Dancers bring freshness to season: Variety of summer experience fuels company for this weekend's program.

While the dancers at Ballet Internationale prepare this week for

Friday night's season-opening performances of Phaedra and Napoli at

the Murat Theatre, it's an opportune time to catch up on what some of

the company's members did during the off-season.

Principal dancer Harald Uwe Kern was one of the busiest.

Not only did he join another company principal, Karen Scalzitti,

as guest artists at the Matrix Festival in Midland, Texas, he and

principal Sara Viale participated in a Gala in New Orleans for the

Jefferson Ballet Theatre.

He also danced the male lead in Giselle in Jacksonville, Fla.

Closer to Indianapolis, Kern staged several ballets in South

Bend for an Anniversary Gala for the South Old Dance Theatre, and

spent a week there teaching an intensive workshop.

Known in Detroit since he worked with young students preparing

them for Ballet Internationale's Nutcracker production, Kern also

taught for two weeks at Marygrove College there. In addition, he led

seminars for teachers. The company practically stole the show in

Michigan Opera Theatre's production of Samson and Delilah, according

to Detroit Free Press critic Mark Stryker. With choreography by

artistic director Eldar Aliev, the dancers were clad in "skimpy gold

lame bikinis" and executed "sharp and sexy movements." His

conclusion: "The dancers sizzle."

Viale described the Act 3 orgy scene as "fantastic." "The director

wanted hot," she said, "and it was hot. At first it was a little

embarrassing. Every movement was spelled out and very obvious; you

could tell what we were supposed to be doing. In rehearsals the

dancers said, `Wow, he's really serious.' But then we played a part

and had fun. The audience roared before the first dance ended."

Dancing in another Detroit opera production, Eugene Onegin, proved

equally rewarding for different reasons. The costumes were heavy, but

Viale compared the general atmosphere to that in Europe. "We were

surrounded by artists - singers, musicians, coaches - just like in

Zurich. It was great."

The company's dancers were not the only ones making guest

appearances. Assistant artistic director Irina Kolpakova and her

husband, Vladilen Semenov, company teacher and principal of the

Academy, appeared as the Czar and Czarina in a May production of The

Snow Maiden by the American Ballet Theatre in New York. Former stars

of the Kirov Ballet in Russia, the pair received a warm welcome for

their cameo roles, according to the New York Times.

Many newcomers

The company, which now has dancers from 11 countries, is breaking

in 15 new dancers this season.

Turnover in dance companies is not rare. Three of this company's

dancers joined the Cincinnati Ballet and another joined the

Cleveland/San Jose Ballet.

Dancer Yanni Varda now runs the Lockerbie Coffee House, and

principal dancer Tatiana Pali, who will retire after April, and her

husband own the Russia House restaurant.

Performances of Ballet Internationale's Phaedra and Napoli are at

8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $14 to

$30. For tickets and information, call [phone] or (317)

239-1000.

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