From A Wing & A Prayer to a 1M+ Nutcracker
Artistic Director, Marie Hale, is a mesmerizing picture of grace and beauty. As she unraveled the fascinating tale of Ballet Florida for me, I watched her delicate hands, arms and beautiful eyes all dance in concert.
Raised in a small Mississippi town, her love for dance inspired her to enroll in every available class. Ultimately Marie studied tap with the renowned, Whitford Price. Yet, despite her early tap dancing background, her true passion was ballet!
Marie majored in piano at college until she found the road to pursue her life's dream. Richard Ellis and Christine Du Boulay, Principal dancers and Teacher Training graduates of Sadler's Wells, (later the Royal Ballet of London) retired and opened their own school in Chicago. Marie studied there, believing it would afford her a higher level of personal attention than in NY, where classes are typically crowded. Her excellent preparatory education resulted.
In 1961, Marie relocated to West Palm Beach and began teaching for Joanna Kneeland, formerly the brilliant school director for Rebecca Harkness of the Harkness Ballet. Marie absorbed a wealth of her knowledge. Later David Howard joined the Harkness Ballet and was also invaluable to Marie. Therefore, from their inception, Ballet Florida was closely involved with the Harkness people, who remain one of their benefactors today as the Harkness Foundation.
Marie and Lynda Swiadon taught classes in the basement of the Palm Beach Towers, which was then an apartment / hotel. Their student performances were held at the old West Palm Beach Auditorium and the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach. Audience members frequently asked, "Where is this company from?" Marie would reply, "It' is not a company, they are high school students and students in their early twenties." When Palm Beach Towers converted to condominiums, Marie realized they needed more space, but she also knew they could not afford to buy anything, let alone in Palm Beach.
Donna Morgan, currently the Principal of The Academy of Ballet Florida, was then a very promising young student whose father was anxious to see his daughter's dance education continue. Mr. Morgan stepped forward and helped find the school a new home in West Palm Beach on 46th & Broadway.
By 1986 many people encouraged Marie to start a professional company, something she never planned on doing. "Initially, I never even enjoyed teaching. I just did it to afford to dance myself and to continue training, but people kept saying, 'You have to start to pay some of these people.' So, I thought, OK, we will." They began with twelve dancers who came from all over. Those who remain are: Steve Hoff, from Texas, Manuel Ureta from South America, Jennifer Cole from Houston and Jennifer Conrad, now the resident Wardrobe Mistress.
On August 4th, 1986, eight days before they began their first season, the Board met. The Executive Director announced they were 62T dollars in debt in back FICA taxes. Marie confesses, "Of course I had heard of FICA taxes, but I didn't really know what it was." She soon found out! She discovered herself holding a company of twelve professional dancers and zero in the bank. Marie admits, "It was jarring. I was miserable. I would teach company class and pretend that everything was grand, while all the time I thought, Oh, God, what am I going to do? I don't know how it just kept going, day after day. The dancers have always been paid on time, but sometimes the staff wasn't."
In those days an attorney named Bob Montgomery, known then and still as a patron the arts called Marie and said, "You are in a lot of trouble. You have to do something about this debt." Miraculously, he paid three quarters of the debt while Marie's husband paid the remaining one-quarter. The budget for that first year was $600,000. Today it is well over 4 million.
One fortuitous day Marie met two extraordinary gentlemen, Leslie Claydon White and J. David Veselsky who owned a hugely successful business in Connecticut called Millhouse Antiques. These men became instrumental in setting the course for Ballet Florida. Mr. Veselsky, remains as the President of the Board today. Both gentlemen continually advised Marie to move to a better neighborhood citing that they 'could not bring potential art patrons from Palm Beach in a Rolls Royce and have hookers walking in front of the building.' At their lowest point Marie says, "There were rats in the building that ate four thousand dollars worth of pointe shoes stored in a closet." After that unfortunate incident she stored the shoes in the trunk of her car. Company class would dutifully trudge out to retrieve them on a daily basis.
Once again Marie knew they must move, but they could not afford to, especially since she did not always know where the weekly salaries would come from. However, Leslie was relentless. He absolutely refused to quit until he found the building where they are currently housed. Marie felt it was a waste of her time then to even look at properties, but she admits, "I did it to pacify him anyway." Before Marie even knew what had happened, Leslie put up some funds, located several other investors, including Marie's husband, Dr. Edward Sandall, and together they bought the building at 500 Fern Street in West Palm Beach. The new mortgage payment was actually less than the previous payment at their old building!
Marie says, "After the move, it was also a bad neighborhood, although not quite as bad as where we had come from. I tried to understand why we moved from one bad neighborhood to what appeared to also be a shabby part of town. Perhaps Leslie had a premonition because the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts opened the same year we moved here and then all of a sudden, "City Place" just popped up." Now, she admits, "We have a prime piece of real estate, but there are still difficult times financially. "
Eventually they went from twelve to twenty-two dancers who travel from exotic places like: Spain, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, South America, Cuba, and Bulgaria. They work a 40-week contact and never travel to NY to audition because all of their dancers (many while visiting,) audition and are hired on the spot. Marie says, "It's as if the right people show up exactly when they are needed." Within the next year they plan to expand the company to twenty-four. "We have no plans for Ballet Florida be gigantic like American Ballet Theater, or San Francisco. Eventually we want to have twenty-eight dancers because it will make the company highly versatile for chorography."
