Photos courtesy of Jennifer Zmuda
BalletMet will attempt to wow audiences once again as it returns to the stage Oct. 21-23 to perform Night and Day: A Collection of Short Ballets.
In the dance company’s second performance of the 2016-2017 season, and first since Sept. 25, a foundation of nature will be one of the only things connecting the three diverse performances of the program.
The first ballet of the night will be the iconic choreographer George Balanchine’s Serenade. Set to the music of Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings in C,” Balanchine’s signature work tells the story of a day in the life of a dancer.
Next will be Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, set to a score that blends traditional African melodies with the sound of Johann Sebastian Bach. Lambarena brings together classical ballet and African dance, featuring pirouettes followed by stomping and clapping for unique experience.
Jennifer Zmuda
The final act of the night will be Murmuration, choreographed by BalletMet Artistic Director Edwaard Liang. This ballet attempts to mirror the flight of starling birds by having dancers never breaking formation.
Serenade, Lambarena and Murmuration are expected to last 33, 38 and 26 minutes, respectively, with 15 minute intermissions.
Columbus’s BalletMet has made a name for itself as a truly versatile dance company. It has toured in 28 states and five countries outside the United States since its inception in 1978 and each year stages 60-70 performances.
Night and Day performances will be at the Ohio Theatre on Oct. 21-22 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. Tickets for the program start at $29. For more information visit www.balletmet.org/night-and-day.
Zachary Konno is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
