Interview with Roger Van Fleteren

CC: How are you?

RF: I'm pretty tired. Overall, I feel pretty good about what's going on, what happened today. I think that we're in the final stages of just trying to get everything, you know, tiny details together. Uh...Putting the costumes on and working with the props and the belts and all the capes and everything like that. It's been a challenge.

CC: What did happen?

RF: Um...Everything that I expected. You know, Uh...A lot of things we've had to fix with the costumes. Some of them we're too big and we had to take them in. So today was the first day where sort of everything was fixed and so we put them on in the studio and worked with them in the studio.

CC: So what did you do today. You did--

RF: We did a full run from beginning to end with 15 minute intermissions in between each act. So, I needed to do it because...I didn't know if I could get through it. And I did, so I'm pretty happy. [laughs].

CC: We were just talking with Wes about Stamina in this ballet.

RF: It plays a major role. Stamina plays a major role in this part. Definitely. Which is why I wanted to run the whole thing today because I need to know where I can sort of hold back a little bit and save my energy for something I may have to do later in another act. So, it all has to be really balanced. It all has to be just right because if you peak too early, then, you konw, you'll poop out in the end. And you don't want to poop out in the end. So...

CC: I was curious to know the differences between the first and the second cast. Both are vastly different. How many times have you played Romeo?

RF: Um...I've played Romeo...maybe ten or twelve times in London. But I've seen it many, many times and so, I think, you know,-- People used to say, you know you learn so much from watching. And I truly believe that, you know. Especially if it's in your heart like it is in mine, you know. I just--I was in the wings doing the part myself, you know, imagining myself doing it, so. Plus when you're on the stage and you're in another part and you're watching, you know, and you hear the music every night-- you know, I think the first year that we did Romeo with American Ballet Theatre, we did like, you know, 100 shows of it. So the music is embedded in me. So when I started choreographing I knew-- I knew it backwards, forwards, sideways, the whole nine yards. So, I've been sort of living Romeo because Romeo's one of the first full lengths that I did ever when I got into American Ballet Theatre. So, it's sort of got a sentimental attachment to it.

CC: So you bring a different dimension to it than say Kfir who has never danced this role before--

RF: I think that, um, the difference between the way the more mature cast does it and the younger cast does it, is that the older cast has a little more-- Well, they've done it more so they have a little bit more, you know, background behind them. But the nice thing about the younger cast is that they're younger. So they look more the part, you know, and they have the naivety of a lot of the movement and and a lot of the acting. It's funny because you have the more mature couple who has all the steps and everything down perfect...and all the acting because they've done it before. So the younger cast has to work out all the kinks in the partnering and the steps and the dancing but they're natural naive approach to it is refreshing. So that's the difference I think between the two. Does that make sense?

CC: How are you feeling about next week?

RF: It's a week away. I'm feeling pretty good about it. I really am. I'm real excited. I'm excited to get on with the set. Because it's, you know, it's so much more fun when you have all the beds and dropins and the stairways and, you know-- Because there's a lot of stuff that we're doing that, you know, that we fall on the stairway and we fight on the stairway and then we get pushed off the stairway and, you know, she hides the potion under the bed pillow and she crawls up onto the bed. So there's a lot of stuff we still have to do still with the set. So that's the next challenge because we only get a week. We get what? Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We get three days with the set before we open. So, that's the tough part. So...

CC: Are you doing anything physical before the performance?

RF: I'm going to the gym, I'm going to the gym, and unfortunately I got poison ivy two weeks ago so I had to go for a shot yesterday. So, I'm itching everywhere.

CC: How did you get poison ivy?

RF: I was cutting down a tree in my backyard. So that's been a challenge.

CC: Where did you get it?

RF: It's on my side. It's on my leg. It's on my arm. I went and got a...oh, what's the--Oh, I got a steriod shot. So I'm feeling good because that steroid shot makes you feel good, you know. But it kind of worries me that, you know, that tomorrow I'll be, you know, dead. So I feel pretty good about the show. I do. the biggest challenge for me has been...uh...choreographing and doing it. You know, and I feel very grateful that we have such a wonderful artistic director in Wes Chapman because he's done the role so many times. He's done three different productions of it. And his wisdom in the role is just top notch. So, it's been nice to be coached by him. I take him very seriously with this part. I've watched him do it many, many times.

CC: How long have you been dancing?

RF: I've been dancing for 21 years. Professionally. Professionally. Much more than-- I think 28 years altogether.

CC: Can you tell me a little bit about dancing and it's toll on the body.

RF: Well dancing...uh...the thing with the-- In terms of the body and keeping yourself in shape, I think that as the older I've gotten, the more body conscious I've gotten. Because as you get older, you know, things start to slow down. So I've had to go to the gym. I go to the gym three or four times a week to work with a personal trainer. I guess as you get older you start to think about how much longer I'm able to do this. You know. And, you know, I'm really pushing the limit. I'm pushing the envelope, right now. This will probably be the last time I do a major role, the lead role. I'll do character roles for the rest of my life but, you know, the agenous (sp) role. But it been-- It's funny because as I've gotten older, I've worked harder. You know, and I think you have to, you know.

CC: Is dancing difficult on the body?

RF: Dancing is really difficult on the body. And I think that's why as you get older you have to start doing other things to keep it in shape: going to the gym and cross-training.

CC: Have you had any major injuries?

RF: I had a foot surgery in 1986. I had a-- I had a crushed cessniod bone, which is on the bottom of your foot. Besides that I tore both my rotator cups when I was 18. I've had eight cortisone shots: 6 in my foot and two in my back. Yeah. But really, that's lucky cause there's, you know, there could be so many more injuries that could happen. Baryshinakov has had eight knee surgeries. So... One little foot surgery and eight cortisone shots ain't nothing compared to eight knee surgeries! [laughs]

CC: Well, is there anything that you'd like to say?

RF: Um...Just that I'm really happy with what's going on. Um...Working with your partner can be a little stressful sometimes and Tatiana and I had a--kind of an indifferent moment on Monday. You know, and it just goes to show you that when you're doing such an emotional part and, you know, you put everything you have into it. That emotions are so high that if it doesn't go exactly how you want it to go, you know, people can get a little uptight. So, you know, that's always a challenge: trying to maintain an emotional even keel, you know, with each other. You know, because you're giving 150% to each other in this part, you know. I came in the next day. We had a little tiff and I came in the next day and I was like, "I'm sorry." And she said she was sorry. I just goes to show that it's hard. It's really difficult to do, you know... I think it's because it's so physical. You get so physically exhausted by the time hit the third act that, you know, you just want to cry. [laugh] You do. You look at each other like, "I can't lift you one more time without falling over." And she's like, "I know. If I have to go on point one more time I'm gonna cry." So it's been good. It's been great. I'm very grateful that I'm able to still keep dancing at this late in the game.