It’s common in theatrical dance for each company to adapt a piece to their own style and emphasize various interpretations. Yet, a ballet as classic as “Swan Lake”holds a number of themes that are universal to almost any productions.
Primarily, we notice a sense of beauty with fluid and dynamic movements by the prima ballerina playing Odette. She is elegant and graceful, but also somewhat uncomfortable in her human form. As a swan, she is poised, though she often feels isolated at night. Beauty does not equal confidence, sometimes it severely diminishes it.
Prince Siegfried also plays a role in his own world away from the lake. Bound by responsibility, his royal status pins him to a future that’s been decided. His reluctance leads to rebellion as he follows his heart for love, which is the central theme that prevails throughout the ballet.
The fight between good and evil is found here as well. After all, what good love story doesn’t have a little conflict? The juxtaposition of a ballerina playing two opposing roles only enhances this concept. The deception by Von Rothbart and Odile fuel the battle and, though it ends in the death of all four characters, good does ultimately prevail.
The most loved and mesmerizing of classical ballets, “Swan Lake” was Tchaikovsky’s first. It was composed in 1875 and over 100 years later it remains a favorite with ballet companies regularly performing it throughout the world. “Swan Lake” debuted in 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, but it was not well-received at the time. In 1895, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov reworked the choreography for their St Petersburg performance and this has remained the most popular version. “Swan Lake” made its American debut with a 1940 performance by the San Francisco Ballet.
The Story of “Swan Lake”
“Swan Lake” is a timeless love story that mixes magic, tragedy, and romance into four acts. It features Prince Siegfried and a lovely swan princess named Odette. Under the spell of a sorcerer, Odette spends her days as a swan swimming on a lake of tears and her nights in her beautiful human form.
The couple quickly falls in love. As in most fairy tales, things are not that easy and the sorcerer has more tricks to play. That brings Odile, his daughter, into the picture. Confusion, forgiveness, and a happy ending with Siegfried and Odette together forever round off the ballet.
Reading the synopsis of the four acts will fill you in on the rest of the story. Yet, it is interesting to note that in many performances, a single prima ballerina plays both Odette and Odile. It is a role that ballerinas strive for from a very young age.
Act I
Prince Siegfried arrives at his 21st birthday celebration on the palace courtyards. Here, he finds all of the royal families and townspeople dancing and celebrating, while the young girls are anxiously seeking his attention.
During the exquisite celebration, his mother gives him a crossbow. She informs him that because he is now of age, his marriage will be quickly arranged. Hit with the sudden realization of his future responsibilities, he takes his crossbow and runs to the woods with his hunting buddies.
Act 2
Getting ahead of the group, Prince Siegfried finds himself alone in a peaceful spot by an enchanted lake where swans gently float across its surface. While Siegfried watches, he spots the most beautiful swan with a crown on its head.
His buddies soon catch up, but he orders them to leave so he can be by himself. As dusk falls, the swan with the crown turns into the most beautiful young woman he has ever seen. Her name is Odette, the Swan Queen.
Odette informs the young prince about an evil sorcerer, Von Rothbart, who happens to be disguised as Prince Siegfried’s mentor. It was Rothbart who turned her and the other girls into swans. The lake was formed by the tears of their parents’ weeping. She tells him that the only way the spell can be broken is if a man, pure in heart, pledges his love to her.
The prince, about to confess his love for her, is quickly interrupted by the evil sorcerer. He takes Odette from Prince Siegfried’s embrace and commands all of the swan maidens to dance upon the lake and its shore so that the prince cannot chase them. Prince Siegfried is left all alone on the shore of Swan Lake.
Act 3
The next day at the formal celebration in the Royal Hall, Prince Siegfried is presented with many prospective princesses. Although the ladies are worthy of his attention, he cannot stop thinking about Odette.
His mother commands him to choose a bride, but he cannot. For the time being, he satisfies his mother’s request by dancing with them.
While the prince dances, trumpets announce the arrival of Von Rothbart. He brings his daughter, Odile, on whom he has cast a spell to appear as Odette. The prince is captivated by her beauty and he dances with the imposter.
Unbeknownst to Prince Siegfried, the true Odette is watching him from a window. The prince soon confesses his love to Odile and proposes marriage, thinking that she is Odette.
