Nutcracker's Little People: A Conversation with Priscilla Nathan-Murphy

Priscilla Nathan-Murphy is Principal of the Lower School at the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. Nathan-Murphy is a key figure in getting the little ones ready to perform in Houston Ballet’s lavish version of Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker. Primarily, she helps prepare the clown and party children along with Houston Ballet Artistic Coordinator, Martine Harley. Nathan-Murphy is also a dancer and choreographer and recently performed with Amy Ell at DiverseWorks. She took the time to visit with me in the middle of Nutckracker season and her performance with Amy Ell.

DH: I was so impressed with the liveliness of the little ones. I understand you are the one responsible for such professionalism coming from these little ones. How long have you been working with children at the Houston Ballet?

PNM: I’ve been at the academy since 1985 and working with the children for 11 years.

DH: How many children dance in the Nutcracker?
PNM: More than 60 kids are involved in the Nutcracker, 16 are clowns and 20 are party children.

DH: How many different casts?
PNM: There are 2 casts for both clowns & party children.

DH: How long does it take to get the children ready?
PNM: I like to start working with the clowns 6 weeks ahead of tech week about two times a week. The party kids start much later in accordance to the company schedule. This year we started later than usual in mid-November. Mice and soldiers also begin 5 to 6 weeks ahead.

DH: What is the age range of the children?
PNM: The children usually range in age from 8 to 12. I try to hang onto some of the older cast from the previous year if selection allows at the time of audition. This always helps with providing some leadership as well as help with bringing the other new kids onboard. I must say that costume and height are factors as well.

DH: Do you have any funny stories about kids over the years?
PNM: Well really there haven't been as funny stories as unfortunate moments. On opening night two children got their hats accidentally stuck together. And then you see a pair of Siamese twins first struggling but then keeping up with choreography. We’ve had shoes falling almost off. Once a child got hit my mother ginger and it caused quite a scare.

DH: How do they manage stage fright issues?
PNM: I try to prepare them as best I can while in the rehearsal process. They are performing with a company that is internationally known and therefore the caliber of performance and participation at rehearsals has to be at its best. I alert them to continue to stay focused when they get to the stage on their first rehearsal. Sometimes it’s quite overwhelming with the sets and props and the awe of the company members being right there on stage with them. In the event of something going wrong that they have to keep going and behave professionally. The endurance capacity to keep the high level of standard in performance is a hard thing to expect from little ones. It is definitely a character and discipline building experience and many will grow a lot from the experience.

DH: Did you ever dance in The Nutcracker?
PNM: Yes I did perform in the Nutcracker many years ago back in Singapore. The roles I did were Snow, Flowers, Chinese, and Arabian. It was fun and such a thrill. As I would imagine the same would be for the children. I was in my teens.

DH: Will many of these children seek careers as dancers?
PNM: Maybe a handful will continue. They show some potential but that is a far cry from actually seeing it through. A lot happens over the years. But there are a few right now who display a strong desire to be a “ballerina.” Now as far as the boys go well I think right now it’s an enjoyment and pleasure. Indeed the aura of it captures all of them.

I always hope that an experience like this, especially with a renowned company as this, does affect their lives somewhat. The experience hold the potential to solidify their inner most desire of being a dancer or a performer in the arts or at least give them an appreciation of what it is to be an artist, such as a professional dancer. It is also wonderful to be in awe of someone.

DH: Priscilla, it’s been wonderful to catch-up. I wish you well on all your dance adventures.


Photo by Jim Caldwell

Houston Ballet's Bridgett Zehr Tackles the Snow Queen in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker

The holidays are a time for gift giving. For Houston Ballet ballerina, Bridgett Zehr, landing the leading role of the Snow Queen in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker is a dream gift. The holidays are a special time for Zehr. First of all, she was born on Christmas day. The Nutcracker is especially charged with meaning; it was Zehr’s first ballet memory.

