Les Petits Ballets Santa Barbara : September, 2007
Ballet Santa Barbara’s Fourth Season, at Center Stage Theater, featured four works including three world premieres and a West Coast premiere. The world premieres included Carrie Diamond’s Eternity, Desire, and Other Predicaments set to music by José-Luis Greco, Brian Carey Chung’s Ah, Love! Let Us Be True to One Another to Fauré songs sung live by Stephanie Sivers, and Lizabeth Skalski’s Rendezvous au jardin, to a Mozart flute quartet, also performed live. Carlos Fittante presented the West Coast premiere of Wayang Blues, a theatrical duet with puppets to Etta James. Interspersed through the program were three solo variations based on Ravel’s Menuet sur le nom d’Haydn, each arranged by Eric Valinsky for a different combination of instruments: one was choreographed by Skalski, one by Chung, and one in collaboration by Diamond and Fittante.
Friday, September 28, 2007 at 7:00pm
Saturday, September 29, 2007 at 2:00pm
Sunday, September 30, 2007 at 2:00pm
Featuring Guest Artists
Carlos Fittante, dancer and choreographer
and Stephanie Sivers, soprano
Artistic Staff
Carrie Diamond, Artistic Director
Eric Valinsky, Music Director
Carlos Fittante, Christina Sanchez, Artistic Associates
Patricia L. Frank, Lighting Designer
Ann Bruice, Costume Designer
The Choreographers
Brian Carey Chung
Carrie Diamond
Carlos Fittante
Lizabeth Skalski
The Dancers
Colleen Bialas
Eduardo Cueto
David Eck
Carlos Fittante
Ellen O’Connell
Christina Sanchez
Denise Woods
The Musicians
Stephanie Sivers, soprano
Norma LaTuchie, flute
Nicole McKenzie, violin
Hillary Schoap, viola
Hilary Clark, cello
Eric Valinsky, piano
Gitte, Stage Manager
Clarice Hillebrand, Costume Construction
Guilia Miorelli, Costume Assistant
The Program
Rendezvous au jardin (2007) — World Premiere
Eduardo Cueto
Norma LaTuchie, flute
Nicole McKenzie, violin
Hillary Schoap, viola
Hilary Clark, cello
Interlude I (2007) — World Premiere
Norma LaTuchie, flute
Nicole McKenzie, violin
Hillary Schoap, viola
Hilary Clark, cello
Ah, Love! Let Us Be True To One Another (2007) — World Premiere
Eduardo Cueto, David Eck, Carlos Fittante
Stephanie Sivers, soprano
Eric Valinsky, piano
Wayang Blues — West Coast Premiere
In this piece, I juxtapose the stories of two couples, the ideal relationship of prince, Rama, and princess, Sita, seen in the video animation of the shadow puppet play taken from the Hindu epic, Ramayana, and the everyday reality of Mr & Mrs (Petrie, Bunker, Connor, etc.), portrayed by the dancers, who ultimately find the same lasting love.
II. “Tomorrow Night” (When All the Thrill is Gone)
III. “You Can’t Talk to a Fool”
IV. “I Won’t Cry Anymore”
V. “Only Time Will Tell”
VI. “How Do You Speak to an Angel”
Mr. & Mrs: Denise Woods and Carlos Fittante
The Young Couple: Ellen O’Connell and David Eck
The Bartender: Hylla Fischer
Interlude II (2007) — World Premiere
Norma LaTuchie, flute
Eric Valinsky, piano
Eternity, Desire, and Other Predicaments (2007) — World Premiere
Scene 1: Damiel and Cassiel descend into the city, silently lifting people out of their everyday cares and despair.
Scene 2: Angels discuss predicaments of spirituality vs. mortality. Damiel: “Instead of forever hovering above I’d like to feel a weight grow in me to end the infinity and to tie me to earth.” Cassiel: “Do no more than look! Assemble, testify, preserve! Remain spirit! Keep your distance. Keep your word”. They are interrupted by a couple in the throes of personal turmoil.
Scene 3: Damiel falls in love. His desire to join Marion on earth strengthens and grows within him.
Scene 4: Cassiel helps the dying woman experience a peaceful death, releasing her fondest memories… “The morning light. The child’s eyes. The swim in the waterfall. The spots of the first drops of rain. The sun. The bread and wine. Hopping. Easter. The veins of leaves. The blowing grass. The color of stones…”
Scene 5: The angels meet again and dance together as friends. Damiel tells Cassiel he will give up being an angel. “I’m going to enter the river…Forward in the ford of time, in the ford of death. We are not yet born, so let’s descend. To look is not to look from on high, but at eye level.”
Scene 6: Damiel, now fully human, sees color for the first time, feels the power, uncertainty and immediacy of life. Cassiel, ever watchful and vigilant, keeps close watch on him and the rest. To be continued.
I would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Colin Gardner, Professor of Art, UCSB, for his help in the development of this ballet and for freely sharing his expansive knowledge and perspective of Wim Wenders’s, Wings of Desire.
Eduardo Cueto as Damiel and Christina Sanchez as Cassiel
The Mortals
Colleen Bialas as Marion, David Eck, Ellen O’Connell, and Denise Woods
Postlude (2007) — World Premiere
Hillary Schoap, viola
Eric Valinsky, piano
