Telluride Round 2

BalletCollective in Telluride

Being in Telluride has been a breath of fresh air especially for me following my tick ordeal. From the mountainous view seen from my peaceful terrace, the lush green landscapes, wildlife sightings and welcoming community, BalletCollective feels at home.

This week, BalletCollective has been hard at work and hard at play! Each day the dancers take ballet class, taught by Troy, and then begin the day's rehearsals inhaling bottled oxygen every step of the way. The altitude here in Telluride is over 8,700 ft, and takes time to get used to. Last year I tried to be tough and refrain from using the oxygen, but this year I have no shame. It is helping me with the Lyme diseases and with the stamina needed for the intense ballets.

This year's workshop performance at Telluride's The Palm Theater will include last year's Dear and Blackbirds, the new Mark Dancigers male duet featuring David and Taylor, and the new group ballet composed by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Both new works, though they were started in our Millbrook residency this past June, have been refined and polished here in Telluride. Troy's goal is to get the works in great shape for the workshop performance this Saturday which will then function as finished templates for our upcoming New York season at the Skirball Center November 4th and 5th.

David and Taylor in Bunker, Photo: Troy Schumacher

In the midst of rehearsing five hours a day, we make time for hot tubs to soak our muscles, walks along the river, nighttime gondola rides, fun family dinners, ice cream runs, and social events to raise awareness for our upcoming show.

Additionally, Troy has begun filming at some of Telluride's most remote and beautiful landscapes to capture moments from each new work soon to become short films. Last year Harrison, Troy and I filmed the last movement of Dear and Blackbirds on Willson Messa (where Harrison's childhood home stands). The film captures the emotion of our dance and the magical picturesque backdrop of Telluride.

Just yesterday, Troy, David and Taylor ventured to a brick bunker-like location with painted rustic doors, rough ground, and shot moments from the male duet. Today, Troy and Harrison are ATVing to a remote quarry near a waterfall in the mountains to shoot Harrison's solo from the new group ballet. I can't wait for you to see the footage.

Harrison in Quarry, Photo: Lauren King

Tonight we have an open rehearsal for the community to come experience the residency and its creative process. Then the dancers, Brandon, Troy and I will head to a cocktail party celebrating BalletCollective followed by a pig roast in the park with the Telluridians!

TICKED OFF

In Nantcket Photo by: Troy

Two weeks ago yesterday, I awoke with intense head, hip, and back pain, covered in sweat, with a fever, and swollen lymph nodes. By noon, after dropping Troy off at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, SPAC, for ballet class (which I had planned on taking in preparation for that evening’s NYCB Gala), I sat in a cold, sterile hospital room, alone. For the next five hours I was poked and prodded. I was stabbed three times as they tried to take blood (supposedly my veins are tricky), given a crystal light flavored solution to drink for a procedure, and pumped with radioactive fluids during the CT scan, all while an IV of fluids ran through my body. I sat alone in the freezing, bright, uncomfortable 8 X 6 room. Troy came rushing to the hospital after he was finished performing in the matinee and kept me company as we awaited the test results. Hours of wondering passed, with scared thoughts running through my head as I sat staring, waiting for life to come into the ice box to provide answers.

And then I was told that there was no infection or irregular levels in my blood and that the CT scan showed signs that possibly a cyst burst as there were some fluids in the pelvic area. The doctor could not explain the fever, night sweats, or lymph node swelling but concluded that I probably had a cyst that burst.

It was now five o’clock. I was not allowed to perform that night so Troy took me home. As we drove I had a sandwich and felt a sense of relief as supposedly we had answers.

That evening I was in bed by 6:30pm and slept till 10:30am the next morning, hoping to wake feeling like new.

The pelvic pain was gone but new pains now existed. I began to feel my lower back ache that eventually traveled up spine and into my neck and jaw. I lay low that weekend, attaching a smile to my face as our Saratoga house hosted a pig roast. That night the pain grew, and the night sweats continued.

It’s now Tuesday and I was hoping to be able to dance, yet something wasn’t right. I hadn’t danced since Friday and yet I had intense joint, back, spine, neck, and jaw pain and a migraine like pressure that never seemed to go away. I became sensitive to light and my forehead seemed to appear different. As we drove in to SPAC I began to think something was really wrong. I abruptly turned to Troy and said, “I want to go home, back to the city.” He was confused and thought that I was feeling better. I explained to him that I had been trying to put on a happy face so that I wasn't a drag in the house. I knew something was wrong. Even if I was cleared to dance by the gynecologist, I knew, physically, I just couldn’t. I no longer could bend over and touch my toes, I couldn't touch my chin to my chest, I couldn’t move. I saw Marika Molnar for physical therapy hoping she could get my back to release, though at that point I had already made up my mind…I was going home. And Troy was coming with me. I was not about to go through more poking and probing alone again.

Within two hours, we were driving back to the city. I had an appointment with an internal medicine doctor the next day.

Wednesday morning was like the past five mornings, I woke up covered in sweat. Though just as we were about to sit down and have a morning cup of joe for Troy and for me tea, I noticed a light pink circle with a darker purple center-like rash, the largest one behind my left knee. I had four on my right leg, a few on my rear end, and two on my back.

Rash Photo by: Troy

Troy began to help me write a time line of events, symptoms, and travel locations to later help serve me while retelling this ordeal to the doctor. He also did some Google research and had an inkling that I had Lyme disease. Before the rash showed up, we thought I had meningitis. Even though I was not feeling well, with intense pain throughout my body and in my joints and spine, my migraine head pressure, sensitivity to light, and this new gross looking rash, I was happy to be in my own apartment. We were hopeful that this doctor and Weill Cornell Medical Center would figure this out, but I was also done being in the hospital/urgent care and dreaded this fourth visit to a medical facility.

As we jumped in a cab headed to West 84th street I was beyond scared. Thankfully Troy was there to be with me.

We entered the elevator and soon were checked in awaiting my name to be announced through the open doorway. A few minutes after my scheduled appointment time the nurse called “Mrs. Laracey.” Soon my vitals were recorded and the doctor was in the room. I retrieved my timeline and notes and explained each detail as she took notes herself. After a short examination, she began by saying that she was pretty sure that this was a “textbook” case of Lyme disease and that she was going to take blood and send it to the lab for extensive testing. In the meantime, I was to start on a 21 day dose of Doxycycline, the protocol for Lyme. She explained that she was going to do a full tick panel to make sure that in addition to the Lyme I didn't have one of the other three tick-borne illness parasites. But those test results would take up to five days to get back.

