Northrop 10-11 Dance
It's here! Our fearless leader, Ben Johnson has curated yet another repertoire of some the most exciting dance works from around the world.
The season kicks off with Mexico's leading contemporary dance troupe, Tania Pérez-Salas Compañia de Danza. Their intense theatricality and surrealist choreography has been creating waves throughout the world with their highly expressive emotions seeping from the stage. Speaking of waves, there will be actual pools of water on stage with their most famous piece The Waters of Forgetfulness, a reflection on water's vital role in life (based on Ivan Illich's essay). Guaranteed to be like nothing you've ever seen before, it's an explosive way to start the season.
Next up is the exquisite American Ballet Theatre's ABT II performing with all the elegance of ABT, even expanding beyond to include a few contemporary works. Their big presentation will be Allegro Brillante, a fast-paced classical fusion choreographed by George Balanchine with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The great Balanchine himself said, "It contains everything I know about the classical ballet in 13 minutes."
Statements will be made with Urban Bush Women's Zollar: Uncensoredfeaturing a retrospective collection of feminist works from the 80's and 90's, a time period plagued with creative censorship. Artistic Director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar unleashes the erotic integrity with a frank depiction of both female desire and torment with the uplifting outcome of the female rising above the cultural and historical turmoil. This is not one to be taken lightly.
New this year, Ben Johnson has added a special event showcasing the local talents of Emily Johnson | Catalyst and their latest work The Thank-You Bar. This interactive performance begins with an art exhibit in Northrop's studios then moves to intimate seating on the Northrop stage for a blend of storytelling, dance, and live music by BLACKFISH. Truly it's own category of performing art, Emily Johnson depicts the feeling of displacement, finding herself in one place physically and another emotionally.
Paul Taylor, the American master of modern dance returns to Northrop with his troupe featuring works from the Golden Age of his choreographic life. Presenting both Promethean Fire set to music by Bach and Brief Encounters with music by Debussy, the dancers weave through the scores with immense intricacy mimicking life's complexities and society's toughest issues.
Dedicated to presenting classical ballets each season, Johnson has included the greatest gem of fairytale ballet of all time, Swan Lake, choreographed by the legendary Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The Voronozh State Ballet Theatre of Russia will magically transform the stage with their graceful leaps, spins, and pirouettes bursting at the tutus with that hard-to-find classical Russian charm.
Capping off the season is the contemporary ballet company who's taken the country by storm. With their adventurous sampling of choreographers and range of dance styles, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has proven themselves the highest level of achievements being hailed by the New York Times as "a breath of fresh air!" The dancers will show off their extreme athleticism with three diverse pieces: Trace by Helen Picket, In Hidden Seconds by Nicolo Fonte, and Red Sweet by Jorma Elo.
The season is filled with exciting changes including lower prices, smaller fees, and new venues. All of these changes have been made for the benefit of you to ensure that our dance is not only accessible in your life but is also delivering the most intimate experience, indulging you in the art at each and every show. Now if you have a moment, take a look at our series packages and learn how you can save even more!
