tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41520407575680848392024-02-06T21:41:21.109-08:00Let's Talk about Grandiva & EloelleDirector of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-72770785625589365592012-01-01T14:49:00.000-08:002012-01-01T16:43:24.802-08:00Well It has been a long time since I posted, years in fact. However, I think it is time to catch up with what has happened, and a lot has happened!<br /><br />Grandiva has gone through a huge transition. In fact, I left the company as director in 2009, because there were a lot of things in my life that were not making me happy, and I felt that I needed to step back and re evaluate. That being said, the company made an effort to reinvent itself and had a terrible time of it. For that I am truly sorry.<br /><br />I had moved to West Palm Beach, Fl. and was working with dance at a private college. However, I found that I missed the hustle and bustle and started on a new journey with a new company that I called Les Ballets Eloelle, (LOL). A funny thing happened at this point. I was asked to somehow become involved again with Grandiva. So I have gone from being an assistant to a Dean of Dance at PBA University to directing two companies at the same time or so it appears. <br /><br />2012 should be a very interesting year!Director of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-67608893425742660172008-11-25T21:43:00.000-08:002008-11-25T23:02:59.224-08:00Laguna Beach Dance Festival<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QXunrgKu2ipdKcFaa2poEb00iN0h1S7QhQyskFf0EqEo2lpNBedcLO4kojoAm1ovb_t-lBJ60HSrRQXhO7KkuxGtLQVs5h_Lb3bOON4Hke_cxzN6VrFimUoB-uqpJ7SqLf0FPI4JCxx6/s1600-h/DCP01717.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272851545458060162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QXunrgKu2ipdKcFaa2poEb00iN0h1S7QhQyskFf0EqEo2lpNBedcLO4kojoAm1ovb_t-lBJ60HSrRQXhO7KkuxGtLQVs5h_Lb3bOON4Hke_cxzN6VrFimUoB-uqpJ7SqLf0FPI4JCxx6/s320/DCP01717.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div><div>ON Friday September 28 (7th?) I got up to catch my flight<br />to the CADANCE Festival in Laguna Beach, California. I<br />had not planned on calling a car because I figured I<br />wasn't travelling with too much so it would be easy to<br />catch a cab. Unfortunately, the weather was not so<br />cooperative. When I walked outside it was raining<br />heavily and the wind was really blowing strongly. Just<br />getting to the corner of my street to hail a cab left me<br />soaked. When I got to the airport, George was not there<br />yet and the lines were long. George called me on his<br />cell and he and his friend showed up about 5 minutes<br />later. We made our way through the line and George and I checked<br />in, the baggage rules have changed for domestic travel<br />and even after planning we had to pay a large fee to get<br />the Spartacus tent and costumes on the flgiht. The three<br />of us got on the flight to Dallas and then George and I<br />caught a connecting flight to Laguna Beach. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272839453832009442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyxOLDYdss3waF0_4L54esY6jWM0R904CYXOk9EcJt3t9I0XcphtIH33yAr-2C2RXFYIkyJqXmlfNsKdjmgjaV6BhDfEpy9wF2yn_HxVXFoqELC5x83oxQ4WjF0k_V9t9z0OanV_QGII-/s320/DCP01597.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>When the plane flew over Laguna I was struck by the<br />incredible beauty of the area. It has clear blue skies,<br />impressive mountains and its by the Ocean. We were<br />picked up at the airport by one of the volunteers for the<br />Festival. As we waited for our bags the guy walked right<br />up to me and said you must be the dancer I am looking<br />for. He said George and I stood out which is why he<br />approached us. I don't know if thats a good thing. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VrPhx9Vz0_fvfrKuHqsC0RxRBo3dQqqn8wDye0AvgC9vRKQFPWsi8s1ZDVKozUf8R1rHTLnMfU42j4ANuILbDuQkfDahyTYRbY3dEB52V11dJws9eGpsxi4FlDvG3RMUC2hF87XiqLNB/s1600-h/DCP01616.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272840840564662642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VrPhx9Vz0_fvfrKuHqsC0RxRBo3dQqqn8wDye0AvgC9vRKQFPWsi8s1ZDVKozUf8R1rHTLnMfU42j4ANuILbDuQkfDahyTYRbY3dEB52V11dJws9eGpsxi4FlDvG3RMUC2hF87XiqLNB/s320/DCP01616.JPG" border="0" /></a> He drove us to a vacation cottage by the beach, our home<br />for the next few days. The cottage was really charming<br />with two bedrooms </div><br /><br /><div></div><br />and a living room<br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxzwkILikWFiOQL_hsboXtttQu5LtdwejlIYCdO4LCdDfI0DYFJfVb8rtBBwarY-t2jcS1YtjJE2QTSnidLY_iAIJaqNzjymVrcwaSVA85OI-hMN5-nE7d8gwbf3h90YFwtmCG3v4HaHf/s1600-h/DCP01607.