Ballet West will begin its 1989-90 season with a small turnover and some promising new dancers, said artistic director John Hart, in announcing next year's roster.
Gone and sorely to be missed will be Daniela Buson and Marcello Angelini, "the Italians," who scored decisively last season in the leading roles of "Romeo and Juliet," "Swan Lake" and "Anna Karenina."Trained from an early age in their native land, the dancers met when each was 17, at the Ballet of the Teatro Communale in Florence, Italy. Since 1982, when they won the first prize for pas de deux in the Rome International Competition and the Golden Rose of Milan for most promising couple, they have danced internationally - with the Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin, Northern Ballet Theater of England and Cincinnati Ballet. They came to Ballet West from Cincinnati Ballet and have returned there.
While declaring their love of Salt Lake City and gratitude for their enthusiastic reception here, Angelini cited as their main reason for leaving an insufficient growth potential here for dancers at their level of expertise. However, the pair had signed agreements for last season that found them for a short time under contract to Ballet West and Cincinnati Ballet simultaneously, with each company believing they had first call on the dancers' services.
While sorry to lose these theatrical, exciting dancers, Hart finds his long-held opinion reinforced - that the best way to gain good principal dancers is to bring them up through his own ranks, with a strong stake in the company. "You will never develop your own dancers if you rely on guest artists," he asserted, and he has great confidence in a number of Ballet West dancers who have been progressing year by year.
Returning principal soloists for next year will be Wendee Fiedeldey, Lisa LaManna, Rhonda Lee, Pamela Robinson, Robert Arbogast, Charles Flachs, Jiang Qi and Raymond Van Mason, with Bruce Caldwell as principal character dancer.
Caldwell will move onto the artistic staff as a choreographer and teacher as well, and Hart called him "invaluable" as one who has been with the company from the outset, with knowledge that can be acquired in no other way.
Soloists for next year, all returning artists, are Erin Leedom, Lisa Lockerd, Jane Wood, Miguel Garcia, Jeffrey Rogers and Joseph Woelfel.
Utahns will be pleased to find Melanie Watts joining Ballet West. Trained by Willam Christensen and other Utah teachers, Watts spent several years with San Francisco Ballet as an apprentice, and comes to Ballet West from Cincinnati Ballet.
Joining Ballet West at corps level are Jennifer Demko and Leslie Ann Larson from Oakland Ballet; Robin Irwin from Louisville Ballet; Dawn Nolan from the School of American Ballet, and Christopher Young from Boston Ballet.
Among those not returning is soloist Isabelle Creste, who starred in Val Caniparoli's "Ophelia." Creste, formerly with the Paris Opera Ballet, Basel Ballet, London Festival and Alabama Ballets, will relocate to Virginia, where her husband will be working.
Also leaving the company are Mark Cisler, going to Cincinnati Ballet; Kevin Engle, David Jackson, Leslie Kidd, Nadia Miniclier and Amy Thayne.
Among the artistic staff, regisseur Petrus Bosman will not return. Bosman's many posts have included director of the National Academy of Arts in Champaign, Ill., and with England's Royal and London Festival ballets.
After more than 10 years with Ballet West and many artistic triumphs, David Heuvel, costume production manager, has relocated to Portland, Ore., where he will continue his many freelance projects. Having built Ballet West's costumes for "The Nutcracker," "Giselle," "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," "Abdallah" and many other productions, Heuvel has become almost legendary in the West and has fulfilled assignments with such companies as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Arizona Ballet, Nevada Dance Theatre, Eugene Ballet and Houston Ballet. Heuvel may return upon occasion for special contracts.
Succeeding him as head costumer is Jennifer Craig, who comes to Utah with experience at Dallas Ballet, London Festival Ballet and elsewhere in Britain.
Acknowledging that dancers of Ballet West's caliber need teachers of advanced skill and power to inspire, Hart also said that they don't grow under every bush and tree. "I am looking for such people all the time," he said. "Most of them are not willing to commit to one company."
Yet Hart thinks that short periods of intensive work with skilled teacher-coaches may accomplish a great deal, and among such teachers will be Richard Collins, who will spend a month with the company beginning July 2. "Collins is one of the finest teachers of classical ballet technique," Hart said. "Besides his training and experience with the English companies, he studied and danced for five years with the Bolshoi Ballet."
He also intends to use Atilla Ficzere, a former star of the San Francisco Ballet and frequent assistant of Michael Smuin, as a guest teacher. The Hungarian-born Ficzere has signed as an assistant professor in the ballet department at the University of Utah.
"Ficzere is especially expert in developing men with a strong, masculine approach," he said. "That's very important in America. And I reiterate what I have always said - I have always wanted Ballet West to be an American company, first and foremost."