Marcelo Gomes: World-Class
Dancer--and Choreographer--and Class Act
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| | Marcelo Gomes in Tristesse |
Marcelo Gomes' name is known to any follower of ballet. After joining American Ballet Theatre in 1997, Gomes was promoted to Soloist in 2000 and to Principal in 2002. In the course of his illustrious career, he has danced about every major male role in the canon, and has created new roles as choreographers have been inspired by his artistic and technical mastery. Always determined to challenge himself and expand his boundaries, Gomes has been adding the role of choreographer to his staggering CV. The World Dances first spoke with him in 2013, early on in his choreographic career, about his collaborative and musical approach. We recently caught up with this consummate artist following the California debut of his work Tristesse as part of the Tour de Force Segerstrom Center for the Arts celebration. Gomes spoke with us about his development as an artist, his view of ballet's future, his advice for aspiring dancers, and more.
What are you most proud of in your career?
There are so many moments I'm proud of and thankful for. The first is being a member of American Ballet Theatre, the company that has given me so many opportunities, not just to dance, but to grow as an artist and as a man. Becoming a principal dancer with ABT holds real significance and weight for me; it's something I don't take for granted. So many great male dancers--Mikhail Baryshnikov, Julio Bocca, Fernando Bujones, Jose Manuel Carreno, Angel Corella, Ethan Steifel, so many others--have been where I am now. I try to honor that heritage. I am also incredibly proud to be an example to future generations, like these great dancers were for me.
Also, I recently created my first ballet for ABT, AfterEffect. It was a real "coming full circle" moment, because when I joined the company at 17 years old, I certainly never thought I would be making a ballet for the company.
How do you think you have matured or changed as a choreographer since you started choreographing?
I think of it more as evolving rather than changing. The more experience I attain as a choreographer, the more I want to explore... and do... and say. As both a dancer and as a choreographer, you're met with new challenges every day, therefore one must always stay true to who you are.
What do you think about the future of ballet when you watch up and coming artists?
It's an incredibly bright future! Dancers these days are super talented--stronger and faster than ever before. One thing I would remind them is to not forget the artistic element of the performance, and to know the meaning and motivation behind each step when telling a story.
Read more from Marcelo Gomes including his valuable advice for young dancers.
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Miami City Ballet Dancers Rebecca King and Michael Breeden Share Insiders' Glimpse into the World of Ballet
Miami City Ballet dancers Rebecca King and Michael Breeden collaborate on an insightful podcast series called Conversations on Dance. The podcast is the newest feature of King's popular and inspiring blog site, Tendus Under a Palm Tree. Since the series premiered in June, Conversations has leveraged an intimate communication style to probingly delve into a wide range of topics that bring personal perspective to ballet journalism. The World Dances spoke with King and Breeden about what it means to them to share important stories from the ballet world, dancing at Miami City Ballet, their experience working with world-class choreographers, advice for aspiring dancers, and more.
What drew you both to Miami City Ballet?
RK: I came for the school originally. I knew the company had a lot of Balanchine rep and that was really interesting to me. I got lucky. They started using me in the company and I immediately realized how special this place is and that the ballets they are doing are great. I knew, "This is it. This is the place for me." That's kind of a unique story. People often move around a lot before they find their forever home in ballet, but for me it came quickly.
MB: I got bit by the Balanchine bug at SAB when I was 15 and I never looked back. I was a little too short to be at New York City Ballet, but I was craving a Balanchine core in the rep. That's what I found here. Definitely the rep was what drew me here, as well as getting to work with Edward Villella, who had worked so extensively with Balanchine.
How do you think it impacts you as artists to have the podcast as a different approach or connection to your art form?
MB: It's always a great reminder and source of inspiration. For instance, we recently did an interview with the Delgado sisters, principals at Miami City Ballet. It made me come in the next day reinvigorated about dancing and reminded me of tenets I hold dear to my heart about what kind of dancer I want to be. Just as a beautiful performance or work of art can inspire you, your friends can provide a source of inspiration. RK: I have to echo everything that Michael just said. I had the same experience when we spoke with Zoe Zien. The conversation we had [about Balanchine technique] was so inspiring and it's been on my mind since we talked. That's been an unexpected benefit. I think when we're talking with visiting choreographers [such as in this new podcast with Justin Peck] it will provide more perspective for our work with them. There's a lot to be discovered! Read more on Rebecca King's and Michael Breeden's heartfelt connections to the Balanchine technique, working with Alexei Ratmansky and Liam Scarlett, and their wise recommendations for dancers.