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272843032467761138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxzwkILikWFiOQL_hsboXtttQu5LtdwejlIYCdO4LCdDfI0DYFJfVb8rtBBwarY-t2jcS1YtjJE2QTSnidLY_iAIJaqNzjymVrcwaSVA85OI-hMN5-nE7d8gwbf3h90YFwtmCG3v4HaHf/s320/DCP01607.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and completely<br />decorated in americana; quilts, antique dolls, antique<br />furniture, it was very confortable and inviting.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>We had the first night free so we just releaxed. </div><div><br />The next morning we got up early for class and a dress rehearsal.<br />The class though had been cancelled and so we were left<br />to explore for an hour before we had our dress rehearsal.<br />We walked around the city and watched a master class<br />being given to students by one of <strong>Trey McIntyre's</strong> dancers <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PEP5J7Tn5bKIY_RkIYsLWeEMiWc_6eLWTFIKNzeEYaIUqtZOp8GVOpJnwdos7X2f6gfrU17jx4yn3FEUKDg7og6SXRWAKk8opRarNCSwsVHrkikIkHOVXmKPTpBZVUdUDnErxueF3IMb/s1600-h/DCP01650.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272845046136300930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PEP5J7Tn5bKIY_RkIYsLWeEMiWc_6eLWTFIKNzeEYaIUqtZOp8GVOpJnwdos7X2f6gfrU17jx4yn3FEUKDg7og6SXRWAKk8opRarNCSwsVHrkikIkHOVXmKPTpBZVUdUDnErxueF3IMb/s320/DCP01650.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>before returning to meet with the very talented stage<br />manager and lighting designer. They made our rehearsals<br />really quick and easy. After we returned back to rest at<br />the cottage. We went back to the theater and we were<br />running late so we hurried on to the stage where all the<br />dancers from the other companies were already gathered.<br />I could see curiousity cross the faces of several of the<br />dancers as we entered since we didn't really know most of<br />them.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7B6Zj2GITyxXrmDq5Wk5Ic-V0sBx4lzAk_GmTp7hCB_wCRQgTCa8tXFv7MpXCE40VNqkaOMXNEW7R_hnawpU3IjCFXcRFii_EBOqbTTPtdTumrLkDZfL2hzyscG9v1bvoQIlKZNP2NSJ/s1600-h/DCP01647.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272844263266946530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7B6Zj2GITyxXrmDq5Wk5Ic-V0sBx4lzAk_GmTp7hCB_wCRQgTCa8tXFv7MpXCE40VNqkaOMXNEW7R_hnawpU3IjCFXcRFii_EBOqbTTPtdTumrLkDZfL2hzyscG9v1bvoQIlKZNP2NSJ/s320/DCP01647.JPG" border="0" /></a>I recognized <strong>Marcello Gomez</strong> from open classes in<br />New York and he was very nice inviting me to stand near<br />him. </div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I left class a bit early, I was worried about not<br />being ready in time. I was out of practice getting my<br />make-up on and preparing myself for the stage so I<br />decided it was best to be cautious and take an extra bit<br />of time. I took a few minutes to go back in and rehearse<br />the last lift in Spartacus with George before returning<br />to getting ready. The theater was an intimate space with<br />few dressing rooms so all the male dancers were set up<br />outside in a tent to get ready. I made the mistake of<br />thinking that California would be hot and in fact it was<br />very cool outside and I had not brought any warm dance<br />clothes with me because of the weight restrictions on the<br />flight. My legs and back tightened up as I got ready. Its<br />always a bit odd when you are applying your make-up and<br />changing into your alter ego and are surrounded by<br />dancers who have never seen a male ballerina get ready.