arrive in delightfully deceptive ways.
The battle scene between the Nutcracker and Mouse King was depicted dramatically with music to match and made a seamless transition into the ravishing Snow scene.
Grand Rapids Ballet’s two most veteran members, Stephen Sanford and Dawnell Dryja danced Friday as the Nutcracker Prince and Sugar Plum Fairy. Yet the two don’t dance the grand pas de deux in Act II.
Among the many changes in the re-imagined “Nutcracker, the young Clara, portrayed by Julia Rudlaff in Act I, becomes a slumbering Clara who dreams of herself as a young adult, danced by Yuka Oba.
Dream Clara dances the grand pas de deux because, after all, a girl who dreams of a handsome prince doesn’t sit back and watch some other girl dance with him.
Enraptured by the wonder of her journey Oba blossomed on stage, partnered confidently by Sanford. The Snow scene was unabashedly romantic, danced with the enthusiasm of newly discovered passion between two young lovers. Building upon that foundation, their grand pas de deux in Act II brought forth even greater technical accomplishments.
Dryja, leading 12 little fairies, was radiant in her solo with dainty feet and captivating presence that filled the stage even when dancing alone.
Grand Rapids Ballet last year launched a $2.5 million capital campaign to retire debts, build and endowment, and create a new production of “Nutcracker.” Realizing that vision led the company to expand by one-third this season. No fewer than 32 dancers are on the roster. Thirteen are newcomers this season.
The payoff in the Snow scene and in the “Waltz of the Flowers” was extraordinary with a corps de ballet of 16 snowflakes and 12 flowers, all professionals, apprentices, trainees or guests, who danced with nimble assurance and supple cohesion.
The Arabian Spice divertissement, with Ednis Gomez as a snake charmer and Monica Pelfrey as an asp, was sinewy and sensuous. Kyohei Yoshida’s spellbinding spins in the Chinese Tea divertissement, pursued by a new Chinese dragon, were electrifying.
Therese Davis, Connie Flachs and Laura McQueen Schultz danced with polished poise in the French Pastilles variation. The Russian Caviar divertissement had Isaac Aoki, Steven Houser and Nicholas Schultz exploding across the stage with powerful leaps as the audience clapped along to the Trepak rhythm.
Grand Rapids Ballet’s new production, as likely as not, will have its naysayers.
A prologue that has Drosselmeier, portrayed magnetically by Attila Mosolygo, planning Christmas surprises for his godchildren, as well as an epilogue that returns Clara to her home, safe and sound, are entirely new to DeVos Hall.
The enormous Mother Ginger is no more, though her masked Harlequin children still appear in the show. Overall, there are fewer students and children on stage.
But the new version of “The Nutcracker,” which the company plans to tour in future years, surely will elevate Grand Rapids Ballet’s reputation as a professional troupe of consequence while entertaining a new generation at the holidays with the magic of dance.
All in the Family: ‘Nutcracker’ includes sibling youth dancers from Kentwood
By K.D. Norris (ken@wktv.org)
When the annual run of the Grand Rapids Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” hits the stage Friday, Dec. 9, it will include staring rolls by the company’s professional dancers and, as always, often a stage full of youth dancers.
Again this year, Kentwood sisters Grace and Micah Jones will be among those lending their talents to the production a part of the ballet’s youth dance program — one sister because she sees dance as a possible future career and the other because it is just “so much fun.”
The classic family holiday tradition returns to DeVos Performance Hall for two weekends — Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 16-18 — with four evening shows and four matinees. Live orchestra music is provided by Grand Rapids Symphony.
Grace, a 16-year-old junior at Grand River Preparatory High School, has been dancing at Grand Rapids Ballet for 11 years and has been a member of the Junior Company since its inception. This year will be her 8th Nutcracker appearance.
Grace Jones
“I started dancing when I was 2, my parents saw that I loved movement and loved dancing,” Grace said last week, prior to a rehearsal. “My parents saw I needed something to get my energy out so they said ‘Let’s put her into dance.’ I really didn’t get into ballet right away. I was into jazz and tap and hip hop, but at about 5, I went into ballet because I loved the movement.”
She also loved The Nutcracker, thanks to her father, Ronald.
“I remember going to The Nutcracker every year, when I was younger,” she said. “My dad would take me every year, starting at 4 and then every year until I was 8, when I got to be in it for the first time.”
Seven productions later, she is still excited about the annual holiday production.
