Artistic Director Roy Kaiser makes his move
Moving from the history-rich and rain-soaked city of Philadelphia to the upstart desert metropolis of Las Vegas might seem like a shock, but not for Roy Kaiser. “In the arts, once you’re in a theater, it doesn’t matter what city you’re in — you’re in a theater, and you’re focused on what’s happening on that stage,” says the new artistic director of Nevada Ballet Theatre.
Previously, Kaiser was the artistic director of the Pennsylvania Ballet for nearly two decades. His own dance career began at age 7, tap dancing with his brothers on national tours and television shows (no, he never played Vegas), but he didn’t pursue ballet until he was 17. “Luckily, I was male. And I was coordinated,” he says. He joined Pennsylvania Ballet in 1979, eventually becoming company ballet master and finally artistic director.
At Penn Ballet, Kaiser often explored the works of George Balanchine, as well as longer, story ballets such as Giselle and Peter Pan. While he’s “making lists,” he still hasn’t settled on programming for the 2018-19 season. “There’s a lot of talent in this company … and they will drive my decision. That’s a huge part of my programming process.”
His first mission is to learn more about his dancers. “I’ve taught company class a few times. That shows you one side of the dancer, how they work, how they approach a piece,” he says. “In rehearsal, you see a different side of them and how they process that part of the job. On stage is ultimately what it’s all about: I want to see dancers that you relate to, somebody that can engage no matter what role.”
However, Kaiser has already found some familiar faces at NBT. “The dance world is so small,” he says. “Lou Christiansen, whose Beauty and the Beast is here, was an early supporter and encouraging voice in my early ballet training. In our Classic Americana program, Sandra Jennings, who staged Serenade, worked as a ballet mistress at Pennsylvania Ballet with me for many years.” There are some familiar works as well. “Both Serenade and Western Symphony, I have known and danced for many years. So I know those works intimately — I’m anxious to see how they fit with this company.”
One of the highlights of Kaiser’s tenure at Pennsylvania Ballet was the company’s involvement in the movie Black Swan, which used over a dozen of Penn Ballet’s dancers. And he looks forward to the possibilities Las Vegas offers for collaboration and audience expansion, such as NBT’s annual co-production with Cirque du Soleil, A Choreographers’ Showcase. “I believe that there are collaboration possibilities that I’m not even aware of yet. … It’s a very interesting creative energy, it takes you out of your comfort zone and what you’re used to doing. There’s nothing else like it in the dance world or the ballet world.”
Classic Americana (with Balanchine’s Western Symphony and Serenade, and Paul Taylor’s Company B) 7:30p Nov. 11 and 2p Nov. 12 at The Smith Center. $29-$139, thesmithcenter.com