<br />I noticed several people eyeing me as I applied my eye<br />shadow and lipstick. They tried to politely steal<br />glances my way. I'm sure they thought I was odd. </div><div>I made a second mistake which was wearing very soft pointe shoes. </div><div>Spartacus went fairly well the first night<br />but both my legs cramped from the cold and the soft<br />shoes. It was not one of my best performances. I was<br />smart enough to change my pointe shoes for the Dying Swan<br />and was able to do a better job with that. Because of the<br />feathers falling, I had to add a whole bit where I swept<br />the stage of feathers after the bows which was very fun<br />and seemed to be taken well by the audience. Alot of<br />the dancers were in the wings for both pieces we did,<br />they were really supportive and once they saw us perform<br />we had made many new friends. After the performance a sit<br />down dinner and fundraising event was held by the<br />festival. It was held outdoors with live music under the<br />stars. George and I were almost the last to leave. The<br />second days performance went much better for us. A<br />chiropracter was backstage and he fixed me so that I felt<br />100 percent for the performance. The audience the second<br />night also seemed to know what to expect and we recieved<br />a huge ovation. </div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGarCVIQr1u5hMdUs6Q-DQcERD_SraySPOLk0Bb7eUSFmwfmTpBUhJr8Ge6RzMqLKQJJZ6bmWYj93vJT_4G7ON7p2gjA0uz4cYgwBtZxqGJ22F7ZEZQiF3wCMu4L41mENfDiCQiwou5P8R/s1600-h/DCP01655.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272845046512999682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 106px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGarCVIQr1u5hMdUs6Q-DQcERD_SraySPOLk0Bb7eUSFmwfmTpBUhJr8Ge6RzMqLKQJJZ6bmWYj93vJT_4G7ON7p2gjA0uz4cYgwBtZxqGJ22F7ZEZQiF3wCMu4L41mENfDiCQiwou5P8R/s320/DCP01655.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>After the second show we had another<br />great party with the dancers and with <strong>Jodie Gates</strong> the<br />director of the festival to celebrate</div><div>(This is a terrrrible picture of me at the party with Jodie, by the way Ari is named after Jodie Gates and Pearl Lang)</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArVS8Cor6IrBY8ZWTY2cbXFguIFh5ukV-MckfliN3IrQFQGvMwHDfW9jyJVpMs_doxmaJQTkVgsCqiCepcHr5WtIjbIZir4ywRD2Kp48gQqCdWu2ZHR12jtRxtBZqg5CU2WTwuanBYg9c/s1600-h/DCP01683.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272851547676088002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 252px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArVS8Cor6IrBY8ZWTY2cbXFguIFh5ukV-MckfliN3IrQFQGvMwHDfW9jyJVpMs_doxmaJQTkVgsCqiCepcHr5WtIjbIZir4ywRD2Kp48gQqCdWu2ZHR12jtRxtBZqg5CU2WTwuanBYg9c/s320/DCP01683.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>George and I spent an extra day in Laguna walking on the beach and<br />meeting with Lars, a friend of Paul (Boos). Lars had<br />visited us in Japan and travelled with the company for a<br />few weeks. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>That evening we were invited to dinner with<br />one of the board members who treated us to a home made<br />dinner. The return home was not quite as pleasant. It began with<br />our flight being cancelled. George was planning on<br />reconnecting with his friend in Dallas and flying to JFK<br />but the only flight they could put us on was through San<br />Francisco and to Laguardia. We explained that George was<br />planning on being picked up at JFK by family and that<br />arrangements had already been made. The airline said<br />they couldn't do anything for us but they would upgrade<br />us. We discovered that meant that they upgraded our<br />boarding priority only. Needless to say, George was not<br />happy. It was not a great note to end such a great trip<br />but we did make it home safely. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>For those of you were wondering, </div><div>I had already made plans to be a part of this festival before I </div><div>announced my retirement in Japan. I have not totally decided whether<br />I will perform in special performaces but I do want to<br />thank everyone for supporting me throughout my career.<br />I enjoyed my retirement performance in Japan and will<br />treasure it but I will also treasure this performance as<br />I shared the stage with fellow dancers from a variety of<br />important dance companies and reconnected with a<br />community of dancers one last time. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiM-oWfirC1X_Ws5QPkm23EF7voNHTxafbLyLXM43Qhom0CPEBqk04G-3R-8-UoXZbfb5P2r74eZzAKqJo2pP5K3c3z7gW913dXI-p5e-6NufgDaJQkJfbLXACCGtKS7lWhEhBHcjJKUBO/s1600-h/DCP01651.