Things To Be Thankful For...

 

Thanksgiving is my absolutely favorite holiday. A uniquely American tradition, it is all about family and friends and, of course, food. No gifts nor extravagance, just people. It’s also about reflection on all those things we should be thankful for instead of just taking them for granted. This set me thinking on my career and those who quietly made it happen for me without ever asking for, nor getting, a word of thanks.  So, with pen in hand, I started listing my unsung heroes.

1.      Parents top the list. Yes, I thanked them many times for the obvious things but never for the less apparent like the hours spent waiting for me and not complaining about it, the driving hither and yon and the funds poured into dance equipment. When I think back on it, it seems the family’s entire schedule gravitated around mine yet I never heard a word of complaint from my brother. So here’s to siblings too!

2.      Dance teachers must come next. Once again, it’s not about the obvious but rather those small things which had a huge impact on the artist and person I became. The well timed word of encouragement, the fact they always managed to be there for me and, yes, disciplined me without fear when they knew I needed it, their personal appearance and demeanor which was never short of completely professional. They too taught me values which would stand me in good stead for the years to come.   

3.      School teachers. There’s no doubt dancers in training lead a hectic and often misunderstood life. Like athletes, we are not the norm. Our schedules do not permit the after school activity of a normal  teenager so we are not usually among the “in” crowd. I was very lucky to have teachers who took an interest in me because I was different and who respected my ambitions. The fact that they let me know they cared made all the difference in the world: cutting a little slack here, a kind word there, trusting me to make up work I had missed and recommending books of particular interest to me. Little things that meant a lot.

4.       The dance store definitely belongs here, though I never gave them a second thought at the time. Like most people, I would shop in the same store all the time. Especially when it came to pointe shoes, they knew what I needed and always had it on hand. Did I ever question how? For that matter, I never questioned why they knew so much about my professional progress nor the fact they showed up whenever I was dancing in town. This was more than just smart business. The store was part of a support group I didn’t even know I had.

5.      My competitors. Professional dance was and will always be highly competitive. That competition for advancement is not always clean nor nice. Knowing how to deal with it only comes after having been knocked about a few times. So thanks too to those who made my life momentarily miserable but who, in the end, taught me how to handle adversity. Yes, I am grateful to you too.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, there are at least five people who are quietly making a difference in your dancing life. They ask nothing in return. So give them a mental cheer as you sit down to the annual feast. Like the saying goes, “It takes a village………….”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ballet History tidbits

Ballet History Tidbits: did you know……………?

That in the court days, only aristocrats were allowed to wear shoes with red heels

So as not to soil their ornate slippers, the wealthy would slip them into high platform shoes to walk in the dirt and mud

The “entrechat” were invented by men in heels. One has to wonder how they accomplished this without stepping on themselves!

“Entrechat” literally means “between cats” in French. What on earth does that have to do with the criss-crossing of feet during a jump? Mystery solved! The name actually comes from the Italian word “intrecciato” (meaning interlaced) that, over time, was changed because French people could not pronounce it.

The first person to do 32 consecutive turns (fouéttés) on pointe was Pierina Legnani in 1896.

Fanny Ellsler, the great Romantic ballerina, actually killed a man with a well - placed kick when he tried to rob her of her jewelry.

“Les Sylphides”, premiering in 1907, was the first ballet ever done with no plot. Until then, all ballets had to tell a story.

The use of fire has been banned from most theater and opera house stages because of the dangers presented by live flames. An early victim was Emma Livry who burned to death in 1863 when her costume caught fire on the stage of the Paris Opera.

Lev Ivanov, assistant to the famed Petipa, does not get the credit he is due. Not only did he do most of “The Nutcracker”, he also choreographed Acts II and IV (the swan or “white” acts) of “Swan Lake.”

There is a very successful version of “Swan Lake” where the swans are men, not women. They do not wear tutus and portray the birds as strong and somewhat menacing, which actually is closer to the real thing.

Ballet originally comes from Italy, not France.

             

Carreno and More....

Hello Friends,

This is your new host, Anne Polajenko, signing in. 

It's been a pretty wild Summer and Fall here at So'Danca - much to do, much to tell. So, let me start with one of my fondest memories of the summer.

Carreño Dance Festival 2013:

The city of Sarasota, Florida boasts at least three theaters: the large capacity Van Wenzel, the historic Asolo (located on the grounds of the Ringling Estate and Museum) and the Sarasota Opera House. The latter is a lovely but aging small theater equipped with rehearsal rooms and a stage large enough to accommodate a ballet company. It serves as home to the Carreño Summer Intensive and gala performances.

Now in its second year, the Carreño Summer Intensive doubled the previous year’s enrollment, casting doubt on how long they will able to continue operating in what was clearly a confining space. Already, classes had to be divided between the theater facility and the new Cuban Ballet Academy nearby. The upside however is that the enrollment doubled, and for good reason. The faculty is the main attraction.

                                               Anne Polaenko with Loipa Araujo, on right

Headed by ballet star José Manuel Carreño and former Sarasota Ballet director Robert de Warren, the faculty included Cuban master teachers Loipa Araujo, Magaly Suarez and Eduardo Veitia (for Flamenco dance). They were joined by Rimat Imaev and Gennadi Saveliev of American Ballet Theatre, as well as Carlos dos Santos from Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. Yuri Fateev, director of the Mariinsky Ballet, put in a brief but memorable appearance. Prima Ballerina Julie Kent provided the icing on this stellar cake.

The three-week program culminated in the Festival of the Stars, two performances showcasing the talents of the young hopefuls of tomorrow alongside such dance luminaries as Ms. Kent, Mr. Carreño, Mr. Saveliev and the incomparable Rubinald Pronk. 

A question arose over the wisdom of placing too much emphasis on the concluding show. Whether one approves or not of a summer intensive focused mainly on the performance, it has undeniable benefits. Witness Ms. Araujo’s re-staging of “Giselle”, Act II. With all due respect to the superb Principals, the real stars of the ballet were the corps de ballet girls. Act II is hazardous at best. Style, ensemble work, port de bras, precision of movement and interpretation all come into play. Where professional companies are known to falter, this rendition was accomplished in a few short weeks on very young dancers with diverse training and levels of technique. Honestly, I don’t know who deserves the loudest applause, the young dancers or Ms. Araujo. Her ability to communicate the nuances of the ballet to a group of diverse teenagers was matched only by the same teenagers ability to absorb the material. The young ladies have learned invaluable artistic lessons from the very best and are clearly the better for it. Not to mention they shared the stage with Ms. Kent and Mr. Carreño, an inspiration in itself. This was arguably the event of their young lives and will clearly impact their development as dancers.

Other ballets on the bill included works staged by Magaly Suarez, Eduardo Veitia and Carlos dos Santos. Dancers were able to explore beyond the classical style into Flamenco and Contemporary dance. Clearly they enjoyed it, putting bounding energy and enthusiasm into their performances. Hopefully they had the time between costume changes to admire the work of Rubinald Pronk, a solo performer who brings modern dance to new heights.

The Summer Intensive inaugurated another new activity: the So’Dança Model Search 2013. As part of the overall support the company provides to the summer program, So’Dança selected two winners, boy and girl, from among the many applicants to appear in photos and advertisement in 2013. Among the benefits are free dancewear and shoes for the year. Winners are Nicole Assaad (Tampa, FL) and Arcadian Broad (Sarasota, FL).