Davide Dato performing at Vienna New Year's Concert 2011

Top Channel Tv in Albania produced and broadcasted a reportage about the Vienna New Year's Concert 2011. They did an interview to Davide Dato. I really didn't know anything about this, but some days after the broadcating I receaved several phonecalls from relatives and friends saying they were proud of me because a dancer of Wiener Staatsoper Ballettschule, Davide Dato, has been my student for a long time.

My curiosity lead me to look for this reportage. Here follows the interview and the pas de deux broadcasted eurovision during the concert:

www.davidedato.com

I want to spend some words on this boy because I'm sure you will hear a lot about him in the next feature.

Davide was my student for 3 year at MA&S di Milano (from his 13 to 16). I have never told him to do his best because he already did it by himself. I have never repeated him a correction twice while doing and excercise. He is the student every teacher dream to have and I was lucky enough to work with him.

During those years he was growing a lot, I mean artistically.

I though the time had come for him so I suggested him to move abroad in order to improve his studies and together we chose the Wiener Staatsoper Ballettschule.

Before going to Vienna we thought it might be a good idea to send a promo-video to the school. Unexpectedly we got an enthusiastic reply from the school and a scholarship offer...and all this without having seen him yet!

I decided to let him go because I did believe in my expertises as a ballet teacher but I'm strongly convinced that a telented studend as Davide needs to live into a correct context in order to grow and to be complete. He needs a stage where he can learn to perform and where he can have the possibility lo observe great dancers performing and, last but not least, to breathe the magic atmosphere that a theatre can give.

Monday the 23rd May, Premio MAB 2011 took place at Teatro Manzoni in Milan. Davide has been invited as a guest; I had the occasion to see him once again and I appreciated very much his technical a artistical grown.

As I could see that night, the choise we did some years before was the best thing to do. The quality of the movement and his technique were equal to a real Etoile despite his young age (21 years old).

A lot of newpapers and dance magazine consider him as the new Roberto Bolle. In my opinion he will have the possibility to be even greater and I'm sure he will become a successful international Etoile.

For this gala in Milano he brought two repertoire variation: one from Giselle e the other from Raymonda.

Here below you can watch the same variations but performed at Concorso Vignaledanza in 2008:

Carla Fracci at Moncalvo in Danza Festival

Next week, saturday the 4th and sunday the 5th June, will take place Moncalvo in Danza Festival 4th edition. (www.moncalvoindanza.it)

The 5th of june Carla Fracci will be there as a guest of honour.

At present time we are used to see those Giselles with flawless technique but they definitely lack in something. Just her was able to convey such a filing acting that role.

Nowadays we are used to see those ballerinas with excelent tecnique but they lack in something only Carla Fracci could give to this role. She is not dancing Giselle, she is Giselle dancing!

I hope everyone of you remember the last scene of 1st act when Giselle goes mad and dies of a broken heart. Carla Fracci is able to appear so real in that performance.

This role fits her perfectly as it was made for her, really the best performance ever. She has no equal.

When we brough Giselle to Italy (at Teatro Smerarlo) in 1990 with the company of the Theatre and Opera Ballet of Tirana, we took inspiration from the ABT version with Erik Bruhn.

I don't know her in person but I saw her several times during my period at Teatro la Scala.


A Career Award will be given to her during Moncalvo in Danza Festival and I will have occasion to thank her for what she gave to ballet.

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An Unconventional "Swan Lake"

There are a lot of versions of the well-known ballet "Swan Lake". Today I would like to bring to your attention this unconventional performance of the "Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe" (中国广东杂技团).

As you can see from the introduction, it seems to be the "Swan Lake" everybody know. They are wearing tutus and pointe shoes. But don't be taken in by appearances!

The leading dancers Yu Wanqing (the swan) e Chen Dong (the prince) are acrobats.

This show is the perfect mix between dance and circus.

Yu Wanqing is every bit as good as a professional dancer. 

She has a good turnout and a strong back.

This strong back and a good abdominal muscles control are the things that allows her to keep those kind of balances on her prince's head. 

After the success of this pas-de-deux performed in 2004, the whole show had been produced in co-production with Shanghai City Dance Company in 2006. 

Below the show trailer.

The show is divided in five parts: The Dream, The Quest, The enchanted Lake, The cave, The Salvation/Pas De Deux.

On the stage there are more than 100 between dancers and acrobats.

