Monday, November 20, 2006
Bolero & More
Artistic Director Victoria Morgan celebrates her past decade with Cincinnati Ballet by highlighting triumphs from the last 10 years, and creating a world premiere to Ravel's mesmerizing BOLERO. Favorite choreographer Val Caniparoli offers The Bridge, his compelling ballet based on the tragic fate of two lovers in war-torn Bosnia who became known as "the Romeo and Juliet of Sarajevo."
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What a treat! If you have seen Victoria's Romeo and Juliet, than I have to believe that the upcoming show will be wonderful. The last show was a great treat for those of us who love the history of classic ballet, with Sleeping Beauty bringing all the best to the city. Kristy and Demitri made me "believe" in the magic, and I remembered why I love ballet and this company!! I look forward to the "new things" that we will receive from the dancers of this wonderful company. Not many companies have the support of a city like the dancers in this company do, they are well blessed...but the city is well blessed as well to have such a great group of dancers to call their own! Good luck Victoria, and "Dance Well" dancers, we will see you all soon! And thank you so very much for the wonderful job that you do in giving us the pleasure of your talents!
Ballet celebrates era
Since her arrival in 1997, artistic director Victoria Morgan has buoyed the Cincinnati Ballet. She has raised the caliber of the dancers, built a solid repertory and helped shape an engaged and savvy board of trustees. But perhaps most importantly, Morgan has brought stability to the company.
When Morgan was hired, three artistic directors had come and gone in seven years. She is thankful to along list of supporters who helped her and the ballet get to where they are now.
The company celebrates Morgan's 10 years with a newly choreographed "Bolero." It debuts Friday alongside other pivotal works from throughout her career, in "Bolero & More," at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.
"Victoria has brought discipline and refinement to the company, says Blanche Maier, a longtime volunteer and board member. She and her late husband Jack, chairman of Frisch's Restaurants Inc., have been responsible for Frisch's underwriting of "Nutcracker" since 1974. "When I look at the company today, I see excellence. I see young dancers striving to become principals in our company as opposed to looking at Cincinnati as a step toward Boston or San Francisco or somewhere else."
On a decade of Victoria
"I had my differences with some of the choreography Victoria did in the first years she was here. But she has brought up the level of the dancers tremendously. And she's developed a great team around her. She's done amazing things with the company."
John Schenz, of Schenz Theatrical, a guest dancer in the company's earliest days
"I'm very pleased with what she has done here. She has inspired and encouraged a lot of new work. And I think you have to have that combination to grow."
Peggy Kahn, philanthropist, board member and former board president
"I think it's great that she has provides opportunities for younger and less well-known choreographers. She's gotten through 10 years and still has the support of her board, so more power to her."
Claudia Rudolf Barrett, founding company member, worked for the ballet through 1990; founding artistic director of ballet tech ohio in Maineville
"We rarely did full-length ballets when I first joined the company. But as she's raised the caliber of dancers, now we can do a full-length 'Swan Lake' or 'Giselle.' It's great. She always adding things that will challenge us technically, physically and mentally.
Mishic Marie Corn, senior soloist since 2000
10 years of magical thinking
Victoria Morgan can look back on a decade of inspired leadership at the ballet
When Victoria Morgan stepped into the leadership of the Cincinnati Ballet 10 years ago, it was evident that change was in the offing. And it was apparent that change would be good.
There she was, a tall, gangly, hyperenthusiastic woman with an unruly shock of dark red hair. Optimistic, she was overflowing with ideas about how she would lift the foundering Cincinnati Ballet to new prominence and stability. She was the first woman to step into the position.
It all sounded familiar. In the previous seven years, three artistic directors had come and gone.
But there were skeptics. Though she had run the ballet company that is attached to the San Francisco Opera, she had never been an artistic director.
"I think I frustrated a lot of people in the early years," says Morgan. "You come into a job, you're brand new and you think you can do it all. But really, you're learning as you go along. I'm really very thankful for all those people who put up with me during those early years."
