Brooklyn Mack Wins at the International Ballet Competition

Brooklyn Mack has won a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition held at Bulgaria on July 29th, 2012. Mr. Mack has also won the Grand Prix at The Istanbul International Ballet Competition and a gold medal at the Boston International Ballet Competition this summer.

Mr. Mack competed in both classical and contemporary divisions against 66 dancers from 20 countries. He shared the gold medal with Denis Cherevichko of Austria.

Source: http://balletnews.co.uk/the-washington-ballets-brooklyn-mack-wins-gold/

Darcey Bussell - The First Ever Face of Sanctuary Spa Skincare

British Ballet star Darcey Bussell is the new face of Sanctuary Spa’s new Active Reverse skincare range. The Sanctuary Spa was founded as a retreat for ballerinas in the Royal Ballet. Its partnership with the new judge of strictly come dancing sees the brand return to its ballet origins.

Ellen Von Unwerth has taken this photograph of Darcey and the strapline for the new skincare range, ‘reduce the lines, not the laughter’, embody the Sanctuary Spa’s message of positive maturity instead of anti-ageing.

Source:http://balletnews.co.uk/british-ballet-star-darcey-bussell-named-sanctuary-spas-leading-lady/

Queensland Ballet Principal Clare Morehen Conversation

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday Morning?
Routine. I am a routine driven person, which kicks in the second my alarm goes off at 7am on Monday morning. The thought of coffee initially gets my dazed body out of bed. Then it’s off to the gym to get my body going and get the week started!

Why ballet?
The answer to that question has evolved over the years. As a child it was a hobby and time spent with my friends. As a student it was the thrill of striving for perfection and the exhilaration once a step was first achieved and then mastered. As a professional it’s enhancing the technique to create a character and project emotion to an audience. I love that the more I learn about this art form the more there is to be learnt. It is a never ending cycle that keeps me both inspired and intrigued.

What are you looking to dancing in the new season and what are the big challenges likely to be?
Performing a Pas de deux from Carmen in our upcoming International Gala. I love dancing with Keian Langdon, one of Queensland Ballet’s Principals, and immersing myself in emotionally driven roles. This scene comes from Act II where Carmen has read her tarot cards and foresees her death at the hands of her lover Don Jose. The big challenge lies in the Gala setting. We need to be immediately present in the scene, as with an excerpt the audience will not have been exposed to Carmen’s journey.

Who would you most like to dance with and what would you dance?
My ‘to-do’ list always included two pieces: Forsythe’s In the Middle Somewhat Elevated for the demanding technique it requires and its extreme use of extremities; and MacMillan’s Manon. Dancing Manon’s Aunt as a student, I was privileged to watch Sylvie Guillem and Darcey Bussell perform it night after night. I fell in love with the role and its dramatics.

If you could dance anywhere in the world (not only a theatre), where would you dance?
I think you build relationships with a theatre and there really is no place like home. Each theatre is its own organism and breathes life and rhythm. The Playhouse theatre in Brisbane, where I have performed the most in my career, makes me feel so safe, relaxed and grounded. I have the freedom to flourish and enjoy the journey of performance.

Although if the opportunity arose… maybe Bora Bora, close to Tahiti in French Polynesia ?
You trained and danced in the UK- at The Royal Ballet School, The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet before moving to Queensland. What do those particular experiences bring to your performances in Australia?

Moving to the UK at the age of 16 really opened my eyes to the world of dance and what it could offer as a career. I was exposed to a plethora of amazing artists and opportunities that were much more expansive than what I had seen as a child. My training at The Royal Ballet School was exceptional and set me up for a great, fulfilling career. I now feel I bring the best of both worlds to the stage; my refined technique and my ingrained Australian fire.

How do you prepare your point shoes?
I still wear the same pointes I started dancing in: a stock-standard Bloch Suprima 5 ½ B. I remove 1/3 of the sole with a Stanley knife, shave the outer sole (to aid balance) and remove the satin from the tip (so they don’t fray). I then sew criss-cross elastics to support my arches and add ribbons. Each pair takes about 45 minutes and it’s probably my least favourite part of the job. I often wish I could get someone else to do this for me!

