Burke has added some interesting new tricks and treats to Washington Irving’s 1819 gothic tale, but you’ll definitely recognize central characters like Ichabod Crane, Brom Bones, Katrina and the Headless Horseman. She’s come up with a prequel that helps explain how the Headless Horseman came to be.
More than 50 dancers will be on stage for this production including 20 from the professional company, 12 to 15 from members of DB2 and additional students. Composer Austin Jaquith has created an original score which will be performed live by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Neal Gittleman.
Creating a new ballet
Burke, who’s been involved with dance for 60 years, says it’s a beautiful art form that can be so much fun. “There’s so much that dance can do that people don’t always realize,” she says. “They think it’s just about steps.”
She says using stories people already know provides an easy and accessible way for patrons–especially children–to come to the theater and see that familiar story told in a new and different way. Burke believes it’s a great opportunity to reach people new to dance. “They’ll see how much fun it can be as opposed to watching the story on television.”
In this scenario, you’ll meet Ichabod as a small child and see his father going off to fight in the Revolutionary War. During that war his father kills the Hessian soldier who later becomes the Headless Horseman. Ichabod’s father comes home with a trophy; he has taken the Hessian’s medal as a souvenir and gives it to his little boy who is fascinated by the history of the medal. The Headless Horseman is seeking to get his medal back.
“I enjoy the challenge of creating something from nothing using music and movement,” Burke says.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was originally scheduled to premiere in the fall of 2020, but then came COVID. Burke ended up working on the ballet for three years. Now she believes the additional time turned out to be a good thing. “I reworked it and found more in the music than I did in the first pass. I realized the story could be so much more.”
Meet Austin Jaquith
Jaquith, a professor of music theory and composition at Cedarville University, was commissioned to come up with music for the new ballet. A native of California, he also composed the music for the Dayton Ballet’s “Dracula: Bloodlines.”
“The choreographer comes up with a script which includes the flow of the dance numbers,” he explains. " For each of those numbers she tells me what’s going to happen, who will be dancing, what kind of character interaction will take place and about how long she wants that number to be.”
Jaquith has also composed music for film. “In film, your music has to fit with a lot of other sound elements,” he adds. “As a result, the music is constantly being underplayed so it doesn’t overwhelm the other aspects of the film – characters talking, sound effects, doors closing, footsteps. In ballet the music is the only sound and can therefore be a lot more energetic.”
Jacquith spent five months composing the “Sleepy Hollow” music. He began by reading the original Washington Irving classic, written in the 1800′s. “A story provides great musical inspiration,” he says. “The choreographer usually adds personal touches and what I like about Karen’s ballet is that this story mixes elements of horror and comedy.”
He uses a computer program that generates mockups of the music. Those mockups are then given to the choreographer who listens to it, then provides feedback and suggestions. “Maybe she’ll ask me to make the mood less intense; she’ll give me directions to help shape the piece,” Jacquith says.
Once the mockups have been created for the entire ballet, Burke is given the finished recordings. “At that point, I become a bystander,” says Jaquith. “After I’ve composed the music and Karen has signed off on it, my role is over. I am invited to attend the orchestra rehearsals as a consultant.”
Jaquith says it’s a thrill to see the finished ballet on stage. “It’s marvelous to see something you’ve created being magnified to become this wonderful visual narrative.”
Becoming a ghost
Mia Sanchez, who is marking her fifth season with the dance company, will portray one of the three lead ghosts in the Headless Horseman’s posse. They aren’t your traditional Halloween ghosts. “We’re very earthy ghosts who support the coming to life of the Headless Horseman after he dies,” she explains. ”We are grounded in nature and help create a spookiness of the horseman and his power.” She says even though it’s October and a Halloween story, the ballet features a lot of comedy and light-hearted moments.
Sanchez, who is from Chicago, began dancing as a little girl. The thrill of performing on stage in front of a live audience quickly drew her in. “With each season, I learn something new about my own dancing and how I’ve grown,” she adds. “Karen does a really good job of mixing story ballet and repertoire to keep things interesting and allow us to flex our muscles. Sometimes it’s just by dancing in different shoes: pointe shoes, jazz, barefoot, socks or flat ballet shoes. “With each season, I learn something new about my own dancing and how I’ve grown.”
It may surprise you to hear that Sanchez is getting her undergraduate degree in accounting from Ohio State University and hopes to combine her love of dance with business. She says there are actually similarities between the two. “The attention to detail and a little bit of problem-solving comes in dance as well as accounting. I’d love to somehow mesh the two and work in the accounting department of a ballet company.”
Sanchez is particularly excited about performing “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” with a live orchestra. “When we have a live orchestra it’s really magical to listen to the live music and be able to dance to it,” she says. " I personally love the unpredictability of live music. It makes it new for every performance!”
HOW TO GO:
What: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” a world premiere ballet choreographed by Karen Russo Burke. With the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Neal Gittleman and original music by composer Austin Jaquith.
Where: Victoria Theater, 138 N. Main St., Dayton
When: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.
Tickets: $5 to $86. To order: Call (937) -228-3630 or visit daytonperformingarts.org/tickets
Note: The show has one 15 minute intermission and runs one hour and forty-five minutes.
RELATED PROGRAMMING: Following the show, there is a Q&A with artistic director Karen Russo Burke and the ballet dancers. Burke will also take the stage before each act to provide some commentary.
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