Morgan is still gangly and energetic. She had replacement surgery on her left hip in 2005. But the hair is still ... well, it was red the last time we saw her. (By her estimate, she's averaged 2.5 colors a year over the past decade.)
And she is still optimistic. She believes great things are in store for the company.
She adores her dancers and regrets the painfully little time she gets to spend with them in the studio.
She's still got ideas, too - for guest choreographers, for new ballets. For ways to tour the company so her dancers can perform more.
She's has raised the caliber of the dancers several notches. She's built a solid repertory. She's helped to shape an engaged board of trustees. She secured a small studio theater for the company, so it has an economical space to experiment with new (read, "less profitable") ballets.
And she has brought a measure of stability to the company.
Ballet companies are in a precarious era. Touring, a profitable undertaking and one that is invaluable to developing dancers' skills, has all but disappeared for the nation's ballet companies. They're regarded as too expensive and not popular enough. Managers of big theaters would rather present an "American Idol" runner-up or a cheaper company of nonunion dancers.
Consider:
Akron's Ohio Ballet folded in 2006.
Indianapolis' Ballet Internationale went under in 2005.
The Cleveland Ballet - at one time one of the nation's largest and most successful companies - closed its doors in 2000.
And it's not just the Midwest that's been affected. Oakland (Calif.) Ballet went out of business in 2006. Dance Theatre of Harlem has been "on hiatus" since 2004.
Victoria Morgan and those working with her - dancers, administrators, musicians, volunteers and board members - must be doing something right.
Morgan's tenure hasn't been without bumps. She has irked some longtime supporters by presenting contemporary, even cutting-edge choreography. And she has bruised the feelings of more than a few dancers as she released people to make way for new dancers.
But she has balanced the new choreography with a slate of popular classics, including "The Sleeping Beauty," "Giselle," Swan Lake" and "Coppélia."
Morgan has rebuilt the company's school and expanded its home on Central Parkway. The ballet has started to tour again, mostly into cities where companies went out of business.
In 2004, she rattled the status quo when she became a candidate for artistic director of Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet. Late last year, she was contacted about leading Ballet West, in her hometown of Salt Lake City.
Will she leave? Probably someday. But for the moment, Cincinnati is home.
Cincinnati's ballet company reflects her ideals and aesthetic taste. Yes, it could stand to sell more tickets and raise more money. But in an age of uncertainty, any nonprofit that can pay its bills and turn on the lights every day is a successful one.
Morgan isn't looking for a new job. She's still got things she'd like to do here. And, realistically, she has a group of fine dancers, an appreciative board and an audience that is growing.
"There have been things that I'm proud of," Morgan says. "And things I was frustrated with. And there were even a few embarrassments. But I never felt I would give up. I think as long as you feel like there's hope for the future and room to grow, then you don't want to pack your bags. I guess I've experienced all of those emotions looking out my office window into the studio. But mostly I've felt hope. And that's what keeps me going."
E-mail davidlyman@gmail.com
Influential selections
Each of the six pieces on this weekend’s Cincinnati Ballet program was selected because it represents some distinct aspect of Victoria Morgan’s 10 years as artistic director. Here, she explains the significance of each piece.
“SEEKING VELOCITY,” FIRST MOVEMENT
Choreographer: Victoria Morgan
Cincinnati Ballet Premiere: 2004
This piece debuted in November 2004, less than four months before Morgan had hip replacement surgery on her left hip. “I wasn’t even walking,” says Morgan. “I learned a lot about choreographing then. There was this discovery that the less you do, the more the dancers fight for it.”
“ROMEO AND JULIET,” BALCONY PAS DE DEUX
Choreographer: Victoria Morgan
CB premiere: 2001
This was the first full-length ballet that Morgan created for her new company. “It was a huge undertaking,” says Morgan. It also reflects on Morgan’s relationship with principal dancer Kristi Capps. “Kristi was in the corps when I came. Since then, she’s blossomed and grown – she has really grown into a ballerina.”
