Wednesday-Night Dance

Tuesday 27 November 2007 Classic, Flashy, Naughty: Which Nutcracker Works for You?
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 25 — From Baryshnikov to Barbie, anyone who has ever spent time on toes, it sometimes seems, has danced “The Nutcracker.”
Over the next month Ovation will wage the Battle of the Nutcrackers, pitting four well-known interpretations of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet against one another for viewer votes and pride of place in a Christmas Eve marathon, which will be followed by back-to-back Christmas Day repeats of all four versions.

Lord of the dance

Star power: Twenty-two years ago when Victor Melnikoff, president and director-general of Gala des Etoiles, proposed the idea of assembling the world's most talented dancers and then (heaven forbid) taking the presentation on the road, the reaction was explosive - and I mean negative: "Victor, have you taken leave of your senses?" "Impossible!"

Well, clearly, where there's an indomitable will and an all-encompassing love for the arts, you can dance your way to the stars. Today, Melnikoff's dance gala (the largest of its kind worldwide) is more popular than ever, and just delighted a Montreal audience at a packed Place des Arts with its current edition celebrating the fire and passion of Latin dance.

You name a dedicated patron of the arts, and they were there, thrilled to share in the magic of performances that included Pablo Veron's mesmerizing Argentinean tango a trois danced by the choreographer himself, Noel Strazza and Carol Horowitz; Mario Radacovsky's incredible Ombres et Lumieres, soulfully presented by him and Les Grands Ballets darling Anik Bissonnette; and the elaborate swirl-and-spin finale featuring the Kirov Ballet's tulled and embellished princess, Viktoria Terioshkina, with her prince, Leonid Sarafanov.

Post-gala, a contingent of VIPs continued on to the glorious residence of Russian consul-general Igor Golubovskiy and wife, Tatiana Golubovskaya. The fete extraordinaire included a sumptuous four-course meal catered by Rene Pankalla and a band of travelling Gypsy entertainers led by I Musici's inimitable Davis Joachim (they crooned, we swooned!).

Among delighted guests were Mark and Martha Oppenheim, wearing a divine family heirloom; Mary and Taras Chuprun; Air Canada's Suzana Bulhoes; Birks's Caroline Gauthier with Alan Turner; Douglas and Joanne Cohen, tres this-season in Prada noir; Caroline and Stephen Hart; the woman behind the elegant table-settings, Maxine Marcovitch, with Alex Chaya; judges Barbara and Don Seal; Frances and Carl Jorgenson; awesome Ava and Rob Couch; Cathy and Laurence Sellyn; Mikhael Melnikoff; Tanya Golu and Andy Colbert; Karen and gastroenterologist Albert Cohen; Kathleen Montgomery and Colin Newhouse; lacy-sensational Suzanne Lahaie and master of massage Irving Abish; Vincent Prager and his mother, respected artist Eva; Louise Salhany; Dolce-dazzling Lori Shiller with Stephen in "my wife's selection" (a perennial favourite among husbands); National Ballet of Canada artistic director Karen Kain; her former partner, National Ballet of Canada luminary Rex Harrington (in Hugo Boss down to his skivvies); and an impressive Gazette gang including hot shopper Sandra Phillips (with husband Stan Posner), vice-president (sales and marketing) Bernard Asselin, advertising director Randy Gates, marketing guru Nancy Diggins and sponsorship chief Manon Brosseau.

Next, it was time for the famous (or is it infamous?) rock 'n' roll dance contest, wherein 18 mortal (albeit enthusiastic) guests were paired with 18 superhuman dance stars, and proceeded to give Elvis classics like Jailhouse Rock everything their shaky-shimmy bodies could muster. The fab 'n' flashy winners were Pacific Northwest Ballet prima ballerina Patricia Barker (scoop: newly engaged to Earl Veinish) and Steven Shadowitz; first runners-up were Mario Radacovsky paired with gorgeous Miss Canada 2001 Cristina Remond (Victor's companion); and second runners-up were Sylvie Vosko (with hubby Allan) strutting her stuff with Compania Nacional de Danza's Alejandro Alverez.

The creme de la creme of the world's dazzling dancers, the best creme brulee, lots of loot from Holt's and dinner proceeds benefiting the Reclaim Literacy Council.

