First of All — A Chat with Prix de Lausanne Winner Emanuel Amuchastegui

Anyone that has followed the careers of ballet dancers for the last 30 years recognizes that the annual Prix de Lausanne is a big deal. Since 1972 the international ballet competition has helped launch the careers of many of ballet’s brightest stars including Ethan Stiefel, Julie Kent, Leanne Benjamin, Carlos Acosta, Alessandra Ferri, Alina Cojocaru, and Christopher Wheeldon. Since its inception the goal of PDL has been to identify, promote and support young talent. Over 60 prestigious schools from around the world are associated with the event which accepts video entries from dancers aged 15-18 who are not yet professionals. From these applicants only a few are selected to convene during the snowy month of January in Laussanne, Switzerland to be judged during a dance class and stage performances of selected variations. Though all participants have the opportunity to audition and be seen by companies and school directors, the candidates are whittled down to a small group of finalists from which individuals are selected to receive scholarship for one of PDL’s partner schools or companies.

Receiving a record 226 applications from 36 countries, 2010 was a year of firsts for those involved in the Prix. Of the 81 chosen to travel to Lausanne, 43 young men were in the majority – something that has never before occurred in the competition’s history. Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy sent three students. Liao Xiang was among the twenty finalists, Aaron Sharratt placed 5th, and for the first time the Academy had a first-prize winner in 18-year-old, Emanuel Amuchastegui.

Amachastegui was fourteen when he began his training on scholarship with teacher Sandra Racedo at Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba, Argentina. In 2006 he went to the big city, Buenos Aires, to join the Teatro Colón school and Julio Bocca‘s school. That same year he became part of Bocca’s Company and toured all over Europe and Argentina. Then in 2008 he arrived in Texas to study at Houston Ballet’s Academy, becoming part of the pre-professional company, Houston Ballet II, in 2009. At the Prix de Lausanne, he performed a classical variation from August Bournonville’s La Sylphide and a contemporary solo, Caliban, from Cathy Marston’s The Tempest. In addition to winning PDL’s top prize, Amuchasetgui also brought home the “Audience Favorite” award. In the wake of his win, Amachastegui was kind enough to answer a few questions about his experience at the prestigious competition, his training, and his life outside of dance.

Congratulations, Emanuel. I’m sure you are still riding a current of excitement since your win at Prix de Lausanne. Can you describe what it has been like for you?

It has been an incredible experience! I learned so much from all the teachers and also from the other competitors.

You were one of three PDL finalists from Houston Ballet’s Academy. Obviously they are doing something right. If you could choose only one attribute of the school that accounts for your success (and the success of your peers), what would it be?

I will say “passion” because that’s what all the teachers put every single day into classes and rehearsals. Also the students have to give every day in order to improve and get results.

Were you nervous in the preparation for or during the competition?

Actually I wasn’t nervous at all. I was very comfortable. I think it’s because I wasn’t there to win, it was more like a window for me to show myself and to meet different teachers, experience different cultures and strengthen my technique.

It must have been incredibly rewarding to have your parents present in Switzerland. I read that you had not seen your father in over a year. How important has his support of your ballet career been?

He always supports me in everything, same as my mom. They both were there for me and respect the decisions I have made. I’m very glad because I know that there are some people that don’t have such support from family and it’s really important. It makes me happy knowing that they are there and that gives me the strength to keep pushing and follow my dreams.

It’s been said over and over what a gracious competitor you are. This, in addition to your performance, was likely a factor in your selection as Audience Favorite. What would you say to those who feel intensity in competition means having a ruthless attitude toward others?

I don’t know.. that’s a hard question. I think I am always myself, that’s the way I’m am and I think that always brings the best out. I never felt competitive with the other dancers, overall it was very nice energy at the Prix. Maybe the answer is to be yourself and learn from others and from your own errors.

You are known, among other things, for your ballon in jumping. This was evident in the classical variation you performed in competition. You seem to have a natural talent for achieving “hang-time” in a jump, but we all know even natural abilities must be refined. Has there been an image or instruction given to you along the way that made a big difference in your jumps?

Well, I never knew that I could jump that much! [laughs] My teachers were always there and they just know what to say or what to do in order for me to give 100% every rehearsal. But I think that when I dance with my heart, everything else disappears and I am able to do things I never thought I could.

Do you have a preference for either classical or contemporary?

The Bournonville style goes well with my body. I focus a lot more on my contemporary because it has always been my weakest style. Since it’s something I have to work hard at I always enjoy it and try to do my best. When I started ballet it was because the magic of dance (that moment when I’m on stage and it’s just me dancing, it’s magical). Dance makes me forget everything else and be in the moment. I try to express that to the audience and I think when I achieve that, when the audience receives all that I am feeling in that moment on stage, it is beautiful. The classical is easier for my body and I really love it too, but with the contemporary I can show myself.

During the probably very limited time you have when you are not studying at HB’s Ben Stevenson Academy or dancing with HBII, what do you enjoy doing?

I love cooking with my roommates! Watching a movie and having fun. Going out with my friends it’s something that on the weekend is always a goal. Also I spend a lot of time talking to my family and friends in Argentina.