“I have been a snowflake before but never the Queen. When the casting was posted I didn’t even think to check the principal parts. I looked below and saw that I would be doing the Arabian Dance again, a flower, and a snowflake. I looked up and there I was, a Snow Queen! I was so excited. I love this part,” says Zehr.

Luck (and no shortage of talent and determination) has been on Zehr’s side. When she was seven years old and living in Florida with her family, her mother checked her school backpack on a whim. Ordinarily, she wasn’t one to check on a daily basis. That day, Zehr had been given a special audition notice about a program called Dance-The Next Generation (DNG), a scholarship program for underprivileged children run by the Sarasota Ballet. DNG provides instruction, dancewear, and transportation free of charge to at-risk children. Zehr’s mother had danced for ten years during her youth in Buffalo, New York, and was excited about the possibility of her two daughters dancing. At the time ballet lessons were beyond the family’s budget. Lessons and supplies can add up to a financial burden for any family. Zehr and her sister auditioned and were both accepted into the program. “After my first year of ballet I knew I wanted to dance professionally,” remembers Zehr.

Zehr attended Harid Conservatory, a boarding dance High School, for three years before coming to Houston. After spending two summers and one year at the Houston Ballet Academy on the Rudolf Nureyev Scholarship, she was invited to be an apprentice in the company. In 2004 Houston Ballet’s Artistic Director, Stanton Welch, invited her to be a member of the corps de ballet. Zehr even turned down a prestigious offer from American Ballet Theatre to join the Houston Ballet.

“I love Houston. The weather is just like Florida. The culture at the Houston Ballet is wonderful. The dancers are so friendly; I have a wonderful community here. I couldn’t be happier. Of course I want to explore the museums and get to know the city better.”

During her apprenticeship at Houston Ballet, Zehr danced some extraordinary roles. She appeared as Calliope in Apollo for the Ballet’s Balanchine centennial celebration. Zehr’s elegant line is particularly suited for Balanchine’s minimalist choreography. Molly Glentzer, the dance critic for the Houston Chronicle, praised her performance as Calliope calling her a “a shooting star."

“Balanchine feels so good on my body. I love his musicality, the interesting lines, and the sharp edges of the choreography. It’s so much fun,”

Zehr also made into the first cast of Welch’s ground breaking work, Divergence. This was quite a rare achievement for an apprentice. Welch was impressed with her diligence and abilities. “I think Bridgett has a maturity to her that makes her stand out. It’s hard to believe she is so young-she has a level of calmness that you don’t often find in young dancers. It seems like she’s an old soul on stage. She has amazing facility and confident technique,” states Welch.

Last July, Zehr traveled to Shanghai for the International Ballet Competition. She was thrilled to make it the final round. This past August she was invited to Ohio to dance in a Gala for the competitors. “Traveling to China opened my eyes to whole new world. I loved learning about the Chinese culture. Dance can bring people together; you just feel this connection with people. The Chinese dancers were amazing; their technique is so beautiful and simple.”

The strenuous preparation for the competition left Zehr with a stress fracture that kept her off the stage for much of the fall season. Staying in shape with Pilates allowed Zehr to get back on her feet. Currently she is preparing for the role with a vengeance. Visiting rehearsals of the other Snow Queens combined with the excellent coaching of Houston Ballet’s Artistic Associate, Maina Gielgud, Zehr feels confident she will be well prepared. After years of playing a snowflake Zehr is well acquainted with the role.
“I learned the part because I loved it. I go to other rehearsals. There is so much to learn from listening and watching. Everyone does the Snow Queen in a different way.”

The Snow Queen section of The Nutcracker is crucial to the story. The party is over, the character dances are finished and it’s time for Clara to enter a deeply magical world. The choreography shifts to pure ballet. Zehr finds herself attracted to the role for a number of reasons.

