January 31 2013

Barrymore again as Don Juan.

Daily Stuff: Taught again today. Ended up coming in as a last minute substitution. Gave an inside fouette turn combination. Love those turns. Very technical. I have an image of them in my mind of Allegra Kent doing them as the Dewdrop in Nutcracker.

Reviewed the Baskets and Gypsy stuff to start. Then I staged the sequence after Don Juan wakes up after his Dream. All came together smoothly, except at the beginning the girls had a problem with changing the facing of a step. For some reason, it just didn't make sense to them when they had to face sideways.

Anyhow, completed the sequence, which finishes Act Two.

Then reviewed the Peasant Bride and Groom's first sequence. Looks fine. And went on to start the dance for the "Celebratory Dancers" at the wedding.

I figured I wanted something like the Peasant pas de deux from Giselle at the top of Act Three. Something splashy and fun, that would just bump the energy up. I found the appropriate bravura sounding piece and the dancers seemed to respond well to it. It is a bit too long for what I need, so I have to work out an interior cut. It does have a very romantic sounding section in the middle which will be nice to set up some drama wit Don Juan and the bride.

We shall see. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a productive day.

January 30 2013

Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors in The New Adventures of Don Juan. Love the fact that the movie basically makes up its own Don Juan adventures... just like my version.

Daily Stuff: Added one more cross for Max and Stephanie in the Dream in Don Juan. And I finessed a cross that Stephanie does, as well as changing the timing for two soloists at the end. I think I have pretty much finished tweaking that section.

Then I went through the linking section after the Gypsies into the Ocean Voyage with Max. i talked him through the sequence but not in depth as we will be setting it with all involved on Saturday.

Then I worked a bit more with Stephanie and Joe on the Peasant Wedding before adding the rest of the peasants. That was fun as we were setting folk dance type movement to go behind the wedding pas. Agnes DeMille once said that "There is no such thing as a bad folk dance." And I think that is true. The most important thing for me was to set something that the dancers could actually have fun doing and seemed like a natural response to the music.

Afterwards I spent some time by myself with a central section of music to make some sort of structural sense of it.

And I taught an adult class tonight. Nice to see some students making progress.

January 29 2013

Ah, Errol Flynn in Don Juan. A little past his "Robin Hood" prime and beauty, but still watchable. Was anyone ever as "confident" on screen?

Daily Stuff: Taught company class today. My favorite thing is giving an easy step that is only slightly different than usual and watching the dancers deal with it. Today was pas de chat that changed the front foot on landing or were performed en tournant.

We worked on Don Juan. Cleaned the Dream. Added a little more Don Juan/Vison interest in the 3rd movement of it. I am pretty sure I have one more cross for them to add and then it will be fine.

Went over the Don Juan/Gypsy section. Finished the exit to get Don Juan to the section where he meets the sailors.

Then worked more on the Peasant Wedding in Act 3 with the Peasant Brie and Groom. One little moment gave me a bit of problem as it just didn't have enough crossing motion in it. It needed to look like a bit of a Spanish folk dance with a bit more theatrical crossing to it. But I figured it out. Also, figured out that the motif of the section is a assisted jete lift.

Afterwards, I went to Florence Elementary to teach my 3rd graders. I am teaching the Saute - Chasse. Last week about 3 of them could do it. Today, 12. Huzzah! Success!

January 28 2013

John Barrymore as Don Juan. When Max learned he was doing Don Juan, he asked me if I wanted him to die his hair black. I said no. There are plenty of blondes in Spain.

Daily Stuff: Day Off. Had some meetings. Sent out rehearsal schedule. Went shopping for trunks and stuff.

Thats it.

Back to work tomorrow.

January 27 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
The final moments of Mambomania. Well danced by the current cast.

Daily Stuff: Taught Company Class today. Normally, I don't teach two days in a row. So it was nice to repeat most of the combinations, so the dancers could get a second crack at them

Then choreographed the opening family scenes. It was nice to work on. All of the dancers involved brought a lot to the session, which made the process easier. Finished most of it. So I have most of the first act and second act finished. So two full weeks to do the third (but still need to clean and run the first two acts, so its really less time). Not worried, but not resting on my laurels either.

