A Trock of Our Own
Bobby Carter
SOME OF YOU may remember watching a young African American dynamo dancing with the Robert Ivey Ballet 20 years ago. His technique was nearing perfection for a teenage boy, his stage presence was assured, and his energy was unstoppable. His name was Bobby Carter and he is returning home as one of the headliners for Spoleto with the nontraditional troupe, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.
I recently spoke with Bobby on the phone from his home in Brooklyn, NY where he was taking a breather from an intense touring schedule. I asked him how it feels to be coming home as a success. “It’s amazing,” he said in a much lower voice than I remember. “I’ve been waiting a really long time for this. After being with this company for 15 years it’s been a long time coming.”
We talked about what in his Charleston childhood had been important in preparing him for his life today. “I was very fortunate to work with Robert Ivey who introduced me to the local arts scene and exposed me to all the possibilities in both dance and theatre. Also my mother wanted my sisters and I to take advantage of as much culture as we could. She had never gotten that opportunity herself. She’ so excited about my coming here, she’ll probably have to be tied down.”
The “Trocks”
The Trocks, as they are affectionately known, are an all-male ballet company that dresses and performs as ballerinas. And though they are completely unconventional, they have enjoyed success and respect as a company that satirizes the ballerinas of the historic Ballets Russes. Each dancer takes a stage name that spoofs the Russian dance divas of yesterday. Bobby, for instance, uses the stage name, Olga Supphozova.
Dancing traditional repertory, the Trocks perform both genders and with a lot of personality (‘campy’ is often used to describe their style). You may wonder at first whether to take them seriously or not, but as Bobby has said, “I have a lot of artistic freedom which allows me as an artist to take it and run. We are all individuals of different heights and sizes, and we come together and show our non-conformity which is larger than life.”
Olga Supphozova as The Dying Swan
When I asked Bobby how people should prepare to see their performance, he replied, “We are for people who know a lot about ballet and for those who don’t. A lot of the comedy is open-ended and fun for everybody. And for those who may not know much about ballet, our performances often spike their interest—we consider ourselves ambassadors of the art form.”
The Spoleto program will include the Second Act of Swan Lake, Go For Borrocco (a signature piece and a spin off on Balanchine’s choreography), The Dying Swan, and Paquita (where Bobby is unofficially known as the fouette Queen, spinning off 32 turns). One reviewer said that Bobby has “greater mastery of the female technique than most females I’ve seen.” Interestingly, I can remember seeing Bobby in rehearsal at Robert Ivey’s studio and watching him shadow, not the male partner but the lead ballerina—and doing a better job at it! I see now that it was a true sign of things to come.
Charleston is lucky to have one of our own returning to this renowned festival, and although you may take the company with a grain of salt, you will see some great dancing and be very entertained.
Shows $15–$75
Gaillard Auditorium
Fri 5/28 @ 7:00 PM
Sat 5/29 @ 8:00 PM
Sun 5/30 @ 2:00 PM
Tickets
• Online at www.spoleto.org
• By phone at (843) 579-3100
• In person at the Gaillard Auditorium box office, 77 Calhoun St. (open 10–6)
Nice piece…good to follow Charlestonians who have succeeded in the Arts…hometowners like to follow their success. Should be a lot more out there.