Horrified, Odette flees into the night. Prince Siegfried sees the real Odette running from the window and realizes his mistake. Upon his discovery, Von Rothbart reveals to the prince the true appearance of his daughter Odile. Prince Siegfried quickly leaves the party and chases after Odette.
Act 4
Odette has fled to the lake and joined the rest of the girls in sadness. Prince Siegfried finds them gathered at the shore consoling each other. He explains to Odette the trickery of Von Rothbart and she grants him her forgiveness.
It doesn’t take long for Von Rothbart and Odile to appear in their evil, un-human, and somewhat bird-like forms. Von Rothbart tells the prince that he must stick to his word and marry his daughter. A fight quickly ensues.
Prince Siegfried tells Von Rothbart that he would rather die with Odette than marry Odile. He then takes Odette’s hand and together they jump into the lake.
The spell is broken and the remaining swans turn back into humans. They quickly drive Von Rothbart and Odile into the water where they, too, drown. The girls watch the spirits of Prince Siegfried and Odette ascend into the heavens above Swan Lake.
Close to 700 artists from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were brought together at the Road No 9 Singing Festival which closed in the central province of Quang Tri on July 25. At the awarding ceremony, Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) reached 11 difirent medals and prizes.
The performances featured the themes of revolutionary struggles and cause of national construction and defence as well as praised the patriotism and beauty of Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian culture, land and people.
Nguyen Quang Vinh, acting Director of the Department of Performing Art under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said more than 100 musical performances were staged during the six-day event.
The festival created a professional creative art environment for artists nationwide to continue performing new songs about the aforesaid themes, he added.
The event was co-organised by the Department of Performing Art, Vietnam Musicians’ Association, Vietnam Dance Association, and Quang Tri provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
At the closing ceremony, the organising board presented gold medals to an art troupe from the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, the Vietnam Military Music, Song and Dance Theatre, and Vietnam National Music, Song and Dance Theatre.
The best opera award was presented to the Vietnam National Opera & Ballet while the silver medals went to art troupes from the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum and the host Quang Tri.
The most outstanding performances staged at the event were honoured with 15 gold and 19 silver medals.
The organising board also presented campaign medals to Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian art troupes.
National Road No 9 is a symbol of friendship between the three countries. Stretching along the Truong Son Mountain Range and the Ho Chi Minh trail, it was an important route for moving supplies, equipment and troops from the north to the south of Vietnam during the resistance war against the US.
Many battles took place in the area as the US wanted to destroy the road. The victory of the Road No 9 campaign significantly contributed to the southern liberation and unification of Vietnam.
Every three years, the Department of Performing Arts holds the festival to strengthen solidarity between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and pay tribute to fallen soldiers of the three countries.
The event aims to introduce and promote the beauty of the country and people of Vietnam in South Korea.
A roadshow to introduce and promote Vietnam’s tourism was kicked start in Seoul, South Korea on June 26 with a gala opening the 2019 Vietnam Tourism – Culture Festival.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is speaking at the opening ceremony
The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said that in recent years, Vietnam and South Korea have implemented various exchange and cooperation activities in the fields of culture, sport and tourism.
The minister affirmed that Vietnam always creates favorable conditions to welcome South Korean visitors, investors and travel enterprises to Vietnam and contribute to deepening the understanding and friendship between the two countries.
Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tu
On his side, Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tu affirmed that the event aims to introduce and promote the beauty of the country and people of Vietnam in South Korea.
On this occasion, South Korean guests were introduced to Vietnamese landscapes, resorts, hotels as well as the Vietnamese people and traditional cultural practices.
Art performance is implemented by Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) named “Vietnam soul”
In 2018, Vietnam welcomed nearly 3.5 million South Korean visitors, a surge of 44.3% year-on-year.
In the first five months of 2019, nearly 1.8 million South Korean tourists visited Vietnam, a 22.4% increase from the same period last year. South Korea has become the second biggest visitor source market in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, nearly 500 thousand Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea in 2018, up 41% from 2017. In recent years, the Vietnamese tourism sector has seen the engagement of many South Korea firms such as Lotte, Accor, and Intercontinental.