Costumes and scenography are suggestive and they recall the original Swan Lake.

The magic of this show took whole Europe's breath away, above all the audience of Covent Garden Theatre in London where the show made its debut.

This is what the choreographer Zhao Ming told to the International Herald Tribune:  "People usually talk about the skill of acrobats and the beauty of ballet. Now. they can talk about the beauty of acrobats and the skill of ballet."

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The ballet "Lola"

Tirana 1980

In 1980 the Tirana Opera and Ballet Theatre was producing the ballet "Lola" (music by Sergei Vasilienko), a wonderful ballet set in Spain. This ballet has never been performed in western countries.

The choreographer created this work for his Degree Examination at GITIS (The Russian Academy of Theatre Arts).

Bolshoi produced this ballet in 1943 when Moscow was surrounded by German troupes during World War II.

In a few words the story is about Pablo (Lola's lover). He was captured and executed by french troupes as he was a rebel.

Lola absolutely wanted to revenge Pablo's death. She got into the french barracks and seduced the Captain bringing with her a poisoned  wine. 

The Captain was very doubtful and invited Lola to drink the wine first. Lola, determined to avenge his beloved, drank it all in one swallow. Captain were convinced by Lola's behaviour and drank all the wine together with her.

Vengeance was accomplished but both of them died.

Lola's body was brought by spanish population out of the barracks as a heroine.

The choreographer did a very brave choice. As a third cast he chose some young dancers: Tatiana Sulejmani (Lola), Ilir Kerni (Captain) and me (Pablo).

It was considered a brave choice because dancers have usually to perform a lot of shows to obtain a leading role....and we performed just a few.

After our performance something unexpected happened: the success of this ballet was outstanding! I couldn't even imagine!


In that week in Tirana everyone was talking about this ballet, in every street in every home. In my opinion the success was so big because the protagonists of this tragedy were engaged not only in the show but also in real life.

This was a wonderful experience for us and this success open our way for new leading role in the Tirana Opera and Ballet Theatre and after this experience we became the youngest "principal dancers".

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Men's Rhythmic Gymnastic

I really admire armony, fluid movement, physical preparation and acting. This does not mean that ballet for me is the this important thing. All arts that poses those features are worthy of note.

Have you ever heard about Men's Rhythmic Gymnastic? I do not be surprised if you answer was NO. (www.menrg.com)

Currently Rhythmic Gymnastic is a wemen's sport but there is a movement that presses for the introduction of  Men's Rythmic Gymnastic. This movement starts in Japan where the first championship have already been organized (All Japan Championships).

This movement has been exported also to Spain.

Please watch this video.

This video you have watched is Men's team of Rythmic Gymnastic of Aoyama University (青山大学 あおやまだいがく). They won the first prize with this performance.

They are all sychronized and their movement are clean with no mistakes at all.

In order to obtain this kind of risult the hours they spent for their training is considerable, as well as for dance.
Really enjoyed it a lot.


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Georgian National Ballet's Charisma

It was a while that I was wondering to write something about this dance company. The Georgian Nationa Ballet (Georgian: ქართული ეროვნული ბალეტი) was founded in 1945 by Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili. This company only performs traditional Georgian Dance.

Their dancers have high-level physical preparation and an extraordinary muscle tone. You will be amazed waching them doing a double tour en l'air ending on the knees!

I just wanted to show you their rehearsal.

This other video is about some scenes of the show. Their technical virtuosity together with those magnificent costumes makes a great show.

 
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Movie of the day: "Mao's Last Dancer"

 

Surfing the net i found out this movie: "Mao's last Dancer". In the US it has been released in august 2010 but unfortunately in Italy his release doesn't seem to be scheduled at the cinemas yet.

It is a real pity because I read the reviews and as everyone says, this movie has a real artistic value!

This movie has been inspired by the homonymous book though I've never read it.

The story is about the chinese dancer Li Cunxin. Here follows the book summary:

"From a desperately poor village in northeast China, at age eleven, Li Cunxin was chosen by Madame Mao's cultural delegates to be taken from his rural home and brought to Beijing, where he would study ballet. In 1979, the young dancer arrived in Texas as part of a cultural exchange, only to fall in love with America—and with an American woman. Two years later, through a series of events worthy of the most exciting cloak-and-dagger fiction, he defected to the United States, where he quickly became known as one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. This is his story, told in his own inimitable voice."

Book's Cover (English Version)

 
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