[NEohioPAL] Berko review: LES BALLETS TROCKADEERO @ Ohio Theatre and dance previews

[Roy Berko]

Trocks:  Men en pointe delight audience at Ohio Theatre 

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview 
Times

--coocleveland.com-

A sold out, standing room only audience displayed abandoned delight, complete 
with “bravos” and much applause, at the January 29 performance of LES BALLETS 
TROCKADERO de MONTE CARLO, lovingly called by their many admirers, The Trocks.

What was all the shouting about?  On the surface, men were dancing in tutus, en 
pointe, many portraying roles such as the Swan in SWAN LAKE, traditionally 
reserved for women.   Sound like a device to get people into the theatre?  It 
is.  But these are not guys who just spoof and do pratfalls. This is an 
international troupe of well trained ballet dancers who have added to the usual 
male role in ballet of being partners who carry the females around, are given a 
few minutes of solo circle leaps and a few bravado movements.  They are ballet 
dancers who have wonderful senses of comic timing and an ingenious 
choreographer.  This is the company that the New York Times dance reviewer 
terms, “Partly Goofy, Part Glorious, All Man.”  I might add, “Totally audience 
pleasing.”

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is an all-male ballet corps which parodies 
the conventions and clichés of romantic and classical ballet.  It has been 
around since 1974 and has toured the world to great accolades.

The troupe, which last appeared in the area around fifteen years ago, opened 
their program with SWAN LAKE, ACT II, danced to the music of Tchaikovsky.  This, 
their signature piece, tells the story of a beautiful princess, turned into a 
swan by an evil sorcerer, who is saved by the love of a prince.  It's probably 
the world's best known ballet.  But, if you haven't seen the Trocks version, you 
haven't seen SWAN LAKE.  Consisting of beautiful toe work, fine partnering, 
glorious costumes, a princess with facial stubble, pratfalls and comic 
interactions between the dancers, the audience transitioned between “bravos” and 
hysterics.

PATTERNS IN SPACE was a “post modern dance movement essay” in which three 
mismatched dancers tried their best to hold the audience's attention with 
creative movements, while competing for attention with two nerdy “musicians” who 
played the underscoring with paper bags, kazoos, bubble wrap, and pots and 
pans.  It was Spike Jones meets classic dance, with Jones, in the form of 
“musicians” Lariska Dumbchenko and Yuri Smirnov winning.  (All of the dancers 
have “Russian” as well as their traditional names.  The Soviet designators are 
all plays on words, such as Legupski, Paranova, Thickenthighya, Enimenimynimova 
and Ida Nevasayneva.)

LE GRAND PAS DE QUATRE found four dancers in constant competition to upstage 
each other.  Danced completely en pointe, the ability of dancers was only 
eclipsed by their ability to get outlandish attention.

A quick version of THE DYING SWAN, complete with a molting bird who kept losing 
its feathers while displaying the pangs of death, made the death more fun than 
tragic.  Those who have seen the Academy Award nominated movie THE BLACK SWAN, 
could only shake their heads and realize what a beautiful piece this could be 
when danced correctly.  Beautiful, but not as much fun.

RAYMONDA'S WEDDING was a “traditionally confusing divertissement in two scenes,” 
highlighted by a plot which “loses something in translation.”  Danced in classic 
ballet form, though the uneven story line “has baffled audiences since its 
premiere in 1898,” it was visually attractive and, as most of the program, 
filled with wonderful laugh sequences.  The “women” were all taller than their 
partners, causing visual illusions of tiny men lifting gigantic women.  (Many of 
the “females” were well over 6 and a half feet tall in their pointe shoes.)
 
Capsule judgement:  “This was the whole package,” “What fun,” “My goodness, they 
are really good dancers,” and “I hope we don't have to wait another fifteen 
years to get them back!”  These were comments made by the delighted dance 
concert-goers after the performance of LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO.  I 
definitely agree!

UPCOMING DANCE EVENTS

GROUNDWORKS--February 4 and 5 at the Breen Center, 8 PM.  The program includes 
two world premieres. Tickets:  216-961-2560

INLET DANCE-- Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Center, 400 E. Washington Street,, 3 
pm on February 27.  For information go to: http://inletdance.org

VERB BALLETS-- February 11, 8 pm at the Breen Center.  For tickets go to 
verballets.org or call 216-397-3757.

OHIO DANCE THEATRE-- 7:30, February 25 at The Breen Center.  Tickets-- 
440-774-6077, information at www.ohiodancetheatre.org.

DANCING WHEELS--March 5, 2011, Night at the Races fundraising event at the Dance 
Wheels Studio. Tickets and information--216-432-0306.
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info.  His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com 
and www.NeOHIOpal