HOUSTON – Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – or the Trocks, for short -- is an all-male ballet company that’s probably a bit different than anything you’ve seen before. Just like any ballet, these male dancers are athletic and graceful, but they also perform en pointe (on toe shoes), which is usually only done by female dancers.
This week, while in Houston, Ballet Master Raffaele Morra taught a pointe class with his company and several male members of the Houston ballet. He described some of the challenges male dancers face with dancing en pointe. “The most difficult part is that usually ballerinas start training when they are very young. They are learning to dance and learning to be en pointe at the same time. As male dancers, usually we don’t train with pointe shoes. So it’s just a different approach to it.”
That approach is working quite well. The Trocks have been entertaining audiences since 1974 and to date have performed in nearly 700 cities in more than 40 countries around the globe. Their lighthearted, comedic approach bends the rules and also breaks through to reach audiences who might not typically be fans of traditional ballet.
“Our show is a wonderful introduction to ballet for those who don’t really know about ballet, they don’t particularly like ballet, come to see our show because we offer a different version, a different vision of ballet,” says Morra. “It’s a lot of fun, so you’re going to enjoy it, and maybe you’re going to be interested in seeing other ballets after that.”
Catch the Trocks performing in Houston on January 23rd at Jones Hall. To connect with them, click here.
And if you missed the Trocks during their January 23rd performance, you can still catch men en pointe during Houston Ballet’s production of Stanton Welch’s Cinderella from February 22 – March 3. For tickets and information, click here.