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Thanks to Our Dance Teachers: It's Great to Be Back in the Studio
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| Melissa Chapski--Dutch National
Ballet Junior Company |
Welcome back to the studio! September is always such a fun time to get back to your home studio, back with friends and the teachers you know and love. If you attended a summer intensive or convention, it's a great opportunity to show off, practice, try out, and expand on what you learned. Dancers all over nation told Harlequin Floors and The World Dances this summer how much they appreciate their teachers. Here are a few words of thanks and recognition from Harlequin Floors Scholarship winners for their dance teachers. Enjoy these grateful words, and remember to express your thanks for your dance teacher this week!
Melissa Chapski, January 2016 scholarship winner says, "I've been dancing with intent to become a professional for four years. I studied at Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York City and began dancing with Dutch National Ballet's Junior Company in August 2015. I would like to acknowledge my director, Ernst Meisner, who offered me a contract while I was competing with the variation in my video from Raymonda. Transitioning to a company can be very difficult, but coming to HNB's junior company and receiving the guidance of Ernst has been so incredibly helpful. I'm also really thankful for my wonderful teachers in school, Mr. Ellison and Ms. Forrest. They taught me so much about everything and I will keep it with me for the rest of my life."
Viviane Lovato, March 2016 scholarship winner writes, "Foremost, I would like to acknowledge Barbara LeGault, who coached me for Grand Pas Classique, as well as Victoria Vittum who is my director at Ballet Center of Houston. Also, I was fortunate enough to receive some coaching with Luis Fuente and Marybeth Arrington. I first learned this variation at a summer intensive and enjoyed it very much. I learned so much during the coaching and got to apply things that I had been working on over the summer."
Juilliard student and choreographer Madi Hicks writes, "I would love to thank Alexandra Wells for helping me jump hurdles in my technical dancing these past two years and David Parker for believing in me as a choreographer and pushing me in composition class."
Read more thanks from Harlequin Floors Scholarship-winning dancers and their profiles on TheWorldDances.com in the Meet the Winners section.
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TheWorldDances E-Newsletter Team
Publisher: Karla Johnson
Editor: Tamara Johnson
Producer: Ester Rodriguez
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September 7, 2016
Follow
The World Dances!
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Congratulations to the August 2016 Harlequin Floors Scholarship Winners
Harlequin Floors is honored to support dancers by awarding $1000 in scholarships every month. Harlequin cares about dancers--your health, safety, helping you to perform at your peak, keeping you dancing for as long as possible, your success, and your future. Harlequin celebrates dancers and your teachers. Watch the four August scholarship-winning videos and enter your video today for the opportunity to win one of four $250 scholarships in September. We look forward to seeing you dance!
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Judges' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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| | Princeton University Ballet
Coney Island Ballet |
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Judges' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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Eddieomar Gonzalez
Modern
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Viewers' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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Kara Buckner
La Boutique Fantasque
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Viewers' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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| | Denise Rodriguez |
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The World Dances
more inspiring photographs of dance
from around the world.
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New Career Opportunities
in Dance
It's an active job-search time of the year in the dance world. Check out more than 50 current job openings on TheWorldDances.com. Recently announced opportunities include a need for Ballet Teachers at CityDance in Rockwell, Maryland and an Associate Director of Adult Education at San Franciso Ballet. San Diego State University seeks an Assistant Professor: Theory and Practice of Dance. Atlanta Ballet is looking for an experienced Company & Assistant Stage Manager (CM/ASM) for a full-time position. Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival has an opening for a full-time Manager of Institutional Support. Milwaukee Ballet has a Director of Development position available. We wish the organizations looking for skilled talent and the highly qualified professionals seeking new roles the best of success in finding the right matches for all of you.
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Signal Hill, CA - Two Dance Classes from The Academy of Dance
$5
67% OFF
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