Marlon Dino - Danseur: Guest Principal (Ballet Dortmund) & international Star - Part 2

In case you have not read the first part of this interview, just scroll down to November 14th.

„Let us talk, dear Marlon, about some roles in which I saw you before. Petruchio, Prince Desirèe, Albrecht, Siegfried, your very special Armand which I will never forget and which you danced under Liska's direction right? He was also a great Armand... My questions now. If you could tell me something about the two roles. This question may sound quite strange because I am not going into your Solor, your Onegin... I want to talk about two (more or less) „low-profile" roles which I admire a lot. One of them is „The man" in MacMillan's „Song of Earth" (Das Lied von der Erde) and the other one in Cranko's „Legende"... Tell me please anything that occurs to you about those two very different fascinating roles... „

„Well, „Song of Earth"... “, he says rolling his eyes happily with some kind of remembrance I had no idea of, “I was not even cast for that... I just stood by the wings, watching it so much that I had learned exactly what „The Man" is dancing, who at the time was Roman Lazik. He injured himself during a rehearsal on stage. Lucia Lacarra was then saying „I need a partner, he has just injured himself" and there was nobody from the second cast there and I just put my hand high and said, „I know it!" Then it was „Come in" and I just went in and did the whole thing... A crazy story! And they liked me and I finished doing all performances because the second cast's „The man" also injured himself. And all this made the direction aware of me and changed the direction of my career!"

I was so speechless and laughingly said „This is incredible. Tell me WHY, in Heaven's name, I chose exactly this ballet to talk about with you? I did not know anything from this whole story... There are no coincidences. Really... "

All pictures kindly ceded by Mr Dino - from the Artist’s private collection.

He ponders for a while and just says simply „It was luck. But I was watching it so much because I wanted to learn it so. Such a beautiful ballet, so different, another atmosphere, as if from another world... and, yes, about „Legende", there's a very interesting story, when it came into season's planning, it hadn't been done in so many years that they chose me and Lucia (Lacarra) to do it. We were coached and we did the Gala. A difficult piece to be in. Then Reid Anderson, Stuttgart's director at the time, came up to me and said „I thought this role would be nothing for you and that you were not meant to do it but I have never seen anyone do it as you did it" and then he proceeded in offering me a contract to Stuttgart which I didn't accept because I was very happy in Munich... but this was a nice, special moment"

„I think he tends to put people on „drawers": this person can do this, the other can do that... he is very strict... But people can surprise you, I think, if you give them the chance... There was one Soloist here in Vienna who could not dance “Onegin” as his Farewell performance because Mr Anderson thought he'd not be good in it – although he had done it dozens of times... „ I say.

„Yes, I also had this kind of experience of being put in a cupboard or drawer until I started working with Matz Ek, Russell Maliphant, Nacho Duato... if you are put in a shelve you will never have another opportunity... „

„Marlon, you have a huge, admirable repertoire we all know of... but is there something you haven't yet but would like to dance?"

He slowly rolls his eyes and deeply thinks for a second and just plainly answers „Honestly? Do you want me to be honest with you? I have danced everything I wanted to dance"

This is beautiful. Such a beautiful statement.

And then I thought: What a lucky man!

He continues „I have no regrets about not having had anything... People tend to put their goals far too high. I never did that. So every time I topped my not-so-high goals, I was so pleased and happy. I danced roles which I thought I was never going to be cast in... There's not one thing I'd have loved to do and didn't. I have done it all. I am happy with my career!"

And here we go again: this is what I felt right at the beginning of this interview. How lucky to be in contact with such a satisfied, wise person. It is so pleasant and relaxing to talk to a man like that. If we begin to talk about the versatility he proved during his long career... Armand, Siegfried, Prince Desire who is a completely different department, Argon and even the „Goldberg variations", which I personally love!

„Talking about that, Marlon, where have you ever felt more „at home"? In narrative or abstract roles?" I venture.

„I always felt more close to narrative roles but abstract roles made me reach a higher point in my career. Narrative roles... as I said before, you have to be the role, you have to become the character – one of them was for Petruchio (Note: Cranko's „The taming of the Shrew") in which I had to become someone completely different of what I am... I had to make people laugh... and as I was in China on tour with this piece, I thought „Will they understand what I am trying to say?" and they never stopped laughing... Amazing... talking about cupboards, shelves etc., also Lucia had her surprises: she had also been put into a drawer which was not identified with a portrayal of Catharine and she was great and fun in this role".

„Ok, dear I have asked you before if there was any role which you would have liked to dance and you gave me the most magnificent answer ever. Now I am going a very strange question, is there any role which you would not like to dance anymore?"

This time he laughs really loudly and answers straight away: „Don Quixote"

„Oh, you are the second person who tells me that, " I say „Isn't this funny?", I add laughing out quite loudly.

„I did Basil but to be quite honest with you I prefer to do the Torero. Basil is not really „my thing", and he continues laughing.

„Tell me please Marlon, from all the roles that you have done, tell me which are your three favourite ones?"

He does not even wait for a second and just says „It is very simple. The first one is Onegin, then Armand and Swan Lake from Ray Barra... although there is a fourth one: Swan Lake in John Neumeier's version, which I love to do... „ And suddenly I am so glad to hear that – because here in Vienna, we only get to see the very strange, prince-centred Nureyev version, which I do not like at all. Anyways, just a matter of taste... And one can never discuss "Taste". Everyone is entitled to his own.

