TULSA, OK – July 10, 2019– Tulsa Ballet II presents bold and creative new dance works at On Your Radar, August 23 – 25thin Tulsa and Broken Arrow. For information, call 918-749-6006 or visit tulsaballet.org.
Three of the world’s most in-demand choreographers bring three exciting works from around the nation and the world, performed by Tulsa Ballet II, the second company of Tulsa Ballet which features young, rising stars of the dance world.
Untitled Piece
Choreography by Daniel van de Laar
Daniel studied for ten years at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands. While dancing with Nederlands Dans Theater 2 and Scapino Ballet in Rotterdam, he had the opportunity to work with well-known choreographers such as Kylián, Lightfoot & León, Pite, Goecke, and others. Since joining Tulsa Ballet in 2015 he has danced leading roles in The Green Table (Jooss), Strictly Gershwin (Deane) and in Meðal (Pickett) and is now ecstatic to have the opportunity to take creative lead in choreographing works for Tulsa Ballet II.
Melodia
Choreography by Ma Cong
Ma, Tulsa Ballet’s Resident Choreographer, started his dance career at the Beijing Dance Academy, where he trained in the art of Chinese classical dance, where he soon discovered his love for ballet. Ma launched his career with Folia, created for Tulsa Ballet in 2004, and quickly became a choreographer that critics describe as powerful and passionate. His work Melodia, was presented in Grand Gala at Pesaro International Choreographic Festival and Miami International Ballet Competition Gala and is a favorite here at Tulsa Ballet.
Watercolor
Choreography by Jimmy Orrante
As a former dancer with BalletMet, Jimmy Orrante had opportunities to create numerous works for the company. When creating Watercolor, it was the first time Jimmy had worked with a composer to create a longer work. Jimmy’s fellow dancer (and current BalletMet dancer), Gabriel Gaffney Smith, had been creating short pieces, one of which was a new unfinished short composition that, to Jimmy, made him feel as if he were under water. After asking Gabriel to expand on that piece, it ended up being the music Jimmy used for the pas de deux in Watercolor. From then on they stuck with a water theme. Speaking on how the music inspired this whimsical feeling, Jimmy explains, “I asked that the work start with the sounds of a water drop, and eventually swell to various forms and energy of water. The fun part for both of us was the continuous dialog to determine which direction to take the music or what the music needed. The concept, choreography and costumes were all inspired by what I was hearing. While creating, I explored with emulating streams, waves, fluidity, playing with water, rushing water, and even still water.”
About TBII
TBII was founded in 2005 with a vision that would bridge the gap between the student phase of an aspiring classical ballet dancer and their professional career. Students wanting to be a part of this incredible program must go through an international audition search where only the most talented and committed young men and women are considered to come to Tulsa Ballet to train under some of the best teachers to refine their skills in hopes that one day they will be asked to join the main Tulsa Ballet company and start their long career as a dancer. Artistic Director Marcello Angelini stated, “We envisioned TBII being part of the same culture of excellence as our main company, and we wanted the program to allow young talent to flawlessly transition from the academic studies of ballet to the professional life of a ballet dancer. Further, we wanted the ensemble to be composed of young talent coming from the top schools in the world, competition winners, dancers we could shape technically, aesthetically and culturally to be members of our main company. We also wanted at least a third of the main company to be composed of former TBII members, another lofty goal.”
After a long vacation back to their homes with friends and family, TBII returned to Tulsa from their homes all over the U.S., Japan, and Italy on Monday, July 8 to begin preparing for On Your Radar. Along with On Your Radar and Next Generation, which will premier in April of 2020, the TBII dancers are also given other opportunities throughout the year to work with Backstage at the Ballet, our outreach program, and to work with the Tulsa Ballet Main Company. These types of opportunities were all a part of the initial vision for a second company at Tulsa Ballet, which has grown tremendously since its inception back in 2005. Fourteen years later the goals for this vision have not only been met, but exceeded expectations and continue to allow more goals to be added so that this program touches even more lives. Speaking on the accomplishment of these goals, Marcello says, “Hard to believe when, in year one, we had just one single dancer in this program…and when we look at the main company, more than one third of the dancers are TBII graduates. Personally, I enjoy watching TBII just as much as I do the main company, their energy on stage being a visualization of their passion for dance and dreams for their future.”
Tickets for On Your Radar start at just $25. For tickets call (918) 749-6006 or visit www.tulsaballet.org. Ask about TBII mini-subscription and see two shows for just $40 – a savings of $15!
On Your Radar, featuring:
This Must be the End
Choreography by Daniel van de Laar
Melodia
Choreography by Ma Cong, Tulsa Ballet Resident Choreographer
Watercolor
Choreography by Jimmy Orrante
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 23, 2019
7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 24 2019
2:30 pm Sunday, August 25, 2019
WHERE: August 23: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
August 24: Zarrow Performance Studio | 1901 W New Orleans St, Broken Arrow, OK 74011
August 25: Studio K | 1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
TICKETS: Start at $25 | Call the Tulsa Ballet Box Office at 918.749.6006 or visit www.tulsaballet.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit Tulsa Ballet at www.tulsaballet.org.
Hi-Res images and interview opportunities available:
Bethany Kirby | Marketing Manager
918.392.5949 | Bethany.kirby@tulsaballet.org