What's on | Men in Pink Tights brings comedy to classical ballet

The then 22-year-old was dancing for the Florida Ballet when he we was told he could no longer be part of the company. 

“They wanted to have a more ‘uniform look’,” he said. 

At just under 50 kilograms in weight and 166 centimetres in height, Victor was told he was “too small” to continue his career with Florida Ballet. 

“I was rather sad and I didn’t know what I was going to do because I really wanted to dance ballet,” he said. 

Soon after this, someone suggested Victor audition for Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all male comedy troupe of drag ballet dancers. 

“I thought this was the place where my size would be an asset,” he said. 

“So I auditioned and I really loved comedy, I was surprised by how much I loved it.” 

After dancing with the company for 10 years, Victor decided to start his own company. 

“I wanted more freedom,” he said. 

“I wanted to experiment and play with my own choreography.” 

So Les Ballets Grandiva and the Men in Tutus ensemble was born. 

The all-male cast performed classical ballets for laughs all around the world, before Les Ballets Eloell arose from its ashes. 

Les Ballets Eloell’s international hit show, Men in Pink Tights is set to visit the Shoalhaven next month, all the way from New York. 

Victor said the production was the ultimate send up of both classical and contemporary ballet.

“Fourteen dancers are coming [to Australia] and they are all from different places,” he said. 

“We have a dancer from the American Ballet who has won many awards, a dancer form Singapore, some from Mexico.

“Not everyone looks the same.” 

And while there is no talking throughout the show, Victor said the comedy was very easy to understand. 

“Some of the comedy is choreographed, but a lot of it is based on the personalities of the performers,” he said. 

“They all create their own unique haracters.” 

Men in Pink Tights will bring humour to traditional ballets like Swan Lake Act II, Romeo and Juliet, La Corsaire and The Dying Swan.

“Our Dying Swan is not quite the same but probably equally as tragic,” Victor said. 

“I think everyone will very much enjoy watching our swan wobble around and die.” 

Les Ballets Eloell’s Men in Pink Tights will hit Nowra on Friday, October 16 at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. 

Visit http://shoalhavenentertainment.com.au/book for tickets.