Choreographers Collaborate for Ballet Arizona’s ‘˜Director’s Choice’
Three of the leading choreographers on the dance scene today – Alexei Ramantsky, who serves as Artist in Residence at American Ballet theatre in NYC and was the former Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow; the hot up-and-coming dancer/choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; and Ballet Arizona’s Artistic Director Ib Andersen – are joining together for the creation of “Director’s Choice.” The program will be a visual and emotional feast, from the whimsical to the sensual.
Alexei Ramantsky
Alexei Ramantsky arrives with his Arizona premiere bringing a delightful menagerie of animals to life with "The Carnival of the Animals,” set to Camille Saint-Saens’ score, The zoomorphic dancers depict an array of beasts from lions, elephants and birds to the fascinating jellyfish in an aquarium.
Alejandro Cerrudo
The program also features the World Premiere work by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo. Cerrudo has caused a stir in the dance world with his innovative style and charming good looks. A native of Spain, his work as a choreographer has earned him Dance Magazine’s one of the top 25 “To Watch.” His World Premiere is created specifically for Ballet Arizona and its company of dancers.
Ib Andersen
"Diversions” features the hand-painted costumes of Fabio Toblini.
PHOTO: Rosalie O'Connor
“Director’s Choice” concludes with Ib Andersen’s sophisticated and stylish “Diversions,” set to Benjamin Britten’s “Diversions for Piano and Orchestra Op. 21.” “Diversions” received acclaim when it made its premiere at the Kennedy Center in 2011. It features the hand-painted costumes of Fabio Toblini. Toblini painted the exotic designs directly on the bodies of the dancers while they were draped in the flesh-colored fabrics. Through this technique, he was able to outline every dancer’s unique shape, every vertebrae bone and nuance, creating a tattoo effect.
Performances of “Director’s Choice” are March 28, 29, 30 and 31. Times and tickets: 602-381-1096 or ticketmaster.com.
At top, "Diversions” features the hand-painted costumes of Fabio Toblini.
PHOTO by Rosalie O'Connor