VNOB artists have photos group with the head coach of Vietnam National Men Football Team, Mr. Park Hang Seo
Choreographer Vũ Ngọc Khải will present a new show entitled Đáy Giếng (Into The Well) on June 28 in Hà Nội. Khải currently works at the Konzert Theatre Bern, Switzerland. He graduated from the Việt Nam Dance Academy and attended a one-year course at the Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy in the Netherlands. He is the art director and co-founder of the 1648km Art Performance & Community Organisation. Lê Hoa talks to Khải about his new show and career.
Can you tell us about your new work?
I choreographed Into The Well for the Hanoi Dance Fest 2019. The work is a journey of Vietnamese looking for their identity. In Vietnamese culture, the bamboo oars, communal house yards, water wells and mats are both propulsive forces and resistance for the individual human being. Striking through cultural challenges I wanted to reflect myself in correlation with nature. The journey is illustrated by the language of contemporary dance and traditional live music. I researched traditional festivals such as buffalo fighting and the Tây Sơn battle drum to incorporate into the dance. I was introduced to artists who I invited to join my project later. Traditional musicians Nguyễn Thành Nam and meritorious artist Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh will be playing for me. They were born into traditional music families.
How did you become a dancer?
I started dancing because my father made me to. At that time I was very active and like many other children I liked sports a lot. Honestly, when my father submitted the application for my entrance exam to dance school, I didn’t like it at all. But now I have to thank him because I’ve become a professional dancer and I love to dance.
Did you face many difficulties at the beginning?
I had a lot of injuries. When I was a child I often twisted my ankles. When I started learning ballet my legs were quite weak, so injuries were common if I fell in training. I’ve suffered the consequences of those injuries such as arthritis. The worst injury I’ve had was a herniated disc. I had to take a year off because of that.
You’ve had the chance to perform with foreign artists on international stages. What have been your most memorable experiences?
Foreign dancers have amazing creativities, and I’m happy to be involved in that environment. School dancers have the right to zone in to their own creativity. Good or bad is not important and no one has the right to judge. This is the key for creativity. The contemporary dance language is very wide and almost without limits. In school they learn many different techniques such as ballet, Cunningham, Limon, Flying Flow, Floorwork, Counter Technique and Release Technique. These techniques are all choreographed by teachers. Creative thinking helps to acquire these techniques. In contemporary dance ideas relate much to life, especially in the way you think about people. Modern life brings people to more complex thoughts and young people in particular want to express their emotions.
There are more young artists involved in contemporary dance. What do you want to say to them?
Actually, it is difficult to enjoy a dance performance. I think young dancers should set their goals from the beginning. They should know if they want to be ballet dancers, contemporary dancers or both because dance always takes time to practice. Depending on the form of dance they choose, their bodies will grow around them. A dancer has quite short time to perform so if they have a clear plan from the beginning they will get the results they desire. In addition, when they are dancers, they should learn the methods of teaching, choreography and staging. It will be good preparation for them when they can no longer dance. But the most important thing is they should try their best to dance while they can. The door will open more for them later.
Le Hoa (Vietnamnews)
Khai Ngoc Vu is currently a dancer/choreographer at Konzert Theatre Bern, Switzerland. He had the opportunity to both study and work in Vietnam and Europe. Before being a professional, he graduated from the Vietnam National Dance College in 2004 after 7 years of study. In 2006, he received a full scholarship for the Codarts/Rotterdam Dance Academy – Netherlands from the Consulate of Netherlands in Vietnam. Ever since, he has worked for a number of dance companies and theaters in Vietnam, Holland, Italia, Germany and Switzerland.
He started choreographing in 2009. Since 2018, he is the Artistic Director, co-founder 1648kilomet (Performing Arts and Community Activity Organization). He first started as a ballet dancer, then gradually changed to neo-classical dance, and now he has finally found himself embracing contemporary dance. He would love to share his experience to audience by teaching and choreographing. He wishes his work could touch the people in modern life.
In march 2018, one of his works ‘’Mushrooms Zone’’ won 1st prize International Ayang Young Choreographer Competition – South Korea.
“If you’re not getting challenged in a big company, investigate why. Where is your dancing lacking? Where is your work ethic lacking? If you can’t seem to move forward, look into other companies. Go back to what it means to bend your body, to bend your knees, to move in space. You’ll be able to breathe through those moments of difficulty.” —Ashley Tuttle, master ballet teacher
Lesson 12: Remember that even stars are part of a team.
