Men ‘en pointe’ is right on point for Les Ballet Trockadero
Men “en pointe” in ballerina tutus are just plain funny and no one understands that point better than this very unusual all-male company that specialises in the comic aspect of classical ballet.
The storied Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo from New York will be in Bangkok on September 16 and 17 as a part of this city’s 21st International Festival of Dance and Music at the Thailand Cultural Centre.
Founded in 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts, the company, fondly referred to as The Trocks, first performed in off-Broadway lofts. By the ‘80s they were established as a ballet company.
The Trocks have delighted audiences of all ages to packed houses across the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Japan, South America, South Africa, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, China and more. An evening with the Trocks as The New York Times put it, is all about “daft diva antics. … [The show is] brilliant, unsettling, riveting – the epitome of Trocks style!”
The Trocks take classical and modern ballets and change them by adding an entertaining aspect – all kinds of humour from subtle parody to outright slapstick. It is hard not to laugh when male dancers balance delicately en pointe among swan princesses, delicate sylphs, ethereal water sprites and Victorian ladies. Their impressive technical skills underline the traditions of classical ballet at their heart.
The dance company explains, “Basically we are very good ballet dancers and good comedians. We combine the two using drag as a vehicle to bring out the comedy. People who know the Trocks come because they want to have fun with ballet.”
In the early stages, they choreograph a ballet just like any other ballet company would.
After the work is completely choreographed, they start to improvise to see how it develops in a comedic way. Slowly they change the ballet to bring out the comedy. The company is greatly influenced by Russian ballet stars and comedians such as Lucille Ball, Bea Arthur, Gracie Allen and Dame Edna. One thing is for sure – The Trocks are the perfect introduction to ballet not just for the kids but the adults as well.
The Trocks have two separate programmes in store for Bangkok.
On September 16 – Swan Lake, Pas De Deux, NightCrawlers, Dying Swan & Paquita. And on September 17 – Swan Lake, Pas De Deux, Go for Barocco, Dying Swan and Walpurgis Night..
Find out more information: www.bangkokfestivals.com.
Tickets: Thai Ticket Major (www.thaiticketmajor.com), Hotline (02) 262 3191 and at the counters. Ticket prices are Bt3000 / 2,500 /2,000 / 1,700 / 1,200.
Supporting the Festival are Bangkok Bank (PCL), Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, BMW Thailand, B Grimm Group, Indorama Ventures, Major Cineplex Group, Nation Group, PTT (PCL), PTT Global Chemical PCL, Singha Corporation, Thai Union Group, Thai Airways International, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Ministry of Culture.
