OU'S CONTEMPORARY DANCE
OKLAHOMA OPENS FEB. 24th

Courtesy of University of Oklahoma School of Dance

Norman—University Theatre and the University of Oklahoma School of Dance present Contemporary Dance Oklahoma scheduled to open at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave. Norman.  Additional performances are at 8 p.m. , Feb. 25, March 3, 4, and at 3 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 5. This production is rated PG.

OU School of Dance faculty Austin Hartel and Roxanne Lyst have created a production of modern dance works that challenge the dancer’s creative and physical limits. From narrative to abstract and mood inspired choreography, Contemporary Dance Oklahoma brings modern dance to explosive life on stage at OU.

Lyst choreographed her first dance work for University Theatre entitled “#” (hashtag). Describing her new work, Lyst said, “# is a meta tag symbol used via Twitter and Facebook for social or political slogans. In Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, # is a work that explores how pop culture is quick to post slogans about global injustices but slow to engage in the process of abolishing those same injustices.”

Hartel describes Brodie’s Introspection, “The dancers represent two sides of a person’s mind as they wrestle with a decision between two choices and reach an ultimate conclusion.”

Hartel’s other dance works include Pictures On Exhibition, Tethered, and In The Garden.

Contemporary Dance Oklahoma comprises students from the School of Dance. They are Alma Cienski, Ashley Coffin, Hannah Dellenbeck, Infiniti Eaglin, Bailey Evans, Kessa Fehring, Meagan Feil, Tessa Gidish, Gianna Hagnell, Nacoleon Hillsman, Jamilynne Johnson, Alexandra Lane, Korinne Manjarres, Billi Marder, Sara Peana, Melynda Phillips, Bethany Raley, Irandy Reyes, Joi Rice, Julie Russel, Breanna Troutman, Manuel Valdes, Megan Watson, Claire Wilcutt and Nicole Young.

The production staff consists of Kalani Lewis, scenic designer; Lloyd Cracknell, Ciara Smith, Patricia Mason and Jenava Burguiere, costume designers; Sam Brown, lighting designer; Haley Sartin, stage manager; Clara Cravey Stanley, School of Dance associate director; Kasey Allee-Foreman, associate producer; and Mary Margaret Holt, producer.

OU’s program in dance was founded in 1963 by Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov, former principal dancers with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The department became the School of Dance in 1998 with Mary Margaret Holt as director. Undergraduate and graduate dance majors, along with general education students, total approximately 1000 students in dance classes per semester. The School of Dance’s state-of-the-art facility in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Art Center was completed in 2005.

For more information or to schedule an interview call the OU School of Dance office (405) 325-4051.

Advance purchase tickets for Contemporary Dance Oklahoma are $25 for adult; $20 for senior adult, OU employee and military; and $10 for student, plus handling fee. Tickets at the door are $35 for adult and $15 for student, cash or check only.  Tickets also may be purchased online at theatre.ou.edu, by calling (405) 325-4101 or visiting the OU Fine Arts Box Office in the Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St. For accommodations, please call the OU Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

Courtesy of O.U. School of Dance
                                                                                   

SKATING AND GYMNASTICS
SPECTACULAR ON ABC AT
2:00 P.M. SATURDAY 2/17

Bart Connors, Nadia Comaneci and
Kristi Yamaguchi host the annual Skating
and Gymnastics tomorrow at 2 p.m. on
ABC. 
This has been an excellent program for
the last several years for the combination
of two sports in an entertaining program.
 

MISS BROWN TO YOU
PLAYS

‘Nightingale’ coffee is also on sale at Forward Foods (2001 W Main Street in Norman,) or directly from Leap Coffee at 44 NE 51st Street.  Leap is open Wed-Thu-Fri from 9:00 to 3:00, or Monday and Tuesday by appointment.  602-5800.  And the truth can now be told:  it’s Oaxacan mixed with Sumatran in a darker-than-medium roast. In town, especially Downtown:  Thursday, February 16th is Noon Tunes at the Downtown Library (300 Park Avenue) and the next day, Friday, February 17th, Art Moves.  This time in a new place: the 21c Museum Hotel at 900 W Main Street. Both of these engagements run from Noon to One.   Looking ahead, we’ll be at Full Circle on Saturday, March 4th.  The Quartet will join us at the Jazz Lab on Saturday, March 11th.  And Friday - Saturday, March 17th & 18th:  Joni Mitchell Nights at the Blue Door!   MissBrowntoYou.com

Miss Brown to You | PO Box 54642, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-0642

OKC BALLET PRESENTS
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

 

Oklahoma City Ballet will perform The Sleeping Beauty February 17-19, 2017 at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City. This classic good-versus-evil tale is based on the story by Charles Perrault, La Belle au Bois Dormant.

Debuting in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, The Sleeping Beauty is known as one of the most demanding ballets to perform.  Oklahoma City Ballet Artistic Director Robert Mills will stage this cornerstone of classical ballet repertoire by supplementing the Marius Petipa choreography that remains from the original production with his own new choreography.  The lead role of Princess Aurora is considered one of the most difficult roles for a ballerina in classical ballet.  The role will be split, with Principal Dancer Miki Kawamura and Soloist DaYoung Jung sharing the load. “The most intimidating part is that this role is so definitive of classical ballet. There’s no hiding, no cheating; you have to get it exactly right,” said Kawamura. “It was definitely on my bucket list.  I never thought I was the Aurora type, growing up.”  This will be her first time to dance the role of Aurora.

This visually stunning ballet tells the story of Princess Aurora, cursed by the evil Carabosse to die on her 16^th birthday, when she will prick her finger on a spindle.  The spell is partially undone by the Lilac Fairy, who modifies the spell as much as she is able so that the Princess will not die, but instead sleep for 100 years.  The spell will then be broken by the kiss of a Prince. The Lilac Fairy chooses Prince Désiré to awaken Aurora, and leads him to her.  Despite Carabosse’s attempts to foil the Prince, he arrives at the castle and awakens the Princess. 

The music for The Sleeping Beauty was composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, one of his famous trilogy of ballet scores (the other two are The Nutcracker and Swan Lake), and it will be performed live by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic at all performances.  This will be the first time in more than 15 years for The Sleeping Beauty to be performed by Oklahoma City Ballet, and marks the first time that all three Tchaikovsky ballets have been in OKC Ballet’s repertoire at one time. 

The large cast will use the entire company, and also a number of children from The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet. These students auditioned in September for roles in The Sleeping Beauty.

The family-friendly classical ballet in three acts will run in approximately 2 ½ hours.

For more information, visit www.okcballet.com, or call 405-848-TOES (8637).  

# # #

About Oklahoma City Ballet:  Founded in 1972 by Ballet Russe dancers Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov, Oklahoma City Ballet has been the city’s professional ballet company for 45 years. It is the resident dance Company of the Civic Center Music Hall and currently boasts 45 dancers from around the world. Led by Artistic Director Robert Mills, the Company produces four main stage productions per season in Oklahoma City and tours across Oklahoma and surrounding states. Oklahoma City Ballet restages the classics in addition to neoclassical and other works of the 20th century.  It also regularly commissions new works from the industry’s leading choreographers.

Courtesy of the Oklahoma City Ballet