David Hallberg Returns
David Hallberg will return to the stage after a more than two-year absence due to a foot injury according to The New York Times. David will dance the lead role of Franz in Australian Ballet’s Coppélia December 13, 16, 19, and 21 at the Sydney Opera House. The news was first reported in Deborah Jones’ dance blog. Australian Ballet staff has been involved in his rehabilitation for over a year, according to the blog. He had foot surgery in August 2014 and hoped to return to the stage “..in a couple of months.” ABT has several open slots in its spring Met season for Swan Lake; hopefully, David is in the running to fill the openings. David started his career at ABT in 2001 and made history by becoming the first American to join the Bolshoi Ballet in 2011.
Ballet and Tattoos
Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post has an interesting article on ballet dancers with tattoos. Tattoos are popular with younger people but not always welcome in the dance world, particularly in shirtless works. That is where makeup artists come in:
“Tattoo cover is a huge portion of what I do,” says Sarah Coy, who works in the makeup department at the San Francisco Ballet, as well as for film and television. Dancers are her most challenging clients. Coy and her colleagues use special-effects makeup mixed with alcohol, so it’s resistant to oil or water (which makes taking it off a separate challenge for tired dancers after a show). They apply it in thin layers so it doesn’t flake off. Thick bands of tattoos that encircle an arm require even more makeup layers and tricky color matching, because the skin inside the arm is lighter than on the outside. It can take 20 to 40 minutes to cover a dancer, Coy says. The heavily inked might require a team of makeup artists for certain skin-centric roles, such as when Domitro starred in a work titled “Swimmer” wearing only a bathing suit. For the upcoming spring season, Coy plans to experiment with an airbrush gun to save time.
Former ABT Soloist Sasha Radetsky, who has a number of tattoos, has mixed emotions on his body artwork:
“Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror, and I say, ‘Man, I wish I didn’t have any,’ ” says Sascha Radetsky, a former ABT soloist. His arms are a gallery of Native American images and tributes to Georgia O’Keeffe, Gustav Klimt and “Moby Dick.” Having tattoos “makes things harder,” Radetsky says. “Preparing for a role is tough enough as it is — you have a lot of things to think about.” Covering lots of ink “adds one more element into the mix. And there’s some old-fashioned views about tattoos. Maybe on some tiny, subconscious level, that influences people’s decisions on casting.”
Amar Ramasar Profile
People Magazine has a nice video profile of NYCB’s Amar Ramasar. The six-minute piece gives an overview of his early dance training, life at NYCB, and partnering with interviews of Amar and Sarah Mearns.
Amar Ramasar in Glass Pieces