THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410120150
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JUDY PARKER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
THE COMMANDS WERE in French, the ballerina auditioning the 30 or so youngsters only spoke Russian, and the 8- to 12-year-old girls hoping for understudy parts in an upcoming production of ``The Nutcracker'' were fresh-faced Americans, dressed for the most part in the palest of pink tights and black leotards.
The scene Monday afternoon was Tower Mall where Elenya Kopylova, a dancer with the Moscow State Ballet, was choosing young dancers to perform at Willett Hall when the Russian troupe of the Natalia Sats Theatre presents five performances of the perennial Christmas favorite.
Portsmouth, which will be premier site of the ballet company's 1994 American tour, was the third open audition for this sentimentally popular Peter Tchaikovsky ballet, first performed in 1892. Two others were held this past weekend in Virginia Beach and a private audition was held in Williamsburg.
As the first group of wannabe butterflies and angels tentatively stepped onto the beige tile of the mall's center court, it was difficult for an observer to gauge the range of emotions of the young dancers.
Some tightly clasped their hands. Some bit on pursed lower lips. Some seemed to retreat to Toddlerville and sucked on fingers and thumbs. Some looked nervously, possibly for encouragement, at parents who were closely observing and critiquing their offspring's auditions. Others, however, looked remarkably unconcerned that in the next few moments their talent to properly ``entrechat'' and to exude youthful innocence matched with self-confidence, was going to be judged by a premier danseuse of the Moscow State Ballet.
Under a canopy of pale blue and green geometric mobiles, the youngsters were led through the audition by local dance instructor Gail Harts, who served as Kopylova's host, audition assistant and quasi-translator.
``OK, now, hold hands and open a wide circle,'' Harts intoned to the group, which appeared a bit bewildered.
Response was a little slow, and the circle became increasingly crooked as the youngsters moved first right, then left in hopscotch fashion, as the ballerina counted aloud a repeated, thickly accented but steady beat of . . . ``one, two, three, four, five six, seven, eight.''
Kopylova was searching for energy, good visual expression, and the ability to follow directions quickly and decisively, qualities she needed to find in at least 48 local youngsters who will back up an equal number of professional dancers when ``The Nutcracker'' is performed next month.
Did she find what she was looking for?
Through a clumsy conversation spliced with hand signals and bits and pieces and broken conversational French between Harts and a visitor, Kopylova seemed to understand. She smiled, and then shook her head as if to say, ``Yes.'' MEMO: ``The Nutcracker'' will be presented in five performances Nov. 18-20 at
Willett Hall. Tickets, ranging in price from $17.50 to $35, are
available by calling Ticketmaster at 671-8100 or 872-8100. For
information only, call 393-5144. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by BILL TIERNAN
Lelie Sauvas holds her 8-year-old daughter Angela after she
completed her audition for ``The Nutcracker'' with the Moscow State
Ballet.
Elenya Kopylova conducts the audition at Tower Mall.
by CNB