YURI SMIRNOV. At the age of sixteen, Yuri ran away
from home and joined the Kirov Opera because he
thought Borodin was a prescription barbiturate. Luckily
for the Trockadero he soon discovered that he didn’t
know his arias from his elbow and decided to become a
ballet star instead.
INNOKENTI SMOKTUMUCHSKY is known only to the
most cultured and refined balletomanes in the dark
alleyways of St. Petersburg. Originally a promising
dancer-choreographer, his only ballet, Le Dernier
Mohicain, was stolen by the director of the company. In
severe depression and shock, he burned his ballet
slippers and fled to the sewers, only to surface these
forty years later.
KRAVLJI SNEPEK comes to the Trockadero from his splitlevel
birthplace in Siberia, where he excelled in toe, tap,
acrobatic and Hawaiian. This good natured Slav is
famous for his breathtaking technique--a blend of froth
and frou-frou centered on a spine of steel, painfully
acquired at the hands and feet of his teacher, Glib
Generalization, who has already trained many able
dancers. As an artist in the classical, heroic, tragical
mold, young Kravlji wrenched the heart of all who saw
him dance Harlene, the Goat Roper in The Best Little
Dacha in Sverdlovsk.
WILLIAM VANILLA. Despite the fact that he is American,
he is very popular within the company. He is extremely
personable, the ballerinas very much enjoy dancing with
him, the management finds him agreeable, his
costumes are never soiled, his fans admire his
directness, he photographs well, he keeps regular
hours, brushes his teeth after every meal, and he has
never said a bad word about anybody. He will never
really understand Russian ballet.
CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER: 2018-2019 SEASON PROGRAM: SPRING | 135