“STARS AND STRIPES,” PAS DE DEUX
Choreographer: George Balanchine (1958)
CB premiere: 2006, in collaboration with BalletMet Columbus
George Balanchine is an integral piece of the Cincinnati Ballet’s history. He was extremely supportive of David McLain, the artistic director who elevated the company from a civic ballet company into a professional one. “I didn’t have any Balanchine on the program,” says Morgan, “and that didn’t seem appropriate. I also love this because it’s really tough to dance.”
“SEVENTH SYMPHONY,” THIRD MOVEMENT (“THE SKY”)
Choreographer: Léonide Massine (1938)
CB premiere: 2002
Cincinnati’s relationship to the legendary Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, which premiered this work in 1938, is enormous. Because its primary benefactor was Cincinnatian Julius Fleischmann, the company visited here often. And one of the young dancers – later ballet master – in those early tours was none other than Frederic Franklin, a one-time acting artistic director of the Cincinnati Ballet who, at the age of 92, remains an artistic mentor to the company. “It’s an amazing work,” says Morgan. “And when we staged it, it was one of my proudest moments here.” The fact that the New York Times called it one of the top 10 dance events in the nation that year probably didn’t hurt, either.
“THE BRIDGE”
Choreographer: Val Caniparoli (1998)
CB premiere: 2007
“Val (Caniparoli, the choreographer who created this piece) has been a really important part of my tenure here,” says Morgan, who has known him and worked with him since she began her career at the San Francisco Ballet in 1978. “Almost every year, we’ve had a new piece of his choreography – including our ‘Nutcracker.’ He knows the company. And they know him. Besides, this piece is so intense and so beautiful and so moving.”
“BOLERO”
Choreographer: Victoria Morgan
CB premiere: 2007
“I’ve always wanted to do a new ‘Bolero’,” says Morgan. “I always thought it would be so great to move to the music. But I’ve always been intimidated by it – it’s such a huge piece of music.” But Morgan saw a parallel between the ever-so-gradually building music and the growth curve the Cincinnati Ballet has experienced during her tenure. So the ballet begins with adolescent students from the company’s Otto M. Budig Academy in a ballet class. As the music grows, company members join the mix. Morgan has choreographed segments to showcase the dancers’ specialties. And, according to Morgan, the results are spectacular. “Some of the things they do will just wow you. Some of the men do things that are so amazing … I don’t even know what they’re called.”
Cincinnati.com Video
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Celebrating the Morgan era
Victoria Morgan celebrates 10 years as artistic director of the Cincinnati Ballet this weekend in a concert featuring some excerpts of favorite dances she has choreographed or staged for the company.
A former principal dancer for the San Francisco Ballet before coming to Cincinnati, Morgan said, for starters, she has chosen "Seeking Velocity," her original 2004 ballet.
Two other original Morgan works selected will be the balcony pas de deux from her version of "Romeo and Juliet" and the new "Bolero," set to Ravel's renowned hypnotic score.
There's also to be a revisit to Balanchine's rousing "Stars and Stripes" ballet set to John Philip Sousa's marches. Morgan's Cincinnati Ballet presented the Balanchine in 2006 in collaboration with BalletMet Columbus (Ohio).
" 'Seeking Velocity,' a Mendelssohn piece, is really bright, lively, speedy, quirky and kind of fun," Morgan said. "I think it's indicative of a lot of the kind of work that I do.
"And I love the Mendelssohn music. Looking at the program, I thought it would be a nice balance with some of the other things."
Arguably, Morgan's greatest success here as a choreographer for her company is her intense retelling of "Romeo and Juliet" set to Prokofiev's edgy and dramatic score for the Shakespearean tragedy.
"I wanted to do 'Romeo and Juliet' because it was my very first experience choreographing a brand-new first full-length ballet," Morgan recalled.
"For me to do that piece, I hired a dramaturge. It really helped me keep on the thread of the narrative and the development of the characters. That was really helpful. And if I ever do another full-length ballet, I want to do that again."
