quote from Andre
Natasha Middleton
with father/teacher/mentor Andrei Tremaine
Natasha Middleton's company, the Pacific Ballet Dance Theatrehas revisited several times in their repertoire the depth and beauty of the Ballet Russes & Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Artistic Director, Natasha Middleton carries a family legacy of 3 generations. Aside from staging some of the Ballet Russes well known ballets, Natasha has also created many of her own story ballets from Hansel & Gretel, The Little Match Girland The Nutcracker, to the passionate and daring full length ballet Carmen.
"Her daring repertoire and artistic choices brought a gorgeous delivery!"... as told by the Alex Theatre in Glendale. "Her stylized classical ballet stands apart from all other artistic forms in its ability to move an audience’s mind and heart with stories of passion, love, longing and separation through music and movement."
Natasha Middleton's deep roots in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, lead her to honor her legacy by sharing the dramatic artistry with such productions as: Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, from Prince Igor, Claude Debussy's L'Après-midi d'un faune, Maria Von Weber’s Le Spectre de la Rose, “Variations” from Alexander Glazunov’s Raymonda, “Pas de Deux” from Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Shehérézade and Jacques Offenbach’s Gaîté Parisienne.
​
Andrei Tremaine
After joining the famous Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1950, and completing several years of touring the world,
Andrei Tremaine returned to Los Angeles and started the Pacific Ballet Theatre. The regional company toured all of California, the Mid West, Palm Springs and more. Such renowned ballet dancers as Prima Ballerina Assoluta - Cynthia Gregory, Charles Maple, Anne Marie de Angelo, Evelyn Cisneros (to name a few) began much of their training and performing with Pacific Ballet Theatre, under the direction of Mr. Tremaine
​
Mr. Tremaine staged and directed such ballets and the full length Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Prince Igor, Katinka and the Matchmaker, The Red Poppy, Raymonda and more. He was honored by the Mayor of Santa Monica for his newfound ballet company, and for many years the Pacific Ballet Theatre was sponsored by the city of Santa Monica to present the Nutcracker every December. He continued to spread more of the Ballet Russe teachings when he was invited train the students of the dance department at Layola Marymount University. He then continued setting more ballets for Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre such as the Quadrille Strauss, Hansel & Gretel, Spartacus. and more. After his retirement in 1990, Andrei Tremaine turned over all his knowledge and repertoire to his daughter, Natasha Middleton. In 2007 Andrei Tremaine received 2 Lifetime Achievement Awards. First by the Dance Resource, and later that year by the new Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre for his years of dancing with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo when honored at the Los Angeles event -Men of the Ballet Russe.
​
ELENA WORTOVA
First Generation
Ballerina
Mother of Andrei Tremaine
Grandmother to Natasha Middleton
Trained with the Ballet Russes
Danced with Ballet Russes de Basil
Founded her own ballet school in Los Angeles
Guest appeared dancing in Stage, Television and Film
(I to r) Marc Platt, Victor Moreno, Andrei Tremaine,
George Zoritch and (front) Pal Maure pose
at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles
Photo © Dan Chapman
In 2007, Natasha Middleton made history in Los Angeles producing and directing something so original, so needed in the history of ballet. Natasha brought together 6 of the former male stars of the Ballet Russes and Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She called it Men of the Ballet Russe, starring Fredrick Franklin, George Zoritch, Mark Plat, Victor Moreno, Paul Maure and her father, Andrei Tremaine.
The red carpet affair brought many ballet lovers from all over, including much of the media. The evening consisted of film footage of each of the men, a ballet my Middleton's dancers in their honor, and closing with each of the men receiving on stage, a Lifetime Achievement Award. Former Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo ballerina's Roberta Laune, Dorthy Matsie and Patricia Peters presented them with their awards. The Master of Ceremonies: K-Mozart’s P.J. Ochlan. Guest speakers included: Charles Maple (American Ballet Theatre), Zina Bethune (New York City Ballet) and Glenn Edgerton (Joffrey Ballet).
Natasha Middleton with her father Andrei Tremaine and former Ballerinas of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo - Dorthy Matise (L) Roberta Laune (center) Patricia Peters (second from end) with ballet greats Paul Maure and Julia Bourlina. At the Alex Theatre during Middleton's second honorarium production of Ballet Russe Remembered.
*Click on the image to view the gallery*
Interviews with Paul Maure and Andrei Tremaine
​
Two of the five men honored at last weeks performance. They speak about their honorable careers and give valuable insight to what the world of dance has gained and lost since the time of the Ballet Russ.