“The Snow Queen established the magical kingdom for Clara. Stamina wise, it’s a marathon. The dance starts slow and soft and keeps building and building. Pas de deux is a strong point for me; I love dancing with a partner. The choreography goes perfectly with the music, it’s just so dancey! After the pas de deux the snowflakes enter and the Queen dances with them. It ends with the snowflakes on the floor in two strong lines. The Snow Queen puts Clara in the sleigh sending her off to the next part of the journey,” states Zehr.

Zehr is excited that her parents will be traveling from Florida to see her dance again this year. “My parents love The Nutcracker. My dad thinks it’s the only ballet!”

Zehr will turn 20 this Christmas. She’s proud of what she has accomplished so far and all signs point to a bright future. Welch’s gift to Zehr in this marvelous opportunity will be her gift to Houston Ballet audiences.

The Houston Ballet’s production of Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker runs through December 26th. Bridgett Zehr will be dancing the Snow Queen on Dec 16, 19, 23 (Matinee), and 26th (Matinee). For ticket information call 713-227-2787 or visit http://www.houstonballet.org/.

This piece appeared in the December issue of Houston Woman Magazine. http://www.houstonwomanmagazine.com/

Photo by Jim Caldwell

Raw Beauty: Amy Ell's Arthropodic Animal: Insecta at DiverseWorks

Amy Ell’s Arthropodic Animal: Insecta is an original and nearly beautiful dance. I say “nearly” because Ell is interested in the underside of beauty. Her new work hails from deep inside the compost heap of dance making. As a Houston gardener, I am no stranger to the insect world. I’ve witnessed many an aphid gobble my English roses. Ell gets it right--the quiet, the careful crawling on leafy surfaces, the magnificent metamorphosing, and the shedding of temporary skins--it’s all there. Ell takes us on a human-as-insect adventure, where, for one hour, dancers rule the insect kingdom.

The dance opens with women dressed in white, perched high on a wall, completely still, as if in a cocoon stage. An enormous, slanted, climbing wall fills the backdrop of the DiverseWorks space completely. Footage of maggots projected on the wall entices the women to emerge from their stillness as they methodically move from perch to perch. Limbs like tentacles search and seek resting places with trancelike consistency. Situating the dance in the vertical plane plays expansive games with our perspective, creating an anti-gravity effect. Ell choreographs with the viewer’s line of sight in mind with distally generated limb motion. Eventually, the video projections becomes more abstract and the dancers pick up the pace, moving from handle to handle with increasing confidence.

There is a marvelous moment in the beginning sequence where the dancers look as if they are being dumped off the surface of a leaf. They fall down the wall, landing safely on the floor. A dense frenzy of movement erupts and the hive buzzes with mixture of wild and controlled movement. Ell uses a built-up of tension followed by a vibrant release of rich and luscious movement throughout the piece.

Costumed in white Amish-looking outfits, with red raccoon eyes, and hair in knots, braids, and tufts, the dancers exude a stark presence with piercing focus. Priscilla Nathan-Murphy rules the tribe in her bluesy solo commanding the space with precision and commitment. The ensemble-- Bonnie Boykin, Penny Tschirhart, Alison Whitworth, Janie Carothers, Paola Georgudis, Madonna Heer, Lindsey McGill, and Erica Sandberg-- danced with fierce intensity.

Lynne McCabe’s effective video footage grounded the work in the insect kingdom while Kris Phelp’s lighting created an eerie mode. The wall, designed and built by Tim Alyeska Young, served the dance well in creating a novel platform for movement.

Later in the piece the dancers change to black and wear bones and spikes in their hair, while some wear a complicated exoskeleton on their backs. Long periods of stillness allow time to gaze at the unfolding visuals. In the ending sequence Georgudis, wearing a queen’s tail, shuffles in slow motion towards her flock while her underlings disperse. The piece doesn’t really end, it just stops. It is as if we got a glimpse of some underworld workings of a subhuman kingdom and our viewing time is simply up.

