IU Opera and Ballet Theater will present “A Leap Forward,” their fall ballet, on Oct. 1-2 at the Musical Arts Center. Performers will dance in three shows, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1-2 and 2 p.m. Oct 2. The performances will also be streamed on IUMusicLive!
The show will feature four pieces, all originally choreographed by different artists.
The first piece is “In Creases,” choreographed by Justin Peck. Set to “Four Movements for Two Pianos” by Phillip Glass, dancers form geometric structures and patterns. Peck, a choreographer for the New York City Ballet, stated in a past interview that he wanted dancers to take up as much space as they could so he could divide that space with their bodies.
“Chaconne,” set to a Bach violin piece of the same name, comes second. Choreographed by Sasha Janes, a choreographer for the Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina, the event’s site describes the piece as “complex and visually stimulating.”
A pas de deux is in third, choreographed by Edwaard Liang, artistic director of BalletMet in Columbus, OH. The piece, “Für Alina,” is described by the event’s site as “sad and soulful” and a contemplation of loss.
The final piece is a set of variations, “Donizetti Variations,” choreographed by George Balanchine, widely known as one of the most influential American choreographers of the past century. Set to Gaetano Donizetti’s opera “Dom Sébastien,” this work was originally part of a program celebrating the hundred-year anniversary of Italy’s unification.
Tickets for the show can be purchased online, over the phone or at the MAC box office and start at $10 for students and $15 regular price.