“I have always loved being in front of the audience,” Grace said. “I love sharing, I love exposing the audience to something new. For me, when I first watched it, it was so beautiful, to watch those beautiful dancers, the beautiful colors and costumes and shapes they make on the stage. I said ‘Wow. I want to do that.’ … Now I want to give some other girl that feeling, the feeling I felt when I was younger.”
According to her mother, Sandra, Grace hopes to dance in college while pursuing professional opportunities. But she sees dance as a means to other career paths as well.
“I love teaching, maybe teaching dance, “ Grace said. “I would love to show others the joy I found in dance.”
One of the people she has shown the love of dance to is her sister.
Micah, age 13 and a 7th grader at Cross Creek Charter Academy, says music is her first love — she has been playing the piano for 8 years, and her mother says she has talked about assisting with her college expenses by playing piano for ballet companies.
Micah Jones
But Micah has been with working with the Grand Rapids Ballet youth program for four years and will be in the Nutcracker for the third year.
“I saw saw my sister, and other people, in dance and it looked so fun,” Micah said, explaining why she wanted to dance. “It is so free, you get to move how you want to move.”
She also said she receives plenty of advice and encouragement from her older sister.
“Since she is such a good dancer, she really helps me when I need help, with technique or how I am supposed to move,” Micah said.
And as far as her first time in front of the usually large crowds watching the Nutcracker, any advice from her older sister?
“She told me not to think of the crowd, just remember your choreography, remember what you are there to do.”
While the two sisters will be dancing different rolls this season, the thing they have in common is an affinity for the famous battle scene. “It is a giant battle scene,” Grace points out, while Micah simply says the scene is “so much fun.”
Anybody who has seen the production knows what they are talking about; those how haven’t have two weekends worth of opportunity.
For more information, call 616-454-4771 or visit grballet.com
Meet Choreographers Robert Dekkers & Vanessa Thiessen
Meet Choreographers Robert Dekkers & Vanessa Thiessen
We continue to showcase the choreographers of “MOVEMEDIA: World Premieres” with a profile of Robert Dekkers , the founder and artistic director of Post:Ballet in San Francisco, and Vanessa Thiessen, a San Francisco choreographer known for her collaborative abilities.
Robert and Vanessa began collaborating in 2014, several years after first meeting as dancers with ODC/Dance in San Francisco. Working together to create original works for Post:Ballet, the two artists are passionate about integrating diverse disciplines, as well as the dance artists’ unique creative voices, to develop works that “seek collaboration as a force for change, for creative growth, for departure from the norm” (Critical Dance).
Named “25 To Watch” by DANCE Magazine, Robert is also resident choreographer for Diablo Ballet. Collaborating with eclectic artists to create choreography that is “anything but risk averse” (SF Chronicle), Robert’s work has been presented at SF International Arts Festival, Tanzsommer Festival (Vienna), Ballet Builders Showcase (NYC), Against the Grain (Seattle), and WestWave Dance Festival (SF). Recent commissions include Kansas City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, sjDANCEco, Smuin Ballet, and Quixotic/Fusion. Robert teaches for LINES Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and ODC/Dance, and is on faculty at Berkeley Ballet Theater. He danced professionally with Ballet Arizona, ODC/Dance, Company C Contemporary Ballet, and Diablo Ballet, where he was nominated for an Isadora Duncan award for “Outstanding Performance- Individual” in 2013. He has performed in works by notable choreographers including José Límon, Val Caniparoli, KT Nelson, Lar Lubovitch, George Balanchine, Jodie Gates, Trey McIntyre, Twyla Tharp, and Paul Taylor. Robert also holds a degree in business from Rio Salado College.
Vanessa, originally from Portland, Oregon, trained at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre with Haydée Gutiérrez and James Canfield. She danced for ODC/Dance, Smuin Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, Skinner/Kirk Dance, Opera Parallele, Tanya Bello’s Project b, and Post:Ballet, where she is now the company’s movement director. Vanessa has performed in works by diverse choreographers including KT Nelson, James Canfield, Brenda Way, George Balanchine, Eliot Feld, Kirk Peterson, Trey McIntyre, David Parsons, and Bebe Miller. She is currently a choreographic collaborator with notable Bay Area artists KT Nelson, Amy Seiwert, and Robert Dekkers. Vanessa also teaches ballet, repertory, and modern classes at Reed College, BodyVox, Sultanov Russian Ballet Academy, and Northwest Dance Project in Portland.
