Memorial del Viento-Rehearsal peak, Tulsa Ballet 2012

Tethered Pulse, Tulsa Ballet 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27LmUaUofyw&feature=g-upl

Even the Women are Brandishing their Swords - Edwaard Liang's Romeo and Juliet

by Lawrence Knox

Romeo and Juliet is one of the most tragic love stories of all time.  There are scenes in which there will not be a dry eye in the audience, but there is also plenty of action along with the romance. In preparation for the fight scenes, the dancers have been training with J. Steven White during rehearsals. Although the sword fighting is mostly left to the men, especially those who dance the part of Romeo, Mercutio, Tybalt, and Benvolio, some of the women also get their chance to take part in the action.  

Surrounding the fencing, there are choreographed side stories between the Montagues and Capulets. There is plenty of excitement during this Act One fight, full of hair pulling, kicking, and punching. I have to say I never thought I would be backhanding another girl onstage, but sure enough, I was wrong. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will tell you that some food props might also be put to good use in these fights. Given the large amount of people onstage during this fight, it is important for us to keep focused for safety reasons, but as you can probably imagine, there has been quite a bit of fun in these rehearsals.

To hear some of the dancer’s experiences and for a greater look into how the choreography for this fight scene was created, take a minute to watch Tulsa Ballet’s video:

Performances run from Feb. 10-12 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. For tickets call 918-740-6006 or visit us online at www.tulsaballet.org.

Angel Tree Project

Lawrence Knox is back to guest blog again about the dancers' recent angle tree project for the holidays.

For the holiday season, I was hoping to put together a donation for a shelter of some sort from the dancers.  However, after seeing the amount of children still left on one of the Salvation Army’s Angel Trees in the mall, I decided to bring the Angel Tree idea to Tulsa Ballet.  In the spirit of giving back, we were able to share the gift of Christmas with ten children who, without the Angel Tree, might not receive presents on Christmas morning.  

Special thanks to (from left to right) Sarah Jane Crespo, Ian Buchanan, Carolyn Trumbo, Chelsea Keefer, Alexandra Christian, Erin Pritchard, Amy Zvacek, Mrs. Georgia Snoke, and Diana Peters (not pictured) for helping the Angel Tree.

Below is a picture of some of the presents we gathered for these ten children.  We not only collected the essentials, such as clothing, but also items on the children’s wish list, including Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, learning toys, and even a tricycle.  

If you have not already experienced helping a child through the Angel Tree organization, I encourage you to make this a holiday family tradition!  As many of the participating dancers found out, it is not only a great opportunity to help a child in need, it is fun to go back and shop through the toys in the children’s section!  Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

No Place Like Hope for the Holidays

Every year Tulsa Ballet hosts Hope for the Holidays. Our very first Nutcracker performance is given to those who may need some extra holiday cheer this season. More than 2,000 clients from local service agencies enjoy an evening at the ballet complete with Christmas characters like the Nutcracker, a Christmas Mouse, Frosty the Snowman and Happy Feet. Cookies are provided as well as Nutcracker ornaments as souvenirs.

This is one of our favorite events as this is exactly what the arts is all about – enriching the community. Many of the families that come to Hope have never seen a ballet before, let alone step foot in a theater. The children especially were so excited to see the ballerinas and be swept away by this magical fairytale.

We offer thanks to The Barnett Family Foundation, The Robson Companies, The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, The Barnett Family Foundation and The Maxine and Jack Zarrow Foundation for presenting this special performance of Tulsa Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Refreshments are courtesy of QuickTrip convenience stores and Hiland Dairy. Also, we appreciate all of our volunteers from the Barre Society and Cygnet Society for all of their help during this special show. Without their generous support, we would not be able to offer this treat to so many Tulsans who need a little extra holiday magic this year.