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272845047840846978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 278px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiM-oWfirC1X_Ws5QPkm23EF7voNHTxafbLyLXM43Qhom0CPEBqk04G-3R-8-UoXZbfb5P2r74eZzAKqJo2pP5K3c3z7gW913dXI-p5e-6NufgDaJQkJfbLXACCGtKS7lWhEhBHcjJKUBO/s320/DCP01651.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><strong>Maria Ricetto</strong> (Soloist from ABT, originally from Uruguay and me after the second show) one of the many new friends I made. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Director of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-90095513112330377832008-10-25T10:01:00.000-07:002008-10-25T10:44:22.473-07:00A new Beggining the end of 2008 and start of 2009Hey everybody, <br />The last two years have been incredibly busy and I have lost track my diary/blog. The 200 performances in basically a year and a half in over 100 cities was in a word "Exhausting". <br />Some of the big news is that I decided to officially retire. What this means is that I will not be dancing at the same level as I did, especially in Japan. I might perform for a special show here and there but it is sadly time to put that part of my life behind me. I had two extraordinary events to share with you.<br />My final Gala Performance in Japan and a guest performance in California at a festival.<br /><br />The final Gala was set for the Last Day of the Japan "Recipe for Laughter tour 2008". I've seen many retirements and tried to base mine on what I have seen. I have seen some done with great videos and retrospectives and with many dancers performing all the special roles associated with the person retireing and I have also seen versions where basically the retiring ballerina dances everything and people wonder if there is an ambulance waiting for her at the end of the show. I like the second because you really get to see the ballerina slowly deteriorate over the evenings performance and it is an apt comment on a dancer's career. <br />I opened the evening with a role that I have dancing for 18 years, Odette in Swan Lake Act ll. Although this was not what I consider my first major role, that was Medora in Corsaire, It was a role that was the most important in the Male Comedy Ballet repetoire. It is a role I never tired of and always had challenges for me. I will miss Odette, she was a fun character to play because there was so much room for interpretation and so many technical challenges. For the curtain call I was surprised by Paul Boos, my friend and the ballet master presenting me with a dozen roses on stage. I actually choked up because it was completely unexpected. <br />The second act opened with Pas De Quatre. It is a ballet that was set with the 4 greatest ballerinas of the time. I thought it was fitting to cast the 4 dancers in Grandiva who have the most seniority. Allen, Oswaldo, Me and Bart. This was Bart's first performance in pas de quatre and the role he performed was also performed by the youngest star of the time. Bart was the youngest of the four of us and his inclusion infused excitement into the ballet for the audience and the cast. <br />I continued with Spartacus pas with George. This is probably the last duet that my career has been associated with. It was fitting to include this ballet because it represents a huge departure from what Male Comedy Ballet was like 20 years ago. It is a ballet that uniquely represents Grandiva and me personally. This ballet is deceptively difficult. Actually George and I have attempted to teach this ballet to other casts but have not been successful. I have hope that we will be able to pass this ballet to another generation because as a choreographer I think this is one of my best duets. <br />I closed the second act with The Dying Swan. When I first performed this ballet it was based on the idea that sometimes this short solo is done in its entirety for a curtain call. I first added one extra run of the ballet with a different ballerina and then decided too extend that to two extra ballerinas. When I thought of this idea I thought listening and watching the same rendition 3 times would be too much for the audience so I decided to make the third version, my version, really a slapstick version with a special recording. Just between you and me, I also thought the other dancers doing the role were much more elegant physically and so I thought it would be better for me to concentrate on comedy. From a comedic standpoint I think Dying Swan is probably one of the funniest things in my rep and so I felt I needed to include it.