MAY 2018 | SARASOTA SCENE 41
Iain Webb by Matthew Holler
The original plan for this article was to write about The Sarasota
Ballet’s international intensive summer program, an amazing 5-week
opportunity for the aspiring professional dancer. But something
quite unexpected happened that redirected the focus of this
piece — The Sarasota Ballet was invited back to the Joyce Theater
in New York City for seven performances in August of this year.
Why is this noteworthy? The Joyce Theater is one of the major
dance houses of America. It presents companies from all over the
world such as Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Eiko & Koma,
Paul Taylor Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company,
and Pacific Northwest Ballet. The Joyce Theater is simply a huge
international dance venue that’s synonymous with world-class
dance, so performing there is significant.
But The Sarasota Ballet was just there in 2016 for an entire week
of shows. So again — what’s the big deal?
Director Iain Webb notes that the big deal is this: even if you’re
a success at the Joyce, you have to wait quite a few years before
being invited back. “But they were so excited about what the
company’s doing that we’ve been invited back for 2018,” he
says. “It’s unheard of to be brought back so soon. It stems from
the interest New York City has in what we’re doing.”
New York’s been interested in The Sarasota Ballet for some time
now. After the company did an event in Washington DC several
years ago along with nine other ballet companies, the New York
Times sent a reporter down to Sarasota to find out what was going
on here. Why? Webb explains: “We were the youngest company.
I was the director with the shortest tenure. We had the smallest
budget. But we were the ones people were talking about. People
were quite literally focused on us.”
Not bad for a company founded in 1987 that didn’t even become
a full resident ballet company until 1990.
“The program that we’re doing there at the Joyce Theater sums
up the DNA of the company,” says Webb, who is committed to
paying particular care and respect to historical works. It starts with
a company premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Varii Capricci. Then
they’re performing There Where She Loved, a piece by Christopher
Wheeldon, one of the most sought-after choreographers of today.
“And with Symphony of Sorrows, a piece by The Sarasota Ballet
member Ricardo Graziano,” notes Webb, “we’re looking to the
future.”
But what’s equally as impressive as being invited back to the Joyce
so soon is that the company is being allowed to change the lineup
for the Saturday performances in order to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of Sir Ashton’s passing (to the very day). The performances
that day will feature Varii Capricci as well as diverts and selections
from his ballets, which will showcase the vast range of Sir Ashton’s
choreographic genius. These include Monotones II,