Gender-skewering comic ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo will bring its unique blend of low comedy and high art to Milton Keynes Theatre on 2 and 3 June.
The troupe of professional male dancers, affectionately known as “the Trocks”, is celebrating fifty years of delighting audiences of all ages with sassy spoofs of, and hysterical homages to, romantic and classical ballet. This season’s special anniversary production promises to showcase the Trocks’ fabulous sense of fun and flawless dancing through a sensational repertoire of hilarious and breathtaking pieces.
Every dance norm will be challenged with technical panache as each talented dancer transforms into two personas – a female ballerina and a male danseur. Tutus, testosterone and tongue-in-cheek playfulness? Theatregoers should expect to be enthralled and entertained.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was founded by a group of ballet enthusiasts in 1974, in the wake of the Stonewall Riots. The company started life as a late-night act on the makeshift New York stage of an early LGBTQ+ organisation. This means that the Trocks do not come from Monte Carlo (shock!); they chose the name to evoke the glamour of classical ballet’s heyday and pay satirical tribute to the Russian ballet émigrés who settled in Monte Carlo. It also means that the Trocks have always been trailblazers – inclusivity, gender fluidity and body positivity are a given for them. What’s more, their powerful parodies come from a place of deep knowledge and respect for the art form they love.
Nowadays, the Trocks recruit their dedicated-but-also-daft divas from all over the globe and their enduring passion for ballet remains at the heart of everything they do. Renowned for their immaculate technique, daring physicality and en-pointe comic timing, they present sell-out performances wherever they tour. The Trocks’ appeal is widespread, with die-hard ballet fans and newcomers alike appreciating the artistry, athleticism and amusement in their performances.
The Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo company dancers (and their ballerina and danseur alter egos) are:
- Robert Carter (Olga Supphozova and Yuri Smirnov)
- Takaomi Yoshino (Varvara Laptopova and Boris Dumbkopf)
- Felix Molinero del Paso (Holly Dey-Abroad and Bruno Backpfeifengesicht)
- Jake Speakman (Colette Adae and Timur Legupski)
- Salvador Sasot Sellart (Grunya Protazova and Marat Legupski)
- Sergio Najera (Bertha Vinayshinsky and Boris Mudko)
- Raydel Caceres (Blagovesta Zlotmachinskaya and Mikhail Mudkin)
- Matias Dominguez Escrig (Gerd Törd and Pavel Törd)
- Andrea Fabbri (Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya and Araf Legupski)
- Vincent Brewer (Moussia Shebarkarova and Vyacheslau Legupski)
- Liam Vincent Hutt (Minnie Van Driver and William Vanilla)
- Peter Gwiazda (Maya Thickenthaya and Roland Deaulin)
- Antonio Lopez (Marina Plezegetovstageskaya and Jacques d’Aniels)
- AJ David (Vera Vidludik and Nicholas Khachafallenjar)
- Harrison Broadbent (Heidi Kleine and Polykarp Legupski)
In Milton Keynes, the company will present a mixed bill comprising: Swan Lake, Go For Barocco, The Dying Swan, Walpurgisnacht and a surprise Pas de Deux.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is touring nationwide thanks to support from Dance Consortium, which invites must-see international contemporary dance companies to visit venues across the UK. The regional theatres that are part of the consortium unite for the benefit of dance-loving and dance-learning audiences. Previous Dance Consortium tours include enthralling Canadian collective The 7 Fingers and celebrated South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo.
Opening night at each tour venue includes a post-show Q&A (free for ticket holders).
Running time: Approximately 2 hours, including two intervals.
*The Trocks, 50th birthday celebrations, photography by Zoran Jelenic.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 June. The UK tour continues until 24 June.
A version of this preview is also featured on Total MK.
Georgina Butler is an editor, a dance writer and a ballet teacher.