What is your daily routine at the moment?
After returning from our annual regional tour we are back in rehearsal mode. I head to the gym first to get my heart pumping and then to work for some pre-class Pilates and stretches. After training I start my day at Queensland Ballet with Company class at 10am and then have rehearsals until 6:00pm with both principal and group rehearsals. Afterwards, I head to the sauna to relax my muscles, and then it’s finally home time! I spend the evening with my boyfriend, enjoying a home cooked meal and TV or a movie… and maybe a massage if I can swindle it. He’s very good!

What do you eat during the course of a typical working day?
I’m a grazer; I like to eat a lot of things frequently throughout the day. I learned early on that dancing on a full stomach wasn’t so easy. You can just imagine the comfort of a partner squeezing at your full tummy! I enjoy high energy, high protein snacks throughout the day including, muesli bars, nuts and fruit. My favourite dinner is crumbed fish and salad or vegetable stir-fry. I’m also prone to a Cadbury Crunchie or mixed berry pie for a treat!

You can ask six famous people to dinner- who do you invite?
Dylan Moran, Stephen Fry, Tim Minchin, Judith Lucy, Billy Connolly and Dawn French. I’d just sit back and watch…

What would surprise people about you?
That I couldn’t do the splits as a child! I was very inflexible and had to work really hard for the flexibility I have now. Most of the Company wouldn’t believe that if you told them.

Who inspired you to dance?
My mum initially inspired and encouraged me to dance. Throughout my journey there have been a number of teachers who have pushed me: Kim Bradshaw from Sunbury School of Dancing, Elizabeth Hill from the Victorian College of the Arts, Jacqueline Barratt from The Royal Ballet School and most recently, our Artistic Director Francois Klaus. Each has nurtured my passion and guided me toward the next phase of my career.

What is your best piece of advice?
Always be happy! Love a lot and be kind to yourself. Life is too short to waste so spend it on your most heart-felt desires and passions.

How do you prepare in the hours before a show?
I like to get ready for a performance early. I don’t like to be stressed or running late at all. After daily rehearsals I like to grab some food and do my hair and make-up at a relaxed pace. I then move to the studio and prepare for warm-up barre. Afterward I pre-set my costume changes, rehearse some steps on stage, touch up my make-up and finally, take a moment to relax into my role for the evening.

How do you deal with the stress of performing?
You can only do the best that you can do, on any given day under the circumstances you’re presented with. I like to stay calm and approach each performance as it comes. I do my best to look after myself by resting and eating well. At the end of the day, we are all only human.

Which role has tested you the most and how?
Emotionally, performing Blanche in A Street Car Named Desire was a huge dramatic challenge for me. I was worried I would not be able to perform a 40-something Southern belle with a deteriorating mental state! To play the role with justice and honesty I worked extremely hard on mannerisms and expression. At the conclusion of the season I was promoted to Principal. I must have done something right!

Technically, Aurora from The Sleeping Beauty is the most demanding role to tackle. It requires a huge amount of inner strength and confidence. You have to battle your demons of failure and produce a self-assured performance. It was the ultimate challenge of mind over matter.

If you were to design your own ballet costume, what would you create?
It would have to be either a leotard similar to Yumiko Takeshima’s, as nothing beats a beautiful bare body showing off amazing technique, or something similar to what I wore for Nils Christes’ premiere piece Short Dialogues for our International Gala last year. It was a long-sleeve shirt top. Tight along the arms, loose around the body with little shorts underneath. It was a dream to dance in!

What do you look for in a dance partner?
Someone who possesses both strength and sensitivity. Someone with inner beauty and a passion for our art form. Height is also welcome! (I often grab my boyfriend pre-show, a lighting technician for our theatre, to rehearse finger turns. His 6’4’’ is perfect for me and I think he may have missed his true calling!)

What is your favorite quote?
What if the hokey-pokey really is what it’s all about?

Do you have a ‘signature step’- one that come naturally to you?
If you asked anyone in the Company they’d probably say it would be something with a battement/kick. Front, side… wherever! My legs have a mind of their own.

A phrase I use far too often is…?
When’s our first performance?