Troy and I walked the four blocks to Duane Reade to collect my new prescription, talking as we walked and thankful that we had answers. As I stood on the corner of 88th and Broadway, I took a swig of water and downed my first dose, hoping to feel more like myself soon.

A few days later, my aches and pain symptoms started to slowly ease and fade, yet the migraine head pressure remained. After day six of no activity and no dance (day three of antibiotics) I felt up to attempting a ballet barre. So I got myself to the theater and lightly gave myself a ballet class. I could barely stand up and had no strength but it felt good to be able to move a little. Each day got better and better, and I was able to do more and more of ballet class.

This past Monday, Troy and I traveled to Nantucket for the Nantucket Dance Festival where Troy had a ballet being performed. The piece is a bit unconventional in that its original performance was at the Players Club in New York City in 2012. The piece was a duet for NYCB principal dancer Jared Angle and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. I was heading to Nantucket to support Troy and his piece, also able to take ballet class every day with the festival and rehearse myself in Concerto Barocco for my upcoming debut in Vail on August 9th.

Doctor's Orders Photo by: Me

Tuesday I found myself sitting outside enjoying lunch and some quiet brief moments before heading into the theater to watch Troy’s piece when my cell phone rings. It is my doctor from New York. She explains that in addition to the Lyme I tested positive for Babesiosis and need to see an infectious disease doctor right away. I immediately run inside the theater and explain to the stage manager that I need to find a doctor ASAP. A very quiet-spoken woman interrupts me and says “Grab your things; I will walk you to the hospital across the street to see the Lyme specialist on the island.” Dr. Timothy Lepore is a leading man in tick illnesses and squeezed me in right away. He concluded from my lab results that I was one of those rare souls that got bitten by a nasty tick carrying both Lyme and Babesiosis. “Lucky me”, I thought. He listened to my long story of events and said I was a text book case of Lyme and Babesiosis and that the migraine and head pressure plus fever are signature symptoms of Babesiosis. He called in two additional antibiotics, one a pill, the other a thick golden liquid. Dr. Lepore said “ Take the gold liquid with fatty foods. We recommend French fries.” I thought to myself… “When in Rome! He said eat French fries, by golly French fries it is!”

After seeing Dr. Lepore, the fifth doctor in ten days, my ordeal seemed to finally have full answers and proper diagnoses. I walked back to the theater, hopped in my car and drove to pick up my prescriptions. By the time I finished, Troy was through with his rehearsal and we were off to Fifty Six Union for French fries and a pop. Doctor’s orders.
 I am fortunate to have been in Nantucket, supporting Troy in his choreographic endeavors, to be only steps away from the leading man in tick disease. Check yourself for ticks!

Now that I’m on the road to recovery, stay tuned for more BalletCollective news! Next stop …Telluride!

A First Look at New Works in Progress

Photo Credit: Claire Kretzschmar

BalletCollective has set out to create two new works this year. Unlike years past where a librettist and painter were involved, this year’s new works are collaborations with a choreographer, composer, and photographer. This combination lends itself to an interesting and rather different process than previous collaborations. With each photographer, the choreographer and composer would discuss their own individual processes and ideas that inspire them. From there, the photographer would venture out to capture images that then become the driving force for the music and dance.

New Work Maffi, (let’s call it until it is titled) is a group ballet with choreography by Troy Schumacher, musical composition by Ellis Ludwig-Leone, and photography by Paul Maffi. Maffi a fashion art photographer, whom Troy and I have worked with closely in the past on shoots such as CR Fashion Book Series 2 and video shoots. Maffi offered images that spurred BalletCollective's resident choreographer and composer on to a new direction. The outcome of this uncharted territory is a series of seven songs and three interludes which take you on a journey of introspection. BalletCollective’s Lauren King, Meagan Mann, Claire Kretzschmar, myself, David Prottas, Taylor Stanley, and Harrison Coll are all featured throughout this 25 minute ballet. The work is packed with group dance, female pas de deux, male trios, and an introspective male solo. Each dancer has moments of his or her own and moments that explore new levels of emotion and connectedness through movement.

Photo Credit: Troy Schumacher

New Work Dafy Hagai, until titled, is an eight minute male pas de deux for Taylor and David. The work introduces two new collaborators to BalletCollective: Dafy Hagai and Mark Dancigers. Israeli photographer Dafy Hagai and Now Ensemble director Mark Dancigers have created quite a thrilling piece for their first go at BalletCollective’s process. The source photography, a series of four images, provided a canvas for Dancigers to create a well rounded score. The score explores tenderness, angst, difference, indifference, joy and humor. Troy took this music intended as a male duet and created a conversation.

Creating a male duet is a “first" for Troy but a dream come true. For as long as I’ve known him he has always been interested in exploring the ideas of a male duet and its rarity. The intensity, the roads uncrossed have intrigued him. Troy’s understanding of both David and Taylor, their friendship, their individual movement, temperament and qualities, were invaluable to this new work. Throughout the process, Troy took moments to check in with David and Taylor, hear their thoughts as he took the duet into uncharted territory. As his assistant I found that watching this develop gave me a new sense of dance. I hope to interview Troy to learn about his experience collaborating with the two new artists, Dancigers and Hagai, with whom he has never worked.

Photo Credit: Troy Schumacher

Both ballets will be premiered on November 4-5 at NYU Skirball Center along with last years Dear and Blackbirds and All That We See! Visit BalletCollective.com/tickets for Tickets!

All Aboard!!!

Two weeks ago, BalletCollective boarded the 7:57am Harlem Line train at Grand Central to Wassaic, New York for an unknown adventure: our first Millbrook Residency! Suit cases were packed first with leotards, tights, dance belts, warm-up booties, tennis balls, pointe shoes, ballet slippers, and then sunglasses, bathing suits, sundresses, blazers and polo attire!

