Wednesday, March 20

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Ballet Austin presents a ballet based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

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It's also abundantly clear that the dancers are not performing just one particular Poe tale at a time. Elements from five stories — "The Raven," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Masque of Red Death" and "The Imp of the Perverse" — are blended into one macabre hallucination.

Related.

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Ballet Tucson wraps up its season.

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"Paquita" is a classic ballet with recognizable tutus and Spanish influence. "Sum Stravinsky" is a "tutu ballet but with a twist" as it leans toward a neo-classical feel. And with the playfulness and character of "The Piano Dance" and the modern, relaxed athleticism of "Asphodel," there is a blend of tradition and exploration of movement in ballet.

 

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A preview of Hong Kong Ballet's new mixed bill.

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But then three choreographers from different eras—George Balanchine (1904-1983), William Forsythe (1955-) and Andonis Foniadakis (1971-)—subverted the traditional dance form completely, by challenging the gender roles in ballet, reinventing the usual formula of groups and duet arrangements, and more.

Now, the Hong Kong Ballet’s artistic director Septime Webre has compiled a production that puts together three ballet pieces, one each from of the three above-mentioned choreographers. The production titled The Rule Breakers runs from March 22 to 24 at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and features the dance form at its most experimental and innovative.

 

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 The choreographer William Yong talks about his new ballet for the National Ballet of Canada.

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UtopiVerse, by choreographer William Yong, explores the concept of utopia in the age of technology. Yong — who also dances, acts, designs and directs — uses light, music, video and contemporary movement to create his futuristic world.

Yong, born in Hong Kong but based in Toronto, said his creativity emerged in childhood. He said his early experiences, steeped in poverty, helped to shape the ballet that audiences will see. The world premiere leads a winter triple bill that runs until Sunday. 

 

[dirac]

How Pittsburgh arts organizations are coping with a long-term decline in subscriptions.

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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, which mounts five productions a year, is the exception that proves the rule, as the company is capitalizing on repertoire trends. After multiple seasons of record-breaking revenue for “The Nutcracker,” the ballet is fronting story ballets with recognizable names in a special “family fairytale” subscription package.

 

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Atlanta Ballet presents an in-house work by dancer Sergio Masero.

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Gennadi Nedvigin, Atlanta Ballet’s artistic director, said one advantage of cultivating choreographic talent from within the company is that Masero, like choreographer-in-residence Claudia Schreier, begins the process of creating a new work already familiar with the company and its strengths.