"Think, Marlon, BUT don't tell me what you will be thinking about! Just think of a special role that meant a lot for you or that still means a lot for you. Think of it as if you rehearsed it for the first time when you were still learning it... I don't want to know what it is because that is not the point. I just have to know how you feel about your creative process while developing either a part or a character... "

"It depends if it is a role that was danced before or being created for me. These are for me two completely different approaches... For a ballet that has been danced by many, you have to find your own way of doing it. No copies. In one role, I did not need to act. It was "easy" to do it because I was just being like myself. I did not "perform" in one single moment" and as he says this I begin to feel that I know exactly which role this is. He continues with "This meant a lot to me because it was the first time ever that I did not need to be "something else" on stage. I could just be me. Just like I am. And this is the most satisfying moment that one can have on stage. "Onegin" changed my career completely" and as he “opened the veil”, I knew that I had known it all the way along. Empathy.

But I was feeling a bit uncertain if I was really understanding what he meant "I have to interrupt you shortly, one question... you see, Marlon, I do believe in "illusions" and I honestly believe, that perhaps this is the reason why I am not quite understanding you. I believe that it is easier to create the illusion of being somebody else, much easier than the most difficult illusion ever: to create is the illusion of being yourself on stage!"

"I understand what you say but that was the thing: at that point, it was never an illusion. I felt that way. I am going to break it down for you easily. When I walk into a bar, into a restaurant, people, when they first take a look at me, they think I am arrogant. That is the image I sometimes give to people. They classify me (Note: and here we are again with our cupboards, shelves and drawers) as arrogant, as a person who knows exactly what he wants and is very self-secure. Perhaps because of being tall, blond or having my bone structure... whatever. But that is always the first thing people think of me" and as he says this I began to realize that I did not have this impression at all. But one can never explain personal bonds. Never. "And this I have not heard just from one or two persons", he continues, "I have heard it from everyone I know" (Note: not from me, I thought) "That's why it was so easy for me to do this role... when it comes to the illusion of becoming something/someone else it is easier because of preconceived thoughts, ideas... Neumeier knows exactly what he wants to see and you to feel in his "Swan Lake". It is easier. With Onegin I did not get that much information; I was just told " He is arrogant, he has a lot of experience in life, he looks bored" and I thought “that is how I feel sometimes", he smiles, "I can just be me, I thought"

"I see", I said this because at last, I was beginning to.

"Creating roles is a process of “give and take”. Every time I am being shown a new piece, I put myself at a certain distance. Not only emotionally but also physically. I have to do this because I am a visual dancer. I learn things by watching them. But even if I am shown what to do and cope with it and repeat it, I could never go on, not without putting my own personality into it. That is what I loved and love. Also to be able to do it my own personal way. This is what I mean by "give and take". I worked with many choreographers with whom I felt free enough to suggest "this and that". A sort of doing it “my own way”. But of course, some choreographers are so fixated on what they want that you have to strictly do it their way. Then you become what they want you to be"

"Partnership?"

"Sometimes during the creative process choreographers have asked me "What would you do here?", especially in connection with the partnership, "How would you to this lift?" and I started giving my own suggestions... and showing them..."

And at that point, I had to stop him. Not to say a compliment but to make a statement, a fact that is so well-known in the world of Dance. "You are such a strong partner. I don't mean only physical strength. I mean the way that you "connect" to your partner"

All pictures kindly ceded by Mr Dino - from the Artist’s private collection. Charles Tandy Photography.

"That's why I like it so much. I have always felt more complete dancing with somebody else than dancing on my own! But you have to take lots of care of your partner", and I thought "What a beautiful statement. So filled with sensibility. And then I began to think of this attitude. It is so mixed with nobility. The nobility of character. A sudden flash came to my mind of all male dancers who while partnering are trying to look so good and elegant that they forget to care about their partners. And the poor girls are struggling to keep balance because the male partner wants to look good holding his foot quite stretched out of the floor in a Dégagé as the poor thing is trembling while nearly unprotected doing an arabesque penchée on point. Sad.

Marlon, as if he had just read my mind, just adds "Sometimes I can't agree when people say that a dancer is partnering so well. He isn't. And he isn't because he is not there for her but for himself. And that is the difference between a skilled partner and one who isn't. A girl can have a “lapsus” at any moment. And you have to be there for her. And if the girl does something wrong, mostly the partner is responsible for it. The partner is – even if many don't accept that – "behind the scene" and that requires a lot of thinking! He is more or less “a tool”"

All pictures kindly ceded by Mr Dino - from the Artist’s private collection. Antonio Prudente Photography.

"Dear Marlon, I normally never ask that but as we have also a very young audience and I feel and know that you would have much to say to them, why don't you say a few words of advice?"

He pauses and ponders for a while and then, in the most natural manner says "Don't put barriers on your way. Envy is one of them. If you do that, at the end you will not even enjoy what you are doing. Don't be envious of others. Being envious is a loss of time – and Dancers don't have time to lose. Be envious of yourself. This could be constructive. Give your best and be able to learn from anyone. I guarantee you: A principal Dancer can learn from a Corps de Ballet member. And vice-versa. Because at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you are a Principal, a member of the Corps, a Half-Soloist or a Soloist. Everybody has something to give.

I felt a certain warmth as he mentioned all this, so wholeheartedly. It just reconfirmed what I had thought at the beginning of this interview. This overwhelming feeling of reciprocal Empathy. I like that ans I still carry it on with me today. Thank you, Marlon, for letting me penetrate your mind and soul, for letting me trespass the boundary of your interior life.

Thank you very much for such a lovely time.

Ricardo Leitner