10.30
New York City Ballet Ballerina Maria Calegari returned today to put CHACONNE on the stage. With Maria came former Ballet West dancer, New York City Ballet star and husband Bart Cook! I saw them both dance hundreds of times with New York City Ballet and never imagined I would some day work in the studio and theatre with them. They were very generous with us at Ballet West and gave us many wonderful pointers. We are lucky to have them here to put the finishing touches on Mr. Balanchine’s masterpiece before you see it on the gala.
They also graciously fulfilled my request to bring pictures!
Maria Calegari in Balanchine’s ‘Mozartiana’
Maria Calegari in Balanchine’s ‘Vienna Waltzes’
Tracy Bennett, Bart Cook, Bruce Caldwell in Trepak from Ballet West’s ‘The Nutcracker’
Bart Cook in Balanchine’s ‘Agon’
-Mark
Wow! They were seated at our table? They were so much fun to talk to. And such ballet legends, too!
Maria was my favorite NYCB dancer for many years. I always called her “my Italian redhead”. I remember particulary when she cut her hair to non-ballerina length, which probably made Peter angry. I have not tried to find her for a long time, and I am happy to know that she is still active in dance amd happily maried to Bart.
I knew maria when she was a child.I worked for her dad Richard Calegari in 1964 as an assistant in the Bayside Studio a photo studio he owned on Bell Blvd in Bayside. She certainly has come a long way and all my best wishes to her
I just saw a Youtube video of their talk on Balanchine’s collaboration with Stravinsky. Good interview!