Pointe To Pointe

New York Sun
By MARY STAUB June 18, 2007

Three pas de deux in two weeks is a lot of material for any young dancer. Three pas de deux in two weeks with a new partner performed under the critical eyes of the former directors from the Kirov Ballet and Paris Opéra Ballet is a hurdle of nearly unimaginable proportions. But that is exactly what a group of 17- to 24 year-old dancers has had to tackle during the New York International Ballet Competition, which holds its final rounds beginning Wednesday at Lincoln Center.

"All dancers have had to learn things the weekend before, but to learn something and be judged on it is different," a dancer, Chris Mackenthun, said after rehearsal at the start of his second week in New York. "Usually it doesn't have to be perfect because things can be off, and the everyday audience doesn't notice. This time, though, the judges will know when you're off, and they'll let you know."

For the past two weeks, 48 young ballet dancers have been sweating out the minutes, up to nine hours a day, six days a week, at an uptown dance studio, eagerly learning the steps and styles of three pas de deux — an excerpt from "Coppelia," the Black Swan pas de deux from "Swan Lake," and "Divertimento," a contemporary work by Victoria Mazzarelli, who won the gold medal at the first NYIBC in 1984 — from scratch. Dancers compete in three rounds and a gala performance for various prizes, including one-year contracts with American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet. Past winners include ABT principal dancer Gillian Murphy, Royal Ballet principal dancer Sarah Lamb, and Paris Opera Ballet dancer Ludmilla Pagliero,

Several dancers, including Mr. Mackenthun, entered the competition with the added difficulty of only recently having met his or her partner. Five weeks prior to coming to New York, Mr. Mackenthun flew down to Costa Rica to meet Margarita Peralta. The two dancers became acquainted and rehearsed for five weeks, then took a one-week break before meeting again in New York in early June. Ms. Peralta was driven to seek a partner outside Costa Rica because, as she put it, "in Costa Rica there are no male ballet dancers and people don't really care about ballet."

With dancers from 19 countries including Russia, the Philippines, and Costa Rica, NYIBC unites competitors from very distinct sets of circumstances.

Some are just out of school and have little stage experience, while others have worked as full-fledged company members for years. Some arrived solo, others with well-rehearsed partners. Some have toured widely and know what it is like to adapt to new stages, while others have mainly local recitals under their belt.

From day one during class it is evident to most competitors — or participants as they prefer to be called — that their fellow dancers bring with them a wide range of experience, schooling, technique, and style. But what might be cause for contention, competition or intimidation, has instead been a source of inspiration for most.

"It's been a great learning experience to watch different dancers and many I can see where they've been trained," a dancer, Crystal Hartford, 17, said while sipping Coke at the end of a nine-hour day of dance. Because ballet technique can be taught in various styles, including the Russian Vaganova technique, the Italian Chiccetti style, and the American Balanchine method, the same steps can appear wildly different on dancers from various backgrounds. "When rehearsing, I want to watch others, too, because it's so interesting to see what others are doing versus what we're doing," Ms. Hartford said.

Although the rules demand that all dancers must learn and perform the exact same steps and nothing be altered — regardless of how much an individual might struggle with a particular piqué turn to his right versus left — the dancers are encouraged to freely integrate into their performances their own heritage, background, schooling, and culture.

"As judges, we have to see beyond the steps, beyond the extensions, jumps and turns, to what's inside the steps, the passion," the president of judges and the director of Dance Conservatory of New York, Valentina Kozlova, said. "Although they have to know the movement, it's not about technique. It's about how they relate to each other and it has to do with touching the heart of the audience. They must touch the audience, make you feel, and tell a story; that is the artistry."
The learning process, though, isn't limited to choreography. For some dancers, it includes learning English, and for others it means gaining more experience onstage, or dealing with exceptional pressures in a very short amount of time.

"I always hope dancers go away a little richer and wiser and have learned something about themselves," the competition's cofounder, Ilona Copen, said. "Of course, I hope that they go home as better artists, but I also hope they gain a generosity of heart towards other dancers and more openness towards other cultures."

Until July 24 (Lincoln Center, 212-721-6500).