First State Ballet performs in a more intimate setting this week and it makes a difference in the performance.
First State Ballet’s Up Front on Market shows feature a mix of classical and contemporary work, but with the twist that only 75 seats are available for each performance at The Grand in Wilmington.
First State Ballet’s Director of Advancement Joan Beatson says these shows offer a mix of works allowing audiences to experience ballet in a different way.
“We have new works, we have new choreographers, including some of our dancers, and that gives the program a breadth. This weekend, we have a flamenco piece, and we have two contemporary pieces by wonderful choreographers that were created for our dancers. So it’s really a smorgasbord kind of thing - it's a different kind of experience than coming to Coppelia or the Nutcracker or Sleeping Beauty."
Beatson adds the smaller venue not only features the dancers in close proximity, but also allows the company to try some new material unencumbered by technical demands. Dancers can experiment.
"We’re able to do things that we can’t do on the big stage that require a lot of, maybe scenery or costumes. Also we go deeper into the rep of classical ballet - things that you won’t see anywhere else that maybe are pulled from a ballet, things that are unwieldy to produce a whole ballet for us, things that audiences haven’t seen in a long time.”
Three performances of The First State Ballet’s Upfront on Market Street are scheduled in Studio 1 at the Grand this weekend.
The shows this Friday and Saturday are at 7pm. Sunday’s performance is a 2pm matinee.
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