Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

The troupe performs with Shirley MacLaine (center) on her 1977 television special "Where Do We Go From Here?"

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 was 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.

Dancers

ROBERT CARTER. Birthplace: Charleston, SC. Joined Trockadero: November 1995.
Olga Supphozova and Yuri Smirnov

PAOLO CERVELLERA. Birthplace: Putignano (Bari), Italy. Joined Trockadero: November 2012.
Moussia Shebarkarova and Vyacheslav Legupski

BOYSIE DIKOBE. Birthplace: Brits, South Africa. Joined Trockadero: February, 2011.
Sonia Leftova and Andrei Leftov

JACK FURLONG, JR. Birthplace: Boston, MA. Joined Trockadero: September 2014.
Guzella Verbitskaya and Mikhail Mudkin

PAUL GHISELIN. Birthplace: Chapel Hill, NC. Joined Trockadero: May 1995.
Ida Nevasayneva and Velour Pilleaux

GIOVANNI GOFFREDO. Birthplace: Noci, Italy. Joined Trockadero: October 2013.
Varvara Bratchikova and Sergey Legupski

DUANE GOSA. Birthplace: Chicago ILL. Joined Trockadero; September 2013.
Helen Highwaters and Vladimir Legupski

CARLOS HOPUY. Birthplace: Havana, Cuba. Joined Trockadero: February 2012
Alla Snizova and Innokenti Smoktumuchsky

CHASE JOHNSEY. Birthplace: Winter Haven, FL. Joined Trockadero: April 2004.
Yakatarina Verbosovich and Roland Deaulin

LASZLO MAJOR. Birthplace: Mosonmagyaròvàr, Hungary. Joined Trockadero: September 2014.
Tatiana Youbetyoubootskaya and Araf Legupski

PHILIP MARTIN-NIELSON. Birthplace: Middletown, NY. Joined Trockadero: September, 2012.
Nadia Doumiafeyva and Kravlji Snepek

RAFFAELE MORRA. Birthplace: Fossano, Italy. Joined Trockadero: May, 2001.
Lariska Dumbchenko and Pepe Dufka

CHRISTOPHER OUELLETTE. Birthplace: San Francisco, CA. Joined Trockadero: May, 2014.
Colette Adae and Marat Legupski

MATTHEW POPPE. Birthplace: Phoenix, AZ. Joined Trockadero: June, 2014.
Doris Vidanya and Ilya Bobovnikov

ALBERTO PRETTO. Birthplace: Vicenza, Italy. Joined Trockadero: February 2011.
Nina Immobilashvili and Stanislas Kokitch

CARLOS RENEDO. Birthplace: Barcelona, Spain. Joined Trockadero: February 2012.
Maria Paranova and Boris Nowitsky

JOSHUA THAKE. Birthplace: Providence, RI. Joined Trockadero: November 2011.
Eugenia Repelskii and Jacques d’Aniels

MATTHEW VAN. Birthplace: Sydney, Australia. Joined Trockadero: May 2014.
Minnie van Driver and William Vanilla

Repertoire

From the Classical Repertory

Other works

Solo Works Dying Swan (Fokine's choreography after Fokine staged by Trutti Gasparinetti); Debut at the Opera; Ribbon Dance; Russian Dance.

References

  1. ↑ Eugene MacDougal. "From the Director". Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "About Us". Trockadero.org. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  3. ↑ Sanjoy Roy (17 February 2009). "Step by Step guide to Dance: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2010.

Reviews

External links