Cincinnati Ballet opens its season this Friday with a program that asks four choreographers to do something unusual: turn visual art into movement. The Kaplan New Works Series runs September 18-26 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, staged in the venue's intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater, and this year's edition draws directly on the work of two Cincinnati visual artists.
According to cballet.org, the program features four internationally recognized choreographers: Robert Bondara, Anne Jung, and Mthuthuzeli November, along with a fourth choreographer. A separate listing from cincinnatiarts.org names the fourth choreographer as Melody Walsh, while the WKRC extract names Melody Mennite. Cincinnati Ballet describes the series overall as a curated collection of fresh, world-premiere works from some of dance's most sought-after choreographers, and the Kaplan program serves as the season-opening program.
The throughline connecting this year's premieres is visual art. Cincinnati Ballet says the original works by November and Melody Walsh were influenced by Cincinnati artists, a detail also reported by WKRC, which covered the ballet's decision to turn visual art into movement ahead of opening night.
Two Local Artists, One Drawing
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Stillion and Horton are both Cincinnatians whose work shaped this year's program, noting that two of the visual artists behind the series are local. Per the paper's account, Mthuthuzeli November built his ballet, titled “Echoes of Before,” primarily on Horton's drawing “The Sweetest Thing.” Horton is one of the local artists whose work influenced the program.
This year's program centers on translating visual art into movement. The Kaplan New Works Series turns visual art into live performance, making the relationship between the two central to the premieres.
An Artistic Director's Inspiration From the Met
Cincinnati Ballet's Artistic Director is Cervilio Amador, and this edition draws inspiration from the two local visual artists. The program brings together movement and visual art.
Tickets to the Kaplan New Works Series start at $70, according to thevoiceofblackcincinnati.com. Performances take place at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater, located at 1801 Gilbert Avenue in Cincinnati, per cincinnatiarts.org. Single tickets for Cincinnati Ballet's full season, of which the Kaplan series is the opener, went on sale August 3, cincinnatiballet.com notes.
