Ballet Chelsea will be performing a mixed Spring program. For one performance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Collected Works will take the stage May 1, 2022, at Potter Center in Jackson, Michigan.
The program opens with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, choreographed by Artistic Director Wendi DuBois. The short ballet, set to the music of Felix Mendelssohn, portrays part of Shakespeare’s play, focusing on the humorous adventures between the lovers in the human world and the fairy realm. The story’s down-to-earth comedy and fairy tale romance, augmented by fairies, fireflies, and creatures of the forest, have widespread appeal for artists and audience members alike since Shakespeare’s richly poetical descriptions of the fairy kingdom first appeared. But, in the end, love wins the day.
Following A Midsummers Night’s Dream are the exciting works choreographed by talented artists. Peter Sparling, Professor Emeritus of Dance at the University of Michigan, has reset Spring, initially choreographed in 1996, on Ballet Chelsea artists. Set to Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons, this work continues the thematic exploration of music and nature; Spring is music personified. Sparling states that “Vivaldi made it very easy because he provided both the danceable rhythms and a vivid set of images in sound; he also had in mind the actions of a community of humans interacting within nature.”
The Rising Sea expands a solo choreographed by Hannah Klinkman, a current company dancer with Pilobolus and Ballet Chelsea alumna. Created during the lockdown of 2020, The Rising Sea was inspired by the process of creating a costume woven from more than 250 reused plastic bags and packaging. Klinkman states that “Dancing and gathering together is more critical than it ever has been before. We can make a difference in our world by remembering what unites us.“
Judy, Judy, Judy choreographed by Ballet Chelsea alumnus Michael Erickson was explicitly created for Ballet Chelsea artists. The piece examines the image of Judy Garland as America’s sweetheart and the duality inherent in that image, using her own words. Although for Erikson Judy, Judy, Judy is a celebration of the human capacity for strength and love, “more than anything, I want the dancers to approach their characterization of her with a sense of gentleness and empathy.”
DuBois will present new work collaborating with the Chelsea Chamber Player’s Sara Cumming. The piece will showcase talented high school musicians and dancers in a lighthearted, amusing work.
Ballet Chelsea Artistic Faculty Member Aja Brandmeier’s spirited Girl Crazy will conclude the show. Initially set in 2020, Girl Crazy is a dynamic work that encapsulates the heart of George Gershwin’s musical abilities, emphasizing the importance of human connection and celebrating togetherness.
Tickets for A Midsummers Night’s Dream & Collected Works will be available for Sale on April 1, Purchase tickets on Ballet Chelsea’s website. Don’t miss out – the performance is limited to one day, one performance! May 1, 2022, 2 pm, George E. Potter Center.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Ballet Chelsea’s mission is to build strong individuals through high caliber training and performance excellence while giving back to the community that supports us through arts education and outreach.
The mission of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra Community Music School is to provide music education of the highest quality to persons of all ages in Jackson and the surrounding communities.