"Day off" tomorrow.

January 26 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Ok, started to put the Ocean Voyage section of Don Juan together today. Added sailors and a cabin boy, I think it is going to work nicely. Very whimsical. And more importantly, I think it really locked me into thinking of the show in a certain style. 

Then ran the Gypsies. They are pretty clean so will pull back on their rehearsals. 

Finally, started setting the Husband's section in the opening family scene. Have to admit I was a bit worried about it (and still have some trepidation going into tomorrows rehearsal), but so far, its good. My concern isn't with the dancers. It is more with the fact that of the 4 dancers used in the section, 3 have limited availability for rehearsal. So unlike some other sections where I can take a bit of time, with this one I have to be inspired and efficient on schedule.

I know, poor me. :(

January 25 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Rain slowed me down today. Love hearing it at night. Makes me want to sat in bed. Good thing I don't live in Seattle or Portland, would never get anything done.

Reviewed everything in Don Juan so far. Cleaned. Worked the transition between the Sea Sprites and the Dream with all involved. I like it. Got done a bit early, so I started working a bit on a pas de deux from Act Three with a Peasant Bride and Groom.

January 24 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Elana Lewis in Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
Like this image. So nice and relaxed.

Daily Stuff: Reviewed all of the stuff for Max, as he will be out for two days. Then finished up with the Sea Sprites. Think it will segue nicely into the Dream. Ended up having them do a couple of crosses earlier in the piece.

January 23 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania  Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Taught company class today.Then had a split Don Juan rehearsal. While I worked with Max and the fruit vendors to set his stuff, Robin took the gypsies for an hour to work Matt Carney in. Afterwards, I joined the gypsy rehearsal to work a bit on the end of the first act and beginning of the second act. Think I have a handle on the gypsy exit now. So will finish that up tomorrow.

Also worked with the Harem and Geishas today. Started working with the sea nymphs as well.  I rather like the nymphs choreography so far. Very frolicsome. Is that a word?

Then got my bi-annual haircut and taught an adult class. Broke down some ballet basics today for them.

January 22 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Reviewed stuff. Spent some time working a dancer into a spot.

Then started on a sort of Travelogue Section where Don Juan takes a world tour. So set a little on some harem girls and geishas. Fun stuff.

January 21 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

 Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Day Off. Just did a few errands and zoned out. Oh yes, the Presidential Inauguration happened today :)

January 20 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Taught company class this morning. Integrated Max into a lot of what we have done in Don Juan. Added some crosses for him and Stephanie in the Dream section too make it a bit more exciting. We had a photographer from the Union Tribune come in today to shoot some photos for a preview article. Turned out to be an old friend from when we both had dark hair :)

January 19 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
As I said, the previous number in Mambomania was the first section choreographed. This was the second. I think the dancers enjoy this section because so much of it is performed sitting down :)

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Started working on the first section of the ballet today. When we first meet Don Juan, he is a servant in a rich man's house. The more we see what is going on, we realize that he is having a clandestine relationship with not just the mistress of the house, but the couple's daughter as well.

So today we set the central pas de deux for the Don and the mistress and then the pas for the Don and the daughter. Both pieces came together fairly quickly, due in no small part to the dancers themselves.

January 18 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Finished the section for the girls with baskets in Don Juan. Re-arranged Don Juan's patterns in the piece as well. It works nicely as a lead in to the Gypsy section. Also, worked out the Gypsy exit at the top of the 2nd Act.

I was a big fan of episodic tv shows in the sixties, so I stole a little conceit from them. At the top of Act 2, the dancers repeat the last 30 seconds of Act 1. It's sort of a "on last week's episode of Don Juan." It works well.

Cleaned more of the Dream as well.

January 17 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
Still doing the Mambo en Sax number.

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Taught company class this morning. Then worked on more on the section with the girls with baskets. Took a little longer than expected, but happy with the work done. Should finish it tomorrow. Afterwards, worked on the Dream and Gypsies. Cleaning little by little.

Then had to cover for a teacher for an evening adult class.

So right now, on schedule.

January 16 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg
This section is set to a piece called Mambo en Sax. Basically Mambo played on a saxophone. It was the first part of Mambomania to be choreographed. I think I even started it down on some kids at Chula Vista High when I was teaching there.

