Ballets to feature students’ creative choreography

The IU Ballet Theater will present its annual “Ballet at the BCT: The Choreography Project” at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday with a matinee showing at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

The event is free and open to the public.

The theme was described by  IU Ballet Department chair Michael Vernon as “creativity in ballet.”

“The Choreography Project” is a class that ballet majors must take twice to graduate, and it allows the dancers to become choreographers.

“It’s important for the dancer to experience,” Vernon said. “It takes a long time for choreographers to develop.”

He noted that some students shine and show great potential as choreographers, of which there are very few in ballet.   

“This will be the most creative and interesting of all the Choreographic Projects we have performed since I have been working at IU,” Vernon said in a press release. “We have 21 ballets of varying lengths, all performed by our talented dancers to assorted music and styles. This is an event that is worthy of a major artistic city such as London or New York.”

Among the 21 ballets is the choreography of sophomore Alison Trumbull.

“We had about two weeks to choreograph,” Trumball said.

Trumball plans to use three freshmen as her dancers.

“It’s been nice working with close friends,” she said.

Colleen Anthonisen, a sophomore, will also display her choreography in one piece and dance in two others.

“One of them is very African,” Anthonisen said. “And it’s a lot of creative movement.”

She described the other piece she will dance in as “almost techno,” and a mix between classical ballet and contemporary dance.

The piece she choreographed will be set to “Let Go” by Frou Frou and will feature two male/female pairs.

“Each one brings out that person’s personality,” she said.