“This is a collaborative art form. Successful dance artists see themselves as part of a whole. They may be the star, but they remain aware that there’s an entire corps de ballet behind them, and a conductor in the pit carefully keeping the music at the right tempo, and someone who will stay late and do all the laundry for the next day. Anytime there’s a mishap onstage, we all have to band together and coordinate the best, most subtle solution possible, ideally without the audience knowing anything was wrong. Sometimes I feel like we’re a pod of dolphins—we communicate very simply and effectively, sometimes just with our eyes or a whisper. We find a way to fix it, then move along as if nothing happened. The stronger the team, the better the company.” —Kelly Brown, production stage manager at Miami City Ballet
Lesson 13: Hire experts.
“Do not be, as one lawyer told me, ‘penny wise and pound foolish.’ When you have an opportunity to be paid for your craft, especially when it comes to commercial partnerships with brands and products, find a good entertainment lawyer or agent to help you navigate the contract. It’ll cost you 5 to 15 percent of the overall fee, but is very worth it. They’ll make sure you’re not giving away rights to your image and likeness indefinitely or for longer than the value of your compensation. You’ll avoid being unfairly locked into category exclusivity. The details are truly in the fine print.” —Gilda Squire, founder of Squire Media & Management, Inc., and manager to Misty Copeland and others
Lesson 14: Be insatiable.
“When you see artists who are dancing into their 50s, ask, ‘What is it that has brought them to this moment?’ When you think of Alessandra Ferri, Wendy Whelan, Sylvie Guillem, Mikhail Baryshnikov—they’re incredibly gifted, versatile artists, but there is a drive that is innate.” —Jodie Gates,vice dean and director of USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
Lesson 15: Get some distance.
“I was getting burned out dancing and being on the road so much with Batsheva, and decided to spend nine months at a Buddhist monastery in Nova Scotia. There was a scary feeling of space that opened up by cutting the momentum of my dancing life. I became aware of how much I defined myself as a dancer, and held that as a proof of my self-worth. I had thought I wasn’t one of those ‘crazy dancers’ who prioritizes being a dancer over being a person. Now I feel less afraid to drop dancing and that identity entirely, which allows me to continue, and more fully, because my grip on it is more relaxed. Any time I have stepped away, I have come back with more than I left with.” —Doug Letheren, dancer with Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch
Lesson 16: Don’t trust the trends.
“Don’t get lost in what is ‘cool,’ even when you see the pros doing it. Trends like no ballet slippers or dressing like you’re at a gym can make anyone watching think less of you, and you never know who is going to walk in. Even I put myself into a unitard and skirt to teach class because I feel and think more like dancer when I am dressed like one.” —Nancy Bielski, master ballet teacher at Steps on Broadway
esson 17: Save money to buy yourself freedom.
“Save enough for three to sixth months. Start by putting a little bit aside. I have the bank do it automatically, so it slowly drips into a savings account. That cushion is going to make it okay for you to not take the crappy gig you don’t want but to hold out for the job that you do.” —Jessica Scheitler, enrolled agent, owner of Financial Groove
Lesson 18: Keep exploring.
“The dancers I’ve watched succeed haven’t been afraid to reinvent themselves, either across topic or scale. Consider how your practice works across platforms—corporate and not, nonprofit and not, on Broadway but also at a place like The Joyce.” —Marc Bamuthi Joseph, vice president and artistic director of social impact at the Kennedy Center
Lesson 19: Don’t cross your legs when you sit.
“Considering the frequency of total hip replacements in dancers these days, you should refrain from sitting with your legs crossed. This position adds stress to the lumbar spine and the hip joints. It compresses the nerves and blood supply to the lower extremities, and it inhibits the abdominal muscles from activity, making them insufficient to stabilize your spine.” —Marika Molnar, physical therapist and founder of Westside Dance Physical Therapy in New York City
Lesson 20: Treat rehearsals like more than practice.
“Rehearsals are not just about preparing for some future event. They are the present, too. So how we engage with each other, and how we literally live together in the hours and hours we have making a thing together, well, that matters. Once I figured that out, my attitude about time changed, as did the actual outcomes of the dances themselves.” —Liz Lerman, choreographer and educator
What does it take to “make it” in dance? It’s no secret that turning this passion into a profession can be a struggle. In such a competitive field, talent alone isn’t enough to get you where you want to be. So what kinds of steps can you take to become successful? Dance Magazine spoke to 33 people from all corners of the industry to get their advice on the lessons that could help us all, no matter where we are in our careers.
