Julia Weber
Staff Writer
In their third year of partnership and collaboration with Chautauqua’s School of Dance, Houston Ballet’s second company will perform a selection of their repertoire at 8:15 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
Tonight’s program brings an array of dance performances to the Amp, showcasing the versatility of the company through pas de deux and group pieces alike, spanning the spectrum of ballet.
Houston Ballet Artistic Director Julie Kent said the variations of tonight’s program afford the dancers in the company both the experiences of connecting with other dancers in group pieces and bringing that intimacy and intensity into the pas de deux performances.
In a moment of cross-collaboration, the School of Dance Pre-Professional Dancers will join Houston Ballet II for a performance of “Sparrow,” a piece choreographed by Stanton Welch, Member of the Order of Australian (AM), set to the music of Simon & Garfunkel, which Kent described as “soulful” and “groovy.”
She said the audience will particularly enjoy the bigger cast with the incorporation of Chautauqua’s dancers.
“To have a huge expanded cast, the audience is going to love it,” Kent said.
As part of the partnership between Houston Ballet and Chautauqua Institution, the first company will take the stage Saturday alongside the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a performance with live accompaniment. Additionally the Chautauqua Dance Circle will hold a Pre-Concert Lecture at 7 p.m. tonight in Smith Wilkes Hall.
According to Kent, the collaboration between the Houston Ballet and the School of Dance is a valuable opportunity for the dancers to learn from one another and forge potentially lifelong connections.
The dancers enrolled in the School of Dance’s Pre-Professional program are of similar age and experience levels as the Houston Ballet II dancers and, as such, have opportunities to learn from one another by engaging and experiencing Houston Ballet’s repertoire and working with other emerging dancers. It’s a win-win situation for both parties as they learn and collaborate during their time together.
“Not only has it been a great partnership for the students in the (Pre-Professional program) to be in this additional program, but also it’s a great bonding experience for the dancers new to the second company because it’s right at the beginning of (our) season,” Kent said. “They have an opportunity to work intensely together, living together and being in the beautiful environs of the Chautauqua campus. It’s an all-around really inspiring collaboration.”
For School of Dance students, working with Houston Ballet is an introduction to the professional field of ballet and a chance to see how touring companies operate. This experience allows students in Chautauqua’s program to see how professional companies balance the development of new work and live performance.
“The process at Houston Ballet is a huge part of the culture. There’s a lot of attention and respect to detail,” Kent said. “There’s a lot of focus. It’s a very thorough preparation process.”
A graduate of Chautauqua’s dance program herself, Kent recognizes the value of partnerships like this one. Since her experience, she said the program “has just grown beautifully.” For her, summer programs like Chautauqua’s allow dancers to be in the company of other artists equally as passionate about developing their craft, which can lead to very exciting opportunities.
“You spend your days with people who are inspired by and passionate about the same things you are,” Kent said. “There’s something really exciting about that.”