The moral of the Melnikoff story? Keep reaching for the stars because one day (like him) you'll catch them.

T.H.E. triumph: Everyone's doing it - Tobey Maguire, Leo DiCaprio, even quirky Jennifer Tilly, who recently beat out 600 opponents at a swanky Vegas tournament.

OK, I'll let the card out of the deck: "It" is Texas Hold 'em poker, which recently caused quite a Montreal stir as five successful businessmen - Jeff Hart, Jonathan Goodman, Mark Beaudet, Eddy Miller and Jeff Baikowitz - capitalized on the fever, generating $150,000-plus for the benefit of the MUHC Foundation, Fondation du CHUM and Street Kids International. Lead sponsor was Tigergaming.com.

And this poker posse played in style. Highlights at the Windsor included impeccable catering by party doctor Phil (Bloom), a cozy cigar lounge, practise hands with professional dealers, hundreds of prizes (think plasma screens, iPods and more), stress-busting massages and the opportunity to catch all the excitement on giant screens.

I tell you, participants were pumped. Sneak a peak: Olivier Simard; Dan Vigderhous; Rod Budd; Chris Siomos, who won last May's tourney; Mario Deschamps; David Lank, head of McGill University's Dobson Centre; second-to-last woman standing, Paladin CFO Samira Sakhia; Marc Andre Robert; PWL Capital's James Parkyn; radio personalities Aaron Rand, Rick Leckner, Kim Rossi, Andrew Carter and Laurie MacDonald; GMP Securities' Marc Lustig; Hillel Rosen; Jake Kalpakian, president and CEO of LasVegasFromHome. com; Mark Caplan; PR wonder Fred Avertick; Deloitte and Touche's Kippy Wiegand; Pfizer force Michael Rubin; and Claudine Blondin with hubby Stephen Bronfman (who, lured by the mesmerizing sound of the chips, dropped in to check out the action).

Alas, all good things must come to an end (even hold 'em mania) and eventually all 500 contestants dropped off before Daniel Di Massimo took the game, winning a trip to Vegas plus the privilege of representing Montreal at the 2006 World Series of Poker (value for both: $15,000).

Gala des Étoiles
The 22nd annual Gala des Étoiles will be held on Thursday, September 8 at Place des Arts. The performance begins at 6:30 pm and will be followed by a dinner/ball

"Just a note to let you know that I have talked Rex Harrington out of retirement and he will be dancing a beautiful Montreal premiere with Evelyn Hart at the 22nd Gala Des Étoiles at Place Des Arts on Sept. 8. Also returning to the cast is Rasta Thomas now a Principal with Dance Theatre of Harlem. Rasta will be dancing Don Quixote with Wiesbaden Ballet's fiery Daniela Severian. It will be their first time dancing together.

"Ten (10) new stars in this year's Gala and eleven (11) pieces never before shown in Montreal. There is an entire new generation of dance stars on the horizon and we have most of them! Also the first father/son team in the show. Seventeen year old Daniil Simkin will join Gala veteran Dmitri Simkin in a special new choreography. Daniil won just about every amateur dance competition throughout the world in the past 2 years.

"Many new stars from the Latin countries. There will be much fire and passion on the stage this year. Even the Kirov stars are taking a shot at contemporary pyrotechnics."
Victor M. Melnikoff, C.M., President and CEO, Le Gala Des Étoiles (The Gala of Stars)

All photos below were by David T. Nicholson for Wednesday-Night.com
except two by GORDON BECK for the GAZETTE

A click on any image links to a bigger view/page.

click for Greta Hodgkinson Rex Harrington slide show

The 19th Gala des Étoiles was held at Place des Arts recently to a sold-out audience of 3,000. Among the guests at the dance event were Diane Lemieux, minister of state and culture, British consul-general Sarah Gillett, city councillor Helen Fotopulos and her sister Nathalie, Frank Augustyn O.C. and his daughter Kyra, Justin Trudeau and Kristina Heese, Gala des Étoiles president Victor Melnikoff and his wife, director-general Nathalie, and Gerry and Judy Weiner.

Watching the salsa contest were Susanne and Michel Marentette, Marc Grégoire, François Taschereau, Anik and Philippe Chatelain, Gilles Tremblay and Nobby Gilmore.

