Playwrights and actors do it with words. Choreographers and dancers—at least the good ones—do it without uttering a word. Creating characters, no matter how you do it, comes from intelligent, thoughtful research and analysis; thorough preparation; and a willingness to keep delving.Nancy Raffa, currently ballet mistress for American Ballet Theatre, is appearing onstage in "The Sleeping Beauty." Despite her tiny—even for a dancer—frame, she's not dancing the title role, also known as Aurora. She is dancing a role that, for the past many decades, has been danced by men. She is the witch, Carabosse, who crashes the christening and curses Aurora with the prediction that when Aurora is a teenager, she will prick her finger and die. Speaking by phone with Back Stage, Raffa eloquently and in detail describes creating this fascinating character through dance."The Sleeping Beauty," presented by American Ballet Theatre, runs July...
- 7/15/2010
- backstage.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.