Dancer Perspectives – India Rose
India Rose on the role of Gamzatti Pas de Deux from La Bayadere
What do you feel about the piece?
-I really like it. It’s the Russian classical ballet which is my favorite genre of ballet. I really like the choreography and just the “general Petipa” category of ballet is my favorite.
What do you enjoy about the role? Can you tell us a bit about the character?
-It’s a wedding celebration and she (Gamzatti) is marrying a guy who’s in love with a temple dancer, Nikiya. Bayadere is most famously known for “Kingdom of the Shades” which is Nikiya and the guy named Solor, but in the earlier act he’s dancing with his fiancée Gamzatti, and she knows that he like this temple dancer. Because she’s the daughter of a raj, so basically she’s a princess – she orders a hit man and has Nikiya done away with. After the Gamzatti pas de deux, Nikiya dies, by a snake in a flower basket. So even though it’s a celebration, she (Gamzatti) has her schemes, she has a lot of power. (laughs) It’s complicated!
-Well, the tricky thing is, she’s not – what Madame Fominich (Lyubov Fominich, ballet instructor) said – she’s not evil, but she definitely feels justified in her actions, which is murdering someone, because she has power, she’s a princess and she just thinks it’s necessary – diplomatic work. What Mr. Chernov was telling me is also she would feel justified to do that because it’s Solor’s reputation – it’s a dancing girl at a temple. Might as well be a dancing girl at a club (I know it’s a temple). So basically, she thinks oh, his reputation – if people found out that he was having an affair with a temple dancer, which is just stations and stations below his rank – that wouldn’t be good. So, we’ll just “finish the storyline” there.
So in the pas de deux – you have to look pleasant, like you’re enjoying what’s going on, because it is a celebration, but also underneath she’s got some plans. So you can’t have a scowl on your face, but you can’t be as happy as – the Sylph, for example. There are some actually subtle moments in the pas de deux (which I wasn’t aware of when I watched the videos) where you have to seem like you’ve “got some plans or you’re controlling the situation. It’s complicated but very simple at the same time.
What are you doing for character preparation to get into the mindset of Gamzatti?
Any other insights into the character?
-The plot of La Bayadere is complicated, I guess, to follow – or just to explain, like Gamzatti. There can’t be too much subtext in what you’re dancing, either, because in the midst of everything she’s got a murder going on and is getting married at the same time – and she’s not “evil” but she’s doing very bad things – I have to do Italian fouettes into regular fouettes – all these technical things that you have to focus on. (laughs) It’s so hard you can’t even look in the mirror – so to even think about acting you have to really feel comfortable with whatever you’re doing. I guess a lot of it is being confident – or looking confident – because I guess Gamzatti is a very confident person – a little shameless. So you have to act like that and be like “yes I could potentially mess things up but it doesn’t matter!” (laughs) So that’s hard, it anything – keep a straight face and keep going!
What have you found challenging or easy about the role?
-What I find challenging is all the turns – all the different turns that I am doing – that’s the hardest thing. Especially since I’m a left turner and there’s a lot of – ehhhh – not my favorite pirouettes, like degage pirouettes and the lame duck turns. I hate them with a passion and there’s a few sections where you do a penchee in the partnering section – a penchee into a degage pirouette and it’s not even like a penchee in my left side which is my more comfortable side, it’s on my stiff right side into a right turn. It’s really, uggh. (laughs) But, when you get the swing of it, which has happened once in a blue moon – when no one was looking… (laughs)
Anything easy or enjoyable?
-Definitely, I really like doing – in the pas de deux there’s a section when I’m with Anthony or Nat – or Anthony and Alex and they do a huge jete thing. That’s really fun – I thought that would be scary – and it’s then there’s this – I guess you would call it a torch lift but it’s like they’re uprooting a tree trunk and that’s really fun. I guess some funny moments with that is – I was tired and you’re muscles get tense, and then it was Alex’s “Sasha” (Alexander Mays) first time doing the “tree trunk lift” and I was really ticklish. So I couldn’t stop giggling and laughing whenever he touched my leg to lift it, and Anthony’s over there like “stop laughing” and then Sasha thinks it’s funny and then Madame Fominich is like “why are you laughing?” I’m like “I don’t know – it’s ticklish – the lift is ticklish!” So yeah… (laughs) that was funny.
How has it been working with your partner for the pas de deux?
-I’m performing with John, and I have never danced with him before. So we’ve been trying to take a lot of time in between rehearsals just to get in a studio and practice pirouettes and grip and getting used to each other. The person I’ve always partnered with is Sasha. I’ve never performed with Sasha, but it’s always – no matter who it is, if you have a different partner you have to adjust to them. Changing partners – there’s this period where you have to get used to each other. So John and I are finally getting used to each other, which I’m happy about. That’s the cool think about partnering – you can get to know someone really well because when you’re tired you have to be able to adapt to each other – you have to sense if someone’s tired – just in their hands, the way they hold you. I think that’s cool – like telepathy! I like it! (laughs) I think that’s really cool about partnering – you can read people very well.
What part does the music play?
-It’s definitely a driving force. It’s “boom bang boom” – your classic Minkus sort of music – gunshots, cannonballs flying in the background. It’s definitely very helpful – the music for the entre is really motivation. And we do this awkward renverse jump, but the music makes it okay. (laughs) I really like the music – especially entre, very exciting and it keeps you going.
What would you say performing means to you?
-I don’t know! That’s a question I ask myself all the time. I think that’s why it should be a question – if I knew the answer I wouldn’t keep doing it – I don’t know how to explain it. I like it, it works. We don’t do too much performing but definitely, it’s fun to be onstage and hang out there. (laughs) It’s a cool place.
What has it meant to you to be a part of GKA?
-It’s been really cool because I’ve been here from the start and they definitely have a different approach to their rep… which is new, and I feel really lucky to be doing a lot of the rep from my first time with Gelsey and really I think it establishes almost like a work ethic and an approach. Working with someone who is that amazing of a coach and let’s say you’ve never done something like Gamzatti or Paquita – I think it creates a foundation for you on how you would – if you’re not here anymore – approach your work.
Anything else you’d like to share?
-I’m excited for the show – only a little while away. So if worst comes to worst I hope I don’t get a laugh attack on stage for that tree trunk lift – hope I don’t get ticklish. Gamzatti needs a lot of stamina but one thing I did notice is that I’ve getting less tired in it as the piece goes on. As we rehearse there’s a couple counts more breath I have before I completely pass out!
Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet 