Cupcakes & Conversation with Russell Ducker, Corp de Ballet, Corella Ballet

Cupcakes & Conversation with Russell Ducker, Corp de Ballet, Corella Ballet

Today I had completely the scariest experience of my life; at least on a par with nearly drowning as a child.  So the calming influence of 'Cupcakes & Conversation' has never been more essential.  I'm delighted to bring you the charming, talented and witty Russell Ducker, who recently created his first ballet - 'Epimetheus'. Like me, I'm sure you'd like to see his ballet danced in the UK (and around the world - though you lucky New Yorkers already had that chance !), but we may have to start a campaign to make it happen... we've done it before.  Enjoy !

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?
The ‘right’ answer is; “a new week, with all the possibilities to better myself as an artist”. To my disgrace, I am certainly not a morning person. In fact, I am barely myself until about 10 o’clock. Before that time I am a grumpy, slow moving mass - who should be avoided at all costs. It verges on the Jekyll and Hyde.

So what motivates me at 8am...very little. I have started yoga in order to earnestly conquer this shaming quality. It seems to really be helping. Focusing on breath control and slow, increasing stretches, it helps me focus for the day ahead and also prepares my body for class.

Who would you most like to dance with & what would you dance ?

There are so many fantastic female dancers out there at the moment, it would be unfair to choose. Maybe my mum...she can’t dance to save her life but it would hilarious to see her try. As a role, Romeo is probably the ultimate challenge for a male artist. The plot line is so beautifully painful, that it never tires me. I would relish the exploration of interpreting such a legendary character.

If you could dance anywhere in the world (not only in a theatre), where would you dance ?

Anywhere and everywhere. I am very happy dancing in Spain, but perhaps in the future I would like to come home to the UK. Hopefully again in the US. The audiences were insane, I could definitely get used to that.

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
Our days tend to vary quite a lot, depending on whether we are in the studios, on the road or performing. At the moment we are rehearsing a compilation of company repertoire. The reason being, we are scheduled in approaching performances to present a combination of ballets from 2008/09 and this year's season. So a lot is going on. Plus we are performing Swan Lake again very soon. After a day of heavy rehearsal, I am roping people in to help me hone my choreographic skills. My latest work, ‘Sospiri’ a variation for my colleague Tracy Jones will hopefully be featured on my website very soon. Secretly that is the highlight of my day. Discovering the elements needed to perfect the choreographic process.

Russell in the studio with Carla Lopez, rehearsing Christopher Wheeldon's 'VIII'

Photograph : Fernando Bufala

How do you prepare in the hours before a show ?
I've learned to stay as calm as possible. I have a lot of nervous energy so its important for me to manage that. I encourage myself to maintain a creative frame of mind. I might read a book, or if I’m playing a role I will specify to myself the details of who I am about to become. I start my make up an hour before, then I warm up for 1/2 hour onstage, and practice various steps by myself or with my partner. I like to familiarize myself with the space. Dancing on new stages all the time, new surroundings can be distracting.

What are you looking forward to dancing in 2010 ?
The company has a great, diverse repertoire, from world class choreographers. This season we are scheduled to perform ‘Raymonda’ and ‘For Four’ as part of our triple bill, alongside DGV. Which I have adored dancing. So I am looking forward to continue working on that. I have always been a big fan of
Christopher Wheeldon’s so it is a privilege to dance in such a special piece. In Swan Lake I have been cast to learn the Neapolitan dance and Benno. So the opportunity to have a crack at either of those would be a great challenge. Fingers crossed.

You can ask six famous people to dinner - who would you invite ?
Kenneth MacMillan, Fred Astaire, Dawn French, Forsythe, Barack Obama, and Meryl Streep.

Tracy Jones in Russell Ducker's Epimetheus

What would surprise people about you ?
How stubborn I can be.

Who inspired you to dance ?
It wasn't really a particular person, although I grew up fascinated by old Hollywood movies and the likes of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. I would describe it as just a simple magnetic attraction to the stage. Anything I was ever good at steered me in that direction. I was always a fan of Angel (ed : Angel Corella, dancer with American Ballet Theatre and Corella Ballet, and Artistic Director of Corella Ballet), so it is fitting that I should end up in his company.

