Oklahoma City Ballet-blog

Joan Gilmore of the Journal Record previews upcoming performing arts season for the OKC metro!

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:54:00 -0500

Joan Gilmore of the Journal Record previews upcoming performing arts season for the OKC metro!

Support our momentum by donating online now!

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:10:34 -0500

Support our momentum by donating online now!:

Like what we are doing at OKC Ballet? Check out our new support page! Donate online now by clicking the individual giving tab!

Master teacher Donn Edwards joins Dance Center faculty for the 2010-11 season!

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:55:53 -0500

The Dance Center of OKC Ballet is proud to announce the addition of master teacher Donn Edwards to the full time faculty for the 2010-11 school year. Mr. Edwards will bring his years of knowledge to the upper division students of The Dance Center. He will also be guest teaching for the professional company throughout their upcoming season.

Donn Edwards was a student at OU under Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov. Subsequently, as a member of the Joffrey Ballet, Edwards worked with choreographers Arpino, Ashton, Cranko, Joffrey, Jooss, Massine and Robbins; Twyla Tharp created two roles for him. Kent Stowell and Francia Russell invited Edwards to join the Frankfurt Ballet of Germany as a principal dancer, beginning his long association with the classical and Balanchine repertoires.

On his return to the United States, E. Virginia Williams invited Edwards to join Boston Ballet, where he danced leading roles in Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle and Sleeping Beauty. Later, Rudolf Nureyev cast Edwards in the title role of Don Quixote in New York and in tours of North America, Mexico and Europe.
Edwards returned to the University of Oklahoma in 1993, this time as a professor in the school of dance. Since that time he has created for Oklahoma Festival Ballet such works as “On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!,” “Summer Songs” and “Oklahoma Blues” (set to the music of Oklahoma Country/Western artists), which premiered in Clermont-Ferrand, France. For OU’s Opera Company, Edwards has also created original choreography for Dido and Aeneas, Lucia Di Lamamoor and The Bartered Bride. In addition, he has taught master classes in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle.

OKC Ballet September/October Newsletter

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:12:11 -0500

THANK YOU!

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:00:13 -0500

Thank you to all the great young dancers that came out to audition for “The Nutcracker” today! You will be receiving an e-mail with your assigned role and detailed information regarding your participation in this years production.

Children's Nutcracker auditions this Saturday!

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:41:20 -0500

Oklahoma City Ballet

ANNOUNCES:

Open Auditions for

The Nutcracker

Perform in the Civic Center Music Hall and be a part of what The Oklahoman hailed “The best production of the ballet to grace the stage in many years!” Auditions are open to dancers ages 7 and up with prior experience and/or training. Dancers must be 7 years old on the day of audition!

Auditions will be held Saturday, August 28 at the Oklahoma City Ballet studios, 7421 N. Classen Blvd.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled audition time so that you may register.

Older dancers make sure you are warmed up and ready to dance.

There is a $20 non refundable audition fee payable by cash or check (made payable to OKC Ballet).

Audition fee will not exceed $40 per family with more than one auditioning dancer.

Times are as follows:

Ages 7-9 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Ages 10-13 11:00 to 12:00 p.m.

Ages 14 & up 12:00 pm to 1:00 p.m.

You will be notified via email on or before September 4^th, 2010 whether or not your auditioning dancer was selected with notification of role, rehearsal schedule and which cast you will be in, A or B.

If selected, all parents (or legal guardian) of children cast in the production will be required to attend a meeting at the OKC Ballet studios Tuesday, September 7^th at 7:30 p.m. At this meeting parents or guardians will sign a contractual agreement and a $75 per child participation/costume fee (payable by cash or check) will be due. We will also outline some rules and expectations regarding your child’s participation in “The Nutcracker.”

Rehearsals will be held at the Oklahoma City Ballet studios, on Saturdays from 10 am to 3:30 pm, September 11 through December 4. Rehearsals at the Theatre will be held December 7 – 9 & December 14 – 16, from 6pm to 10pm. A more detailed rehearsal schedule will be supplied once selected. Each child participating will receive one free ticket to a performance of your choosing.

All performances will be held at the Civic Center Music Hall.

Performance Schedule:
December 10th & 17th at ..7 p.m
December 11th & 18th at 2 & 7 p.m
December 12th & 19th at 2 p.m.

405-843-9898 OKC Ballet (office)
405-843-9894 OKC Ballet (fax)

Look for Oklahoma City Ballet company members featured in...

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:05:17 -0500

Look for Oklahoma City Ballet company members featured in Southwestern publishing September issues Fall fashion preview!

Civic Center Music Hall turns 75!

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:22:37 -0500

Civic Center Music Hall turns 75!

New Dancers join OKC Ballet!