Straight from the train station, with a quick pit stop to buy brown bag lunches, the dancers were driven to the Millbrook School where we were greeted by the school staff.(The greeting actually happened daily! They were beyond sweet.) We were then given a tour of the beautiful facilities, a studio with large windows with lush country landscapes in view, art work-lined hallways, a fully functioning kitchen, a comfy lounge, dressing rooms filled with fun costumes, and, most importantly, a quiet sense of calm.

Troy set huge goals for BalletCollective during our two week residency in Millbrook. He and his collaborators, whom I will cover in detail in posts to come, had planned two ballets totaling 33 minutes! Troy figured that he should try to accomplish 3 minutes daily in an effort to complete all 33 by the conclusion of the residency. Yet even he thought this was near impossible.

The dancers quickly dressed for the day’s work and Troy began creating. After a quick ballet class warm-up, Troy began with the ladies section of the group ballet, soon to be titled. A series of steps were developed on us, consisting of 4 counts of music per part: part A, B, C, D; the four ladies, myself included, were excited about learning the rest of the ballet. The music is filled with song, a jiving tempo and a deep sense of introspection.

Troy then moved on to the second ballet, an 8 minute male pas de deux for Taylor and David. Having never started two ballets in one day before, Troy was unsure of how this would unfold. While I served as his assistant, working the ipad and blue tooth for music and documenting the choreography, Troy took off running. The conversation of the steps came skipping out. It soon was 5pm and Troy had met his goal of three minutes of choreography!

We all piled into three cars, a Suburban, Expedition, and truck (generously lent for the residency by three board members who all have homes in Millbrook) and drove to our new home for the next two weeks. Pulling up to the beautiful, yet grand farm house was like something out of a movie. We were so excited to start our adventure of living and being immersed in the Millbrook community while doing what we love! A "Welcome BBQ" started off the BalletCollective festivities hosted by Karin, our host, that included sausages, steak, corn on the cob, summer pasta, a salad filled with greens from her garden and red wine. We toasted to a wonderful two weeks ahead, working hard and playing hard, and to the people who made this possible. We are beyond grateful.

We'd like to thank the Millbrook School and Darren Henault, Claire Mann and Karin Day Kingsley (three of BalletCollective's board members), for their never-ending generosity, organization, love and desire to help BalletCollective and its artists continue to do what we love!

Few Days Away - Unexpected Cast Change

Me by BalletCollective's Wild Posting Ads

BalletCollective is just a few days away from our New York season at the NYU Skirball Center! We have been in the studio at New 42nd Street rehearsing this past week, refining the ballets and preparing for the performances. With an unexpected bump in the road, we are in good shape.

Just last Sunday, as our New York City Ballet fall season came to a close, Harrison Coll hurt his foot dancing in the last ballet of the matinee, George Balanchine's Theme and Variations. Sidelined for the next few weeks, on crutches and in a boot, Harrison sadly will not be performing with us this Wednesday and Thursday but will make a full recovery.

After much discussion and weighing our options, Troy came to the conclusion that since we were unable to find a replacement for Harrison (with such little notice and time), and with a number of dancers already committed to other projects or on vacation... he would dance! Although Troy is wearing many hats: director, producer, now dancer, he is the perfect fill-in. Having created the ballets, he has a greater understanding of the steps, and knows exactly how they should be done; they are his steps and creation after all!

Late last Monday night, soon after making the decision that he was to dance in both The Impulse Wants Company and also the premiere of Dear and Blackbirds, I dared Troy to put on the music and run the Dear and Blackbirds pas de deux with me. It was a sight to see! In our living room, at 10pm in my Uniqlo pajamas, he and I were jumbling through the ten minute piece. Not surprisingly, Troy basically knew the whole work. I knew plugging him into the ballets would be no sweat!

In our late night mock rehearsal, I realized that Dear and Blackbirds was going to be a new experience for me. Having a work made on you and another dancer creates a strong bond and connection. You develop your individual "characters" or impressions and mental connections with that other person. After working out the kinks, and having several performing opportunities, dancing excerpts in Fire Island and in Telluride, Harrison and I had built a chemistry that just kept growing  each time we danced the pas de deux. It was intimate, refreshing and always a joy. In a way, I always knew where he was going to be or what his next move was, or even what the emotional arc was trending that day. With Harrison gone, I know this will be a new experience of exploration in dancing with Troy, and we have already begun reinventing the piece for the two of us and having fun doing it! (I only hit him with my elbow once! OOPS!)

These past few days have been hard work but by the end of yesterday, Troy had been slotted in to both ballets and the second of two premieres, All That We See, was put back together. All three ballets are in great shape for tomorrow
when we rehearse with the musicians for the first time!

For ticket information go to BalletCollective.com We hope to see you there!

Behind the Scenes: Darren Henault

Darren Henault, Photo by Carolyn Jones

Being part of a new ballet company from the ground up, it quickly becomes apparent how much goes into making new work possible. It's more than choreographing, composing, dancing, and writing; it's a combination of all that work plus behind the scenes activities to help raise the continuing support to make it happen. BalletCollective has a wonderful group of supporters, and I thought it would be interesting to get to know one of our board members. Darren is a fun, loving father of beautiful twin girls, a ballet lover,  an interior designer, and a dear friend. Darren was one of the first people Troy told about his idea for starting BalletCollective. Here is my interview with him:

Me: What does BalletCollective mean to you?
Pure and simple it means that I get to participate in some small way in supporting a new and exciting talent. I believe in Troy and look forward to seeing where he'll go and take us.

What prompted you to get involved?
I like watching young dancers progress over the course of a few seasons. I've been aware of Troys dancing for the New York City Ballet for a few years now. When he told me his concept for a new dance company I was immediately interested. 

Being on the "inside" you get to attend rehearsals and develop a greater understanding of the work. Meeting the dancers gives one a direct connection and makes the performances more personal, more intimate.  It's like having your favorite players on a sports team. You experience the "highs", and less often the "lows", with more passion. In a slightly parasitic fashion it gives me a creative outlet. 

What do you love about dance?
What's not to love about dance? Honestly when someone tells me they don't like the ballet I think, "Lord, what a dolt!" Clearly they've only seen one or two very similar pieces, or maybe nothing but long story ballets. There's an enormous range in ballet and dance. If you don't like the ballet then ask a dancer to choose four things for you to see in a season.  You'll change your mind.

