Dance idols: every dancer has heroes: 12 star performers talk about theirs.Everyone has an idol, a mentor, a personal hero--someone whose influence inspires life-changing decisions. For dancers, those pivotal moments might come from seeing a breathtaking performance, watching the evolving artistry of a colleague, or opening their minds to the revelations offered by a coach, choreographer, or director. DANCE MAGAZINE contributing editor A contributing editor is a magazine job title that varies in responsibilities. Most often, a contributing editor is a freelancer who has proven ability and readership draw. Cheryl Ossola asked 12 dancers--themselves likely put on a pedestal On a Pedestal is an EP by the Swedish band Adhesive, released in 1998. Track listing
Angel Corella Ángel Corella (born 1975) is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Raised in Madrid, Spain, he trained with Karemia Moreno and Víctor Ullate and began winning dance awards at a young age, including the First Prize in the National Ballet Competition of Spain and three PRINCIPAL DANCER A principal dancer is similar to a soloist in dance. However, principals are hired by a ballet or dance company to perform not only solos, but also pas de deux. A principal may be male or female. AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre, one of the foremost international dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet and reorganized as the Ballet Theatre in 1940 under the direction of Lucia Chase and Rich Pleasant. One of the most influential dancers in my career has been Baryshnikov. The first time I saw him was in The Turning Point; I was probably 9 or 10, one year into my training. He was a very masculine dancer, very powerful technically, who made dance look beautiful, and he was a very strong personality onstage. Paloma Herrera PRINCIPAL DANCER AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE Misha [Baryshnikov] has been my big inspiration--he was why I joined ABT ABT About ABT Abteilung (German: Department) ABT Abbott Laboratories (stock symbol) ABT American Ballet Theatre ABT Associação Brasileira de Telemarketing ABT Abort ABT Availability Based Tariff . I used to watch him on videos at home in Buenos Aires. He's always been such a presence. In the Don Q video, his dancing is so easy, so natural--it's like he's making it up. You don't see the effort. With Twyla Tharp he was funny and serious at the same time. I have always admired Sylvie Guillem and Alessandra Ferri. They have such an incredible stage presence--it's not just the technique, it's their style and work ethic. When I got to work with them I saw what incredible dancers and artists they are. For them it's all about the details. They are completely different dancers--they both have beautiful feet and legs Feet and Legs See also anatomy; body, human; walking. arthropod any invertebrate of the phylum that includes insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and myriapods with jointed legs. and line, but it's the way they present themselves. It's not about how high their legs go, it's how they do it. Margie Gillis SOLO PERFORMER The first great dancers I loved were Daniel Nagrin, Jennifer Scanlon [with Jose Limon], and Ruth Andrien [with Paul Taylor]. There was such an immediate connection between the flicker of a thought and the movement they created. Martha Clarke has been very important to me. We have similar ways of wanting the soul to become motion. We met when I was doing a project with MOMIX, and she asked me to be in The Garden of Earthly Delights. Lauren Anderson PRINCIPAL DANCER HOUSTON BALLET The person who has had the greatest artistic influence on me is Ben Stevenson. He shaped me as a dancer, but he also taught me to put myself into a role. His imagination in creating imagery to help you feel a role is amazing. I think he could build a dancer from dirt. I'm a bravura bra·vu·ra n. 1. Music a. Brilliant technique or style in performance. b. A piece or passage that emphasizes a performer's virtuosity. 