When Roman Mejgie realized that he would dance Apollo, the oldest work within the Ballet repertoire in New York, he knew the place to show to the steerage of God.
The dancer who does his homework – he says that “such an Edhead” – a megia had a plan or a person, referring to: Jacques d’Amboa, a household buddy and athletic, uneducated Apollo from the fiftieth and 60s, whose performances he realized on video would prepared the ground.
“His strategy was simply so uncooked,” Mejja mentioned after passing the ballet earlier than his debut. “In essence, in the beginning of ballet, he simply learns the way to change into God. And these muses are right here to show him the way to progress and the way to get there. So you actually see from the start that he’s virtually weak on his toes, attempting to grasp issues – some issues don’t do it. He’s dissatisfied.”
The flame of youth? The 25 -year -old meja has at all times had this. However in the previous few seasons, he has begun to embark on a extra raised refinement, which was indelibly clear in his first Apollo on Tuesday night time on the Lincoln Heart.
The meja moved from an unfinished boy to the beautiful God with the assistance of his three muses (unity Fellan, Dominica Afanasenkov and Ashley transfer). He was harsh, sure, but in addition carefree. It was a honest, musical Apollo – full of heat and energy, but in addition youthful and unaffected, impulsive and curious. The management of the meja was the best way he related the footsteps with feelings, giving each logic, smoothness. The meja might have muscular tissues – he, because the saying goes, is torn – however he doesn’t make his approach via the footsteps.
The meja is an air dancer whose abundance shines in joyful ballets with balancers similar to “stars and stripes”, “Ruby” and “Western Symphony”. However his repertoire, particularly in latest seasons, has expanded to roles, which require him to be extra fined, extra difficult. His aspect of Bravura continues to be robust in place, however continues to be buried by rising sophistication.
Meja who grew up in Fort WorthI noticed Apollo for the primary time when he was 3 years outdated. It could appear uncommon that such a younger youngster will fall for such a dramatic however indecent ballet steadiness with music from Stravinsky, however there he was, a younger youngster, performing choreography at house. “My father has tales that I’m going round the home identical to that,” mentioned Mejgie, illustrating a putting second of ballet, by which Apollo wraps his hand behind his again, the opposite lifted and opens and closes his arms like a indicator.
Each of his mother and father have been dancers – Maria Theresa Balog and Paul Mejgie, a former member of the Metropolis Ballet, who put Apollo in Texas. “At this age,” his father mentioned, “he’ll go to the ballet after we had a efficiency and what was at all times unbelievable, whether or not he was Apollo or no matter he noticed, the subsequent day he may duplicate him. “
“It was simply unusual,” he added.
Roman was significantly proud, Paul Mejja mentioned, “From the truth that he may do his hand behind his again and the entrance blink. He thought it was a pure factor.”
As he visited the zoo, the younger novel approached one other little boy together with his new talent. “He mentioned,” Look, look – look! “, Paul mentioned. “And he made Apollo and the little boy began screaming and crying. He thought he was a walnut or one thing.”
Mejja began coaching at 3. “I used to be simply so impressed by the entire concept of ​​transferring into music and taking on a spot,” he mentioned.
When Mejja was 9 or 10 years outdated, he misplaced curiosity in ballet and took a couple of years of relaxation, performed the piano and studied taekwondo. (He additionally distinguished himself with this.) A number of years later, whereas he was in the highschool on the Academy of Wonderful Arts in Fort Value, he realized {that a} close by studio wanted boys for the “hazelnut”.
“I wasn’t too loopy concerning the dance, however I did it in school, so I assumed why not?” Mejja mentioned. “After which I actually fell in love with him once more. I feel that is simply a facet of efficiency. I actually prefer to carry out.”
He started coaching on the Academy in Kopel, Texas, for greater than an hour. “I might go along with him and he would make his class,” mentioned Paul. “I did not have a look at him, nothing. I wished to keep away from the entire thing. We noticed that he was not solely critical, however he had a present.”
