Vala Dancewear

San Francisco Ballet corps member, Charlene Cohen has a mind for business! Read the latest SF Ballet blog entry to learn the story behind Charlene’s greeting card business, Modern Rubbish.

Oleg Gorboulev in Planes in Air. Photo credit ZebraVisual, 2011

In Project 4, Seattle Dance Project’s latest work, the troupe showcases powerful works created by contemporary female choreographers.

“Planes in the Air”, choreographed by Molissa Fenley, is a lovely Asian-esque fan dance on a grand scale. Dancers Betsy Cooper and Alexandra Dickson made light work of those giant paper fans, maneuvering them about with such grace and control, the entire work appeared effortless. And just when I thought, “Their arms don’t even look tired! Mine would be quaking by now!” Cooper and Dickson then took turns using both fans simultaneously. I have only one word for that, folks. Wow!

Cooper and Dickson are just lovely together and looked as though they were enjoying the gentle escape this piece provides. The incredible upper body strength these two possess in order to give such a light, airy feel to those fans is inspiring. {In fact, they made me want to grab a fan and join them!}

“Surfacing”, choreographed by Heidi Vierthaler, is comprised of four dancers – Betsy Cooper, Lara Seefeldt, Michele Curtis and Oleg Gorboulev—and a single floor lamp. Filled with sharp biting angles, insane contortions and slightly robotic music, “Surfacing” manages to flow with an incomprehensible cat-like grace. The end of the piece features a brief pas de deux between Michele Curtis and Oleg Gorboulev, which provided a stunning visual treat! My only regret was that it had to end when it did.

Ellie Sandstrom’s “Al Poco Tiemp” brought Alexandra Dickson and SDP co-founders Julie Tobiason and Timothy Lynch to the forefront. Tobiason moved with all the grace and precision you’d expect from a seasoned artist. She’s beautiful and powerful—almost fierce at times—and proves she’s still “got it going on!”

Alexandra Dickson and Timothy Lynch in Al Poco Tiempo. Photo credit: Zebravisual, 2011

Alexandra Dickson and Timothy Lynch are absolutely delicious together. In fact their chemistry is so powerful that at times I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. {Yet I couldn’t bear to avert my gaze for fear I might miss something extraordinary!} The piece echoed with all the passion, beauty, and turmoil of a ranging sea with Tobiason somehow guiding these two sailors/lovers safely into port.

“Rodin” is an exquisite pas de deux choreographed by Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Stacy Lowenberg. This gorgeous piece, brought to life by the talented David Alewine and Michele Curtis, featured amazing panches, delicate arabesques and gentle developpes. Alewine and Curtis are sensual, passionate and nothing short of captivating. Pretty please, SDP—bring this piece back soon!

The fifth and final piece was Hilde Koch’s “Torque”. This exotic game of Twister incorporates all eight dancers in a series of nimble twists, swift turns, careful rolls, and skillful catch-and-release moments. I particularly enjoyed the partnership between Alewine, Gorboulev, and Lara Seefeldt. As the two men skillfully passed Seefeldt between them, she didn’t remain a quiet bystander. Instead she seemed to perform her own solo on each of their shoulders. {Superb!}

Michele Curtis and David Alewine in Rodin. Photo credit: Zebravisual, 2011

Seasoned greatness peppered with fresh energy. That’s the only way I can describe my afternoon with Seattle Dance Project and I eagerly look forward to more of their endeavors in the future!

~Denise Opper, Vala Dancewear media liaison

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Pacific Northwest Ballet brings its version of the classic fairytale, “Cinderella” back to the stage following a nine year absence.

Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Lesley Rausch as Cinderella and principal dancer Jeffrey Stanton as the Prince in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella. Photo © Angela Sterling

This beloved story, with its well-known plot and charming cast of characters, provides audience members an exciting evening of romance, comedy and whopping dose of “happily ever after”.

Soloist Lesley Rausch gave an outstanding inaugural performance as the long-suffering, mistreated heroine. Her interpretation of “Cinderella” was rich and complex, allowing the attributes of humility, strength, love and fortitude to shine through. With this performance, Lesley Rausch proved she’s got the chops to handle principal dancer status in the near future.

Our handsome prince, performed by the superb Jeffrey Stanton, was every bit as dashing and powerful as you’d expect. While employing an attitude that’s borderline “high school crush”, Stanton’s expressions are so arresting, I heard more than one woman whisper, “Wow! I wish someone would look at me like that!” The final moments of their wedding pas de deux performed high among the clouds while sprinkles of fairy dust (aka glitter) cascade all around them was to die for!

The cruel stepmother was portrayed by the perpetual crowd favorite, Ariana Lallone. There’s just something about Lallone that screams “regal”, “classy” and “confident” which is perfect for a role like this. As a matter of fact, her interpretation of the stepmother was so convincing, I almost started to hate her and wished “Cindy” would stand up to her for once.