We’re very excited to see the amazing collaboration Robert and Vanessa will bring to “MOVEMEDIA: World Premieres” March 10-12 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre. Aren’t you? Tickets are available by calling 616.454.4771 or vising Ticketmaster or our website today.
Spring Break for Kids at the Ballet
Spring Break for Kids at Grand Rapids Ballet
Spring break is right around the corner and we have the perfect activity to keep the little ones busy!
Story ideas for ballets come from many places. Grand Rapids Ballet’s artistic director, Patricia Barker, came up with the idea for the company’s production for this year’s Spring Break for Kids program while snorkeling in Hawaii with her husband.
“I thought of the fairy tales that are out there, and then I thought it was time for something new,” said Barker. “It all takes place in a aquarium.”
That was the inspiration for “The Aquatic Adventures of Johnny Starfish” which will be performed at Spring Break for Kids this year.
The children’s ballet will be presented daily at Peter Martin Wege Theatre Tuesday, April 4 through Thursday, April 6 at 9:30am and 11am. Each performance will be preceded by 30 minutes of fun activities including arts-and-crafts, costume dress-up, prize giveaways, and more.
The 30-minute show is about Johnny Starfish, a rock star, who is getting ready for a show when his dolphin friends tell him one of his mermaids, who are part of his act, is missing and then is kidnapped by an Evil Villainess (pictured below) and her henchmen and taken to her lair.
“Her costume is over-the-top fabulous,” Barker said. “The costume shop has just gone wild with costumes.”
Johnny and his friends fan out across town to find the missing mermaid, calling upon the Mayor of Kelpville, the secret police, and even Julie the Newscaster.
“They all come from different places in the sea,” Barker said. “But Johnny’s a very American, California boy.”
The show stars Grand Rapids Ballet professional dancers. Brian Vander Ark, lead singer and principal songwriter for The Verve Pipe, is contributing original music with plenty of cultural flavor, such as Hawaiian ukuleles for the dolphins and music with a Spanish flair of the Villainess.
Tickets are only $5 each and are going fast, so don’t wait. Get yours today!
Meet Choreographer Penny Saunders
Meet Choreographer Penny Saunders
Now in its seventh season, our MOVEMEDIA series presents a stunning perspective into the world of internationally acclaimed dance makers. In fact, over the past five years, this creative incubator has produced stunning new works by the most significant and celebrated contemporary choreographers from around the globe. And our next installment entitled “World Premieres” March 10-12 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre will feature three never-before-seen works from three of them—and we’ll introduce you to them in a series of blog posts, starting with Penny Saunders.
We are thrilled and proud to have Penny as our choreographer-in-residence. This means we’re able to call on her talents at the drop of a hat for a variety of different reasons from creating an entirely new work for our Company to assisting in refining an existing piece. Her creative input and direction is invaluable to us and integral part of our success.
Originally from sunny West Palm Beach, Penny graduated from the Harid Conservatory in 1995, and began her professional career with The American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Septime Webre. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, MOMIX Dance Theater, Cedar Lake Ensemble and in 2004 she joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2011, Saunders won the International Commissioning Project which launched her choreographic career, creating pieces for Hubbard Streets’ main and second company, Whim W’Him, SFDancworks, Neos Dance Theater, Owen Cox Dance Group, and The Nexus Project. Saunders is honored to be the choreographer-in residence at Grand Rapids Ballet receiving support from New York City Ballet Choreographic Commissions Initiative and to be the recipient of the 2016 Princess Grace Foundation Choreographic Fellowship.
SOME OF PENNY’S FAVORITES THINGS:
Article of clothing: Tank tops
Chicago restaurant: Royal Thai
Dancer: Elisabeth Carroll
Dessert: Mint chocolate chip ice cream
But enough words. Let’s take a moment to watch her magnificent work and completely unique style below. What she’ll bring to “World Premieres” we have yet to see, but we know it will be intimate, innovative, and unforgettable! For tickets to the show, call 616.454.4771 today.
Command Performance Benefits Humane Society of West Michigan
“Pas & Paws” for Humane Society of West Michigan
Kittens and puppies and ballet—oh my!
Due to the popular demand for our upcoming run of “Black & White: Swan Lake,” we’ve added a special command performance on Tuesday, February 14. But that’s not the best part: We’ve partnered with the good folks at Humane Society of West Michigan (HSWM), too, and it’s called “Pas & Paws” (see what we did there?).
What does that mean exactly? Well, a sizable portion of the proceeds from the evening’s ticket sales will go to help in HSWM’s mission to promote the humane treatment and responsible care of animals through education, example, placement, and protection, that’s what. How great is that?
