Tulsa Ballet Asks: Why do we Love Vampires?

Several exciting things happened around Tulsa Ballet last week: Choreographer Ben Stevenson arrived in the studios to begin setting his Dracula on the company, and tickets for the production went on sale to the public. After two short days, the company had sold 3,415 tickets, clearly making a statement that Oklahomans are ready to see dancing vampires take the stage at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and the Oklahoma Civic Center Music Hall!

So, what is it about vampires that sets our hearts racing and has Oklahomans in a frenzy over the state premiere of this ballet? A common thread in current vampire culture is sex appeal. Stephanie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series features the handsome, brooding Edward Cullen, while HBO's TrueBlood boasts a slew of breath-taking hunks played by actors Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgard.

If Oklahomans are looking for sex appeal in Tulsa Ballet's production of Dracula, they certainly won't be disappointed! Principal dancer Alfonso Martin was seen lurking through the halls of Tulsa Ballet last week in full costume as Count Dracula, and we think he makes those other guys pale in comparison... sorry, we couldn't resist the pun!

But Ben Stevenson's Dracula has more than just sex appeal. It has dramatic pas de deaux, a dark and moody ambiance and sinister music arranged by Franz Liszt. It was described as a "spectacle of an order ballet audiences seldom see today" by the New York Times. And last week, Artistic Director Marcello Angelini told the Board of Directors at their annual retreat that after watching the dancers in rehearsals, he knew that this ballet was a true blockbuster.

So, take your cue from the other Oklahomans who've already bought their tickets to Dracula and visit this website. Tulsa Ballet performs Dracula at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City on October 24-25 and at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on October 29-November 1st. Hurry, before it's too late to get your own fix of vampire love!

Barre Society Kicks Off the 2009/10 Season

photos: Jessica C. Flores

The Barre Society Happy Hour and Preview on August 27 was a huge success! The Barre Society is a membership group for ballet supporters 40 & under (find out more here) and the group is beginning its 4th year. While it started very small, the growth and interest in the Barre Society has been very exciting! After observing a working rehearsal of a contemporary ballet called Maninyas, our guests visited with the dancers and signed up to join the Barre Society. Members were entered into a drawing for some seriously cool prizes from Ihloff Salon, SkinMedic, Aberson’s, Carbon, The Yoga Room, Sideways, Ribbons and, of course, Tulsa Ballet. Guests on the 27th enjoyed wine and cheese, sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to all who made this a great evening!