American National Ballet

Duluth-Superior Pride welcomes the American National Ballet. Be amazed by "Jazz Swing", choreographed by Fernando Bujones, Artistic Director for the Orlando Ballet.

From Duluth News Tribune:

American National Ballet will serve it up supersize in its fourth season.

With double the dancers, the Duluth company ventures on its first national tour, and its home programs include a piece choreographed by dance legend Twyla Tharp.

A budget increase of $50,000 over last season made it all possible, according to Artistic Director Armando Maldonado.

"It's an amazing jump for a nonprofit organization, particularly considering how hostile the economy is to arts right now," he said.

The company grows from nine full-time, professional dancers to 17. After a year when the ballet struggled to find and keep male dancers, the male corps expands from two to five. New dancers include Anton Romanov, a graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow.

Dancer Leanne Vecchione said additional males will influence the choreography, since Maldonado can now write full male sections. She predicts it will also influence the audience.

"I can admit it. Males together on stage are exciting in a way that we aren't, the power that they have and the physicality," she said. "People who don't know anything about dance can appreciate how fast men turn and how high they jump, and audiences love that."

The Duluth season includes Tharp's "The Little Ballet," originally commissioned for the American Ballet Theatre under then-artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov.

"It's just so awesome, it's almost like you can't even talk about it," Vecchione said. "The idea of doing the work of someone that famous ... it's the opportunity to not only do a piece that's Tharp's, but to also become a part of the dance wisdom that's passed down from generation to generation."

The troupe goes on its first tour this year, with stops in major metros such as Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

Maldonado said the ballet's expansion is possible largely because of Clear Channel Communications' corporate sponsorship. Ron Stone, Duluth market manager for Clear Channel Radio, is on the ballet's board of directors.

Additional money came from grants and donations by several locally owned businesses. The ballet also benefited from a merger with the Dance Escape school, for a combined 375 students and shared rehearsal space at 5713 Grand Ave.

This is a "Flashdance" moment for the company, when perseverance is paying off with opportunity. Maldonado said it's the perfect moment for him to retire from the stage. He will stop dancing after this season, but continue his work as the ballet's artistic director and choreographer.

"I'm 40. I don't jump as high or turn as fast as I used to," said the dancer of 25 years. "It saddens me, but now that I have young, talented men in the company, I should leave, because it's my job to make sure every dancer that walks on that stage is world-class level."