Season includes Premieres by Ángel Corella, Russell Ducker, and María Pagés as well as works by Leonid Lavrovsky, Christopher Wheeldon, Vladimir Vasiliov and Natalia Kasatkina With Angel Corella, Herman Cornejo, Joseph Gatti, Adiarys Almeida, Carmen Corella, Natalia Tapia, and Kazuko Omori

March 17 – 20 at New York City Center

New York, NY, February 24, 2010 – Choreographer Ángel Corella has announced the complete repertoire his company, Corella Ballet Castilla y León, will perform during its U.S. debut,

March 17 – 20 at New York City Center.  In addition to the U.S. premieres of Mr. Corella’s String Sextet, and Russell Ducker’s Epimetheus, the four-performance engagement will feature Leonid Lavrovsky’s Walpurgisnacht and Vladimir Vasiliov & Natalia Kasatkina’s Sunny Duet featuring Adiarys Almeida and Herman Cornejo. The debut will also include the world premiere of Soleá, pas de deux by the flamenco dancer and choreographer María Pagés, featuring Angel Corella and Carmen Corella; and Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV .

Corella Ballet dancers who will be performing at City Center include Principals: Adiarys Almeida, Carmen Corella, Natalia Tapia, Ángel Corella, Herman Cornejo and Joseph Gatti; First Soloist: Kazuko Omori; Soloists: Cristina Casa, Ashley Ellis, Mª José Sales, Fernando Bufalá, Kirill Radev and Yevgen Uzlenkov.

Ángel Corella’s String Sextet (2009), inspired by Tchaikovsky’s String Sextet, "Souvenir of Florence" Op. 70, 1892, is choreographed for the full company in four movements. The piece had its world premiere on July 30, 2009 at the Peralada Festival in Barcelona. 

Russell Ducker’s Epimetheus (2009), set to The Music of the Spheres by Mike Oldfield (who is known for Tubular Bells, featured in the film The Exorcist) was inspired by the fifth moon of the planet Saturn.  The piece had its world premiere on August 1, 2009 at the Noches Mágicas Festival in La Granja-Spain. 

Leonid Lavrovsky’s Walpurgisnacht (1956) set to music by Charles Francoise Gounod from his Faust opera, is a pas de trois created for the Bolshoi Ballet. It is based on Walpurgis Night, a holiday celebrated on April 30 or May 1 in large parts of Central and Northern Europe.

María Pages’ Soleá ,(2010), with music by Rubén Lebaniegos, was choreographed especially for Principal Dancers Ángel Corella and Carmen Corella. A soleá is one of the basic pillars of flamenco, rich with melodic richness and depth of execution.

Vladimir Vasiliov & Natalia Kasatkina’s Sunny Duet (1973), with music by Arno Babajanyan, will be danced by Principal Dancers Adiarys Almeida and Herman Cornejo.

Christopher Wheeldon‘s DGV (Danse à Grande Vitesse, 2006) is a meditation on travel set to Michael Nyman’s MGV : Musique à Grande Vitesse Musique.  The piece premiered at London’s Royal Ballet in 2006 and was nominated for an Oliver Award. DGV is performed by kind permission of The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, UK.

About The Choreographers:

Ángel Corella was born in Madrid in 1975.  He was awarded First Prize in the National Ballet Competition of Spain in 1991, and the Grand Prix and Gold Medal at the Concours International de Danse de Paris in 1994. Mr. Corella joined the American Ballet Theatre as a soloist in 1995 and in 1996 was promoted to Principal Dancer. His repertoire includes all the principal roles of the major classical, neoclassical and contemporary ballets. Mr. Corella has also been a guest star with the worlds’ leading dance companies, including The Royal Ballet, Australian Ballet, Ballet of Georgia, Bolshoi Ballet, New York City Ballet and Kirov Ballet. In 2000, Mr. Corella received the Benois de la Danse Award for his work in Other Dances by Jerome Robbins, and in 2002 he was awarded The National Dance Prize of Spain as "an exceptional dancer and representative of a generation which enhances Spanish dance in the most outstanding international companies. In 2001 he formed a foundation to promote classical dance in Spain and to provide the finest professional training to all dancers, regardless of their economic or social condition.

Russell Ducker began his training at the Royal Ballet of London, joining the Royal Ballet Upper School in 2004. He has been awarded the MacMillan, De Valoais and Ursula Morton Prizes and has received an award from the NFL Choreographic Foundation.  Mr. Ducker is also a dancer with the Corella Ballet.