Rehearsal Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg
In the ballet, its a nice section because it starts to bring everyone back together.

Daily Stuff: One of my dancers had car problems this morning so I had to go pick her up for class. SInce I was in early it gave me an opportunity to go over the music for the section of Don Juan I was setting today.

We ran through the Dream and Gypsy sections and I cleaned up some arms and body facings. Its going to be a long process with those sections, but I am not rushing it. Then started working on a section that happens in the middle of the first act. After he is kicked out of a wealthy family's estate, he starts journeying across Spain. And in order to feed himself has a few amorous encounters with various women on their way to market with their wares. I managed to stage about half of it. Max is out of town, so Joe is filling in and doing a nice job.  Its very cute and sweet. And hopefully, funny. The ballet needs to have humor.

January 15 2013

Rehearsal Sarah Nyfield and guys Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Rehearsal Sarah Nyfield and guys Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Finished both the Dream and Gypsy sections of Don Juan. The Gypsy section took an unexpected turn, but it just seemed right. I won't give it away. You will have to come see the show to see the twist.

Taught at Florence Elementary School. We spent ALOT of time working on jumping with pointed feet and stretched legs.

January 14 2013

Sarah Nyfield in Rehearsal for Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: "Day Off" Which meant I had to get an ad ready for the paper. So not quite a day off. Our general manager returns from vacation tomorrow, so it will make things go back to the well oiled machine that is the San Diego Ballet.

January 13 2013

Rehearsal Sarah Nyfield and guys in Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Rehearsal Sarah Nyfield in Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Taught company class today. It's a bit cool here right now. Some might say cold. So the dancers were all bundled up at the start of class.

Worked max into the Gypsy section. Did everything but the final "fight." We will get to that on Tuesday. The pas de deux looked good. I had forgotten how many parallels there are in it to the quartet from Guitar Concerto. They will go together well.

January 12 2013

Rehearsal Sarah Nyfield and guys in Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
A nice little section where the guys keep egging the young lady on to dance... and she complies.

Daily Stuff: The dancers were self motivated today. They just had to relearn two pieces of the gypsy section of don Juan that had been shown at a fundraiser last year. I couldn't run rehearsal because needed to attend a Creative Catalyst Foundation mtg in Descanso.

A very productive day.

January 11 2013

Rehearsal for Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
The ensemble women always seem to get a kick ot of performing this section.

Rehearsal for Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
It has a couple of fun passes across the stage where the get to play at being Vegas show girls.

Daily Stuff: Worked more on the Third Movement of the Dream. Almost finished. It will probably take another hour to get right. But happy with it. It's properly dramatic.

Also started to work with all of the Gypsy tribe. We manage to remount the first sequence.

January 10 2013

Rehearsal Elana Lewis in Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg
This section was an interesting one for me. Its a group piece that is lead by a female soloist. When I first set it, I knew the dancer I wanted to create the piece for, but she wasn't quite ready for it. Point of fact was that she wasn't even in the original cast. So it was performed by a technically good, competent dancer with a strong personality. While that first dancer was well received, she wasn't what I really felt the part needed. The next year I was able to recast the part with the girl I originally wanted, who brought a more ambiguous, remote quality to the part. Making me much happier.

Daily Stuff: Taught company class today.  personally thought it was a good class, but you never know. In rehearsal, we worked on the Dream. We got about a third of the way through the 3rd movement of it. FInger crossed and we can finish it tomorrow. Also re-ran the gypsy solos.

January 9 2013

Rehearsal Matt Carney in Mambomania Fall 2012 Photography : Manny Rotenberg
The last part of this particular solo has always been a bit problematic. There are two sustained acrobatic moves and a kip up form the floor. There have been times where I have had guys who would have been great for the solo, but cannot perform the final three moves. Normally, I would change things for dancers if a step doesn't work for them, but in this case the music doesn't permit it.

Rehearsal Matt Carney in Mambomania Fall 2012  Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Finished the first movement of the Dream in Don Juan today. It looks pretty good. Started the second movement with the ensemble. Should be able to finish that in the first hour of rehearsal tomorrow and then go on to the tricky 3rd movement. The central Quartet of the second movement has been working in another studio and seems to know it.

