Young Stars of Ballet

Young Stars of Ballet
A ballet dancer is a unique combination of athlete and artist - it is a profession that requires a commitment to training as a pre-teenager. In this performance documentary, some of the world's premiere pre-professionals take the stage - not in competition, but in a professional performance with some of the stars of the ballet world in a special presentation by the Indianapolis City Ballet.
TRANSCRIPT
>> Narrator: Ballet.
Equal parts athletics and art.
When done well,
both are combined in a beautiful
experience for the audience,
who find themselves transported,
if only for a few moments,
It is an art form
that demands sacrifice,
and great discipline.
From the ballet class that
starts a dancer's every day,
to a regimen of rehearsals where
each movement and gesture
The professional dancer's
training must begin in
childhood, by age 12,
or earlier in most cases.
Many must leave home to study
across the country,
or abroad,
and join a ballet company
before the age of 18.
It all leads to the stage,
where everything a dancer has
learned and invested comes to
life, and is shown to the world.
Tonight, we'll show you some of
the most talented young dancers
from all over the world.
They were brought together for
one wonderful performance here,
on the cusp of amazing careers,
a celebration of the future they
Indianapolis City Ballet
proudly presents
>> Narrator: This program is
made possible through a generous
grant from Ambassador Randall
>> Menendez: These
young dancers come from all
over, the most promising young
They're very focused, young
>> Franco De Vita: Hop, Hop.
[commands in French] Watch your
>> Narrator: Like it or not,
at the core of a dancers life
every day begins with class,
up to 2 hours long,
that warms the body
for the day ahead.
It's where strength, alignment,
and technique is tested and
committed to muscle memory.
Not to mention countless hours
>> De Vita: Because I saw in
class today a lot of talent.
I think it will make a great
>> Narrator: Indianapolis City
Ballet has carved out a unique
niche in the dance world with
this event, giving these young
students their first paying job
and putting them on stage with
professionals from some of the
>> Narrator: The "Young Stars of
Ballet" performance features
dancers from some of the world's
top competitions, medal winners
in Japan, Switzerland, Finland,
Russia, the U.S., and elsewhere.
Though they live great distances
>> Patrick Frenette: Because the
ballet world is so small,
there's never a "I'm never going
to see you again."
'Cause you just meet up,
"Oh hey,
I just saw you two years ago.
Hey, what're you doing?"
You know?
>> Aaron Smyth: I've made so
many great friends,
and connections, and contacts
>> Veronika Verterich: Just an
atmosphere that,
You just want to be here, you
meet a lot of new friends.
And principle dancers that I
don't think a lot of students
have the opportunity to meet
>> Marcelo Gomes: I think that
the most important thing is just
to get out there and be
confident about what you've put
in the rehearsal process right
in the studio.
Because that's really where
And I really feel that's
sometimes lost with a lot of
young dancers.
It's all about the performance
and not about the journey that
>> Kevin Hesse: We are
accustomed to working with the
top dancers
Working with the younger
group, some of them are as young
as 11, but the average
is late teens.
All of a sudden I'm dealing with
parents and teachers,
A different dynamic
>> Young girl: Ow, I just poked
>> Hesse: But when they step
into the theater they are ... I
can't think of a better word for
>> Narrator:
Hannah Bettes is a 15-year-old
dancer from Florida who has in
the last year caught the
attention of major schools
and companies.
>> Narrator: Dancers learn the
classical ballet vocabulary and
prepare for the major classical
standards, but today they must
also seamlessly slip into
contemporary works that all
major companies now include in
>> Narrator: Demitra Bereveskos
is a twelve-year-old student
from Indianapolis who was
discovered at an Indianapolis
City Ballet master class
by Valentina Kozvola.
She now commutes with her mother
from Indianapolis
to New York City to study.
And in 2012, medalled at the
Boston International
>> Suzann De Lay: Hannah started
with me when she was three years
old, and she's now 15.
And we are very honored and
pleased that she's going
She's a beautiful
and talented young lady
>> Narrator: In spite
of their age,
these young dancers hold
themselves to extraordinarily
high standards.
Though to the untrained eye,
Hannah's performance
looked wonderful.
To her, it wasn't her best.
And like many of these dancers,
>> Woman at podium: In
recognition of outstanding
contributions
to the ballet world,
the Indianapolis City Ballet ..
>> Narrator: The "Young Stars of
Ballet" event recognized not
only the young emerging talent
in the ballet world,
but also their many teachers,
most notably
the legendary David Howard,
>> David Howard: Well, I would
like to thank all the dancers
for performing here.
I salute them
>> Narrator: A native
of Australia's Gold Coast,
Aaron Smyth recently
accepted a contract with
The Royal Ballet,
and is currently dancing
with the company and
performing as a guest artist
>> Smyth: I started dancing when
I was eight.
I started Jazz, Tap ... then my
teacher said, "Okay, Aaron, if
you want to get more strength,
you should start ballet."
So I started that
when I was about 12.
And I never looked back,
I loved it.
I'm performing a piece called
"Feeling Good" by Nina Simone.