Leonid Lavrovsky (1905 – 1967) a Russian dancer and choreographer, was Artistic Director of the Kirov Ballet from 1935 – 1944 after which he was named chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Ballet.

María Pagés is internationally renowned for her personal esthetic concept of the art of flamenco. She started her professional career as a member of the Antonio Gades Company and in 1990 established the María Pagés Company, which has toured the most prestigious stages throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

Vladimir Vasiliov and Natalia Kasatkina: Vladimir Vasiliov joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1958 and performed as principal dancer for the next twenty years. He began choreographing the 1970 and his works have been seen at the Bolshoi and major companies around the world.  He was named Artistic Director of the Rome Opera Ballet in 1993, and in 1995 returned to the Bolshoi Ballet as Director. He has choreographed many works with his wife, Natalia Kasatkina. Ms. Kasatkina joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1954. She began to choreograph with Mr. Vasiliov in 1962. She and Vasiliov subsequently became directors of the Moscow Classical Ballet, an international touring company for which they have created many works.

Christopher Wheeldon has created ballets for companies all over the world, including The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet, to name a few.  He co-founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, and served as Artistic Director from 2007 – 2010. Mr. Wheeldon was Resident Choreographer New York City Ballet from 2001 – 2008, where he created 17 ballets.

About the Company:

Corella Ballet Castilla y León was founded in April 2008 at the Royal Palace of La Granja in Segovia-Spain. Corella Ballet, under Ángel Corella’s artistic direction, is currently the only classical ballet company in Spain. Corella Ballet’s wide repertoire incorporates classical, neoclassical and contemporary choreography. The company consists of 60 dancers from 12 countries: Spain, Cuba, United States, Brazil, Ukraine, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Russia, Argentina, the Republic of Georgia and Kazajstán. Corella Ballet Foundation projects include the creation of a dance school which will also be the base for future Corella Ballet dancers. One of the company’s missions is to provide a professional career for classical dancers in Spain, so that Spanish born dancers do not have to leave the country to further their careers, as Corella and many others have done. The Spanish National Heritage Department has granted the Foundation Ángel Corella use of the Santa Cecila Palace in the Royal Place of La Granja de San Ildefonso, Spain. This location will be the future home of the company as well as the boarding school.

Corella Ballet will play for four performances, at New York City Center, 55^th Street, between 6^th and 7^th Avenues, according to the following schedule: March 17 at 7:30, March 19 at 8 pm and March 20 at 2 & 8 pm.  (no performance Thursday, March 18) Tickets range from $25 – $75 and can be purchased by calling CityTix® at 212-581-1212, online at www.nycitycenter.org or at the City Center Box Office (West 55^th Street between 6^th and 7^th Avenues).

The Performance Schedule

Wednesday, March 17 at 7:30 pm; Friday, March 19 at 8 pm; Saturday, March 20 at 8 pm

STRING SEXTET (U.S. Premiere, 2009)
Choreography: Ángel Corella
Music: Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, String Sextet, "Souvenir of Florence" Op. 70
WALPURGISNACHT (1956)

Choreography: Leonid Lavrovsky

Music: From Faust (1859, ballet music added in 1869) by Charles Francoise Gounod

Pas de Trois performed by Kazuko Omori, Joseph Gatti & Kirill Radev

(Yevgen Uzlenkov replaces Radev on March 19)

SUNNY DUET (1973)

Choreography: Vladimir Vasiliov & Natalia Kasatkina

Music: Arno Babajanyan

Pas de deux performed by Adiarys Almeida and Herman Cornejo

SOLEÁ (World Premiere)

Choreography:  María Pagés
Pas de deux performed by Ángel Corella & Carmen Corella

DGV: DANSE À GRAND VITESSE (2006)
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Michael Nyman, MGV: Musique à Grande Vitesse

Saturday, March 20 at 2 pm

STRING SEXTET (U.S. Premiere, 2009)
Choreography: Ángel Corella
Music: Peter Tchaikovsky, String Sextet, "Souvenir of Florence" Op. 70

EPIMETHEUS (U.S. Premiere, 2009)
Choreography: Russell Ducker
Music: Mike Oldfield, The Music of the Spheres

SOLEÁ (World Premiere)

Choreography:  María Pagés
Pas de deux performed by Ángel Corella & Carmen Corella

DGV: DANSE À GRAND VITESSE (2006)
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Michael Nyman, MGV: Musique à Grande Vitesse

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in their Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts.

