Michael Shannon Ballet: What's the Pointe: Bach Prelude Sarabande Gigue: Configuration Dance Theatre

Ballet, contemporary dance choreography "What's the Pointe" by Michael Shannon (Los Angeles California), Artistic Director, Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, Resident Choreographer, Configuration Dance Theatre, music by Bach, New York productions, CDT and Ellison Ballet, YouTube video features: Christina Schifano, Prelude Solo (Colorado Ballet, YAGP Gold Medal Contemporary Dance, Ensemble Silver Medal, Classical Ballet Bronze in 2008); Sadie Harris and Jon Upleger, Sarabande Pas De Deux (Nashville Ballet); and the Gigue Trio with Sarah Poss (Dutch National Ballet, YAGP Ensemble Silver Medal 2008), Christina Schifano, Kaleigh Schock (Ballet West, YAGP Pas De Deux Gold Medal 2008).

Shannon's "What's the Pointe" was featured in "DANCE SPECTACULAR" (9/22/09) by its producer, New York City Ballet star, Daniel Ulbricht, with dance stars from New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet in "Apollo," "Tarantella," "Diamond Pas De Deux," and "Who Cares" authorized by the Balanchine Foundation, with "Royenne" by Susan Jaffe, and "Breathless" by Joseph Cipolla, "whose acclaimed company," said Ulbricht, "is known for its cutting-edge contemporary choreography."

The New York Times called Michael Shannon choreography "sexy, ballet to blush by;" The Buffalo News, "captivating, genius, utterly superb, deeply emotional and affecting, intimate, sensual, reminds one of Ek, Kylian and Rhoden, bravo finally realism in ballet;" and The Cape Cod Chronicle said his works were, "nothing short of astonishing in his understanding and the physical communication of emotion from comical to tender."

Shannon was Principal Dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet, Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Englands Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Principal Guest Artist for the Kremlin Palace Ballet Theatre, and Hungarian State Opera Ballet. The Russian Nobility League invited him to be their Director of the Revived Russian Imperial Theatre of Opera and Ballet. He was appointed co-Artistic Director of the Russiches Kammertheater Berlin, and awarded Professor of Choreography, Ukrainian State Academy of Ballet in 1999.

Shannon was trained by legends in the ballet world on scholarships from California to the School of American Ballet in New York and National Ballet School of Canada. In 1986, the Bolshoi's Academy Director, Madame Golovkina, told People Magazine how she discovered Shannon at 16, and by 19, he was their first American scholarship recipient and graduate, and first American Principal Dancer of the Bolshoi, with commendations from Presidents Bush and Clinton, and invitations to dance for President and Mrs. Gorbachev in Moscow, and President and Mrs. Ford in Vail.

President George H.W. Bush honored Shannon and his accomplishments in a letter presented to him at Town Hall of California (7 Aug 1990): "As the first American to become a member of the esteemed Bolshoi Ballet, Michael has brought great honor to himself and his country. Realizing his dreams through persistence and hard work, he is a role model, and has served as an able representative of the United States abroad. We are very proud of this native son."

President William J. Clinton rote him after returning from Moscow in 1993, "Your dedication to ballet has given you the opportunity to be a part the tradition of great Russian dancers. You can take pride in knowing that you carry with you the hopes and dreams of many aspiring dancers."

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Ballet
• Dance
• American
• Contemporary
• Choreographer
• Royal
• New
• York
• Theater
• Company
• Michael
• Shannon
• Jaffe
• Cipolla
• Birmingham
• English
• Los
• Angeles
• California
• Bolshoi
• Kirov
• Mariinsky
• Moscow
• Russia
• Lawrence
• Olivier
• Award
• Artvoice
• Ballerina
• What's
• Pointe
• Prelude
• Solo
• Sarabande
• Pas
• De
• Deux
• Gigue
• Trio
• Paris
• France
• Budapest
• Hungarian
• Berlin
• Germany
• Swedish
• Danish
• Canada
• Dutch
• Harlem
• Sadler's
• Wells
• Stuttgart
• Boston
• Vienna
• Opera
• National
• State
• Bach
• Academy
• School
• YAGP
• Configuration
• Antwerp
• Belgium

[yldayta]

beautiful music and dancers, and brilliant choreography

[pka520]

Wow, simply exquisite.

[ItsJustJasmine]

Beautiful <3

[hopeful231]

Very beautiful choreography, its flows so well with the music, I have never seen contemporary ballet done so beautifully. Nicely done :)

[yoyoyogurlll]

michael shannon is my ballet teacher and i absolutely love his work!!

[b3auty05]

SIMPLE yet POWERFUL!

bravo!

[patycardenas]

bravo bravo!!

[faraha87]

this is 10th time ive seen and still it mesmerises me..... thank you for this work of art

[eridink]

Beautiful! Gets my vote for best use of bodies and Bach...

[AnnieLives]

Dear Michael Shannon, We the choreographically challenged people have been talking to God. We have decided he made a mistake, in giving you too much awesome. We are going to have to require you to stop being so awesome. It is simply not fair to the rest of us.

Warm Regards,

Every other choreographer, dancer, artist, or any other person ever. =D

[anadelia]

muito bom!

[youngmeezzy]

oh my god.

this is amazing.