What’s Better than Ballet & Beer?

Megan Cain, General Manager

Ohio Dance Theatre

 

It was late July and I was sitting on my front porch thinking about the upcoming ODTseason. I was wondering about dance companies and how they could become more engaged in their community. Obviously our goal is to expand audiences, but it occurs to me that many view dance, particularly ballet as inaccessible.

The idea of Beer & Ballet is not new. I began to hear of dance companies using this concept as a way to reach new audiences about 5 years ago. The idea always intrigued me and felt this fall would be a good time for us to try the event. I approached Artistic Director, Denise Gula about the idea of a more intimate in studio event featuring our own company dancer’s choreography along with the idea of food and beer. Denise agreed that it was an opportunity to connect with our local audience in a new way.

The free in studio performance gives our dancers a chance to create their own choreography in a more intimate setting. The audience will have a chance to relax and enjoy the performance then mingle with the professional company dancers. I sat down to talk with the three company members who are choreographing for the upcoming event.

Monica Starr is doing a selection from Rimsky-Korsakov’s“Scheherazade”. Starr states, “Ever since I performed to Kathy Posin’s Scheherazade with the Milwaukee Ballet, I have loved the musical score. I consider this particular music selection, very exciting as it builds from the slow and sultry melody of the solo violin, into an impassioned musical explosion. I didn’t enter into choreographing the piece with a defined“beginning, middle and conclusion”, but more of a continual exploration that builds in determination, with an emphasis on group support. I love this piece; it shows me more and more each day. But what is most exciting is how the dancers take it and show it back to me in ways I didn't expect. And that is the great and exciting risk you take when choreographing.”

The second piece being choreographed is by company member, Jennifer Norris. “Choreographing is fun and a great experience for me. I learn how to work differently with people and how I can work to get what I want across to the dancers. The piece I chose to choreograph is about Spanish maidens that are heartbroken due to their men having to leave for war. The piece's intent is about "Love". That is the original title for the piece but I might change it. It has been such a pleasure to set this piece on the ODT dancers. The music is originally composed by Hayden Hinchman of Columbus. He made the music to my idea for the dance. The simple piano plays with the love strings of the heart and also takes you through the story.”

The last of the dancer choreographed works for the program is by Kasha Hilton. Hilton expresses, “My piece for Ballet, Brauts & Beer is inspired by my incredible summer spent at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Within in the program we had two classes called Improvisation, creating movement on the spot without pre-planning, and Creation, creating pieces of our own and collaborating with others to create viewable pieces. Both of which proved to be entirely out of my comfort zone at first. Once I was able to set aside the boundary of comfort and learn how to put myself into the two concepts, I was really able to allow movement to come to me naturally without much thought. Much of my piece is based off multiple phrases of improvisation that have been formed into phrases of workable choreography. It is a two minute piece set to an instrumental called “Convergence” by the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. I did not necessarily choreograph to the music thinking of the concept of converging or with that specific title. As of now it is more of concept piece, where the music and the dancing creates what is seen, rather than a story line."

Ohio Dance Theatre’s fist Ballet, Brauts, & Beer is generously sponsored by Heidelberg Distributing Company.

Ballet,Brauts& Beer

Nov. 14, 6:30 pm

ODT Studio

39 S. Main Street, Oberlin OH 44074

Call 440-774-6077 to register.