<br />The evening ended with a special version of Minkus Gala. I wanted to do something different with this ballet since we do it so regularly and we changed all the solos in the middle to give dancers an opportunity to dance either a role that was new to them or one that was associated with them. I also wanted to be able to dance with all my male partners, Tetsushi, Momchil, Oswaldo and George. I did miss dancing with Baris :(, but I couldn't fit anything else in without exhausting myself to the point of injury. I did dance Carmen with Baris on the last regular performance of the season so....for those of you who travelled to see that one thank you. Momchil and I danced Sleeping Beauty, and Oswaldo and I danced Star Spangled Ballerina a ballet that was created for me. <br />The final curtain calls were a show all by themselves. It was overwhelming for me. The huge numbers of bouquets of flowers and all the tears from the fans (at a comedy show!) were touching and a bit hard to handle for me. The dancers presented me with a diamond ring to remember them and the evening by. I will cherish it and all the years I have danced professionally starting at Ballet Florida in 1983 to my last official performance with Grandiva in 2008Director of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-23059327466077079782007-09-24T16:25:00.000-07:002007-09-24T16:49:59.793-07:00one third of Australian tour is finishedI am sitting outside my hotel room now by the pool in Milura and we have now finished the first third of the tour. We still have 7 weeks of touring Australia before we move on to New Zealand for 3 weeks. The distances between cities in Australia are vast and life seems to be a long series of bus rides here. There is some beautiful country and the mostly sold out audiences have been loud and enthusiastic. I am enjoying it but it is hard. Giovanni sprained his ankle and has been out for a week but should be dancing in the next few days and Momchil left to go work with Suzanne after working with us for about a month. George just went home for 9 days to be with his daughter for her birthday and to be the best man at a wedding. Roberto arrived safely from Biarritz where he was dancing in a peformance at a festival. Baris is set to come join us for about a month to take the place of Momchil. He should be arriving in about 2 weeks from now. Peter Brandenhoff has been my roomate on tour and he and I danced Swan Lake for the first time two days ago. He is an excellent partner. I have also tried to give other people opportunities. Emanuel has danced Dying Swan and Marlon has danced one of the lead girls in Go For Barocco. We have several new dancers who are adjusting and doing very well. It has been a very nice atmosphere dispite the difficulties. We will probably end up doing somewhere between 80 and 90 shows before the tour is over and that is ALOT!Director of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-19123491451902061052007-08-26T19:41:00.000-07:002007-08-26T20:05:51.974-07:00The MEN IN TUTUS TOUR in Austrlia BeginsThis is the current schedule, there are several TBA's and a few TBA that I missed :)<br />MEN IN TUTUS AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND 2007 - AS AT AUGUST 28, 2007<br />August<br />Monday<br />27<br />Shepparton<br />Eastbank Centre<br />8.15pm<br />Tuesday<br />28<br />Griffith<br />Regional Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br />Friday<br />31<br />Tamworth<br />War Memorial Town Hall<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />SEPTEMBER<br /><br /><br />Saturday<br />1<br />Wollongong<br />Performing Arts Centre<br />Sunday<br />2<br />Wollongong<br />Performing Arts Centre<br />Monday<br />3<br />Albury<br />Performing Arts Centre<br />Tuesday<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />7<br />Melbourne<br />Her Majesty's Thaetre<br /><br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />9<br />Darwin<br />Ent Centre (Playhouse)<br />5.00pm<br /><br /><br />Monday<br />10<br />Darwin<br />Ent Centre (Playhouse)<br />7.30pm<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />12<br />Perth<br />Burswood Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Thursday<br />13<br />Mandurah<br />Performing Arts Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br />Saturday<br />15<br />Geraldton<br />Queens Park Theatre<br />8.00pm<br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />16<br />VICTOR'S BIRTHDAY (NO SHOW- Grandiva international holiday :) )<br /><br /><br /><br />Monday<br />17<br />Kalgoorlie<br />Goldfields Arts Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />19<br />Warnambool<br />Entertainment Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Thursday<br />20<br />Hamilton<br />Performing Arts Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Friday<br />21<br />Frankston<br />Arts Centre<br />8.15pm<br />5.30pm<br /><br />Saturday<br />22<br />Bendigo<br />Capital Theatre<br />8.00pm<br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />23<br />Mt Gambier<br />Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre<br />5.00pm<br /><br /><br />Monday<br />24<br />Renmark<br />Chaffey Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />25<br />Mildura<br />Arts Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />26<br />Broken Hill<br />Entertainment Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br /><br />Friday<br />28<br />Port Pirie<br />Keith Michell Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />5.30pm<br /><br />Saturday<br />29<br />Port Lincoln<br />Nautilus Theatre<br />8.00pm<br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />30<br />Whyalla<br />Middleback Theatre<br />2.00pm<br />OCTOBER<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Monday<br />1<br />Tanunda<br />Brenton Langbein Theatre<br />5.00pm<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />2TBA<br /><br />Wednesday<br />3<br />Adelaide<br />Festival Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br /><br />Friday<br />5<br />Warragul<br />West Gippsland Arts Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Saturday<br />6<br />Sale<br />Wellington Ent Centre<br />8.00pm<br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />7<br />Geelong<br />Performing Arts Centre<br />2.00pm<br /><br /><br />Monday<br />8<br />Launceston<br />Princess Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />9<br />Hobart<br />Theatre Royal<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />10<br />Hobart<br />Theatre Royal<br />Possible<br /><br /><br />Thursday<br />11<br />Travel<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Friday<br />12<br />Wagga<br />Civic Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Saturday<br />13<br />Canberra<br />Theatre Centre<br />8.00pm<br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />14<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />Monday<br />15<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />16<br />Bathurst<br />Entertainment Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />17<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />Thursday<br />18<br />Sutherland<br />Entertainment Centre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Friday<br />19<br />Sydney<br />TBA<br /><br />Saturday<br />20<br />Sydney<br />State Theatre<br />8.00pm<br />2.00pm<br /><br />Sunday<br />21<br />Castle Hills<br />Hills Centre<br />2.00pm<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />23<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />24<br />Penrith<br />Evan Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Thursday<br />25<br />Newcastle<br />Civic Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Friday<br />26<br />Port Macquarie<br />Panthers<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Saturday<br />27<br />Lismore<br />Northern Rivers PAC<br />8.00pm<br /><br /><br />Sunday<br />28<br />Gold Coast<br />Arts Centre<br />4.00pm<br /><br /><br />Monday<br />29<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />30<br />Brisbane<br />Lyric Theatre<br />8.15pm<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />31<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />NOVEMBER<br /><br /><br /><br />Thursday<br />1<br />Travel<br /><br /><br />Friday<br />2<br />Toowoomba<br />Empire Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Saturday<br />3<br />Caloundra<br />Cultural Centre<br />8.00pm<br />Sunday<br />4<br />Maryborough<br />Brolga Theatre<br />2.00pm<br />Monday<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />6<br />Bundaberg<br />Moncrieff Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Wednesday<br />7<br />Rockhampton<br />Pilbeam Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Thursday<br />8<br />Mackay<br />Entertainment Centre<br />8.15pm<br />Friday<br />9<br />TBA<br /><br />Saturday<br />10<br />Townsville<br />Civic Theatre<br />8.00pm<br />Sunday<br />11<br />Cairns<br />Convention Centre<br />4.00pm<br />Monday<br />12<br />Travel TO NEW ZEALAND<br /><br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />13<br />Wellington<br />St James Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Wednesday<br />14<br />TBA<br />Thursday<br />15<br />Wanganui<br />Royal Opera House<br />8.15pm<br />Friday<br />16<br />New Plymouth<br />TSB Showplace<br />8.15pm<br />Saturday<br />17<br />Auckland<br />ASB Theatre<br />8.00pm<br />Sunday<br />18<br />TBA<br />Monday<br />19<br />Travel<br /><br /><br />Tuesday<br />20<br />Taupo<br />Great Lake Centre<br />8.15pm<br />Wednesday<br />21<br />Hamilton<br />Founders Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Thursday<br />22<br />Rotorua<br />Civic Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Friday<br />23<br />TBA<br />Saturday<br />24<br />Tauranga<br />Baycourt Theatre<br />8.00pm<br />Sunday<br />25<br />Napier<br />Municipal Theatre<br />2.00pm<br />Monday<br />26<br />Palmerston Nth<br />Regent on Broadway<br />8.15pm<br />Tuesday<br />27<br />Travel<br /><br /><br />Wednesday<br />28<br />Invercargill<br />Civic Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Thursday<br />29<br />Dunedin<br />Regent Theatre<br />8.15pm<br />Friday<br />30<br />Christchurch<br />TBA<br /><br /><br />DECEMBER<br /><br /><br /><br />Saturday<br />1<br />Christchurch<br />Isaac Theatre Royal<br />8.00pm<br />Sunday<br />2<br />Timaru<br />Theatre Royal<br />2.00pmDirector of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-85212271156033893812007-07-09T07:07:00.000-07:002008-12-09T20:11:19.548-08:00Our Tour to Italy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lEpa7W5YtbB8pSjyAQZwypNrBnEl8UK40mHUwb71tZpFGzxO98_pNTBEtNSBKOt_w3yd7iQxJDVWgdd476aJxrWWy6O798x4cHIFUJ_eHgoyWYc1xcMKJFa9CvARBDuDGVr45T8VRYoU/s1600-h/DCP01373.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085200979008287170" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lEpa7W5YtbB8pSjyAQZwypNrBnEl8UK40mHUwb71tZpFGzxO98_pNTBEtNSBKOt_w3yd7iQxJDVWgdd476aJxrWWy6O798x4cHIFUJ_eHgoyWYc1xcMKJFa9CvARBDuDGVr45T8VRYoU/s320/DCP01373.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This is one of the really gorgeous buildings I saw in Pisa that I wanted to share with you.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhOjfcFIBHuSkqs51RBULF0JLC-1mThOI-zzCPivdLm0L7aOiRnP_NPmXxXe9w7Sp2gbsR11c4S2wWzAwER0NlVCtQYFBihA7JC7svrBhAvfY79kwgWf9g_VV5XB9srnz8liP-fO7nneM/s1600-h/DCP01352.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085200274633650610" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhOjfcFIBHuSkqs51RBULF0JLC-1mThOI-zzCPivdLm0L7aOiRnP_NPmXxXe9w7Sp2gbsR11c4S2wWzAwER0NlVCtQYFBihA7JC7svrBhAvfY79kwgWf9g_VV5XB9srnz8liP-fO7nneM/s320/DCP01352.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>This has been an incredibly busy and exciting year for Grandiva and for me. The tour to Italy was so much fun. We started in Cremona and then visited Vizenca and then went to Pisa and of course we couldn't leave without getting a picture of the famous tower. </div><div> </div><div>The Theaters were beautiful old buildings but the stage floors were raked (that means that they are inclined). They use to make floors this way so the audience would get a better view of the show but it is hard for dancers to work on them; especially for dancers that are not from Europe as they are not as accustomed to working on this type of surface. It takes a few performances to get use to the difference. Performing in these older grand theaters really gives you a sense of the history that theater has and it is a great feeling to be a part of it. We also hired a photographer to take pictures of us in the theater in Pisa. They are part of this year's souvenir program book. I love the way these pictures capture the beauty of the the theater. <br /></div><div></div><br /><div></div>Director of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-52485153043312139902007-04-27T06:18:00.000-07:002007-04-27T06:30:48.221-07:00Friday April 27th 2007We have finished our first three shows in Japan and it has been a very unusual time for the company. We have been plagued with many small injuries which has limited the casting of the shows. Brian Norris had an ankle injury which is now almost completely healed which I am happy about. George had a back injury in Italy which is almost healed also. