Saturday, February 9, 2013

Caroline Rocher

http://www.linesballet.org/company/dancers/

Caroline Rocher of Lines Ballet rehearses on Friday, March 16, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

Caroline Rocher of Lines Ballet rehearses on Friday, March 16, 2012...

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Afternoon rehearsal is serious business in the Lines Ballet studios, where Alonzo King is working with the dancers on his lavish "Scheherazade" for the company's upcoming season at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Intensity and concentration are written across Keelan Whitmore's face as he works with the lovely Caroline Rocher. She gives a little shimmy that ripples from her hips to her shoulders, but then a smile begins to break out across Rocher's face. It's the first sign that they've hit a piece of the choreography that doesn't quite feel right and it also signals one of Rocher's more endearing qualities. Even when things aren't going perfectly, her outlook is always upbeat.

King comes over to help them push the partnering in a new direction, and when they repeat, there's a fearless spontaneity in her movement, even as she places each foot, each limb with surgical precision.
The luminous Rocher joined Lines Ballet in 2007, arriving with an impressive resume of national and international credits. If at first she seemed a touch otherworldly, even tentative, in her approach to King's famously probing and challenging choreography, nevertheless, in the five seasons she's danced with the company she's imbued her performances with a rare warmth and intelligence and become a soulful and unpretentious interpreter of his work.

Born in France

Born in Saint-Etienne near Lyon, France, Rocher received her early dance training from Veronique Claparede at the Conservatoire Regional de Montpellier.

"Honestly, I never thought I would make dance my career," the chic Rocher says later over tea at Café Gratitude, adding frankly that she didn't feel that she fit the ballerina profile. "I've always been curvy, and well, look, when you're in France, your model is the Paris Opera Ballet. I could see I didn't look like that."

Still, her teacher pushed her to audition for choreographer Maurice Béjart's Rudra Béjart School in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she studied for two years. After graduating, Rocher's career path took a glamorous turn when she went to dance for the famous Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris.

"I always was attracted to bling and glitter," she says with disarming frankness. "I still am, I love it! The Rudra school was doing a performance at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, which was right around the corner from the Crazy Horse, so I thought why not try it? I auditioned and I got in. For a year and a half, I lived like a princess in Paris. It was fun, and you're treated very well. It's like a Broadway show or Las Vegas."

Eight shows a week

Even so, after doing eight shows a week for a while, Rocher felt a need for more variety and decided she wanted to try her luck in New York. She had watched "Fame" on French television and felt the pull of the Big Apple.

"So I packed up my courage and two suitcases and I made the move. Years later I met Debbie Allen backstage at a performance Lines did at the Joyce Theater in New York," she recounts, "and I told her, you're one of the reasons why I came here!"

As a student in Lausanne, Rocher had worked with Alvin Ailey's Denise Jefferson, so when she first landed in America, she tried the Ailey school for six months, but found that modern dance wasn't the right fit for her.

"For me, deep down I just wanted to do more classical ballet," she says simply.

So at 21, she joined Dance Theatre of Harlem, swiftly rising to the level of principal and dancing everything from Balanchine to "Creole Giselle" to Michael Smuin's "St. Louis Woman."

Chloe Davis Philadanco

Philly 360° Exclusive:

Q&A With Philadanco Dancer Chloe Davis

Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) premiered its stunning new performance Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, choreographed by Ray Mercer, at the Kimmel Center as part of their spring season. With a fierce group of dancers and impeccable precision choreography, Philadanco controls the stage and the audience with their moves and passion.
Creative Ambassador and Philadanco dancer Chloe Davis took some time out of her schedule to catch up with Philly 360° to chat about the performance.

Philly 360°: What was it like for you to work on this piece with such fierce athletic movements around the huge table that was onstage?

Chloe: The experience was amazing! Ray Mercer helped me identify a new unique movement quality. It's a beautiful merge of fast, staccato and temperament movements layered by a soft, vulnerable and even "placid" quality. A New York Times reviewer said my dancing was "strangely placid," but I am going to take that as a compliment.

I am a bit of a dare devil, so I was really very excited about the idea of dancing on a table. Ray taught a lot of the choreography first before he brought in the actually table. And I must say, standing on top of it and doing the movement is completely different than doing it on the floor. The table is basically as tall as me! So yes, I had many moments where I got scared. And actually, I still do get nervous! However, I try to transform myself into the character that was created for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and she is totally fearless and fiery with no regards to danger.

