Real men wear pink tights

A TROUPE of ballerinas have their tutus and pointe shoes packed, ready for their latest tour down under.

But this isn’t just any dance company. Les Ballets Eloelle is one of the few all male comedy ballet companies in the world.

After a hugely popular Australian tour in 2012, the comedy ballet Men in Pink Tights returns to our shores.

“The cast doesn’t change completely but new people come in, and every time that happens the show evolves,” artistic director Victor Trevino says from his home in Palm Beach, Florida.

“I’m very excited. We have dancers from all over the globe: Spain, South America, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, and the US. We have a gentleman who used to dance in the American Ballet Theatre and I’m very excited about having him join us.”

Men In Pink Tights combines technical precision with tongue-in-cheek humour, with 20 male dancers performing both male and female roles in classic and contemporary ballets.

“This show is more than just comedy. You’ll get a nice dose of dancing also,” Trevino says.

Comedy is Trevino’s vehicle for making ballet more accessible to modern audiences.

“What we do is break down that barrier and show them, hopefully, that it is an easy art form to understand and appreciate. We want to expand the people who come to dance, and hopefully that will generate interest for them to see other great companies like the Australian Ballet.”

Trevino was an original member of Ballet Florida under Marie Hale, but found his light frame suited the traditional female roles. He danced with off-Broadway group Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for 10 years before forming his own companies Les Ballets Grandiva and Les Ballets Eloelle.

His extensive career include most of the great female leads such as Odette, Odile, Giselle, Kitri, Aurora, Sugar Plum Fairy, Juliet and Carmen, but these days he’s transitioning into a more behind-the-scenes role as a director.

“I am definitely the oldest male ballerina on the planet at this point. I can’t imagine six years from now I’ll still be in pointe shoes, so come catch me. This may be your last shot.”

Les Ballets Eloelle’s Men In Pink Tights tour comes the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba on November 5.