Just For Fun

NYCB has always been working to broaden its audience, since its funding and support relies on ticket sales in addition to large donations.  Recently, the company’s focus has been on the younger generation – getting children, teens, and young adults interested in the ballet by holding seminars, post-performance parties, and putting together performances that they can relate to and enjoy.  Click the video below to see the level of curiosity and awe  that the ballets can incite in young children and their families.  Warning: you might wish these kids were your own. They are that adorable. 

Like these "Family Saturdays," our “Just For Fun” program seeks to bring in these younger audiences with its very family-friendly, youthful vibe. On these nights, we perform Jeu de Cartes, in which we mimic playing cards, and also The Four Seasons, in which the sections capture the essence of winter, spring, summer and fall.  We also perform my personal favorite, Carnival of the Animals, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and set to Camille Saints-Saëns’s famous music of the same name.  In this visually captivating and often comical piece, a boy named Oliver gets locked inside the Museum of Natural History at night and dreams of his classmates and teachers acting as different animals. We portray these different animals as we dance, and the brilliant choreography allows us to easily embody a certain animal's personality. 

The Cockerels and Hens from Carnival of the Animals

As this ballet is “Just For Fun,” here as some fun facts about Carnival of the Animals:

1.  The ballet was premiered on May 13, 2003 at the New York State Theatre (now named the David H. Koch Theatre).   

2.  John Lithgow originated the role of and wrote the accompanying narration for the policeman character.  The policeman finds the young boy in the museum, and then relays Oliver’s story to the audience.  

Me (right) and Harrison Coll (left) as hyenas 
with Brooks Landegger as Oliver

3.  The star of the show is Brooks Landegger, an 11 year old who plays Oliver with such delightful curiosity and joy.  He rehearsed for about two hours a day for three weeks leading up to the show, coached by teachers at the School of American Ballet.  His favorite part of the ballet is the "baboon dance," in which he dances in sync with his piano teacher, Herr Dr. Von Loon, who looks and dances like an ape. 

4.  In order to look like he has extra long ape-like arms, Amar Ramasar, who plays Herr Dr. Von Loon, holds small-crutches under his sleeves.  He even does cartwheels on these extended crutch-arms!

5.  There are about 50 costumes involved with this 35 minute production, and it took our costume shop about 16 hours to get them ready for the show. 

6.  I play one of the hyenas, weasels, and rats from the Oliver’s class, and our signature moves include sliding to the ground through our partners’ legs and doing splits on the floor.  It’s very acrobatic choreography, and in one rehearsal, Christopher Wheeldon told us to “be sharp like the Russian gymnastic team!” Even though she's technically not a Russian athlete, I try to channel Nastia Liukin.  

Entrance to the Bronx Zoo

With so many animals portrayed in Carnival of the Animals, this is the perfect chance to mention the Bronx Zoo.  Located in the heart of the Bronx, it’s about a 30-minute drive from midtown Manhattan, or an hour trip on the subway, making it a very do-able getaway from the busy city streets.  I have not been recently, but I remember really enjoying my last experience here. You could check out the Congo Gorilla Forest in honor of Brooks’s favorite baboon dance, or see the big-eyed lemurs that we have come to love in the Madagascar movie series.  Be sure to hop on the Wild Asia Monorail – a relaxing way to see many beautiful animals without having to trek across the zoo’s expanses.  (This saved me during the middle of the day when I was loosing steam).  The Bronx Zoo is only open through November 3, so your time to visit is somewhat limited! Right now there is a kid-friendly (but fun for all ages) festival on weekends called Boo at the Zoo, offering Halloween inspired activities such as costume parades, 3D pumpkin displays, hay mazes, and magic shows. We all love to look forward to the winter holidays, but why not enjoy the magic and mystery of Halloween while it’s here?  Zoo animals + seasonal activities + a beautiful outdoor escape = a fun-filled day. The zoo is open from 10:00am to 5:00 or 5:30pm and admission for adults is $34.  If you buy tickets online you save about $4 per ticket, and on Wednesdays the price is only a suggested donation of $15.  But this trip is sure to be worth much more that the cost of admission!