Gavin Larsen and Adrian Fry in Who Cares?

Gavin Larsen, Brian Simcoe and myself are leaving early in the morning to catch a ferry in Port Angeles, WA headed for Victoria B.C. The three of us will be dancing varied Balanchine repertory in collaboration with Ballet Victoria for their next program entitled, “The Secret Garden and Other Works.” Paul Destrooper, former OBT dancer, took over the company in Victoria upon his retirement from OBT in 2007. Gavin and I will open the program with Balanchine’s Apollo, me beginning with a solo and then continuing on with the pas de deux. Brian will dance the “Liza” solo from Balanchine’s Who Cares? And Gavin and I will close the first act of the bill with “The Man I Love” pas de deux, from Balanchine’s Who Cares?

Gavin Larsen and Adrian Fry in Balanchine’s Apollo.

Brian, Candace Bouchard and I went up to work with Paul in Victoria before he took over the company in March of 2007. In the week we spent there Paul created a version of Carmina Burana using the three of us and the dancers from the company. The week culminated in a small studio performance, and I remember it being a very fulfilling experience to be created on, grow with my peers and see the talent that he has drawn to the young company.

Adrian Fry in Apollo.It’s been great to be working on these ballets in our time off since we closed the Emerald Retrospective two weeks ago. I am looking forward to dancing these great ballets with great colleagues this weekend.

Brian Simcoe in Who Cares?