‘Momentum’ Builds for Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company

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Photo via milwaukeeballet.org

Milwaukee Ballet Second Company dancers

Milwaukee Ballet Second Company dancers

“It’s a passion for me to go around the country finding dancers that Milwaukee Ballet will enjoy working with,” says Milwaukee Ballet Two (MBII) Artistic Director Mirielle Favarel, “and offering them the chance to come study here for a year or two. I want to see what I can do for those kids that make me go ‘wow!’ And to see how far they can go. We’ve been successful, because more than 60% of Milwaukee Ballet’s dancers this season came through MBII.”

Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company this season includes 23 “kids” from around the world. In addition to many community engagement performances and workshops, these skilled young dancers complete the casts of the company’s mainstage season in smaller but crucial roles.

And every year, they do their own big show. It’s called Momentum since it’s meant to speed their journey to professional careers. It puts them in the foreground. And for Milwaukee Ballet audiences, it’s always a delightful introduction to dancers we’ll come to know and love in seasons ahead.

Momentum 2024 will open with the nearly 30 minute “Grand Pas Classique,” a famed and highly popular excerpt from the 19th century ballet Paquita, performed in the original choreography of the groundbreaking Russian choreographer Marius Petipa and staged by Favarel.

At World’s End

That will be followed by a revival of At World’s End, a fascinating one-act piece that Timothy O'Donnell, a former Milwaukee Ballet Resident Choreographer, created for Momentum 2014. That’s followed by the world premiere of Reverie, a pas de deux by MBII’s new Rehearsal Director Davit Hovhannisyan. The closing piece is Synergy, another world premiere made specifically for these dancers, choreographed by Morgan Williams, Director of the nationally acclaimed Water Street Dance Milwaukee. 

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Photo courtesy Milwaukee Ballet

Corabelle Kennedy

Corabelle Kennedy

As Favarel says, “It goes from pure classical to contemporary to neoclassical, and then to completely original—I don’t even know how to name Morgan’s style!”

I had the pleasure of speaking with two of the dancers. Corabelle Kennedy was born and raised in Nebraska and trained on scholarship with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre before joining MBII this season. Emery Meroni was born and raised in Switzerland and trained at the HARID Conservatory in Florida. This is his second year with MBII. As Favarel explains, “A second year is special. It’s for those that I think are constantly growing. I don’t give that chance to everybody.” 

Both are 20 years old. Meroni has the male lead in Paquita, and featured roles in At World’s End and Synergy. Kennedy has important solos in Paquita and Synergy. I asked them what they loved about their roles, and what they found most challenging.

Fantastic Music

“Ludwig Minkus’ music in Paquita is fantastic,” Meroni answers. “There’s a little Spanish twist, so it’s fiery but also elegant and restrained. It rides that line. It’s fun to try to go for it without going too far. The biggest challenge with classical ballet is that you have to be so precise and so consistent, but you can’t let that show on your face. You’re playing a character.”

“The fun part,” Kennedy answers, “is that I’m one of the bridesmaids in the Paquita wedding scene. I have room in my solo to showcase my dancing and personality. The most challenging part is the rest of it, making sure that you’re exactly the same as everyone else in the corps de ballet. If you step out of line just a little, it draws the audience’s eye to that mistake, instead of keeping it on the beautiful principles.”

“Synergy is tough on the lungs,” Meroni continues. “It’s very intense, very high energy. But it’s fun in the way that a marathon is fun. It’s been really interesting to have to open my mind so much.”

“Morgan explores a lot in this piece,” Kennedy agrees.” I have not had much experience in contemporary choreography before coming here, and it’s quite fun. He loves to take risks. I’ve grown in that sense. You really have to trust your partner. Classical partnering is very strict in its rules Here there are no rules. I’m upside down a lot.”

“At World’s End is set in a dystopian future,” Meroni explains. “It’s more of a theme than a story. Here’s what I draw on. Coming into a professional ballet world is very difficult. There’s a lot of anxiety. You never know what’s going to happen. Especially kids our age, we’re just starting out. There’s lots of dancers out there and not many jobs. I try to bring that into my dancing.”

The Milwaukee performances of Momentum at the Baumgartner Center for Dance are January 20 and March 2, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on both dates. On January 27, there will also be a 7:30 p.m. performance at the Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center. And on April 28, a 2 p.m. performance at the Manitowoc Franciscan Music Center.