|
|
By: Kay Kipling
On the eve of the Naples world premiere of his latest work, the American dance legend discusses the challenges-and rewards-of his art.
|
Villella's first major role for the New York City Ballet was actually in Robbins' setting of Debussy's "Afternoon of a Faun," which Robbins later told him was inspired when he saw the teen-aged Villella in a dance studio, bathed by a shaft of sunlight. (That piece will have its company premiere at the Phil this month, along with Stravinsky's Violin Concerto.) And it was another Robbins work, "Watermill," with which Villella officially ended his dancing career, in 1990. As Villella notes, "My dancing career was bookended by Robbins, and in the middle was Balanchine."
Villella works today to educate his dancers in the styles of those two dance titans. "It takes a year to two years to get them comfortable with neoclassicism," he says. "They come from the 19th-century tradition. A lot of European companies hold on to that tradition. American Ballet Theater does, too.
"But I have very willing dancers. I try not to change people but to add to what they already have, in a give-and-take approach. What I have to offer is very specific. You can see it. I'm the boss, but there's mutual respect, I hope. Our dancers really believe in the manner and the signature of the company."
And, citing the relevance of dance in that troubled post 9-11 era, Villella holds fast to a belief in its value. "When we're in a period of darkness, we can provide some light, some hope. We can offer the human spirit, the soul, against the evil of terrorism, murder, the way people abuse religion. We look into those areas of wonder within the human spirit, and what we can develop and evolve into. It's not just entertainment. There's depth to it."
Print this page
Email to a Friend
Digg This Article
Purchase this Issue
