Ballet production equipment arrives at SPAC; season begins July 5
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Jim Farnan, a computer technology teacher, was looking for a fun summer job.
“A friend said, ‘If you want to make a couple of bucks, bring a crescent wrench and show up to SPAC,” Farnan said.
That was 22 years ago and he’s been there ever since.
On Wednesday, he and fellow theater and stage union employees unloaded tractor trailers full of equipment for the New York City Ballet season, which begins Wednesday, July 5 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
The company’s two-week residency requires more than 1,000 toe shoes, three miles of lighting cable, costumes, physical therapy equipment, special ballet floors and, of course, a washer and dryer.
“It’s more intense than a rock show,” said Farnan, a Bethlehem Middle School teacher. “Take a Broadway show and multiply it times 10.”
He and co-worker, Jim Natole, an Amsterdam social studies teacher, also helped set up dressing rooms.
The first of eight tractortrailers arrived Monday. Workers will be busy Thursday, too, getting things in order.
One entire truck is dedicated to transporting hundreds of ballet costumes.
Scenery for Balanchine’s “Swan Lake” — complete with dry ice — “Firebird” and “Thou Swell,” plus a special sound system for choreographer Justin Peck’s “The Times Are Racing,” are among the other items arriving at SPAC for the ballet’s Saratoga residency.
The company’s season has 18 ballets by six choreographers. This includes three Saratoga premieres, one by Alexei Ratmansky and two by Peck, City Ballet’s resident choreographer.
In advance of the ballet’s residency, SPAC is releasing a series of locallyproduced dance videos created by videographers and City Ballet dancers, Emily Kikta and Peter Walker. The eight videos feature dancers performing short pieces at iconic locations in Saratoga Springs and Troy, including the Gasholder Building, Yaddo, the Saratoga Race Course,, Congress Park, Saratoga Lake and the Saratoga train station. The videos are being released on SPAC’s website (spac.org) and social media channels daily through July 3.
“We are very excited to share our approach to capturing dance on camera and highlighting how Saratoga inspired our work,” Kitka said. “We feel lucky to have received this opportunity from SPAC that allowed us to create and explore all over the region. We hope these videos convey the special connection and rich history New York City Ballet shares with SPAC.”
For details about upcoming ballet performances go to: spac.org.