Thanks to Virtual Performances, the Stage is Bigger
For its upcoming performances, Texas Ballet Theater is making the entire Dallas-Fort Worth region its stage.
The nonprofit ballet company will present two digital, pre-recorded productions this spring instead of traditional in-person performances, creating an opportunity for innovation in choreography, presentation style and even performance location.
“We hope audiences enjoy a new kind of performance experience through these productions,” executive director Vanessa Logan said. “They show us all how the beauty and art of ballet can be found anywhere, even in unexpected places.”
TBT’s first production, The Poetry of Expression: Part I, showcases two new works choreographed by company dancers. The Story of You, choreographed by Carl Coomer, features Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science as its backdrop.
The piece celebrates a collaboration between two local nonprofits, a silver lining of the challenges and changes of the past year.
“Carl Coomer’s The Story of You is a deeply inspiring and visionary work of art that perfectly captures the wonder and journey of self-exploration our exhibit halls evoke within our visitors,” said Dr. Linda Silver, Eugene McDermott Chief Executive Officer of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. “We are delighted to partner with Texas Ballet Theater for this important and timely creation and honored to have the Perot Museum featured in such a beautiful and moving piece.”
The Poetry of Expression: Part I also features VREC, choreographed by Riley Moyano. For his piece, Moyano chose multiple locations across Fort Worth, including Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company, River Ranch Stockyards, and Waters Restaurant.
“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company, River Ranch Stockyards and Waters Restaurant,” Moyano said. “The way these locations embodied different sections of my world premiere, VREC, was truly inspirational. The staff, including Robin Bangert, Craig Bonham and Jamie Holderby were so accommodating. Without the collaborative spirit of the DFW community, none of this would have been possible.”
Both The Story of You and VREC are representations of the time in which they were created – a time of creative problem-solving and community support, continuing to further TBT’s mission of sharing ballet with North Texas while traditional methods aren’t feasible.
The Poetry of Expression: Part I will be available for streaming March 25 – April 9, 2021. Tickets are $30 per household and can be purchased at www.texasballettheater.org or by calling the box office at 877-828-9200 option 1.
