DAYTON, OH (NWPR) – On Friday, February 11 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, February 12 at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 2:30 pm in the Victoria Theatre, the Dayton Ballet will present “Sapphire Celebration.”
The program opens with an entitled Scherzo, choreographed to the music of the second movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. This ballet is a reflective interpretation of the energetic and layered music of Beethoven’s masterpiece that showcases the athleticism and artistry of the dancers.
“Calling” is a modern ballet of six dancers who perform this imaginative work, set to the music of Goran Bregović, a Yugoslav musician of Serbian and Croatian decent and combined with the music of Kroke, a Polish musical group. The passionate voice in the Mediterranean music lends itself to the playful and energetic movement of the piece, which is filled with delicate partnering.
Light Rain is a ballet in three movements set to an original score by Douglas Adamz and Russ Gauthier, who employed Eastern rhythms in their composition, which has been described as “East-West fusion.” Light Rain refers to a rain of light as seen in the subtle shimmering by the dancers and special lighting effects that occur on stage.
The work became a signature piece for the Joffrey Ballet throughout the 80s, 90s and into the 2000’s until Gerald Arpino, who created it in 1981 for the Ballet’s Silver Anniversary, to showcase the new young dancers of the company until he passed in 2008, but this timeless ballet continues to be performed by companies around the world.
After each full performance of Sapphire Celebration, Dayton Ballet will offer a Q&A with dancers in the theater.
More at: https://daytonperformingarts.org.