The Nutmeg Ballet welcomes guest artist Brian Reeder
January 29, 2014
The pace of things at The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory this first month of 2014 has been as brisk and lively as the allégro combinations that the trainees execute so precisely in class each day.
January is hardly over and already the professional training program in the heart of downtown Torrington has ushered in the New Year with aplomb. Students returned from the winter break to a full schedule of academics and dance replete with the challenges of learning new choreography and the excitement of working with prominent guest artists such as Kirk Peterson.
And this is only the beginning. There’s always something exciting in the works at The Nutmeg Ballet!
This week, The Nutmeg Ballet welcomes guest artist, Brian Reeder, who has returned to choreograph new work for the March 22-23 performances of IMPACT that will take place at the Warner’s Nancy Marine Theatre. This past summer, Reeder choreographed “Pulse” for the male trainees of the July Professional Training Program, a dynamic piece which was extremely well-received at the 2013 Summer Dance Festival.
Reeder is the long-time friend and colleague of The Nutmeg Ballet’s Artistic Director, Victoria Mazzarelli and they have known each other since dancing together at Ballet Frankfurt in Germany. This unassuming choreographer has an impressive resume that includes dancing with New York City Ballet, William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt, and American Ballet Theatre, among others. And that’s just the opening coda.
For over a decade, Reeder has been creating new choreography and re-staging his ballets for renowned ballet companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Colorado Ballet. He has taught and choreographed at universities and ballet academies across the nation and is the recipient of prestigious grants and fellowships.
Needless to say, The Nutmeg trainees have been hard at work this week learning contemporary choreography under the direction of the talented Reeder. “Working with Brian Reeder is such a wonderful opportunity for these young dancers,” said Victoria Mazzarelli. “It’s so important that these students reach beyond their comfort zone of classical repertoire and experience a different quality of movement. Brian is a wonderful teacher, gifted choreographer and the students respond so well to his teaching style. We’re really very fortunate to have him at The Nutmeg Ballet this week.”
Meanwhile, The Nutmeg Ballet faculty has been coordinating the 2014 National Audition Tour and traveling across the miles to find the perfect candidates for the summer training programs. Before you can say “pas de chat” the halls and studios of the professional training facility will be filled with prospective students who will travel to The Nutmeg Ballet studios for the first in a series of auditions that take place at home in the wonderfully equipped Torrington facility.
Stay tuned for a fresh perspective on this wonderful professional ballet training program as Nutmeg Ballet welcomes artist in residence, J Timothy Quirk, to the fold. Going forward, Quirk will be contributing his own unique view on all things Nutmeg to “On Pointe with The Nutmeg Ballet.”
For information about The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory training programs, visit www.nutmegballet.org.
This week, The Nutmeg Ballet welcomes guest artist, Brian Reeder, who has returned to choreograph new work for the March 22-23 performances of IMPACT that will take place at the Warner’s Nancy Marine Theatre.
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.