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Divas & dudes: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.

Article Excerpt
It's hard out there for a vamp.

Not only do the ballerinas of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo tackle the daunting responsibilities of a diva, but they also portray their Prince Charmings. This all-male troupe has the pressure to demonstrate technical proficiency on pointe, perform double tours en l'air, and, yes, be funny. They tour most of the year, dancing nearly 200 shows annually at whistle stops from Poland to Pittsburgh. And the bulk of the glamour-bulk being the key word--takes place as an illusion on the audience's side of the footlights. Gender-bending comedy aside, they're a hardworking group. Because of the company's tenacity, devotion to crowd-pleasing ballets, and display of past-era ballerina glamour, the Trocks share more than a little in common with the old Ballet Russe de Monte Garlo.

So here's a startling fact to ponder: The Trocks have now been an institution longer than the post-Diaghilev Ballet Russe during its several incarnations from 1931 to 1963. This year, the company celebrates 33 years of grand diva entertainment. The Trocks recently completed two sold-out seasons at the Peacock Theatre in London and snatched the Theatrical Management Association's Award for Achievement in Dance from venerable troupes like The Royal Ballet. They work 40 weeks per year (they could work 52, but nobody wants to mess with a batch of burned-out drag ballerinas) and are booked through January of 2009.

So...

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