BYU Theatre Ballet is set to open the semester by exploring new stylistic avenues
BYU Theatre Ballet is preparing to make its Winter 2021 debut with a dash of the unexpected designed to delight audiences. This show will add an element of surprise in comparison to the more traditional renditions of the past.
“This is promising to be a very different show for us,” said director Shayla Bott.
The show will feature a number called “Weaker,” which was accepted into the 2019 Women in Dance Leadership Conference and is choreographed by Bott. The performance also showcases a student choreographed piece by Ballet Theatre pro Sabrina Jex.
“I am thrilled to share my choreography, especially having had the opportunity to choreograph for my beautiful fellow dancers from Theatre Ballet,” said Jex.
Her piece is called “Redlight” and was inspired by her nephew.
“One of his favorite songs is a children's song about stop and go. I thought about how we spend so much time going that sometimes we forget to stop. If we live in a constant greenlight, we miss so many potentially defining and significant, beautiful moments.”
In addition to Jex’s original work, the company was able to obtain the rights to dances choreographed by Paul Taylor and José Limón. The company will seal the event with those numbers.
“These pieces are both stylistically outside the realm of what we typically do as a ballet company. It has pushed the dancers to move in different ways, and I think it shows the diversity of these talented student artists,” said Bott.
Bott is pleased by the team’s ability to perform such high repertoire pieces while creating a unified culture within the team. “It is a top priority for us to give the students the opportunity to learn modern masterworks, and to work closely with the foundations that look after the choreographies and control the quality of each performance.
The event will be live streamed on February 5 at 5:00 pm. To watch the event, please visit art.byu.edu.