Second 'Nutcracker' performer sidelined
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
Is there a curse on the Cavalier Prince?
Could be.
Ethan Stiefel, who was to make his Honolulu dancing debut as the Cavalier in Ballet Hawaii's staging of the annual classic "Nutcracker" ballet this weekend at Blaisdell Concert Hall, won't be able to dance because of a knee injury suffered in a recent rehearsal.
Stiefel, a principal dancer with New York's American Ballet Theatre, will be replaced by Benjamin Bowman. Bowman, a seven year veteran of the New York City Ballet, will dance the Grand Pas de Deux opposite ABT's Ashley Tuttle.
Stiefel is the second Cavalier to meet misfortune this season. Last weekend, Kyongho Kim, of the Diablo Ballet of Walnut Creek, Calif., could not complete three remaining performances of a six-show run in Hawaii Ballet Theatre's "Nutcracker" at Leeward Community College Theatre. Kim became ill and returned home, and now is hospitalized in San Francisco.
Stiefel, Time Magazine's 'Dance Pick of 2001,' who starred in the movie 'Center Stage' opposite Honolulu's Amanda Schull, is making every effort to come to Hawai'i despite his knee injury, said Steve Knox, executive director of Ballet Hawaii.
Pending flight connections, the plan is to enable Stiefel, a box office attraction and an anticipated favorite in the ballet, to conduct a master class, 1 p.m. Saturday at the Blaisdell Concert Hall stage, "for aspiring ballet dancers and rising local performers," Knox said. Cost will be $10; to confirm, dancers should call Ballet Hawaii at 521-8600.
"Oh, my, this is so unusual," said Hawaii Ballet Theatre's Charlys Ing. "In all my 21 years of doing 'Nutcracker,' this has never happened. But with two?"
She said Kim did the first of the two weekend series of shows "and then he got very ill."
"He was very brave, to do the earlier shows, but he didn't realize how sick he was," she said. "In that respect, dancers have a high tolerance of pain and feel the show must go on."
In the HBT case, Ing had to re-choreograph the Grand Pas de Deux and the Snow Scene segments of the production, and re-edit taped music to give the show a flow. Tapping Greg Zane, Andrew Sakaguchi and Daniel Nelson, as well as Kristin Ing, Kim's solo was "covered" opposite Hiroko Kurokawa Ota.
Meanwhile, Hawaii State Ballet's "Nutcracker," at Mamiya Theatre through this weekend, has proceeded without incident. Its Cavalier, danced by Ryan Camou, is fit as a fiddle, said John Landovksy, artistic director.
"Our Sugar Plum, Kamakoa Page, had a cramp in one performance and had to go to the doctor," Landovksy said. "But I guess I'd better cross my fingers for our Cavalier."