So, in addition to enjoying the amazing performance of “Black & White: Swan Lake,” you’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about the services provided by HSWM, including the adoption process. We even hear there will even be a few furry four-legged friends in attendance—in bow ties!—to greet guests in the lobby.
And our good friends at Gilmore Collection have generously offered to donate 15% of your check if you dine at Gilly’s at The B.O.B. before the show. Gilly’s is the restaurant group’s delicious seafood concept which is conveniently located just a couple of blocks away. You could totally park once and walk to both locations. Just make sure to let your server know by showing your tickets. Reservations are not required but are encouraged, so call 616.356.2000 to make yours today. We mean, just look at these delicious plates of food!
What a wonderful way to spend Valentine’s Day evening, whether you’re single, coupled, and/or parents with kids but no babysitter, right? Tickets are available at here or by calling 616.454.4771. We hope to see you there!
Summer 2017 Ballet Intensive
Summer 2017 Ballet Intensive at Grand Rapids Ballet
When the average student thinks of summer vacation, words like “beach” (as in lazy days on), “sleeping” (as in late), and “binging” (as in Game of Thrones) are probably some of the first to come to mind.
But for others, the words might be “sweat” (as in breaking a), “work” (as in hard), and “intensive” (as in summer).
Grand Rapids Ballet’s annual Summer Intensive, scheduled for June 26-July 28 at the Meijer-Royce Center for Dance, gives you the rare opportunity to refine your ballet skills in technique and artistry. You’ll get face-to-face, hands-on training with some of the best stars and renowned master teachers from today’s ballet world including Patricia Barker (current Grand Rapids Ballet artistic director and former principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet), Nicole Ciapponi (Joffrey Ballet), Elizabeth Murphy (Pacific Northwest Ballet), and Aaron Renteria (Joffrey Ballet).
You’ll also gain valuable insights through seminars and specialized classes in nutrition, injury prevention, cardio training, and more.
To be considered for our Summer Intensive, interested students must first audition in person (schedule below). Dancers attending these open auditions are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early in order to complete their registration on-site. Bring a head shot and a photo in arabesque; ladies, be prepared to audition en pointe, as well. The audition fee is $20. Call 616.454.4771 or email for more information on how to attend.
January 15
(ages 16+ only)
Center of Creative Arts
St. Louis, Missouri
12:30-2pm
7-8:30pm
2-3:30pm
2-3:30pm
12:30-2pm
3:30-5pm
Once you’ve auditioned, you may receive an invitation to attend our Summer Intensive at Grand Rapids Ballet. Senior students (age 12-19) will attend class Monday-Friday from 10am-5pm and junior students (age 9-15) will attend class Monday-Friday from 10am-2pm; it’s called an “intensive” for a reason.
Tuition for senior students is $450 per week or $1,875 for the entire five-week course (save $375) and $250 per week or $975 for entire five-week course (save $275) for junior students. A limited number of scholarships are available and are awarded based on need and talent.
So, while it’s no day at the beach, your hard work will produce amazing results and give you tools you’ll use throughout your dance career. That’s way better than tan. For more information on auditions, tuition, housing, faculty, and more, call 616.454.4771 or email us today.
Also, be on the lookout for more information coming soon about our Summer 2017 Contemporary Intensive!
Black & White: Swan Lake 2012 Review
“Swan Lake is a triumph!”
Grand Rapids Ballet Company
Black Swan White Swan
Review by Steve Sucato for DanceTabs.
Save Tchaikovsky’s brilliant original score there was little choreographer Mario Radacovsky’s psychological ballet Black Swan White Swan (retitled Black & White: Swan Lake for 2017) had in common with traditional productions of Swan Lake. No feather-adorned tutus, no clack of pointe shoes hitting the stage floor and no love story of prince and a beautiful swan that transcends death. His contemporary version of the Marius Petipa classic instead had its dancers in modern-day costume, often barefoot, and told the story of a self-absorbed man who, faced with his own mortality, sought refuge in romantic relationships with two very different women only to be tormented by feelings of guilt and betrayal over his infidelities with them.
The world premiere of the black-and-white themed two-act ballet by Grand Rapids Ballet (GRB) at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre began with a darkened stage on which the moving image of the surface of a shimmering lake was projected. The lake’s waters gradually became more turbulent as apparition-like circles of white light rose from its depths.
The mesmerizing scene then shifted to two others that served as setup for the ballet’s storyline and where we were introduced to its main characters.