The balcony pas de deux is the central romantic moment in the story.
"The young Romeo and Juliet have just met each other at the ball," Morgan said. "There is this intense chemistry and fascination."
For the Friday night opening, the lovers will be danced by Kristi Capps and Dmitri Trubchanov.
For "Stars and Stripes," Morgan has selected the pas de deux set to Sousa's "Liberty Bell and "El Capitan" marches.
"I wanted to do this because Balanchine has been an important part of the history of this company even before I arrived," Morgan said. "I felt it was important to have some representation.
"It's very rah-rah, but also very hard and technically very exciting."
Morgan's world premiere of "Bolero" takes audiences backstage into a dance studio for a portrait of the relationships among dancers as they interact with each other during rehearsals.
The Third Movement from Leonide Massine's 1938 Seventh Symphony also is on the program. Cincinnati Ballet Mistress Johanna Bernstein choreographed this work based on an old black-and-white film of the dance.
The Third Movement was on a 2002 program honoring Cincinnati Ballet director Emeritus Frederic Franklin who originally danced the work for Massine. He gave Bernstein insights into the full ballet that is now lost except for what's on film.
"I was very proud of that moment," Morgan said. "It actually was an international moment for us because we had critics come in from around the world."
Morgan said that Franklin, 93, is featured in producer/director Melissa Goday's "Do Not Go Gently," a new documentary on artists over age 85 who are still actively engaged in the arts. He also is planning to return to play the Friar when the Cincinnati Ballet repeats its full-length version of "Romeo and Juliet" in the near future.
Morgan said looking back over her decade with the Cincinnati Ballet - the longest directorship second only to David McLain's 18 years - it is her work to raise the quality of dancers in the company that she regards as her highest achievement.
"For example, Kristi Capps, whom I love and adore, started with the corps de ballet and Janessa (Touchet) was an apprentice," Morgan said. Both are now principal dancers.
The Morgan legacy is no where near ending at the Cincinnati Ballet.
Six months ago, she signed another five-year contract with the company. And she's dreaming big for the future.
"I want to do a new full-length ballet that is connected to the King Arthur story," Morgan said as a goal for the next five years. "I think it's a strong story. The story itself has all kinds of movement in it.
"I would love doing pas de deux between Guenevere and King Arthur and with Lancelot.
There are the knights and the wedding. It's a story a lot of people know and like.
"I think it would be a great piece."
Artistic Director Victoria Morgan celebrates 10 years with Cincinnati Ballet
Interview By Julie Mullins
No doubt, dancers are athletes. But how much a role does sports-like competition or teamwork play among a group of dancers? During a visit to Cincinnati Ballet's Over-the-Rhine studios, I sensed spirit of camaraderie hanging in the air, along with a gentle whiff of sweat.
"It's got to have that sense of competition!" Artistic Director Victoria Morgan calls out during a recent rehearsal for Boléro, a world premiere work she's choreographing for her 10-year anniversary with Cincinnati Ballet. They're running through an all-male, powerhouse section where the dancers engage in some playful one-up-man-ship.
Boléro is one of six widely varied pieces in Boléro & More, a mixed repertory program commemorating Morgan's decade with the Ballet that also includes works from George Balanchine, Val Caniparoli and two additional pieces choreographed by Morgan.
"It's a pretty ambitious program," she says. "The sections are all so completely different and I love that it shows the breadth and the diversity of the company, but we're really slamming for the finals here!"
Morgan's belief in collaboration filters through her tenure. Last season, the Ballet teamed up with Columbus' BalletMet to perform an exhilarating contemporary piece Play (set to music by Moby!) from acclaimed choreographer Stanton Welch. Beginning in 2002, Léonide Massine's 1938 "lost" masterwork ballet, The Seventh Symphony -- the third movement of which will be performed again in Boléro & More -- was faithfully re-created through Cincinnati Ballet's joining forces with Cincinnati Art Museum and Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dance legend Frederic Franklin, who had performed in the original historic production.
