Preview of Vinogradov's "La Fille" by Indianapolis' Ballet Internationale:

Star News article

<small>[ 09 February 2003, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Indy ballet dancers make good impression in China
By Whitney Smith for The Indianapolis Star

Despite dealing with chilly theaters, backstage challenges and reserved audiences, the dancers of Ballet Internationale have returned safely home from their five-week Chinese tour, after getting the word out far and wide about the Indianapolis company.

Ballet Internationale's first overseas journey since a 1995 trip to Taiwan began with a late- December debut in Shanghai. The tour also encompassed the coastal cities of Ningbo and Shenzhen, the south central cities of Changsha and Wuhan, and finally the northern city of Beijing.

All told, an entourage of 38 ventured to 11 cities. Performances featured "A Thousand and One Nights" based on "Tales of the Arabian Nights," as well as a one-act "Carmen" paired with Russian classics.

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Ballet Internationale lifts spirits with a family classic
By Whitney Smith
whitney.smith@indystar.com
April 19, 2003

<a href="http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/0/037060-6140-009.html">click here for more</a>

Ballet favorites figure in new season
By Whitney Smith for The Indianapolis Star

Ballet Internationale's 30th- anniversary season will offer several favorites from the company's recent past, as well as a world premiere.

"Carmen," "The Sleeping Beauty" and "The Creation of the World," all highlights of Ballet Internationale seasons of the late 1990s, will be featured in the 2003-04 season.

New to the company will be "Interzone," a one-act contemporary piece by Vladimir Angelov, a free-lance Bulgarian-American choreographer based in Washington, D.C.

"Celebrating our 30th anniversary, we are giving the world premiere of 'Interzone,' a more avant-garde take on a love story," said Ballet Internationale company manager Martin Kearney. "We are also revamping the classic 'Sleeping Beauty.' "

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Two dancers here win NY ballet competition
By Whitney Smith for The Indy Star

Two young professional dancers based in Indianapolis have won medals at the 2003 New York International Ballet Competition.

Ogulcan Borova of Turkey was one of two gold medalists, and Alexei Agoudine of Russia ranked among four bronze medalists singled out recently at New York's Alice Tully Hall.

The two Ballet Internationale dancers and their fellow honorees won awards at this year's edition of a triennial contest for dancers ages 17 to 24 from around the world. The seventh New York International Ballet Competition began June 9.

At time of posting, there is a page layout problem, but most is still readable.

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<small>[ 04 July 2003, 05:17 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Congratulations to Ballet Internationale on this double success. Here are some details about the two medal winners:

<img src="http://216.119.72.160/images/ogulcan_borova.jpg" alt="" />
<small>Ogulcan Borova, Principal from the Ballet Internationale website</small>


Ogulcan was recognized in 1996 as the ìPrize Winnerî at the National Competition in Turkey, his home country. He won a bronze medal in the Junior Division at the 1998 Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria, was a finalist at the 1998 Paris International Ballet Competition, and in 1999 a semi-finalist at the Japan International Ballet and Modern Dance Competition. In Turkey Borova danced leading roles in La Fille Mal Gardee, Don Quixote, Flames of Paris and Le Corsaire. He joined Ballet Internationale in 1999, and successfully made his debut in the full-length ballet The Nutcracker in the leading role of the Prince. He has also danced solo roles in the company's productions of Napoli, Phaedra, The Creation of the World, and A Thousand and One Nights.

<img src="http://216.119.72.160/images/alexei_agoudine.jpg" alt="" />
<small>Alexei Agoudine</small>

Alexi is from Russia and studied at one of the worldís finest ballet institutions, the Ballet Academy of Moscow under the direction of Bolshoi star Gennady Ledyakh. He had guest performances in New York City in 1997 and Nice, France in 1998. In 1999 Mr. Agoudine joined the Vienna State Opera Academy where he continued his education with distinguished ballet masters such as Valentin Onochko. His solo roles include The Pas de Trois in Swan Lake, Basil in Don Quixote, and various productions of The Nutcracker, Amade, and Swan Lake. This is his first season with Ballet Internationale

I had the pleasure of spending the final week of NYIBC watching classes, rehearsals and performances.

Mr. Agoudine and especially Mr Borova were indeed wonderful dancers.

I will say that I cannot imagine being a dancer in this company only because they do so few performances that it would seem very difficult artistically to get anything done. They staged a full length Giselle last fall and did three performances total. Two girls did Giselle, one did two performances. That's just not enough for a major company, IMO.

Their 2003-4 season has 11 performances by my reckoning. Is that comparable with Diablo?

I guess this does come down to money. When you consider that Scottish Ballet with around 35 dancers is some 75% grant funded, it amazes that any small or medium sized companies survive in the US.

<small>[ 07 July 2003, 07:58 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Point reloaded
Ballet style harmonizes with modern dance in 'Matrix'-like fantasy. By Whitney Smith for
whitney.smith@indystar.com
September 21, 2003


At Ballet Internationale's rehearsal studio the other day, a group of guys who belonged to a menacing street gang frothed and snorted like wild horses.

Moments later, women in point shoes glided gracefully onto their toes as they would in classical ballet, then broke with tradition by falling back to earth with a radical twist of the ankles.

It was all part of a new dance piece being premiered by Ballet Internationale next weekend to mark the advent of the Indianapolis dance company's 30th anniversary season.

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Premiere bucks ballet tradition
By Whitney Smith for The Indianapolis Star


Ballet Internationale opened its 30th season with a double bill of romantic tragedies -- one classic, the other contemporary.

The world premiere of "Interzone," by Bulgarian-American choreographer Vladimir Angelov, led Ballet Internationale in something of a new direction. Strongly grounded in Russian-style classical ballet, the company took a calculated risk with an edgy piece that bucked tradition.

In "Interzone," one young man's fantastic journey to rediscover romance took him to a twilight zone between fantasy and reality, between lost love and a potential girlfriend, maybe between life and death.

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<img src="http://pointemagazine.com/images/covers/nov03jpg.jpg" alt="" />

On Striking Gold
ClubPointe catches up with Ballet Internationale dancer Ogulcan Borova, who won the gold medal at the New York International Ballet Competition in June. By Abby Tegnelia for ClubPointe


After you won the gold medal at the NY IBC, you decided to stay with Ballet Internationale. Why?
“The biggest reason I stayed here was because of Eldar Aliev; he’s a great artistic director. He’s also a great teacher. I came here when I was 18, and I’ve improved a lot because of him. I’m happy to be here. I don’t feel like changing.”

How did it feel to get the gold medal?
“I was pretty happy. All of us dancers had been together for three weeks, so it was more of a company atmosphere than a competition atmosphere. You never know if you’re going to win or lose, but I didn’t think I was going to get a gold medal. The last gold medal was given out almost 20 years ago, in 1984. After I won, I called Turkey, I called my parents, and I called Eldar.”

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