Black Swan

Ravenboy had caught wind of a casting call that was held yesterday for Darren Aronofsky's upcoming movie, Black Swan. His one coworker is to be Natalie Portman's body double in the dance scenes and he has worked closely with the choreographer, Ben Millipied.

From what he could tell, it was pretty much just a formality to show up and show his interest in being cast. It's a given that anyone with his resumé can dance so what he figured was it was pretty much a decision based on if he fit the type. He was encouraged that they might be casting his type since an earlier casting call had turned down some of the taller male dancers he worked with. He was surprised when a few days prior, he was told to show up in dance clothes and be prepared to dance. Ravenboy was excited to perhaps have a chance to meet the writer and director, Aronofsky because he has a lot of respect for his other films like The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Pi.

He and another male coworker showed up a little early to warm up and what they found was a surreal scene. They were to show up in the garment district and found that they were directed to a ballroom. On there way to it there were literally hundreds of other dancers. Ravenboy recognized dancers from when he was as young as 10 years old from his school here in town, guys he met at summer dance camps on the west coast, from the two years he trained at School of American Ballet and Tim Lacetena who had the great dancing role of "Andrew" in Step Up. He had met Tim on the west coast in a summer camp years ago too. The were all smack in the middle of a real live cattle call! When he told us about it all, we agreed it sounded like a scene out of a cool movie called The Game.

They were pretty amused at it all and although his name was on a list of dancers they expected he was still asked to fill out an application (they had run out and he was handed a blank sheet of paper) and to pin a number to his chest. He and his coworker were good sports about it, said "hey" to the people they recognized and got ready to proceed to audition for the first time in years. He says he got the general feeling that they were all a little nervous to see him there.

He was cool enough to share a couple of photos they took for this blog. Apparently he was #310 and after the last group of women were finished auditioning they called in the first group of men that included he and his coworker. He nodded to Milipied as he came into the ballroom and took off his warm ups in preparation to dance. He saw Aronofsky and he was excited to dance for him.

I think it was about that time he said that he overheard Millipied tell someone that he didn't need to see #310 & #312 dance because they were, "...already in his troupe." They were asked to leave and confirmed that they didn't even need to stay for any dancing later. Ravenboy's coworker joked they they should have acted like they were crying as they left.

They were both a little disappointed not to dance at all. Less than 15 minutes after they time they were told to be present, they were calling Natalie Portman's dance double to say they were done and ready to go. I think it's the fastest he has ever been let go from an audition and it wasn't because he was being rejected. A funny story indeed and I look forward to hearing what his filming schedule is like.

ABT @ Avery Fisher Hall

This week, American Ballet Theatre brings three bold premieres center stage from three of today’s visionary choreographers: Benjamin Millepied, Aszure Barton and ABT’s Artist-in-Residence, Alexei Ratmansky. Plus, ABT offers repertory encores of two ballets from the Company’s vast repertoire: Clark Tippet’s Some Assembly Required and Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances. All performed with the dramatic artistry and thrilling bravura of ABT’s world-class dancers for one week only at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Tonight we will enjoy supporting Ravenboy (above, kneeling in center) in his solo role in Millepied's Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once. It is a very short run at Avery Fisher Hall and we feel fortunate that he was able to get us tickets.

The choreographers for the new works they are performing this week...

look a lot like another trio we have seen elsewhere.

Eros

A nod in the Times, " ...Arron Scott was a more amusingly epicene Eros than Craig Salstein..."

ABT's Sylvia

This past Sunday, Ravenboy performed his most featured role yet, Eros, in American Ballet Theatre's Sylvia. Cheerfully described as " a potpourri of militantly chaste huntresses, happy peasants, Hellenic gods, 19th-century Oriental fantasies, love arrows, masked folderol and kidnapping. It's all set in an Arcadian pastoral without a whiff of irony," American Ballet Theatre's Sylvia is not to be missed.

Although this specific performance was not reviewed by the local Orange County Review, his performance in Cranko's Jeu de Cartes did get a nice mention. Ravenboy said his performance of Eros went really well was warmly received. He mentioned that his shooting of Sylvia with an arrow was a different take than any of the other Eros'. He realized that his weapon was that of love and there was real irony behind punishing Sylvia to fall in love with a man that she had just killed. Instead of looking angry when he shot her, he gave a light chuckle just as he returned to statue form. Bravo on this insightful interpretation!

Ravenboy had his first solo curtain call because of the importance of his role. Clueless to that fact, he was onstage as the curtain closed and was hugging people in congratulations. About the leave and get his costume and make-up off, he heard someone yell, "Eros to the front of the curtain!" Out he darted between the slightly parted curtains onto the proscenium to receive his solo round of applause and hearty cheers for a job well done.

His make-up of god-like golden glitter refused to come off completely. When he exited the stage door he heard someone yell his name and he was, for the first time I believe, mobbed. A flight attendant who knows his grandmother (MagaG) was who had yelled but oodles of teens wanting their point shoes signed and photos taken with him ran over too. There was a young lady who had attended a summer camp with him years before who was dear enough to deliver a gift to him from his devoted parents. He also had 2 friends who came from Chicago wait patiently until the crowd cleared before whisking him away for a power sports drink.

He gave a call to us just as the company was getting to the airport for the red eye back to NYC. He mentioned that the most important Artistic Director of ABT, Kevin McKenzie, told him he did "really, really good." Ravenboy sounded exhausted but exhilarated and laughed as he told us his gold glitter would be with him as he crossed the country over the next 4+ hours. May the warm feelings that go with a sense of accomplishment stay with him much longer.