In the first, a brief encounter between Nicholas Schultz as Siegfried and Laura McQueen Schultz as the White Swan (she looking more like a secretary than a swan) left the impression that Siegfried was in poor health as he collapsed to the floor (repeating the gesture at intervals throughout the first act) and that whatever ailed him, as well as his inner demons, were being manifested in the form of the sorcerer, Von Rothbart. Dancer Kyohei Giovanni Yoshida was riveting in his portrayal of the clingy, jealous and sinister Von Rothbart who seemed to have an equal measure of aggression and desire for Siegfried. His dancing was a potent blend of skill and power.
The second found Siegfried at a dance party where he encountered Black Swan, Dawnell Dryja. Radacovsky’s contemporary dance choreography for the scene had its five couples rocking back and forth in each other’s arms in a slow dance then picking up the pace to a comedic level while the Black Swan fawned over a now-melancholy Siegfried while Von Rothbart inserted himself between the pair, grabbing at Siegfried or climbing onto his back.
Nick Schultz and Laura Schultz McQueen in Black Swan White Swan. ©Ron McKinney
Apart from the ballet’s leads, GRB’s dancers appeared at times uneasy in Radacovsky’s gesture-laden contemporary movement language; their dancing lacked energy and crispness.
Toward the end of the first act however, the ballet and the dancers’ performances seemed to come into their own thanks to a striking dreamlike scene where a corps of fourteen swans, barefoot and in white leotards, performed choreography that blended references to Petipa’s production with twisty, off-balance movement. The swans each danced in individual spotlights atop the shimmering lake projection that harked back to the ballet’s beginning and brought home the notion that the swans were in fact the apparition-like lights that rose from the lake’s depths. Backed by a wall of mirrored panels that multiplied the number of Swans, Siegfried and Von Rothbart slowly stalked each other as the swans danced, creating a marvelous juxtaposition of growing tension and animated beauty.
A lightning-quick dance of the four cygnets and a playful and acrobatic pas de deux between Siegfried and the White Swan followed to end the act. McQueen Schultz as the White Swan was radiant and her performance in the pas deft.
The ballet’s second act saw Radacovsky’s choreography abandon its sometimes cutesy elements in favor of rich, emotional and more technically challenging movement. It opened with Siegfried and Von Rothbart in another battle of wills in which both dancers shone.
The ballet then climaxed in the Black Swan pas de deux where a seductive and fierce Dryja partnered by Schultz wowed the audience. Darting legs, sharp turns and daring lifts were thoroughly enthralling.
The rest of the ballet saw Siegfried seemingly defeat Von Rothbart only to have him return when the White and Black Swans met each other and exposed Siegfried’s infidelities. The ballet ended with Siegfried and Von Rothbart lying lifeless on the stage as the projected image of a swan in flight surrounded them and GRB’s swan corps slowly flapped their arms to Tchaikovsky’s stirring music.
Perhaps not a production for the ballet purist and in some ways a flawed one, Radacovsky’s ballet was nonetheless a triumph. For GRB, now in its 40thseason and the second under new artistic director and former Pacific Northwest Ballet prima ballerina, Patricia Barker, Black Swan White Swan was bold and successful step in the new direction Barker is taking the company from a little-known regional ballet company to one in the national spotlight.
Get Fit Like Attila Mosylogo
Use Ballet to Stay Fit
Want to stay fit as a fiddle? Attila Mosolygo is already a pro in the ballet world, as well as the assistant artistic director and principal of Grand Rapids Ballet School. But did you know he’s also got some mad skills in the gym? Dancing already burns tons of calories and the sporadic movements call upon many muscles. Many people envy the physique but don’t actually realize they can get a similar shape. Check out how he trains for performances and implement some of his moves into your regimen.
Exercise 1: Basic Pushup
Keep you back flat, legs straight, and hands placed outside of your shoulders.
3 SETS OF 20 REPS 30-60 SECONDS REST
Exercise 2: Military Pushup
Push up with the hands placed directly under shoulders, upper arms remain next to the body in the down position.
3 SETS OF 20 REPS 30-60 SECONDS REST
Exercise 3: Crunches
On a flat back with legs at 90 degrees and toes pointing up, keep your arms vertical with your fingers above your shoulders. This is a basic crunch with fingers extending up to the same level as the toes.
