NORTHAMPTON — You may have read the book and seen the movie — or even the Broadway play — but chances are you have never seen “The Great Gatsby” turned into a ballet with lavish sets and costumes, an original jazz-inspired score, and a cast of 40 internationally-renowned professional dancers, multimedia effects, acrobatics and more.
Now is your chance to see “The Great Gatsby” in a new light as the World Ballet Company tours more than 140 cities across the country, including a stop on Sunday, May 11, at the Academy of Music in Northampton, with its all-new Broadway-style take on the classic story.
Showtime is 6 p.m. and tickets – available online at aomtheatre.com – range in price from $47-$89.
The multimedia show adapts the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of ill-fated love and the American Dream into ballet form, taking audiences back in time to the lavish decadence of the Roaring Twenties. The production features an all-star creative team, including sensual choreography from Ilya Zhivoy performed to an original, lively jazz score from Anna Drubich; sumptuous sets by Sergei Novikov; video projection by Mikki Kunntu and glamorous costumes by Sonya Vartanyan that capture the allure of the Jazz Age.
Led by Sasha Gorskaya and Gulya Hartwick, the World Ballet Company is driven by the belief that ballet is for everyone. Performances are designed to appeal to both newcomers and seasoned balletgoers alike. The company attracts international artists and comprises renowned professional dancers representing more than 10 countries. To date, World Ballet Company has traveled to more than 300 cities and has reached an audience of more than 450,000, many of whom are first-time attendees to a ballet.
From the company’s base in Los Angeles, Gulya Hartwick took the time to talk more about the World Ballet Company and their production of “The Great Gatsby” before it arrives in Northampton this weekend.
The World Ballet Company will bring “The Great Gatsby,” based on the 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, to the Academy of Music in Northampton on Sunday, May 11. (World Ballet Company)World Ballet Company
Q: What was the idea and hope behind your founding World Ballet Company along with Sasha Gorskaya?
A: The idea was and still is to make ballet more accessible. We truly believe there are audiences for ballet across the country and it has become one of the mainstream artforms and not just an exclusive niche for some people. I got invited a long time ago to go to the ballet and wasn’t sure about it, was afraid to go because I wouldn’t understand it. And I know for a fact that there are many people like me back then who today feel the same way.
I have a new neighbor on our street who one day asked me what I did. I told her that I run a ballet company to which she responded, “That is too sophisticated for me.’ And I realized at that point that something is wrong with the world when we think and feel that we are not good enough for something like ballet. I truly believe that ballet is not supposed to be thought of like that, that there is a full spectrum of emotions to be shared when watching ballet – joy, laughter, and sadness. The way we put together our productions, it is clear that they are easy to watch. We keep you on the edge of your seat and it is not boring. And that is what we have been doing for the past 10 years.
(Editor’s Note: According to audience surveys, more than 60 percent of World Ballet Company audiences experience ballet for the first time with these productions, which is crucial to the company’s mission.)
Q: Is it unusual to turn a classic piece of literature such as “The Great Gatsby” into a ballet?
A: It is just another way of telling a story through the language of dance with the use of scenery and lighting and costumes and video projection. I believe ballet is a great way to tell a story and “The Great Gatsby” is so cinematic that it lends itself to be transformed into a ballet for the stage.
Q: How did you accomplish turning “The Great Gatsby” into a ballet?
A: First, you have to fall in love with the story, which we did immediately after reading the book. Then you have to gather a team together of like-minded individuals. And that is how we found our wonderful choreographer, Ilya Zhivoy, a mastermind behind the dazzling dancing that audiences will see in “The Great Gatsby.” Then we were struggling with the decision of whether to adapt some music from the 1920s or write our own. It wasn’t an easy decision because every time you decide to write from scratch it is a very difficult task.
Fortunately, we were lucky to meet Anna Drubich who. with our choreographer, created the masterpiece that audience members will see on stage at the Academy of Music. The music is pre-recorded with a symphony orchestra and jazz band. But the voice, this is the first production that we have created with a live singer. The music overall is so special… something you have in your head when you go to sleep and is still with you when you wake up in the morning. Anna is a film composer, and this was her first ballet. When writing for Hollywood like Anna does, you get this robust sound that you will immediately notice. This music is something you will remember for a long time.
Q: Is there any speaking in “The Great Gatsby” since ballet performers use body movements, not words, to tell stories?
A: There will be some surprises, but I don’t want to give any spoilers away. Ushers will be handing out programs with the plot to “The Great Gatsby,”if you are unfamiliar with the storyline.
Q: What about the costumes – they seem spectacular, not something you usually expect to see in a ballet. How do the costumes differ to reflect the many scenes?
A: This is a Broadway-style ballet, and it has to be amazing and sparkling and “wow” the audience. It’s not only the costumes that make the show spectacular, but the ballet itself.
The ballet is a unique mix of genres with live singing, acrobatics, projection, and costumes very much in the style of the 1920s along with the scenery. There is enough sparkle to pleasantly surprise the audience. But I must tell you, the audience surprises us in return.
The show actually begins when you enter the house before anyone steps on stage. We usually see so many ladies and gentlemen in the audience dressed in 1920s-style apparel … all styles of hats and women with feathers in their hair, so you are already immersed in this time period before the curtain rises.
As for the costumes, remember, we are telling a story, and the costumes you will see depend on the scene. For example, when Gatsby meets with Daisy at Nick’s home, he sends a team of maids from his palace to the modest house to make sure it is spotless. The scene is one of the highlights of the show.
Q: The sets are equally as breathtaking as the costumes, according to many reviews of your company’s production. What can you say about them?
A: They are made in a traditional art deco style. Also, for the first time we have played with different textures used in the scenery, some of which allow our dancers to appear and disappear. And projection works beautifully in conjunction with the scenery, revamping the master room in a second and you immediately find yourself in a completely different environment. Everything – the music, the scenery, the dancing – transforms you from one scene to another to allow us to take you on a special journey.
Q: Are there other types of dance incorporated into the ballet?
A: Yes, it is all intermixed. It is amazing how Charleston moves were integrated into classical ballet moves and jazz and everything else in between.
Q: Anything else you would like to say?
A: I just want to invite everyone to the show. It is a wonderful love story, one of the greatest love stories of all time, and you will get to see it come to life on stage. You are going to fall in love with it and all of its dancing, singing, glitter and dazzle that will be hard to forget. So, invite your special someone to accompany you, dress up, and enjoy the show.
