By Tam Warner | Jul 24, 2024
Ballet Project OC is the brainchild of Ally Helman the Artistic Director of this new Orange County based ballet company. Founded in 2019 by Ally Helman, Emily Helman Berry, and Jon Helman, the company has flourished and now attracts top notch dancers and noted choreographers as it builds its way to the world stage.
Before then however, you can catch their performance at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks on July 26th, where they will present “Eras of Dance III.” This promises to be an enchanting program featuring choreographers Mate Szentes, Christina Ghiardi, Anthony Cannarella, Isabella Velasquez, and Ally Helman. Tickets are on sale now HERE.
I recently had the opportunity to communicate through email and Zoom with the lovely and articulate Ally Helman and was able to get her thoughts about her company, the upcoming show and her plans for the future.
Given the difficulty of starting and maintaining a ballet company what made you believe that you could do this, especially given your young age?
The process of starting and maintaining a ballet company for anyone is surely a challenge given the landscape of the arts. However, I believe that building a ballet company is a process rather than an event and given my age, 24, time is on my side. Growth and sustainability occur over time through our team’s daily efforts and community support.
What is your ultimate mission for this company? Are you looking to have a signature style? What do you think will make your company stand apart from other nascent dance companies/groups?
My ultimate mission for this company is to create an established full-time professional ballet company in Orange County to preserve and serve our community through dance, specifically ballet. I aim to establish a standard of excellence, comparable to what I was able to be a part of in New York City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, because Orange County is full of talented students who deserve to have access to professional level performances and artists. Without this local professional example, we are underserving our youth and communicating that to have a career in ballet, dancers must go elsewhere.
As far as style goes, I feel a responsibility to carry forward my knowledge I obtained from the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet. I have been honored to be taught by George Balanchine’s predecessors (including Kay Mazzo, Peter Martins, Darci Kistler, Susan Pilare and Suki Schorer) and I aim to pass on the legacy and knowledge in which I was able to be an extension of.
Ballet Project OC already stands out from other nascent groups as a five-year-old, female led organization. Through our talent, choreography, and our commitment to care for our audiences and dancers, Ballet Project OC has been a disruptor in the ballet world. Over 50 new works have been commissioned under Ballet Project OC, some by very promising and up and coming choreographers such as Mate Szentes and Chritina Ghiardi. In addition to this, we have contracted over 55 dancers in our 5-year history, half of which perform with us on a consistent basis. We stand apart because of our devotion to this artform and our commitment to our community.
How did you come up with the overarching theme of “Eras of Dance III” for this performance? I understand that there are four distinct sections in this work, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary all created in a balletic style which sounds intriguing.
I came up with the theme “Eras of Dance” about a year ago with a desire to educate our audiences about the rich history and evolution of dance. Given the extensive history of dance, I had to focus on specific time periods to concisely and effectively convey what dance has been, what it is, and what it can become.
Clearly you are already attracting professional dancers and up and coming choreographers to work with you on this project. How were you able to bring them in? Is there a choreographer you would love to work with?
Yes, we are truly fortunate to have exceptionally talented dancers and choreographers who love working with us. A respectable number of our dancers have been colleagues or former classmates of my own. While most of them still dance with us as their careers bloom in companies nationwide, we are constantly expanding our roster list through referrals and the audition process. I can bring in such notable talent because of our dynamic relationships in the professional world as well as the support and resources from our community and donors.
While we are always looking for up and coming choreographers there are a handful of choreographers whom I admire and would love to work with one day. Since my days as a student at the School of American Ballet I admired works from the greats (Balanchine, Robbins, and so on). However, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and his work has always grabbed my attention and I would love to explore his work further one day, specifically his works “After the Rain” and “This Bitter Earth.”
I know you still have hopes of dancing professionally with another company, perhaps PNB. Considering that, how would you maintain your company, or would you put it on hold?
Great question. While I have not given up on my training and discipline to train as a professional dancer, the chances of returning to a professional company are slim for a few reasons. First, being a 5’10” female dancer can be extremely challenging, and it is common for me to hear that “I am just too tall” for most American companies. In fact, it was Peter Boal at PNB that encouraged me to own my height because “it’s not something that I can change.” Secondly, the environment and politics involved in major companies does not particularly motivate me to return to professional life. This could be partial to my experience in big company, but nonetheless I am happy to continue my training independently as I continue to perform locally in SoCal as a guest artist for companies like American Contemporary Ballet. If the opportunity to return to a professional company presents itself, not much would change for Ballet Project OC now because we are project based.
How much time and effort do you put into fundraising?
Fundraising efforts are one of the most important aspects of running a company. To put on the quality performances we do, fundraising consistently is necessary. My team and I dedicate much of our time and energy building relationships within our local community to come alongside us as we aim to enrich and enhance Orange County’s cultural landscape. What we’re selling is not just shows but a new legacy for dance in Orange County.
Well, it has been a pleasure speaking with you and learning about your wonderful new company. I wish you every success with your coming show in Thousand Oaks this Friday the 26th. I understand the company appeared there two years ago and received a very enthusiastic response from the audience and I am sure they will feel the same about this new show. With you and your team at the helm I believe your dream can become a reality. I will certainly be watching.
To purchase tickets for Ballet Project BC at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center, please click HERE.
To learn more about Ballet Project OC, please visit their website.
Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Ballet Project OC – Ally Helman performing in “Sunshine Journal” by choreographer Christina Ghiard – Photo by Jack Hartin.
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