Philly 360°: What was the meaning of the piece – the title that was taken from the movie, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Chloe: Ray Mercer said that Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was his Grandmother's favorite movie, and it was something about the title that sparked his curiosity. The piece is not based on the movie, yet it is the observation of different energies (characters) being brought to a common place, a table. The battle of feminine and masculine energies, the urges of lust, and the rawness of inner dialogue are some of the scenes established within the piece.

Philly 360°: What do you feel was the main point the choreographer was trying to get across?
Chloe: I believe Ray Mercer wanted to show the dynamic element of human energies and how they constantly and drastically change.

Philly 360°: Philadanco is on tour for most of the year traveling to major cities across the country and throughout the world. What is it like to perform at home – in Philadelphia for the home crowd?
Chloe: Performing in Philadelphia is such a treat because your local friends and local dance communities finally get a chance to see you!
Philly 360°: How is it different from being on the road?

Chloe: Actually, there is not very much of a difference with performing in Philly or being on the road. You are just as tired! But being on the road, you muster up a bit of energy to go explore the city and do a little shopping.

Philly 360°: What’s next for Philadanco?
Chloe: We are in our "off season" which means that we are working with new choreographers and preparing works for our upcoming 2011-2012 Season.

Philly 360°: Do you have any major projects in the works for the upcoming season?
Chloe: Yes, we are working with choreographer, Hope Boykins, who is a former Philadanco Company Member and currently dances with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. And also, choreographer and Creative Ambassador, Rennie Harris, who is the Artist Director of Rennie Harris PureMovement.

And check out Chloe's video below.

blog

Misty Copeland

The toned beauty has risen to the top of her game as a dancer and could easily plie her way into becoming a model. The 29 year-old-dancer is the first African American female soloist (in the last two decades) for the American Ballet Theater (ABT), one of the three leading ballet companies in the States.

Considered a prodigy of sorts, the stallion-esque beauty didn’t begin dancing until the age of 13 (about 10 years later than most) and by 15 she was already fielding professional contracts. She is considered a classical ballet dancer, but since 2007 she has morphed into a contemporary and sophisticated dancer.

The Kansas City born, Los Angeles raised dancer was the topic of a very public custody battle between her biological mother and her ballet coaches during the late 90′s. Her time was split between the two families while she honed her craft, but when she started to garner more attention (and make more money) her coach wanted her to stay w/her family full time–a two hour trip away from her mothers. Amidst the media blitz surrounding this coach-turned parent case, Copeland filed for emancipation, under the advice of her dance coach. She later recanted those papers and went back to live with her mother full time–never missing a beat from dancing.

She has managed to make a name for herself as a solo and principle dancer at ABT, dancing the leads in such American classics as: The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Corps de Ballet, and Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty.

Inspiring brown girls worldwide, Copeland, with her 5’2″ self, has proven that dreams do come true–especially when you begin to unpack the gifts that God has placed inside of you. See pictures of the swan below and see why she deserves a round of applause.

-Smith

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Tags: American Ballet Theater, Black Swan, Corps de Ballet, Don Quixote, Misty Copeland, Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker

Ballet: The Last Frontier

Rachel Howard

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, January 28, 2007

lines_155_df.JPG Aesha Ash is a dancer with Alonzo King Lines Ballet. Deanne Fitzmaurice / San Francisco Chronicle blackdance28 Photo: Deanne Fitzmaurice

lines_155_df.JPG Aesha Ash is a dancer with Alonzo King Lines...
AUGUST 1 2006: Smuin Ballet 2006-07 studio shoot in San Francisco, CA. Photo by Tom Hauck/Courtesy of Smuin Ballet Ran on: 01-28-2007 Aesha Ash of Alonzo King's Lines Ballet, left, and Ikolo Griffin of Smuin Ballet, inset. Photo: Tom Hauck/Courtesy Of Smuin Ball

AUGUST 1 2006: Smuin Ballet 2006-07 studio shoot in San Francisco,...

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Growing up, Aesha Ash knew that black women were rare in American ballet companies. But joining the corps of New York City Ballet, the troupe created by 20th century dance behemoth George Balanchine, was still a shock.

