Pushing the BOUNDARIES OF BALLET

       The interests of art, performing or otherwise, are better served when creativity takes on a bolder hue,at times pushing boundaries, at other times crossing disciplines. It's only when creativity is shorn of all restraints that a true work of art is born. While this sentiment is amply reflected in the line up of this year's Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music, two performances stand out for their sheer audacity:Cinderella on Ice by the Imperial Ice Stars and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, New York, a company of all-male ballet dancers.
       While one is theatrical ice theatre,the other takes classical ballet and plays with it in all seriousness. And the artistic minds behind this? Tony Mercer is the choreographer behind the feats of the champion skaters that have been pressed into the narration of the fairytale, and Tory Dobrin, who is the artistic director giving focus to his men en pointe ."Basically we are very good ballet dancers and good comedians; we combine the two using drag as a vehicle to bring out the comedy. People who know the Trocks come because they want to have fun with ballet," said Dobrin, of The Trocks."An added bonus: it is a really good introduction for kids to classical ballet. By the time they leave the theatre they will see ballet as fun."
       Mercer, of the Imperial Ice Stars,Lunchbox Theatrical Productions UK,is doing exactly the same thing but in his case he has taken the fun associated with ice-skating theatre and injected it with a healthy dose of creativity, ensuring that it appeals not only to children but discerning adults as well.
       If you are thinking Disney on Ice, rest easy.There's not a cutesy, furry creature on skates anywhere in sight.
       The Imperial Ice Stars have four shows lined up on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27(matinee and evening). And while the essence and the romance of the traditional fairytale remains, they have updated the tale.Cinders is no longer sweeping the fireplace; she is a junior dancer at a local ballet school, and the evil stepmother is the ballet mistress, the fairy godmother is a gypsy fortune-teller and the prince is now the son of the Lord Mayor.
       It is to celebrate his son's return that the Lord Mayor orders a performance of Swan Lake by the local ballet school,and as luck would have it, Cinderella gets to replace the prima ballerina and catches the eye of the young man. The most delightful of all, the glass slipper is
       now a skate. This means that women have to skate around on one leg, with the other foot bare when they try on the slipperskate - just one of the many tricks that have been worked into the performance.Other breathtaking feats include: triple flips, triple toe loops, double axels,death spirals, camel spins and Bielmanns.
       Presenting this spectacle are 25 World,European and National Championship skaters with at least 250 competition medals between them. Their talent is backed by elaborate scenery and props designed by one of Australia's leading scenic designers Eamon D'Arcy, lavish costumes designed by Albina Gabueva,who was head designer for 20 years at Moscow's famous Stanislavsky Theatre,and a score composed by Tim A Duncan and Edward Barnwell. Bear in mind the musical arrangement is not Prokofiev's composition but an original melodramatic arrangement that is the perfect foil for the heart-stopping choreography.
       The Trocks on the other hand hold comedy close to their hearts."The Trocks are taking classical and modern ballets and changing them to create an entertaining aspect of these art forms," said Dobrin."All kinds of humour, from subtle parody to outright slapstick. Drag is used as a vehicle to bring out the comedy.There are many great theatre art forms which have used drag as a vehicle, including kabuki and even Shakespeare.Comedy has been around since the earliest times of life."
       The Trocks in essence offer a playful,entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet but with skill and respect as they tread a fine line between the comic and the classic. The dancers portray both male and female roles; their style is humorous as they blend together cliches of ballet and physical comedy with straight classical pieces that showcase the classical skills of the ballet dancers.
       The company was founded in 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts and first performed in the late-late shows in OffOff Broadway lofts. By mid-1975, the Trocks were getting rave reviews from the hard-to-please critics. Articles and notices in publications such as Variety ,Oui and Daily Telegraph , as well as a Richard Avedon photo essay in Vogue ,made the company internationally known. By the '80s they were established as a ballet company of note. They have participated in dance festivals in Holland,Madrid, New York, Paris, Spoleto, Turin and Vienna and have performed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South America, South Africa and 39 tours of Europe.
       The Trocks have two separate pro-grammes in store for Bangkok -Swan Lake Act II, Pas De Deux, Vivaldi Suite and Majisimas on Friday, October 16,and Swan Lake Act II, Patterns in Space,Pas De Quatre and Majisimas on Saturday, October 17.
       "Swan Lake Act II is the perfect reflection of the Trocks' philosophy. It has all the elements of great choreography, the chance to develop a character,which we do in a comedic fashion, it has drama in the story and lovely music,"said Dobrin. So, be prepared for one of the funniest ballet performances ever,but be warned the Trocks don't just clown around, they dance.
       There's no choosing between the two,so markedly different are the Imperial Ice Stars and the Trocks, that you will find yourself attending both performances, with kids in tow.
       The Bangkok's 11th International Festival of Dance & Music is sponsored by Bangkok Bank, B. Grimm, Bangkok Post, Dusit Thani Hotel, King Power Group, SCG, Thai Airways International, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Toyota Motor Thailand Co.
       THE PROGRAMME
       Bangkok's 11th International Festival of Dance & Music Venue:Thailand Cultural Centre, Ratchadaphisek Road Time:7:30pm, matinee at 2:30pm Tickets:Available from Thai Ticket Major, tel 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com.