Lesson 1: Ask yourself why you dance, and make sure the answer is, “Because I love it.”
“The stage is transparent. Some people go out onstage and they have so much life because they love what they do. Other people just do tricks. Someone might give great performances, and the audience might think, Oh, that’s very nice, but it doesn’t change them. They were just watching someone who wanted to be the center of attention, not an artist who was dying to dance.” -Paloma Herrera, artistic director of Teatro Colón’s ballet company
Lesson 2: Learn about the culture of every style you study.
“Have the same respect for the culture of locking, for instance, as you would for pointe work. Understanding the history will open up your storytelling abilities and make you look more natural because you’ll ‘get’ where it comes from, not just what it is.” – Luam, hip-hop choreographer, director and master teacher
Lesson 3: Don’t get hung up on talent.
“Statistically, less physically gifted dancers are more successful. A talented dancer gets everything easier, gets used to this and stops exerting. The greatest mistake dancers make is too much self-assurance.” -Yuri Fateyev, acting director of the Mariinsky Ballet
Lesson 4: Value all improvement.
“Don’t dismiss small improvements just because they don’t fulfill the image of your larger-scale goals. Improvement can be a change in quality, facility, adaptation or efficiency. A change can be tiny, incremental. Acknowledging an improvement makes the difference between leaving the studio that day with a success or with a failure—and this can set the tone by which we live our lives.” —Ami Shulman, rehearsal director for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani and certified Feldenkrais practitioner
Lesson 5: Don’t work hard, work smart.
“A lot of young artists practice by just repeating and repeating the same material, thinking it will get better. But sometimes you have to pause and think about why you’re doing the movement, or why it doesn’t work. Stick with it, but try a different way.”—PeiJu Chien-Pott, principal with the Martha Graham Dance Company
Lesson 6: Value your choices more than your body or ability
“How your body looks or how well you execute movements does not determine who you are. If your feelings about yourself rise and fall with your weight or how high you jump, then you will feel anxious and depressed. But if your self-esteem is based on your actions and behaviors, then you can consistently feel good about yourself.” —Nadine Kaslow, a clinical psychologist who works with Atlanta Ballet
Lesson 7: Share yourself, not just what you can do.
“What’s interesting is who you are, not how many turns you can do or how you can distort your body. Dancers today are challenged constantly by that very passing flashiness. Like a jewel dangling in front of you, sparkling. But stars glow, they do not sparkle. Sparkles can disappear.” —Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Lesson 8: Don’t ignore directions just so you can show off.
“In the audition room when the choreographer is like, ‘Okay, give me a double pirouette—clean, please,’ we’ll get young hotshots giving us a triple or a quadruple. They want to sex it up a little bit, when in fact what’s being asked for is very clear, very succinct. If you show off, it can quite often work against your favor.” —DuncanStewart, Broadway casting director at Stewart/Whitley
Lesson 9: Ask for advice—and the opportunities you want.
“No one in the dance world has ever said no when I’ve asked for advice. Pick up the phone or meet face-to-face and ask questions. If you want to dance in a certain company or project, ask. Sometimes luck just occurs, and sometimes luck is made because you are vigilant in your pleasant, kind assertiveness. Make yourself available for opportunities. And make your own opportunities.” —David Dorfman, artistic director, college professor, Broadway and postmodern choreographer
Lesson 10: Value the small roles.
“Dancers today too often want everything now. To that, I say, ‘Wait your turn, stick it out, gather the experience and commit to the company.’ Patience develops dancers.” —Barbara Bears, ballet master at Houston Ballet
So, now that we’ve (hopefully) convinced you of the benefits, how do you go about getting involved in an orchestra?
Choosing an instrument
If you already play a musical instrument, you can skip this section and go straight to the next one to find out how to find a suitable orchestra for you.