What’s been your best on-stage moment so far?
One of the most memorable moments was when I entered ‘the zone’. It has only occurred a handful of times during my career. Athletes talk of this phenomenon, when you enter a sense of heightened being and relaxed success. I knew while dancing that everything was going to go well. It was during the Black Swan pas de deux for our return season of Swan Lake in 2010. I felt amazing and unstoppable!

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about?
My boyfriend tells me I’m the queen of the gallimaufry! I can make a meal out of any pantry’s contents, which I think stems from being a poor student. Give me a stone and I’ll make you some soup!

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be in a year from now?
Hopefully, in a similar position to what I am currently: happy, healthy and challenged both technically and dramatically.

What is your exit strategy, for the time you stop dancing, and how did you plan it?
A constant question to ponder… Sometimes I think I’ll go back to University and do something completely different and then I realise I’m too passionate about this industry to do anything else. How could I possibly leave all these amazing, passionate people and this unique lifestyle? I think it would be really difficult to find another career to equal the intensity and passion I have for this one. Within the industry I think I would lean towards a répétiteur type role. I have an eye for perfection and think I would enjoy the challenge that accompanies that job.

Source: http://balletnews.co.uk/cupcakes-conversation-with-clare-moorhen-principal-queensland-ballet/

Ballet dancer: Alina Cojocaru

Alina Cojocaru is a female principal dancer with The Royal Ballet of London. She was born on 27th May 1981 in Bucharest, Romania. From her young age she studied gymnastics. Later she began ballet classes, despite never having seen a live ballet.

At the age of 7 or 8 she began gymnastic classes, progressing at the age of 9 to a Bucharest ballet school which acted as a feeder for the Romanian State Ballet school. In January 1997, aged 16, she competed in the Prix de Lausanne, a prestigious international ballet competition. She won the gold medal, winning a six month scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School in London. She moved to London that same year to commence her training, but did not speak any English. Cojocaru's early appearances with the company included performing in the opening gala for the refurbished Royal Opera House, plus appearances with the corps de ballet in the Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère, as a snowflake in The Nutcracker and as a doll in Coppélia.

Ballet dancer: Allie Bertram

	Allie Bertram is a Ballet dancer from Calgary, AB. She is a graduate of the International School of Ballet. She participated in so you think you can dance canada ,she was one of the top 19 contestants. Allie Bertram was Runner-Up. That week she performed "Rock This Town"—Stray Cats, style was Jive with Danny Arbour.

Ballet dancer: Anders Selinder

Anders Selinder was a Swedish dancer, Ballet master, choreographer and director who lived during 4 November 1806, Stockholm-6 November 1874, Stockholm . He was the master of the Royal Swedish Ballet from 1833 till 1856.

Anders Selinder was also a premier dancer at the Royal ballet in the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1829-1846. In 1833, he was appointed as the ballet master at the age of twenty seven, and replaced Per Erik Wallqvist, who had first shared the position with Sophie Daguin; Daguin was principal of the Opera's ballet school, and together, Selinder and Daguin are considered to have uphold a high standard in the ballet. Selinder are considered as one of the most notable of the masters in the ballet. During this time, there was a new interest for the old Folk dance, which were at that time disappearing, and Selinder learned them and preserved them by making them in to ballets. He wrote several ballets and made the choreography to the national opera Värmlänningarne in 1846. In 1856, Selinder lost his position; Sophie Daguin was fired the same year, and this is considered to be the start point of the decay, which was considered to affect the Swedish ballet during the second half of the 19th century. After 1856, he created the first travelling Swedish ballet company and toured in Sweden; they also performed folk dance and instructed everyone interested in learning. In 1858-1866 he managed a children's theatre, and in 1870-1871, he was joint director in the theatre Ladugårdslandsteatern.

Ballet dancer: Agrippina Vaganova

	Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova was an outstanding Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova method- the technique which derived from the teaching methods of the old Imperial Ballet School.Vaganova's whole life was connected with the Imperial Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.
Ballet did not come easily to Vaganova in her first years as a student, but slowly, through the efforts of her own will power, she was able to join the illustrious Imperial Ballet upon her graduation. By the time she attained the rank of soloist, Saint Petersburg balletomanes dubbed her queen of variations, for her unlimited virtuosity and level of technique.

