IU Ballet Department students will perform their spring ballet, "America Dances," at the Musical Arts Center. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Michael Vernon, Chair Emeritus of the ballet department, said this program does not have a specific concept, but the three dances he chose go well together, according to his taste.
The three performances feature two different casts. When selecting what the spring program was to be about, Vernon said the theme of a program is mainly a question of the director’s taste.
The first dance is "La Source" by George Balanchine, a choreographer.
Vernon said he chose the piece to pay homage to Violette Verdy, a ballerina and teacher at IU. Balanchine choreographed the dance for Verdy, who died in 2016.
“We’ve dedicated other programs to her, but I thought it’d be nice in her memory,” Vernon said.
The second piece, "Diversion of Angels" is by Martha Graham, a dancer and choreographer, and is a neoclassical piece, like the Balanchine ballet.
While the music and styles are different, Vernon said he felt the two go well together. The Graham piece is the centerpiece of the performance and focuses on love, which is common in Balanchine pieces. This dance also features three duets, Vernon said.
The final piece, called "Sandpaper Ballet," is by Mark Morris, a dancer, choreographer and director. The piece is the longest of the three and features humor, Vernon said. The ballet was choreographed for the San Francisco Ballet.
Those who know a lot, or very little, about ballet will enjoy the performance.
“I think that Balanchine is something that people who know a lot about ballet really appreciate, but also if you don’t know that much about ballet, the movement is so big and free that I think it’s something that draws a lot of attention and can really get someone interested in ballet,” IU junior Anna Grunewald said.
Grunewald said the comedy in Morris’ piece also appeals to anyone.
Despite misconceptions about ballet, Vernon said anyone who goes in with an open mind can enjoy the show.
“I mean, people go to the movies who don’t know how to make a movie," he said. "People go to musicals who can’t sing. I don’t know why it has this stigma. I think if it’s good, good art is good art."
Grunewald said this year’s performance is the complete opposite of her performance in the romantic ballet “Giselle” last year. Vernon said the difference between "Giselle" and "La Source" is like the difference between opera and rock.
The great thing about IU is that dancers get to do every type of choreography, Grunewald said.
"Part of the contrast is not just for the audiences but also for the dancers to experience different styles because this is their education, after all," he said.
