Mikko Nissinen and the new Boston Ballet

Dance Magazine, Jan, 2003 by Iris Fanger

Watching Nissinen teach company class, the visitor is struck by the observation that the 40-year-old director looks barely older than some of the dancers. He warms up as he practices the combinations he will give them, taking off from the floor to demonstrate the ecstatic leaps that end the class.

Sprinkled among the familiar faces that include principal dancers April Ball, Simon Ball, Jennifer Gelfand, Larissa Ponomarenko, Viktor Plotnikov, Pollyana Ribeiro, Adriana Suarez, Paul Thrussell, and Yuri Yanowsky are newcomers who came with Nissinen from Alberta or whom he has hired from other companies. Hungarian-born Szabolcs Varga, brought from Alberta, is a standout in the men's big jumps. Soloist Alexander Ritter comes to Boston from New York City Ballet. Unfortunately, the one new pick for principal dancer, Roman Rykine, formerly with San Francisco Ballet, was sidelined by an injury before the company reported back for work. Also among the returning dancers were Sarah Lamb, who was awarded a silver medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, in June 2002, and principal Gael Lambiotte, who delivered a scorching performance as Prince Albrecht in last season's production of Giselle.

"I didn't make many changes. I think I didn't renew contracts for four people; but somebody retired, some left for other companies. That created a little more room for me to bring more dancers. The importance of the dancers I brought in is to give a little different element to the whole pool. It's like cooking a soup. You add one new ingredient and it changes the chemistry," Nissinen says.

According to Wilder, "the aspirations to do wonderful things are present throughout the organization. Mikko and I know what it takes, but can we do it overnight? No, but if you don't dream you're not going to get there at all."

Nissinen adds, "My intention for the company is to stay long-term. Now we have the team in place. The big plan is to get the company up in flight, to get the community excited."

Eager to please but just as eager to put his own mark on the company, Nissinen invites the visitor to "come whenever you want. We have no secrets here."

Longtime DANCE MAGAZINE contributor Iris Fanger writes about theater and dance for many publications, including the Boston Phoenix and the Christian Science Monitor.