- Title: UK: NEW YORK BALLET STARS PREPARE TO PERFORM IN LONDON
- Date: 30th July 1998
- Summary: DANCER WENDY WHELAN SAYS, (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) "YOU'LL SEE ONE OF BALANCHINE'S FIRST BALLETS, "APOLLO," 1928 I THINK HE CHOREOGRAPHED IT IN. YOU'LL SEE A PIECE CHOREOGRAPHED TWO WEEKS AGO BY CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON. SO THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING I THINK."
- Embargoed: 14th August 1998 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAAZJ06WM51IYU2Z36BL7GR9LUN
- Story Text: Grace, beauty - and attack! That's what the New York Ballet Stars promise as they prepare to perform in London on Thursday (July 30), the first time in nearly ten years.
The New York Ballet Stars have returned to London for the first time in nearly ten years, headed by their former principal dancer turned choreographer Christopher D'Amboise, to deliver a stunning blend of modern and classical ballet performed with what they call grace, beauty and attack! "Attack," Christopher explains, "because the dancers are trained in a machine-like way to be as clean, quick and precise as possible." But do not be deceived into thinking ths is a cold, clinical performance.
The New York Ballet Stars do indeed perform with grace and beauty too, in an exciting mix of classical Balanchine style and more contemporary choreography.
As a tribute to the 'father' of modern ballet, the late George Balanchine, the New York stars reprise his "Apollo," first performed exactly seventy years ago, to music by Igo Stravinsky.
It's a particularly emotional performance for D'Amboise.
"My father danced for Balanchine - as did I," says Chris.
"Coming to London, choreographing young dancers to perform to Balanchne's style is a wonderful feeling.I'm keeping the heritage going," Chris adds.
In fact Balanchine invited D'Amboise to join the New York City Ballet in 1978 - where he danced for ten years in over thirty principal roles in works by Balanchine and Jerome Robbins and indeed had roles specially created for him by Balanchine.
Now he's choreographing the New York Ballet Stars, and has brought to London a hand-picked troupe of fifteen of America's finest young dancers for a four-night run at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, during which they will also dance to D'Amboise's very own dance, "Circle of Fifths," performed to music by Philip Glass.
The New York Ballet Stars artistic director, and one of its principal dancers, Antonia Franceschi says, "I'm really thrilled to have the new works that we're having - and Chris D'Amboise is doing his own piece here, because when I first saw the first three minutes of it, I thought it was so special.
"It did something to me.It moved me.I felt changed when I saw it.I knew I wanted it!" She's got it! Along with the newly created dance "New Webern," choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, set to music by Anton Webern, which receives its world premier and Ulysses Dove's "Red Angels," performed to music by Richard Einhorn.
The New York Ballet Stars satisfy the purists too, with Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux, danced to George Balachine's choreography.
They're performing at The Queen Elizabeth Hall until the 2nd of August, and then return to New York. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None