Tory Dobrin, the artistic director of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, speaks calmly and evenly about what it’s like to manage a group of gay male dancers during a time when cultural norms, particularly in the US, are changing.
Although he directs arguably one of the most attention-grabbing dance companies in the US, his unassuming demeanour suggests someone comfortable leaving the spotlight to others.
Familiarly known as the Trocks, the gender-skewing comedy ballet company, in which male dancers play both male and female roles, has built its reputation on respecting ballet as an art form while poking fun at it. Members assume alter egos in the form of glamorous stage personas such as Holly Dey-Abroad and Minnie Van Driver. Then they lace up their pointe shoes, put on their tutus and dance.
When the Trocks – who are coming to Ireland this month, as part of Dublin Dance Festival – first formed, in the 1970s, they faced obstacles being a group of gay men dancing in drag. Back then, they performed off-off-Broadway. Although the concept of men en pointe was niche, their approach stuck because of how adroitly they captured the peccadilloes of the notoriously ethereal ballet world. Critics and audiences clamoured for more, leading to a burgeoning repertoire and a devoted, diverse fan base.
READ MORE
Fifty years later, perceptions have shifted and the Trocks now draw audiences that include young children seeing ballet for the first time, as well as seasoned dance-goers who appreciate the company’s technique and artistry. Having performed in 667 cities in 43 countries, the Trocks have attracted audiences by being able to reimagine a demanding art form with comic timing through an irreverent lens.
They also exemplify the way the arts face challenges during societal turmoil, which the Trocks experienced most recently on their US tour.
“From a political point of view, the theatres are afraid to book us because they get funding from the government,” Dobrin says, from his home in Los Angeles. “Not a lot of funding, but the funding that they do get legitimises them for funding from other sources.” Political appointees to boards can influence funding decisions that have a knock-on effect for the Trocks.
“Then, there’s this law in Florida now where you have to be over 18 to see drag performances. Well, we get a lot of dance students and a lot of kids, so it became problematic for us to go to Florida. So touring this year and next year has been difficult.”
[ Dublin Dance Festival returns to the city with exceptional dance this springOpens in new window ]
It has meant reducing touring dates from more than 100 shows a year to nearer 60, and employing 14 dancers instead of the 18 who appeared during the Trocks’ last visit to Dublin, in 2018. Dobrin says philanthropic support remains steady, although he sees another shift in the States.
“The government is cutting back on very important programmes for people in need. And so these philanthropic organisations are addressing that issue, which leaves less money for cultural things. It’s almost the same thing in Europe now. We used to go to Europe quite frequently, but the budgets are being cut all over the continent for cultural things.”
Touring this year and next year has been difficult
— Tory Dobrin
The Trocks are no strangers to overcoming challenges. The 2017 documentary Rebels on Pointe chronicles the history of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. In it, one photograph from the 1980s shows the dancers on a tour to Asia. The narrator recounts how half of the dancers in the image later died of Aids, leaving the remaining half to rebuild the company’s ranks and carry on.
Perseverance reverberates throughout the organisation, and Dobrin remains unruffled when asked about how the company is enduring the Trump administration’s backlash against the LGBTQ community.
“I guess I’ve got to the point at my age where I’m just saying, ‘This is what the truth is,’ and I’m fine with that. But what really taught me a lot a long time ago is that in the early 1980s, when I joined as a dancer, management was really freaked out about the idea of us being asked about being gay all the time.
“They did not want that out there. And we as dancers were, like, ‘Oh, come on’. So in the 1990s, when I started as director, slowly but surely, I started talking about it all the time. Because what do I care? This is the reality of it.”
I’ve been telling them almost monthly, ‘Scrub your social media of anything about Trump or the United States government’
— Tory Dobrin
While greater acceptance of sexual diversity has made life easier for the dancers in many ways, the crackdown by the US Immigration and Enforcement agency, or Ice, has brought another set of woes. The Trocks were scheduled to perform in Minneapolis on January 29th, just days after two US citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by Ice members. The Trocks postponed.
“Half the company is non-American,” Dobrin says. “They are very concerned when we come back into the country from foreign tours. Even though they all have visas, they’re concerned. They were concerned about Minneapolis, which we cancelled for obvious reasons.
“And I’ve been telling them almost monthly, ‘Scrub your social media of anything about Trump or the United States government. Go back decades if you can.’
“So, in conjunction with the presenter, we cancelled that performance, because I thought it would be a little brain-dead to have a comedy ballet company when all that was happening. And the hotel where we were going to stay was a hotel where the Ice members were staying. Also, there were demonstrations outside the hotel. We didn’t want to be there for that.”
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is based in New York, where Dobrin spends his time when he’s not in Los Angeles or on tour. He says Covid offered another turning point for the Trocks, when they had to find ways to stay connected to their audience. They launched a new choreographic institute, inviting dance makers to work with the company creating the potential to create new repertoire. The physical-theatre artists Julia Cavagna and Jay Dunn had a particular impact.
Indicative of the kind of creative thinking that happens within the Trocks, Dobrin saw Dunn perform at the Metropolitan Opera, then “Googled him like crazy to see who this guy was”. It resulted in a collaboration where Dunn and Cavagna shared their comedic performance techniques with the dancers.
“I realised we’ve never really had any training in clown techniques or physical theatre,” Dobrin says. Through the years, the comedy just came naturally and then evolved. “And so working with these two artists was really interesting. It made the group very cohesive.”
Dobrin can’t pinpoint specific examples. “But the dancers tend to be freer, and it’s nothing but positive. So it’s been great.”
We’re having a difficult time right now, we know that, but in the trans world it’s still better than what it was
— Tory Dobrin
The Trocks’ style has become more nuanced throughout the years. In dances such as Paquita and Pas de Quatre they emulate the ballet classics so expertly that it sometimes takes close scrutiny to realise they are men.
During Going for Barocco, they riff on the choreographer George Balanchine’s iconic Concerto Barocco, tossing their legs up to their ears and wearing sleek black leotards and simple skirts, just like Balanchine’s ballerinas. In act two of Swan Lake, part of the repertoire coming to Dublin, their parodies vacillate between being subtle and over the top.
Their commitment to balancing serious ballet technique with silly antics has earned the Trocks a following around the world, as society’s attitude towards them has shifted.
“One thing I’m kind of proud about – and I’m not really a prideful person – is that in 1974 we started doing midnight shows in lofts in downtown Manhattan. And within 20 years we were at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. That’s a really long way to go in a very short time, and since then we’ve been in opera houses and important theatres all over the world.
“The other thing is that when I joined in 1980, and through the 1980s and 1990s, we never had any kids in the audience, because it wasn’t very acceptable. And now we have a lot of children. Even if it’s not a children’s show, it’s totally a great introduction to dance and ballet. And the kids love the show.
“To me that’s not really representative of how Ballets Trockadero has changed. It’s more representative of how society has changed. We’ve spoken about some of the difficulties, yet a lot of things are better. I mean, we’re having a difficult time right now, we know that, but in the trans world it’s still better than what it was.
“It’s not good enough, but it’s still better. So that’s positive.”
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo perform at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Thursday, April 30th, and Friday, May 1st, as part of Dublin Dance Festival
