Ballet master brings experience to Yuma's stage

When ballet master Alexei Badrak talks about his passion for the stage, he sometimes closes his eyes and seems to hear a silent music that almost wills his body to respond.

"Dance is the rhythm of life," Badrak says, raising his arms with grace and swaying. "When I am on stage, my emotion comes from my heart, through my body and it is given to the audience."

That commitment to expression is probably a good reason Badrak was hired as the new artistic director at Yuma Ballet Theatre and director of the ballet division at The Dancer's Workshop.

But it isn't just the Russian native's flair that drew Yuman eyes toward his resume. There's also that one little word that always promises a bit of excitement - Bolshoi.

The lifelong dancer, choreographer and instructor worked as an assistant director for Bolshoi Theater, where he worked with ballet superstar Yuri Grigorovich. It's that kind of experience that earned him an honored place within the pages of the "Russian Encyclopedia of Ballet."

Some leaders in Yuma's ballet world say any small city like Yuma should be proud to net someone with Badrak's talent and training.

"Hiring him is something we weren't expecting in Yuma," said Linda Farrar, founding director of Yuma Ballet Theatre. "To have someone of his caliber is just wonderful. This is just - wow."

Farrar shared the story of having recently watched Badrak at work auditioning for Yuma Ballet Theatre's next show. Badrak then took a moment of his time to sit with Farrar and explain his various theories behind teaching movement and ballet as a high expression of art.

"I was inspired," Farrar said, still seeming to remember the sensation clearly. "At my age and as long as I've danced, I was inspired. I had not had that feeling in quite some time. That was exciting for me."

Badrak comes to Yuma from the San Francisco Bay area, where he has taught ballet for the past 10 years. Although some might question why someone of his experience would come to a smallish city, the dance instructor is quick to point out that he's already done the big city scene and now wants something different - and perhaps a bit more real.

Badrak said large cities may have more glitz and glamour, but rarely do they offer the kind of in-house and community support an artistic director like himself needs.

"Here in Yuma, I feel such a feeling of community," Badrak said, his Russian accent still quite thick. "I see the commitment of the students, the parents and the (YBT) board of directors. When people here see something good to be done, they do it."

Badrak came to America in 1989, but he shies away from talking much about leaving his homeland.

His history in Russia is rich nonetheless.

Born in 1950, Badrak comes from a long line of performers. His father and siblings are all musicians. His mother is an Olympic-level cross country skier.

Badrak enjoyed a highly successful dance career for 12 years. After that, wanting to work in ballet at a different level, he went on to study choreography and graduate from the St. Petersburg Conservatory and the Ukraine Choreography School.

He also earned a doctorate in dance anthropology.

After working with the Bolshoi, Badrak operated his own Moscow-based company - The Russian Chamber Ballet. He explained that since Bolshoi's top dancers would only perform once or twice a month, he saw an opportunity. His company then took the ballet superstars on the road throughout Europe, Japan, Mexico and the Middle East.

But even after all that, Badrak's just plain happy to be in Yuma.

"This is going to be a nice experience," he said. "The talent I've already found here has been wonderful."

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Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.