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:48:00 -0500

-For Immediate Release –

OKLAHOMA CITY- Oklahoma City Ballet Artistic Director Robert Mills announces new hires and promotions within the Oklahoma City Ballet company for the 2010-2011 Season.

“Our upcoming season Momentum in Motion is going to be our most exciting to date. I have assembled an amazing roster of talented artists from around the world, the United States and our own great state of Oklahoma to dance our exciting and varied repertoire.” - Artistic director Robert Mills

Seasoned ballerina Miki Kawamura will bring her amazing talents to Oklahoma City Ballet beginning this fall. A native of Sapporo Japan, Miki has danced principal and soloist roles with Takako Classical Ballet of Japan, Charleston Ballet Theatre, City Ballet of San Diego and The Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho. Miki has also danced as a guest artist with companies around the world. “Dancing as the explosive, amoral Carmen, Miki Kawamura captures the essence of the character” – The Charleston Post and Courier.

Oklahoma City Ballet also welcomes two new men to its roster, Jerry Pines and Michael Villella. Trained at Florida’s prestigious Harid Conservatory, Jerry Pines comes to OKC Ballet having danced most recently with the Atlantic City Ballet. Michael Villella trained at the renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet which has turned out some of America’s finest classical dancers. Michael comes to OKC via Ballet Austin.

Three supplemental dancers from the 2009-10 season have been promoted to full company status. Texas native Tye Love was seen last year in Alan Hineline’s The legend of Sleepy Hollow. Originally from Arkansas, Anna Doss performed last season in both: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Giselle. Tye and Anna are graduates of The University of Oklahoma School of Dance under the direction of Mary Margaret Holt. Dance Center of OKC Ballet alumni Amanda Herd danced with the company last season in The legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Nutcracker and Giselle. Amanda returns to Oklahoma City after training and dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet Austin.

Two young ladies will be beginning their professional dance career with Oklahoma City Ballet during the 10-11 season. Longtime Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet student Hillary Richerson and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet alumni and Estonia native Mirell Sork will join the company as apprentices.

These men and women bring their talent and artistry to our already accomplished roster of returning dance artists: David Barocio, Josh Crespo, Emily Fine, Stephanie Foraker, Darli Iakovleva, Anton Iakovlev, Hannah Jew, Audrey Johnston, Samantha Kropp, Kenzi Lockwood, Callye McCollum, Grace Medaugh, Ronnie Underwood and Crystal Wellman.

You will be able to find more information on all of our versatile dance artists on www.okcballet.com and of course you will be able to be thrilled by their talents on the stage of the Civic Center Music Hall. Call 405-848-TOES (8637) for season tickets to Oklahoma City Ballet’s 2010-11 season Momentum in Motion.

-For more information contact Lisa Liebl at 405.352.4248-

Dance Center of OKC Ballet Open House

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:11:08 -0500

Do you have a little budding ballerina? What about a dashing young premiere danseur? How about a little one that just can’t seem to keep still?

The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet will be holding an OPEN HOUSE on Friday, August 20th from 3 – 6 p.m. The open house is the perfect opportunity to come by the Oklahoma City Ballet studios and tour our beautiful facility, meet our school director Viktoria Page and enroll for fall classes.

The Dance Center boasts classes for ages 3 – adult in pre-ballet, ballet, pointe, variations, boy’s ballet, jazz, modern and yoga in three large bright studios with floors specially designed for dance! Fall classes begin August 23rd. Visit www.okcballet.com and click on the school page to find new and returning student registration forms that you can fill out and bring with you to the open house! Call 405-843-9898 for more information.

WHAT: The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet Open House

WHEN: Friday, August 20th from 3-6 p.m.

Where: Oklahoma City Ballet Studios

7421 N. Classen, OKC, OK 73116

Who: New and returning students

Executive Director puts OKC Ballet in position for success!

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:53:34 -0500

Executive Q&A: Director puts OKC ballet in position for success

Oklahoma City represented a drastic change for John Krasno, who arrived one year ago to take over a reorganized Oklahoma City Ballet that almost faced doing its final show.

BY STEVE LACKMEYER Oklahoman 0 Published: August 8, 2010

John Krasno readily admits he was much more acquainted with the two coasts of the country than with Oklahoma City, which he visited just briefly 20 years ago during a movie production.

More Info

Personally speaking →Position: Director of the Oklahoma City Ballet.

→Age: 57.

→Hometown: Born in Milwaukee, raised in Los Angeles.

→Education: Bachelor’s in English, UCLA.

→Reading: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson.

→Listening: Randy Newman.

Oklahoma City represented a drastic change for Krasno, who arrived one year ago to take over a reorganized Oklahoma City Ballet that almost faced doing its final show.

