By Rebecca Martin.

Two of Stuttgart Ballet’s rising stars, Daniel Camargo and Elisa Badenes, journeyed to Melbourne to perform at The Australian Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Gala late last year. They performed the first piece of the night, choreographed by Stuttgart Ballet’s own Demis Volpi. It was a challenging contemporary piece that highlighted the dancers’ exquisite bodies and technique.

Ultimately though, it was their performance later in the evening of the Don Quixote Act III pas de deux that blew the audience away and exhibited why Stuttgart Ballet is one of the world’s greatest companies.

Dance Informa caught up with Daniel and Elisa upon their return to Germany following a tour to China with Stuttgart Ballet.

Tell us a little about your dance training.

Daniel Camargo
I began my dance training in my native country Brazil at the Guaira Ballet School in Curitiba. In 2005, I participated in the Youth America Grand Prix and met Tadeusz Matacz, Director of the John Cranko School, who invited me to come to Stuttgart. At the John Cranko School I studied with Petr Pestov, a great teacher who influenced me very much. In 2009, I joined the Stuttgart Ballet.

Elisa Badenes of Stuttgart Ballet in Don Quixote.

Elisa Badenes
I started at age 11 at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de Valencia in my home country of Spain. My teacher was Rafael Darder.  In 2008, I participated in the Prix de Lausanne and received a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School where I studied for one year. In 2009, I auditioned for the Stuttgart Ballet and joined the company.

What was it like to perform for The Australian Ballet?

Daniel Camargo
Amazing. The entire company was very nice and welcoming. Of course it is always interesting to see how different companies work. I found the Australian Ballet to be like a big family with lots of positive energy.

Elisa Badenes
It was very nice and a lovely experience. Everyone was working so hard and it was clear from the atmosphere that it was a very important evening for the company. The staff and the dancers made our stay really enjoyable and comfortable.

What did you think of Australia and of the dancing?

Daniel Camargo
Melbourne was fantastic and in general the country reminded me of the USA in terms of the “wide open spaces.” Everything seemed very new and the mix of architectural styles was impressive. The people are very friendly. 

Elisa Badenes
I always wanted to travel to the “other side of the world,” so this was a dream come true for me! Everything was exciting. We really loved the people.  Unfortunately we didn’t have much time to travel around but when we left we had a very positive overall impression of Melbourne. The level of the dancers was very good and it was especially nice to see how supportive the audience is of the dancers.

What is your favourite piece to perform?

Stuttgart Ballet’s Daniel Camargo in Don Quixote

Daniel Camargo
So far, definitely the full length Don Quixote!

Elisa Badenes
It’s hard to say…. I just love all the pieces I have danced so far.

Do you prefer traditional ballet or modern pieces?

Daniel Camargo
Both. I love the traditional pieces, the classics, as well as contemporary works. It is the most challenging to be involved in the creation process for brand new works, but it is very exciting.

Elisa Badenes
I simply can’t choose because the biggest pleasure is to be able to do both. I can’t imagine dancing just classical or just modern. I love dancing different styles and different works. That is one of the big pleasures of our job, that we are changing roles, characters and styles.

What would you do if you weren’t a dancer?

Daniel Camargo
Sports – soccer, skateboarding or snowboarding.

Elisa Badenes
I could imagine studying, but it would surely involve the arts or a profession where one has contact with many people.

Top photo: Stuttgart Ballet Soloists Daniel Camargo and Elisa Badenes. Photos courtesy of Stuttgart Ballet.

By Rain Francis.

State Theatre
June 9, 2012

The best dance companies from all over the country assembled at Arts Centre Melbourne for The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary gala, and it was an absolute treat. The variety of offerings truly showcased the depth and breadth of artistry nationwide; there really was something for every audience member – unless your thing is tutus, because there wasn’t one in sight.

The evening kicked off with the West Australian Ballet’s, Ombra Leggera, choreographed by Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari. It was performed by Daryl Brandwood and Andre Santos, two very different dancers who worked together beautifully. Quick, playful and a bit cheeky, this light-hearted duet was a superb display of technique.

By contrast, Don’t by Brisbane’s Expressions Dance Company was dark and powerful; an “exploration of the emotional power of words”. Dramatically lit and costumed in monochrome, it depicted three couples and their struggles to communicate. From the opening solo under a dappled spotlight, to the electrifying partner work, Don’t was engaging from start to finish.

Tasdance presented a short film, Momentary by choreographer Anna Smith. I was excited to see this offering from our friends across the Strait, although this perhaps wasn’t the best setting for the film. It was hypnotic and mysterious, but I think some quality was lost somewhere along the way – projecting onto the big screen did not seem to do it any justice.

Unsurprisingly, it was Australian Dance Theatre that brought the most innovative present to the party. They performed an excerpt of Be Your Self – an exploration of the human body and the concept of the ‘self’. Whatever combination of methodologies they are getting into over in Adelaide these days, it is a winning one – these performers are verging on superhuman. Having now seen two excerpts of this incredible work on the State Theatre stage, I hope Melbourne will be honoured with the full shebang sometime soon.

Dancenorth presented a brand new work, Fugue, choreographed by Artistic Director Raewyn Hill.   Inspired by Spanish bullfighting and the “dancing plague” of 1518 (where people allegedly danced themselves to death), Hill set out to “embody both a feeling of relentless and a communal experience.” This was achieved through the use of unison; the cast of eight moved in a constant swarm – which is no mean feat, especially in a piece so athletically challenging. The Sass & Bide costuming, although glamorous, seemed to swallow the dancers up and detracted from the intricacy of the movement. Ravel’s masterpiece Bolero, with its gradually building energy and repetitive structure was a fine choice to express the themes of the dance.

Another high point of the evening was Queensland Ballet’s excerpts from Cloudland, choreographed by Artistic Director Francois Klaus. The two pas de deux were performed flawlessly by Rachael Walsh and Keian Langdon, to Almost Like Being in Love and No Moon At All. Normally not a fan of choreography to music with lyrics, I was not bothered in this case, perhaps because I was swept up in the romance and pure beauty of the dance.

An excerpt from Rafael Bonachela’s 2 One Another, Sydney Dance Company’s contribution to the programme was, as expected, technically exquisite. The work explored human interaction, although the stimulus had been abstracted to a point where this fact became largely unrecognisable. Still, the combination of phenomenal dancers, innovative choreography, powerful music and beautiful costumes, lighting and staging made this another winner from Sydney Dance Company.

Tim Harbour’s new work for The Australian Ballet, Sweedeedee, painted a sentimental picture of a family. It was performed with grace and charm by beloved former Principal Artists, Justine Summers and Stephen Heathcote, as well as two Australian Ballet School students, Lennox Niven and Mia Heathcote, Stephen’s daughter. The stage was set (by Benjamin Cisterne) with an oversized washing line complete with white sheets, which were worked effectively into the choreography. Harbour’s movement in this piece was refreshingly uncomplicated, with clean lines and a gentle pace. Funny, sad and sweet, the stories it told were enriched by folk songs played live, with the Musical Direction of Chong Lim. Lexi George’s costumes were a standout, as was the magnificent lighting by Cisterne.

In his programme note, Artistic Director David McAllister cited David Bowie as the inspiration for the naming of this gala. Let’s Dance confirmed that dance is very much alive and well in this country. And judging by the spectrum of creativity and skill in the industry, it seems that Australian dance is set, like Mr. Bowie, to continue to reinvent itself, and only get better with age.

Top photo: Sydney Dance Company presents 2 One Another.