Teen goes from soccer pitch to ballet studio
Mateo Picone’s parents wanted him to be active, so they enrolled him in gymnastics when he was three years old. Today, the 15-yearold can’t remember a time when he wasn’t breaking a sweat, be it on the tumbling mat, the soccer pitch or, now, in the ballet studio.
The Pierrefonds teen is poised to debut as the Nutcracker prince in the Ballet Ouest production of the holiday gem. The company gives three performances over two days at Centre Pierre Péladeau, beginning Dec. 5 then takes the production on the road, visiting Victoriaville, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Trois-Rivières.
Ballet Ouest artistic director and choreographer Claude Caron made an important change to the ballet this year. In the past, the Nutcracker doll was danced by a young boy and the Nutcracker prince by an older dancer. For the first time, Caron is giving the responsibility of dancing both the Nutcracker doll and prince to one dancer — Picone.
“It always bothered me that Clara was so young and she was dancing with a much older prince,” Caron said. “Mateo is much closer to her age. It’s a better fit.”
Caron mounted an entirely new Nutcracker four years ago with a cast of 125 dancers, parents and children. He came to the project with considerable knowledge, having danced the ballet at least 600 times with four different ballet companies.
The ballet tells the story of young Clara who receives a nutcracker doll for Christmas. The magical doll transforms into a brave and handsome prince who takes Clara to a magical world full of beautiful dance.
During a recent Sunday rehearsal, Picone had his work cut out for him. Over the course of the Nutcracker run and tour he will be dancing with six different Claras. All six attended the rehearsal where he worked on adapting his partnering to each dancer. It was the first time many of them had ever been lifted by a boy. A whole lot of giggling and blushing ensued. Even Picone admitted to having his shy moments.
It was mom and dad who decided Picone should take ballet five years ago after his gymnastics coach moved away.
“I wanted to stick with soccer,” Picone said. “But after the first time I danced onstage (as Clara’s brother Fritz in the Nutcracker), I was hooked. I instantly loved performing, the lights, the applause.”
Caron was impressed with Picone’s stage presence.
“He is a natural performer,” Caron said. “He shines onstage. Every year he takes on a new role like it’s a challenge. At his age, to have that focus is quite remarkable. He’s like a sponge. You demonstrate and he just does it.”
Picone takes a company class
with Ballet Ouest when his schedule permits, which gives him a chance to be around other male dancers and to observe how the professional dance world functions.
He is also enrolled in Ballet Ouest’s Danse Études program. Because he is home schooled, his schedule is flexible enough to be able to tour with the company.
Partnering and impressive lifts are part of the deal when you are a male classical dancer. Picone is growing fast and Caron is helping him develop his upper body and leg strength, but he is still a little young to be doing some of the larger lifts executed by adult princes, so Caron has made the necessary adjustments.
That said, the potential for great partnering is evident. Picone and partner Karloyn Chen recently won top honours at the American Dance Awards, dancing the Bluebird pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty.
The biggest challenge for Picone in this year’s Nutcracker isn’t about executing a lift. It’s about nailing the 45-second, backstage costume change he is required to make to transform from doll to prince.
Picone continues to play soccer during the summer, but he has chosen ballet as his career path. And he’s grown to appreciate the benefits.
“You get to hang around girls all the time and partner them,” he said.