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Győr National Ballet of Hungary exhibits a powerful cultural force in “A Stravinsky Evening” at The Joyce Theater.  The evening is composed of two ballets that have powerful messages involving human experience:  Petrushka, which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism and, Rite of Spring, that documents a human sacrifice ritual.  Intense music brings out intense dancing in both works.  Though thematically similar, the two ballets are uniquely transforming.

Petrushka depicts the "little man" struggling to survive a communist society, living under the rule of a totalitarian regime.  Much of the dancing is done on the floor, the dancers mimicking swimming strokes, as if suppressed to the ultimate low by their government and struggling to stay afloat.  The leader tromps about, stomping on any individual that fails to meet standards.  The characters truly come to life on stage, presenting a very relevant reenactment of history. Petrushka is a civilian who expresses ideas that separate him from the others.  The powerful ruler or so-called “Magician” demonstrates his superiority, menacing in each movement.  The chorus dancers are the uncaring mob repeating meaningless sequences mindlessly, servants to a domineering commander.  Though appropriately pedestrian in some movement, the dancers encapsulate spirits of individuals, making the drama both haunting and enlightening.  Dance becomes a metaphorical language for reenacting a cruel totalitarian government and its destruction of the "little man."   It is incredibly inspiring to see dance that interprets societal change, thereby promoting positive change in a non-militant way.

Rite of Spring is equally riveting, with choreography by Attila Kun, depicting what he describes as a “sacrifice that redeems human beings and transforms life.”  Initially, I confuse the subject of Rite of Spring as being about a mating ritual or the institution of marriage; then, I realize, it is about a different type of human sacrifice.

Another orderly society presents itself, then trouble seems to arise with one individual.  Many couples begin singling out the single person to become the sacrificial gift.  I relate to the single woman onstage, the victim of society’s customs.  It seems she is chosen by the crowd of couples as the innocent fresh meat- the perfect sacrifice and is also victimized due to lack of a "male protector."  The white costumes show off the shapes of the dancers, and renders them blameless as they methodically perform the accepted ritual.

The Stravinsky program is an excellent choice for a mature audience.  Social equality is evident in dancing where women partner other women, and men, proving themselves to be capable and strong. Such choreographic choices are in stride with ways of the future, as women are gaining respect in societies for their contributions other than role of mate and mother.  The humanity of the dancers is appealing, and though the company seems very unified culturally, they have a nice range of shapes and sizes. Győr National Ballet has the gift of beautiful storytelling, a gift of presenting history that is difficult to tell yet important to recognize, and conveys it powerfully through dancing.

All photos © Béla Szabó

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Lea McGowan
Performance: Győr National Ballet: A Stravinsky Evening
Choreography: Attila Kun, Dmitrij Simkin, James Sutherland
Venue: The Joyce Theater, New York
Performance Date:  January 28, 2010
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iDANZ Supports Doctors Without Borders
in their Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts.

MSF/Doctors Without Borders has been working in Haiti for 19 years, most recently operating three emergency hospitals in Port-au-Prince, and is mobilizing a large emergency response to the Haiti/earthquake disaster.

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and supplies to victims in this crisis?
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What can I say?  I love The Nutcracker.  And the Nutcracker, as performed by Neville Dance Theatre, is a revitalized production full of the magical holiday spirit we know and love.

Growing up in Maine, I fell in love with the Maine State Ballet’s Nutcracker, then watched my peers in Robinson Ballet’s Nutcracker and, most recently, was awed by the height of Nutcracker heights; New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker.

Neville sets her Nutcracker in contemporary Manhattan, (although it seems more like Brooklyn judging from the "view" out the party scene’s window), and she is gratifyingly consistent in the opening act.  The children, mostly girls, get cellphones for Christmas and parents take pictures with digital cameras.  Drusselmeyer and Clara’s father are one and the same, well played by Yasu Suzuki, and rather than scaring the children he plays a game of "find that dance," performing dances from around the world and having the children point to their origin on a world map.  Neville keeps the two dancing dolls, the female version, fairly typical with her red cheeks, wide eyes and pointe shoes.  The male doll is also consistent with the original version of the story dressed in dated all green army fatigues and sporting a wooden gun.  This is the only uncomfortable moment in Neville’s updating of the story.  It feels strange to have such a multi-cultural, modern family festively unveiling a violent toy.  It’s a little chilling.

The story continues in like form; the mice battle is turned into a street fight between clogging NYPD officers and break dancing would-be thieves.  Clara is injured in the fray and, through a little bait and switch "magic," literally leaves her body to journey through the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.  Unfortunately, this Saturday afternoon, her escort, the Nutcracker, visibly injures himself during their pas de deux, but manages to to finish his part.  Well wishes to Christopher McDaniel… Snow is scaled down due the lack of stage space, but retains it’s magical sheen.  My date is entranced both by the fake snow falling onstage and the real snow outside at intermission! 

