An Italian Straw Hat is a magnificent collaboration of three brilliant men: James Kudelka (Choreographer), Michael Torke (Composer) and Santo Loquasto (Designer). It is a wonderful comedic ballet; a delightful French farce that has a smorgasboard of fabulous characters. Being a Character Artist myself, a dancer who portrays the people and sometimes animals in a ballet, I revelled in the fact that I was not only cast as one character, but THREE and all MEN!

My characters are a French countryman, a butler in the service of “The Baroness” (danced by a male) and Le Gendarme (Chief of Police). What an amazing challenge!!!

But of course, with James, the challenge didn’t stop there. The choreography for me was a little daunting. I had a lot of running, skipping, jumping and generally kicking up my heels and not at a snail’s pace. So just when I’m feeling somewhat comfortable with having mastered the choreography (not such an easy task as I am no spring chicken in this company, although I did play a chicken for many years in La Fille Mal Gardée), I then proceeded to our superb wardrobe department for my first of many fittings… Santo and James were both there and with delightful smirks on their faces handed me a big, stuffed body suit with a huge belly and enormous thighs!!

“Step into it,” they said “and then we’ll see about costuming you!”

Oh my, just wearing the belly suit made me sweat! Then they added a complete three piece heavy wool suit and a top hat. Voila! The countryman! Thank goodness the butler outfit was a bit lighter, but then a full police uniform complete with hat and whistle for Le Gendarme weighed heavily upon me even without my “big body”. All of my characters, of course, involved the constant changing of wigs, sideburns and mustaches as well as make-up.

By the end of the show, I have had quite a workout. Even my socks are soaked!

Anyway, An Italian Straw Hat is such a delightful, fun ballet and I feel so privileged to be a part of it! It puts a smile on my face as I’m sure it will on any one who is lucky enough to see it!

(Photos: Victoria Bertram in An Italian Straw Hat by Cylla von Tiedemann)

I love teaching Fletcher Pilates to my fellow dancers. Ron Fletcher is one of the six master teachers who is still alive today and I had the great opportunity to train with him. I started doing Fletcher Pilates as a form of cross training to help me achieve my goals in ballet. The changes are positive and I consistently feel centered - my turns and balances have improved dramatically. I also have better control so my leg extensions are higher. I get feedback from my fellow dancers and the staff about the difference in the length of my muscles. The benefits that I enjoy are having freedom in dancing, being injury-free or seldom injured and I can express myself with abundance. Having experienced the benefits of pilates, I want to share this with my colleagues.

A few years ago, I tore my ACL and had reconstructive surgery. My surgeon said that it would take 1 to 2 years to get back on stage. I decided to be proactive and productive with my time off from ballet. During our January breaks for 2 years, I traveled to Tucson, Arizona where I became certified to teach Fletcher Pilates.

One day I was working with First Soloist Jillian Vanstone. We were using the Fletcher Towelwork to do side bending. I was encouraging her to lengthen her spine and breath from her back. As she was following my instructions, she stopped in her tracks and said “Oh my!” She said she felt some adjustments in her back. So we stopped what we were doing and I made sure that she was alright. She laughed and said “Hey, I feel taller and straighter”. I get these comments all the time when I conclude an hour pilates session with my fellow dancers.

I am glad to be able to help my colleagues. Many of them are noticing the benefits of pilates while working with me. The staff notices the improvements in their performances as well. My satisfaction comes from knowing that I’ve made a small difference in an individuals life, may it be on stage or backstage.

(Photos: Je-an Salas and Jillian Vanstone)

2007 was an exciting year in many ways. The highlight, I’d have to say, was the Erik Bruhn Competition. I was honored to represent the company for this competition; it was a once in a life-time opportunity, especially since it was on my birthday. It didn’t go as well as I imagined. I snapped my left Achilles tendon during the performance and I could not finish what I was doing… and that’s that. The performance did not last long, but I have to say that it was one of the best feelings I have had on stage. It is difficult to explain what happens to a dancer’s mind and body on stage or even to time itself, but I believe that what we create out there is something that is beyond what words can express. It is very rare to experience something like this. I guess this accident cast a shadow over the performance, but I hope that people could still feel something special, because I really did.

It is now 2008 and my Achilles is not in perfect shape yet, but there are no problems most of the time. I am looking forward to dancing in the upcoming season, especially Soldiers’ Mass. It is a men-only ballet. It’s about time! This is also a new ballet for me. We just started the rehearsal process, but I am enjoying it a lot. I have a good feeling about this year, although I think this way at the start of every year.

(photo: Keiichi Hirano in Le Corsaire by Cylla von Tiedemann.)

On February 7^th, those of Chinese heritage and their extended families and friends will celebrate Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival. I came to Canada at the age of 8 from Beijing, China where the Chinese New Year festivities last about a month long. As a little girl in China, Spring Festival was the time that I looked forward to the most. Much like kids look forward to Christmas here, Spring Festival meant visits with family and friends, no school work and delicious food like the dish dubbed “Lion’s Head,” which is huge meat balls filled with ground pork, water chestnuts, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and sea cucumber.

It is a time to make wishes for the coming year as well as to bid good health, prosperity and happiness to everyone around. After coming to Canada, my parents and grandmother always made sure that we celebrated with a special dinner, despite the long hours they worked as new immigrants. The dinners included fish, which represents abundance, and a dessert made of sweet rice, which represents higher success in the coming year.

Now that I am the mother of a two year old little boy who was born in Canada, I have become more aware of introducing him to his Chinese heritage. I see the wonderful festivities that are available around the city and feel comforted that our culture is well represented. Last week, to help kick off the month long list of programs and performances held at the Chinese Cultural Centre, I produced an evening of dance for the Centre featuring my friends and colleagues from the National Ballet and Ballet Jörgen. The program was a mix of classical and contemporary ballets and was enjoyed by a predominantly Chinese audience.

It is wonderful to know that as I raise my son and continue my career in Canada, we will have much access to the cultures of the world, including my own.

(Photos: Top Left: Chan Hon Goh by David Cooper. Above: Chan Hon Goh with Artists of the Ballet in Madame Butterfly by Cylla von Tiedemann.)