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Show alt Bruce Marks and Ballet West: five years and continuing akf gribunt The Sunday Morning. April lit. cction I! 1PM I One it By Helen Forsbcrg Tribune Stuff Writer Bruce Murks euine to Bullet West in 1978 to serve us director ut the invitation of Wiliam F. Christensen. In 1978 the native New Yorker liecame sole director of the company upon Christensen's retirement. a in Salt Luke City His arrival followed distinguished career as a dancer. As a princial with American Bullet Theater (ABTi he created many roles in both classical and modem repertoire. He later joined the Royal Punish Ballet and was the first American in that company to be named a principal dancer The 41 year-ol- d director has choreographed extensively for Ballet West, and in March, 1980, led the company to New York for its debut there. Currently he serves as chairman of the Dance Advisory' Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEAL and was recently named professor of ballet at the University of Utah. He helped design the new U. of U. bullet program, which will o)orate in close association with Ballet West. Marks' wife. Toni lender, a former principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, Ixindon Festival Ballet and ABT, is Ballet West's principal teacher. The Markses are the parents of three sons, Erik, Adam and Kenneth. When Ballet West opens its final season of the 1980-8year this week at the Capitol Theatre, Bruce Marks will celebrate his fifth anniversary with the company. Below, he talks of those years, and also of the future. When you came here five years ago what were your ambitions for Ballet West? In the interviews I gave in Copenhagen before leaving. I said that in five to 10 years I wanted to make Ballet West a national, if not international company. I think that was a little pretentious of me to say because Bill Christensen had already taken the company to Europe where it was very in the United States. and it was I guess I wanted to expand its horizons. Ballet West had essentially been a company that only drew on Utah talent. I wanted to continue to do that, but I knew that if we were going to compete in the national arena . . . wed have to bring in outside dancers. Until such a point, if it happened, when we could train all our own dancers as New York City Ballet does. Once you were settled in your job were things more difficult than you expected? Like a presidential candidate who makes promises, and once elected finds it difficult to keep them. When I worked with the company the first time in Aspen in 1975, before I actually moved here, the dancers all came running to me with hope in their eyes. They all thought they were going to be the next stars of the company and I was going to discover each, one of them and that we were going to have the most beautifully run, democratic, egalitarian company ever. I told them please not to put their expectations too high because this was not the second coming in any way and I couldnt satisfy all their demands, and yet at the same time I thought I could. We had a honeymoon, a romance for a year, the company and I, and that romance always ends. There are always disillusioned people. Forty people cannot be satisfied at the same time all the time. But certain things that I tried to do Ive done. Perhaps Ive overdone. I do make lots and lots of cast changes. Everybody gets, vkell they (the dancers) wont say that, but everybody gets to dance a great deal. I do three, sometimes four casts of a ballet, sometimes to the detriment of the ballet. But the 1 d d See Page Column E-1- 2, t .8- Tribune Staff Photo by Lynn R. Johnson 1 Contemporary Lighting BUY ONE & GET SECOND DOOR OUR CHAIR SALE Our annual April chair sale Over 500 in stock different styles All chairs reduced Mow on Sale ON ALL ORNAMENTAL IRON STORM S SECURITY DOORS 10-2- 5 f GENUINE ANTIQUE SWING ARM LAMP in 27 EL DORADO 26 ROYALE . 23 MARDI GRAS II . 12 PF SEVILLE brass with beige csssa only n Reproduction in Solid BEECH or brown trim 9 CLASSIC 39. antique brass or chrome 44.fi Reg. $69 NOW $ FLOOR LAMP in 3 JAMESTOWN 24 MARK TWAIN 71 PF 15 FLOWER brass ur with-pleate- CENTENNIAL PASSION 49 chrome shade. ly 39. Styles to choose from. WE SPECIALIZE IN DOUBLE STORM DOORS & ODD-SIZ- E DOORS VISIT OlR SHOWROOM 15 DIFFERENT DESIGNS ON DISPLAY i SOLID OAK TABLES FROM $169 Many other styles of lights at fantastic savings. All prices quoted are unfinished. 3) Finishing is available at slightly higher price. MON. and FRI. TUES. THLRS. SAT. 10-- 8 Visa or 1117 E. 2700 S. SLC, Ut. 84106 Mon.-Sa- t. 10 .m.-- 5 p.m. or by appointment "Come in and let us make a door for you!" PHONE 486-434- 8 Scandinavian Design Lofgrens 3960 Highland DriveSalt Lake City277-631- 1 Open Mon. and Thur. Eve Till 9:00 p.m. Master Charge is Welcome Financing is available on approved credit 1201 E. 21st So. Salt Lake City 186-207- WOODWORKS ' 1 10-- 6 |
