We caught up with artistic director Damian Woetzel today to talk about his experiences with the ballet "A Suite of Dances".
LJ: How important is the rapport between the dancer and the musician in this ballet?
DW: "Like many things in Robbins' repertoire, it's important, but it's important that it's subtle. We are aware of each other and we are in concert. The acknowledgment at the beginning sets the stage. There's a moment when I have my back to the cellist, and at a specific point in the music there is an acknowledgment of the cellist's presence. [He begins to look over his shoulder but doesn't complete the glance] It's not even eye contact, it's contact in a deeper sense."
LJ: What else would you like people to know about "A Suite of Dances"?
DW: "Misha's ability to dance at an extraordinary scale, and yet with extraordinary nuance, and sophistication—it was, and is untouchable. And to dance these roles which are so filled with subtlety and virtuosity is an exciting and important challenge."
(left) Photo by Kyle Froman, 2007.
(middle) Photo by Costas, cir. 1997.
(right) Photo by Andrea Mohin.
We also talked to Roman Mejia about his upcoming debut in Robbins' "A Suite of Dances."
LJ: You're dancing two Robbins works this week that were made on Misha. How do they differ from other Robbins rep you've performed?
"A lot of Robbins' work is very poetic and human, but these are different because they were made for Misha. There's times where they explode full of technique and there's times where it's very lyrical and soft. "A Suite of Dances" is extremely understated because it was made on Baryshnikov when he was 47."
LJ: What have you learned from getting inside of these Misha roles?
"Misha was very versatile, he could go from soft to extremely athletic very quickly. I've learned how to pace myself in his roles."
LJ: Is there a piece of advice that you carry with you when rehearsing this ballet?
"Personality. Each variation is completely different. The first one is like you're making it up on the spot. The second is the most technically demanding, the third is a rest, and the fourth just goes on forever. But personality takes it a long way."
Photos by Chris Duggan, 2022
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