Ballet Austin goes to WA D.C. Photo blog 3
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ANNE MARIE MELENDEZ Ballet Austin Austin, Texas USA BIO | POSTS |
The cover of the “Style” section in today’s Washington Post:
Full article:
First Trainee Show!
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DYLAN WARD |
So this is my first post for The Winger and I’m really exciting to share my experiences as a SFBS Trainee for the next year. The Trainee program is somewhat of a bridge between the gap of school and company. The Trainee program consists of 12 dancers from all over the world chosen by SF Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson and SFBS director Lola de Avila and is led by Jean-Yves Esquerre. We perform from October to May throughout northern California and also perform in the SFBS student showcase at the end of the school year.
Here are the this years trainees (Boys L to R: Dylan Ward, Harrison James Wynn, Stephen Jacobson, Mattia Cambiaghi, Myles Thatcher and Steven Morse)(Girls L to R: Jordan Hammond, Brynn Gilbert, Koto Ishihara, Kimberly Braylock, Kristina Lind, Sylvie Volosov)
Our first performance was this past Saturday at the grand opening of the California Academy of Sciences on this beautiful outdoor stage at Golden Gate Park. Here we performed Helgi Tomasson’s Menuetto, a pas de deux from Tomasson’s Handel: A Celebration, a contemporary pas de deux called Crumbling and Parrish Maynard’s Fractals.
One of the greatest parts of being a part of the program this year is originating a new role in Parrish Maynard’s new ballet, Fractals. The Trainee Director Jean-Yves Esquerre asked Parrish, who has choreographed for SFBS Student Showcase before, to create a contemporary ballet for the trainee’s this year. Fractals is about 15 minutes long in one movement and is performed by three couples and is set to exciting electronic music. Each couple has a separate pas de deux and and everyone has their own solo as well as several group dances.
This show was so much fun and i feel like it went really well considering we only started the school year less than a month before this show and practically fried our brains trying to remember all of the choreography. Here are some pictures from our first performance.
The outdoor stage in Golden Gate Park
Myles Thatcher, Jordan Hammond and Steven Morse in Helgi Tomasson’s Minuetto
James Wynn, Brynn Gilbert and Dylan Ward in Parrish Maynard’s Fractals
Recent Posts by Dylan
Introducing Dylan Ward
Hello Wingers!
I’d like to introduce you to our newest contributor, Dylan Ward.
As a new member of San Francisco Ballet’s Trainee Program, Dylan will continue the conversation from San Francisco, as his friend and fellow contributor Madison embarks on her new journey with the Hamburg Ballet.
Comprised of students from the most advanced level at the school, trainees are chosen by SFB Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, School Associate Director Lola de Avila and Trainee Program Supervisor Jean-Yves Esquerre. Dylan and his fellow trainees will have the opportunity to perform throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including understudying and dancing with the San Francisco Ballet.
We wish Dylan all the best for this exciting year and look forward to sharing the experience with him.
Welcome Dylan!
Recent Posts by Dylan
Ballet = Sport
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KRISTIN SLOAN |
Dominique Dawes, from the photo essay/audio slideshow by Bess Greenberg - I love this one
Ballet (and baby blue) in the Sports section of the NY Times - alongside BMX racers, gymnasts, snowboarders, and rock climbers - in a photo essay by Bess Greenberg about current and retired athletes and their outside interests.
Bess shot these on a massive, old 8×10 camera, into which she had to slide an individual film sheet for every shot.
Very honored to have made the cut.
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
Ballet Austin goes to WA D.C. Photo blog 2
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ANNE MARIE MELENDEZ Ballet Austin Austin, Texas USA BIO | POSTS |
Being in Washington D.C. has given some of us the opportunity to meet up with old friends now living just a train ride away. Here’s a group of BA dancers with a couple old friends (Ronnie “Good Hair”, Jen) and a new friend, SFB dancer Sara Ivan:
Becky showing off her tasty brunch at Dupont Grille:
Since we have our own program to get back rather quickly when we get back to Austin, we’ve been trying to rehearse what we can while in D.C. We have three out of seven couples for Twlya Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs here that can rehearse, that was on today’s to do list. Here’s Kirby getting into her high heels:
Orlando and Jaime rehearsing “Domani”:
Paul and Ashley rehearsing “That’s Life”:
Jaime icing her randomly swollen toe before fitting it back into her point shoe for our next rehearsal:
And of course the man who keeps us all together, get’s us where to we need to be, and on-time, our company manager, Eugene Alvarez:
Tomorrow we get to go into the Eisenhower Theatre for our first dress rehearsal. Hopefully more to come from there… Here’s the lobby area of the always beautiful Kennedy Center, and the poster in the lobby advertising this week’s upcoming performances:
More to come!
Recent Posts by anne marie melendez
Ballet Austin goes to WA D.C. Photo blog 1
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ANNE MARIE MELENDEZ Ballet Austin Austin, Texas USA BIO | POSTS |
An impromptu blurry photo trying to catch our connecting flight to Washington D.C.
Most of us slept on the plane, including my seatmate, Orlando…
Collecting our bags after arriving… luckily all of our baggage arrived safe and sound!
Michelle doing “Hungry Model” while we wait for our ride to the hotel…
Chris and Becky showing how overwhelmed they were by the sights at our nation’s capital…
This is what happens when you pack seven pairs of jeans…
After our first day of rehearsals Paul, Allisyn, Ashley, and I went exploring to the National Zoo followed by dinner at a beautiful Italian Restaurant.
Things have gotten off to a great start and everyone has been very welcoming. It’s always interesting to see how another company works and put the two different dynamics together. I’m hoping to be able to get some rehearsal shots, so stay tuned!
