In the Upper Room and Embrace were part of a triple-bill programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet called Polarity & Proximity. Embrace, a new ballet commissioned from choreographer George Williamson as part of Ballet Now, Birmingham Royal Ballet's five-year programme, run in conjunction with Sadler's Wells, to develop choreographers, composers and designers to create … [Read more...]
Priscilla the musical in Milan reveals the heart beneath the glitter
After having seen the musical Priscilla, I’ve decided to come out: I’m a Sondheim fan. Yes, Into the Woods, Sweeney, the lot… even Merrily We Roll Along and The Frogs. Every cd, the live recordings, the scores. Now I’ve got that off my chest, I can say how thoroughly enjoyable I find Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. No, it’s not Sondheim, Shakespeare, or even Stephen Schwartz, … [Read more...]
Vittorio Grigolo jokes “I’m a sex addict”
In an interview with Italy’s Vanity Fair, the always outspoken tenor, Vittorio Grigolo, responded to journalist Sara Faillaci’s question, “Is sex important for you?” with, My name is Vittorio. I’m a sex addict. Though he was fooling, he has something of a reputation as a Latin lover or, as Faillaci writes, a “tombeur de femmes”. This was an interview where music and singing … [Read more...]
The Tricks of the Trocks: powder, ice and pointe shoes
The audiences laugh, sometimes the dancers laugh, but getting a dozen or so male dancers on pointe through more than one hundred performances a year is no laughing matter. Being a Trock is a serious business. I talked to three of the Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo company - Alberto Pretto from Italy, Chase Johnsey from America and Carlos Renedo from Spain - about the … [Read more...]
The Tricks of the Trocks: questions and answers with Chase Johnsey
Can you give a quick background leading up to how and why you finished up as a Trock? I had a unique experience leading up to joining Ballets Trockadero. My first year at Harrison School of the Arts, in Lakeland, Florida, my ballet teacher was holding auditions for a ballet piece, which would be danced on pointe. I was waiting in the hallway for these auditions to be over, and … [Read more...]