By Bethany E. Larson, Special to The Post and Courier
James Peronto (left) partners Melissa Rauton (right) in "The Little Mermaid"
Melissa Rauton was once a shy Charleston Ballet Theatre dance student who idolized the company members and strove for technical perfection. Saturday, she will dance the lead role of Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ part of this year’s CBT program for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
‘I’ve always looked up to the company, and performing with them is just amazing,’ said Rauton, 17, who began tap and jazz classes at the age of 3 and transitioned into ballet when she was 9. Already trained in three different dance styles and thirsty for more, she relished the opportunity to audition for CBT’s Broadway Dance Project when it launched in 2004.
Designed by CBT dancer Stephen Gabriel at the behest of company Artistic Directors Don and Patricia Cantwell, the Broadway Dance Project provides ambitious, local dance students training in Broadway-style dance.
‘Students audition for Broadway Dance Project at the beginning of each September,’ said Gabriel, who is in his 14th season with CBT, ‘and I choose the dancers I think are most suited for the production. We work on the production for nine months, starting in September and performing in May. The last two years we’ve been in Piccolo Spoleto and it’s been really rewarding.’
Rauton has auditioned and danced with Gabriel’s handpicked children’s company every year since it began.
As a testament to her loyalty and dedication, Gabriel created last season’s Broadway Dance Project production of ‘The Little Mermaid’ with Rauton in mind for the lead role of Ariel.
‘I didn’t even like dance until I started classes at CBT,’ admitted Rauton, who recently received a dance scholarship to attend Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts, where she will major in dance with a focus in ballet. She added, ‘Seeing as it’s my last year here, I’m so honored to play the lead.’
Outside of Rauton, ‘The Little Mermaid’ cast is made up of five CBT company members and the 27 young dancers, ranging in age from 11-17, enrolled in the Broadway Dance Project.
‘Sometimes,’ said Gabriel, ‘the students are so young that they don’t really know the technique, but they have that in other classes. My real job is to try to teach them to perform.’
Performance is a skill Gabriel knows well. Growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he fell in love with Broadway at a young age and found jobs dancing with shows in Branson, Mo.
‘Everyone used to tell me I should dance in Las Vegas or New York,’ said Gabriel, ‘But I always thought that ballet was more of a challenge, and I like being challenged. However, I do like to choreograph in a lot of different genres — modern, Broadway and ballet. Sometimes it just becomes a fusion of them all.’
The love of a challenge, as well as the overarching love of all dance styles, is something that Gabriel and Rauton share, which is perhaps what makes him the perfect mentor for the young dancer.
But for Rauton, the biggest part of the challenge isn’t learning choreography or remembering technique while also performing, it’s emotionally connecting with her character. The role of Ariel requires a vast emotional range, from exuberant to heartbroken. The dancing comes naturally to Rauton. The acting does not.
Knowing she struggled with emoting and acting, Gabriel cast her in roles with over-the-top personality. For example, she danced the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in the Broadway Dance Project’s ‘Off to Oz,’ which debuted in 2009.
‘I’ve always been more of a shy dancer,’ said Rauton, ‘and Stephen has helped me learn to act and dance at the same time. He kept challenging me year after year. I feel so grateful to him, and honored to have the opportunity to dance with CBT. I definitely think they helped me get better in every aspect.’
Bethany Larson is a Goldring Arts Journalism Program writer. Reach her at blarson@syr.edu.
If you go
What: ‘The Little Mermaid.’
When: June 5 at 1 and 3 p.m.
Where: Charleston Ballet Theatre’s Studio, 477 King St.
Last night Courtney and I attended the Spoleto debut of Gallim Dance’s I Can See Myself in Your Pupil. Although we’re sure that you would love to read all of the things we have to say about it, we thought that maybe you’d like to know what other audience members thought instead. So, during intermission and after the performance, which, btw, received a standing ovation, we asked some dance-loving Spoleto audience members what they thought of Pupil.
We’ll be scouting out people to interview during each Spoleto USA and Piccolo Spoleto dance event we go to. So if you see two girls with a camera, make sure you say hi. We promise we don’t bite.
For more exclusive Spoleto USA and Piccolo Spoleto footage, visit Barre None.
That’s what is happening at noon. I know what Mayor Joe Riley is going to say because he has said it every year, but it’s still inspiring for the arts.
There is always a surprise at the opening at the corner of Broad and Meeting St. But go now and get a good parking spot. And look for the shade. It’s going to be a warm one.
