Broadway performer for 11 years, ballet master and Parkinson’s advocate
By Emilee Mae Struss
Russian-native ballet master and former Broadway dancer Alexander Tressor moved to the Wood River Valley from New York City in September, to accept the position as artistic director of Sun Valley Ballet.
“I had heard of Sun Valley growing up in Russia,” Tressor said, “through that jazz black-and-white movie where they used Glenn Miller’s song, ‘Sun Valley Serenade.’”
Now entering its 41st season, Sun Valley Ballet, which is supported by the nonprofit Sun Valley Ballet Foundation, is located in Hailey just off of 1st Ave. N., in the Meriwether building.
The challenge for Tressor is to grow the company and that will entail broadening its mission and expanding the opportunities.
“My hope for Sun Valley Ballet is to bring awareness,” Tressor said. “I would like to see us turn this place into an arts center with a children’s theatre.”
Tressor wants to see students evolve from “content consumers to content creators.” He sees an opportunity to incorporate technology into dance and include acting and other artistic talents to provide the tools for students to be successful in various creative arts fields in the future.
“Growing up in Russia,” Tressor said, “it was very different.”
In Russia, there are many large ballet schools that select only the best of the best based off of a series of physical characteristics, which are selected by ballet masters.
“Your feet, your legs, your body, the shape of your head, and your height is what determines if you’re a ballet dancer in Russia,” Tressor said. “And the professionals choose from thousands of perfect kids, which are chosen when they are only five or six years old.”
The process can be emotionally traumatizing for students; however, Tressor expressed that that is how Russian ballet dancers become top performers.
Conversely, in the United States, students have many choices of sports and extracurricular activities to be involved in. Ballet, being the narrow field it is, doesn’t always hold the number of students that the schools would like.
Tressor wants to take the best of both worlds to create a new program for the company to present. Part of that will include integrating the historical roots of ballet and dance into the learning process, and also partnering with other ballet studios, such as Ballet Idaho in Boise, to bring their students to the Wood River Valley to perform and send Sun Valley Ballet students to Boise to perform.
Tressor is no novice to challenging situations. In 2006, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive degenerative neurological disorder. Through exercise and eating healthy, Tressor works hard to reduce his symptoms. He is a cycle instructor at Zenergy, where he teaches classes specially adapted to those who suffer from neuromuscular disorders. He has chosen not to take medication, citing many negative side effects.
Tressor has created a program called “Parkinson’s On The Move,” where he encourages others with the disorder along their journey. Tressor offers personalized plans for individuals with the disease, as well as free resources on his website, pdonthemove.com.
The public will have an opportunity to learn more about the company and its new direction thanks to a community donor who funded two childrens’ winter season recitals this weekend. Sun Valley Ballet will be the first performers to break ground in the new Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
To learn more about Sun Valley Ballet, visit their website, sunvalleyballet.com.