Four ballets comprise this program showcasing creative, acclaimed choreographers bolstering the organization’s desire to push the boundaries of technique and conversation of dance.
Opening the program will be Burke’s lively “Scherzo,” choreographed to the music of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Next, choreographer Peggy Saunders’ “Sur le Fil,” set to the soundtrack of the 2001 film Amélie, offers a fun and flirty duet exploring the mischievous nature of love.
Internationally acclaimed choreographer Ma Cong’s modern ballet “Calling” incorporates six dancers performing to the music of Goran Bregović, a Yugoslav musician of Serbian and Croatian descent.
The late Gerald Arpino’s “Light Rain” will conclude the program. Premiering in 1981 for the Joffrey Ballet’s Silver Anniversary, “Light Rain” is a ballet in three movements set to an original score by Douglas Adamz and Russ Gauthier, who filled their work with Eastern rhythms. In particular, the title refers to “a rain of light as seen in the subtle shimmering by the dancers and special lighting effects that occur on stage.” The piece was a signature routine for the Joffrey Ballet throughout the ‘80s, 90s and into the 2000s until Arpino’s death in 2008.
HOW TO GO
What: “Sapphire Celebration”
Where: Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton
When: Feb. 11-13; Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Cost: Tickets start at $5
Tickets: Call 937-228-3630 or visit daytonperformingarts.org.
FYI: All patrons over the age of 6 must wear a mask.
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