What is next for you now that the competition has ended and you have emerged a prizewinner?

Well, I don’t know yet. But I know how hard I’ll work and how much passion I’ll put towards dance. Of course dancing abroad means missing my family, but dancing is what I love to do and they are all supportive of me and I’m the happiest person knowing that.

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Prix de Lausanne broadcast much of its competition online this year, including a behind-the-scenes video blog. You can view Emanuel Amachastegui and other participants at prixdelausanne.tv. Houston Ballet’s blog also provided an insider’s peek at the competition via guest-writer, Shelly Power who serves as associate director of Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy and was selected as one of nine judges for this year’s Prix. You can find her six-post series here and don’t miss her heartfelt final wrap-up of the competition.

Watch Amachastegui’s Classical Variation on YouTube: Part 5 – 0:12

Contemporary Variation on YouTube: Part 9 – 1:15

The timestamps for Houston Ballet Academy’s other finalists can be found here.

Answering 10 Questions at 4Dancers

I hope everyone is enjoying 2010 so far! Though I am quite busy behind the scenes at Dance Advantage, I am technically still on my self-imposed blogcation. I’m breaking my vow of silence for the week, however, to share a recent post over at 4dancers.org – an interview with yours truly.

Catherine’s line of questioning reveals my motivation for blogging, gets into the nitty gritty of my work-at-home routine, and uncovers a few surprises. Most importantly, you will learn how to pronounce my crazy last name!!

So, head over there by clicking on the 4dancers button below….. while I head back into my hole for a few more days!

Sweet Exchange with a Sugar Plum Fairy

Houston Ballet unveiled Ben Stevenson’s production of The Nutcracker over 20 years ago. Since then it has become an audience favorite in Houston and beyond. Scores of ballerinas have made their Act II appearance as the Sugar Plum Fairy. This year, corps de ballet member Elise Judson will have her opportunity to shine in the role.

A native of Sacramento, California, Elise joined Houston Ballet in November of 2007. The 20-year-old has been featured in Stanton Welch’s Falling, the first pas de deux in Antony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading, and recently performed as a member Twyla Tharp’s “bomb squad,” the red-pointe-shoe clad dancers from In The Upper Room. She took a moment to chat with me about her upcoming performance in The Nutcracker.

Dance Advantage: Elise, you’ve danced the role of Clara with Houston Ballet but this is your first turn as the Sugar Plum Fairy. What do you find most exciting about dancing this role?

Elise Judson: It is every little girl’s dream as a dancer to perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy and I am so excited to take on this role. I love the technical challenge that it poses for me as a dancer. This will also be the first full length, classical pas de deux that I have performed on stage, which is another milestone for me in my career. There are so many new and exciting things to look forward to performing this role. I can’t wait!

DA: Like most ballet dancers, I’m sure your training provided many opportunities to perform The Nutcracker. Do you remember your first time dancing in this holiday staple?

EJ: The Nutcracker is the first ballet that I remember watching as a child, which makes it a meaningful ballet to me. It was also the first production I performed in as a child with a professional company. My first role was one of Mother Ginger’s Children in Act II at age seven with the Sacramento Ballet. Later in my training, I also got the chance to perform the Lead Flower Pas de Deux and the Snow Pas de Deux in my first two summer intensive programs here at Houston Ballet.

DA: Were those experiences influential in your pursuit of dance?

EJ: Performing at such a young age in a huge theater with professional dancers helped to start my love of performing, as well as making me more comfortable on stage early on in my training. Also, it was after participating in those two summer programs in Houston that I realized I wanted to pursue dance professionally.

DA: How does it feel, knowing that your performance could inspire the next generation of dancers?

EJ: Incredible and surreal! I never dreamed that I would get the opportunity to perform the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy so early in my career. I know how much The Nutcracker inspired me to pursue dancing, so to know that I could have the same effect on children in the audience is truly incredible.

DA: The are so many renderings of the holiday classic. Each company puts its own spin on the tale. What is special about this version of the ballet?

EJ: In this production, there is something magical and joyous for every age. Magic tricks, flying cooks, and snow fill the stage with excitement and wonder. There is also the beautiful music played by the Houston Ballet Orchestra, as well as the incredible sets that bring the show to life. Not to mention beautiful dancing in a wide range of styles by the members of the company. It is an incredible show.

DA: Your older sister Carolyn is a dancer with Texas Ballet Theater (the North Texas ballet company helmed by Ben Stevenson). Both companies perform this particular Nutcracker, have you both danced in this production?

EJ: Yes, we’ve actually performed most of the same roles! My sister trained at Houston Ballet’s academy as a teenager and performed in Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker, as well as now performing the same production at Texas Ballet Theater. It would be fun to get to dance in it together!

DA: Houston Ballet is celebrating its 40th birthday this year but you are celebrating an anniversary as well. You joined the company two years ago. Which experiences have inspired the most growth for you personally during this time?

