OKLAHOMA FESTIVAL BALLET
FEATURES WORLD PREMIERE
BALLET AT OU SEPT. 28 AND 30TH

Tribute Set to Maya Angelou’s Poem, Still I Rise

   

“Kieran King, a ballet performance senior at OU School of Dance and member of Oklahoma Festival Ballet”

photo by Shevaun Williams

(NORMAN, OKLA.)— An evening of grand and diverse ballet will be presented by the School of Dance and University Theatre with this season’s production of Oklahoma Festival Ballet at the University of Oklahoma featuring choreography by George Balanchine, Alejandro Cerrudo, Amy Hall Garner and Nilas Martins.

Oklahoma Festival Ballet opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, with additional performances scheduled at 8 p.m. Sept. 23, 27 and 28, and 3 p.m. Sept. 23 and 30. All performances will be held in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman campus. This production is suitable for all audiences.

"We are excited to present a diverse and dynamic array of works on the Brackett stage here at OU,” states Michael Bearden, School of Dance director. “Maya Angelou's life and words inspired so many people across the nation and the world. It is our pleasure to honor her though the art form of Dance and in turn to hopefully inspire our community in the process."

This year’s Oklahoma Festival Ballet répétiteurs are Jan Fugit, Jeremy Lindberg,  nd Jamy Meek; and ballet masters are Boyko Dossev and Rebecca Herrin.  Choreographer Nilas Martins staged his version of Les Noces for Oklahoma Festival Ballet.

Lickety Split is choreographed by Alejandro Cerrudo, an internationally acclaimed resident choreographer for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Set to the music of Devendra Banhart, this work was originally created on the dancers of Hubbard Street and has been a crowd favorite across the nation ever since. 

Concerto Barocco, one of George Balanchine's signature works, is set to Johann Sebastian Bach's “Concerto in D minor” for two violins. Originally created on the students of the School of American Ballet in New York City in 1941, this ballet has since been performed countless times across the globe. 

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Maya Angelou's book "And Still I Rise." In honor of this great literary work, the School of Dance has commissioned a new work to be created by African-American choreographer Amy Hall Garner. Her work I Rise promises to be a dynamic and powerful interpretation of this famous poem. 

 Igor Stravinsky’s Les Noces originally premiered in Paris, 1923. World renowned choreographer Nilas Martins’ version of Les Noces debuted in 2007 at the Santander International Festival in Santander, Spain.  This is the first performance of the ballet in the U.S.

The cast for the production includes School of Dance students Alison Ansinn, Kara Bannister, Cecilia Benoit, Alexandra Brewster, Olivia Brooks, Micah Bullard, Emma Capen, Catherine Cobb, Emily Damiani, Aiden Donovan, Stephanie Eggars, Stephanie Gentry, Sydney Giles, Kendall Glasgow, Sienna Grace, Isaac Hileman, Anna Huffman, Joni Keaton, Kieran King, Noah Klarck, Hannah Knorr, Mia Koshansky, Jessica Landers, Hannah LeComte, Alexis Leffel, Jessica Liske, Sara Mack, Lauren Martinez, Owen Materne, Molly McGuerty, Breanna Mitchell, Lacey Moss, Amelia Murray, Emily Nichols, Julia Payne, Michelle Peterson, Laura Pratt, Carlie Preskitt, Justin Rainey, Abigayle Reiber, Korie Richardson, Chiara Ruff, Julie Russel, Allie Smith, Sydney Swearinger, Cameron Terry, Emily Turpin, Emmy Wildermuth, Katie Wolfe and Caroline Young.

 

The design staff includes Jon Young, scenic designer; Mike Buchwald, Benjamin Burton, Lloyd Cracknell, Rebecca Shouse, costume designers; and Olivia DeLuca, lighting and media designer. The production staff consists of Michael Bearden, artistic director; Caroline Boyd, stage manager; Jeff Baldwin, technical director; Kasey Allee-Foremen, associate producer; and Mary Margaret Holt, producer.

 

Advance purchase tickets for Oklahoma Festival Ballet are $25 for adult; $20 for senior adult, OU employee and military; and $10 for student, plus processing fee. Tickets at the door are $35 for adult and $15 for student, cash or check only.  A 2-for-1 student ticket special is offered for the Thursday, Sept. 27 performance. Students must present student ID for this offer.

 

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.