Our Goldring Arts Journalism members will be hanging there, so look for people wearing the orange press passes. And check out our blogs and videos as we cover the festival as it has never been covered before!
You can contact us at Spoletotoday@postandcourier.com or leave comments for us. We’ll be checking for them early and often.
Here’s a comment from a reader this morning:
“We attended Present Laughter last night and it was fabulous. As good as I have seen in NY, Edinburgh and Vegas!”
Linda and Mike Leatherwood
The Charleston Ballet Theatre performed their version of The Great Gatsby last night.
From reading about the event, I was very interested to see how literature translates into dance.
The theatre chose to use narration. So, in the beginning, to introduce all the characters, the narrator–a speaker–bounced around the novel to introduce Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom–his mistress, of course–and Jordan Baker. Then the narrator continued to bounce around so the story of Gatsby, a man who has done everything to end up in West Egg across Long Island from East Egg and his long lost love, Daisy, makes sense to those in the audience who might not have read Fitzgerald’s novel.
The music used in the performance was the best part. It was clear to the audience that the songs, their lyrics, were chosen carefully and specifically to add to the time and place of the story being told through dance.
At some points I almost did not feel like narration served the performance as well as adding an element of drama would have. I wanted the dancers to speak. I know that’s know what ballerinas do, but since they were already creating a hybrid of dance and literature, I thought it could have been taken further.
The dancing was beautiful despite the chosen narration, and it’s worth checking out–they will perform again tonight at 7 p.m., 477 King Street.
Patrons were sitting under the oak trees last night at The Cistern when Spoleto Festival USA canceled ‘Noche Flamenca’ because of inclement weather. A free outdoors Piccolo Spoleto jazz concert was also canceled earlier in the afternoon for the same reason.
‘We take it day by day, often minute by minute,’ said Paula Edwards, marketing and public relations director for Spoleto Festival USA. ‘We won’t call it unless we have to.’
As thunderstorms moved through the area, ‘Flamenca’ was canceled just as it was about to begin. The flamenco group has two more outdoor performances, tonight and Saturday night, in the same venue as space is available. Edwards said that the festival will honor tickets from Thursday’s performance at either show, or patrons can call the box office and Spoleto will issue a refund.
In other instances this year, the festival has moved the performances to an indoor venue and notified patrons as they entered the Cistern.
The weather forecast for today calls for a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms.
The festival’s finale at Middleton Place on Sunday is a rain-or-shine event, so no refunds will be issued if it is rained out.
Piccolo Spoleto canceled a free Jazz in the Street concert at 5 p.m. earlier in the afternoon.
To contact Spoleto Festival, call (843) 579-3100. To contact Piccolo about events, call 888-374-2656.
The Charleston Ballet Theater’s Brown Bag & Ballet series has been one of those events I’ve been meaning to attend, but just never gotten around to it.
I showed up, otherwise unprepared but with lunch in tow, and for some reason, expecting classical ballet.
When the house lights went down, and the spotlights came up on five young men in cowboy shirts and jeans and country music started playing, I felt a bit uneasy. This wasn’t quite what I had expected.
However, as the Lyle Lovett song played and the dancers whirled about, my unease quickly evaporated, and I became enchanted.
The work, Nine Lives, turned out to be full of wit, humor, and a playful marriage of dance and music. I had never listened to Lyle Lovett before. Now, I need to listen to more.
Souvenance was a contemporary piece that was sensual and beautiful.
The last piece, Tango X-Posed, conveyed the hotness and sweetness of tango.
It was delightful program and an unexpected lunchtime treat. Highly recommended.
There are three more Brown Bag and Ballets: Thurday, May 28, 2009, Friday, June 5, 2009, and Saturday, June 6, 2009, all from 12n-1pm at The Charleston Ballet Theatre, 477 King Street.
Packed to the rafters, as predicted. Magical, as expected. The Company’s talent is stupendous and strong, and the choreography inventive and surprising, even if you’ve seen these pieces drawn from Alvin Ailey’s 50-year history before.
The performance was preceded by an annoying 15- or 20-minute film (it seemed like 30) on the history of the company. It felt like watching PBS, or an ad, but no need for an ad; those who were watching it had already bought the ticket. The film did allow the many latecomers to take their seats before the first piece of blues fabulousness.The music was too loud (take a Kleenex and wad up little pieces for each ear) and Gaillard was uncomfortably warm (in the mezzanine). Most houses turn the AC to Arctic well before a sold-out crowd arrives in anticipation of the body heat, but either Gaillard didn’t (could this be budget cuts?) or it didn’t work.
