The Party's Over! ...not for Judith Fugate who after a long career in New York City Ballet has founded her own company -- Ballet NY!
Judith Fugate...
"Why on earth did we ever do this?" Judith Fugate announced to her husband Medhi Bahiri, who is co-director of Ballet NY. "Why?" she repeated, knowing the answer only too well. "Because dancers need to dance and choreographers need to create, both want a professional place to do it."
This was their mission -- to establish and direct a chamber ballet company for the expressed purpose of giving mature dancers without a major company affiliation a place to work; to give choreographers a venue to show their work; and to develop an outreach program thereby introducing more children to ballet. They scoured studios for the right dancers, watched endless tapes of choreographers, and planned ways to solicit monies and theaters. They divided up the list of tasks. Medhi was responsible for finding dancers and negotiating contracts. Judith kept the books, and naturally both would not miss the opportunity to be in the studio for rehearsals. "On a bad day, when we are having to fund-raise, draw up contracts, search out rehearsal space and not having any luck with anything, we are ready to fold our tent," Judith admitted. "Yet because of the pleasure and success we have had, and the dancers and choreographers' appreciation -- we just can't do it -YET."
Judith's career as a dancer began fortuitously when her mother took her to the audition for the School of American Ballet. Like many children who go there it is usually a community teacher who sees the talent and directs the child to the school. Not only was she accepted to the school, but also Diana Adams, then the director, was so impressed that she spoke to Balanchine about her. Judith became the little girl Marie, the role in the "Nutcracker" that every young dancer dreams about. Judith danced with New York City Ballet for 23 years, ten as a principle dancer, performing in almost every ballet in the repertory. However, in later years she began to feel as if she were being overlooked for roles or eased out of ballets she was still capable of performing. These are uncomfortable warning signs, and she expressed her feelings to the director Peter Martins. He assured her she would dance those roles again. But she never did. "The time to move on had presented itself to me," Judith recalled, "and I left City Ballet."
Meanwhile, Medhi, a principal dancer with Boston Ballet, an international guest artist, and now her husband joined her in New York. They teamed up as free-lance artists, and after one performance it was suggested they might bring a small group to perform with them the next time. "We took six dancers and performed at Hilton Head, our first company gig," Judith said. That was the beginning of what would eventually become Ballet NY.
Both Medhi and Judith had long fulfilling professional careers, but they were saddened to see many quality dancers with good résumés and lots of performing experience shunted aside in their 30's in an ever-widening quest for the next baby ballerina or wunderkind male virtuoso. Most dancers would wind up ONLY taking classes, biding their time, waiting for the next performing opportunity. Waiting is not a game dancers can play easily. There is no time. "Over the years we have had a lot of dancers to choose from, younger ones as well, but our repertory has always been angled to the experienced dancer."
"We were most encouraged when, early on, we were invited to perform at the Joyce, the best theater venue in New York for small companies," she recalled, still somewhat amazed that as a fledgling group they had been solicited by such a prestigious theatre. "We were invited back three times." We were very lucky."
Flushed with early success Medhi and Judith were not totally prepared for the endless obstacles that beset a small company. "Such as finding proper and affordable rehearsal space that is also accessible for our dancers," Judith pointed out. Ballet NY does not have their own studio or theatre, and rentals have become both prohibitive and scarce. Most New York studios find it more lucrative to rent to Broadway shows or modern dance companies. "We have found that most studios forbid the use of rosin on their floors," Judith said. "This is a huge issue for us. Studios will not put down a marley floor nor will they allow us to use rosin. Our dancers work on pointe. Rosin is a must."
Despite all the ups and downs Medhi and Judith are forging ahead with plans for the New York season October 9-12 in the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, which will premiere Lisa De Ribere's new ballet "Manny's Mission" to Klezmer music and William Soleau's "Table Games." The company has pieces in repertory by William Forsythe, Stanton Welch, Peter Martins, and Thaddeus Davis. "Often we cannot afford the fee for a well-known choreographer's piece plus costs to import a person to stage it," Judith said. "But we know we have to have at least one. On the other hand things happen. When we met with Billy Forsythe and told him about our financial circumstances, he graciously waived the fee. We have had similar experiences with Stanton and Peter, which makes it possible for us to structure a varied program of quality work. The Balanchine Trust also charges us a lower fee for Mr. B's work, partially because I was one of their dancers for so long and am now a repetiteur for them."
During Judith's productive career she has gained the knowledge and experience that has steadied her for this amazing and successful trip she and Medhi have undertaken. "Perhaps it was craziness to attempt such an undertaking, starting a company from scratch," Judith admitted. Yet both directors and their company will celebrate the Ballet NY tenth anniversary this year with every intention of moving ahead.