Father’s Day is coming up and what father doesn’t enjoy golf or at least sipping a mimosa by while enjoying the beauty of the golf course?

Attention male dancers! Ballet Fantastique is on a national audition search for a male company dancer for the 2013-2014 season. Please pass the information along! More info

ballet fantastique contemporary chamber company (in gorgeous eugene, oregon)

30+ WEEKS OF PAID WORK 2013–2014 SEASON + TOURING

ALL-ORIGINAL CONTEMPORARY BALLET REPERTOIRE

choreographer-producers donna marisa + hannah bontrager

2013–2014 season includes—subject to some change:

zorro (original score)

as you like it: a wild west ballet

tales from a floating world (live japanese taiko drumming)

Contract includes three new contemporary ballet premieres each season, plus touring. Competitive pay by the week and benefits, including shoes, massage assistance, and full physical therapy. Also available: additional opportunities for paid outreach and teaching work.

Competitive applicants will have strong classical ballet and contemporary vocabularies, and confidence with soloist and pas de deux work. Applicants must be a US citizen (or hold a green card or work permit), and are preferably 5’9” and up. Audition by DVD or in person (contact us for more details).

Additional skills of interest (desired but not requisite): Choreography, arts education, arts administration, dance instruction (ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, pas de deux, and/or hip-hop).

As a dancer and co-choreographer/producer, I’m feeling beautifully steeped in this decadent era (18th-century Venice).  It’s just so full.  

The words: In the process of creating this new ballet, Donna and I have been reading biographies of Giacomo Casanova—as well as his own writings, of course.  (Aside: Cad, yes—as mum says, “sometimes I feel like I need to take a shower after I read this stuff!”—but the man was a charming and intelligent writer.  In fact, some of his lines were just so good that they inspired us to add a bit of narration in the “voice of Casanova” to the ballet, threading through his misadventures.)  We’ve been reading about Venetian customs and Carnival, and dear friend and history buff Genna Speer also insisted that I read a slim little novel by Georgette Heyer, Powder and Patch, to pick up on some playful period details (highly recommended to our more serious audience members).

The music: We’ve been listening to endless concerti, both from composers we already knew and loved (e.g., the prolific Venetian Vivaldi is of course key to our ballet), and from those we were less familiar with, like Jean-Philippe Rameau.  Underpinning every decision was to choose music that would sound familiar, that would resonate, but that wouldn’t sound too familiar.  THERE IS NO RITZ CARLTON ELEVATOR MUSIC IN THIS BALLET.  A bit of my favorite discoveries: We stumbled in a You Tube search across this AWESOME version of his “Rondeau des Indes Galantes” by the Louvre Symphony Orchestra with authentic period instruments (WATCH—it rocks).  And some darn beautiful stuff that won’t make it into this ballet (e.g., the piano duo Anderson and Roe’s haunting arrangement of Vivaldi’s “Sento in seno ch’in pioggia di lagrime”/”A rain of tears“—if you haven’t listened to it yet, do), but that we’re filing away for a later project.  Even now, with our ballet score long-chosen, I’m listening to baroque music incessantly (e.g., literally right now), since I’m a snob about having perfect intermission music.  In short, the music from this era and from our Casanova score alike are so gorgeous that I can’t stop listening.  You just can’t get sick of it.  The downside is that this is our one ballet this season without live music, but the upside is that it would be a little hard to get the Louvre Orchestra or four harpsichords on stage at the Soreng; the experience we’re building is a total immersion in how stunningly lovely—and genius—music was during this time.

See the rounded shape of Alanna’s arm in this shot from Giovanni Bruni’s pas de deux with Paulina (Casanova has just swooped in and is plotting his next move.)  Photo: Steph Urso Photography

The movement: We’ve been studying baroque dance steps and watching authentic re-stagings of early ballet movement (recommended: Le Roi Danse).  We’ve enlisted the help of a number of experienced fencers for our dance-duel scenes with single rapier.  (Yes, I have BRUISES—this stuff is hard.)  Donna and I are fiercely committed to challenging the company to have exquisitely nuanced musicality and especially arms and hands, and she’s making explicit decisions about some of the aesthetics, for example, there is very little traditional elongee in Casanova (where the dancer extends his/her arm, palm down); instead, she’s having us invert all of these shapes with palms up in a more traditional baroque style.  There are cabrioles up the wazoo (this step was a big deal back then), and we don’t use as much epaulement with our feet, though there’s lots with our upper body.  The movement has twist and is all about arms, so as a dancer, my body is LOVING it.