3 SETS OF 30 REPS 30-60 SECONDS REST
Exercise 4: Starfish
In a basic pushup position create a wide X shape without twisting or tipping the torso. Raise one arm, hold it for 5-10 seconds, place it down, then do the same with opposite arm. And the with legs (one at a time)
2 SETS OF 20 REPS
“Follow exercise #4 with a moderate speed run for 1 mile and then repeat exercises 1-4”
And don’t forget we also offer adult ballet classes that will help you stay fit, increase flexibility, and raise your spirits. Find out more here.
“Black & White: Swan Lake” 2012 Review; Returns to Stage in 2017
Grand Rapids Ballet’s “Black & White: Swan Lake” returns to the stage at Peter Martin Wege Theater February 10-12, 2017. Here’s the MLive review of the premiere that was originally published in May of 2012…
Laura and Nicholas Schultz as Odette and Siegfried in the Grand Rapids Ballet’s premier of “Black Swan White Swan,” a variation of the classic ballet “Swan Lake.”
(Chris Clark | Mlive.com)
By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk for MLive.com (May 11, 2012)
4 stars of 4
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Great art is great, in part, because, whether it’s Shakespeare’s plays or Beethoven’s symphonies, it can be created new again.
Natalie Portman, in the film “Black Swan,” is set against rehearsals for “Swan Lake.” Music from Tchaikovsky’s score is part of the 2010 film, but the tale of Von Rothbart, the sorcerer, is not told in Darren Aronofsky’s film.
Grand Rapids Ballet Company’s new production of “Black & White: Swan Lake” re-imagines it yet again to cap the company’s 40th anniversary season with an artistic accomplishment of the highest order. Startling special effects surround amazing choreography in the show.
Choreographer Mario Radacovsky’s new production – beguiling, captivating, ultimately enigmatic — is not a retelling of the story of Princess Odette, the White Swan; or of Von Rothburt’s daughter, Odile, the Black Swan.
GRBC’s production, which opened last weekend in its Wege Theatre, is the story of Siegfried and his journey of discovery, both in the real world as well as in the realm of his imagination, aided, abetted by Von Rothbart.
The most important duets, in fact, are those between Siegfried and Von Rothbart, as his Mephistophelean manipulator, and by Von Rothbart, as Siegfried looking inside himself, at his alter ego, mirroring his actions, sharing his coats, engaging in frequent combat.
Radacovsky’s tale is one for the 21st century, with a dance vocabulary to match. It’s classical dance, yes, but not at all classical ballet with women on pointe. Dancers all were in dance shoes or barefoot.
Manipulations of the spine, legs spread far apart, toes pointing at 90 degree angles to the leg were some of the unfamiliar, and even uncomfortable moves Radacovsky employed, to say nothing of any number of gestures to suggest swans in motion.
Four strong dancers, with strong characterizations to match, tell the 80-minute story to most of Tchaikovsky’s much loved, pre-recorded score to “Swan Lake.”
Friday’s cast, to open its second weekend of three performances, included Nicholas Schultz as Siegfried, Kyohei Giovanni Yoshida as von Rothbart, Laura McQueen Schultz as the White Swan, Dawnell Dryja as the Black Swan.
Schultz, a fine leading man, has developed the tools to grow a character in the short space of a show as well as the strength and stamina to partner so many people so much of the time.
Yoshida, an exciting dancer always, gave Von Rothbart a cunning, commanding presence, with some spectacular moves, but riveting even when he moved with catlike stealth.
McQueen Schultz danced a graceful, White Swan, partnered often off the floor, frequently in surprising lifts and carries, suggesting her sad, remote distance.
Dryja, as the Black Swan, was a sexy, magnetic personality with a touch of femme fatale. Her solo variation had energy crackling at the tips of her fingers and toes. The trust between her and Schultz when paired together is unmatched.
Radacovsky’s party scene, establishing the normalcy of Siegfried’s world, was witty and gay with five couples dancing the world’s oldest game.
No fewer than 14 swans, matching white outfits with loose, flowing hair, were a strong corps de ballet with willowy gestures often in perfect unison.
As Shakespeare’s plays profit from modern lighting and Beethoven’s piano concertos feature modern instruments, Radacovsky’s 21st century version of a 19th century ballet benefited greatly from set and lighting design by Marek Holly and projection design by Michael Auer.
Mirrored drops reflected the action and provide subtle entrances and exits. Pools of light served as accent lighting as well as destinations marking turning points in the tale.
Best of all were breathtaking projections transforming the Wege Theatre into the semblance of a lake itself. A surprising special effect at the end sealed the deal.
