Well, I might seem a bit biased with this interview, because
as you all know by now, I am a proud ballet mom. Even if she didn’t belong to
me, I would think Gabby Saucier is pretty special.
This has been a
fabulous year of growth and progress for Gabby in ballet. She played the lead
in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in
December, 2011. This is a pretty big deal because age 13 at that time and in
the 8th grade, she is the youngest lead for Rudolph ever cast. In addition to that, Gabby is the youngest main
dancer in the production of The Sleeping
Beauty. She plays Fairy of the Enchanted Garden in the prologue, friend to
Aurora in Act I and The White Cat in the finale opposite Lake Charles native
turned New Yorker William “Billy” Ward who performed for 26 years with the New
York City Opera. Gabby is a couple of years younger than her fellow fairies.
Gabby and I
talked about her upcoming roles in The Sleeping Beauty. Being a fairy is quite
different from the character roles she is used to, “[Fairy of the Enchanted
Garden] is pleasant and graceful. The changes in her character are not as
overt, she is more consistent.” Gabby says that being a fairy is fun and she is
close friends with her fellow fairies. Although the role has been challenging
it is all coming together, “I’ve grown as a dancer and gotten better.”
The role of The
White Cat is one that Gabby really wanted especially because her favorite part
about dancing with LCCB is portraying a character. “When we went to Houston
Ballet last year to watch their Sleeping
Beauty I said, ‘I want that part!’” The pas de deux of The White Cat and
Puss in Boots is always a crowd favorite because it is full of comedy. This is
Gabby’s first time partnering. She had the opportunity to work with Billy Ward,
LCCB’s Puss in Boots, a little bit this summer, which was great. “He is so nice
and funny, and really tries to make me feel comfortable. The lift is challenging
for me because I have a hard time remembering to lean back, but I’m getting
it.” It’s also nice that Billy is finally here in Lake Charles for performance
week, “It is fun to act with someone because you can feed off of the other
person, and Billy is good actor.” I asked Billy if he has anything to say about
working with Gabby, “I'm excited to dance with Gabby; her playful charm and
talent match her sweet nature, and she's a perfect White Cat! Gabby also has
the ‘adorable factor,’ that would make any guy in his right mind want to share
this role with her. She's attentive and eager to take advice and apply it
quickly to our partnership. It's a great gift to me when a dancer has no ego
and rehearsals flow and become what dance really should be: shared joy. I think
when this is all over I'm going to feel a little sad..”
I think we all
will feel a little sad too, Billy.
Gabby is the 14 year old daughter of
Kelley and Luke Saucier of Lake Charles. She is in the 8th grade at Bishop
Noland Episcopal Day School. Gabby has performed in numerous LCCB productions,
and fondly remembers her debut performance in 2001 as Raggedy Ann in Rudolph. Gabby recently starred in
the title role of Rudolph in
the 2011 LCCB Christmas performance. She has studied ballet for 12 years, the
last 10 at Lady Leah Lafargue School of the Dance and Lake Charles Civic
Ballet. Gabby also participated in summer workshop at Dallas Metropolitan
Ballet in 2010.
Top photo (with Ray Delle Robbins) by Cameron Durham / Dance photo by Romero & Romero Photography
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