Despite the chill that has pervaded Bloomington throughout the past week, with the advent of spring, the anticipation of warmer days ahead promise the excitement of new beginnings to both students and faculty. \nThe IU Ballet Theatre is no exception. \nThis weekend, the company will present "From Bournonville to Balanchine: An Evening of Legendary Ballets," a selection of three well-known pieces: the classical "Paquita," the modern American "Who Cares?" and the festive and vivacious "Napoli." \nThis production represents an interdepartmental collaboration, as each segment will be danced by the students of the Ballet Department of the Jacobs School of Music and accompanied by guest conductor Ronald Zollman and the IU Symphony Orchestra. The world-renowned ballets featured in this performance have been performed internationally, but have been given a new energy and enthusiasm by the dancers and production staff of this year's Spring Ballet.
'Patriarchs in the world of dance'\nTo many, the composition of this weekend's program, which includes different styles and a variety of storylines, may seem somewhat arbitrary. However, in addition to all similarly recounting love stories, each ballet was choreographed by a group of prominent figures in the ballet world that one press released called "patriarchs in the world of dance."\nDoricha Sales, a member of the ballet faculty, said in an e-mail that these segments were chosen for the varying styles they epitomize, including traditional Russian, Balanchine and Bournonville techniques. \n"These are three of the seven most recognized and established ballet techniques of the world," she said. "The faculty of the Ballet Department feels that studying and performing these techniques are one of the many important aspects in the superior training that is available to the ballet majors at Indiana University." \nThe dancers agreed that the instruction they have received in preparation for the Spring Ballet has been invaluable, especially in offering them the opportunity to work with renowned visiting and guest faculty members Glenda Lucena, Guoping Wang and Elyse Borne.
'A wide range of styles'\n"Paquita," choreographed by Marius Petipa and staged by visiting faculty member Glenda Lucena, is the quintessential classical ballet. Filled with challenging dance techniques, this melodramatic romance centers on the noble-born Paquita, who is stolen by gypsies as a child and later falls in love with a French officer, whose life she saves, according to a release. \nIn contrast, "Who Cares?" choreographed by George Balanchine and staged by visiting faculty member Guoping Wang, is a more modern love story. Set to the spirited tunes of George Gershwin, it captures the contagious energy of the Manhattan night life. \nThe final piece, "Napoli," choreographed by August Bournonville and staged by guest Elyse Borne, recounts the story of a couple in a small Naples village, whose lives and loves are tampered with by a mischievous sea demon. \n"This ballet is so interesting because it has such a wide range of styles," company member Michelle Mahowald said in an e-mail. "I have enjoyed being challenged to work in such different ways."
'Why I dance'\nMost notable in the IUBT's interpretation of these three timeless works is the enthusiasm with which company members approach such a daunting task. Because each piece is so stylistically different, dancers are granted the opportunity to experiment with varied types of technical expression. Senior Ted Keener looks forward to "Paquita," in which he has a principal role, because he will be partnering with his best friend, fellow dancer Mahowald, in this segment. \nDancer Lauren Fadeley is particularly eager to perform "Who Cares?" \n"It just feels so natural to me," Fadeley said in an e-mail. "The style of this ballet is different from the others, and that's just the way my body is meant to move. In this ballet, you can really get into the character and let loose and have fun, which is why I dance.