Also started the Gypsy section today. Retaught the three solos that precede the pas de deux and they also look fine. Onward!

Went to a meeting for sponsoring organizations for the Creative Catalyst grant today. Since I got a fellowship last year, I thought it would be good to sponsor a fellow this year. We shall see what happens :)

Getting back in the swing. Taught at Florence yesterday. Adult class tonight at SDSB.

January 8 2013

  Rehearsal Matt Carney in Mambomania Fall 2012   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

 Rehearsal Matt Carney in Mambomania Fall 2012   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: First day back! Very nice rehearsal today. We started working on a dream sequence that anchors the Second Act of Don Juan. It's your typical ballet large corps of women dancing for one guy dream sequence But the nice thing is that I was able to reuse a Guitar Concerto I did a couple of years ago to make up the bulk of it.

When I was looking for music, it turns out that this particular composer would reuse melodic themes in different pieces. So as I was listening to unrelated concertos, I kept hearing new variations and treatments of old themes. Which may not be so much for originality, but its great if you are looking for an evenings worth of music that sounds as if it was written to be heard together.

January 7 2013

Rehearsal Matt Carney in Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
Boy solo number two. Much more sensuous. Actually makes a reference to the girls's serpentine arms in the pervious number.

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
This peice features ALOT of floor work. It was choreographed on dancer/choreographer Peter Kalivas, but it had many steps that I would have found fun to do.

Daily Stuff; Did a site visit at a venue for a possible show today. Can't say more as it isn't public yet.

January 6 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
Following the first boys solo, we have La Nina Popoff. Which is just as bouncy as the guys solo. You will note that many of the girls will be wearing soft shoes in these pics rather than the harder pointe shoes. Since it was a tech rehearsal, they were saving their shoes. Sometimes they get them just right, so they want to keep them for a show.

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
During this solo, the guy from the previous number keeps sneaking in to dance with her. Along with jumps, this solo is marked by a motif of serpentine arms with bourees that travel quite a bit across the stage. She is a bit like a flying snake. There is also an I Dream of Jeannie head and hip motif throughout.

Daily Stuff: Back to work tomorrow.

January 5 2013

Rehearsal Christopher Jovilar in Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Have to work on the calendar for the next month. Dancer rehearsal availability can be a bit tricky.

January 4 2013

Rehearsal Christopher Jovilar in Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
The girls number is followed by the first of the boys solos. It's fairly bouncy and ballistic.

Rehearsal Christopher Jovilar in Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
The piece was choreographed for a well loved local dancer named Ricardo Peralta. One of the great losses to our dance community came a few years back when he passed away much too soon. But Ricardo was a very ebullient performer and person, so he wouldn't want to be remembered with anything but the joy he brought to the stage.

Daily Stuff : Went in today and responded to some audition inquiries. Worked on a flyer for a Don Juan event at Qualcomm. And then finished up a grant for new computers and a sound equipment.

January 3 2013

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
After the first solo, we have a girls section set to Maria Bonita. This song is extremely important in Mexican culture as it was written by Mexico's most celebrated composer, Agustin Lara, for his wife at the time, Maria Felix, known as one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

It gives the "girls" a chance to be women when they dance.

Daily Stuff: Worked on Don Juan stuff.

January 2 2013

Rehearsal Stephanie Maiorano in Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff: Last real day off. Tomorrow, I return to the office. Looking forward to it.

January 1 2013

Rehearsal Stephanie Maiorano in Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg
Just a note about Mambomania. The opening section is set to the tune Patricia. because it was famously used in the "orgy" scene in Fellini's La Dolce Vita, I kind of patterned the women in the piece after Fellini types. The first female solo in the piece features a lot of hoping and jumping on pointe and is often a huge audience favorite. A fellow choreographer once told me that they felt that it was placed to early in the piece, as its a bit of a show stopper. I disagree. To me, it sets up the idea that ALL of what the audience is about to see is going to be exciting.

Rehearsal Mambomania   Photography : Manny Rotenberg

Daily Stuff : New Year's Day. Just me and the dog most of the day. I did go see Argo tonight. It was a good movie. Not life changing but good. I just wish that the lead had been played by a real Mexican American. I think it would have made a more interesting film.