Ok, so we probably can’t get this kind of height, bu the idea is what we’re going for…

The costumes/set: Then, there’s the costumes…we’ve been studying fashion of the time (see our Casanova Pinterest page to peruse the designers’ inspiration board).  The costumes are maybe the most gorgeous we’ve ever created (see a sneak peek on our Facebook page)—they are  a contemporary spin on “baroque.”  So, for example, we have these drop-dead cascading lace sleeves that fall from the elbow, but instead of connecting at the shoulder, they’re independent pieces that start at the women’s biceps so that we have more free movement.  Then the skirts are built on a basic tutu from our professional costumer in LA, Primadonna, which we decided to do in ivory as if it’s a petticoat.  Onto these tutu bases, demi-”bustles” are being overlaid, each woman’s slightly different, to get the dramatic curve out at the waist but without a floor-length skirt to get in the way of our dancing.  We’ve been on the hunt in Springfield antique stores for the perfect jewels for Casanova’s women, making our Casanova (Elijah Labay) practice in his wig to make sure that his new ponytail doesn’t get taken off in any of our lifts, and using our hair extensions that were the beehives for Cinderella to build the ladies’ hair higher in a style evocative of baroque, but again, still danceable.  All I can say is bless Allison Ditson, Rita Perini Vance, Katie Liane, and Beth Scott for their incredible, incredible artistry.

In sum, we’ve got gold paint on our hands (furniture that had to get taken up a notch), baroque music in our ears, and Casanova on our mind…

See you next weekend!

CASANOVA TICKETS/INFO

I took the challenge to find the most fabulous, ballet-inspired, ready to wear, and versatile clothes on the market, and below are my top five:

ONE: I love this ballet-inspired dress from ASOS offered in three colors: black, green, and red. The fabric and bodice cut both have a leotard feel, with the tight gathers and wrapped shape.

TWO: ASOS also has the beautiful outerwear named Unconditional Ballet Wrap Cardigan.

THREE: Ruche launched an entire collection, En Pointe, based on ballet fashion. I absolutely adore this watercolor floral dress from that line! We may not have stage lights, but this fabric has a sheen and nuance to it that would look great in any light. It’s just decadent.

FOUR & FIVE: The clothing company Shabby Apple has created numerous tulle pleated skirts that say, “whimsical.” The white and black polka dot skirt on the left is the High Tea Skirt, and the lovely blue skirt on the right is the Music Hall Skirt. They both promise to float with the graceful play of a dancer’s skirt, and the double layers (underskirt and a tulle overskirt) on the latter are totally ballet-esque. Love.

Are you as enamored with ballet fashion as I am? What are some of your favorite ballet-inspired items?

p.s. Tune in next week for glimpses into our costume designs for our upcoming show, The Misadventures of Casanova! Let me just say that the sketches and fabric swatches I’ve seen so far are just stunning…think a high fashion contemporary spin on “baroque.” Fashionistas, prepare yourselves!

Trainees Emily Wilhite and Camille Morgenstern Photo Credit: Stephanie Urso Photography — http://stephuphotography.com

Event Coordinator Intern, Kristen here again! This last weekend, we had a splendid performance by our Academy dancers in the Home for the Holidays jazzy ballet concert at the Wildish Theater. After the performance I interviewed three very talented ladies, Brenna (age 5), Naomi (age 10 1/2), and Emily W. (age 22).

Brenna, age 5

BFan: What was your favorite part of the performance?
B: The Whole Thing!!!

BF: Were you nervous?
B: No

BF: What did you do to calm your nerves?
B: I smiled!

BF: What do you love most about ballet?
B: Because I get to go to performances.

Naomi, age 10.5

BF: How often would you dance in a day or week?
N: About four days a week.

BF: What are your favorite steps/moves to perform?
N: I love a lot of them, but I would have to say jumps, pas de bourrée, and frappé!

BF: What gives you inspiration to train so hard?
N: Seeing the older girls gives me inspiration. They are so good, I want to be like them.

Emily W., age 22

BF: What are the most important things you do to get ready for a performance?
E: One, obviously warm up, so I do not pull something on stage. Two, I always take a moment to breathe, to just avoid the noise and loudness.

BF: How long have you been dancing and when did you start?
E: Hmm, about 9 years ago, if I am doing the math right. I started my freshman year of high school.