How would someone else describe you ?
Probably ease going, loyal, at times paranoid. I tend to surprise people.

What is your best piece of advice ?
Follow your gut. never be swayed by other people and have faith that it will come together at the end. Also to make yourself heard and seen. I have to remind myself of this often.

Russell Ducker (centre) in Stanton Welch's Clear

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
Defiantly Twyla Tharp’s “In The Upper Room”. The ballet consists of nine movements. It’s just non stop. Many times the choreography repeats itself, sometimes at double speed. It chops and changes constantly, jumping between sequences. It is also full to the brim with many lifts and challenging steps. It is a fight from start to finish, both physically and mentally. I have never sweated so much in my entire life, but the end result is totally worth the calories.

What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you ?
I studied at The Royal Ballet School for seven years, so you can imagine I have many anecdotes about that time, especially concerning White Lodge. It is a melting pot of diverse people brought together by one common purpose, in the centre of a national park. The School has many traditions. Some commonly
known amongst staff...others strictly for pupils. I love that whenever I meet ex White Lodger’s we all have a shared sense of each other, purely because we have all spent our childhoods in those same classrooms and dormitories. In some cases taught, disciplined, comforted by the same staff.  Although rarely the instigator, I relished the destructive plots hatched by my peers. I remember setting and hiding all the alarms in the science lab to go off at the same time after we left the classroom. You can imagine the chaos. We would create obstacle courses in the dorms. Sneak out of the grounds at night (that’s defiantly a rite of passage). The obvious water/pillow fights. The list goes on.

If you designed your own stage costume, what would you create ?
For a contemporary ballet, something exaggerating the line of the body. For classical work, something very refined. I love putting on costumes for the first time. It brings everything you have been working towards to life.

A phrase I use far too often is ...
...probably a word I can’t say.

Russell Ducker's Epimetheus

Who would play you in the film of your life ?
People tell me I have a resemblance to Elijah Wood. (Is that a compliment?) So I guess him.

What is your favourite quote?
I don't really have one, but for the sake of this interview; “Learn by practice” Martha Graham.

What’s on your iPod ?
So much classical music, I'm always searching for my next subject matter.

What makes you a good dance partner ?
Communication and honesty. It is so important to always be asking questions.

Do you have a secret skill which no one knows about ?
I sing, but people know...

Russell takes a curtain call after Twyla Tharp's In The Upper Room

Describe yourself in just three words.
Sensitive, outgoing and thankful.

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be this time next year ?
Choreographing. I hope to have created another full ballet. Of course I am focused to be dancing better and more. We are touring more internationally, with performances in Los Angeles and Mexico so I am also really looking forward to that.

Corella Ballet tour to New York update with Tracy Jones

Not long ago I interviewed Tracy Jones, who is a dancer with Corella Ballet in Spain. The Company were about to tour to the US for a week, performing at the New York City Centre. Their Artistic Director, Ángel Corella, was a Principal with American Ballet Theatre, and so very well-known to US audiences. In 2001, Spanish born Corella formed a Foundation to promote classical dance in Spain and to offer the opportunity for the finest professional training to all dancers, irrespective of background. After six years, the Corella Ballet was formed at the Royal Place of La Granja in Segovia, Spain.

Tracy Jones and Ivan Sanchez in DGV -Danse à grande vitesse

Photograph :  Rosalie O'Connor courtesy of Corella Ballet

One of the ballets which the Company were due to perform was Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV -Danse à grande vitesse, which premiered in 2006 at the Royal Opera House, London, with Darcey Bussell famously in the principal role and partnered by Gary Avis.  This was to be their New York premiere.

For DGV, Tracy was 3rd cast and had been rehearsing it with Chris Wheeldon. Tracy hopes that once the Company begin performing performing DGV more frequently, she may have a chance to do it, but for now she feels that it’s a privilege just to even learn it.

