Archive for cities
November 28, 2007 at 2:29 pm · Filed under ballet, dance, tour, travel, architecture, projects, DAVID, american ballet theater, Repertory, cities, architects, opera houses, david hallberg, traveling, companies, process, san francsico, benjamin millepied, giselle, american balet theatre
As the City Center season winded down and ABT went on a week tour to Berkeley, CA, bringing some of the rep. that we did in NYC, the dancers then embarked on a four week lay off. My travels brought me all over the country, and then to Europe for a week of preparations for an upcoming debut.
The week in Berkeley was filled not only with performing repetoire that I enjoy very much, Ballo Della Regina and Benjamin Millepied’s From Here on Out, but also all the advantages that Northern California can bring. I had a wonderful meal at Chez Panisse, hailed as one of the best restaurants in the country, and soaked up some great art, the photography especially interesting, at San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA).
Outside my house, Camelback Mountain
With the tour finished and with the reason that I don’t get home to Phoenix as often as I would like, I spent a quick 48 hours being pampered by the ‘rents’ as only ‘rents’ could do. But most importantly, seeing my BEAUTIFUL GOLDENS, as I have shared with you in past enteries.
On to Minneapolis, where I spent another 48 hours gawking at the architecturally stunning Walker Art Center, newly redone by Herzog and De Meuron, the same architects that completed the refurbishment of the De Young Museum in San Fran, as Sloan pointed out on a recent visit. I had a much anticipated meeting with a very well respected artist that might possibly turn into a future project. We shall see…
The Opera House in Amsterdam
I only stopped over in New York, to do a little laundry and re pack my bags, to go onto Amsterdam for a week. Guillaume Graffin, a former Paris Opera trained and 17 year principal/ballet master with ABT, moved to Amsterdam 2 years ago and joined the Dutch National Ballet as ballet master. When he was working over at ABT, we formed a certain bond in the studio… he having coached me in my first full length ballet with the company, Swan Lake. I have always wanted to go over there and work with him, continuing my desire to learn from him as an artist, and I finally had the free time to do so. I am going to debut Giselle in the spring, with none other than Stella Abrera, GORGEOUS dancer with the company, dancing the lead. One of Guillaume’s great roles was Albrecht in Giselle, and I found the opportunity of him passing on his expertise to a fresh Albrecht something that I couldn’t pass up.
Guillaume in Giselle
The week was an intense one, mainly just talking about the character of Albrecht, and dissecting what to portray through out the story. Guillaume is such an intuitive artist, that I can only try and absorb what he tells me ‘he did’ or chose ‘not to do’ when he was dancing the role. It will take much more preparation for the actual debut but it was really nice to break the ice with someone I respect so much.
And that leads me here… back home, working on more preparations for the Met Season, and at my computer, finally with internet service and The WInger.
Recent Posts by david hallberg
August 31, 2007 at 1:04 am · Filed under ballet, dance, tour, rehearsal, DAVID, cities, city tour, david hallberg, companies
After a 12 hour delay in New York, taking off to Buenos Aires, I have finally arrived and started a two week tour with the Teatro Colon and Paloma Herrera. Due to a massive renovation of the Colon in Buenos Aires, the company is doing a tour of the ‘other’ major cities in Argentina. This being my first time to the country, I will have first hand experience at real Argentinian flair, not just the BA side of things. Comparable to someone visiting NYC and not other cities in America. A different world this presents.
Not having much rehearsal time with the company, just a small dress rehearsal, we came into our first city, Rosario, for just one show. Dancing with Paloma is fun but doing so in her own country, where she is very well known, is another ball game. The audiences love her and they have that latin warmth.
Our first theatre as you can see was gorgeous (such a small pic), and we are now in Cordoba, where we are performing in a stadium… think sports. I’m assuming that something like this quite common here, as I have heard of Julio Bocca performing in stadiums all the time.
The dancers in the company have been so nice and took me out for Argentinian Asado, which is MEAT MEAT MEAT. Amazing, to tell you the truth. I have found the company, and all the dancers and staff to be overly warm and welcoming, which can be tough in the dance world, not to name any names.
So here I am, culture shock again, like Japan last year! More to come.
Recent Posts by david hallberg
July 15, 2007 at 6:44 am · Filed under backstage, travel, washington dc, friends, theatre, cities, SANDI, musical theater, performing, broadway
Posted by Sandi DeGeorge
We’re outside as well!
I can totally identify with the NYCB dancers’ experience at Saratoga as we are performing Camelot at Wolftrap center for the performing arts outside of Washington D.C. Here Rachel soundchecks.
This is my second time performing in an outdoor venue in a huge musical. We did Dr. Dolittle last summer at Kansas City Starlight. What do these two venues have in common? It’s HOT!
BUT, that said, it’s amazingly fun and cool to think your performance is just kinda going off into the universe. Today was the first time I did a matinee in daylight. That is so weird. It really made me appreciate lighting design! How the lights really help the audience focus- and how we are so used to blackouts to transition. So strange to just enter and exit new scenes in full light. The Audiences here have been so wonderful. We also got a tour of the capital building courtesy of Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas- whom one of our cast members met on the plane.
I had no idea that there were frescoes in the U.S. Capital building!And a handpainted italian marble floor worth about $50 Million!
Monica, Rachel and I (am I on Friends? ) took a walk to the Lincoln memorial after a show- so beautiful.
We also rented a canoe and went rowing on the Potomac.. FUN!
Next stop is Pittsburgh- and our closing!!! I won’t be re-joining the tour when it starts again in September. Back to the grind in NY for me! I will miss my tour friends so much. Unlike NYCB, I don’t know if I’ll ever get to work with these people again. And almost our entire cast is based out of LA, with me in NY.
Recent Posts by sandi degeorge
Recent Posts by sandi degeorge
April 10, 2007 at 8:33 pm · Filed under tour, dance event, DAVID, art, cities, david hallberg
| | Posted by David Hallberg
I am so ready to be a New Yorker again…
After a month and a half of touring the country with two days in the city in between… I am ready to be a little domestic and enjoy spring in the city. Probably the most beautiful time here in crazy NYC.
Over this past weekend, I traveled to Dallas to dance in TITAS’s command performance gala with Gillian Murphy. While it was a plesure to dance with others such as Yuan Yuan Tan, Lorena Feijo, and Herman Cornejo it was Gillian and I’s trip to the Nasher Sculpture Garden that made it all worth while.
Here are a couple of pictures taken in the garden with Gillian, in one way or another, acting out what we were seeing.
Recent Posts by david hallberg
April 6, 2007 at 8:08 am · Filed under tour, travel, art, seattle, cities, SANDI, life, camelot
| | Posted by Sandi DeGeorge
Well, it’s time for us to move on… we have five shows this weekend, and then it’s off to Detroit. I did get a nice sunny day for sight seeing.
The next day it was gloomy again, but got to go to the Snoqualmie Falls. Beautiful!
Also went to see the Chihuly chandelier in the symphony hall. So cool.
we are really sad to leave this fabulous city.
Recent Posts by sandi degeorge
March 28, 2007 at 8:51 pm · Filed under tour, travel, washington, sports, seattle, tea, cities, SANDI, musical theater, life, day off
| | Posted by Sandi DeGeorge
Seattle is mostly dreary but we love it here!
Went to REI and climbed “The Pinnacle”. I had never been on a rock wall before. So much fun!
Went with my buddy Rachel to Victoria, BC to the Butchart gardens where the tulips and cherry blossoms were in spring glory.
High tea at the Fairmont empress hotel.
A lovely day off- I love my job!
Recent Posts by sandi degeorge
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