"The typical Balanchine ballerina has long flowing hair and blue eyes," said Ash, now a member of San Francisco's Alonzo King's Lines Ballet. "I thought, 'Where do I fit in here?' "

Dancing "Symphony in Three Movements," she'd look down the long row of pale-skinned girls in white leotards and pink tights and feel conspicuous. Once during rehearsals for "Swan Lake," a ballet mistress scolded the corps for tanning, saying, "I don't want to see any dark bodies on that stage!"
But during her eight years at NYCB -- most of those as the only black woman in the company -- Ash was on a mission. "There are so many stereotypes of black women being strong and aggressive," she said. "I wanted to show we can also be elegant and ethereal."
Ballet may be the last frontier for black dancers, long prominent in jazz, tap and even modern dance, with its early connections to socially progressive ideals. Is the scarcity of African Americans in ballet due to economic barriers or a bias toward white European ideals? And what should be done about it? The answers depend on the particular dancer's experience.

Ikolo Griffin was the first outreach student to graduate from the San Francisco Ballet School. Born to an African American father and Jewish mother, and raised by a Japanese stepfather, Griffin joined the company in 1993, when it had four black dancers. "I thought we were so beautiful," he said. "We had pride in the same way the Spanish or Russian dancers do."

But, frustrated by being passed over for soloist roles, in 2001 Griffin decamped for the mostly black Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he quickly rose to principal. He attributes the greater opportunities to being in a "smaller pond" of talent than at San Francisco Ballet. After DTH disbanded in 2004, Griffin joined the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. He's now back in the Bay Area as a member of the Smuin Ballet.

Ash and Griffin shared very different ideas about why African Americans are still such a minority in ballet.
"The African American culture isn't that interested in ballet as an art form," Griffin said. "I think that's what eventually caused DTH to sink. There wasn't enough interest from the black community to support a ballet company. But African American culture has its successes in music, in sports, in jazz, in so many other fields. And the ballet has enough support from other communities."
But Ash saw the high cost of ballet class and pointe shoes as an enormous barrier, and felt African Americans would embrace ballet if given the chance.

"Someone asked me, 'How do you get more blacks to see ballet?' " she said. "The answer is to put blacks out there in it. It's the same as Tiger Woods or the Williams (Venus and Serena) sisters. If you see someone from your own community, you think, 'Maybe I like tennis. Maybe I like ballet.' "

They also had very different reactions to the old stereotype, promulgated by New York Times chief dance critic John Martin in the 1940s, that African Americans have the wrong body type for ballet.

"The curve, the muscle tone, is different," Griffin said. "At the major ballet companies, the director's personal taste may not include the African American dancer." Rather than seeing a need to change ballet's limited body aesthetic, Griffin saw ballet as a dying art form wedded to its European aristocratic roots.
But Ash pointed out that body ideals in ballet have changed over time from the curvaceous figures favored in Russian courts to the rail-thin builds that dominate stages today. "Balanchine changed the image of the ballerina," she said. "If you go from that image, you never see butts or chests. And that doesn't fit the stereotypical black woman now."
Both dancers clearly feel that their presence makes a statement. Griffin -- who identifies as black, white and Japanese -- is proud to represent all three with the Smuin Ballet. "I feel bi-racialness will soon be the norm in society," he said. "And we bi-racial people are bridges among cultures, a living example of cultures mixing."
After a decade of determination to "change the hearts and minds of the ballet audience," Ash said she's still hoping to see real change.
"The fact that we're here in 2007 and people are still interested in what it's like to be a black ballerina says a lot," she said. "I'm waiting for the day when someone calls to ask what it's like to be a ballerina, period."

Monday, February 4, 2013

Stephanie Batten Bland

http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/pics-clips-and-a-q-a-w-dancer-stefanie-batten-bland

Dancer Troy Powell

Categorized | Interviews

Catching Up with Ailey II’s Troy Powell

Posted on29 October 2012. Tags: African-American dance, Alvin Ailey, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Amy Hall Garner, Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Cedar Lake Ballet, Judith Jamison, Malcolm Low, modern dance, second company, Sylvia Waters, Troy Powell