As the years pass, they continue to provide fabulous training floors and nurture both school and students. A negotiation to appear in Ft. Lauderdale at the intimate Amaturo Theater, housed at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts is in progress. Two years ago Ballet Florida received a great honor when accepted to perform at the Joyce in NY from one hundred and thirteen companies who applied. They have performed in twenty-seven states and twice at the Dance Festival in Biarritz, France.
This company has creatively blossomed under the expert hand of Marie as Artistic Director. Marie states, "Our dancers are lovely people who are all Principal dancers of the company." When introducing any one of them you will always hear Marie say, "This is my principal.... so and so..."
She never requests a chorographer use a particular dancer when casting a ballet, saying, rather, "I see the dancers daily, but a chorographer may see things that I have unintentionally overlooked. Also, I believe dancers grow by giving the chorographer cart blanch."
Even though Marie does not fancy herself a chorographer, she always casts Ballet Florida's now famous, "Nutcracker." Since she adores entertaining people, she has expanded her imagination to its limits on this ballet. Initially cited as a 1 Million $ production for publicity purposes, it has grown far beyond this amount. This year they celebrate their thirteenth season of this stunning performance. "I always try to choose two cast members for every part so each dancer can diversify. One may be the Sugar Plum Fairy one night and the next night the same dancer may be a Snowflake." Marie says, "We put only the finest into the Nutcracker. The initial scenery was built in upstate NY at CenterLine Studios, also famous for building the sets for 'Phantom of the Opera.'"
Every year new things are added, (like Christmas presents from her devoted husband) such as the white chiffon curtain that drops following a battle while enchantingly sweet music plays. Marie once dreamed such a curtain would be clipped from the top and just ripple down to the stage floor. When she discussed it with the production manager, he rolled his eyes and said, "And then where is it going to go? Are they going to dance on it?" He managed to address this dilemma.
Marie was adamant that "The Nutcracker" would have a classical dance basis. She did not want a Nutcracker in Harlem, or Motorcycle on the Moon because for so many people, the "Nutcracker" is their first ballet, therefore she believes it wise to stay close to the original. She studied author E.T. A. Hoffman's text in depth to enhance her artistic interpretation with the resulting tale:
Once upon a time, in a Kingdom far away, a Queen makes a pact with some rats. She puts out food for them called suet. In exchange the rats agree to leave her people alone. "I should have done it with the pointe shoes from the closet, since they seemed to enjoy eating them so much!" Marie says with twinkling eyes.
In the interim, the King throws a flashy party. He invites too many guests and they run out of suet. Now a fight ensues between the kingdom and the rats. The King hears of a German Magician named Drosselmeyer who has manufactured a trap that has wiped out an entire rat population so he enlists his services. Now, the Queen of Rats is killed. Prior to her death she casts a spell on Drosselmeyer's nephew by putting him inside an ugly doll where he will stay until a beautiful, young girl falls in love with his ugly appearance.
The Ballet itself begins in Drosselmeyer's house where there are many items in front of the scenic backdrop, including a portrait of his nephew, which is actually a true likeness of the dancer who will dance the part in the ballet.
In a charming village scene, two little old ladies travel to a Christmas party at the Silberhaus home. Little children romp and a real dog captures the audiences' hearts when he appears. The Silberhaus' living room is so spectacular that were you on stage, descending the staircase, you would feel as if you are actually walking into a gorgeous living room. "The Christmas tree," says Marie, "is huge and in full view of the audience, but only the dancers see a Jewish Star on the fireplace mantle, which is always there." Marie did not place it there, has no idea who did and she would never dream of removing it.
Clara receives her Nutcracker doll at the party from her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. A battle Once upon a time, in a Kingdom far away, a Queen makes a pact with some rats. She puts out food for them called suet. In exchange the rats agree to leave her people alone. "I should have done it with the pointe shoes from the closet, since they seemed to enjoy eating them so much!" Marie says with twinkling eyes.
In the interim, the King throws a flashy party. He invites too many guests and they run out of suet. Now a fight ensues between the kingdom and the rats. The King hears of a German Magician named Drosselmeyer who has manufactured a trap that has wiped out an entire rat population so he enlists his services. Now, the Queen of Rats is killed. Prior to her death she casts a spell on Drosselmeyer's nephew by putting him inside an ugly doll where he will stay until a beautiful, young girl falls in love with his ugly appearance.
The Ballet itself begins in Drosselmeyer's house where there are many items in front of the scenic backdrop, including a portrait of his nephew, which is actually a true likeness of the dancer who will dance the part in the ballet.