If you don’t already play a musical instrument, but you’ve decided you’d like to play in an orchestra, now’s the time to choose the right instrument for you. There are orchestras for all levels of ability, but you’ll still need to put in quite a lot of work on your chosen instrument before you’ll be able to participate in one. Here are a few considerations to take into account when deciding which instrument to take up:
– Your musical tastes – certain instruments lend themselves to particular musical tastes; if you enjoy noisy music, for instance, perhaps percussion might be right for you. If you’d prefer a gentler sound, the flute might be better suited.
– Practicality – some instruments are huge and difficult to transport, such as a harp or double bass. If you live in a small house, or have a complicated journey to school, you may be better off with a smaller instrument that’s easily transported and stored. What’s more, you’ll have to spend a lot of time practising, so a particularly loud instrument may send your parents mad if you live in a small house with thin walls!
– Your build – if you’re very small, you might struggle with a large instrument such as the double bass; if you have short fingers, you might find it difficult to play some instruments that require large stretches of your fingers, such as the piano.
– Confidence – if you don’t mind, or actively like, being the centre of attention, an instrument that will require you to play solos in an orchestral environment would be good for you, such as the flute or clarinet. If you’d rather be able to hide in a bigger group, a stringed instrument such as the violin might suit you better because you’ll be one of many.
– Competition – some instruments are more popular than others, and that means there’s variation in how easy it is to get into an orchestra. An instrument such as the flute will have lots of competition for two or three spaces in an orchestra, while a less popular instrument such as the viola is always in demand, meaning you’ll find it much easier to get into the orchestra you want.
– Budget – there may well be a scheme at your school to hire a musical instrument, but if not then budget may be a limiting factor. Most instruments have models for a range of budgets, but some are undoubtedly more expensive than others (harps, for example).
– Teachers – you’ll need to make sure there’s a person within easy reach who teaches your chosen instrument, so that you’re not having to travel great distances to lessons. There may be music teachers at your school whom you can go to for advice on this.
– Gut feeling – many people are naturally drawn to a particular instrument, which perhaps has something to do with personality; each instrument has its own personality and it can sometimes be a question of finding the one that matches yours. If you’ve always had a yen for a particular instrument, regardless of its practicality, then this is the one to go for, as you’ll be motivated to succeed at it.
Finding an orchestra
The first place to look for a suitable orchestra is your school, as it will be easier logistically if your rehearsals are on the same site and you can go straight from lessons to rehearsals. If there isn’t one at your school, try a Google search for orchestras in your local area, as there will probably be a county youth orchestra and other amateur groups. Your town’s local website or newspaper may also be able to point you in the right direction. Keep an eye out for local concerts, as this is a good way to find local orchestras and assess how good they are.
Alternatives to orchestras
Don’t forget that playing in an orchestra isn’t the only way of getting involved in playing music; music groups come in many different shapes and sizes, so you’re bound to find one that suits you. Leaving aside pop, rock and similar popular music groups, here are some of the alternative musical ensemble options open to you if you decide that an orchestra isn’t quite what you’re looking for. They all bring the same benefits as playing in an orchestra, but provide different repertoire and group sizes.
– Wind/concert bands – these are made up of woodwind and brass instruments, and usually involve a more modern repertoire.
– Brass band – as the name suggests, a brass band is made up of brass instruments, such as trumpets, tubas and trombones. This produces a very unique sound, which you’ll probably have heard on the streets playing carols at Christmas time. The brass band repertoire is a bit more varied than that, though!
– String quartet – this isperfect if you play a stringed instrument and you want a more intimate setting than an orchestra. It’s made up of two violins, a viola and a cello.
– Jazz band – these are tremendous fun and often involve improvisation, so if you’re a creative type and don’t mind making music up on the spot, a jazz band might be just the thing for you.
– Choir – thanks to TV programmes such as Gareth Malone’s The Choir, choirs are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. There are groups to cater for all musical tastes, from Renaissance religious music to reworkings of pop songs.
Auditions
Not all orchestras and music groups require you to do an audition, but the best ones almost certainly will, even at an amateur level. Auditions can be nerve-wracking, because you’re very exposed and you know you’re being judged and compared to others. Here are a few tips to help your audition go as smoothly as possible:
– Choice of music – choose a piece you’re comfortable with, and one that demonstrates the emotional and technical range you’re capable of. It’s better to play a less difficult piece exceptionally well than it is to try to tackle a technically challenging piece that’s too difficult for you. Top tip: never play a piece of Bach at an audition. People have very varied opinions about how his work should be performed, and the chances are that the person you’re performing to won’t agree with your interpretation!
