Interview: Emma Andres on LITTLE WOMEN BALLET

Emma Andres (pictured) is a professional ballet dancer and contemporary/classical ballet choreographer who also has experience working in the techniques of jazz, contemporary, and modern. She is currently the Studio Manager, teacher, resident choreographer for Pasadena Civic Ballet, a Ballet Teaching Artist for the Music Center in Los Angeles, and Co-Artistic Director of SCOPIXdance, a new dance organization emphasizing exciting choreography from up-and-coming choreographers.

In 2023, she established Little Women Ballet, creating a series of dance works leading up to the company’s full-length ballet about the classic Louisa May Alcott tale, which she hopes launches a movement toward more ballets surrounding women and their stories.

I decided to speak with Emma about the new ballet, her work as a female choreographer, director, and teacher, who at age 26, believes it is crucial that young artists see stories that are uplifting, inspiring, and, most of all, center around characters they can relate to and admire.

Thank you, Emma, for speaking with me today. With all the career hats you wear, to what do you attribute your ambition at such a young age?

From a very young age, I have loved telling stories. I believe my ambition comes from wanting to create positive change in the world around me and inspire the next generation. But even in school and when I was younger, I always tried my best to succeed through hard work and perseverance.

Were you always a fan of the Little Women story? When did you first read it?

I first read the book in 2021. I highly encourage all children and young adult adults to read the book; however, I did not come across it until I was older. The moment I read it, I fell in love with the story, and really resonated with all four sisters. I felt like there was potential for the story to extend into a ballet.

With so many other career responsibilities, what made you decide to create a full-length Little Women Ballet?

I created a six-minute version of the ballet for the studio I work at, Pasadena Civic Ballet’s annual showcase. It was very well received, and I realized that there was potential for a much broader rendition of the story. Having been a ballerina all my life, I have loved classical ballets and how they are used to tell stories. However, I never thought they were very progressive, especially when it came to women’s roles. I felt like Little Women was a great opportunity to showcase a story that centered on women’s stories. I thought that this would be a good way to launch a new era of ballet.

What do you hope young women and girls learn about from this coming-of-age story, interpreted as a ballet?

I want audience members, especially young women and girls to be able to relate to the story of Little Women through dance. Telling a story through dance is a very unique way to experience a plot, and I think that it honestly allows you to feel much deeper because you can resonate with the feelings and emotions brought through the dancers' movements and body language. I want audiences to leave having felt the emotions that are being expressed on the stage and to see a new perspective on ballet and storytelling.

Why did you decide to present Little Women Ballet in two very different locations?

The ultimate goal of the project was to create a full-length ballet, however, that endeavor is very expensive and something that isn’t possible when you first start. Therefore, I wanted to gradually develop the show so that it could gain a following and support before attempting a full-length ballet. Therefore, the Little Women immersive experience was born. We have a great partnership with Heritage Square Museum, and because the idea of an immersive ballet is very unique, I felt like this would be a good avenue to take in an attempt to launch our full-length ballet.

Will all the performances be the same at both locations? And if not, how will they be different?

The shows at Heritage Square Museum and the Wilshire Ebell Theatre are very different. The one at Heritage is an immersive experience, meaning that all of the guests are taken on a guided tour of the Victorian houses at Heritage Square Museum and immersed in the Little Women story not two feet from the dancers. Each immersive is also themed to the season so we have an immersive for spring, one for autumn, and another for winter. When you put the three different immersives together, you get the full Little Women story because each of the immersive is completely different from the next.

Describe the format of the Little Women full-length ballet.

The full-length ballet will be on a proscenium stage and will tell the whole Little Women story in one performance. It has the more traditional look of a classic story ballet with two acts and many more dancers beyond the main characters

How did you decide which story points to eliminate?

This was very difficult because I didn’t want to remove anything of substance and value while also, I wanted to honor Louisa May Alcott, and not omit anything that she would have wanted to be in there. In this rendition of Little Women, we have a young Louisa May Alcott guiding the story and this was something that really allowed me to decide what plot points were staying versus what plot points were being removed.

How do you handle not only the dance side of the business, its choreography, working with the dancers, and coordinating the performances while managing the administrative business side of the ballet company?