The second act delightfully opens in the land of the sugar plum fairy, and we are treated to a modified mélange of dances from around the world.  Spanish is Flamenco dance; Arabian is belly dancing.  The French dancers sport Marie Antionette wigs, and most enjoyably, Tinikling, a traditional Filipino dance with sticks, is performed with all the children.  To finish out the act, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a pas de duex and a solo each. The choreography here is fittingly traditional, but is a little scary in the pointe work.  Combined with the aforementioned injury, I wonder if it is the floor?

Regardless, no matter if performed at the State Theatre or a tiny (slippery) stage in midtown, The Nutcracker is a classic. I applaud Ms. Neville for her courageous rethinking of a traditional story.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Meghan Frederick
Performance:  The Nutcracker, Neville Dance Theatre
Choreography:  Brenda Neville
Venue:  The Howard Guild Theater
Show Date:  December 5th, 2009
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Nelly Van Bommel’s Fanfarneta is the perfect piece to open the show and set the level of artistry to expect for the remainder of the evening.  Poised and calm, Breegan Kearney and Connor Schumacher stand between two ballet barres as the lights come up.  The lights fade to black intermittently throughout the piece giving a feeling of time that has elapsed since we last saw the couple.  Don’t let the ballet barres fool you.  Kearney and Schumacher are the ideal dance power couple- strong, connected, and with equally matched high energy.  The two powerhouse dancers do a variety of acrobatic moves on the barres, forceful leaps, and mesmerizing partner work that leave you wanting more!  Bommel’s creativity in concept and captivating movement phrases set her aside as a choreographer to watch out for.

One word to describe Ja’Malik:  fire!  In his piece, Lucid Dreams, the audience is at the the edge of their seats watching in pure awe, not only of the amazing facility and level of technique of his cast, but also of his ability to bring something refreshing to the contemporary ballet game. Ja’Malik has a keen sense of musicality, ingenious use of space and layering, and a natural element of precision in his work.  Four stars that catch my eye in this piece are Chalvar Monteiro, Johnathan Windham, and the Figgins twins.  These dancers have jaw dropping technique, legs for days, and a demanding stage presence.

Speaking of demanding stage presence, lets talk for a second about Lara Mummert.  Wow, lady!  Lara Mummert is a testament that great things do indeed come in small packages.  In her performance of Off White by Lane Gifford, she has the audience wrapped around her finger with such a breathtaking performance alongside another heart melting duet by Colin Baja and Joy Voelker.  Baja and Voelker’s natural chemistry is just icing on the cake of their effortlessly beautiful artistry.  Lane Gifford really knows how to grab the audience and take them away to a brief moment of paradise.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then the audience is lucky to feast their eyes on the stunning women working it in Sidra Bell’s Beautiful Beast.  One of two all female casts in the program, these ladies are all things feminine: phenomenally strong and articulate with a striking focus and sensitivity to each other and glowing with confidence.  Sidra Bell has a unique vocabulary that goes beyond the surface of just moving.  Beautiful Beast exemplifies her ingenuity in creating work outside the box!  Her distinct voice in modern dance is one that is quickly rising above the noise and really making a sound.

Oh, Bradley Shelver what’s going on in that mind of yours?  True brilliance, that’s what!  Shelver’s  piece, 3114 BCE, takes us way way way back to the early days of mankind-in a raw, dirty, sexy, humorous kind of way.  Be prepared to be fully entertained as the dancers dive full force into their Neanderthal selves with pelvic thrusts, humping gestures, loud grunting, and flashing!  Shelver’s unique ability to blur the lines between dance and theater -to create a harmonious work where anything goes- is what will keep him one step ahead in the game.

Reverb Festival is the place to be to see amazing dancers and choreographers who are at the pinnacle of their artistic careers. This project is a breath of fresh air to the dance scene.  Want to have a refreshing experience and escape the typical New York dance concert?  Make sure you’re in the audience for Reverb 2010.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Simone Sobers
Performance:  Reverb Festival 2009
Choreography: Adam Barruch, Sidra Bell, Lane Gifford, Jozsef Csaba Hajzer, Tomoko Maeda, Ja’Malik, Bradley Shelver, Annie Rigney, Jin Ju Song-Begin, Lizzie Thrasher, and Nelly van Bommel
Venue:  Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
Show Date:  Saturday, October 24, 2009
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