Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

[LimbsTheorem]

Hello, I was just trying to get information on Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and a search yielded very few (recent) results.

 

 

 

They do have a great website, but I was wondering if anyone knows about an affiliated school, SI, etc.

 

And does anyone have any knowledge of American dancers getting into the company, and the process that dancer went through?

 

 

 

Also, if anyone has just general info on the company they find interesting, feel free to share

Edited May 5, 2008 by LimbsTheorem

[Clara 76]

I've not seen them but I do know some things from Yoko Ichino who is a guest teacher for their company and has been on tour with them.

 

They have a mid-large size company of dancers by American standards, and their roster is multi-culti, though many of the dancers are French. The majority of the works performed are contemporary, but they do some Balanchine and a few story ballets as well.

 

Their dancers must be versatile, and there is at least one American dancer in the bunch.

 

That's all I know.

[mom2]

I don't know that there is an affilated school - there is one in Monte Carlo (Princess Grace Academy) - I do not know if it is associated at all with the company.

 

The Princess Grace School does have a summer program - and there is a link somewhere else here to discussions about that program.

 

We know a Canadian who is now with the company, but I have no idea how the dancer got there. I do not think it was via a summer program, more likely through a company audition.

 

We saw the company perform in August '06 in Monte Carlo - it was quite an impressive show!

 

m2

[vagansmom]

My daughter's friend, a Nutmeg Ballet graduate (and American), joined them this past year. She'd spent 2 and a half years (maybe 3?) dancing in the corps of Staatsballett-Berlin. She's very happy at Monte Carlo. It's much smaller than Staats. and she's dancing more.

[and5678]

PNB dancer Noelani Pantastico has just announced she will be dancing with Ballets de Monte Carlo.

[ceecee]

April Ball, native of Pittsburgh, and formerly of Boston Ballet is with this company. We recently saw Les Ballets de Monte Carlo's contemporary "Cinderella" which was outstanding. April Ball danced the lead role of "fairy/mother". You couldn't take your eyes off her!

[Doubleturn]

On TV I have seen their exquisite version of Sleeping Beauty which is contemporary/classical, impossible to define exactly. In past years in their advertisments for auditions they have given a minimum height for female dancers of 1.65m - about 5ft 5ins.

[vagansmom]

The dancer we know there is tall.

[LimbsTheorem]

thank you all very much!

 

 

Is there rep. mostly works by Jean-Christophe Maillot? I looked at their website and that's the impression I got.

 

What's his choreography like? What I could find on youtube seemed very contemporary/ approaching avant-garde (in a good way )

[Tiffany]

I saw their Cinderella when they were in New Orleans a few years ago. It was wonderful, but very contemporary. I can't emphasize enough (as everyone else has) that they are a very contemporary company; I don't know how the rest of their repertory is but their Cinderella indicated that they very much lean towards contemporary, not classical. Cinderella had very imaginative and creative choreography.

[dancemomCA]

I saw them in Ottawa, Canada, this year performing their version of A Midsummer's Night Dream - it was a fantastical performance, wild costumes, mime, comedic theatre with some spoken word/yells - Puck was hilarious - he drove around onstage on a decorated Segway that was turned into this big flower with his magical dust billowing out of a huge stamen. The choreography and costumes were sensuous/erotic, definitely contemporary, but not all the time - also neo-classical, the dancers' ballet training was very much evident and they were all very strong actors. Partnering was incredible, difficult yet effortless. The lead female (name escapes me right now) was stunning, tall, willowy but oh so strong and limber...she wore a sheer white body suit with strategically placed opaque decorations. I felt completely uplifted when I left the theatre. I would see them again in a heartbeat.

[NSMH]

A beautiful dancer, Carolyn Rose Ramsey; formerly of MCB, hometown, Vancouver is currently with the Company...