"Balletomanes" or Ballet Dancers among BETM Fans?

[angelenroute]

Has BETM has inspired you to dance or check out a ballet class? Or are you an avid ballet fan?

Yes and no. The original movie inspired me to buy the Matthew Bourne Swan Lake on DVD and the film and musical inspired me to see the Bourne production live this past year in New York. My love for the musical and support for my local Billy, Trent Kowalik, has brought me to attend his performances with JKO School at ABT and ABT proper. But have I attended a ballet with zero connection to Billy? No.

It's on my to-do list though. =)

Sean

[mint002]

support for my local Billy, Trent Kowalik, has brought me to attend his performances with JKO School at ABT and ABT proper. But have I attended a ballet with zero connection to Billy? No.

It's on my to-do list though. =)

Sean

Sean, very cool you got to see Trent--I'm sure his ballet technique has gotten even better with the amazing training they have at SAB...were any of his fellow Billys in the student performance, i.e. David?

Where ABT performance did Trent participate in? Students sometimes fill in for some of the corps roles in the full -length ballets...

[angelenroute]

Sean, very cool you got to see Trent--I'm sure his ballet technique has gotten even better with the amazing training they have at SAB...were any of his fellow Billys in the student performance, i.e. David?

Where ABT performance did Trent participate in? Students sometimes fill in for some of the corps roles in the full -length ballets...

Trent's been with ABT, can't remember now if he had any SAB training per your note there. No other Billy sightings, no, but they all keep busy and have been away from NY too. Trent performed in a small part with ABT in their Nutcracker performances this past winter.

Sean

[mint002]

Oops--Trent is part of the JKO school, not the School of American Ballet (SAB)...he is still a student, not yet an ABT member (but hopefully soon?).... I checked their roster. (http://abt.org/dancers/default.asp?sect ... psdeballet)

Students do participate in professional productions at ABT when they need extra dancers on stage, asthat's cool how Trent was involved in the Nutcracker. I did a quick Google search and saw he was a toy soldier Must have been quite a costume, compared to the t-shirts and shorts he wore as Billy!

[Thondra]

Yes and Yes. I first became a Billy fan when I saw a youtube clip by accident. Because I live in Germany and I was in my final year at high school it took me a while to see the show in London.A few mon th before I moved to england (I lived near London for a few month) i got interested in taking ballet and contemporary classes but I'm very shy so I waited till I was in england (and nobody I knew could see me) I really enjoyed it. Now I'm back in germany and start university. Unfortunately I'm unable to attend classes there, but the first thing I checked out when I learned that I'm accepted into university was the State of Ballet in Berlin and the Ballet in Dresden (for performances), since I saw a English National Ballet Performance in the colliseum in London

[mint002]

Yes and Yes. I first became a Billy fan when I saw a youtube clip by accident. Because I live in Germany and I was in my final year at high school it took me a while to see the show in London.A few mon th before I moved to england (I lived near London for a few month) i got interested in taking ballet and contemporary classes but I'm very shy so I waited till I was in england (and nobody I knew could see me) I really enjoyed it. Now I'm back in germany and start university. Unfortunately I'm unable to attend classes there, but the first thing I checked out when I learned that I'm accepted into university was the State of Ballet in Berlin and the Ballet in Dresden (for performances), since I saw a English National Ballet Performance in the colliseum in London

Awesome! I think the English National Ballet school has a past Billy attending as a student--Matthew Koon, hopefully he'll join the company shortly

If you get the chance, I would encourage you to watch the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany...I hope to see them live someday but since you're i, dn the same country, definitely see them perform if you can, I've only heard amazing things about their dancers!

[ERinVA]

Awesome! I think the English National Ballet school has a past Billy attending as a student--Matthew Koon, hopefully he'll join the company shortly

Matthew does indeed attend the English National Ballet School. He will begin his second year as a student there soon.

One of the three original Billys, Liam Mower, is finishing up at the Rambert School, and he has been cast by Matthew Bourne in this December's production of "The Nutcracker."

[Thondra]

If you get the chance, I would encourage you to watch the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany...I hope to see them live someday but since you're i, dn the same country, definitely see them perform if you can, I've only heard amazing things about their dancers!

Thanks, and yes Matthew is at ENB I'll try my best. But I'm living near Berlin so it'll be rather difficult to get to Stuttgart since it's on the other side of Germany... But the Neumeier Ballet in Hamburg and the Berlin State Ballet are quite good, too

[mint002]

But the Neumeier Ballet in Hamburg and the Berlin State Ballet are quite good, too

WOW! I saw Neuenmeier's "Death in Venice" in Brooklyn & "Little Mermaid" (with Lloyd Riggins as guest!) in San Francisco...and it changed the way I saw ballet & sophisticated/minimalist/theatrics, if that makes sense. Such a sense of drama and story--Neuenmeier is truly an artistic visionary! You're so lucky to be so closeby

[mint002]

One of the three original Billys, Liam Mower, is finishing up at the Rambert School, and he has been cast by Matthew Bourne in this December's production of "The Nutcracker."

That's amazing--another Billy/Matthew Bourne connection. Thanks for the insight!