The tour was a huge success, with great reviews.

Tracy in Times Square, New York

I caught up with Tracy once the tour was over, to find out more.

What was your preparation for the New York tour ?
The schedule at work was pretty busy in the last the few weeks before heading out to New York as we were rehearsing the rep that we were planning to do out there as well as premiering the company's Swan Lake for the first time. One of the ballets; Wheeldon's DGV was also a company premiere due to be performed in NY so it was tough trying to process all the information and get all the steps in to my head but we were lucky to have Jason Fowler and Chris himself working with us very closely throughout the process.

What was your first impression on landing in New York (if this was your first visit)?
I fell in love! It is such a wonderful city. We had been travelling all day and arrived in the evening, so we were pretty tried but I didn't want to waste any time out there. On the first evening, I already got to see some of the main sights I had planned on visiting. The jet lag didn't even get to me out there really as I was so full of adrenaline.

What was the Company due to perform ?
The company were due to perform String Sextet by Angel Corella, Solea by Maria Pages and DGV by Christopher Wheeldon at all the shows. In the evening shows, there were also two divertissements; Black Swan Pas de Deux and Walpurgisnach, and in the matinee, Epimitheus by company dancer Russell Ducker (Editors note : more from him later).

Tracy Jones rehearsing DGV

Photograph :  Fernando Bufala

What were you scheduled to dance and did everything work out as planned ?
I performed Angel's String Sextet and DGV in each show and also performed in Epimitheus in the matinee show. Luckily for once, there was no drama during the week of shows. Normally there is always a situation where someone goes off sick or injured and a lot of people have to move around to compromise but we seemed to be lucky that week. We had been performing in Barcelona a few weeks before and the company was struck down with a virus so we had a lot of drama involving people moving around and jumping in, so I think karma was on our side for New York.

Did you get to see the sights at all ?
We were very lucky to actually have 3 days off during our time out there so I managed to see everything I wanted to see.

It was Saint Patrick's day out there on the first day and being Irish, I really wanted to see the parade and join in on the festivities. I wasn't disappointed! Everything was green and the parade was great, in fact I think it might be even bigger there than in Ireland.

I also managed to take a few classes at Steps on Broadway which was a really great experience. There were many dancers from New York City Ballet there at the same time including Wendy Whelan, Ashley Bouder and Maria Kowroski. They are all dancers I have watched and admired on youtube and videos so to take class with them was really great. Its also really refreshing to see and try a different style of dancing other than what I am used to.

I did a lot of shopping too (maybe a little too much as I don't think my bank balance was very happy by the end of the week) and got to see some of the wonderful New York nightlife. I'm lucky to have a few friends living out there so it was great to see them, and to have good tour guides!

Tracy with Jason Fowler and Chris Wheeldon backstage at the City Centre theater

What was the high point of the tour ?
I think definitely the reception that we got from the audiences out there. On the first night, we finished the show to a standing ovation and there were so many people waiting outside to meet us afterwards. I think that as we are new company and it was our first International tour; a lot was expected but the audience seemed really enthusiastic and reviews were really positive which is always a good sign.

One particular moment I loved was taking our curtain calls after the matinee show of Russell Ducker's Epimitheus. It is his first work for a company so to have it premiering at New York City Centre is a huge deal for him. I was so happy and proud of Russell when he took his bow as the audience really did go crazy for him. Russell and I have been friends since we joined White Lodge so it was really great to see him do so well and hopefully this will give him even more great opportunities.

Now you are back in Spain, what’s next ?
We are currently in rehearsal period here and have quite a number of shows coming up around Spain which is always nice, especially in the summer. Swan Lake is coming back into the programme in June which will be nice. I had my premiere of Big Swans in the last run we did, which was a pretty nerving but good experience, but of course as a dancer we are never entirely happy with everything so I'm looking forward to hopefully dancing that again and improving it. We also have some tours coming up including Italy and Mexico and have started rehearsing Raymonda so it looks like the next few months are going to be busy, but I'm really looking forward to travelling and hopefully returning to New York with the company again at some point in the future!