On the set of Mao’s Last Dancer

Guest writer: Andrea Sanmiguel, interim public relations associate

Houstonians driving by the Wortham Theater center last week might have noticed a limousine complete with police escort driving up to the box office entrance with great fanfare and wondered: what VIP must be coming in to town?  Had they stayed to watch a bit longer, they would have noticed that the limo never drove farther than four yards and that it kept making that same trip numerous times. Then they might have realized that the cameras didn’t belong to paparazzi but to the film crew of the Bruce Beresford movie Mao’s Last Dancer.

After 14 weeks of non-stop filming throughout China and Australia, the story of Li Cunxin has once again made its way to Houston. For one week the movie’s crew enjoyed the humid air, burning sun and killer traffic of our fair city in order to get every last shot that was needed.

While being on a movie set was very exciting, it didn’t always involve all the action one might have expected. The crew was setting up and taking photographs in the eye of a very angry sun and then had to wait the rest of the afternoon for the sun to go down in order to actually film the scenes they needed, since most were set at night.

Filming took place in the evenings outside the Wortham Theater Center, in the afternoon at the Galleria, and in the early (I mean early!) morning hours of the weekend on the I-10 highway. Bruce Beresford himself showed me shots of Bruce Greenwood (who portrays Ben Stevenson) and Chi Cao (who portrays Li) inside a car against a green screen onto which the images of Houston’s highways will be displayed. I must say that both actors are good matches for the characters they portray.

Top row from left to right: actor Chi Cao, former Houston Ballet principal Li Cunxin, actor Bruce Greenwood; 2nd row: Houston Ballet artistic director emeritus Ben Stevenson

There are a lot of current and former dancers acting in this movie and many notables in the dance world are involved as well. Production teams from Australia, China, and the United States have also come together to make this project a reality. Houston Ballet is proud to be a part of the team that is bringing Li Cunxin’s amazing story to the big screen. We will all wait anxiously until 2010, when we can finally enjoy the finished movie in theaters.

-Andrea

KUHF Interview with Bruce Beresford

While director Bruce Beresford was in Houston shooting scenes for the major motion picture Mao’s Last Dancer, he found time to stop by KUHF and discuss the movie.  Take a listen at KUHF’s website.

Be an Extra in Mao’s Last Dancer!

Looking for a fun way to spend your Friday evening?  Be part of Mao’s Last Dancer, a Bruce Beresford feature film for general audiences shooting in part at Miller Outdoor Theatre this evening, June 20, 2008. If you’re interested in being an extra for the movie, please report to the garden center rose garden across from Miller Theatre at 6:30 p.m.

You will be extras as part of an “audience” in a scene. The crew needs two different types of audience members:
     -The first group must dress in 1982-style casual but stylish clothing. These people will sit on the hill and can bring blankets or lawn chairs if they wish.
     -The second group will sit closer to the stage and will need to wear cocktail attire. Only the top half of your body will be visible in shots.

It is up to you which group you prefer to be in. A performance by the Houston Symphony will be going on during shooting.

Enjoy!

Continued coverage of Kennedy Center Tour

Guest writer: Jim Nelson, general manager

The Houston Ballet dancers and staff departed Sunday, June 8 immediately after the matinee performance of A Doll’s House and La Sylphide.  Luckily, we had no delays en route, and we arrived at our hotel in the George Washington University area at midnight (as scheduled). 

Monday was a free day for the company—their only day off until after the season closes Sunday, June 15.  However, there was no free day for Maestro Ermanno Florio, who was busy rehearsing the Michael Torke score of Velocity with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, or for production manager Brian Walker, lighting supervisor Christina Giannelli, and costume shop supervisor Laura Lynch, who were all engaged in getting the stage, lighting and costumes readied for Tuesday’s performance.

Several dancers joined company apprentice Rhodes Elliott who arranged for a tour of the Capitol.  Highlights of their tour included a visit with Congressman James Clyburn and a great photo-op from Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi’s, balcony overlooking the Washington Monument.

                  

                 

Tuesday, June 10
The dancers started their day at 11:00 am with company class taught by Artistic Director Stanton Welch and continued with their one and only dress rehearsal of Stanton’s Velocity.  They had one mark-through with the orchestra followed by a few notes from Stanton before having a run of the ballet. 

                  

The opening of the festival began at 7:30 pm to a seemingly sold-out house.  Ballet West opened the program with Balanchine’s Serenade followed by Pennsylvania Ballet in Robbins’ In the Night. 

The Velocity cast for Tuesday featured principal dancers Simon Ball, Ian Casady, Mireille Hassenboehler, Melody Herrera, Randy Herrera, Connor Walsh and Sara Webb—a stellar cast indeed! Houston Ballet closed the program, and the audience response was astounding—a standing ovation and multiple curtain calls. 

Wednesday, June 11
The company had a late start Wednesday followed by notes in the studio. Company class was combined with the dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet and was taught by Roy Kaiser, Artistic Director of Pennsylvania Ballet, giving the HB dancers a brief exchange with some of the other artists participating in the festival. Wednesday’s cast of Velocity was relatively the same with the exception of Amy Fote going on for Sara Webb and Oliver Halkowich going on for Randy Herrera.  The second performance was stunning as well, and the audience again gave us a spontaneous standing ovation.

After the performance, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau greeted Houston Ballet with a reception honoring the company.  It was great to feel the support of our hometown here in D.C.

                      

                      

                      

Thursday, June 12
The company returns to Houston today for the last four performances of the season, tomorrow through Sunday, and then a well-deserved break through July 22.  The D.C. tour was an amazing finish to a spectacular season!

-Jim

All photos by Jim Nelson

Houston Ballet at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Guest writer: Andrew Edmonson, director of marketing and public relations 

The eyes of the dance world are on The Kennedy Center, with The New York Times observing, “This week, Washington will be the nation’s ballet capital.”

Houston Ballet launched The Kennedy Center’s prestigious weeklong festival Ballet Across America yesterday (Tuesday, June 10), and was greeted by D.C. audiences with a rousing standing ovation from the packed house for its performance of Stanton Welch’s work Velocity. (The two other companies appearing on the program with Houston Ballet — Salt Lake City’s Ballet West and Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Ballet — were greeted warmly as well).

Tonight, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal will come to review Houston Ballet. To highlight Houston’s stellar performing arts scene, Lindsey Brown, marketing director for the Greater Houston Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, has organized a post-show media event, with tickets to the performance and a dessert reception with Houston Ballet’s dancers following the concert. Lindsey reports that the GHCVB has had a stellar response to their invitation from Washington-based media.

A group of intrepid ballet fans from Australia has flown over for the week to attend the festival, and artistic director Stanton Welch made a special appearance at an intermission reception at The Kennedy Center last night to welcome his compatriots from Down Under. Longtime Houston Ballet trustee Jean May and her husband Henry flew up from Houston to cheer the company on.

The Kennedy Center’s promotional materials are festooned with Houston Ballet images. A huge banner promoting Ballet Across America draped across the entrance to The Kennedy Center features an image of Houston Ballet dancers Mireille Hassenboehler and Nicholas Leschke, and the same image graces the cover of The Kennedy Center’s monthly newsletter.

                    

Expect more news and pictures to come tomorrow from general manager Jim Nelson, who will recap our time here in D.C.

-Andrew

Sneak peak of Stanton Welch’s A Doll’s House

We’re really excited to present the world premiere of Stanton Welch’s A Doll’s House tonight. We think it’ll be a completely unique experience to ballet-goers…something they’ve never seen before. Here’s a sneak peak of dress rehearsal. As you can see, the costumes, music, and choreography are just unbelievable.