Summer Plans: Company Men

The Company's on summer break from their rehearsals and performances here at Richmond Ballet, but it doesn't mean they've slowed down! Here's what the Company Men and Apprentices are up to this summer:

Igor Antonov traveled with Cecile to Aruba and France during the beginning of the summer for vacation and to visit family. After his travels, he returned to Richmond and is teaching for the School of Richmond Ballet Summer Intensive Program, working on renovating his home, fishing with his father and friends, keeping up with the yard work, and finding some time to relax as well!

Thomas Garrett started off his summer with Maggie Small dancing the role of Siegfried in Act II of Swan Lake in San Angelo, Texas. He also traveled to Humboldt County, California, to participate in Cinderella along with some of the other Richmond Ballet dancers. Now he has headed up to New York City to dance with one of Richmond’s favorite choreographers, Jessica Lang! After working with her for six weeks, Tommy will return to Richmond just in time for the start of the season.

Trevor Davis, having finished his first season as a company dancer, Trevor took a few opportunities to dance as a guest artist around Virginia, but is spending most of his summer here in Richmond. Along with his visiting brother, Marty, Trevor is enjoying time relaxing and is taking ballet classes as well.

Dylan Keane spent some time home in South Carolina working, golfing, swimming and enjoying some summer time off. He and the other apprentices are now back in the studio focusing on training in the School of Richmond Ballet’s Summer Intensive.

Samuel Lariviere is dancing with his fellow apprentices in the Summer Intensive Program at Richmond Ballet, after having had some time to visit home. While home, Sam took classes at the Nutmeg Conservatory (his alma mater), worked for his dad, hiked, camped, and spent time with his brother and sister.

Thomas Ragland’s summer includes excursions far outside his hometown of Richmond. Thomas performed the ballet Sleeping Beauty in Williamsburg, Virginia, and joined some of his fellow Richmond Ballet dancers in California for New World Ballet’s Cinderella. Next, he will participate in the National Choreographer’s Initiative as a dancer on which four up-and-coming choreographers will set entirely new works.

Ariel Rose returned to the Ballet Municipal de Lima, Peru's national ballet company, to perform with them as a guest soloist in their productions of Snow White and Romeo and Juliet, as well as to visit family there. This summer Ariel is also taking three more college courses online from the University of Massachusetts, where he has begun his Junior year.

Fernando Sabino went to Harrisonburg to work with Rockingham Ballet Theater before traveling out to California to perform in Cinderella. He then spent two and half weeks dancing in Puerto Rico! After all that dancing and traveling, he is now enjoying some well-deserved down time here in Richmond before starting back up with rehearsals for the 2011-2012 season.

Phillip Skaggs, orchestrator of the California trip that included so many of the RB dancers, performed as a guest artists in the New World Ballet’s production of Cinderella in Humboldt County. Phil then performed Sleeping Beauty in Burlington, Vermont. Now, Phil is passing his days teaching ballet and working on his recently purchased and self-renovated house…all while waiting for the arrival of his first-born son at the end of July! He and his wife, Katie (former Richmond Ballet dancer, Katherine Lynch, who has just received her nursing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University), are looking forward to this very exciting time!

Q&A With Fernando-Gina Patterson and Octavo

Company Dancer Fernando Sabino has worked with STUDIO THREE choreographer Gina Patterson here in Richmond and in her native Austin, Texas over the past few years. Here, Fernando answers some questions about what working with Gina is like, and the process of making STUDIO THREE World Premiere, Octavo.

How long have you been working with Gina?

Gina first came to Richmond Ballet in 2008 to set Silence for the New Works Festival, so it has been three years that I’ve been working with her. Last season she invited Maggie Small and I to go down to Austin, Texas to work with her on a choreographic project where she was showing work. She created a pas de deux for us, and we were also in a piece that she restaged along with other dancers involved in the project.

What is your favorite aspect of her creative process?

I like working with Gina because it’s like an exchange. She doesn’t come to the rehearsal with a step already set in her mind, instead she works with me and the way that I can move. She gives me the basic step, and I can expand it in a different way so that it works for me, as long as it conveys the same emotion. She says, “I have this idea,” and I work with her in creating the steps. This way I can be free because I do the movement naturally.

Gina loves to work with the Richmond Ballet production staff to incorporate intriguing sets, costumes, and lighting designs into each of her productions. How have those aspects of her works affected your performance aesthetic?

Right now we are working with fabrics in her piece, which isn’t always easy because I have to judge how to work around them. But, it’s good to have these kinds of props on stage. I think it’s fun and it’s a great challenge!

I know that you and Dave Watkins are friends. How do you like dancing to his music?

That’s funny because one time Jesse Bechard (former company member) and I asked Dave if he wanted to make an exchange. He improvised some music on the dulcitar and we improvised dancing. We stayed in the studio for hours just messing around and creating movement. I’m so glad now that I have the opportunity to perform to his music.

What kind of movement vocabulary does Gina use when creating her work?

Gina always has something specific that describes the type of movement she wants to see: rocks, trees, birds, chocolate sprinkles. It doesn’t matter, she’ll find anything!

How is Gina’s choreography different for you as a dancer from other contemporary artists with whom you have worked?

While with other choreographers you don’t always know what they’re looking for emotionally when they teach you movement, Gina has an idea in mind. She doesn’t come and just tell you the step. She works with you and makes sure it looks good on you, so that you don’t have to struggle to make a step work physically or emotionally. She wants you to go out and be confident in the movement that was created, and you never have to do a movement that you’re not used to because it comes from you, within.

Also, Gina isn’t afraid to let her work develop in a new direction. She drives the piece towards the way where it will flow naturally, while still keeping the same idea and concept.

What do you like about working with Gina?

I love it. She’s a great person in the studio and outside the studio. We have a good relationship, and I enjoy talking with her and sharing experiences. Because of that, when we’re in the studio working together, we can almost read each others’ minds when we are creating movement.

How has Gina’s choreography challenged you as a dancer?

Working with Gina is always a challenge because she always squeezes as much as she can out of your dancing. It’s also a challenge to make a movement that comes from inside you, which is exactly what Gina’s choreography requires. I like it, though, because I get to use my own imagination in the creating process.