It is very difficult to handle both the artistic side and the administrative side. I have a wonderful team of individuals who help me. My production advisor is Diane DeFranco Browne and my script writers for the immersive narration of Denise Moses and Ross Clark. The project is supported by the non-profit organization Artists Plus Productions. We are a small group and as the project grows it has become more difficult to handle all sides but the project is supported by a lot of love and a drive to see it succeed.

Do you also do your own outreach to raise funds for your non-profit? Or do you have assistance with that?

We currently do not have any support raising funds but hope to find help in that area since that has been one of the hardest things about developing the project. We are very thankful to have several supportive community members who have donated to the project, but our hope is to find more financial support from those who are interested in seeing more ballets about women and their stories.

Who have been your mentors and how did you come up with the Little Women Ballet immersive and full-length ballet concept?

My mentors are my team members Diane DeFranco Browne, Ross Clark, Denise Moses, and Jackie Kopcsak. The immersive and full-length concepts grew out of each other and were a gradual process of development. Our project started in March 2023 and the first immersive experience took place in May 2023. The immersives have been growing and evolving over the past two years and have slowly developed into the trilogy. The full length is very much inspired by the immersives but with a much more classic ballet feel, something that I was hoping would develop over time. The full length was developed over the last five months.

You are so driven and passionate about your work. What made you decide to take on such an ambitious undertaking at a young age?

I have always thought that hard work was the key to success and I have worked that way all my life. However, my passion for the project developed from seeing how it affected the dancers. While this project was important to me, it has become important to the cast and dancers, and I can see how much it brings them joy to perform it and develop it with me. That was something that kept me persevering even when things got difficult. I knew that this project was bringing joy and positivity to a lot of people and that was something that needed to persevere no matter what. I also decided to take this on because I knew that audience members would find the same passion and love for the book that I did when watching the ballet.

Have you always been fearless about pursuing your dreams? Or was there ever a time you were convinced you were going to fail and gave up?

This whole project has been a growing experience for me. I am very much an introverted, shy person, and was very nervous to put myself out there. Over the past two years, I have learned not only to really stand up for myself and what I believe in but also to speak publicly as well as be a leader. I knew that this whole experience was going to be a growing process for me — I had never attempted something of this caliber before — so when I went into it, I went in with an open heart and mind. I knew that I would be growing through this process and so I was open to anything that came my way.

Speaking of what things may come your way, you have shared your desire to bring more ballets focusing on women and their stories to the stage. Which stories do you see in your future and why?

I am very much looking forward to developing more stories through the lens of women. One such story that I would love to do is The Great Gatsby. It is one of my favorite books, and I would love to see the story from the perspective of Daisy. The Great Gatsby is such an iconic story and seeing it through a different perspective would allow audiences to see it in a whole new light. I also feel that Daisy has a lot of difficult choices to make and a lot of complex feelings throughout the book. And seeing it from her perspective would shed light on all those feelings.

Sounds like a wonderful idea! What do you foresee in the future of Little Women Ballet?

I hope that Little Women Ballet will keep developing going forward. I very much would like to pitch the full-length ballet to different ballet companies who are interested as well as potentially tour the immersive experience. I also would like to inspire more younger audiences throughout the United States.

Thanks so much! I know the Little Women Ballet is going to be amazing!

The winter Little Women Ballet site-specific immersive experience takes place with five performances on Friday, November 22 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, November 23 for two performances; 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday, November 24 for two performances; 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 in advance (includes an autumn goodie bag with items to be used throughout the performance; along with complementary winter beverages and desserts, and a tour of Heritage Square Museum through dance). Heritage Square Museum is located at 3800 Homer Street, Los Angeles, CA 90031.

Then, on Saturday, December 7 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Little Women Ballet presents their full-length original ballet based on the novel, for two performances only: 2:30p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in partnership with ArtistsPlus Productions and The Ebell of Los Angeles. Tickets range from $28-$40. The Wilshire Ebell Theatre is located at 4401 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the experience at Heritage Square Museum and the full-length ballet at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, please visit https://www.littlewomenballet.com.

Photo credit: Edie Tyebkhan

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