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Children's author at program of 'Empty Pot,' 'At My BEST'
By Mary Beth Breckenridge
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Mar 08, 2009
Those journeys will take the form of two ballets the company will perform Saturday and March 15 for its annual Storybook Series at the Akron Civic Theatre. One is At My BEST, which explores the elements of dance, and the other is The Empty Pot, a morality tale set in ancient China.
The dances are designed to be performed and watched by children, but the production is hardly childish. The Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet's performers, who range in age from 8 to 18, are all serious ballet students who are being prepared to pursue dance careers if they wish, said Mia Klinger, the company's artistic director.
The performance of The Empty Pot is a reprise for the Cuyahoga Falls-based company, which premiered the piece in 2000. This time, however, there's a bonus: Children's author Demi, who wrote and illustrated the book that inspired the ballet, will be present to sign her books at all three performances.
The ballet tells the story of an aging emperor who seeks to identify a successor by challenging his young subjects to grow the most beautiful flower. What they don't know is the seeds they've been given have been cooked, so they're not viable. When it comes time to judge the contest, only one child, Ping, is honest enough to admit he's failed.
Klinger said the piece is one of her favorites in the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet's repertoire. It was choreographed by Francis Patrelle and set to music by William Wade, who incorporated such whimsical references as notes that mimic a child's ''nyah nyah'' taunt.
It's a visually captivating ballet, featuring elegant costumes and colorful drum and ribbon dances. It's also a challenging one for the young troupe to stage, with a 60-second costume change that Klinger admitted tests her nerves every time.
In addition to The Empty Pot, the program features the premiere of At My BEST, choreographed by Ohio native Tom Evert. BEST is an acronym for body, energy, space and time, the elements of dance.
The ballet doesn't tell a story, but rather presents those elements and the four faculties of being fully present: body, breath, attention and feeling. It's set to music by Bobby McFerrin, and the Caribbean feel of his music is underscored by colorful outfits in fabrics that costumer Janet Bolick had to travel to New York to find.
At My BEST has a lighthearted feel, Klinger said. ''The thing about Tom's pieces is they're so much fun — not only fun to watch but fun to perform.''
It also furthers the group's goal of creating new ballets, she said. That's been a focus of the preprofessional company since her mother, the late Nan Klinger, founded it in 1975.
''My mother always said, to be in art you have to be on the cutting edge,'' Klinger said. ''And to be on the cutting edge means to make something out of nothing.''
Something memorable, the company hopes.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 08:02 PM, 03/08/2009
Go see them everybody. They may be considered pre-professional or amatuers, but they dance completely Professsional ballet.
The stories always tug at your heart. They are actors and athletes. Mix in great lighting, sound and costumes and it's just a great time.
Now go have some fun....