In a charming village scene, two little old ladies travel to a Christmas party at the Silberhaus home. Little children romp and a real dog captures the audiences' hearts when he appears. The Silberhaus' living room is so spectacular that were you on stage, descending the staircase, you would feel as if you are actually walking into a gorgeous living room. "The Christmas tree," says Marie, "is huge and in full view of the audience, but only the dancers see a Jewish Star on the fireplace mantle, which is always there." Marie did not place it there, has no idea who did and she would never dream of removing it.
Clara receives her Nutcracker doll at the party from her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. A battle then ensues between the solders and mice as the Rat King arrives in a Ben Hur chariot. As Clara hits the Mouse King with her shoe, sparks shoot out 25 feet in all directions.
After the billowing chiffon curtain drops, the snow scene appears with sixteen dancing snowflakes. Clara arrives in a magnificent flying sleigh that flies as if by magic since there are no trap doors in the floor of the Kravis - a minor detail that did not deter Marie. Drosselmeyer now holds Clara's doll. He swirls around as a cloud of smoke appears, falls away, and there, miraculously stands Clara's cavalier, a full-grown soldier. (How this actually happens is one secret Marie will not share.) Clara and her Nutcracker Prince get into the sleigh, and off they go.
The audience is taken back to the music in the middle of the waltz of the snowflakes. Suddenly, real snowfalls drift down upon the audience and of course; the applause is deafening at this magic! Marie explains, "Four machines simultaneously produce the snow. The music is playing because they are quite noisy. We have been making it snow for the last 5 years. That first year our marketing people wanted us to promote the snow in our advertisements since they knew it would create a sensation, but I swore them to absolute secrecy."
Act Two is outside the Courtyard of the Sugarplum Fairy, swarming with little guards, angels and lots of children. The little guards stand at attention before the castle wall as Clara arrives. Marie says, "I didn't want to bring her in on a sleigh, because I see the land of the Sugarplum Fairy as tropical, lush and bursting with flowers and candy." She solved this in her typical fashion by bringing Clara in on a little unicorn (really a little horse with a unicorn head piece.) After witnessing this scene, her husband, commented, "It's the biggest dog and pony show in town!"
The Nutcracker Prince leads Clara across the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. They gaze in wonder as dancers perform all the traditional variations, and the familiar, wonderful Sugar Plum Pas de Deux. Finally, at finale's end, the last piece of music finishes with all characters upstage. Gorgeous gazebos are turning and an enormous cake, also turning, is crowned with a glittering tiara, center stage. Clara and her cavalier approach the cake, and then stroll to a gazebo with flower-laden steps. Now Clara and her Prince come down stage. Drosselmeyer leads the unicorn in and as Clara sits on the unicorn, they take their adieu. When they depart, an outside wall rises and little guards walk away as if they are traveling, too. Now the castle wall fades and you see the backdrop of the village. Clara and the prince are in a small sleigh as if they are sailing home back through the Land of Snow.
As people depart the Silberhaus party, Drosselmeyer exits and stares at his watch in bewilderment, wondering if time stood still. While traveling home through the village he contemplates whether the spell was truly broken. In the next scene, Drosselmeyer's house appears with his nephew standing in the room. As Drosselmeyer enters the house and sees his nephew, he knows it is true - the spell really was broken.
In the final scene, Drosselmeyer leads his nephew to the portrait on the wall. He shows him the portrait as the last few notes of the ballet fade. The lights dim on everything except the portrait, and before your eyes, the portrait changes to the face of the doll!
Marie recalled the reaction of Eduardo Sicango, the set designer, when she recounted her artistic version of the whole story to him. When she reached the part about the portrait Eduardo said, "Marie, what you really want to do is a movie and not a ballet." What mattered most to Marie, she says, "was to prove that the spell was really broken."
"I always believed that what Clara experiences really happened to her. It's not a child's dream. Clara is a young lady, like a debutante. The Nutcracker Prince had been a brave soldier and she truly falls in love with him, so they cannot be two little children if she is old enough to fall in love with a brave solder.
Donna Morgan, encouraged Marie to begin a new training program last year for students who have completed high school, or for those who are on correspondence, all with flexible schedules. They arrive at Ballet Florida at 9 a.m. each morning, as the company has their class in an adjoining room. Thus, the students hear the company rehearsing and are assigned lessons, not to do, but to learn. In the afternoon they take another class. It occupies almost their entire day. This is designed for those years from 18 - 21, when students are not quite ready to audition with a company unless they are fortunate enough to land a really large part, such as member of the corps de ballet. These students are good, but they still need training. They are completely on scholarship, with no pay involved, although eventually Marie hopes they will be paid. In the interim, the students receive one pair of shoes monthly. Eventually all students will receive all of their shoes. To date they have three men and three women enrolled.
As I left my interview with Marie Hale, I took one last glance at this inspirational woman, who a major founding spirit of Ballet Florida. She is eloquent, refined, poised - grace in motion ... and capable of spinning nothing less than pure magic!