JORMA ELO FEATURED IN SUNDAY BOSTON GLOBE

“Boston Ballet's resident choreographer, Jorma Elo, is known for high-energy dances full of off-kilter movements. He's not known for finishing the pieces before the premiere.” Read the full article by Geoff Edgers.

EXCELLENCE AWARD AND A DIAMOND GIVEAWAY FOR ADAPTIVE DANCE

Diamond Soiree: A Benefit Event for Boston Ballet 's Outreach Programs

Held in Boston Ballet's beautiful Studio Seven on March 10, this fundraising event will include hors d'oeuvres, live music, DJ, dancing, cocktails & giveaways, including a $10,000 Diamond Giveaway! Learn more.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

THINK SPRING. THINK NEW.

Think Boston Ballet's Spring Ball and a dashing new concept. For Your Eyes Only is the theme of the company's annual black-tie gala, scheduled for the night of April 14, 2007. This year's co-chairs are Angela Koutoulakis, Ruth Littlechild and Lisa Pierpont. The evening will feature a pièce d'occasion, to be seen only once, and only by those attending this chic and spectacular benefit for Boston Ballet. Learn more.

HITTING THE FREEDOM TRAIL RUNWAY

Forty students from Boston Ballet School will be the models for the first American Girl Fashion Show in Boston, to be held on March 31 and April 1 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. This fun, engaging program showcases historical and contemporary fashions for girls and their American Girl dolls. Boston Ballet students will bring stage experience, poise, and high energy to the program, and have the opportunity to practice their performing skills. The Freedom Trail Foundation is hosting the event and proceeds benefit the Freedom Trail Scholars program, an in-school and out-of-school history education program. Learn more.

DANCERS ON DANCING: 5 Questions for Raul Salamanca

Raul Salamanca, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, trained at the Mada Aunon School of Ballet and the Arizona Ballet School with Kee-Juan Han.  He joined Ballet Arizona at age 17, where he performed many leading roles. Since arriving at Boston Ballet in 2001, Salamanca has performed a diverse repertoire that includes Tybalt and Mercutio in Rudi Van Dantzig's Romeo and Juliet; Gurn in August Bournonville's La Sylphide; Sancho Panza in Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote; Val Caniparoli's Lambarena and St. Gaudins in Lady of the Camellias; a Dressmaker and an Officer in James Kudelka's Cinderella; Jorma Elo's Sharp Side of Dark, Plan to B, and Carmen; David Dawson's The Grey Area; George Balanchine's Rubies and Serenade; Mark Morris' Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and Up and Down; Helen Pickett's Etesian; Lucinda Childs' Ten Part Suite and Jirí Kylián's Sarabande.

What was the first ballet you danced as a professional? 
My first ballet as a professional dancer was Antony Tudor's The Leaves are Fading, at Ballet Arizona. I was 17 years old. It was actually very difficult, because in the school that I came from, the emphasis was only on classical ballet. So anything that was not in the realm of Swan Lake or Don Quixote was new territory for me. I was just lucky that they were patient. I enjoyed dancing it; it's a great ballet.   

What is your favorite ballet to perform?
Romeo and Juliet. I played Mercutio and Tybalt with the Company, and I really enjoyed the acting part of those roles. They're so different from each other, and I had a blast portraying such different characters.

What is your favorite ballet to watch?
Jiøí Kylián's Petite Mort. I think it's perfect: the music, the movement, the concept - everything about it is perfect.

What ballet or role would you most like to dance that you haven't?
Petite Mort, of course, would be one of them. I've always enjoyed dramatic roles, and I would really like to play Romeo. I think I would get very emotional onstage because the music and the story are so incredible. The role requires multiple layers of acting. I think dancing the part of Romeo for a man is comparable to dancing Giselle for a woman. I think Giselle is the culmination for a ballerina because of all the different emotions that she has to portray. And that's what Romeo has to do. He goes from being unhappy to being in love to being someone who's frustrated with the world. And in the end he has to deal with the death of the woman he loves. To me, that's an Oscar nomination kind of a role. 

Is there a dancer that you look to as a role model or one in particular that you enjoy watching?
Larissa Ponomarenko. She is one of the best ballerinas in the world. She's so consistent: she can portray a princess one night and take on a contemporary role the next night, and she makes it all seem so effortless. You can see the work she's put in over the years every time she's onstage. There's something fragile about her, but at the same time she's very strong. She's just beautiful.

Group tickets for the 2007/2008 season on sale April 2! 
Enjoy benefits and discounts up to 50%. Call Boston Ballet Group Sales at 617.456.6343 for more information.