When you watch a beautiful piece being performed by an excellent dancer you're watching an instrument in motion. You're watching a body move that has been trained for years and years to express itself in ways that no ordinary person could possibly mimic.  I'm not being melodramatic when I say that it's transcendent. The simplest movement can make me weep, as much as the bold tour de force makes me feel like jumping out of my seat.

What are you reading?
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
We Are Not Ourselves, Matthew Thomas
Astonish Me, Maggie Shipstead (yes this one is about dance)

What's your favorite ballet? Why? 
I can't do just one...

Troy Schumacher's Epistasis... I haven't seen it enough times to adequately put into words what I like about it. 

Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain... Because with just two people on stage he expresses all of the ennui, regret and hope that the world has ever known.
 
Jerome Robbin's Glass Pieces... It's modern and energizing and crisp and dynamic.
 
Balanchine's Symphony in C... It's what everyone thinks of when they think of ballet. It's classically based, fantastically athletic and the sheer number of people on stage is impressive.
 
Troy Schumacher's All That We See... I've been lucky enough to see a few rehearsals. I can't wait to see the final piece.

Have you ever danced before?
Never. I wish.

You’re a decorator, which in many ways is similar to choreography. How does interior design compare with dance?
When we first started coming to the ballet we would sit in the orchestra so that we could see the individual dancers. It was Troy actually who suggested we sit in the first row of the first tier. That way we got to see what I call the architecture of the ballet; the full sweep of the movement in it's entirety. What I think the choreographer really wants you to see at first, only focusing on the individual movements or dancers as he reveals them to you. It's what I hope to achieve in my work. I'd rather you get the sense of the entire environment and only notice individual things after you've spent more time in the rooms.

A New First

Troy Choreographing, Me Assisting Photo by Devin Alberda

This summer has been filled with many "Firsts": Troy and I got married (!), BalletCollective appeared at the Fire Island Dance Festival (where Harrison and I danced with the sunset as our backdrop), BalletCollective had its first summer residency in Telluride, and I took on the role of BalletCollective's Choreographic Assistant!

The role of Choreographic Assistant is that of being the right hand person to the choreographer. Helping to take down notes, corrections, patterns, marks in the score, dancers' individual counts and/or steps, make coffee runs, film the daily progress of the piece, or even call when it's time for a five minute break - all are part of the job description. In this case, the choreographer is Troy. Since I was not involved in one of the two new pieces for BalletCollective this year, as I am featured in Dear and Blackbirds, Troy asked if I would like to try ballet mistressing again, but this time for professional dancers. (You can read about my experience as his assistant for his School of the American Ballet Summer Intensive here.) I immediately jumped at the opportunity as I love to coach and be hands on in the process of learning and perfecting ballets.

Taking on the role of BalletCollective's Choreographic Assistant is different than my other experience working with students. This time, I would be working closely with my husband (not my boyfriend) and with my fellow BalletCollective colleagues. I thought to myself, this will be fun! I love to help make things more cohesive and clean for the group or even help coach friends in variations. I thought my goal would be to help alleviate moments of uncertainty and keep the process moving smoothly for Troy and his dancers.

At first, I would arrive during the choreographic process, finding my place at a chair in the front of the room near the music jack, ready to be seated and be mostly silent. I would start and stop the music, help count out steps occasionally and help clarify if Troy needed it. At home, Troy and I would watch the daily videos of his work and critique every move - weeding out the bad and showcasing the good. Once the ballet was mostly mapped out, I had more liberty to chime in with my observations on corrections, mishaps and or moments of weakness in the studio.

Me watching Claire Photo by Troy Schumacher

When we were in Telluride, it was close to show time. The ballet was rehearsed on stage daily, which gave a better vantage point not only for Troy as a choreographer but also for me as his assistant. We could see what worked and what didn't, what was weak, and where things needed to be more together and precise. Each day we would run the ballet, Troy and me sitting out in the audience, he watching, and me taking endless notes and corrections. I wrote down anything that he said, but also in between writing down his thoughts, I'd watch and take my own notes. He and I have different eyes and
different minds (thank goodness for that!) so we would see different things. I'd spot many more mishaps than he - he mostly focusing on the choreography and me on the execution of the steps and the way the dancers looked. Using my eye to help make the dancers better is something I consider a gift. I find that I can spot problems and often suggest good solutions or corrections to make dancers feel more at ease or better understand Troy's movements. I think I was helpful, at least I hope I was!

My ideas and thoughts going in to this new role were all correct, except I forgot to think about how I would feel not being a part of the group - now being a slight outsider. Working with students was easy. You say, they do. With professionals, we each have different ideas, our own learning processes, ways of moving and taking corrections. As I respect each one of Troy's dancers as my peers, dancers, and friends, I often felt uncomfortable giving endless corrections to them. Though they were receptive of my input, it was a tough time, learning to put that discomfort aside and focus on my task of being Troy's Choreographic assistant. In the end, I learned so much about myself, my insecurities and the world of coaching.

New Salle

Photo by Devin Alberda

The New Salle piece is great. I know I may sound biased, but by the same token, I have been involved, in some capacity, in all of Troy’s works and I think Dear and Blackbirds and the New Salle are two great ballets. Each is a huge step forward in his choreographic growth and maturity. 

The New Salle features five dancers, Taylor, David, Lauren, Meagan, and Claire. The music is composed by Ellis (with Troy’s influence) with the collaboration of David Salle who created artwork (a series of 8 pieces) that helps drive the music and then Troy’s choreography. Each movement is unique in all aspects. The music is distinct through all eight movements. One of the things that I find so special about this piece is that each movement is completely different from the next, musically and choreographically. It is varied and complex, yet simple and clean. The piece is complete dance. I mean pure dance! No drama or froufrou - it is dance at its best. The dancers each have moments all their own, whether it be a solo for one or a pas de deux, it is jam-packed with pure talent and joy. I love watching the piece. It makes me want to get up and dance. 

New Salle Photo by Troy Schumacher

Though in the high altitude, the piece was an extreme push for the dancers. As it is pure dance, they hardly stop moving. Oxygen was heavily used throughout the rehearsals! (Thank you Palm for providing the tanks!) Not sure what we would have done without them. Like Impulse and Dear and Blackbirds, we worked our way through each section daily, giving corrections, cleaning and making choreographic changes. 