The body heat in the audience was nothing compared to the body heat onstage by Ailey’s muscular, precise, lyrical, and swing-filled dancers.
Editor’s Oops! QuinTango is offering the tango lessons on Wednesday between performances.
Here’s the original post: So Loretta Haskell, one of Spoleto Today’s intrepid reviewers, says there’s more than sexy tango music happening during Quintango at the Footlight Players Theatre on Sunday. The popular Piccolo group is doing tango’s history of women and history of men as separate performances - but in between there will be a special treat. They are going to teach tango lessons. Hmm, great music, sexy bodies. What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
For those of us who love tango - or need their ballroom dancing fix now that “Dancin’ with the Stars” is over - this might be just the ticket. And Quintango never disappoints. They’ve been coming to Piccolo for years and always deliver.
“Louise.” Boho Paris. 30 characters. Another chance to hear French opera. What else do you need? I hear there’s a wow! costume entrance. Plus, you know the story already. June 4 at 5 p.m., “Louise” cast singers will give a recital of arias and art songs. (Intermezzi.)
“Don John.” The Cornwallish wacko Kneehigh Theatre returns. I hear the lead is really cute. Plus, you know the story already.
Pianist Andre von Oeyen. (Intermezzi.)
Mahler’s “Song of the Earth.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s golden anniversary retrospective. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, they’re always magic. This will sell out.
“Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre’s 20th-Century” by the World/Inferno Friendship Society. Multimedia punk song cycle with style, range and attitude. Follow these guys around town. I hear they’ll be staying up late.
Celebrate Charles Wadsworth. Of the several opportunities to say farewell to the longtime maestro of the chamber series, I’d pick high tea on Sunday, June 7, if I could afford it. OK, it’s 100 bucks, but hey, there’s a concert and it’s tea! For the cheap crowd, Wadsworth will yak for free June 4 at 5 p.m. at Simons Center Recital Hall, C of C.
Chamber Music. Pick one. Or three. Any one. Any three.
Music in Time. All three of these performances … by Michael Harrison on just-intonation piano, Yumiko Tanaka on the trad. Japanese stringed instrument the shamisen, Phillip Bimstein on various human and animal sounds, including moo cows … sound fab.
Sarah Chang, violinist. On Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Sarah Chang has been around since she first auditioned for Zubin Mehta at age 8. I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing her, but I have tickets. This will sell out.
Blues guitarist Beverly Watkins. Rules. (Jazz)
Florin Niculescu
Punch Brothers. Filling this year’s Carolina Chocolate Drops slot in the jazz series, sort of. They get their chops genetically, and it’s fair to say they’ve all put in their 10,000 hours. Plus, they blog. (Jazz)
Florin Niculescu. As a huge fan of the late Django Reinhardt and a huge fan and one-time dinner guest of the late, elegant Stephane Grappelli, I must hear this Gypsy fiddler in his American debut. (Jazz)
Ramberto Ciammarughi. As a piano fanatic, I must see this Italian heavyweight in his American debut. (Jazz … great Jazz lineup, Michael)
Marc Bamuthi Joseph put on an impressive show over two dates at the Emmett Robinson last week. His poetic speech and movement was combined with hip-hop music, conversational “travel diary” monologues, video interviews shot by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi and a large moving lighting rig choreographed by James Clotfelter.
Yet for a really intense experience, I went to Bamuthi’s two hour workshop at the Avery Research Center, part of a free “Spoleto at the Avery” program” that ran last week.
At the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Bamuthi shared the stage with all those bells and whistles. In the workshop, there were no such distractions. The performer’s work was a lot more powerful in the intimate classroom environment, and he got to show another side to his work – he mentors teen writers through a “Youth Speaks” literary arts organization.
The workshop was part writing class, part dance-off. Bamuthi began with a demonstration of what he does, switching from hip-hop speech to regular talk about his partner’s pregnancy and a planned natural birth. As he spoke he moved, creating visual images with his physical being, his expressions and his breathing.
Packed to the rafters, as predicted. Magical, as expected. The Company’s talent is stupendous and strong, and the choreography inventive and surprising, even if you’ve seen these pieces drawn from Alvin Ailey’s 50-year history before.
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