DANCE/MUSIC: HEART OF STORM

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HEART OF STORM

This was a truly fabulous event, all the way around.  Heart of Storm is a “rock ballet” that I hope the rest of you will be able to see soon because it was being filmed for television over two recent nights at the famous Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA, and my associate, Alice, and I were happy to be included in the opening night.

Sophia Zalesskaya, Arkady Kashkin, and Baina Basanova. Photo by Chelsea Lauren, as is the one at the top.

Sophia Zalesskaya,
Arkady Kashkin, and
Baina Basanova. Photo by Chelsea Lauren, as is the one at the top.

The storyline is pure classic ballet–a boy loves a girl, but gets lured away by a temptress.  You don’t have to know much than that to understand what’s going on.  I love watching the incredible dancing, no matter what the action is.  Even though the troupe is comprised of all Russian ballet dancers, the beautiful choreography, by Stas Tsoy, is of the contemporary ilk.  It can also be classified as “modern ballet,” but it’s all done barefoot, (or with a bit of tape on the balls of their feet,) or in the case of the Siren, with boots on, as opposed to wearing ballet or toe shoes. It’s all very youthful and fresh.

The Heart of Storm company. Photo by Chelsea Lauren.

The Heart of Storm company. Photo by Chelsea Lauren.

I could watch any and all of these young dancers perform anything, even just exercises in class! Each one was wonderful in his or her own right. Mr. X was flabbergasted just seeing the still photos of the show! (I encourage you to go to their site, whose link is at the bottom, and see them all.) Flora
, the sweet young girl, is danced by Sophia Zalesskaya, Baina Basanova is Diana, the sexy Siren, and Arkady Kashkin portrays the titular Storm, the guy in the middle. Rounding-out the uber-athletic cast are, in no particular order: Alyona Nazarova, Maria Pismenskaya, Renata Zakirzyanova, Stepan Gnezdilov, Sergey Ponomarev, Marat Kandaulov, and Andrey Kuzinov.

The musicians. Photo by Chelsea Lauren.

The musicians. Photo by Chelsea Lauren.

The stunning dancing is made even more special by the unique live music. On a platform high above the stage, (but still featured) is an all-star rock band.  The musicians and their main credits are: Musical Director (and keyboardist) Derek Sherinian from Dream Theater; Ringo Starr and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Gregg Bissonette (who’s on stage the entire time); lead guitarist Doug Aldrich, from Whitesnake, Dio, and Revolution Saints; bass guitarist Tony Franklin, of The Firm, Jimmy Page, and Paul Rodgers;  rhythm guitarist Brent Woods, who plays with Warrant and Sebastian Bach; and Brandon Fields, who plays a mean flute and alto saxophone with Tower Of Power, George Benson, my two favorite acts among this group!

Some of the pre-show merchandise. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Some of the pre-show merchandise. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Adding to the fun of the evening was the merchandise in the lobby, provided by Jay Nolan Community Services, an organization that assists children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.  A worthwhile endeavor.  The guests could buy tee-shirts that were autographed by the cast, or choose complimentary CDs, stress balls, refrigerator magnets, and, perhaps most importantly, ear plugs!!!  That’s always a great idea at a rock concert!  (I once needed them in a club in Aspen, where they, of course, didn’t have any, so I stuffed little balls of tissue in my ears.  At the end of the night, my friend Alex and I struggled to get them out, with no luck, so I wound-up having to go to the hospital the next day to get them removed!)  But I swear, this music from the Heart of Storm band was so spot-on that I didn’t even need them, until the late-stage drum solo!  And we were sitting in the front row!

The party buffet.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

The party buffet. Photo by Karen Salkin.

When the wonderful show was over, we moved into the private room off the lobby for the happening after-party, which was catered by Well Done.  As we entered the room, Alice and I were thrilled to see a beautiful buffet of afternoon tea-type finger sandwiches.  They were all delicious, but my favorite was the simple turkey on marble bread, while Alice’s was curried chicken on thick, round rolls.  There were also more creative ones, like pear and roquefort, and hummus and tomato.  Augmented with lots of fresh fruit, including party-ready champagne grapes, the sandwiches were really all any of us revelers needed, but there were also passed trays of mini cheeseburgers, bite-sized potato knishes, sweet potato puffs, and my favorite–small meatballs with red yogurt-dill dipping sauce. Yu-um! And they were all brought around by the most pleasant servers ever.  OMG, they were good!  (I’m talking about the tidbits, not the severs, but the sentiment fits them, as well!)

Sophia Zalesskaya and Arkady Kashkin. Photo by Chelsea Lauren.

Sophia Zalesskaya and
Arkady Kashkin. Photo by Chelsea Lauren.

One of the highlights of the party for us was chatting with guitarist Doug Aldrich.  As much as he looked the part of “rockstar,” (with long flowing blonde locks and tight abs,) he was really a pleasant, polite guy, which we were happy to see.

But, no matter how fun the party was, the real highlight was watching, and listening to, so many supremely talented performers! I hope that Heart of Storm airs on TV soon, so I can see them do it all again!

For more info on the Heart of Storm rock ballet, click here:  www.redrockballet.com

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