“Two years ago, it was close,” Krasno said. “Half the town wanted to let the Tulsa Ballet company come take over, and the Tulsa Ballet and Robert Mills (now the Oklahoma City Ballet artistic director) made presentations. The community voted to keep the ballet, and Robert really made it worth their while.”

Krasno was looking for a change when he left for Oklahoma City — a desire he says is shared by the Oklahoma City Ballet board of directors. The ballet has provided free outdoor performances downtown, paraded along Park Avenue for Halloween and taught dance to the vision impaired in conjunction with New Vision.

“One of the missions handed to me was that we needed to drive more into the city,” Krasno said. “It’s about defining the role and mission of the ballet — and we do it as a civic, educational and cultural asset to the community.”

Krasno recently visited with The Oklahoman about his life and career.

Q: Let’s go back to when you a kid: Given a choice between attending a ballet show or watching a re-enactment of an Old West gunfight, which entertainment wins out?

A: Both are out. I never had an interest in either. I never saw ballet until I was 19 or 20, and I never had an interest in gunfights.

Q: I understand a ballet dancer was responsible for getting you interested in the performing arts?

A: Yes — a ballerina — she was the most fascinating, creative upbeat woman I had ever met up to that point. She was a life-changing experience for me, and it led me to want to learn more about ballet, as well.

Q: How did you make the transition from an English degree to ballet?

A: I took ballet a few years later. For about 10 years.

I did it primarily to meet girls. That was 90 percent why I did it — though I definitely enjoyed it. I built a career in the entertainment business, particularly the movie business. Then with the urging of friends, I started helping friends on artistic ventures, first helping them as an outside, and then running them.

Q: Tell me about your career in the movie business.

A: I was senior executive at Panavision for 10 years. We saw phenomenal growth and success. In New York, I was president of a production company that produced shows and documentaries, especially for HBO.

Q: You grew up in Los Angeles. How prominent is the ballet in what is one of the largest cities in America?

A: It’s not very prominent at all. It’s not ever been a ballet town. Now, in New York, it’s definitely a ballet town, and for dance it’s the center of the universe.

Q: Did you travel much growing up?

A: I didn’t start traveling until I was in the movie business, and then I got to travel all the time.

Q: How long has it been since you left the movie business?

A: Three years. There was a period where I left, when it turned high-tech, and I left to run an off Broadway company where it was a mess and I helped turn it around. It was great fun.

Q: Do you look at movies and wish you were still in the business?

A: No. I still have a lot of filmmakers as friends, and I participate in a modest way. One Charlie Evans, has come in, given significant amounts to the ballet.

Q: Did you get to visit the deadCenter Film Festival this past year?

A: I live downtown across from where they have opening night, so I got to watch it from my window. But the ballet keeps me running all the time.

Video

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:41:03 -0500

OWL camp on fox!

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:52:46 -0500

OWL camp on fox!

OKC Ballet, City Arts Center and New View Oklahoma's OWL camp featured on CNN!

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:38:00 -0500

OKC Ballet, City Arts Center and New View Oklahoma's OWL camp featured on CNN!

We're on the Kid's Directory cover page! Flip through this months issue here!

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:57:05 -0500

We're on the Kid's Directory cover page! Flip through this months issue here!

News9.com story on the OWL camp

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:48:16 -0500

News9.com story on the OWL camp

Maintenance classes

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:12:32 -0500

The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet will be offering advanced technique classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. August 2nd - 20th.

These classes are available to students of The Dance Center in divisions 4 - Advanced 5 at $5.00 per class.

Advanced dancers not enrolled at The Dance Center are welcome to attend at $10.00 per class.

Classes will be taught by School Director Viktoria Page, Ballet Master Jacob Sparso and Artistic Director Robert Mills.

School director Viktoria Page talks about the OWL camp

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:17:53 -0500

Dear friends,

This week Oklahoma City Ballet partnered with City Arts Center and New View Oklahoma to participate in the OWL (Oklahomans Without Limits) camp July 26-30, 2010. This has truly been both a humbling and uplifting experience.

Myself and four other teachers from The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet took groups of visually impaired campers and their sighted “buddies” through a week of ballet and movement classes. Groups of both girls and boys opened their minds and hearts to us and took great chances with space, emotion and movements that they had never discovered before. It was incredible to see how they truly did not allow themselves to have boundaries and enjoyed all their new challenges. These campers are fearless, wonderful, happy and motivated individuals.

This program not only changed the lives of the campers but changed us as teachers as well. Looking inside ourselves and others to imagine all the possibilities that exist.

Sincerely,

Viktoria Page

School Director

The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet

Newsok.com article on our participation in the Oklahomans Without Limitaions camp

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:57:15 -0500

Newsok.com article on our participation in the Oklahomans Without Limitaions camp

Oklahomans Without Limitations camp article on News9.com

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:54:57 -0500

Oklahomans Without Limitations camp article on News9.com