Photo credits
New Visions by Gene Schiavone
Jorma Elo by Jared Redick
Adaptive Dance by Brynn Hale
Boston Ballet School by Christopher Hird
Raul Salamanca by Eric Antoniou

JORMA ELO FEATURED IN SUNDAY BOSTON GLOBE

“Boston Ballet's resident choreographer, Jorma Elo, is known for high-energy dances full of off-kilter movements. He's not known for finishing the pieces before the premiere.” Read the full article by Geoff Edgers.

EXCELLENCE AWARD AND A DIAMOND GIVEAWAY FOR ADAPTIVE DANCE

Diamond Soiree: A Benefit Event for Boston Ballet 's Outreach Programs

Held in Boston Ballet's beautiful Studio Seven on March 10, this fundraising event will include hors d'oeuvres, live music, DJ, dancing, cocktails & giveaways, including a $10,000 Diamond Giveaway! Learn more.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

THINK SPRING. THINK NEW.

Think Boston Ballet's Spring Ball and a dashing new concept. For Your Eyes Only is the theme of the company's annual black-tie gala, scheduled for the night of April 14, 2007. This year's co-chairs are Angela Koutoulakis, Ruth Littlechild and Lisa Pierpont. The evening will feature a pièce d'occasion, to be seen only once, and only by those attending this chic and spectacular benefit for Boston Ballet. Learn more.

HITTING THE FREEDOM TRAIL RUNWAY

Forty students from Boston Ballet School will be the models for the first American Girl Fashion Show in Boston, to be held on March 31 and April 1 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. This fun, engaging program showcases historical and contemporary fashions for girls and their American Girl dolls. Boston Ballet students will bring stage experience, poise, and high energy to the program, and have the opportunity to practice their performing skills. The Freedom Trail Foundation is hosting the event and proceeds benefit the Freedom Trail Scholars program, an in-school and out-of-school history education program. Learn more.

DANCERS ON DANCING: 5 Questions for Raul Salamanca

Raul Salamanca, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, trained at the Mada Aunon School of Ballet and the Arizona Ballet School with Kee-Juan Han.  He joined Ballet Arizona at age 17, where he performed many leading roles. Since arriving at Boston Ballet in 2001, Salamanca has performed a diverse repertoire that includes Tybalt and Mercutio in Rudi Van Dantzig's Romeo and Juliet; Gurn in August Bournonville's La Sylphide; Sancho Panza in Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote; Val Caniparoli's Lambarena and St. Gaudins in Lady of the Camellias; a Dressmaker and an Officer in James Kudelka's Cinderella; Jorma Elo's Sharp Side of Dark, Plan to B, and Carmen; David Dawson's The Grey Area; George Balanchine's Rubies and Serenade; Mark Morris' Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and Up and Down; Helen Pickett's Etesian; Lucinda Childs' Ten Part Suite and Jirí Kylián's Sarabande.

What was the first ballet you danced as a professional? 
My first ballet as a professional dancer was Antony Tudor's The Leaves are Fading, at Ballet Arizona. I was 17 years old. It was actually very difficult, because in the school that I came from, the emphasis was only on classical ballet. So anything that was not in the realm of Swan Lake or Don Quixote was new territory for me. I was just lucky that they were patient. I enjoyed dancing it; it's a great ballet.   

What is your favorite ballet to perform?
Romeo and Juliet. I played Mercutio and Tybalt with the Company, and I really enjoyed the acting part of those roles. They're so different from each other, and I had a blast portraying such different characters.

What is your favorite ballet to watch?
Jiøí Kylián's Petite Mort. I think it's perfect: the music, the movement, the concept - everything about it is perfect.

What ballet or role would you most like to dance that you haven't?
Petite Mort, of course, would be one of them. I've always enjoyed dramatic roles, and I would really like to play Romeo. I think I would get very emotional onstage because the music and the story are so incredible. The role requires multiple layers of acting. I think dancing the part of Romeo for a man is comparable to dancing Giselle for a woman. I think Giselle is the culmination for a ballerina because of all the different emotions that she has to portray. And that's what Romeo has to do. He goes from being unhappy to being in love to being someone who's frustrated with the world. And in the end he has to deal with the death of the woman he loves. To me, that's an Oscar nomination kind of a role. 

Is there a dancer that you look to as a role model or one in particular that you enjoy watching?
Larissa Ponomarenko. She is one of the best ballerinas in the world. She's so consistent: she can portray a princess one night and take on a contemporary role the next night, and she makes it all seem so effortless. You can see the work she's put in over the years every time she's onstage. There's something fragile about her, but at the same time she's very strong. She's just beautiful.

Group tickets for the 2007/2008 season on sale April 2! 
Enjoy benefits and discounts up to 50%. Call Boston Ballet Group Sales at 617.456.6343 for more information.

Photo credits
New Visions by Gene Schiavone
Jorma Elo by Jared Redick
Adaptive Dance by Brynn Hale
Boston Ballet School by Christopher Hird
Raul Salamanca by Eric Antoniou