“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald penned these words a century ago as the closing line to his magnum opus, “The Great Gatsby.” The bard of the Lost Generation immortalized the spirit of the times in this semi-autobiographical tribute to his own ill-fated romance with a woman above his social echelon. The tragedy of Jay Gatsby and his undying passion for Daisy Fay continue to capture people’s hearts and imaginations 100 years later.
Like any great romance of poetic beauty, “The Great Gatsby” has inspired many adaptations in different media. For years, the 1974 Robert Redford film was the best-known version of the tale, only to be surpassed in recent consciousness by the 2013 Leonardo DiCaprio take. Last year, the smash hit Broadway musical by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen gave them both a run for its money by providing incredibly catchy tunes for the beloved characters.
Since “The Great Gatsby” is now in the public consciousness, it’s the perfect opportunity for more classical adaptations of the story. For instance, the World Ballet Company is debuting an exciting new ballet take on the story.
‘The Great Gatsby’
In honor of the centenary, World Ballet Company is taking its brand-new “Broadway-style take on the iconic story” on the road to over 140 U.S. cities in 2025 from Feb. 6 to Nov. 24.
The names of these “all-stars” may not ring a bell to the casual reader, but their resumes speak for themselves. Choreographer Ilya Zhivoy, who is noted for his use of classic and neoclassic styles, graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy before becoming a dancer and choreographer for the Mariinsky Ballet Company. Russian composer and pianist Anna Drubich has been acclaimed for her performances across Europe and has won awards for her film and television scores. Georgian costume designer Sonya Vartanyan has designed costumes for ballet companies and festivals around the world, including seven productions at the Mariinsky.
About World Ballet Company
World Ballet Company is the sort of name that is simultaneously grand and incredibly vague. Nevertheless, a deeper exploration of the company’s history reveals that the title is more accurate than you’d think. Although the company’s official address is in Los Angeles, just about everyone involved, both onstage and in the production team, is from a foreign country. The 40 dancers in this production hail from at least 10 different countries, predominantly Eastern European ones like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Slovenia. While these countries may be entangled by tense political and even deadly military conflicts, the beauty and love of ballet continue to draw these artists together.The company was founded by Sasha Gorskaya and Gulya Hartwick, both of whom are producing the current production. It remains “driven by the belief that ballet is for everyone.” To support that belief, the company has reached over half a million audience members in more than 280 cities. Many of these attendees are seeing ballet for the first time. Remarkably, World Ballet Company has no corporate or donor backing, instead leveraging “decades of combined entertainment expertise to create, produce, and tour original productions that appeal to newcomers and seasoned ballet goers alike.”
The company’s description includes the statement, “By presenting in cities with less access to ballet, the company introduces the art form to new audiences while offering established ballet fans an annual occasion to look forward to.” This noble goal may seem unnecessary in cultured cities like Irvine and San Diego, two of the three Southern California cities the tour is playing this week, but even ballet-heavy cities like these don’t get many chances to see European dancers.
Coming Soon!
Having seen advertisements for World Ballet Company’s different productions at Southern California theaters for the last couple of years, I’ve been curious to find out more about who this company is and what they do. Founder Sasha Gorskaya said in a statement, “We created World Ballet Company because we believe there are audiences for ballet in cities across the country. We are thrilled that audiences have responded so enthusiastically to the chance to see ballet in their hometown theaters.” Apparently, their mission is successful, since audience surveys indicate that over 60 percent of audience members experience ballet for the first time at their productions.I’m very excited to see a World Ballet Company performance for the first time this weekend when I go to “The Great Gatsby” at San Diego’s historic Balboa Theater. As co-founder Gulya Hartwick said, “World Ballet Company prides itself on making ballet accessible, and producing Broadway-style storybook ballets. This year, we’re doing that with one of the most important stories of the 20th-century literature classic. From ballet-lovers to the ballet-curious, we welcome audiences ... to experience this incredible production with some of the best dancers on stage today.”
