State Street Ballet Presents Carmen at the Ford Amphitheatre
Ford Amphitheatre (2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East Hollywood, CA 90068)
- Full Price:
- $26.00
- Our Price:
- FREE - $13.00*
* Additional fees apply.
All offers for Carmen by State Street Ballet have expired.
The last date listed for Carmen by State Street Ballet was Friday August 17, 2007 / 8:00pm.
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Goldstar Member Reviews
Peter S
A great time at a great venue. Very imaginiative presentation!Written on Nov 12 2007
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Suzanne S.
A few of the dancers were very technically advanced. None of them had any stage presence. I would expect a lot more emotion from the principal, but there was virtually none. The dancer playing the toreador was obviously not a trained dancer and it was clear they only used him for his height and ability with the cape. This dance company has done stellar performances in the past. I don't know what happened. There really wasn't the excitement there usually is with this company or anything even close to the passion one would expect for this particular ballet. I'm not a layperson writing about this. I'm a trained dancer with a bachelor's degree in dance history, theory and choreography from the University of California, Riverside.Written on Aug 20 2007
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Victoria Murad
Grace
The dancing in itself was wonderful, but the costumes, hair and make-up left much much to be desired. I wish I could have been back stage to curl their hair and put a little make up on the dancers. Most of the female dancers looked like they just stepped out of the shower and put their hair in a rubberband ponytail. I understand costumes are costly but the lack of adequate costumes took away from the beauty of the dance. I enjoyed the dancing but was very dissappointed at how little pride the the dancer's took in their costume, hair and make-up appearance. The sets were, well what sets? Two or three ramps that could have doubled as skate board ramps, no more no less.Written on Aug 20 2007
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More Information About Carmen by State Street Ballet
Quotes & Highlights
- “Gustafson has built a company respected for its choreography, dancing and fiscally responsible management, proving against all odds, and nay-sayers, that ballet is alive and kicking in Southern California. There is little doubt that the fine looking Santa Barbara-based State Street Ballet, under Rodney Gustafson’s artistic direction, is thriving!” –Los Angeles Times
- “State Street Ballet sizzles!” –Santa Barbara News-Press
- “Blending classical ballet with highly original choreography and contemporary themes is the company’s artistic hallmark!” –Point Magazine
Description
State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara led by Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson, will make it’s debut at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in the Los Angeles Premiere of their full-length production of Carmen, based on Georges Bizet’s opera (1854) and Prosper Mérimée’s original story (1845) of the same name, with special string and percussion musical arrangements conceived by Rodion Shehedrin, and choreography by William Soleau.
The cast will be led by Corina Gill as Carmen and Spencer Gavin as Don José, the star-crossed lovers. Other members of the cast will include: Bayaraa Badamsambuu, Andrea Blankstein, Raydel Caceres, Leila Drake, Terez Dean, Sergei Domrachev, Enton Hoxha, Steven Jasso, Alyson Mattoon, Katie McDermott, Scott Pascal, John C. Piel, Jennifer Rowe, Christine Sawyer and Dana Young. Production personnel include: Sophie Monat and Marina Fliagina, Ballet Mistresses; Mark Somerfield, Lighting and Set Design; Stefania Piazzo, Scenic Artist; A. Christina Giannini, Costumes and David Bazemore, Video and Photographs.
Gustafson said: “This full-length production of State Street Ballet’s Carmen premiered at SUNY Purchase in Westchester, NY during the fall of 2006. One of the goals of State Street Ballet is to reinterpret well-known stories such as Carmen in a new and innovative way. This particular production is conceived to engage traditional audiences of dance while attracting a young generation with a contemporary flair.”
Carmen is the classic tale of one of the most supreme and famous femme-fatales in literary history. The story, which is laced with lust and treachery, is the fateful tale of a dashing young military officer (Don José) who is obsessively drawn to the earthy charm and sultry, sensual, magnetic beauty of a Gypsy girl (Carmen). Other principal roles in the ballet include: Escamillo, a Toreador also in love with Carmen; Michaela, Don José’s girlfriend; Mercedes, Carmen’s Gypsy friend; and Zuniga, Captain of the Guards.
Choreographer William Soleau retells this story of the proud Gypsy and her desperate lover in a contemporary ballet style that borrows from both classical ballet and modern influences. Soleau said: “Over the past 20 years, I’ve always created my own stories, my own libretto, but here for the first time I am choreographing a well-known story from one of the world’s most popular operas. One reason why it’s so challenging is that people already know the story, so you have to take it and bring to it something that's unique and original.”
About the Ticket Supplier: State Street Ballet
State Street Ballet is a professional ballet company dedicated to presenting excellent new work in dance while preserving the classics. Its mission is to enrich audiences by making dance available to a wide and diverse audience.