– Practising – in the run-up to your audition, practise your piece again and again until you could almost play it without the music.
– Page turning – if your piece of music has any awkward page turns that could disrupt your performance, photocopy your music so that you can lay the sheets side by side.
– Sight-reading – you’ll probably be given a piece of sight-reading during your audition, where you’re required to play a piece of music you’ve never seen before. This is one of the most stressful elements, but you can prepare yourself for it by practising as much sight-reading as you can beforehand. Sight-read a range of pieces with different time signatures, rhythms and tempos so that you’re as prepared as you can be for whatever they might throw at you.
– Stage fright – try to relax before the audition and perhaps try a little meditation to help combat nerves.
– Warm up – allow enough time before the audition to warm up properly. Going in with cold fingers is a recipe for disaster, as is a cold instrument. There will almost certainly be a rehearsal space in which you can do a few scales and a practise run-through of your piece to help you warm up.
Once you’ve passed an audition and got yourself into an orchestra, you’ll soon be able to experience the exhilaration of performing with lots of other musicians – and you’ll soon start to feel the far-reaching benefits of your new hobby.
Giving your university application or CV an edge over other candidates may mean taking on extra qualifications, such as an Extended Project Qualification or additional A-levels, or it might mean gaining work experience in a relevant area (or both!). But not all the things you can do to enhance your prospects have to involve stressing yourself out with too big a workload. One of the more fun activities that will bestow a surprising number of benefits upon you is playing in an orchestra. In this article, we look at the different ways in which this can set you on the road to achieving great things in life and give you some tips for how to get involved.
It benefits your career
Of course, if you want to play in an orchestra professionally, then it goes without saying that involvement in an orchestra while you’re still at school is essential. However, there are many transferable skills to be gained from being in an orchestra that you can apply to all walks of life. When you’re first trying to get onto the career ladder and you’re answering all those awkward interview questions about “demonstrating teamwork”, “your biggest challenge”, and so on, you’ll be able to use anecdotes from your orchestral experience to help if you don’t have any work experience to fall back on. To give you an illustration, these are just a few of the transferable skills you’ll pick up:
Teamwork
In an orchestra, you’re part of a team working towards a common goal. You all have to work effectively together to produce a sound people want to hear, and to do justice to the notes a composer has written on a page. If one person doesn’t pull their weight, it can affect the entire performance – so you all need to pull together and contribute to the best of your abilities, just as you would in a business environment.
Organisation
You’ll need to practise your part in between sessions, as well as committing the time to weekly rehearsals. Your organisational skills will get a good boost when you have to juggle all this with your schoolwork, and it will give you good practice for handling large workloads at university and beyond.
Coping under pressure
Though enjoyable, an orchestra is a high-pressured environment because you’re required to play your instrument to a high standard, performing beautifully without making any mistakes. Your ability to overcome stage fright and put on top-notch performances will stand you in good stead and boost your confidence in other situations you may find yourself in at school, university or in a job, such as giving a presentation.
Discipline
It takes a lot of hard work and determination to reach a high standard on any musical instrument. You’ll need to practise religiously pretty much every day for years, and continue to do so in order to maintain that high standard once you’ve attained it. Not all music practice is fun, either; scales and studies are often dull and repetitive, and the practical and theory exams you’ll be encouraged to take are challenging. If you want to prove you’ve got the discipline and self-motivation it takes to see a project through to its conclusion, this is a great way to demonstrate it.
It improves your general knowledge
Music round of University Challenge? If you play in an orchestra, the chances are you’ll be able to answer a lot more of the classical ones! The breadth of music you’re likely to cover if you play in an orchestra will greatly enhance your general knowledge, as you’ll be able to identify music (or at least give an educated guess as to the period during which it was written or the composer who wrote it), learn about composers and when they were writing, and understand the different techniques composers use to create a particular musical effect or evoke a particular emotion. From the religious music of the Renaissance to modern day film music, there’s great variety in the material you can get to know in an orchestra, and it will open your eyes to the development of Western music and how it has reached the point it’s at today. Not only that, but the very best way to understand the complexity and nuances of a piece of music is to perform it, and this will deepen your musical appreciation.
