| | Posted by Susan

This past weekend, I made my way over to Tucson, Arizona to visit with and to watch Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner perform in a gala performance celebrating the opening of Ballet Tucson’s 21st season.

Amanda, John and I became very good friends during their time in California. They have spent the majority of their last two months in Tucson, helping their long-time friend Mary-Beth Cabana, Ballet Tucson’s founder and artistic director, with both the company and the school.

The evening featured a special program that included a full-length Paquita and the world premiere of Larry–well, Lawrence–Pech’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Amanda and John added a Balanchine flourish to the evening with “The Man I Love” pas de deux from his Who Cares?.

Here are a couple of photographs I snapped while watching their final dress rehearsal:

Hunchbacked and disfigured Quasimodo (Joseph McGrath) is tortured in front of a gore-adoring crowd until gypsy Esmeralda (Deanna Doncsecz) comes to his rescue.

Archdeacon Claude Frolo (Daniel Precup), Quasimodo and Head of the Military Phoebus (Daniel Escudero) shun the barriers that keep them from Esmeralda.

Hunchback’s choreographer, Larry Pech, helps adjust the set before giving his cast a few notes.

Amanda, John and Larry chat before running “The Man I Love” pas de deux from Balanchine’s Who Cares?		Last-minute warm-ups are so personal. Amanda uses the time to stretch out her back. John, meanwhile, entertains her (and the audience!) with an impromptu series of time steps.

I truly wish I could have captured snapshots of Amanda and John actually dancing; the pas de deux was performed so beautifully and the couple was so blissful(ly in love) while dancing it.
The Balanchine Foundation, unfortunately (for me), maintains strict restrictions on the photographing, filming and, even, performance of his works. Far be it for me to mess with an organization that does such a wonderful job of preserving the works of a mastermind.