Brookside comes alive with Pop Culture
Apr 9, 2010 in GeneralTulsa Ballet’s Pop Culture in Studio K mixes contemporary dance with popular music in the heart of Tulsa’s Brookside district
Just a few blocks down the street from the Tulsa Ballet studios at 45th and Peoria, you will find unique shopping spots, fine dining, art galleries, and a nightlife that includes some of Tulsa’s most popular bars and clubs. Tulsa’s Brookside district, located between south 31st Street and 51st Street and between Riverside Drive and south Utica Avenue, has become a destination spot for recreation, relaxation and all things trendy and hip. Although Tulsa Ballet performs most of its season at the Performing Arts Center in downtown Tulsa, for its spring production of Pop Culture in Studio K, the company will be staying home.
Tulsa Ballet’s performance space, Studio K, opened in the heart of Brookside at the end of April 2008. Since then, it has become one of Tulsa’s most unique performance venues. With only 295 seats and a full sized stage, Studio K provides the opportunity for Tulsans to witness the power and athleticism of professional dancers up close and personal. A state-of-the-art sound system and comfortable stadium seating add to the entire experience.
Studio K was designed for the purpose of creating new dance works in Tulsa to be shared with the rest of the world. Each season, Tulsa Ballet enlists the talents of both rising and established choreographers to create three new works that will see their world premieres here in Tulsa and will then be acquired by other ballet companies all over the globe. Not only does this provide a truly unique experience for local audiences, but it helps put Tulsa on the map as an international leader in the world of professional dance. Thus, Tulsa Ballet also plays an active role in shaping the future of ballet as an art form and creating the next generation of dance enthusiasts.
Pop Culture in Studio K will feature the world premiere of three distinct contemporary dances. While most people associate dance as being accompanied by a classical music score, this production provides just the opposite. Each work combines classical and contemporary ballet technique with popular music to create three unique performances that present day audiences will be able to relate to. Choreographer Young Soon Hue uses the music of the Beatles to offer a humorous and moving journey through life’s ups and downs. Edwaard Liang uses the music of Rufus Wainwright to explore human relationships, love and emotions while Tulsa Ballet Resident Choreographer, Ma Cong incorporates an eclectic mix of world music to accompany his unique, contemporary style that has made him an audience favorite in Tulsa and across the country.
Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director, Marcello Angelini, says, “Our Studio K series is quickly becoming the buzz of the town. These performances complete my vision for Tulsa Ballet as a company that will dazzle our audience with the great classics of the 19th century, a company that will engage our community with the works of the masters of the 20th century while creating edgy, contemporary works to project dance into the 21st century. We are not, and will never be, a single layer organization. Our way to perceive dance and to present this wonderful art is as tridimensional as life itself.”
Pop Culture in Studio K will be performed on April 16th -17th and 21st - 24th at 7pm; April 17th -18th and 24th-25th at 2pm. Adult Tickets are $35 and discounts are available for seniors, students and groups of 15 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tulsaballet.org, by calling (918) 749-6006 or visiting the Studio K Box Office at 1212 East 45th Place. Arrive early; no late seating.
Rehearsal video highlights and an interview with Choreographer Edwaard Liang are available online at www.tulsaballet.org.