Towards the end of the rehearsal week, Troy finished the 18 minute ballet! It was a day of celebration! He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to finish the piece before the workshop performance but being in Telluride was definitely inspiring and helped him to create!

Stay tuned for my experience being Troy’s Choreographic Assistant and our adventures in Nature!

Telluride Rehearsal Fun

Fire Island Dance Festival
Photo by Whitney Browne

The next few days were hard work. No more easy days! We started every day with ballet class taught either by Troy, Lauren or David. Each class was very different but our "teachers" welcomed some fun. Along with their varied styles of teaching was eclectic or pop music, depending on their mood, a nice change from formal classroom routines. Though the studio space was limited, the room was fully equipped and had an amazing sprung floor (the floor was made by using tennis balls placed in the corners joining the wood planks to create spring). It was such a pleasant surprise to find that the floor was great. (Often times, when performing at smaller theaters or other venues, the flooring can be a problem - causing injures, and pain to your joints.) The class environment was intense. We worked hard, pushing ourselves to break through the altitude difficulties and move toward better stamina. It was a process but BalletCollective is used to process!

After class, we moved to the stage for rehearsals! 

Troy usually began rehearsing Dear and Blackbirds with Harrison and me first because we needed only 15-30 minutes to run the piece (this allowed the other five dancers to take a quick break before moving on to the other two ballets). At the Fire Island Dance Festival we performed an excerpt of the pas de deux; in Telluride, we were to show the complete nine minute plus pas. At this intense degree of altitude, Harrison and I felt out of shape. Just a week prior out by the ocean, we were performing seven minutes without any problems. Yet, at 8500 feet above sea level, we couldn’t even get through the first movement --only 2.5 minutes! We started out slow, stopping when we felt like we were going to “die”, making sure we did not overdo it the first couple of days. We wanted to gain momentum but not peak too soon (a dancer tries to time the readiness of the piece and the performance just right so you are at your highest level the day of the performance). We worked our way through all four movements daily.

New Salle Piece
Photo by Troy Schumacher

After that 15-30 minutes I was pooped! But I still had another ballet to rehearse: The Impulse Wants Company. Putting together The Impulse Wants Company was refreshing but also tedious. It is always nice coming back to a ballet you are familiar with. Your body has wonderful muscle memory and, in a way, magically just knows what to do or how to move depending on the ballet. Especially when a ballet was created on and for you, the steps never seem to leave you. Six of the seven dancers were originals to the piece so we only had to work Claire into the piece. Troy, not having a choreographer’s assistant to help with the staging, had to basically relearn Claire’s part to be able to coach and assist in her slotting in. Thankfully Claire had done her homework and taught herself most of the ballet on her own before arriving in Telluride. (It is very common for dancers to be asked to learn a ballet from performance and rehearsal footage. It saves lots of time!) Most dancers check out videos of new ballets they are to learn anyway, just to begin familiarizing yourself with the context and style of the ballet, so teaching yourself is just one step further. 

Claire fit in nicely, beginning to make the role her own right from the start. We made it through Impulse, but it was definitely rough. Luckily we had six more days 'til it was to be performed!

After a quick lunch break, Troy and I started to work on the last piece, title to be determined, with the other five dancers not involved in Dear and Blackbirds. Currently it is noted as New Salle piece as the collaborators are Troy, Ellis and David Salle, an artist often exhibited at MOMA. I mentioned “Troy and I” because I am his ballet mistress or as he likes to call it, the “Assistant to the Choreographer”. I have filled this position before, click here to read about my experience during Cut Capers, and had a wonderful time working side by side with Troy and the other dancers, just in this new capacity. The New Salle piece was a work in progress. Troy had choreographed about 12 minutes while we were in New York City, but had hopes of finishing the piece before our workshop performance in Telluride. Daily we would go through each section, of which there are eight, work, clean and then he would continue to create. 

By the end of the day, sometimes 5pm but mostly 6pm, we were all exhausted. A quick stop at the local market, Clark’s, to grab any needed ingredients for the evening's meal and we were off to the Mesa for dinner and bed! 

More on the New Salle piece!

Day 1...

Hike to Waterfall
Photo by Meagan Mann

Troy and I woke to the smell of fresh coffee brewing and bacon in the oven! BalletCollective was up and preparing for our first day in Telluride. 

After breakfast, on the porch with a beautiful view, we gathered our dance bags, water bottles and, of course, the oxygen tanks (to help with the altitude) and packed everything  into our two rental cars. Troy drove and I worked the Sirius radio (40s on 4 or 80s on 8 were my favorites)! Before long, heading down the windy cliffs and endless fields towards Telluride, we arrived at The Palm Theater, our summer residency facility! 

The Palm Theater is a lovely theater, attached to the Telluride academic school and filled with a music room, basketball courts, dressing rooms, rehearsal studios and a performance stage and theater. Brandon gave us the grand tour (he was up and at ‘em early as he had to get the stage ready for us - have lights hung, the floor cleaned, oxygen tanks filled, and marley taped) and within minutes we were settled into our dressing room and then headed to the rehearsal studio for our first ballet class at high altitude. We all grabbed a spot at the barres and began stretching, doing our individual warmups. 

Lauren under the Fall
Photo by Ashley Laracey

Troy started class around 10:30am. (Sometimes it’s nice to stick to your normal routine, so morning class suited all of us.) Barre was tough, and center was even harder. We found ourselves out of breath after the easiest things (even walking up or down a flight of stairs). The altitude was more difficult than we had expected. I had a constant headache from the moment we landed in Montrose that lasted for 48 hours (and on and off all throughout the week) and others felt light headed or just plain exhausted. After class, and a few hits of oxygen, we walked through the three ballets in the small studio (all scheduled to be performed on August 2nd), taking it easy. 

Day 1 was a light dancing day as our goal was to acclimate to the conditions. But that did not mean go back to the house and rest…Tour Guide Harrison had plans for us! We set off for a small .25 mile hike to a water fall near the theater. Some of the dancers braved the freezing cold water and stood under the water fall! We then took a gondola ride to the next mountain, and relaxed at the Mountain Peaks Spa soaking in the Jacuzzi, swimming pool and having fun on the water slide! Harrison is a pro going down that slide!

