From Russia with love
February 12, 2014
Ballet is everywhere.
Amidst the glitz and glamour of the 22nd Winter Games Opening Ceremony in Sochi this past week and notwithstanding the dazzling pyrotechnics and cutting-edge special effects, millions of people across the globe were witness to a return to something classic and timeless and virtually sublime.
All who watched the colorful fanfare were reminded that despite distances in miles, differences in culture, and varying, if not dueling, perspectives on anything from politics to religion, there are so many more things that we have in common with each other. Somewhere deep in our psyche we understand that as Russian as a Tchaikovsky score undoubtedly is, it belongs to the rest of us as well.
When the Russian prima of the Bolshoi, the lithe Svetlana Zakharova, depicts Rostova, the beautiful debutante from Tolstoy’s War & Peace, one cannot help but marvel at how compelling the art of dance is at storytelling. When the Russian born Ivan Vasiliev, now a principal with American Ballet Theater, defies gravity and crosses the threshold of what is merely mortal into a realm of something almost magical, the crowd cannot refrain from gasping in sheer wonder. This classic style with its graceful steps and surreal leaps seems to reside in these dancer’s souls, an innate gift inherited from a long line of predecessors.
What we may not remember, however, is that this historically informed and theatrically captivating art form is thriving in our very own backyard. In the very heart of Torrington’s arts corridor on Main Street, The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory carries on Agrippina Vaganova’s tradition of training students in the fundamentals of a methodology steeped in a tradition that goes back to the czars of Russia and the extravagant courts of Louis XIV.
Since 1969, this organization founded by Torrington’s Sharon E. Dante has been providing professional-level training to aspiring dance-artists. And as highlighted by the Opening Ceremonies in Sochi, ballet is not a dying art nor is it in any way stagnant. Embracing the new and melding it with tradition, the audience was witness to “Swan Lake” as they had never before imagined it.
With the masterful guidance of MOMIX’s Moses Pendleton and Cynthia Quinn, long-time friends, mentors, and patrons of The Nutmeg Ballet, the Mariinsky’s prima, Diana Vishneva, was at the center of a reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s classic masterpiece. Who could forget the strikingly illuminated costumes swirling and twirling about in the spectacular “Doves of Peace”? To take a masterwork at the very core of classical ballet repertoire and reimagine it with such contemporary sensibilities is nothing, if not daring.
As the Nutmeg Ballet’s Victoria Mazzarelli knows so well, ballet builds upon tradition, but is never limited by its rich history. On the contrary, it is only enhanced by it. “Having a strong ballet technique makes for versatile dancers and opens up so many artistic possibilities for young artists,” said the well-traveled Artistic Director. Her own solid foundation in classical ballet gave her the ability to adapt to requirements of diverse choreography, a trait much in demand with choreographers who tend to push the boundaries of ballet into new and unexplored directions.
“Perhaps one of the greatest treasures of life is to have danced on the stages of so many amazing countries. Whether it was working with such gifted choreographers as Hans van Manen, Jiri Kylian, Heinz Spoerli or William Forsythe, each choreographer so unique and so gifted in his own way, there was always something familiar, that sense of tradition, that grounding in the great ballet classics that was nurtured by Sharon Dante on Migeon Avenue. It made all these new experiences feel somehow familiar to me—this young girl from Torrington who was so far from home,” said Mazzarelli.
The story of ballet is one with a beginning, but no end. It is a part of a culture that is both international and yet intimately our own. It is an art form that we can appreciate from afar or as easily as a drive to 58 Main Street where the dance and the dancers conspire to create the sublime through the daily promise of sweat and boundless effort.
Ballet is timeless, ethereal, and seemingly endless in possibilities. Most importantly, it is ours. It is right here within our grasp. It is thriving each day in that beautiful glass box with its state of the art studios juxtaposed with charming historical architecture. Whether serendipitous or intentionally so, The Nutmeg Ballet is part of Torrington’s evolving identity as a community transforming itself through the arts.
