Trinidad is currently guest teaching at the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, Germany.   She was invited by Ballet Director, Ivan Liska and his wife Colleen Scott with whom she danced at the Hamburg Ballet 25 years ago.  They have not worked together since, so she is enjoying the reunion.  Like the ballets in most major German cities, the Bayerisches Staatsballet and Opera receive state support and are able to develop large companies (~60 dancers!) and elaborate productions.  The night she arrived, Trinidad was treated to a performance of Kylian’s “Zugvögel”, which she described with the words “Wow! What an experience!”  It is a very unusual combination of dance, theatre, film, music, lighting and stage changes during the dancing.  Last Friday, she saw the beautiful production of “Lady of the Camellias”, with choreography by John Neumeier.  It is a story ballet with lots of passion and drama, and the costumes and sets designed by Jurgen Rose are gorgeous.  The ballet brought memories to Trinidad of when she performed it with Ivan and Colleen in the Hamburg Ballet more than 20 years ago.

Trinidad’s teaching work is going well.  She is impressed by the talent and hard work of the company’s 60 dancers.  They are currently performing two programs and also working on a piece by Nacho Duato, which they will perform in December.  This week they will start work on a new piece by Forsythe, called “Artifact”, which they will perform later in the season.  So Trinidad is certainly enjoying the amazing diversity of their repertoire.

The company works in two spaces.  The Nationaltheater (pictured below and on their website) is a beautiful classical building the Staatsballett shares with the Staatsoper and Staatsorchester; they have one big studio in this building.  They have another more modern building just for the Ballet a block away in the heart of the city with four beautiful studios where they also rehearse.  This past Saturday Trinidad taught class there and, aside from the great work of the company, was delighted that through the windows you can see a row of beautiful Bavarian houses.

We look forward to having Trinidad back with us in Brookline in a week, as we start into the home stretch to our opening.

Happy Thanksgiving to all from The Brookline Ballet School!

This week saw the “The Brookline Ballet School” and “”1431” signage mounted on the façade of the building.  The brushed aluminum lettering is beautifully set off by the “Royal Flush” backing over the entrance way and, at night, picks up the spotlight reflection that dances across the letters as you walk or drive by.  Inside, the framing is now completed as well as the rough electrical and plumbing work.  When the drywall and plastering work gets under way this week, the studios will really take shape.

We’re also getting close to finalizing our initial schedule.  We’ve had input from over 100 interested dancers and parents, and thank all those who have contacted us.  Taking these comments into account, we will be making some changes to the Youth Ballet Program as initially posted and filling out the schedule with a number of other offerings.  There is still time to provide us your comments and input at info@brooklineballet.com or 617-879-9988, to let us know what classes would appeal to you or your child and the ideal schedule for you, and to get yourself on our mailing list so we can let you know when we open enrolment.

We are planning to open enrollment at the end of November, working towards opening The School up for visits during the week before the holidays and start classes on January 4, 2010.  We’ll keep you posted as work progresses and we are able to firm up these dates, as well as schedule open house events.

Work is progressing well at The Brookline Ballet School (TBBS).  On the outside, the building put on a new face of Royal Flush framing the entrance way and Pewter gray outlining the studio spaces.  Inside, the Studio 1 floor has been leveled and the two pillars in the middle have been replaced by two beams that will be hidden above the ceiling.  The entrance way ramp was poured and the enclosure is taking shape.  Framing of Studio 2 and the changing rooms and restrooms is going on this week.

The Brookline Ballet School (TBBS) received permits for demolition and building at 1431 Beacon Street and the work got underway.  Special thanks go out to members of the Town of Brookline Building, Planning and Economic Development Departments, as well as the Planning and Zoning Appeals Boards for their careful attention to our dossier.  Thanks to Rena Sokolow (One2Tree Design) and Brandon Bird (Brandon Bird Design) for the beautiful logo and temporary graphics that now adorn the storefront windows on Beacon Street, particularly attractive when lit from the inside at night.  Ralph, Dana and the team from GRM Construction have almost completed the demolition and cleared the debris of the former store configuration.  This week they plan to begin to build the studios, working from plans by architect Beth Worrel.  Pictured below are Trinidad, Parren and Renee in the space that will become Studio 1.  The columns visible in the picture will be removed and the floor leveled, leaving a large space of approximately 32×48 feet.  Notice the bright lighting from the 6 south-facing windows and the skylight (upper right corner); the photographer’s back is to the windows on Beacon Street.  To see more pictures, become a fan of The Brookline Ballet School on Facebook (click here).

A front-page article in the Brookline TAB this week describes the beginnings of The Brookline Ballet School. The article was penned by staff writer, Neal Simpson, and beautifully illustrated with photos by staff photographer, Kate Floch. The article describes how we decided to open the school in Brookline”s Coolidge Corner district and outlines our teaching philosophy and planned dance and exercise offerings. To read the full article, please click here

At the invitation of Jean-Christophe Maillot, Choreographer and Director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Trinidad Vives spent August 30 – September 12 in Monaco as a guest teacher. Trinidad has a long-standing professional relationship with Maillot, since both trained at the Centre International de Danse Rosella Hightower as young dancers. They subsequently danced together at the Hamburg Ballet. Trinidad taught the daily class to the company and assisted in the rehearsals for the 2009-10 season, beginning with a tour to Bucharest, Romania.

Les Ballets de Monte Carlo is working on the “La Belle” choreography of Maillot, for a Tour to Romania, as well as a program called “Ballet Russes” that includes the original “Sacre du Printemps”, “Prince Ygor” and “Les Noces”, choreography of Kylian. They are also preparing Maillot”s “Cinderella”, which they will perform in China in November. So it is a very busy time for them, and Trinidad enjoyed helping them work on such diverse repertoire.

Pictured here is the Grimaldi Forum, where Les Ballets de Monte Carlo performs – it is both a very modern and artistic building.