The black-tie crowd included Barbara and Victor Drury, Margaret Cuddihy and Roger Warren, Lise Rocheleau and Wesley Fitch, Evelyne and Raphael Schacter, Constance and Marc Médalsy, Sharonand Abraham Wexler, Stephen Shadowitz, Maxine Marcovitch, Felicity and Howard Blatt, Jewel and Paul Lowenstein, Barbara and Donald Seal, Michele and Norman Cherbaka and Brenda and Michel Proulx.

The event raised money which was donated to the Foundation for Research Into Children's Diseases.

GAZETTE Friday Sep 6, 2002

Soaring like stars

Place des Arts showcases best of international ballet

VICTOR SWOBODA Freelance

The 19th Gala des Étoiles at Place des Arts on Thursday had let's-make-the-extraordinary-look-easy thrills as well as bring-tears-to-your-eyes moments. In 15 solos and duets, the show's international ballet stars delivered bravura and artistry topped by a cherry of glamour.

Only at this gala can Montrealers see supermen like American Ballet Theatre's José Carreno and the same company's current guest artist, Carlos Acosta of the Royal Ballet. They were flying young men without the trapeze.

In a duet from La Bayadère with Lorna Feijoo of the National Ballet of Cuba, Acosta's leonine grace, theatrical presence and aplomb recalled Rudolf Nureyev's. Acosta can give himself over completely to a role. He showed this again later in Orfeo, a hybrid neoclassical-modern solo by Massimo Moricone.

In the Diane and Acteon duet, Carreno was sheer elegance whether suspended in space or twirling on the floor. His classical line was superb. During his mightiest exertions, he seemed incapable of sweating. His partner, Feijoo again, was a picture of concentration.

bio

2002 peice
2002 peice

On the subject of supermen, one shouldn't forget the Wiesbaden Ballet's a work that he's danced more than once here before. No matter. It's a tiny masterpiece of choreography and acting.

Simkin's jumps were outstanding, too, in the Ukrainian folkdance, Gopak. This work was brought in because his announced Gala partner, Daniela Severian of the National Ballet of Portugal, was recuperating from an injury. Simkin was joined in the fun by a hastily convened Thomas Edur of the English National Ballet.

The same company's Agnes Oaks joined Edur, her husband, in Derek Dean's hypnotically romantic duet to Schubert's Impromptu. Theirs was arguably the best partnering of the night. Small wonder. The couple have been dancing together since ballet school in Estonia 20 years ago. It was their first Montreal appearance. They should come back.

Outstanding partnering of a different kind was shown by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens dancers Anik Bissonnette and Mário Radacovsky in a work that he had choreographed, Passage en Eaux Troublés. [La Presse] Portraying a woman in grief, Bissonnette danced with a blindfold over her eyes in front of huge rear-projected images of herself. A moving work that made its point without histrionics or pyrotechnics.

Gala producer Victor Melnikoff astutely programmed the above work back to back with Aria, in which National Ballet of Canada veteran Rex Harrington, like Bissonnette, danced with his face covered. This was a work about revealing and concealing oneself. Removing his mask was dramatic, but when he put it back on and disappeared forever into the wings, the audience sent out a sigh. Rex and partner Greta Hodgkinson were of the very best of show!

A ballerina's best friend, Harrington also partnered Greta Hodgkinson in William Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. It's a crime that the gala is just about the only time Montreal ever sees this great choreographer's work. The couple never faltered in off-centre choreography that at no time included the same position.

A duet from Roland Petit's Notre Dame de Paris saw Jan Broeckx play hunchback to Sabrina Brazzo's alluring Esmeralda. Both from the La Scala Ballet, they were like hydrogen and oxygen together - good chemistry.

Not only the supermen but also superwomen were in evidence. Sisters Adrienne and Ashley Canterna, both independent artists, went multiple pirouette for multiple pirouette in the virtuoso duet, Via Dolorosa. Very effective flash indeed.

Ashley, the Gala's youngest dancer at 15, opened the show with her own flamboyant solo, Man of La Mancha. Adrienne then followed in Shogun, in which she and Rasta Thomas moved like cats. Their suspended hops had wonderful ballon.

The evening finished with Le Corsaire danced by the show's most glamorous-looking pair, Carreño and the Kirov Ballet's Svetlana Zakharova, [photos] tall and incredibly long-limbed in that company's latest fashion.