It's a real contemporary,
jazzy sort of routine.
I really love dancing
to the music.
It's really moving, and yeah,
I just love it.
>> Simone: [sings]
I feel Sun in the sky,
you know how
I feel Breeze driftin' on by,
you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me
Fish in the sea,
River running free,
you know how I feel.
Blossom on the tree,
You know how I feel.
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
Dragonfly out in the sun,
you know what I mean,
don't you know?
Butterflies all havin' fun,
you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world
is a new world
Stars when you shine,
you know how I feel
Scent of the pine,
you know how I feel.
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
[Simone scatting]
And I'm feeling good
[foreign language folk song
>> Narrator: Contrary to the
norm, Danill Simkin didn't
learn ballet in a school.
His parents, both ballet
dancers themselves,
>> Danill Simkin: I went onstage
when I was six.
And due to my childhood, I was
always behind the stage, and
sometimes I went on the stage
being the cute kid
next to my father.
As a kid, you might expect that
it was not quite enjoyable to do
every day by yourself
with your mother.
Nevertheless,
>> Narrator: Now a soloist with
the American Ballet Theater, and
due to his amazing jumps and
fun-filled routines, Simkin is
quickly becoming one of the most
recognizable ballet dancers
>> Narrator: Often compared
to Danill Simkin is the
12-year-old dancer Aran Bell,
who is already being courted
with scholarships by many of the
>> Simkin: It's was actually
the dressing rooms, everybody
was coming to me when you were
everybody would told me "Your
>> Narrator: And so, like any
good older brother,
Simkin offered
the young dancer a few tips.
>> Simkin: Try to really go from
front and finish here.
I know it's easier to ... But
>> Narrator: In any
athletic endeavor,
footwear is critical.
Ballet is no different
with its iconic Pointe shoe.
It truly becomes an extension of
the dancer's leg and line.
And they're not cheap; some
dancers go through a pair in a
day or two at a cost that
averages $70 per pair.
Each dancer must adapt and
personalize the shoe by
softening the shank,
sewing on the ribbons
>> Verterich: Once you cut a
And then you burn it
So now it's going
>> Narrator: No matter how much
a dancer has rehearsed, the
preparation continues until that
>> Jackson: [sings] I took my
baby on a Saturday bang
Boy is that girl with you?
Yes we're one and the same
Now I believe in miracles
And a miracle
But, if you're thinkin' about my
baby It don't matter if you're
They print my message
In the Saturday Sun
I had to tell them
I ain't second to none
And I told about equality
And it's true
Either you're wrong
But, if you're thinkin' about my
baby It don't matter if you're
I am tired of this devil
I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business
So when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scare of nobody
>> I.T.B.: [raps] Protection For
gangs, clubs And nations Causing
grief in Human relations It's a
turf war On a global scale I'd
rather hear both sides Of the
tale See, it's not about races
Just places Faces Where your
blood Comes from Is where your
space is I've seen the bright
Get duller I'm not going to
>> Jackson: Don't tell me you
agree with me. When I saw you
But, if you're thinkin' about my
baby It don't matter if You're
I said if you're thinkin' of
being my baby It don't matter if
I said if you're thinkin' of
being my brother.
It don't matter
Ooh, ooh Yea, yea, yea now
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to get by
It's black , it's white, whoo!
It's black, it's white It's
It's tough for you to get by
>> Narrator: The final selection
of the evening
is Le Grand Defile.
A piece choreographed just for
this performance by the renowned
Carlos Dos Santos, Jr. His aim
is to gather the most promising
young ballet dancers from in and
around the host city of
Indianapolis, and present them
[triumphant classical music
>> I can't imagine getting 109
children to dance together
but they do.
It took 6 months of
rehearsals and put on a
real performance.
>>Menendez: And all these
dancers, the maturity that
comes, that doesn't necessarily
These kids are very
professional
in their attitude and in the way
they approach the rehearsals,
that there was
a lot of continuity.
They applied very quickly and
so it was a pleasure
to work with them.
and I think that they enjoyed
the process also because they
got to meet new friends from
different schools and so this
was a different experience
>> Dos Santos, Jr.: I
congratulate all these schools
their students to participate in
this ballet.
It's a wonderful step to the
community together, you know-to
bring together our community of
>> Jane Hachiya-Weiner: The
dance world in general is a
small world, you know,
And we all should feel as a
family as a dancers.
We all have something in common
as dancers.
We have shared experiences.
And to be able to have these
kids dancing together as an
ensemble is probably going to
impact them for the rest of
>> Jane Fortune: It just makes
me so happy to see so many of
participating in this and to be
able to come together from
different schools, and make
friendships that they would not
Which I think is incredibly
>> Simkin: It's such a great
life experience, in my opinion,
>> Simone: [sings] Fish in the
sea, you know how I feel.
>> Verterich: there's just an
atmosphere that I think is
>> Simone: [sings] Blossom on
the tree, you know how I feel.
It's a new dawn, It's a new day,
It's a new life for me ...
>> Smyth: Thanks to the
Indianapolis City Ballet, they
put on this fantastic event.
It's really, really,