Dinner and S’mores followed! Star gazing occurred too! More soon…

Fire Island Continued...

First Performance
Fire Island Rep Picture

BalletCollective is "on deck"! I disrobe, taking off my Uniqlo warmups and my American Apparel legwarmers, and Troy gives Harrison and me one last "Merde". The hosts of the event begin announcing Dear and Blackbirds, talking about BalletCollective and its mission, as Harrison and I give each other a tight hug! We head to the stage stairs, I dab one last bit of rosin on my point shoes, and we both make our way up on to the amazing stage. The view is breath taking, the sun is smiling, and the audience is attentive. As we take our places, I look at Harrison and say "This is so freaking cool!"

The music begins! We walk.

Dear and Blackbirds is a ten minute pas de deux, yet only seven of those minutes was premiered. It is an intense duet that portrays a journey in the relationship of these two people, Harrison a young lad, and I an older, more experienced woman. He, at times, is a bit rambunctious, filled with young energy, not quite sure what he is doing or what he yet wants in life. As for my role, I know exactly what I want and need and go after those desires. We begin by walking, yet even at the start we each want to be going in different directions. The push and pull of our dynamic is evident. I get feisty; he accidentally throws me to the ground. After some time we meet in the middle - both in regard to each others' energy and personality as well as their journey to togetherness.  I won't give it all away... but it is one of the most special pieces I have ever danced. It feels right in every way.

The first performance was interesting, though a bit nerve-racking at the start. As Harrison and I held hands to begin, the energy was flowing with slight shaky waves coursing through our bodies. Soon after five counts of eight we were off and in it. No more signs of nerves! The middle transition musical cue went well and before I knew it we were in the last movement. The emotions were there, Harrison and I were connected.

Troy was super pleased with the ballet and I could tell he was happy (It was the first time he had seen it performed, ever!) though he mentioned to me that "the last movement was too sad." I was shocked at his comment. The last movement felt so real for me and I was really moved at our connection. I felt as though Harrison and I could read each other's thoughts, feelings and hearts. Yet, somehow it came across as too sad to him. I was utterly confused. I took a moment to unwind by myself, grabbed some water and then returned to await the final group bow.

The first show was done! It was 6:45pm and we were all headed back to the green room to freshen up as the second show was about to begin in fifteen minutes.

Since the turn around time was so short, the second show to start at 7pm, there was no need to re-warm up. I covered myself in my warm-ups and stretched to keep the blood flowing.

"Five minutes to the top of the show!" called the tech crew. After the opening number, the Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux, a speech was given. During the speech I was stretching backstage. Soon into the speech, the talking stopped, and the EMT's arrived. Someone in the audience needed medical assistance. Fortunately the gentleman was able to walk out of the venue with the EMT's to receive treatment. The audience and performers sat patiently while this played out.

Before long the show resumed and we were on deck again...

Due to the medical emergency, the show was delayed about 20 minutes, unfortunately for the gentleman who got sick, but fortunately for BalletCollective because Dear and Blackbirds was now to be performed in the prime sunset lighting!

Sunset Show
Photo by Troy Schumacher

Harrison and I stripped off our warm-ups, got our "Merde" hugs from Troy, and began to get pumped! I ran forwards and backwards to make sure my feet were awake (normally when you perform you have a chance to be on the stage a few moments before the piece starts to get the blood flowing or to try out a few steps). Seconds before we got the go ahead from the stage manager, I said to Harrison "It might be a long time before we do this pas de deux with sunset lighting again, so let's enjoy!"

We held hands and began...

The second show felt even better than the first. I hit my swivels (a swivel is a tricky step that seems like luck every time you try it - it's when someone basically just spins on one leg multiple times), the lighting was absolutely perfect and Harrison and I took the last movement to a different, less sad place emotionally. We had one minor glitch - in the third movement, but the audience didn't seem to react so we can't wait to see the video to analyze exactly what happened. (I would try to explain what happened but honestly I have no clue - one minute we were doing the steps, and the next we were both rolling on the ground.) We recovered quickly, maintaining our "in it faces" and finished out the pas de deux.

After the final bow, we all headed back to our hosts' houses, freshened up, and had a celebratory drink before the scheduled "performers dinner". After a delicious dinner, on our way back to the 50's beach house, we made a pit stop at the local bar Sip N Twirl, checked out the scene, and then called it a night!

It was a long day, and I was exhausted. More on our last day in the Pines tomorrow...

Fire Island - Dancers Responding to AIDS

Being a part of the Fire Island Dance Festival was an absolutely incredible experience! BalletCollective not only made its company debut appearance at the festival, we also premiered an excerpt of our newest work Dear and Blackbirds.

Awaiting the Pines ferry
Photo by Troy Schumacher

The journey to the island is a bit of a trek - an hour and half bus ride from the city to The Pines Ferry, a 20 minute ferry ride, and then a casual walk on the boardwalk to the location. But once you set your eyes on the Pines and the Fire Island Dance Festival performance venue, you fall in love.

Throughout the weekend, the performers and dance companies were on tight itineraries to ensure that we could make it to all the wonderful events, see the amazing beach houses (our hosts have an original 50's beach house!), take a dip in the many pools, and of course be wined and dined by the amazing people who make the Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA) possible.

Friday, after arriving on the island, we made our way to the first of our scheduled events - a pool party! We relaxed, had some lunch, and then freshened up for the opening night cocktail party. We were then punctually whisked away to the cocktail party, met a few hundred people, and enjoyed a performance by the Mark Stuart Dance Theater. Immediately following we were graciously met by our host families holding up a sign that read "Troy and Ashley Schumacher". Troy and I were hosted by Jim Streaker and Scott Ahlborn. Upon arriving at their beach house we were immediately struck by its 50's charm and detail! Jim and Scott were so welcoming, respectful, open,

50's Beach House
Photo by Troy Schumacher

funny and just a joy to be around. Troy and I were greeted in the morning by coffee and a freshly made frittata with vegetables from their garden, and in the evenings after the performances yummy Malibu cocktails or martinis with pickled green tomatoes! We sat, watched the passers-by from their all-glass windowed living room, and enjoyed each other's company!

Our host family's house was conveniently located two doors down from the dancers' greenroom and four doors down from the performance venue. We had the best and most prime location for everything! It made life so much easier (the other dancers had to lug their performance clothing and dance bags to and from events to make sure they'd have all that they needed for the tech run through and performances). I just had to walk next door.