2004-American & The Globe/Jon Winet, Margaret Crane with Dale Macdonald at DiverseWorks

A spotlight shines on an empty red-carpeted platform awaiting a speaker, the words of the next president of the United States. The heavily scripted theater of national elections packaged for our immediate consumption form the essence of 2004-American & The Globe. Multi-media artist Jon Winet, writer Margaret Crane, and lighting designer Dale MacDonald have created a hybrid art form, part journalism and part non-partisan public service, that points to the ‘art” of the democratic process.

In this exhibit, the artists seek to capture the anxiety and excitement of an unfolding event in American history. Red carpets line the entrance to political events and consequently this show. Blue, white, and pinkish red (because they look better on TV) dot the carpet as if they have just fallen from above. A video of slow motion confetti flying through the air accompanied by a score of droning sounds served as reminder of the brainwashing qualities of election propaganda. The video footage and the photographs were 12 days old at time of the opening. In fact, the entire exhibit amplifies a sense of haste.

The tenor of the installation is one of an “event,” either one that has just happened, or about to happen. And it’s difficult to know exactly which way it’s heading. There is a makeshift interview set-up with the equipment boxes left open and the rigging not quite hung. Within this set are two microphones sitting on a small round table and a camera poised to record those at the table. A large screen encloses the opposite side of the set upon which an array of ordinary people respond to election issues. One interviewee reminds us that “God loves John Kerry too.”

A website serves as another limb, and in some ways, the hub of this project. The frequent updates on the website speak to the rapidly changing circumstances of election terrain. Visitors can enter the conversation by contributing to a thread, connect with major newspapers, read numerous articles by Winet, Crane, and others displaying a variety of viewpoints, view rotating images from the campaign trail, and mostly importantly, up until the deadline, register to vote.

A stunning photograph of the clever platform conceived by the Republicans to put the president in the middle of the arena resembles a mix between a layered wedding cake and a cryptic crop circle. Emptiness is the subtext here, pointing to the unnamed next contender, or the intellectual bankruptcy of the packaging of the presidency. You choose.

Visit http://www.america-the-globe.net

Note: This review of 2004-American & The Globe originally appeared in the November, 2004, issue of Artshouston Magazine. I include it here as a reminder to dancers of the artfulness, drama, and yes, dance on the political stage. I had the opportunity to interview Jon Winet and was left both baffled and inspired by his optimism. “I can’t wait to get up in the morning and read The New York Times, he said. Confused enough for this dour, defeated, democrat to volunteer to be trained and serve as a poll watcher. On November 2, I got up at 4:30 in the morning, dragging my own chair and provisions, to precinct 623. I sat for hours on a stage, no less, watching one cantankerous election judge go to extreme lengths to protect voters’ rights. I consider that day both an act of citizenship and performance. Currently Winet continues to wrap up the project with the plan to re-launch The Conversation, the bulletin board/blog component of the web site.

Photo by Jon Winet and Margaret Crane

Dancing on a Wall with Insects: Amy Ell's Arthropodic Animal: Insecta

I always find it to be a good thing when I can’t pronounce the title of a dance. It’s even better when I need to hit the dictionary to find out what it means. When I find out that the title has something to do with science, I really get excited. Amy Ell’s Arthropodic Animal: Insecta scores on all fronts. Ell’s eclectic title derives from the Phylum and Class of the fly, ant, and termite, all of whom also make an appearance in this dance.

If we count quality over quantity, then it’s no surprise that Ell landed one of two coveted dance residencies at DiverseWorks. Ell may not be prolific but she’s intense. Her dances have that look as if they have been brewing for some time now. This one is no exception. Despite exotic title Ell claims this work has its origins in daily life. “I tend to create work pertaining to where I am in life in relation to my daughter's life. As she grows it brings up unresolved issues from that previous time in my life. I am not particularly interested in solving these unresolved issues but it is always interesting to view them. Savor them. Swish them over my teeth,” states Ell.