His mother and father determined to open a studio themselves. On the age of 13, Roman started coaching on the Ballet Academy in Mejgie, the place he targeted on the method and on the examine of variations, the traditional and the steadiness of the Balanian repertoire.
On the age of 14, he got here to New York for one of many two summer season classes on the American Ballet Faculty, the academy, which is consuming in city ballet. Earlier than he began, he realized about his father’s historical past within the firm – and that Paul had married Susan Farrell, the dancer Balanchin was essentially the most in love. The wedding led to drama: Paul and Farrell left the corporate and danced in Europe. However whereas Farrell ultimately returned to town ballet, Paul didn’t.
“My sister at all times mentioned,” Oh, , our father was married to Susan Farrell, “Mejja mentioned. “And I used to be like,” No, he wasn’t. That is loopy. “And she or he’s like,” Oh, sure, she was everywhere in the Web. ” (A household buddy confirmed it on the dinner desk one night time. “My sister was like” I advised you so, “he mentioned.)
After Mejgie critically engaged in studying on the American Ballet Faculty, his father “sat down with me and in some way gave me the breakthrough of every little thing,” he mentioned.
The college has extra household historical past: each of his mother and father studied there with their paternal grandmother’s novel Roman Crisanovska, a protégé of Joseph Pilates. The meja is called after her father, the artist in Detroit Roman Crisanovska.
D’Aboise was the explanation for Mejia to finish up with Metropolis Ballet. At one level, Mejja ended up with a proposal to hitch Ballet in Boston or proceed in school. D’Aboise votes for New York. In 2017, Mejia joined the Ballet Corps de and was promoted to the soloist in 2021. Two years later, he grew to become the principle dancer. Within the fall of 2023, he carried out his first lead in a full -length ballet as a chief: Franz, the male presenter in Capelia.
Franz is a comic book function with virtuoso parts – meja logos – however what was most revealing to current it was the heat and confidence with which he held the stage, particularly within the traditional third act.
Final winter, performing the alternative tiller Peck – his engaged “He made his debut as Siegfried at Swan Lake And once more he confirmed a bigger aspect of his dancing, extra landed and lowered. He confirmed that he might be a prince.
For Siegfried Megia, he works with Gonzalo Garcia, a former director who’s now a repertoire director at Metropolis Ballet, and Isabel Gurin, a former ballet on the Paris Opera. She confirmed him, he mentioned that “I do not at all times should hit issues to make them efficient.”
Garcia, who typically works with the meja, was happy with her sigfid. “I feel you may change into this type of dancer, a noble dancer, can generally take a number of makes an attempt,” he mentioned. “However from the second we began till he made his first reveals, I used to be blown up. He understood it.”
It’s turning into increasingly clear that regardless of how thrilling, the meja can supply greater than the virtuosity. This season, he made his debut within the elegant, folklore “Dance Suite” folklore, created for Mikhail Barishnikov in 1994; Later, he’ll take over the “Divertimento of Balanchin from” Le Baiser de la Fée “.
“It is very troublesome,” he advised Baiser. “I did not notice. And it is not Bravora in any respect. This solo is lengthyS “
However Mejgie, Garcia mentioned, “by no means whimper” and “by no means appears upset, which is unbelievable.”
Mejja acquired just one crack at Apollo this time. That was superb. When he describes himself as a sense “above the moon” – a repetitive line of the meja – he means it. “I am able to be pushed on this new approach of not only a nuanced work, but in addition to inform a narrative,” he mentioned. “Apollo is Bravora, however a lot of them are so superb and never a lot in your face. I begin to discover out the place to play with issues now.”
When the curtain climbed to Apollo, his nerves kicked, however music calmed him down. “I felt so snug at house,” he mentioned. “It was one thing to carry out, and I simply really feel actually fortunate to have been capable of expertise it at that second. I clearly really feel like doing much more about doing and rising extra. However the second it simply feels so proper.”
