Tulsa Ballet dancers in Jiri Kylian’s “Petit Mort.” Photo by Christopher Jean-Richard.
Tulsa Ballet will present a series of performances throughout Italy in the spring of 2016, which will be the fourth international tour for Tulsa Ballet. The company made its international debut in 2002, when it performed as part of the Sintra Festival in Sintra, Portugal. In 2007, the company performed in Serbia and Croatia, and Oklahoma Governor, Brad Henry, issued a proclamation that deemed Tulsa Ballet an “Oklahoma Cultural Ambassador.” In 2008, the company traveled to Seoul, South Korea.
The Italian tour will begin on March 30, 2016 in the northern city of Trieste, and then continue with performances in Udine, Mestre, Vicenza and Perugia, concluding April 8 in Brindisi. One or two additional performances may be added at a later date.
Although Tulsa Ballet’s Artistic Director, Marcello Angelini, is a native of Italy, he has lived in Tulsa for the past twenty years. “This tour has significance to me from so many perspectives. It is such an honor to represent the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma all over the world. It’s also fascinating to consider that the art form of ballet traces its origins back to the 16th century Italian Renaissance; yet, in the United States, Oklahoma was one of the last states to be incorporated into the union. That fact that Tulsa Ballet is going to represent our state and this art form in the country that virtually invented it is something very special.”
Tulsa Ballet will perform three pieces, created by three of the top choreographers in the world today, to showcase the versatility of the company and appeal to diverse audiences. The program will include: “Classical Symphony” by Yuri Possokhov, “Petit Mort” by Jiri Kylian, and “Rooster” by Christopher Bruce.
Oklahoma audiences will have the opportunity to see Tulsa Ballet perform these works at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center as part of the “Masters of Dance” program March 18 – 20, 2016. Tickets go on sale August 3rd.
For more information about the 2015-2016 Tulsa Ballet season, call the box office at (918) 749-6006.