The Star reports that just barely 200 out of an audience of 2000 voted in the audience choice award. Hmmm...

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/re ... ary-dancer

Thanks for the detailed review Kate. Congrats on having this topic eclipse 2,000 views in such a short time period!

The low audience voting was, I'm certain, to do with the amount of time allowed and the way it was executed. I don't think it particularly had to do with the method "discriminating" against those without cell phones. (No, not everyone carries one, but I'm sure the vast majority of people there do. Those who were really interested in voting could have asked a neighbour for help if they didn't know how to text but were really keen to vote.)

But, like a good ballet-goer, I had my phone off during the performance. In the time they allowed for voting -- 30 seconds? maybe a minute? with the house lights down, by the way, making it impossible to see the program for instructions unless I used said cell phone as a light source... -- I barely turned the device on and set one text message in. Didn't get my votes for female dancer or choreographer logged before voting closed and I had to turn my phone off again.

Yes, I think the timing certainly had the most effect on the audience award semi-debacle. I still do think the voters were probably heavily age skewed because even if older members do have cell phones, they're less likely to be text adept (or speed text adept) and more likely to have their phones tucked away. And less likely to have eyes still good enough to see the program in the dark!

It was in interesting idea, but given the time limitations of such a competition, I don't think it worked well. And given how wonderfully enthusiastic the audiences for this competition always are, do we really need a separate confirmation of the audience appreciation?

In two years, it will be the 10th competition and it would be wonderful to see some of the former winners and competitors invited back for a special event. So many have gone on to spectacular careers as dancers, and now in other facets of the dance world. It would also be great if someone could compile a list of all the competitors - the programs have only listed winners and it's really an achievement just to be selected to compete. Among the non-winners are people like David Hallberg, who was in the audience on Saturday evening.

Glad to see that I wasn't the only one who was less than convinced by Volpi's choreography.

I do disgree about the Gorak in La Sylphide - and perhaps that problem is that Bournonville should NOT be forceful. Of all choreographic styles, it is probably most defined by needing to look gentle and effortless. Then again, as I have admitted, I am biased by having such high Bournonville standards from my extensive time at the RDB.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/art ... le1932373/

From ABT:
Joseph Gorak, a member of American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet, was named best

male dancer at the Ninth International Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize, held in Toronto on

Saturday, March 5, 2011.

Gorak and corps de ballet member Christine Shevchenko danced the pas de deux

from August Bournonville’s La Sylphide and Divergent Connectivity, a contemporary work

choreographed by ABT corps de ballet member Nicola Curry. Curry competed for the

Choreographic Prize, which was added to the competition in 2009.

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Gorak began his classical ballet training with North

Central School of Ballet in Texas. He studied under full scholarships at summer programs with

American Ballet Theatre, Orlando Ballet and School of American Ballet. In 2004, Gorak trained

at the Orlando Ballet School and, in 2005, joined Orlando Ballet, then under the direction of

Fernando Bujones. He won the silver medal in the senior men’s division at the 2005 Helsinki

International Ballet Competition, the gold medal in the senior men’s division at the 2005 Youth

American Grand Prix Finals, and the Grand Prix Award at the 2006 YAGP Finals. Gorak joined

ABT II in 2006, became an apprentice with the main Company in January 2009 and joined the

corps de ballet in January 2010. His roles with the Company include the Neapolitan dance in

Swan Lake and the Chinese dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker.

The International Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize was conceived by Erik Bruhn

prior to his death in 1986. A leading male dancer of his generation and former Artistic Director

of The National Ballet of Canada, Bruhn established the competition for the encouragement and

recognition of young dancers. The prize is awarded to two dancers, one male and one female,

between the ages of 18 and 23. The 2011 competitors for the Erik Bruhn Prize represented

The National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet

and Hamburg Ballet.

A slideshow with music of the RDB dancers in their contemporary piece:

http://www.blueballet.net/Gallery/Meron ... _Nign.html