Ell wears many movement hats: Owner of Corefitness, a Gyrotonic guru, one of the few in Houston trained in Thai Massage, longstanding dancer in Hope Stone, single mother, and a sometimes choreographer. “The primary principle of Gyrotonic--maintaining length while moving through space in a supported position--has influenced my work the most,” states Ell. The mom role surfaces as well.

Ell enlists a wall especially for the space at DiverseWorks that the dancers literally dance up. And no, it doesn’t remotely look like a Fred Astaire movie. Special pegs and a slight slant allow the dancers to seamlessly move up the wall creating an expanded use of stage space. The wall built and designed by Tim Young, can withstand the weight of 9 performers.

The wall is also a projection screen. The piece begins with a Lynne McCabe’s video creations of maggots dancing on the wall. If you feel like squirming out of your seat, that’s the point. “I allow the audience to participate in this experience the feeling of not fitting in, of feeling repulsive due to the many changes occurring in their bodies through the image and sound of maggots.” Enlarged maggots move with unexpected grace. Gradually human limbs emerge jutting out into space. The melding of human and maggot strikes a personal note in Ell's life.

“For me, going into my teenage years is so closely related to how many people view insects--with disdain and disgust. I am focusing on the female journey into adolescence. I think I felt more like a maggot than a human.” In another section a colony of ants partners the dancers. Ell tends to attract a sturdy, fearless group of dancers. Ell’s moves have a raw physicality, perhaps influenced by her own intense fitness regime. This time she has brought along a batch of Houston’s finest movers, Madonna Heer, Paola Georgudis, Lindsay McGill, Erica Sandberg, Bonnie Boykin, Penny Tschirhart, Alison Whitworth,and Priscilla Nathan Murphy.

Sixto Wagon, Performing Arts Curator at Diverseworks has been eyeing Ell's development for some time now. "Amy brings such physicality to beautiful, and sometimes disturbing, ideas. It's been a great honor to be part of this process as the work has grown from that incredible performance at FootFall last year. Seeing her build upon that success and push to create such a substantial work is what the Houston Performing Arts Residency program is all about," states Wagon.

Arthropodic Animal: Insecta will be performed on December 16, 17, & 18 at 8pm at DiverseWorks. Call 713-223-8346 or http://www.diverseworks.org/.

Photo by Matt Dalton

Postview of Quirky Works

I had a chance to visit with Linda Phenix, Artistic Director of Chrysalis Dance Company about her recent collaboration with the Houston Met and Fly at the Cullen entitled Quirky Works. In addition to her years directing and choreographing for Chrysalis and Rice University, Phenix directed The Big Bang and Boy Groove for Theater Lab. Currently she is directing I Sing also for Theater Lab.

DH: What makes Quirky Works quirky?LP” The three companies presented works that were “quirky” in a sense. This does not mean that each piece was humorous; rather Quirky was a door we felt we could all go through in a variety of ways. For example, the Met's piece by Peter Chu was really odd in an intriguing way. The Met has been enlarging their artistic palette for some time now, including works you might more readily see on a modern troupe.
Chrysalis' piece by Lisa Nicks was shown again and was expanded from 6 to 8 dancers. Nicks' choice of La Valse by Ravelle at first glance has a traditional feel to it as this piece has been used in the ballet world. But, her treatment was anything but traditional. It was quirky with the blending of odd gestures and weird partnering for women. Ravel was creating a piece about the end of the waltz era in Europe. The music reflects a kind of unsettling nature in places juxtaposed with the luscious sounds reminiscent of waltzes at that time. Nicks was abstractly addressing the theme of change with the piece building slowly from a quiet duet to the entire ensemble on stage and concluding the piece with a visual stroke-- almost a metaphor for a new written symbol in space.