Grand Rapids Ballet Company’s 40th season ends on a high note, though two more chances remain to see “Black Swan White Swan.”
Grand Rapids Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is divine, delicious, delightful!
Grand Rapids Ballet’s Nutcracker production is divine, delicious, delightful!
REVIEW: 4 OUT OF 4 STARS
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Ballethas spent years of dreaming of a new production of “The Nutcracker.”
Years of planning and designing, and months of choreographing and rehearsing its new production of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” culminated on Friday in DeVos Performance Hall.
It’s simply divine, delicious and delightful.
“The Nutcracker,” conducted by John Varineau, leading the Grand Rapids Symphony, opened to enthusiastic audience acclaim as Grand Rapids Ballet’s first, brand-new production of the holiday ballet in some 30 years.
Tchaikovsky’s beloved score is the same as before. The tale of Clara and her magical nutcracker doll come to life is mostly so as well. After that, everything’s new.
Related: 5 key changes in Grand Rapids Ballet’s new ‘Nutcracker’
Settings by Chris Van Allsburg and Eugene Lee provide the authenticity of the Stahlbaum home down to shadow silhouette portraits over the fireplace mantle that set the scene in early 19th century Vienna. The meticulously painted drops also supply the whimsy of the imaginary Marzipan Castle in the second act, which Clara and her Prince reach by traveling on a boat pulled by dolphins.
Sumptuous costumes designed by artistic director Patricia Barker reflect the handsome, cutaway jackets and empire waist gowns of Regency Era. Clara’s godfather, the eccentric Drosselmeier, naturally, is something of a throwback in an old-fashioned, 18th century long coat and knee breeches.
What’s more, Grand Rapids Ballet’s new “Nutcracker” is a production full of surprises.
Related: A look inside the making of Grand Rapids Ballet’s new ‘Nutcracker’
Lights, projections and special effects add a touch of 21st century magic to supply falling snow, fireworks and scampering mice. As Clara falls asleep on Christmas Eve, her mesmerizing transformation into a tiny figure, coming face to face with now-gigantic mice beneath the Christmas tree, is a wondrous delight you have to see yourself.
Yet glitz, glamour and production values aside, the essence of the show is new choreography by Val Caniparoli, one of the best-known and best-traveled American choreographers working today.
Caniparoli’s “Nutcracker” is classical ballet at its best. Graceful and elegant, understated at times, Caniparoli fills the stage with deceptively simple yet highly technical ballet steps. Frequently his choreography flows as if the dancers were on ice skates instead of toe shoes. But the sheer athleticism of his lifts and carries cannot be dismissed.
The Stahlbaum’s Christmas party in full flow tells the tale of adults conversing and sharing social dances, children playing with drums and dolls, causing an occasional ruckus until distracted by Drosselmeier’s life-size Sugar Plum and Nutcracker dolls, both of which arrive in delightfully deceptive ways.
The battle scene between the Nutcracker and Mouse King was depicted dramatically with music to match and made a seamless transition into the ravishing Snow scene.
Grand Rapids Ballet’s two most veteran members, Stephen Sanford and Dawnell Dryja danced Friday as the Nutcracker Prince and Sugar Plum Fairy. Yet the two don’t dance the grand pas de deux in Act II.
Among the many changes in the re-imagined “Nutcracker, the young Clara, portrayed by Julia Rudlaff in Act I, becomes a slumbering Clara who dreams of herself as a young adult, danced by Yuka Oba.
Dream Clara dances the grand pas de deux because, after all, a girl who dreams of a handsome prince doesn’t sit back and watch some other girl dance with him.
Enraptured by the wonder of her journey Oba blossomed on stage, partnered confidently by Sanford. The Snow scene was unabashedly romantic, danced with the enthusiasm of newly discovered passion between two young lovers. Building upon that foundation, their grand pas de deux in Act II brought forth even greater technical accomplishments.
Dryja, leading 12 little fairies, was radiant in her solo with dainty feet and captivating presence that filled the stage even when dancing alone.
Grand Rapids Ballet last year launched a $2.5 million capital campaign to retire debts, build and endowment, and create a new production of “Nutcracker.” Realizing that vision led the company to expand by one-third this season. No fewer than 32 dancers are on the roster. Thirteen are newcomers this season.
The payoff in the Snow scene and in the “Waltz of the Flowers” was extraordinary with a corps de ballet of 16 snowflakes and 12 flowers, all professionals, apprentices, trainees or guests, who danced with nimble assurance and supple cohesion.
