Ballet Boy 25

[dude]

You've seen many talented young ballet performers - many on the track to featured performer status. Seldom, however, do you hear them comment on what goes through their minds and why they do what they do.

[Cole Parker]

THAT WAS WONDERFUL

C

[Chris James]

​The dancers in ballet, the really good ones, express themselves much like this young man. It takes incredible stamina and determination to get where he is and make the dance look effortless when it is often grueling and painful. He has the right attitude, I wish him luck...and since this video is years old I would be curious to see if he made a career in dance.

​

[colinian]

Jamie Kopit and Patrick Frenette, corps members with American Ballet Theatre, performing the Grand Pas De Deux from Satanella. Filmed at New York City Center; Published on Aug 1, 2015.

(Patrick Frenette is Ballet Boy 25 in the video at the beginning of this topic.)

Colin

[ChrisR]

Wonderful performance. I'd never known the source of that particular piece of music, but now I do:

Le ballet du chapeau à trois cornes !

[Chris James]

Thank you, Colin...how wonderful to know that Patrick has continued his career in dance...and the ABT, can't get much better than that.

[dude]

More on Patrick!

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/patrick-224055-ballet-boys.html

[Cole Parker]

That's great! Wonderful article. I had no idea Patrick lived in Tustin or trained in Irving. Both are just down the road from me.

It does piss you off, reading about the bullying, reading about the principals who say, "Yes, he had a hard time with the bullies. They didn't understand why a boy would want to dance." Yeah, just like I don't understand why they didn't stop it!

And getting him professional help to deal with the frustration of being picked on by bullies! Come on! Wouldn't that make him feel it was his fault and he had to change? Seems counterproductive to me.

C