Dance Informa’s Tara Sheena spoke with acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer and choreographer Troy Powell in late September as he was about to embark on his first season as Artistic Director of Ailey II. Powell spoke about his past influences, the exciting new repertory for this season, and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.
Congratulations on your first season as Artistic Director of Ailey II. Is it a lot different than your previous position as Associate Artistic Director?
Actually, no, because I have been working with [former Ailey II Artistic Director] Sylvia Waters for the past several years as the designated Associate Artistic Director, choreographer, and teacher. I think the main thing is the fact that I am not as involved in the studio as much as I’d like to be. That’s my passion. There’s a lot of administrative stuff to do. Nothing has drastically changed though. Not yet, at least. I was very well groomed by Sylvia Waters, Judith Jamison and even Alvin Ailey, who I met and worked with as well. Let me just say ‘it’s all in the pocket’. They [Waters, Jamison and Ailey] really set a precedent in making sure [to groom] the next generations for positions like this. For me, the road map is clear. Of course, there are going to be some challenges, which I am up for. We’ve got seven new dancers this year. With me being new, my rehearsal director being new, and a new crew, this year’s all about new. That along with a lot of the traditional stuff in the repertory makes a great balance and a great combination.

Sylvia Waters and Troy Powell. Photo Eduardo Patino

This combination of the old and the new is clear this season. I see the ‘new’ in the three new commissions you have this season: Benoit Swan-Pouffer, Amy Hall Garner, and Malcolm Low.
I picked those three choreographers because they are totally different choreographers. They come from different backgrounds, from different cultures, they have a different style, they use different music and have different movement qualities. I wanted to really challenge the dancers in a different way by bringing in each of those choreographers.
I had really been influenced by Amy Hall in the way she worked – her process. She really, really digs into the dancers. Her piece is about energy and consistency. It’s very vibrant, it’s very bright and it’s very fast.
I brought Benoit Swan-Pouffer in because he’s a much more seasoned choreographer who has a company – Cedar Lake Ballet. I wanted the dancers to work with someone of that status. Not just so they can be seen by him, but I wanted them to work with a choreographer who was going to dig into them and get these dancers to start working more on a professional quota. He brought the energy of how he works with his company to the dancers of Ailey II.

Ailey II dancers with Artistic Director Troy Powell and Rehearsal Director Alia Kache. Photo by Eduardo Patino.

Malcolm Low comes from a postmodern background. You know, there’s really no postmodern anymore. That kind of died out. So, now the dancers are training, training, training to get their ability, their technique and their physicality but Low’s movement is totally relaxed and thrown with feet not pointed. It’s vulnerable, yet powerful, in a way.
You’ve been a part of the Ailey family forever. Were there any big takeaways from your years in the Ailey company that you brought to your role as director?
Definitely. I have watched my mentors so closely: how they taught and what they said. It’s funny because when I stopped dancing and started working with Ailey II, I was a choreographer and I began to see what was on the other side of the table. I guess it seemed natural because I just loved to give back and I was very passionate about the next generation and about giving them the same type of nurturing and grooming that I got as a dancer. I remember Alvin Ailey saying, “You are the next generation.” He really, really [emphasized] the fact that we were human beings before we were dancers and we were expressing ourselves through what we were experiencing and going through as individuals. That is what I want to bring to the table.

Troy Powell leads class for Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls students. Photo by Joe Epstein.

Did you know that you wanted to be on the other side of things as a director?
It kind of happened naturally. I didn’t think I was ever going to be the Artistic Director of Ailey II. As dancers and choreographers we think to ourselves, “Oh, I love teaching. I love choreographing. It would be great to have my own company.” You know? You think it’d be great but I just never thought that it would happen. It’s hit me so much harder now because I look back on my past and I think how far I’ve come, how hard I’ve worked and how passionate I have been, and I am very blessed. I am very honored to be in this position. I still feel passionate. I am not drained, I am not too busy, it’s not too crazy, and it’s not going to get that way. I want to stay at a pace where it’s easy and stress-free and we are all enjoying it, we are all having fun, and we are all passionate about it.
Is the company doing any of your work this season? Or, do you have future plans to choreograph on the company?
I definitely have plans. They are not doing my work this season but they did my work last season and I definitely have plans to choreograph or even bring stuff back that I have done in the past.
What’s your vision for Ailey II?
I definitely want the company to evolve in a way that it’s not just a second company. I want to work more on a professional level, so that’s why I am challenging the dancers with bringing different choreographers in, as well as doing a lot of traveling and bringing in rep that I danced – rep that Mr Ailey choreographed. I am bringing in those traditional works because those are the ones that made me grow as an artist. I want these dancers to be able to grow in a way where when they leave Ailey II, there’s no question that they’ve received two years of grooming and training in the most professional way.
Keep up with Ailey II on the road this season at www.alvinailey.org/aileyiitour
Top photo: Ailey II’s Troy Powell. Photo by Eduardo Patino

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