Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo on stage, above, and Trent Montgomery as Ludmilla Beaulemova, below left. (Photos courtesy of Les Ballet Trockadero)
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Last year, the famed dance company, Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo —perhaps more commonly known as The Trocks — celebrated 50 years of its signature all-male, ballet spoof in drag. Part satire, part slapstick and all top-notch skill, the company has grown beyond its niche into an internationally respected and revered troupe.
For newer dancers like Trent Montgomery (he/him), that legacy isn’t lost.
“They have such a great legacy, and to be a queer-based company for that long is a big thing,” Montgomery said.
That tenure says a lot to Montgomery these days. As the government works to chip away at LGBTQ rights and visiblity, The Trocks push through with its out loud display of men in drag, serving up pirouettes and arabesques in fine form.
“Right now, it is so important, and not just for queer people, but for everyone to see this type of work,” Montgomery said.
“I’m a queer kid from a small town in Arkansas, and I wasn’t around a lot of queer entertainment,” he continued. “But our shows engage the audience, and we give a joyful space to people who may not even understand ballet or drag. Then we just leave the rest for the audience to decide and enjoy.”
As part of its 50th anniversary tour, the company heads to Dallas this weekend as part of TITAS/Dance Unbound’s current season. The company performs Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, at Moody Performance Hall.
T/DU Executive Director Charles Santos says of The Trocks, “They’re fantastic because they are all superior dancers who don’t take themselves seriously,” Santos said in a promotional video.
“They are spoofing the classics,” Santos said. “What’s interesting is, you’re watching this comedy, and then you go, ‘Oh my god, they are such good dancers.’ On top of it they’re being funny.”
Montgomery first auditioned for The Trocks in February 2020 while in grad school. They had no contracts open then but told him to keep in touch. COVID slowed things up a bit, but a year later, he was asked to join, and his first tour was in January 2022.
Montgomery plays two roles within the company — literally. “Ludmila Beaulemova” and “Jens Witzelsucht” are his onstage personas.
“These characters are handed down, and the names are recycled. But I definitely make them my own,” he said. “When I put on that makeup — especially for Ludmila — I become that character.”
Prior to The Trocks, Montgomery wasn’t about drag outside of the occasional Halloween night out. Being with the company hasn’t changed his mind as much as it has expanded it.
He may not be a full-on drag queen, but he now realizes drag is something special.
“Oh, it’s very liberating, and when I’m putting on the wig — I mean, this is my mother! I see her!” he said. “But then, in my early ballet years, I was learning both male and female roles, and I always wanted to do pointe work. So to bring that all together and get on stage is so freeing to me.”
Being able to do that pointe work Montgomery practiced for so long is clearly rewarding and the thing he always wanted in his dance career. But he has another favorite part of being a Trock: “It’s the people, the dancers. For me, it’s the relationship I build with this team. In a traditional company, you do a show then go home, but we’re touring all the time, and it’s this close and safe queer space. That’s amazing.”
For tickets, visit TITAS.org.