From free events to ghost stories, here's how OKC Ballet is making dance more accessible
Oklahoma City Ballet is heralding its new season by dancing in the dark.
The venerable nonprofit dance company will leap into its 2023-2024 season with its annual free outdoor performance "Ballet Under the Stars," followed by a new free event called Dance Day.
After celebrating dance with the community, OKC Ballet returns this fall to Civic Center Music Hall for a season that will include two classic ghost stories, a beloved yuletide treat, an eclectic mixed bill and more.
"There are no purely ballet companies anymore. ... In the last 30 years, it's become incredibly diverse," said Oklahoma City Ballet Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye.
Here are the highlights of OKC Ballet's 2023-2024 season:
Free 'Ballet Under the Stars'
When: 7 p.m. Sept. 15.
Where: Scissortail Park's Love's Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn, 300 SW 7.
For the fourth year, OKC Ballet will launch its season with its free outdoor showcase "Ballet Under the Stars," which has become a favorite of both the company and the community, drawing thousands of dance enthusiasts to Scissortail Park.
"Free public performance gives everybody the opportunity to learn to appreciate dance — or if they're already a dance fan, be able to really enjoy something that they love," said Jolicoeur-Nye, who was officially named OKC Ballet's artistic director in October 2022.
"Traditionally, ballet specifically has always been a proscenium theater, a ticketed event — one that you dress up for, and that's considered highbrow — and this really, I think, makes it accessible to anybody."
Featuring excerpts from classical ballet and modern dance, "Ballet Under the Stars" will include short works performed by OKC Ballet’s professional dancers, University of Oklahoma School of Dance students and OKC Ballet’s Yvonne Chouteau School pupils.
Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs and arrive early, since pre-show activities start at 5:30 p.m. and include photo opportunities with the dancers, giveaways and an all-ages family dance class.
In case of inclement weather, "Ballet Under the Stars" will be rescheduled for Sept. 29. Updates will be posted at https://www.okcballet.org and on OKC Ballet's social media.
Free Dance Day
When: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 16.
Where: OKC Ballet's Susan E. Brackett Dance Center, 6800 N Classen Blvd.
OKC Ballet is partnering with the fledgling initiative OK Let’s Dance, which aims to increase public access to dance thanks to funding by the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, for the new Dance Day, a free celebration of all forms of dance at OKC Ballet's home, the Susan E. Brackett Dance Center.
The public is invited to watch performances by Yúmare Mexican Folkloric Dancers, Perpetual Motion Dance, Aspiring Attitudes, RACE Dance Collective, OKC Ballet's Yvonne Chouteau School, Classen School of Advance Studies and The Groovemeant Community.
Attendees also can take classes in tap, jazz, ballet, barre fitness, restorative movement and more.
'Hamlet'
When: Oct. 27-29.
Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.
Just in time for Halloween, OKC Ballet opens its Civic Center season with award-winning choreographer Stephen Mills' dance adaptation of William Shakespeare's ghost story "Hamlet."
"In the fall, I like to present something that's a bit more for the sophisticated audience, more adult oriented. ... Stephen is a really fantastic storyteller," Jolicoeur-Nye said.
"This one is a little bit unique, because the music (is by the) founder of minimalist music, Philip Glass ... and the costumes took also a modern, edgy design and are modeled off of Giorgio Armani designs."
'The Nutcracker'
When: Dec. 8-18.
Where: Civic Center.
Presented by Devon Energy, OKC Ballet will continue its cherished yuletide tradition with the family-friendly favorite based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's enduring fantasy story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." The OKC Philharmonic and Canterbury Voices will return to perform Pyotr Tchaikovsky's treasured score live.
Last year, OKC Ballet introduced a new version of "The Nutcracker," with new choreography by Jolicoeur-Nye, the return of the Dew Drop Fairy and a different ending.
"The audience seemed to respond really well. We got a lot of great feedback. For the dancers, it's like coming home every year," Jolicoeur-Nye said.
'Giselle'
When: Feb. 9-11.
Where: Civic Center.
Ahead of Valentine's Day, OKC Ballet will revisit the classic fairy-tale ballet about love, betrayal and forgiveness. One of the most beloved Romantic Era ballets, “Giselle” has been a smash since it premiered in Paris in 1841, and it one of the first full-length ballets to be performed on pointe.
"I want to implement into our artists the details that I got from my Russian teachers, the experiences that I've had rehearsing it in the studio, and I think that's how we stay true to the history of the classical art form," Jolicoeur-Nye said.
The title character of "Giselle" is a peasant girl with a weak heart who falls in love with Albrecht, a young duke who has disguised himself as a commoner so he can sow his wild oats before marrying a noblewoman. When Albrecht's identity is revealed, Giselle's weak heart is broken and she dies in his arms. In the second act, Giselle's ghost is roused from the grave by the Wilis, a coven of vengeful female spirits who force the men they encounter to dance to death.
Sensory-friendly performances
When: "The Nutcracker" at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 and "Giselle" at 2 p.m. Feb. 10.
Where: Civic Center.
Last year, OKC Ballet partnered with AutismOklahoma to offer its first sensory-friendly performance during the holiday run of "The Nutcracker,” presenting the seasonal favorite with house lights on low, no pyrotechnics and an open invitation for ticketholders to move about the theater and use electronics.
This season, the company is not only offering a sensory-friendly version of not only the Christmas classic but also of "Giselle."
"One of our most exciting new initiatives is the sensory-friendly performances," said Jo Lynne Jones, OKC Ballet's John Kirkpatrick Executive Director, in an email. "Our goal is to make it comfortable for patrons of any age with sensory sensitivities to enjoy a ballet performance."
'Future Voices: A Choreographic Showcase'
When: March 7-10.
Where: Susan E. Brackett Dance Center.
In its fifth year, OKC Ballet's "Future Voices" will feature several new short dance works by up-and-coming choreographers, many of whom are company dancers. With no sets or complicated costumes, the showcase puts the focus on the choreography and movement and spotlights the dancers in an intimate setting.
'Shorts'
When: May 10-12.
Where: Civic Center.
OKC Ballet will again close its Civic Center season with a mixed bill of three short ballets.
"Whether you are a longtime ballet fan or have never been to a ballet, 'Shorts' is a must-see," Jones said. "The variety of performances means that you will certainly discover something new to love."
OKC Ballet again will collaborate with the OKC Philharmonic and Canterbury Voices to present the dramatic classic "Carmina Burana," with choreography by Jolicoeur-Nye and music by Carl Orff. More than 50 singers will join forces with the dancers to perform the iconic work, which is based on a collection of 13th century songs and poems.
The precursor to the Broadway musical "On the Town," "Fancy Free" features choreography by the legendary Jerome Robbins and music by influential composer Leonard Bernstein. The short ballet takes place in a wartime New York City bar, where three sailors vie for the attention of two beautiful women.
The program also will include the unusual "Cacti," with choreography by Alexander Ekman and music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert.
In "Cacti," 16 dancers seem to be trapped on oversized Scrabble tiles. While a string quartet plays and spoken recordings give tongue-in-cheek narration, the dancers run, fall and try to escape. Kansas City quartet Opus 76 will perform with OKC Ballet on the piece.
"It is a showstopper. It's incredible. Alexander can be very comedic ... and this piece feels like an inside joke, because he's kind of making fun of dance and what dancers go through to move their bodies and produce the performance on the stage. There's a lot of unexpected things that happen," Jolicoeur-Nye said. "I think it's going to really be a blockbuster evening."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Ballet's 2023-2024 season aims to be more accessible