2. A showy manner or display. adj. 1. dancer and he gave me the softness and delicacy to do swans. When Carlos [Acosta] and I went to Chile to guest in 1996, we saw Cecelia Kerche--she's Brazilian. There are ballerinas with great legs, feet, extensions, but who can't jump and turn; then there's the bravura type who can jump and turn and do anything. Well, she was this soft swan doing double fouettes--she was busting out! She had nice feet, hyperextended legs, and she could turn and jump, and she had presence. She had it all. I went home and worked and worked until I felt I could do anything she could do. Chan Hon Goh Chan Hon Goh (Traditional Chinese: 吳振紅, Simplified Chinese: 吴振红, Hanyu Pinyin: Wú Zhènhóng, Cantonese (Jyutping): Ng4 Zan3-hung4) (born 1969) is a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada. PRINCIPAL DANCER NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA National Ballet of Canada, the leading Canadian ballet company. Based in Toronto, it was founded (1951) by Celia Franca (1921–2007) and modeled on Sadler's Wells (now the Royal Ballet). AND THE SUZANNE EARRELL BALLET; OWNER, "PRINCIPAL BY CHAN HON GOH" In 1997, Suzanne Farrell worked with us on Mozartiana--it opened my eyes to a new way of working, of hearing the music, and a new vocabulary. Suzanne has a nurturing quality; she's willing to be in the studio until midnight with you if you want. She understands the heart of the dancer. Working with her for the first time I was a little intimidated, but instead of enforcing how she would do something, she let me find my own way. I was ready and capable, but I needed the confidence, and she gave it to me. The hardest things never seemed impossible when working with her. She has infused new life into my dancing, and it's deepened my love of the art form. Coincidentally, on my first trip to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of when I was 12, I had seen her dance Mozartiana. Suzanne was striking because she did things her own way. She was captivating cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. . Carmen Carmen throws over lover for another. [Fr. Lit.: Carmen; Fr. Opera: Bizet, Carmen, Westerman, 189–190] See : Faithlessness Carmen the cards repeatedly spell her death. [Fr. de Lavallade SOLO DANCER/ACTRESS Janet Collins was my number-one idol. She was my first cousin--when I was in grammar school I wanted to be like Janet. She came into the business at a time when it was very difficult for dancers of color. What she went through--she tried to get into the Ballet Russe [de Monte Carlo] and they wanted her to lighten her skin, and she refused. She was like champagne--always laughing. I've never seen anyone so bright on the stage--such energy and so much life. And I've never seen anyone move so fast. She was extraordinary. Lester Horton was my mentor. From him, I learned everything about the theater. He worked like a director, always giving us imagery and ideas to work with, not just movement. Yuan Yuan Tan PRINCIPAL DANCER SAN FRANCISCO BALLET San Francisco Ballet, or SFB, is a San Francisco, USA based ballet company, founded in 1933 as part of San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, where it is directed by Helgi Tomasson. Working with Natalia Makarova was a great experience. When she coached us in La Bayadere ba·ya·dere n. A fabric with contrasting horizontal stripes. [French bayadère, from Portuguese bailadeira, dancer, from bailar, to dance, from Late Latin , she gave me corrections that brought back memories of my training in Shanghai Ballet School, in Vaganova technique--things I had forgotten. She made me do my entrance in Bayadere over and over again. She'd say, "Walk like you're in a cloud; make it weightless." I think after that my dancing changed, became more classical. Maybe no one else could tell, but I could see the difference. I saw an old film of Galina Ulanova. With her, it's not only about the dancing, it's the acting--telling a story, not just doing the steps. I was very young, maybe 12, when I watched her in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers die as teenagers. [Br. Lit.: Romeo and Juliet] See : Death, Premature Romeo and Juliet archetypal star-crossed lovers. [Br. Lit. on TV. It was only my second year of dancing, so I didn't get all the technical things, but I saw that she was in love, and mad, and she was going to kill herself. Then in 1992 I won the gold medal at the 5th Paris International Ballet Competition, and Ulanova was the head judge. I was so thrilled to talk to her that I was in shock. I remember that she told me that I had a gift and should keep working hard. Darcey Bussell PRINCIPAL DANCER THE ROYAL BALLET I never admired one person--it was bits of everybody for me. Margot [Fonteyn] had that glamorous dignity--I suppose she was sort of royally. Lynn Seymour had that gymnastic ability, and she was so real, and such an actress. I liked Sylvie Guillem's technique, Alexandra Ferri's feet, Natalia Makarova's look in a tutu tutu coriariaarborea. . Maria Kowroski PRINCIPAL DANCER NEW YORK CITY BALLET