Bootleg clip thanks to Turns4Ever

In the Upper Room

I am thinking Hallowe'en is becoming the traditional time for a trip to NYC to see an American Ballet Theatre performance or 2 at City Center. We took the folks for the second year in a row which means that my Metropolitan Museum of Art letterbox is now a year old. It has gone through maybe 5 - 6 logs this year and is still doing well. Amazing.



Back to our trip. We got into the city early enough to replace Peggy's Park letterbox then scoot across town and grab some food. Ravenboy was kind enough to set aside 2 complimentary tickets that we picked up along our way.



The folks, Maga11, Toolman Luke & MagaB enjoyed a nice brunch while we ran to meet Ravenboy at the stage door. He offered to sneak backstage to watch the matinee since he can only have 2 comp ticket for each show. The things that go on back stage of a show are amazing. We stood by and watched all of the stars of ABT hustle by, check the call board, and move on to get into costume. It was probably 15 minutes until curtain when we saw one of Raveboy's friends speed into the building. He looked totally out of breath and wide eyed. "You ok?" Ravenboy asked him. The tall fellow nodded as he was totally out of breath. Fifteen minutes later we saw the same young man, perfectly poised, onstage and in costume.



The folks enjoyed the first show and as we exited the theatre, there was Ravenboy to greet us! We lauded his performance in Mark Morris' Gong. We were able to follow his every move as he fore told us he would be dressed in solid "orange the color of the gates that were in Central Park." He was pleased that the first show was complete but he was constantly distracted with thinking about the evening's performance. He sat across from me at the restaurant we took him to and at one point he seemed to not hear any of us. I asked, "Are you ok?" "Just running over choreography," he grinned nervously.



Twyla Tharp's collaboration with composer Philip Glass produced the 40 minute long non-stop aerobic In the Upper Room. Thirteen of ABT's finest dancers are challenged by Tharp's modern variations and Glass' typical phrasing in 6s. Alternating between the stompers in sneakers and ballet crew in red point shoes and flats, the piece builds to a frenetic climax in 9 movements. Sadly, the smoke machine that is to provide the mood for the beginning of piece must have gone crazy and pumped into overtime. The first movement is to start with a smoke filled stage and 2 dancers emerge, much like Patience and Fortitude, guardians of the stage. The smoke did not dissipate until well into the second movement as we saw the ballet crew throwing themselves through the smoke into very difficult jumps and lifts. We found out later that Ravenboy couldn't even see his own feet and these dancers had to catch young ladies that were running at them from the opposite side of the stage. I cannot imagine what was going through their minds in the blinding fog but not a slip nor miss was visible from the audience. Even though some folks left when they couldn't see through the second movement, most of the sold out house stayed to rise spontaneously to their feet at the drop of the curtain. Ravenboy is part of one awesome company.

Starstruck @ Starbucks

It's been requested that I tell a part of my trip to the city which I had hoped to avoid.



Between the two performance we saw, we were happy to take Ravenboy out for a bite to eat. He had to hurry back to the theater long before we could even get into the lobby so we were left with almost 2 hours of trying to find things to do with ourselves. We did a little sight seeing and shopping and eventually found ourselves in a Starbucks near the theater.



Many of the dancers were stopping in to grab a coffee and dart back to the theater before it got too late. RGBisMe kept naming them as they came in and eventually notices one of American Ballet Theatre's biggest stars coming down the street. "Here comes Angel Corella. He is coming in for coffee."



I have been watching performances of Angel Corella on video and on stage for almost 10 years. Young Ravenboy would watch him on tv and then try to imitate exactly the huge leaps and multiple turns this exciting dancer performed. He was Ravenboy's idol and now they are in the same company. Ravenboy also says he is a nice guy. I do not work with him, so to me he is a huge star and I am star struck if he ever walks by.



Mr. Corella walked in the door of Starbucks and I couldn't help but smile at him. He returned my smile. We explained to MagaB who he was and it seemed to take them forever to give him his coffee so I absolutely had to sneak another look at this handsome and talented young man. So do I just look at him? No, I hide my face against RGBisMe and peak at him with one eye... and the man SAW ME. I was so embarrassed. I couldn't even look up as he left but looked across to Maga11 who was beaming and waving good bye to him. I was just glad that he didn't know we are Ravenboy's family.





Prior to In the Upper Room in the final performance. Mr. Corella performed in the Le Corsaire pas de deux. The audience cheered madly for him and his partner. They really are crowd pleasers and brought the house down as well as warming them up for In the Upper Room. My throat was sore from cheering by the end of the night.



We waited outside after the final show to give Ravenboy a ride back to his apartment. I looked around the corner to see if he was coming and saw him about half a block away walking with a handsome, young spanish dancer. "NO!" I freaked out! Angel could NOT know I was Ravenboy's mother, I would run and hide. As the family all went to greet Ravenboy, congratulate and hug him, I saw that he had been walking with another dancer from the company. It was his good friend Luis. I had made a jerk of myself yet again.

American Ballet Theatre

Here is a shameless plug for a fun calendar. The 2006 Men of ABT Calendar, you must get it just for March, September and November!

What kind of mother promotes her son in a beefcake calendar!?

COPACABANA!

How many parents can say that thier kiddo was the closing act at the Copacabana? Forget that Barry Manilo song right NOW 'cause the dance he and his partner did was a sensual, classy, ballet to "Cucurrucucu Paloma". He said it went really well and they received many kudos afterward. Good job Ravenboy and safe trip on your tour next week!