Israel Ballet brings ‘Don Quixote' to US

By Richard Duckett TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The cause and journey can sometimes be difficult, but it is always noble.

It is, anyway, if you're talking about the character and odyssey of Miguel de Cervantes' spirited creation, “Don Quixote de la Mancha.”

Normal life might not unfold so simply, difficulties not withstanding. But you also get an inkling of a similar sort of esprit de corps in talking to Berta Yampolsky, co-founder and artistic director of the Israel Ballet.

Since its formation in 1967, the Israel Ballet is the only company in Israel performing the great classical and neo-classical ballets of the international repertoire. However, bringing these great artistic aspirations to life can be an arduous process. Traveling to the U.S. is tiring, for example, which is one reason the current U.S. tour — its fourth — is its first in 25 years. Still, here they are.

“We like very much the United States. Every performance is important,” Yampolsky said during a telephone interview from Panama City, Fla., not long before the company was about to get on the road again and head for another stop on its tour. “We don't want to disappoint you. We try our best,” she said.

By Saturday, the Israel Ballet will be at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts for an 8 p.m. performance of the ballet version of “Don Quixote” (featuring music by Ludwig Minkus and choreography by Marius Petipa). The show is being presented by Music Worcester Inc.

As in the novel and musical, the ballet has the knight-errant in search of his Dulcinea, the lady of his dreams. It is considered one of the most joyous and festive of the classical ballets, with lots of spectacular virtuoso dancing.

“People want to get away from their problems,” Yampolsky said of the enduring popularity of “Don Quixote” and why her ballet company is performing it (fully staged) on this tour. “It's a nice production. The dancers like to dance it. The public enjoys it very much.”

Yampolsky has a kindly sounding voice, distinctly Israeli, and yet there is also a sense of a map of the world to her accent and diction as well. One suspects there's little she hasn't seen — although the first trip Stateside in 25 years has yielded a couple of new surprises.

“I must say it's harder than before with the immigration, the security,” she said. “I understand it should be like this. But it's very difficult — taking off your shoes, the searching.”

Tours here and elsewhere are “not easy if you have a company of 45 people, which means performances almost every day. It's a big effort.”

But Yampolsky also has something of a mantra — “every tour is important,” she stresses, “every place is important, every performance is important.”

When it comes down to it, however, we all know there's no place like home (which is another good reason to catch the Israel Ballet while you can).

Yampolsky was born in France in 1934, but emigrated to Haifa at the age of 3 with her Russian-born parents and older sister. She studied dance in Haifa, and met Hillel Markman, a dancer and engineering student, at a dance studio. Hillel's father hoped he would become an engineer. Instead, Berta and Hillel married and traveled to London to further their ballet studies. They performed with some of Europe's most prestigious dance companies before returning to Israel with a dream of forming a ballet company there.

On Jan. 25, 1967, Yampolsky, Markman and four younger dancers performed excerpts from famous classical ballets at a performance in Holon. The Israel Ballet was born. Émigrés from Russia helped make up the company in its early years, and George Balanchine was a big booster, giving the company permission to perform his works free. Today the company is comprised of native dancers from Israel as well as Russia, Europe and the United States. In 2004, after 33 years of existence, the Israel Ballet opened its own home, located in the center of Tel Aviv. The facility includes The Classical Ballet Center — the official school of The Israel Ballet. In order to foster future audiences, the company presents special performances throughout the country for students, young people and soldiers on duty. Markman remains active as the company's general director.

Throughout the company's history, state support has been vital, Yampolsky acknowledged. Being feisty has also helped.

“We are supported but not enough. You have to be stubborn. You have to love what you do,” Yampolsky said. “We are (Israel's) only ballet company. We have so many modern dance companies. It's not right to say ‘it's easier to dance modern,' but in a way, ‘yes (it is).' ”

Another challenge is that “every dance company in the world comes to Israel. There is an explosion of art in Israel. It's not easy, you know, to be between all of them. It's good, but it's difficult.”

But the fact that the Israel Ballet now has its own home can make up for a lot of windmills, and tilts.

“Home — this is something that really makes us continue,” Yampolsky said. “We have a beautiful place. This is what made our lives happier. And the public loves us. That is important.”