Because the greenroom was so close to my house and the performance venue, Harrison Coll and I warmed up in my hosts' kitchen. It was more comfortable and less chaotic than the greenroom, as we were only two, instead of 20, trying to warm up and get in the zone. Dear and Blackbirds was fifth on the program, so at the top of the tech rehearsal or show, Harrison and I would make our short walk to the green room, put on our costumes and make any last minute adjustments before being escorted to the venue.

Rehearsal "Dear and Blackbirds"
Photo by Troy Schumacher

Saturday was performance day! After a brief orientation and coffee time with our hosts, Harrison came over and he and I gave ourselves a ballet class warm-up in the kitchen. Our tech run-through was at 1:40pm. This was our first time up on the stage, feeling the floor, etc. The intense natural sun light was blinding, and the no wings or backdrop (just the ocean) was disorienting, but after a few minutes of trying things we were ready to begin our walk through. Troy went over the musical cues with the tech crew while Harrison and I took our places for the top of Dear and Blackbirds. In the midst of our tech rehearsal, Troy says to us, "Get together... picture time!" We do as we are told, and then look behind us and there, waving, were Jim and Scott... kayaking behind the stage! It was the coolest thing ever! They watched our run-through from the ocean.

After our run-through, Troy, Harrison and I took a dip in Harrison's hosts' pool to cool off and relax for a few. At 3:15pm Troy and I headed back to our 50's beach house to regroup and get focused for the first performance. At 3:30pm I jumped in the shower to warm up, then started to put on my face (do my stage makeup). Since the lighting is "au naturale" my stage makeup reflected that: mascara, a little eyeshadow, blush and lip gloss. At 4pm Harrison came over and we began our joint warm up together. An hour later, the show began. We headed over to the greenroom, slipped on our costumes-- mine a blue dress from Lord and Taylor, and Harrison's a Uniqlo polo shirt and mustard yellow Zara pants cut into shorts--styled by myself, Troy and Jeff from the DRA. I sewed in my point shoe ribbons, grabbed last minute rosin and a sip of water. Soon we were escorted to the "on deck" position and awaited our turn!

To be continued...

Day 1 Fire Island Rehearsal Period

After a hard week touring with NYCB in Saratoga, Troy, Harrison and I are back in NYC, working on Dear and Blackbirds. An excerpt of Dear and Blackbirds will debut this weekend at the Fire Island Dance Festival!

Rehearsing in Saratoga
Photo by Troy Schumacher

Yesterday's rehearsal was so much fun! Up until then, we had worked on Dear and Blackbirds in segments meaning section by section, continuing to choreograph the lengthy pas de deux and rarely going back to the beginning.  This was because we were rehearsing with limited time in between NYCB rehearsals or during performances, so the priority was to keep making progress on the choreography and save the connecting and cleaning for this rehearsal week. 

Troy's plan worked! We started the rehearsal with a calm confidence knowing that the excerpt of Dear and Blackbirds to be performed at Fire Island was finished choreographically, so Troy could focus on piecing it together. To aid in the connecting of sections, Harrison and I did our homework  (meaning we watched the rehearsal videos the night before so we could come in prepared knowing all of our steps). 

Harrison and I took our places for the start on the ballet and Troy pushed play! We were off! Though not making it too far without stopping, we managed to work our way through the seven minute pas de deux. Fixing heads, arms, timing, and working on character development, within an hour we had gone through the entire ballet. Harrison and I grabbed some water, and then while looking out the window into the hustle and bustle of Times Square, both thought "We should try running this thing!"

So that's exactly what we did. "Taking it easy," we said, but easier said than done. We didn't take it easy, we ran Dear and Blackbirds! It was a great feeling to be able to run the ballet and see our way through to the end. As the ballet is only two dancers it is physically demanding so to reach the end pose we were both beyond thrilled. We did it! No mess ups, no stopping! 

Harrison, Troy and I all left New 42nd Street Studios feeling excited!

2014 Season Announcement

BalletCollective is back!

The Impulse Wants Company
Photo by Erin Baiano

After our successful season this past summer at the Joyce, BalletCollective is up and running again, gearing up for our 2014 New York Season to be held at NYU Skirball, October 29th and 30th. It is exciting to be back in the studio again working on new pieces for BalletCollective.

This year BalletCollective has 2 new dances planned in addition to last year's The Impulse Wants Company. The first new work is to feature the collaboration of director and choreographer Troy Schumacher, indie rock composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone and artist David Salle; the other new piece, titled  Dear and Blackbirds, will feature the second collaboration of Troy, Ellis, and writer Cynthia Zarin.

The Impulse Wants Company
Photo by Erin Baiano

The process of creation for Dear and Blackbirds is off and running. The poem is written and the music is mostly complete. The dance, a 10 minute pas de deux for Harrison Coll and me, is in the beginning stages. Troy began working with us one evening last week before a NYCB performance to get a sense and feel for the ballet and the direction it should take. Harrison, an energetic young lad, portrays just that in the piece. I am an older woman (as I am about 10 years older than Harrison, AHHH), annoyed at his youth but interested in his vitality. The piece starts out fast paced for Harrison and slow and steady for me. It has been fun and interesting working with Troy and Harrison on this pas de deux. Harrison and I have a very playful dynamic which seems to be perfect for this project. We are both open to ideas and feel quite comfortable working together (we should, considering Harrison was my first "Party Scene child" in the Nutcracker about ten years ago!). I am encouraged by our first three rehearsals and like what Troy has created so far.

Stay tuned for more about Dear and Blackbirds as the ballet progresses along with all the inside scoop on BalletCollective and its company!

BalletCollective in The Times

The moment BalletCollective had been waiting for... The New York Times Review!

Whether you're a dancer, musician, choreographer, librettist, composer or director, you are all conscious of the reviews about the performances. Monday, August 19th marked a "first" for BalletCollective: our first review by the toughest critic for the New York Times - Alastair Macaulay. 

Stepping out on stage for the first time opening night at the Joyce Theater, one of my thoughts was... "I hope they like us!" Being theinsider, I was aware that many critics were to attend BalletCollective's performances. Who would write reviews and who wouldn't was up in the air. 

