TULSA, OK – August 16, 2019– Tulsa Ballet presents Creations in Studio K, featuring works from three of the world’s most in-demand choreographers, September 12 – 22, at Studio K, its intimate performance space on Brookside.
For tickets and information, call 918-749-6006 or visit tulsaballet.org.
Presenting two world premieres and the return of a popular piece, Creations in Studio Kgets audiences up-close to the power and athleticism of professional dancers performing new and contemporary works.
The program will feature:
Escaping the Weight of Darkness
Ma Cong
Tulsa Ballet resident choreographer Ma Cong has wanted to create this special work for the past three years.
Inspired by the music of Italian composer and performer Ezio Bosso, the work comes from Bosso’s desire to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Cong says, “He was fighting through to find hope and faith to live his life…[this work] is dedicated to people who are fighting their own personal illness. I hope the positive voices coming out of this work will inspire them to have the encouragement to fight through.”
Untitled World Premiere
Garrett Smith
Smith was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he trained with the Utah Regional Ballet and the Houston Ballet Academy, where he created five works on Houston Ballet as an apprentice. Smith then joined Norwegian National Ballet where he worked with choreographers William Forsythe and John Cranko. After having to regretfully cancel his plans to choreograph a piece for Tulsa Ballet a few years back, Artistic Director Marcello Angelini wanted Smith back, saying, “He is young, yet he has already created works for the top companies of the world, including The Mariinksy Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, the New York City Ballet (Largest American company), Houston Ballet, Washington Ballet and many more.”
He has created works for the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, New York City Ballet, and Washington Ballet, as well as co-choreographing a new Swan Lake, set on stage and on the ice at the Dynamo Stadium in Moscow, which features figure skaters, acrobats, and ballet dancers.
Prawn-watching
Val Caniparoli
Val Caniparoli is a legend in the world of choreography, where he has contributed to the repertoires of more than 50 dance companies and has created beloved works performed around the United States and the world.
When Prawn-watchingwas first presented at Tulsa Ballet in October, 1997, it became an instant audience favorite. Not only was it an audience favorite, but Angelini accredits Prawn-watching as one of the turning points in Tulsa Ballet history, saying, “It was my way of saying to our audience ‘This is where we are going’.”Choreographed to seven compositions by British composer Michael Nyman, best known for his score for the Academy Award winning film The Piano, Prawn-watchingreally doesn’t have much to do with shrimp. Rather, he uses the music to develop an exploration of relationships. Caniparoli said, “[Prawn-watching] has a rock-and-roll influence in the mix, including costumes of blue jeans for men and short, plaid skirts for women, conjuring up memories of the less hectic ‘50s.”
ABOUT CREATIONS IN STUDIO K
Created in 2008 by Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director Marcello Angelini, Creations in Studio Kprovides a necessary proving ground for the creation of new dance.
Angelini said, “What differentiates a vibrant arts organization nationally and internationally is its dedication to contributing new works to the market. There are dance companies that are ‘museums’, just presenting existing works in order to survive. Then, there are dance companies that identify with the importance of contributing to the future of the art form. It is those companies, like Tulsa Ballet, that chart the course of the field for decades to come.”
He asks, “Why is creating new work so important? Because tradition and innovation are one and the same. Giselle,Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and others were leading works of their times. Now, those works are the tradition of dance and it falls upon us to create the tradition of the next centuries.”
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS
Creations in Studio K, featuring:
Escaping the Weight of Darkness
Ma Cong, Tulsa Ballet Resident Choreographer
Untitled World Premiere
Garrett Smith
Prawn-watching
Val Caniparoli
WHEN AND WHERE:
September 12, 7:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 13, 7:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 14, 2:30 & 7:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 15, 2:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 19, 7:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 20, 7:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 21, 2:30 & 7:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
September 22, 2:30 pm: Studio K |1212 E 45th Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105
TICKETS: $25 – $65 | Call the Tulsa Ballet Box Office at 918.749.6006 or visit tulsaballet.org. Discounted student tickets available with valid ID.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: tulsaballet.org or 918.749.6006
Hi-Res images and interview opportunities available:
Bethany Kirby | Marketing Manager
918.392.5949 | Bethany.kirby@tulsaballet.org