Kings of ballet dance: Margot fonteyn

The ballet dancer of all time suits well to Margot Fonteyn and she is an excellent ballet dancer of 20th century. Let us see how her Margot started her dancing career. At the age of eight she started to learn ballet from the Russian teacher and at the age of fourteen she joined the ballet school to learn ballet. At the age of twenty she performed a role in Giselle and swan lake and at the age of thirty she toured the united states of America and became as the most famous celebrity due to her performances.

At the age of 21 she and her dance partner Robert helpmann toured several countries and her passion towards balled dance had not stopped. Most of them thought she would retire, but at the age of 43 she paired and danced with the male ballet dancer Rudolf nureyev and it happened to be a successful performance. During her entire career life she danced for the royal ballet and she was honored with the title prima ballerina assoluta. She did many main roles and got many awards and honors such as dbe, women of achievement and she was also a chancellor of university of Durham. The great dancer life was ended at the age of sixty in panama

Kings of ballet dance: Rudolf nureyev

Rudolf nureyev born in a Siberian train near Siberia while her mother was traveling to Vladivostok. I guess Rudolf born with the dance because he was born in a moving train. He started to love the dance on the performance of his sisters into the ballet. At the age of twenty he became one of the famous soviet union dancers. Rudolf was defected by soviet union because he broke the rules and danced with foreigners. He was not allowed to soviet until 1989 and during his visit he danced with the kirov ballet in Leningrad.

Rudolf danced most of its ballet with an elderly dancer Margot fonteyn and he danced with Margot first in royal ballet. They both danced together for many years and nureyev danced with fonteyn till at the age of 50. Rudolf said to Margot that they danced with “one body, one soul.” Nureyev appeared in a film in 1962 and then he appeared in several films and toured all over the united states and died in 1992 due to the attack of aids.

Kings of ballet dance: Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova, the finest classical dancer of the late 19th century and early 20th century and she was the first ballet dancer to tour all around the world. She struggled a lot to pursue her career and her mother was a laundress and she started to love the ballet when she saw the performance of maruis petipa’s show of sleeping beauty and she wanted to learn ballet at her early age and she was rejected by the imperial ballet school at the age of eight.

Anna Pavlova's first ballet stage appearance was in the age of ten in maruis petipa’s the fairy tale. She struggled a lot to reach the position of a great dancer and her sickly appearance was criticized by her fellow mates. She learned from many teachers and improved her performance and made her first official appearance in mariinsky theater. Her stunned performance was praised by a famous critics and historian nikolai bezobrazov. She became a favorite of her old maestro petipa’s and due to her performance she was called by many names such as coryphée, Giselle and pavlovatzi. She is known for her portrayal of swan in the dying swan and swan lake. She was introduced to the audience of united states from 1914 to 1917. she quoted many quotes and one of the quotes that impressed me a lot is “What exactly is success? For me it is to be found not in applause, but in the satisfaction of feeling that one is realizing one's ideal”. The great ballet dancer died for the dance while she was instructed to have an operation for pneumonia and said that she could not dance after her operation. She didn’t have that operation and said. “If I can't dance then I'd rather be dead”.

Kings of Ballet dance: Roberto Bolle

Roberto Bolle an outstanding performer of ballet dance is also known for his athletic body. He is a talented dancer and started his dancer training at the young age of 12. From there his dancing career started to glow well and he performed dances in various stages and countries. He was an ambassador of UNICEF since 1999 and he has appeared in various fashion and style magazines.

Bolle performed a solo ballet performance in the opening ceremony of winter 2006 Olympic Games and it was broadcasted worldwide and he performed in front of 2.5 billion people. His performance credits goes on and he performed a dance in Queen Elizabeth’s place in Buckingham palace where it was shown live by BBC and broadcasted to all common wealth countries. His unique combination of physical beauty, power, and elegance has aided in his becoming one of the world's most recognized dance celebrities. He is also a social helper where he raised a fund of $ 655,000 for education and health projects in Sudan. Roberto Bolle is one of the international dancers who danced in all internationally renowned ballet companies like royal ballet, national ballet of Canada, Tokyo ballet and more.