Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is an American all-male drag ballet corps which parodies the conventions and clichés of romantic and classical ballet. The company was co-founded by Peter Anastos, Natch Taylor and Antony Bassae in New York City in 1974, producing small, late-night shows, in off-off Broadway lofts. Their first show as on September 9, 1974, at a second story loft on 14th street, in the heart of the meat-packing district.[1] The current artistic director is Tory Dobrin[2].
After receiving a favorable critical review in The New Yorker by Arlene Croce, it was discovered by a wider audience. The "Trocks" toured the world, with prolonged engagements in many major cities. In 2008 they performed at the Royal Variety Performance, in front of Prince Charles.[3]
The dancers portray both male and female roles in a humorous style that combines parodies of ballet, posing and physical comedy with "straighter" pieces intended to show off the performers' technical skills. Much of the humor is in seeing male dancers en travesti; performing roles usually reserved to females, wearing tutus and dancing en pointe.
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Born in Anaheim, California he joined the Trocks in January 2005.
He portrays Ludmila Beaulemova and Jacques d'Aniel
Born in Germany, he joined the Trocks in January 2000.
He portrays Pavel Tord and Gerd Tord, the "Prune Danish of Russian Ballet," who abandoned an enormously successful acting career in Scandinavia to become respectively Trockadero premier danseur and ballerina.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, USA; he joined the Trocks in November 1995. He portrays Yuri Smirnov and Olga Supphozova.
Yuri ran away from home and joined the Kirov Opera because he thought Borodin was a prescription barbiturate, but he soon discovered that he didn't know his arias and decided to become a ballet star instead. Olga made her first public appearance in a KGB lineup under dubious circumstances and after a seven-year-to-life hiatus, she now returns to her adoring fans.
Born in Santiago do Cacém, Portugal; he joined the Trocks in October 2000. He portrays Klaus Youssoupovtu and Maria Gertrudes Clubfoot.
Klaus soared into prominence as the first defector whose leave-taking was accomplished at the virtual insistence of the defectees. Maria (after ballerina Maria Tallchief) is the last one of the great Indian ballerinas, who began her training with the Wounded Knee Ballet but was subsequently banned for use of traditional Indian weaponry.
Born in Clarkston, Georgia, he joined the Trocks in December 2006. He portrays Helen Highwaters and Jacques d'Ambrosia.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, USA; he joined the Trocks in May 1995.
He portrays Velour Pilleaux and Ida Nevasayneva. Velour is coming to America in conjunction with the release of his tenth cookbook, Ma Brie. Ida is a socialist real ballerina of the working peoples everywhere and she was awarded a plastic medal for Bad Taste at the Varna Festival.
Born in Americus, Georgia; he joined the Trocks in May 2006. He portrays Katerina Bychkova and Ashley Romanoff-Titwillow.
Born in Caldwell, Idaho; he joined the Trocks in May 2003. He portrays Minnie van Driver and William Vanilla.
Born in Winter Haven, Florida, USA; he joined the Trocks in April 2004.
He portrays Roland Daulin and Yakatarina Verbosovich.
Roland invented the "bad hair year" and devotes his spare time to selling his line of Michael Flatley wigs on the QVC shopping channel. Yakaterina own a walk-in wardrobe so large that it has its own postcode and has been awarded the keys to her city, Minsk (after which they changed the locks...).
Born in Santa Rosa, California; he joined the Trocks in September 2005. He portrays Nadia Doumeifayva and one of the Legupski Brothers.
Born in Brisbane, Australia; he joined the Trocks in May 2007. He portrays Nadezhda Bogdownova and Boris Nowitsky.
Born in Mexico City, Mexico; he joined the Trocks in May 2006. He portrays Vera Tchumpokova and Tino Xirau Lopez.
Born in Cagliari, Italy; he joined the Trocks in May 2005. He graduated from English National Ballet School in London and subsequently at American Ballet Theatre professional training program. With Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo he performed corps and soloist roles in all the company's repertoire. This is his 3rd year with the company. His alter ego ballerina is Giuseppina Zambellini, after the famous Carlotta Zambelli, an Italian star of Paris Opera Ballet and Ivan Legupski, one of the Legupski Brothers.
Born in Barcelona, Spain; he joined the Trocks in December 1998. He portrays R.M. "Prince" Myshkin and Svetlana Lefatkina. Prince is Mongolian-born, cream of the Tartars, who electrified the world a decade ago when he leaped over the Wall or under the Curtain, whichever came first. Svetlana is dubbed the "Chernobyl Cherub", renowned for her portrayal of sensitive, tortured, neurotic ladies.
Born in Fossano, Italy; he joined the Trocks in May 2001. He portrays Pepe Dufka and Lariska Dumbchenko. Pepe recently sued 182 of New York's most ardent ballet lover for 19 years of constant exposure to rotten fruits and vegetables. Lariska in 1962 became the first ballerina to be shot into orbit, but subsequently defected to the West.
Born in Mexico City, Mexico; he joined the Trocks in December 2006. He portrays Eugenia Repelskii and one of the Legupski Brothers'.
Born in Kfar Aza, Israel; he joined the trocks in April 2004.
He portrays Zapoli Valenki and Maria Paranova. Zapoli is a revolutionary in the art of ballet, being the first to introduce crazy glue to stop supported pirouettes. Maria was discovered after 19 years in the dark as Mamie Eisenhower at a Republican fundraiser in Chicago.
From the Classical Repertory
Other works
Solo Works Dying Swan (Fokine's choreography); Debut at the Opera; Ribbon Dance; Russian Dance.
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