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jai</span> has had a foot injury which also now seems to just be healing and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Momchil</span> has had an elbow injury which is almost healed. Roberto remained in New York to have therapy on his calf. He is healing well and will be arriving next week in time for our Tokyo shows. Sebastian had a rib injury and three other dancers are having trouble with their feet and legs. We have never had more than 3 people hurt at the same time and usually we have had only one and occasionally two so I have been going crazy. It is so hard to move forward with plans when unexpected happens. Still, I have been blessed because the younger dancers continue to blossom and this time has given them a great opportunity to dance new roles. I think by the time we reach Tokyo everyone will be almost completely well so I am looking forward to that. It will make casting and programming the shows so much easier and more interesting for the dancers and the audience. We continue to work on the new ballets, Who Dares?!, They Who Wore White Flowers and La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sylphide</span> all are finished and look great. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Momchil</span> and I are still putting the finishing touches on Manon. It looks like we will be having a few guest dancers this season also. I will write more about that next time.<br />VictorDirector of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4152040757568084839.post-22501399355835259072007-03-20T18:36:00.000-07:002007-03-20T18:51:24.195-07:00The Always in Fashion Year BeginsA lot of new things are happening at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Grandiva</span> this year and so trying to move forward and do new things has caused me to get behind in updating you on all the latest things that are happening with the company! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Grandiva</span> had a wonderful 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> season but as we move into a new decade I felt it was time to renew our commitment to explore dance and art by looking for new sources for creativity. Dance is a living <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">art form</span> that constantly changes as new personalities are added into the mix. Because of this it is not a museum but an exciting, ever changing experience to come to the theater and see artists at different levels of their careers. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Grandiva</span> has many veterans but also this season many young exciting performers continue to grow and take on more responsibility. Comedy is the ability to touch people in a very personal way and give them joy. Developing this talent in dancers is a process that is unique to every individual and that is why dancing in Male Comedy Ballet is so interesting and entertaining for me. Because of so many new exciting opportunities for the company we have hired several dancers to bring in new creative energy into the company. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Grandiva</span> now boasts of having dancers from more than 12 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">countries</span>. It is truly international and unique to be involved with artists from so many different parts of the world. I can honestly say that this season's group is one that I have enjoyed working with more than almost any other in the past. I think that you will find that the Diva's of 2007 are charming, fun, kind and passionate about performing. I will introduce them to you over the next few weeks.<br /><br />I will also like to tell you we had a wonderful time in Italy. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Cremona</span> was beautiful. I will try to write about different things in the coming days but I don't want to tell you everything in one sitting :)<br /><br /><br />Victor 3/21/2007Director of Grandiva and Ballet Eloellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10961867160178200586noreply@blogger.com5