The graceful elegance of Swan Lake. The Russian discipline of Paquita. The beauty of men in drag en pointe? Oh yes, we're starting the new year off with a bang.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo returns to Chicago's Harris Theater for one spectacular performance Jan. 17. The Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph, partners with The AIDS Foundation of Chicago to present Les Ballets Trockadero, with 100 percent of the net proceeds from this show benefiting The AIDS Foundation.
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The all-male ballet troupe Les Ballets Trockadero will perform Jan. 17. Les Ballets Trockadero's The Dying Swan. Photo by Sascha Vaughn
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The Trocks ( as they are affectionately called by their fans ) are an all-male professional ballet ensemble that tours the world with their unique parody of ballet and modern classics. The Trocks began in the mid-1970s in a late-late show in New York City's off-off-Broadway lofts. In the era immediately following Stonewall, when New York was experiencing a gay renaissance in its artistic and social scenes, the grounds were fertile for the Trocks' combination of wit, style and honed technique to grow and flourish. The group started as a few ballet enthusiasts presenting a playful view on ballet classics, but after some critical praise got the attention of national and international eyes, they quickly grew to a professional company that has since performed in over 500 cities across the world, touching almost every continent.
Of course, in the early days of the Trocks, they ran into some resistance from conservative Christian right-wingers ( who hasn't? ) for their sanctioned cross-dressing, but since then they have been embraced by artistic communities and praised for their pluck and pageantry. As Tory Dobrin, artistic director of Les Ballets Trockadero, puts it, 'It's hard to find fault with a good show, one that's fun and has lasted a long time.' And that is exactly the Trocks' mission, to present dance in a fun, entertaining way that makes the ballet aesthetic accessible to a wider audience. The Trocks know that their audiences have a very specific expectation of their shows, and they don't hesitate to deliver. 'We don't lose sight of what we're about,' Dobrin explains. 'We're a ballet company of men, and audiences are coming to have a good time. ... We're not creating museum pieces.' That, in combination with a high quality production, has certainly been a key to their incredible success in a relatively short amount of time.
Being a ballet company composed entirely of men certainly presents its own set of challenges. For one, when the Trocks were starting out there were not many male dancers dancing en pointe, something usually reserved for females. Toe-shoe sizes big enough for a man's feet had to be specially ordered. But nothing about the male body is inherently opposed to pointe work. Though women can bring more finesse to pointe because they are lighter, men bring more power. So the Trocks made a career out of proving men can dance pointe as well as women and today men all over the world are studying pointe and choreographers are creating roles for men en pointe. Did the Trocks incorporation of male pointe work influence the aesthetics of the greater ballet community? It's hard to say for sure, but it certainly seems like it helped.
The Trocks bring an insightful knowledge of dance as well as an absurd sensibility to their parodies. They extract the comedy from otherwise serious ballets by exaggerating the flaws and foibles of the characters and over-emphasizing the drama. For their Chicago engagement, Les Ballet Trockadero will present three works: Les Lac des Cygnes ( Swan Lake, Act II ) , with music by Tchaikovsky; Go For Barocco, with music by Bach; and Paquita, with music by Ludwig Munkis. For a performance that is smart, creative, and above all funny and entertaining, this show is definitely not to be missed. 312-334-7777; $40-$75.
Also coming up:
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago ( HSDC ) and The Chicago Symphony Orchestra ( CSO ) celebrate their fifth season of collaboration with a special one-night-only performance on Jan. 11 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. The program features the return of the very first collaboration between HSDC and CSO, counter/part ( sic ) , choreographed by artistic director Jim Vincent to movements from Bach's Brandenburg concertos. The program also previews The Constant Shift of Pulse, choreographed by HSDC guest artist Doug Varone and set to music by John Adams, which will have its official premiere in HSDC's 2008 spring series in late March. 312-294-3000; $17-$110.
Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre joins the Chicago Sinfonietta to celebrate the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in a performance that combines dance, gospel music and orchestral pieces, both traditional and modern. This annual tribute will take place at Lund Auditorium at Dominican University, 7900 W. Division, River Forest, Jan. 20, and at Chicago's Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan, on the official holiday, Jan. 21. Deeply Rooted will debut a new choreographic work set to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. 312-236-3681; $26-$40.
Lastly, the Chinese New Year Spectacular returns to Chicago for the third consecutive year with performances at the Arie Crown Theatre at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore, Jan. 25-26. Described as the largest celebration of Chinese culture in the world, the Chinese New Year Spectacular uses an international cast of more than 70 dancers, vocalists and musicians; an elaborate musical score; dazzling projections; and stunning costumes to transport audiences back almost 1,500 years to the height of China's Tang Dynasty. 312-559-1212; $28-$128.