EJ: It is amazing that it has already been two years since I joined the company. I have been very lucky to perform so much already in my career with Houston Ballet. I think I have grown the most when I’ve been involved with the creation of a new work. Being in this company, I am lucky to get to perform in several world premieres each season. Our artistic director Stanton Welch is great about letting the dancers develop our own characters and have input when he is creating new works. I think that it is this creative process that has helped me to know who I am as a dancer as well as push myself to find new styles and personalities in my dancing.

DA: What are you most looking forward to in 2010?

EJ: I am most looking forward to working on and performing Stanton Welch’s new production of La Bayadere. Performing in new works is one of my favorite parts of being a dancer at Houston Ballet. La Bayadere is also a new production for me, in that I have never performed in the full length version of it. It is an extremely challenging production and I can’t wait to work on it.

DA: I’m sure you dreamed of dancing in a professional company long before it happened. If you could offer one piece of advice to young students with visions of Sugar Plum Fairies dancing in their heads, what would it be?

EJ: Love every minute of it. Ballet is a difficult, but very rewarding art form. Years of classes and rehearsals can be tedious and strenuous, but when you get the opportunity to take your bow on stage in front of an audience and hear their applause for you, there is nothing more rewarding. It is all worth it!

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Houston Ballet will give 35 performances of The Nutcracker in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets may be purchased by calling 713-227-2787 or logging on to www.houstonballet.org.

Duncan Cooper Offers Advice at “My Son Can Dance”

Nina at My Son Can Dance has recently published some advice and tips she received in conversation with Duncan Cooper, a master teacher, faculty member at Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, and former Dance Theatre of Harlem dancer. Though, Nina has posed some wonderful questions regarding boys in ballet, the advice Cooper offers is relevant to all dancers. Even those not looking to have a career in dance can benefit from the guidance offered here. If you’d like to grow and improve as a dancer, check out the interview!

Part I in particular stresses the importance of setting goals for your career (which I’ve touched in this post about finding instruction and this post about choosing a college program), researching and learning from other dancers, and more.

Part II is especially relevant for boys, but I think girls/women can gain useful perspective on performance and telling a story through movement.

Featuring… Yours Truly

For those of you that don’t know, bloggers are pretty social creatures. Not only do we tend to communicate and “hang out” with others who blog about our subject, we have ample opportunity to meet (usually in a virtual sense) bloggers covering a wide variety of topics and representing regions all over the world. In fact, bloggers seek out these opportunities through reading and commenting on other blogs and through various social networking sites. We know that encouraging others strengthens this growing community and, in turn, strengthens our own place or role within that community.

A result of relationships formed online is getting the chance to interact with people and investigate subjects that you might not normally. And some bloggers take it upon themselves to facilitate this by occasionally opening their blogging home to others with guest posts, interviews, or features. I’ve recently been fortunate to share the spotlight at two different sites. You won’t find much about dance or dance classes at either blog, but you’ll find some interesting stuff there! Both are more personal in nature than Dance Advantage, filled with stories and reflections on the everyday and extraordinary aspects of life.

Below, you’ll find a little more about each blog and how I’ve come to appear there.

Citystreams

Citystreams is Cindy’s blogging home. After two years of medical school she dropped out and went on to become a high school teacher. She is also mother to a sweet little girl and the wife of a police officer. She writes about all of these things on her blog, which she says is “cheaper than therapy, easier than scrapbooking and helps me remember the millions of moments, that I would surely forget if I didn’t write them down.” I was first drawn to Cindy’s blog because of her obvious dedication to teaching and because her daughter is around the same age as my son. Recently, she invited other “Blogistas” to answer a few questions about themselves as if they were talking to an old friend they hadn’t seen since high school and I took the bait. It was a fun exercise and may give you a peek inside my life outside of Dance Advantage. Click on the image below to be swept downstream to Citystreams.

Middle Zone Musings

Middle Zone Musings is the blogging home of Robert, a fellow Houstonian whose last name is almost as difficult to spell as my own. Robert has an interesting life story with lots of twists and tuns, ups and downs. His posts are usually his own musings and life lessons delivered in a “down-home” writing style. Each month he hosts a group writing project called What I Learned From…, to which others can submit their own life lessons on a particular subject. As a project for the new year, Robert created a variation of What I Learned – a Blogapalooza, or blogging event that gives others a chance to reflect on their growth in the past year. Participants were to select one post from each month of 2008 and express what it is that they learned from each post/month. This year there are over 100 contributors with their very own guest spot on Middle Zone Musings (and there’s still time to participate). Again, I felt this was a fun exercise and a great opportunity to look back at my first year (well, eight months) of blogging. You can join me in the Middle Zone by clicking on the image below. Be sure to check out what others learned from 2008!

Your Turn?

I hope you enjoy these little diversions featuring yours truly. They were fun to do! In fact, even if you don’t have a blog, both of the exercises above offer great writing exercises for your journal or just because. Perhaps you could answer Cindy’s questions yourself or write your own mini-autobiography in a conversational style. Or, look back at 2008 and decide what you learned from each month in dance, or otherwise. It will teach you a lot about how much you’ve grown and changed over the years or over this past year.

I hope you are enjoying 2009! Thanks for spending a bit of here with me at Dance Advantage!

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