by Kathi E.B. Ellis, 89.3 WFPL
A year ago Robert Curran dangled the promise of Louisville Ballet bringing a third choreographer on as Resident Choreographer. This week, Curran fulfilled that promise, appointing Andrea Schermoly to the position.
Louisville audiences may remember Schermoly’s choreography from the 2015 Choreographers’ Showcase.
Schermoly remembers that she first reached out to then relatively-new Producing and Artistic Director Curran via Facebook. She was familiar with Louisville Ballet through the work of former Artistic Director Bruce Simpson, who spent substantial time in Schermoly’s native South Africa during his career.
That link is a reminder how international and close-knit the world of ballet can be. It’s possible for a mid-sized company to link three continents through the work of just a handful of artists. Curran points to this linkage in talking about the three resident choreographers — all of whose careers have international aspects: Adam Hougland, an American who lives in England, Australian Lucas Jervies who’s worked and trained extensively in Europe, and Schermoly whose career has taken her to England, the Netherlands and New Zealand, as well as this country.
Curran says the fact that Louisville Ballet has created space for three resident choreographers is a big deal. His home of many years, the much-larger Australian Ballet Company, typically has had only two resident choreographers at any given time. This commitment to new work is a way to distinguish Louisville Ballet in the ballet world, to help it stand out in an environment dominated by the larger companies. As evidenced by the current production of “The Nutcracker” and other programming this season, the Louisville Ballet is dedicated to remaining a company centered on the classics, as well as to creating vibrant new work that catapults ballet into this century.