It keeps you sane
Making music with lots of other people is tremendously rewarding and very therapeutic. No matter how bad your day at school has been, you’ll soon forget about your troubles once you’re sitting down in front of your music and throwing yourself into a performance. Playing in an orchestra is an incredibly intellectually demanding exercise, and one that must command your full attention. It’s a great way of forgetting about schoolwork for a while, at the same time as still making use of (and developing) different areas of your brain. Much better and more productive than watching trash TV or going shopping, and it’ll refresh your mind ready to tackle your schoolwork with renewed vigour.
“Around the world” is new season Concert belonging to the chain to celebrate 60 years’ foundation of Vietnam National Opera and Ballet – VNOB. It is spiritual present of traveling in the spring under the leader of Emeritus Artist Tran Ly Ly – Director of Vietnam Opera and Ballet Theater – VNOB and all artists to audiences in general and Hanoians in particular. After accepting to conduct the concert, Mr. Martín García León agreed to make an interview:
Why did you accept the invitation to conduct Around the World?
I accepted this wonderful offer for Around the Worldbecause I think the performance will show people in Hà Nội how the music can be so wonderful, so emotive, energetic and enjoyable no matter what part of the world one is in. We can show a little bit of very different cultures and I think that is magical. That’s why the project come to my attention. I always wanted to conduct on the Asian continent to learn more about your culture, to try to learn about your language and to communicate with each other through the music. I think the way to make music more exciting in Vietnam and in Argentina is very different. We both can learn from each other new ways to make this special art.
Have you ever attended any programme like this in Vietnam?
No, I have not had the pleasure before, but I cannot express my happiness at being in Vietnam for the first time and having the honour to conduct VNOB at the Hanoi Opera House.
What do you think of the show you will perform with VNOB?
I think Around the Worldis an excellent idea for opening the season of a theatre. We can show a mix of different pieces of different cultures and all have a great time – the audience of Hanoi, the VNOB musicians and me. It’s going to be a beautiful night full of happiness and fireworks. I like the programme very much.
Which part of Around the Worldis most impressive?
I think the most impressive piece in Around the Worldis the overture of Ruslan and Ludmilaof Glinka. It has so much energy that it made me jump on the podium as much as Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance No 8. They have so much energy that it is impossible to me not is moved by these works.
As young conductor, what do you think about the symphonic music scene? Are there any obstacles to its development and what are the solutions?
As far as my country and all of Latin America are concerned, there is an economic crisis. Symphonic orchestra now is facing many obstacles. The most of the orchestras depend on the state or a ministry of culture. The number of artists making a living from the orchestras is shrinking because of the unstable policies of the states. A solution that I can propose is to find private investors who want orchestras in Argentina or Latin America not to depend too much on the state in this time of crisis. I do hope orchestras can find an international investor.
What will you say about the show to audiences?
Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this amazing concert. You will laugh, cry and be touched in different ways by the music and so much more. We are going to have the ballet and choir of VNOB as well as the singers.
We have it all in just one concert. It is full of good energy and happiness, and all this is for the audience of Việt Nam. You would honour VNOB and me with your friendly presence.
Thank you and wish you and VNOB a great successful “Around the world”
Tuyet Hoa
Martín García León was born in 1990 in General Roca city, a small city located at the North of Patagonia Argentina.He started his interest on music from a very early age and begins his formal studying on piano at the age of 14 years old at I.U.P.A. (Institutouniversitariopatagónico de lasartes). And got a Bachelor degree in OrchestralConducting.During five years in Buenos Aires Martín García León was assistant conductor at Camerata Santa Cecilia, conducts on several occasions the “Carlos Bertazza” symphony orchestra, and participates on several concerts along his country. In 2018, he was conducting the Saint Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and at the festival of contemporary music Disat Terra music festival organized by the Fundación Antiqua Nova in Choele Choel (Argentinian Patagonia) making the world premiere of several works of Mariano Etkin, Cecilia Villanueva, and Jose Sciarrino between others And he has recently back to Argentina from Cusco Peru where he gives a Materclass about Orchestral conducting been an honorific invited by the Universidad Nacional Diego QuispeTIto, and arranged a concert with the Symphonic orchestra of cusco for 2020 season.
