Friday, October 9, Oklahoma City Ballet will present Ballet Under the Stars at 6:30 p.m. at Scissortail Park’s Love’s Travel Stops Stage & Great Lawn in downtown Oklahoma City. This FREE community performance will feature professional ballet dancers performing both classical ballet and modern dance, students from the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School, and pre-professional dancers. The on-stage dancing will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last one hour, then musician Chase Kerby will perform for an hour.
“We are excited to showcase our dancers, and we hope the audience will do a little dancing of their own when Chase Kerby hits the stage,” says Artistic Director Robert Mills. The event will also feature live music from a cellist and pianist from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic playing for the dramatic “Dying Swan” excerpt to be performed by Principal Dancer Amy Potter.
Eight of Oklahoma City Ballet’s professional dancers will be featured at. Dancers include: Jonathan Batista, Principal; Courtney Connor Jones, Principal; DaYoung Jung, Principal; Amy Potter, Principal; Autumn Klein, Soloist; Walker Martin, Soloist; Alejandro Gonzalez, Corps de Ballet; Wojciech Ogloza, Corps de Ballet. In addition, Ballet Master Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye is choreographing an original modern work that will make its world debut featuring dancers Autumn Klein, Amy Potter, Alejandro Gonzalez, and Wojciech Ogloza.
Ballet Under the Stars will also feature the world premiere of Amanda Popejoy’s Elemental, inspired by Oklahoma Contemporary’s Bright Golden Haze exhibition and made possible by a grant from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund. Elemental will feature Oklahoma City Ballet’s trainees, professional student dancers who train at the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School. “My new ballet Elemental features fast-paced movement with glowing L.E.D. costumes and electric violin. I hope it will bring the audience a feeling of lightness and joy in the midst of a difficult year,” said Popejoy.
Several young students from the Yvonne Chouteau School will showcase their dance skills on stage. School Director Racheal Nye comments, “The students are honored to share the stage with the company and Trainees and they are so excited to get to perform for an audience for the first time this year.”
Chase Kerby is a singer/songwriter and native Oklahoman best known for his achievement on the NBC’s The Voice. Kerby has been part of Oklahoma’s thriving music scene, playing in several bands over the years, however, his success as a solo artist has garnered him international acclaim.
“Oklahoma City needs and deserves a night to celebrate culture together in our fantastic new park where there is ample room to social distance,” said Oklahoma City Ballet Executive Director Jo Lynne Jones. “We hope families come out to see gorgeous classical and modern dance, listen to beautiful music, and take in the breathtaking scenery.”