A high-speed riff on traditional ballet technique for eight men and eight women, Velocity pays homage to classical conventions in a contemporary manner. “Velocity is true classical dance at its most agile and exciting,” commented Welch. “I’m playing with the speed and agility of classical ballet. This work tests the limits and talents of the … Continued
at High is a piece born out of a title suggestion originally made by artistic director Robert Curran. I was immediately struck by a feeling of what it is to be away, ascended or departed from one’s current life looking back on a time, and a place where one is not able to return to. … Continued
The first performance of Serenade was on June 10, 1934, by students of the School of American Ballet, at Felix Warburg’s estate, White Plains, New York. Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance. It is the first original ballet Balanchine created in America and is one of the signature works of New York … Continued
I can still feel the way the notes used to move me. It didn’t matter where I was — surrounded by people in a crowded mall or alone in my bedroom — music told my body to dance, and I listened. I was unrestrained abandon. Sometimes the sounds told me to jump around and move … Continued
I remember the way it felt the first time. I remember the way each breath was shimmery and each heart beat held its breath waiting for the next pulse. I was afraid the moment would end — afraid the giddy beat inside my chest would disappear. I remember standing on the ledge, staring longingly at … Continued
BY ERICA RUCKER Louisville Ballet Artistic + Executive Director Robert Curran is tired of cashmere sweaters. It isn’t the sweaters, exactly. It is what the sweaters represent. After finding himself on the outside of a long relationship and then experiencing the death of his mother earlier this year, Curran is reflecting on his collection of … Continued
Sometimes I don’t realize that I am missing something until I have it back—like when I loan Star Wars: Episode V to a friend and get it back months later and watch it and realize how much I had missed it. Or when Keith’s cheerful voice is at the other end of the phone line … Continued
“Do you want to go on an adventure?” he asked me after our second date. I did not hesitate with my enthusiastic “Yes!” We ran through the park, explored a hidden old beat up shed, and trekked through the woods. I was a child again—the world was hope. I was a teenager—my heart was restless. … Continued
My grandma and I used to play make-believe in her upstairs spare room. She would narrate, and I would act and dance. There was always a dramatic turn in the story in which I would throw myself to the ground in some sort of despair. Papa would holler up to us, “what in the heck … Continued
The fear sets in fast. In the pit of my stomach. Pop. I hear it again in my head. But I wonder if I ever heard it at all—or did I just feel it. Which is worse? I hobble off the stage and change my costume and start back to the wings to prepare for … Continued