Oklahoma’s premier ballet company Tulsa Ballet performs at the Royal Opera House for the first time on Wednesday 13 May, bringing its Made in America mixed bill to the Linbury Theatre.
Made in America opens with Classical Symphony by San Francisco Ballet choreographer Yuri Possokhov. Set to a Sergey Prokofiev score, the neoclassical work explores Possokhov’s childhood reverence for the art form and is dedicated to his ballet teacher. Next is Nicolo Fonte’s Divenire. The piece takes inspiration from the powerful energy and serene calm found simultaneously in nature and is complemented by the cascading melodies of Ludovico Einaudi. The programme draws to a close with Andy Blankenbuehler’s Remember Our Song. This touching work by the Tony Award-winning choreographer recounts the story of seven servicemen during wartime and how they long to return to the arms of their beloved. Together, these works reflect the diverse influences that define dance in America today.
Marcello Angelini, Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director, said:
“Performing at the Royal Opera House is both thrilling and humbling for our organization and is for sure the greatest honor a company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, can wish for. It is an acknowledgement of our steadfast commitment to excellence and our will to contribute to the growth and wellbeing of the field of dance, both locally and on the world stage.
It is also one of the highest honors our community and state can receive from the city, and the Company, we often refer to as ‘The Vatican of dance and culture’. We hope this historic engagement will positively reflect on the strength and artistry of Tulsa Ballet and on the cultural significance of our community.”
Appointed as the Official Cultural Ambassador for the State of Oklahoma in 2007, Tulsa Ballet has transported the spirit and talent of its home state to audiences in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Bosnia, Croatia, South Korea and Portugal.