The Arabian Spice divertissement, with Ednis Gomez as a snake charmer and Monica Pelfrey as an asp, was sinewy and sensuous. Kyohei Yoshida’s spellbinding spins in the Chinese Tea divertissement, pursued by a new Chinese dragon, were electrifying.
Therese Davis, Connie Flachs and Laura McQueen Schultz danced with polished poise in the French Pastilles variation. The Russian Caviar divertissement had Isaac Aoki, Steven Houser and Nicholas Schultz exploding across the stage with powerful leaps as the audience clapped along to the Trepak rhythm.
Related: Why ‘Polar Express’ author Chris Van Allsburg agreed to design Grand Rapids Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’
Grand Rapids Ballet’s new production, as likely as not, will have its naysayers.
A prologue that has Drosselmeier, portrayed magnetically by Attila Mosolygo, planning Christmas surprises for his godchildren, as well as an epilogue that returns Clara to her home, safe and sound, are entirely new to DeVos Hall.
The enormous Mother Ginger is no more, though her masked Harlequin children still appear in the show. Overall, there are fewer students and children on stage.
But the new version of “The Nutcracker,” which the company plans to tour in future years, surely will elevate Grand Rapids Ballet’s reputation as a professional troupe of consequence while entertaining a new generation at the holidays with the magic of dance.
‘Nutcracker’ includes sibling youth dancers from Kentwood
All in the Family: ‘Nutcracker’ includes sibling youth dancers from Kentwood
By K.D. Norris (ken@wktv.org)
When the annual run of the Grand Rapids Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” hits the stage Friday, Dec. 9, it will include staring rolls by the company’s professional dancers and, as always, often a stage full of youth dancers.
Again this year, Kentwood sisters Grace and Micah Jones will be among those lending their talents to the production a part of the ballet’s youth dance program — one sister because she sees dance as a possible future career and the other because it is just “so much fun.”
Grace, a 16-year-old junior at Grand River Preparatory High School, has been dancing at Grand Rapids Ballet for 11 years and has been a member of the Junior Company since its inception. This year will be her 8th Nutcracker appearance.
“I started dancing when I was 2, my parents saw that I loved movement and loved dancing,” Grace said last week, prior to a rehearsal. “My parents saw I needed something to get my energy out so they said ‘Let’s put her into dance.’ I really didn’t get into ballet right away. I was into jazz and tap and hip hop, but at about 5, I went into ballet because I loved the movement.”
She also loved The Nutcracker, thanks to her father, Ronald.
“I remember going to The Nutcracker every year, when I was younger,” she said. “My dad would take me every year, starting at 4 and then every year until I was 8, when I got to be in it for the first time.”
Seven productions later, she is still excited about the annual holiday production.
“I have always loved being in front of the audience,” Grace said. “I love sharing, I love exposing the audience to something new. For me, when I first watched it, it was so beautiful, to watch those beautiful dancers, the beautiful colors and costumes and shapes they make on the stage. I said ‘Wow. I want to do that.’ … Now I want to give some other girl that feeling, the feeling I felt when I was younger.”
According to her mother, Sandra, Grace hopes to dance in college while pursuing professional opportunities. But she sees dance as a means to other career paths as well.
“I love teaching, maybe teaching dance, “ Grace said. “I would love to show others the joy I found in dance.”
One of the people she has shown the love of dance to is her sister.
Micah, age 13 and a 7th grader at Cross Creek Charter Academy, says music is her first love — she has been playing the piano for 8 years, and her mother says she has talked about assisting with her college expenses by playing piano for ballet companies.
But Micah has been with working with the Grand Rapids Ballet youth program for four years and will be in the Nutcracker for the third year.
“I saw saw my sister, and other people, in dance and it looked so fun,” Micah said, explaining why she wanted to dance. “It is so free, you get to move how you want to move.”
She also said she receives plenty of advice and encouragement from her older sister.
“Since she is such a good dancer, she really helps me when I need help, with technique or how I am supposed to move,” Micah said.
And as far as her first time in front of the usually large crowds watching the Nutcracker, any advice from her older sister?
“She told me not to think of the crowd, just remember your choreography, remember what you are there to do.”
While the two sisters will be dancing different rolls this season, the thing they have in common is an affinity for the famous battle scene. “It is a giant battle scene,” Grace points out, while Micah simply says the scene is “so much fun.”
Anybody who has seen the production knows what they are talking about; those how haven’t have two weekends worth of opportunity.
For more information, call 616-454-4771 or visit grballet.com