Ravel's Boléro is one of Classical music's best-known pieces. Did it feel risky choreographing to it?
She acknowledges that the music is intimidating but says, "I love Boléro, everybody loves Boléro, and I've always thought it would be cool to try and attempt it. It just seemed to work philosophically."
The music's spare initial development works well within the dance piece's less formal studio-to-stage context: there won't be "wings" on the stage sides, so the audience witnesses a broader perspective, literally and figuratively.
In a clever collaboration with the Ballet's academy, selected students as young as age 12 will perform in a loose narrative tracing dancers' phases of training and development. (The company dancers don't enter until about four minutes into the piece.) As the music grows exponentially in intensity and complexity, so do the dancers' movements -- eventually giving way to vigorous, all-out athletic beauty, where one tries to out-do the next. All 28 company dancers appear onstage for, according to Morgan, the climactic and challenging ending.
Good thing she has seasoned company dancers around to help. They have become increasingly integrated within Morgan's choreographic process during her tenure.
Morgan recounts how she was forced to choreograph a piece (2004's Seeking Velocity, also on this weekend's program) while recuperating from surgery.
"I just sat in the chair and proposed ideas. I think they felt sorry for me, so they tried really hard," she smiles. "They were really great and I think I learned a lot about counting on them and a lot about trusting them. That's an important lesson I think for a choreographer to learn. And I had to learn it the hard way by having a hip replacement!
"I used to come into rehearsal and I'd have the whole thing choreographed and just tell them exactly what to do. (Now) when I come into a rehearsal, I like having an idea of the structure: this is when the women come in, this is when the solo is ... but I don't have the exact step they're gonna do. I never have that, because I really count on them to invent it."
She notes that some dancers prefer being told exactly what to do, but many others are stimulated by exploratory movement.
According to some longtime company dancers, Morgan has expanded her receptiveness to collaborative input from the group.
Senior soloist Mishic Marie Corn, now in her seventh season with the Ballet, explains, "I think there's a comfort level with her dancers. She still tries to push the envelope and say, 'Well, I want you to move this speed and try to make it this big and this expansive,' but because she knows us now and she's been working with a few of us for so many years, she'll listen to our feedback and go, 'Yeah, that might work' or 'No, absolutely not, that's not my vision,' so that's been great." Corn adds, "She's still controlling the vision and we try to make that vision happen."
Although the choreographer remains the creating god, er, goddess, Boléro showcases individual dancers' talents.
"One of the things I'm really proud of is just the caliber of the dancers and the things they're able to do," Morgan says. "It's a nice opportunity to highlight that. They all kind of have their moment to shine. "
Senior soloist Joseph Gatti says, "(Boléro) is about each person's individual personality, so I get to do Michael Jackson in it, break-dance. She let me put that in, so it's exciting. It shows the audience that I can do things other than just ballet."
He also spins in endless pirouette variations as if he were on ice.
Reinforcing her openness to dancers' contributions, Morgan shares an aspect of her job she enjoys most: "(When) I just see them take on something and make it their own, and turn it into more than a technical thing, really make it an artistic advancement."
Despite classical ballet's artistically formal reputation, in the studio I heard echoes of healthy competitiveness coupled with true team spirit -- even a nod to cheerleading. As a dancer lofted ballerina to the height of a quick, pop-up style vertical lift, one of the men call out, "Go Ballet!"
And I have to say that "Bolero and More" absolutely blew me away. I saw it Saturday. Truly fantastic!! I have been blessed with so many special arts experiences in Cincinnati, but just a few felt really important, life-altering. This was one.
The whole program was beautiful, wisely structured and wonderfully executed. I wasn't sure what I was going to get with the "Bolero", but as soon as I saw that raw, open stage, I knew it would be something very new. It was spectacular! I still have chills. Just loved it. Every inch and every leap. The orchestra was better than good.
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