Image Courtesy: Brian Guilliaux, Dancer Yulia Ilina
Celebrate the season with a little Tchaikovsky in November. The Avant Chamber Ballet will debut its first holiday inspired, evening length work, ”Holiday Celebration.” Presented by the Apex Arts League, the production will take place Nov. 20 at White's Chapel Methodist Church in Southlake.
The evening will consist of two ballets, “Nutcracker: Short and Suite” and “Sleigh Ride.” Internationally acclaimed pianist Konstantyn Travinsky will provide the only accompaniment for the selected Nutcracker pieces, for which The Avant Chamber Ballet (ACB) Artistic Director Katie Puder has choreographed all new movement.
“Everyone wants their offering to have something special and different,” said Artistic Director Katie Puder. “Instead of embellishing our production, we took a minimalist approach to make our mark by presenting everyone's favorite sections of the Nutcracker.”
“Sleigh Ride,” is a more jolly collection of works performed by ACB's Music Director David Cooper's brass quintet, Bishop Arts Brass, with Cooper on the French horn, Steve Peterson on trombone, Clay Garrett on tuba and Kyle Sherman and Cody McClarty playing trumpet.
This year, ACB is comprised of 18 dancers from a wide-range of backgrounds and experiences, Puder said she made this choice deliberately to create a group of dancers who can dance together, but possess individual strengths.
The ACB's already full season continues to grow, with more and more encore bookings. “The support has been almost staggering,” said Puder. “Both from inside the dance community and outside, people really seem to respond to the combination of chamber music and dance.”
For ticket information and pricing, contact the Apex Arts League at Apex-Arts.org or 800.481.8914. Programming and casting for all productions are subject to change without notice.