BF: What is the hardest thing about ballet?
E: For me personally, to get my arms correct. In ballet, you need to have a fluid line. It is not just one position to achieve, that is the hardest for me.

We’re proud of you, ladies!  Great work on stage up there.

Photo: BFan dancer Caitlin Christopher and Troupe Carnivale in “Seller of Dreams.” (Harvest Moon Photography; see more here)

It’s BFan Events Coordinator intern Kristen here.  Not sure what to get your loved one for the holidays this season? Look no further than your local contemporary ballet company, Ballet Fantastique for a gift that’s unique, fun, local, and a double-whammy…you get to give it now, and enjoy it later.  :)

Here are my top five gift ideas to put a smile on pretty much anyone’s face:

1. Tickets to The Misadventures of Casanova! Come see this new contemporary ballet premiere with lush costumes, decadent music, romance and intrigue making the way to the stage at the Hult center this coming February 2 and 3, 2013!  It’s two-in-one: holiday gift and Valentine’s event wrapped up in one.
2. While you’re at it, you might want to consider making a bigger bang for your buck with a Ballet Fantastique Season Subscription for the rest of our 2012-2013: VENTURE lineup (The Misadventures of Casanova and Pride & Prejudice: A Parisian Jazz Ballet with live jazz!). Your pro-rated (read: discounted) season subscription will include tickets to the remaining two contemporary ballet premieres at the Hult Center, free Open Barre pass (for preview rehearsal/wine tasting reception at the City Center for Dance), additional savings from the community, and more VIP treatment!  BFan’s last three productions sold out, so a season subscription also guarantees that you’ll get seats.  These start at just $50 each, for all these goodies (and $24 for kids).  Read more about the perks and get ‘em now here.
3. Know someone who has always wanted to try something new—or who loved ballet and been wanting to get back into it?  Or been talking about whipping into shape as a new year’s resolution?  How about a Class Card for Ballet Fantastique’s hoppin’ Adult Drop-In Program?  Class times are convenient, class cards don’t expire for a whole year, and teacher Leanne Mizzoni from Washington, DC is rumored to be absolutely incredible.  Get a class card online for one, 10, or 20 classes and get the dance party started.
4. Do you have a little one pulling on your heart strings? A daughter/son or niece/nephew? Try a gift certificate to our Young Dancer Program (ages 4+) or our Training Division (ages 7-preprofessional) as a gift.  Fill out this little form and Hannah or Emily will get back to you right away to get you outfitted with a pretty gift certificate to wrap up.
5. Adopt a Dancer—give the gift of a scholarship to a young dancer giving him or her the opportunity to study professional dance right alongside his or her more privileged peers.  A certificate for your lucky recipient will outline the difference being made in the life of a youngster, thanks to you!

But above all, remember to enjoy this holiday season with the ones you love!  Happy holidays from our BFan family to yours.

—Kristen

Photo: Mikael Krummel and Greg Burns

Job opening: Male contemporary ballet dancer for Ballet Fantastique

Ballet Fantastique Contemporary Chamber Company is hiring a male soloist dancer beginning as early as January 2013 and as late as July 2013 (start date negotiable) for a full contract of 30 weeks of paid work including three new contemporary ballet premieres plus national/international touring as scheduled, with competitive pay by the week and benefits, including shoe allowance, physical therapy and massage assistance.  Contract also includes additional opportunities for paid outreach and teaching work.

We seek a new company member with talent, strength, artistic voice, a great work ethic and sense of humor, personality, and an insatiable appetite for what’s next.  Competitive applicants will have strong classical and contemporary vocabularies, and confidence with pas de deux work.  Applicants must be a US citizen (or hold a green card or work permit), and are preferably 5’9” and up.

Additional skills of interest (desired but not requisite): Choreography, arts education, arts administration, dance instruction (ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, pas de deux, and/or hip-hop).

More information/full audition requirements

Please send DVD, resume and photos to:

Hannah Bontrager, Executive Director

Ballet Fantastique | 960 Oak | Eugene, OR 97401

or email info@balletfantastique.org

Feel free to pass this post/opportunity along!  Thanks a million.

Photo Credit Jared Mills

4. Raymond, the acrobat from Miami. He adds lots of fun elements to our show.

5. It’s definitely not your stereotypical ballet, we’d love to share this show with you!
For more information and tickets please visit the BFan website or stop by the Hult Center!