On the famed stages of the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, or our very own beautifully restored Warner Theatre in Torrington, ballet is everywhere. Ballet is universal. It weaves a delicate tapestry of beauty, history, culture, and inspiration in whatever corner of the world we find ourselves.
Come see The Nutmeg Ballet in IMPACT as they perform classical and contemporary repertoire including choreography courtesy of MOMIX on March 22-23 at Warner’s Nancy Marine Studio Theater. For tickets call 860.489.7180.
Ballet is timeless, ethereal, and seemingly endless in possibilities. Most importantly, it is ours. It is right here within our grasp. It is thriving each day in that beautiful glass box with its state of the art studios juxtaposed with charming historical architecture. Whether serendipitous or intentionally so, The Nutmeg Ballet is part of Torrington’s evolving identity as a community transforming itself through the arts.
IN THE MEDIA
After 50 years of building a reputation for professionalism in dance instruction, Nutmeg Ballet was forced to put that reputation to the test this year. Audition tour director Joan Kunsch injured her arm and was unable to go on her annual 18-city nationwide recruiting tour. But, “Nothing will be canceled,” she promised in early December. “It was up to me to solve it,” said Kunsch. “I thought, ‘Who better to represent Nutmeg than the former students who are making professional company careers around the country?’” She compiled a list of about a dozen Nutmeg alumni around the country and called them. They eagerly accepted the challenge. For example, Kunsch said, “We have a Nutmeg graduate, Amy Potter, who is a principal dancer in the Oklahoma City Ballet, and I called her and she’s ecstatic to do it. She said, ‘Proudly, I would do it. Proudly.’” Another former student, Thel Moore, trained at Nutmeg from 2012 to 2015. He agreed to cover three of Kunsch’s scheduled cities, including Richmond, Va., where he is a danseur at the Richmond Ballet Company. Moore said in an email, “What I typically look for in an audition is a base in classical ballet but also a love for ballet as well. I’m looking for a spark that you usually can’t teach but mold into something beautiful.” He said students are nervous at first, but “when they see the brochure [and] how beautiful the building is and how incredibly professional the staff is, they usually lighten up and get really excited for the audition.” The far-flung team of Nutmeg-trained dancers are directing auditions in January and February in nearly 40 cities in the United States and Canada. Some of these cities are on Tim Melady’s usual itinerary as audition tour co-director. Melady, Nutmeg’s principal ballet master, is also standing in for Kunsch in several cities. Speaking by phone from an airport near St. Louis, Mo., Melady said, “I have been to the West Coast. Seattle had a good turnout. Portland had a good turnout. San Francisco had a good turnout, and they are all so interested in Nutmeg and Torrington!” He said, “We’re so lucky that we have such a respected reputation.” When an auditioning dancer asks about Nutmeg, he refers them to former Nutmeg students in the area, who are happy to talk about their experiences. Melady said the constant influx of students from thousands of miles away is enriching for them, for Nutmeg and for Torrington. “People come to Nutmeg and say, ‘Oh my God, we’re meeting people from Wyoming! From California! This is crazy.’ Everybody knows about Nutmeg Ballet. It’s wonderful!” Kunsch said that when she has gone on the audition tour – which she has done every year since 1993 – she tells dancers, “Not only are you auditioning for Nutmeg; Nutmeg’s auditioning for you.” She tells them, “We’re not looking for perfection. If you were perfect, would you need us? We’re looking for trainability.” Moore said, “Bringing talent from all over is very important because it keeps Nutmeg as one of the best schools to train at in the United States.” Melady said, “[The auditioners] have heard of us, and they’ve heard of our reputation. And that’s a real advantage. Our reputation is golden. There are more and more schools just vying for this slice of talent. And there is always talent.” Victoria Mazzarelli, artistic director, said Torrington auditions at the Nutmeg Conservatory attract not only local aspirants but dancers from New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for both the summer and year-round programs. Remaining auditions at the Conservatory at 58 Main Street are Feb. 1, 15, 29 and March 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. And by the way, said Mazzarelli, locals are most welcome! “During these next few months, our year-round students and faculty are rehearsing and preparing for our Spring Studio Series that will be held on March 18, 19, 20 and 21,” she said.