Minnesota Ballet to open the 2019-2020 season at UMD
The Minnesota Ballet is opening its 2019-2020 season with “Carnival of the Animals and Other Dances” this weekend Oct. 18- 19, at the Marshall Performing Arts Center (MPAC) at UMD. Four pieces will be featured and live music from the Twin Ports Orchestra will accompany a few of the works.
“Scenes from a Supper Club” is a piece choreographed by LilaAnn White an Assistant Professor of Dance for the Department of Theatre at UMD. She has been a principal teacher at the Minnesota Ballet since 1993 and is also a current artistic associate.
LiliAnn White, UMD Assistant Professor of Dance and principal teacher at the Minnesota Ballet. Photo courtesy of UMD.
“A mother who brings her two daughters in to have dinner and they're not very well behaved,” White said to describe her piece. “Just playing off the different qualities of the music. There’s a piece that's a tango and there is sort of the stereotypical women in red who comes in and all the guys want to dance with her.”
The dancers will emulate a 1950’s style diner in the piece.
Providing the music for this section will be the Twin Ports Wind Orchestra conducted by Dr. Mark Whitlock, UMD director of bands, professor of music and department head for the Department of Music.
Dr. Mark Whitlock, UMD director of bands, professor of music and department head for the Department of Music. Photo courtesy of UMD.
Whitlock has been conducting the Orchestra for the ballet for many years now and recommends that students give it a try.
“Be a first introduction to going and seeing a ballet and what that’s all about,” Whitlock said. “It will be up close because MPAC is not nearly as big as symphony hall so you get a chance to be close to see what’s going on.”
The shows title piece is choreographed by Robert Gardner, the recently retired director of the Minnesota Ballet. His work “Carnival of the Animals” hasn’t been performed since 2010 and is set to the pun filled Ogden Nash poem, score from Camille Saint-Saens and ring master narration from Pat Kelly.
“He [Ogden Nash] used the orchestra to sort of embody what you think of as an animal,” Gardner said. “There's a kangaroo and the music sounds like it’s hopping, there’s an elephant that sounds very heavy.”
To go with the animal story the dancers will be wearing masks created by artist Mary Plaster.
“They’re [the dancers] are dressed in black unitards so it’s like puppetry on people,” Gardner said. “It’s a real fun piece.”
It is a piece Gardner has done before but not since 2010. The original masks were destroyed and through a grant new ones have been created.
Previous performance of Carnival of the Animals. Photo courtesy Minnesota Ballet Facebook Page.
All encouraged that there is something for everyone and that MPAC’s intimate setting will truly make it a fun performance for returning ballet viewers or new comers.
The performance will run Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th. Rush tickets will be available for all UMD students with a valid UCard 30 minutes before the show for only $10. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Minnesota Ballet and night of tickets will be available at the MPAC box office.