Houston Ballet Academy was thrilled to have former company Soloist Ilya Kozadayev back to create a new piece on the Professional Program students in honor of Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s 20th anniversary leading the company. The ballet titled ‘Echoes’ is set to Infinite Bach, recomposed by Johan Ullén, and will have its world premiere this April during the Academy Spring Showcase.
Meet Ilya Kozadayev
Ilya Kozadayev met Stanton Welch around 1998 when he came to set his work Of Blessed Memories on Colorado Ballet, a company he was dancing with at the time. Kozadayev joined Houston Ballet as a member of the corps in 2003 (Welch’s first year as artistic director), at Welch’s invitation. He was promoted to the rank of Soloist the following season and remained with the company until his retirement from the stage in 2013.
In 2011, Kozadayev choreographed his first piece for a choreographic workshop that Welch organized as an opening of the Margaret Alkek Williams Dance Lab. This led to restaging that piece, as well as a new piece, the following year for Houston Ballet II (HBII). Since 2013, after retiring from the company as a dancer, he has returned periodically to restage works for HBII, as well as teach and coach the company, the Academy, HBII and the Summer Intensive Program.
Right: Ilya Kozadayev in Stanton Welch’s Nosotros (2009). Photo by Amitava Sarkar.
We sat down with Kozadayev following his creative residence with the Academy last August.
What was it like creating on the Professional Program students? Did they contribute to the creation process at all?
Kozadayev: It was very fast and intense, and the energy was very positive. I was impressed with the focus and drive of the Professional Program dancers. The eagerness, professionality, and creativity of these dancers (and coaches – Kelly and Chris!!!) is contagious and definitely contributed greatly to the creative process.
How did your relationship with Stanton Welch influence the piece?
Kozadayev: Being part of many Stanton works and creations over my time in the company has certainly influenced this new work. I worked from the idea of an aesthetic and my interpretation of a choreographic structure that resonates Stanton to me. The costumes are saucer tutus for the women. The idea that a traditional tutu can be current and modernized is an homage to the innovation of the Divergence tutus. As far as music choice – some of my favorite Stanton ballets are set to baroque era composers such as Vivaldi and Bach. Thus my music choice, a contemporary take on Baroque, an interpretation and a re-imagination of Johan Sebastian Bach by Johan Ullén, was certainly deliberate. The entire piece echoes Stanton to me.
Was there an inspiration outside of Stanton’s 20th anniversary?
Kozadayev: I wanted to challenge the students technically, as challenges felt rewarding to me when I was a young dancer. I also wanted to adhere to, and at the same time abandon the Pointe aesthetic in the same piece. Somehow that felt appropriate given the fact that my inspiration is the body of Stanton’s work which is very versatile stylistically.
What are you looking forward to most about the premiere during the Academy Spring Showcase?
Kozadayev: I am looking forward to and anticipating seeing the work, joy and progress of these talented young dancers. I so often would forget, in the studio, when creating, how young these dancers are because they are all so good! I think that will happen to me again while watching the premiere.
By Emily Averitt-Cleveland
En Pointe with Houston Ballet 