Uko Gorter made a fantastic Father. His love and affection for Cinderella is so gentle and sweet; it’s just a shame he was so spineless when it came to his wife, the stepmother. But before I could dismiss his character completely, “Big Daddy” finally musters up the courage in Act Three to stand up to this bratty wife and her equally wretched offspring. {Woohoo!}

Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Lesley Rausch as Cinderella in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella. Photo © Angela Sterling

Lindsi Dec and Chalnessa Eames were beyond perfect as the wicked step-sisters. It was incredibly humorous watching these two pretend as though they couldn’t dance or hold onto a man’s {positive} attention to save their lives. My personal favorite moment came during Act two’s ballroom scene when Lindsi Dec tossed the Jester {I’ll get to him in a moment, I promise} over a chair as punishment for keeping her away from the Prince. Ha! Both Dec and Eames shine brightly in this role and received plenty of laughs for their outstanding efforts.

And now, the Jester! Principal dancer, Jonathan Poretta pulled out all the stops on this one, creating a fully developed character not just some witless goofball. While Poretta’s court Jester is indeed lively, high spirited and completely hilarious, there’s a genuine feeling of devotion and protectiveness emanating from him toward the Prince as well. These two behave like the brother the other never had, and the Jester makes it his responsibility to protect the Prince from the stepsister’s unwanted advances.

Carrie Imler took on a triple whammy as the Godmother, Memory Mother and Good Fairy. I must say, it takes a certain level of awesomeness to pull that off and Imler does it with style! Imler completely transformed herself each time and embodied every one of her roles to the fullest. There’s really nothing more to say about that except, “Wow!”

The four seasons – Rachel Foster (Spring), Brittany Reid (Summer), Sarah Ricard Orza (Autumn) and Laura Gilbreath (Winter), looked radiant up on that stage, each one uniquely suited for the spotlight. However, Sarah Ricard Orza and Laura Gilbreath were the clear standouts that night. There was just a little extra edge weaving its way through their performances that night.

Jerome Tisserand (Evil Sprite), James Moore (Harlequin) and Rachel Foster (Columbine) and Carrie Imler’s “Good Fairy” captivated the audience’s attention during the third act’s “Theatre of Marvels”. The pas de deux between Moore and Foster was incredibly fun, and Tisserand’s solo variation was fierce and dynamic. However it was their pas de quatre that really kicked things up a notch! {Love.these.dancers!}

Last but by no means least, were the Memory Children, Bugs, Clock Children, Evil Sprite attendants and the Good Fairy attendants. Or to put it another way, the children! These little ones performed their hearts out in some of the most entertaining roles ever created for Pacific Northwest Ballet School students. The Sprites and Good Fairy Attendants looked like elegant miniatures of their respective masters; the Bugs performed their own charming interlude; the Memory Children brought happy moments from Cinderella’s childhood to life, and the Clock Children—or the enchanted pumpkins—provided Cinderella with the stern warning to be home by midnight.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to view one of the most dazzling fairytales come to life! Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Cinderella runs through Sunday, February 13th. For ticket information, please visit www.pnb.org

“Romances between dancers feel natural, almost inevitable. You’re cloistered with your fellow company members all day in the studio, rehearsing swoon-y ballets, so why not marry one of them? Relationships with “civilians,” however, seem more complicated…”

Just in time for Valentine’s Day! Discover how four ballerinas really feel about being married to a “normal” guy in this article from Pointe Magazine.

The Ballets Russes perform Pulcinella in Monte Carlo in 1924, under the direction of Diaghilev. Photograph: Sasha/Getty Images.

Extra, extra! This just in! Long lost film of the great Ballets Russes has been discovered! The 30-second black and white performance clip dated 1928 was “…wrongly labelled in the British Pathé online archive by a dance enthusiast, and identified by Jane Pritchard, curator of the recent exhibition about the company at the V&A museum in London.” ~ Guardian.co.uk. Read all about it here. {Now if they’d just post this little clip on YouTube, we’d have it made! Hee hee}

Kim Joo-won By Lee Chan-weon

We stumbled upon this fascinating interview with Korea National Ballet principal dancer, Kim Joo-won and thought it was well-worth sharing. In it she shares facts about herself and her career, including her strict practice schedule: “The 33-year-old ballerina has followed a strict, self-imposed routine for the past 23 years that includes up to eight hours of practice a day and the need for roughly 15 pairs of ballerina toe shoes each month.Wow! I wonder if those eight hours are in addition to company class and rehearsals…? What do you think?

“My father is someone who is not generous when it comes to compliments. But he says he respects me for having repeated the same daily routine ever since I started ballet,” she said.