Days after the performances, Troy and I were still on such a high. It was an exhilarating experience. We kept thinking what great performances we showed. Yet, what we think isn't everything. What the critics think is important too. 

Then The New York Times review by Alastair was published. It is an incredible review. Alastair comments on all art forms of the collaboration (naming the dancers and collective members), and raves about Troy and BalletCollective. He calls Troy's ability as a choreographer, "a completely fresh use of familiar ballet language. And it’s the firmest sign, among many in the two works shown by Mr. Schumacher and BalletCollective last week at the Joyce Theater, that his is an intriguing new dance voice."

Alastair acknowledges the way Troy allows the audience to see into the society he has created, and also talks of his refreshing style: "He's addressing central questions about the genre of ballet — music, gender, body language, academic vocabulary — and without strain. His answers look both direct and unforced, experimental and refreshing."

He concludes by saying that BalletCollective and Troy Schumacher are the Joyce's "Balletv6.0's real discoveries"! 

If you missed The Times article, you can find it here!

Hearing the audience roar at the end of each performance was special. Reading the review in The Times was the icing on the cake! Cheers to many more years for Troy and BalletCollective! We look forward to the future and our next performance.

The Second Time Around

Photo: Erin Baiano

Thursday was BalletCollective's second performance at the Joyce Theater. It marked a "first" for BalletCollective: our first two performance season. BalletCollective has never had two consecutive performances. Usually we have a one night only performance so having the second night was a special treat for the company. The dancers and musicians had a second chance to perform these ballets, and the collaborators another look at their creation, while Troy had an opportunity to take a second look at his company.

Since we had performed Wednesday night and celebrated 'til the early hours, Thursday was scheduled as a late start day. Even though I was up late celebrating, I rallied to take Willy Burmann's 10:30 am class at Steps on Broadway. Although Troy was offering company class later in the day, I knew my body needed to get moving early. Each dancer is different. My body tends to function better if I take an early ballet class, then rehearse and perform in the evening. However some dancers prefer to sleep in, rest 'til warmup class a few hours before the show.

After Willy's class I grabbed a quick lunch and took a cat nap just in time to head to the theater for Troy's company class. Troy taught class on the stage. I took again, even though I had already taken ballet class. For me I was hopeful that it would work for my body as a rehearsal does. I don't like to perform without having rehearsed that day. My muscles perform better when they are tired and have been pushed earlier that day. After our warmup Troy opened the time up for anyone wanting to rehearse. A few of us wanted to get a puff in (this means getting your heart rate up and getting out of breath) as it helps with stamina. If you have been puffed during the day in rehearsal the performance usually feels easier. I ran the first movement of Epistasis, Fireflies, with some of the dancers. Fireflies calls for a lot of energy and involves fast paced jumps. Running only the first movement allowed me to get that needed puff without completely exhausting my legs.

Warm and my blood flowing, I banged my pointe shoes on a brick wall (banging the pointe shoes helps to minimize the sound of the shoe on the stage. It is never good to hear dancers running or clunking around.) and headed downstairs to begin my pre-show make up and hair.

Soon I was ready and in the studio warming up. My third barre of the day. My legs were finally starting to feel like my legs: a bit of tiredness mixed with adrenaline. I did my crunches, got a hug and "Merde" from Troy, and off to the dressing room I went. Moments later, an Altoid in my mouth, I was beginning my traditional on-stage warmup as the audience filled up.

Thursday I felt strange. I was excited, relaxed, and tired. I wasn't sure how the performance was going to go. Some nights you have a feeling that the show will go one way or the next, but that night I was unsure. The lights went dark and we were on stage.

The Impulse Wants Company was in motion. Kaitlyn nailed her first solo. From that moment on I knew the show was going to be a good one. Twenty minutes later all the dancers but Taylor were off stage in the wings. We had just finished our last steps. While we watched Taylor execute his intense solo, some dancers were happy with their performance and some had complaints. It is interesting to do a ballet with live music two days in a row. Musically things sound different, there is a different energy amongst the dancers on stage and with the music. Therefore it is normal to have a different experience each night you do a ballet. For me Impulse went better Thursday night. No matter the difference in tempo or energy, I felt in the zone.

We bowed and ran to the dressing room to change modes into Epistasis.  My quick change (costume and pointe shoes), hair change and make up refreshening happened much smoother than Wednesday. I was up and practicing on stage within minutes. I tried a turn from my pas de deux that didn't go as well as I would have liked on Wednesday. Then it was "places".

Epistasis was happening. Right before I made my first entrance I remember thinking, "enjoy every minute, you never know when you will get to dance this again." As I am an original member of BalletCollective and Epistasis, this ballet is very special to me. And to be given the opportunity to dance the central pas de deux, something I have watched and admired for years, was a dream. Each section of Epistasis I relished in the moment. Dancing my solo in silence and the pas de deux with Taylor were amazing. I remember thinking how quiet the house was when I was making my way through my solo. Then smacking my foot on the ground at Taylor was the beginning of the end. After meeting eye to eye we parted to our respective sides of the stage. The music began and we were connected. The musical cues met us at the appropriate times and we were in control of our time together. As we joined in a series of crouching steps, Taylor whispered to me " here we go!" The "break down" music  (the fast break and transition into the coda of the pas de deux) jolts and then moments later we were breathing hard and in the end pose. We slightly catch our breath and the ballet continues. For a quick moment Taylor and I find ourselves off stage about to enter for the last time. It was a last push till the end. We looked at each other, high fifed and said "We got this!"

Photo: Erin Baiano

One last look and Taylor and I were slow dancing in an embrace as the lights went dark. I will remember this moment forever. Together BalletCollective had made it. All seven dancers were joined in that instant together. The bond and the memories had been made. We bowed together as a group, and each separately. It was an incredible feeling to be applauded and recognized alone, each of us, for our performance and hard work as dancers. I want to feel that again!

BalletCollective had made its mark. We are officially on the ballet map. Thank you to our supporters and all who were there at the Joyce.

That night BalletCollective was excited. Troy was thrilled and encouraged for the future of his company and mission to create collaborative work. The dancers: happy, relieved and hungry. We as a group celebrated at BareBurger. We cheered to the future (and for a fair review from the critics)!