Photography by Teagan Glenane
When Dana Stephenson does grand jetés, I see a dainty flower lifting her head upwards to the sun. I picture myself doing the same step and it conjures images of a graceless clown in a lurid polyester jumpsuit trying desperately to entertain the rambunctious children in the front row.
Dana is rehearsing for her part as Rosina, the gifted student in Scuola di ballo (The school of ballet). Leanne Stojmenov, who also plays Rosina, exudes a serenity that is only undercut by an air of supremacy. There goes Danielle Rowe, light and graceful as a feather in her peach tutu. I spend much of my time in the rehearsal picturing each dancer as their character in the three-cast production.
Yosvani Ramos,who plays the romantic character Carlino, is nursing some sort of leg ailment but his ceaseless focus prevents him from resembling a forlorn bird. When not dancing, he echoes the dancers’ movements from a sitting position on the floor. Daniel Gaudiello (also in the role of Carlino) is like a gymnast from the superior Eastern European team. The whole business of first cast, second cast is confusing to observe at this early stage of rehearsal. Shapes are gathering momentum but are yet to flow into each other.
Changes in tempo are marked by a pianist playing classical arpeggios in the far corner of the room. “Let’s try it again in real tempo,” Alexei Ratmansky softly interjects, and the notes trail off as if they were reluctant to leave the room so quickly. If only our AFL teams could speak with Russian accents, I think. My life would be so much more pleasant.
Leanne and Dana seem to look beyond the mirror at the front of the vast studio with smiles so serene they would be sure to throw any enemies on the other side into a state of confusion. Their reflections are buoyant and energised, like shifting particles of pure light.
Alexei has a jaunty walk like one of the great stars of the musical era. If he had bells in his pockets they would be sure to jingle loudly. His innate musicality springs from his very being as if breaking into dance would be second nature to him even while washing the dishes.
He spends quite a bit of time one-on-one with Leanne and Yosvani while the rest of the dancers practice their steps, like swans competing for the king’s attention. They are slightly supernatural in their resemblance to mythological creatures.
What is most interesting to observe is the rhapsodic nature that seems to be intrinsic to ballet. Despite at times expressing difficulty, the ballerinas enrapture me with every move, even though it’s a challenging and arduous rehearsal. Dana describes Alexei’s work as “very classical, moving the upper body in a playful way at the same time as lots of speedy footwork and jumping.”
The pastel wash of gauze sweeping across a backdrop of concrete office buildings – another bleak Melbourne winter’s day – fills me with a joie de vivre. At the end of rehearsal another group starts making its way in. I notice an athletic looking boy in striped trackpants at the back of the room taking a nap using a pink tutu as a pillow. It is a resounding image of everyday life for the ballerina.
I last saw Ty dancing at the annual Queen’s Birthday weekend comps in Taupo, New Zealand … great to see how he has developed these last few years!