Our other piece, Sabrina Madison-Cannon’s Bittersuite was almost something you would see the Met do. A collection of Nina Simone Songs served as the focus for the 17-minute suite. Starting off with "I Put a Spell on You," the stage was filled with 12 dancers moving sensuously in the tradition of Simone's dramatic and throaty voice. One of the sections was especially quirky and offbeat as all get out. Simone wrote a protest song about the Church bombings in the South in the early 60s. She put a weird spin on it though. It sounds like an upbeat show tune, and the choreographer had a trio of dancers dancing through space as though it was a happy, upbeat song. One of my favorite lines that Simone sings in this section is, "This is a show tune, but the show hasn't been written yet." As the song and movement continue, the viewer becomes aware of a hard-hitting edge, a real bite at the old south. It seemed really important in light of current events.

Fly often meets my definition of Quirky, especially the way they mix modalities. One does not expect to see the Fly Boys dancing to classical music for example. I think audiences enjoy this aspect of their work, and they were certainly warmly received by the audience at our concert in November.

DH: How do you like presenting at the Cullen?

LP: I love it! Chrysalis could only afford to do this (especially these days) by partnering up with other companies. I know some people are critical of showcases, but it is hard to get companies to work around a theme. For one thing, everyone does not interpret a "theme" the same way. For another, we don't have tons of resources to create new commission new choreography and must combine existing repertory with new repertory. To plan this concert, Kathy Wood, Michele Smith and I met quite a bit and listened to what each other would be presenting. This becomes harder to do of course when a piece is new. One can never predict where a choreographer will go, and he or she needs room to change an original concept.

DH: What do you like about the showcase format?

LP: While I have never conducted a formal study, I think audiences like variety. They will like certain pieces and hate others. Don't get me wrong, I love evening length pieces, but Chrysalis and the Met are repertory companies showing work by more than one choreographer. To build audiences, I think we need both repertory concerts and evening length pieces. We also have contributed to many local dancers creating works on our companies. In addition, our missions have been to bring in outside choreographers to set works on the company--a good move for local dancers.

DH: I heard you had a huge audience. How did you get them in the door?

LP: We had over 700 people at the show. In addition to the usual marketing things, the "grass roots marketing" was (and usually is) most successful. This is where dancers come in. Chrysalis had 15 dancers in this show (the met probably had the same and fly had 4). I "inspired" my dancers to pre-sell tickets. This makes them like walking press releases. To sweeten the deal, I held a contest. For every 20 tickets sold the, dancer received $25. In addition, the first 4 dancers to sell 20 tickets received an additional $25. I had four dancers who sold many more than 20 tickets. I believe we pre-sold something in the neighborhood of 225 tickets. All dancers need to be helping to sell tickets in all of our companies. I mean, not just promote, but actually be set-up to pre-sell with incentives if necessary.

DH: Can you speak to the issue of choosing between or big or small venue?

LP: We need both! Chrysalis has probably spent more of its performance life in small to mid-size venues. But, when you go to a large space like the Cullen it forces you to "ramp up." I purchased two pieces that would read better in a larger space. I needed large casts for the two dances. My costuming budget was more. I spent more time getting tickets sold. There is more at stake in terms of the art and also expenses.

DH: How did the money part pan out?

LP: Believe it or not, we did just as well as we would have producing a Chrysalis only concert at say the Heinen or the JCC. While those spaces are much less expensive, when you add in other costs unique to these venues it ends up being the same. This is mostly due to the bills split by 3 companies at the Cullen make it possible to have a budget similar to producing at a less expensive (non-union) house. Also, at the Cullen, I don't work so hard. I don't have to go and find ushers or tech people, etc. It is all provided (but not cheap). I was not exhausted. Another important thing to note: I barely knew Michelle Smith before these projects. I knew Kathy and Mike Wood, but hardly ever interacted with them. I feel like I have some new colleague/friends. Dance companies need to collaborate more than ever. I feel like our modern dance community has been scattered and disorganized for years. When people work together, they solve problems beyond performances.

DH: Thanks for the debriefing on all thinks Quirky.