Artist has ties to 'Tempest'

She danced the role of Miranda in the original 1980 version of Michael Smuin's "The Tempest" with Tom Ruud, who danced Ferdinand, in the San Francisco Ballet production.

Now she is back staging the work, which is based on William Shakespeare's play. And Tom Ruud's son, Christopher Ruud, principal dancer for Ballet West, is dancing the role of Ferdinand.

"I remember watching Chris as a baby," Cisneros-Legate said before rehearsals at the Capitol Theatre last week. "I remember Tom tossing him up in the air. And now, I see Chris as a beautiful dancer and grown young man. It is amazing to me."

Cisneros-Legate said there are similarities between the elder Ruud and the younger Ruud.

"I was working with Chris the other day, and we were doing the wedding scene," Cisneros-Legate said. "When Chris stood there, I saw Tom. And the funny thing is, when Chris would turn his head a different way, he resembled Michael's son Shane."

When Cisneros-Legate worked with the elder Ruud in San Francisco, they knew the roles to a point where they would be able to adjust to each other's need by just looking at each other.

"He could tell when I was balanced and he would come in later if I wasn't," she said. "We would be able to make those adjustments and still keep the choreography. The steps and lifts are all there because they need to be danced the way they have them, but it was up to us to bring in ourselves to the role."

That's Cisneros-Legate's goal for the Ballet West dancers.

"I tell them I see them doing the steps, but I need to see this," she said, pointing to her heart. "I need to see them make the role their own by adding themselves into the dancing."

Christopher Ruud said he saw a photo of himself when he was 5 years old with his father and Cisneros-Legate backstage after the taping of "The Tempest" for PBS.

"I have a more than vague memory of this role as opposed to other roles my father had danced," he said. "And after my father died (in February 1994), I was going through my father's possessions and found a videotape of him and Evelyn dancing 'The Tempest.' It's nice to have, in this day and age, not only photographs, but videos. I was able to see my father in action."

Christopher Ruud said he knew people would automatically compare his interpretation of the role to his father's version.

"But I went into the role without any apprehensions," he said during a rehearsal break. "I was ready to be a part of it and own the role personally. The thing for me is, I have to revert back to my teenage days to get into the role. Ferdinand is a boy who is discovering love for the first time.

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