"When I was in dance school, I had many female teachers who taught us many works and were the caretakers of the ballet but they were never really the artistic voice of creating the ballet," explained Dayton Ballet Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke. "I feel like we are a little bit behind the times in the dance world in that aspect as female artists.
“But I particularly find that female choreographers who have worked with Dayton Ballet are extremely music-oriented. In rehearsal, music appreciation is very important to them and the dancers totally understand the music and where the choreographers are coming from.”
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The concert opens with internationally acclaimed choreographer Gina Patterson’s “You Are Here,” which made its Dayton premiere in 2015 after its world premiere with Cincinnati Ballet in 2013. A tale of loss and perseverance, the work has been described as emotional, forceful and “an endless series of surprises.”
Jessica Lang's "From Foreign Lands and People," using the music of Robert Schumann, follows with its clever and captivating framework featuring large black rectangular boxes representing the black keys on the piano. Boxes will be laid on their sides, titled, propped on others to form slides, erected as pillars, and built into structures. "Dancers will crawl, slide, walk, and dance on, over, and around the boxes," Burke noted. "The boxes will truly become part of the choreography."
Dayton native and Wright State University graduate Susanne Payne will also be represented on the program with her energetic and athletic work “Dreams of Flight,” which received its world premiere with Dayton Ballet in 2014. In “Dreams of Flight,” a seven-part, abstract piece loosely inspired by Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist,” nine men take the stage with contemporary movement and gusto for a routine accented with exhilarating lifts, technical mastery and unique partnering.
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“I was hoping to convey a loose narrative about boys becoming men or the trajectory or journey of maturity as it relates to everyone,” said Payne, winner of Dayton Ballet’s 2009 “New Music for New Dance” competition. “The piece conveys the wondrous dreams boys have. They think they are invincible. They try to outdo each other. In the end, they learn the power of unity and togetherness.”
As Burke anticipates showcasing her own brand new, all-female ballet in the concert, a work that will specifically highlight the fast footwork and languid adagio movements female dancers are known for, she is confident "The Female Factor" will serve as fitting and celebratory season finale for the company.
“This production is a great way to end the season,” she said. “These are four solid pieces and everyone is dancing with a dancer’s heart. The production will show the connectivity of the company, how close we are as a family, and how versatile we are. We are celebrating being able to be together and do these great works.”
WANT TO GO?
What: "The Female Factor"
Where: Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St, Dayton
When: March 30-April 2; 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Next Sunday
Cost: $21-$72
Tickets/more info: Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit ticketcenterstage.com
FYI: Karen Russo Burke will conduct a pre-performance talk for ticketholders 45 minutes prior to curtain time in the Burnell Roberts Room which is accessible through the foyer of the Victoria Theatre. Also, a Q&A with Burke and the company dancers will follow each performance inside the theater. The pre and post-performance forums are free of charge.
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