New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946. When I was 10, I saw Patricia Miller of the Joffrey Ballet perform Round of Angels. She was so beautiful--at that moment I knew I wanted to be a ballerina. When I saw Sylvie Guillem do Manon, I was floored. I never thought anybody could be so beautiful--she was everything I ever wanted to be. She inspired me to work harder and be the best dancer I could be. I respect and adore Wendy Whelan. I have watched her evolve into an amazing artist who continually transforms herself. She seems content with herself as an individual, and that's reflected in her artistry as well. That's inspiring to watch, because as an artist you are always trying to reinvent yourself and keep things exciting for you and the observers. Ann Reinking STAGE AND FILM ACTRESS, SINGER, DANCER The person who inspired me to dance was Margot Fonteyn, when I was in sixth grade. I saw her in person and on The Ed Sullivan Show. She was contained and free at the same time. Her energy was truly connected and happy--she was good in her own skin. Bob Fosse was a major influence in my life. I met him at the audition for Pippin Pippin. For Frankish rulers thus named, use Pepin. A multimedia game and Internet machine from Apple that used the PowerPC architecture and a limited version of the Mac OS. , when I was 22. He gave me amazing opportunities, faith, and trust. He not only was a kindred spirit; how he perceived dance and theater felt so right, so natural, that I felt I had found a place where I belonged. When you find a mentor there's this dialogue--you have to be the interpreter of their expression and find your own expression. Jason Samuels Smith Jason Samuels Smith, native New Yorker, was born on October 4th, 1980 to professional performing arts parents Sue Samuels and JoJo Smith. Mr. Samuels Smith began his professional performing career at an early age through Frank Hatchett's Professional Childrens Program at the TAP DANCER AND TEACHER Baby Laurence was one of the most musical tap dancers ever. He was a pioneer who incorporated jazz and bebop bebop or bop Jazz characterized by harmonic complexity, convoluted melodic lines, and frequent shifting of rhythmic accent. In the mid-1940s, a group of musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker, rejected the conventions of into his tap dancing instead of just listening to the music. The first time I saw a clip of him, in Jazz Hoofer hoof·er n. Slang A professional dancer, especially a tap dancer. hoofer Noun Slang a professional dancer Noun 1. , around the time I was in Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk is a musical that debuted Off-Broadway at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater in 1996. It moved to the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway, opening there on April 25, 1996. , it changed me as a tap dancer--I started paying attention to accents, dynamics, shading in the music. On that tape he trades with a drummer and kind of embarrasses him--it's amazing. He put tap dancing in a musical light and forced the jazz and tap community to recognize it on more than one level. He was also one of the first to record an album of tap dancing, by himself and then with Jimmy Slyde and Bunny Briggs. His solo CD is amazing--it sounds like more than one person dancing. He dances to a Charlie Parker song, "Billy's Bounce," and his tapping makes the music jump out even more and gives it a new personality. Chita Rivera STAGE AND FILM SINGER, DANCER, ACTRESS When I was growing up, Nora Kaye had the most influence on me. She was a brilliant technician and actress. And Tanaquil LeClercq was spiritual--it was awesome to see her move. And I thought Maria Tallchief was beautiful and passionate. When I first saw my great friend, Gwen Verdon, she was a sight to behold. She had everything beyond ballet technique--personality and humor; she was like a female Harpo Marx. She was sexy and complete. When I was auditioning to be her understudy in Can Can, Gwen said, "Chita, you should think about doing your own roles, not somebody else's." She gave me courage. After dancing in the chorus of Can Can with her as the star, it was a great moment, years later, to have her ask me to star with her in Chicago. Dancing next to her was an extraordinary experience. And there was no one like Carol Haney--I'd never seen dancers move like that. She was a little, powerful creature, like an elf. She had a great effect on me--her technique, her character, her personality. |
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