Dancers of American Midwest Ballet (AMB) hit the studios this week to begin work on the company’s 15th anniversary season of professional dance. Erika Overturff, AMB’s founder and artistic director, said: “Wow, it’s incredible to be celebrating 15 years. Time flies when you’re having fun!”
“Looking back, it’s such an honor that we’ve been able to share so many beautiful moments with people,” she said. “We’ve got an amazing season ahead, and our dancers are excited to get started.”
Audiences will notice one new feature right away, she said: the company has added extra performances to Momentum, its annual mixed-repertory program, and to the holiday favorite The Nutcracker, to accommodate growing public demand. Dancers appreciate the additions as well, she said: “When you’ve put so many hours into bringing something to the stage, you want to give as many people as possible the chance to enjoy it.”
The company’s 27 resident dancers hail from 20 different states around the country, Overturff said, making the Midwest their home to share the art of dance with our community. She noted these dancer updates for Season 15:
- Sophie Graham, an apprentice last season, has been promoted to company artist. A native of Connecticut, Sophie has danced previously with Milwaukee Ballet 2, as a Joffrey Ballet Chicago trainee, and at the New England Academy of Dance.
- Noah Kargman, a trainee last season, has been promoted to apprentice. The Virginia native previously trained at Roanoke Ballet Theater and the Burton Center for Performing Arts.
- Cyan Love of Florida joins AMB as an apprentice. She has trained at the Miami City Ballet School, Paris Ballet and Dance, and Orlando School.
- Mateusz Lojewski of Iowa joins the company as a trainee. He has trained with Bossov Ballet Theater, Koltun Ballet Boston, and Ballet Arts Worcester.
Returning along with Overturff for Season 15 are company artists:
Erin Alarcón, ballet master
Marsalis AnderSon-Clausell
Nora Carr
Elena Carter
Ryan Christopher
Claire Goodwillie
Alexandra Hoffman
Jack Kadzis
Casey Kelley
Leah Kressin
Erica Lohman
Richard Marks
Kelanie Murphy
Kogan Murphy
Katerina Schweitzer
Amaris Sharratt
Anna Swenson
Wyatt Weeces
Whitney Woods
Returning as apprentices are Kelsey Corder, Eliza Harden, and Megan Lynch.
AMB will open its season October 18–20 at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center in Council Bluffs with Momentum, a program of varied works chosen to showcase the expressive range of ballet. Among the selections will be a premiere by AMB ballet master Erin Alarcón: “Whipped Cream!”, which the choreographer describes as a nostalgic, joyous tribute to summer in the Sixties.
Also on the program will be Erika Overturff’s “Feeling Good”, an ensemble ballet inspired by the music of jazz vocalist Nina Simone, and a new work by Omaha native and Broadway performer Ray Mercer, creator of the previous Momentum works “Ghost Light” and “Speed Date” The intensely dramatic “Black Swan” pas de deux from the 19th-century landmark ballet Swan Lake rounds out the program, Overturff said.
The family favorite The Nutcracker will follow November 23 and 24 at the Hoff Center and December 13 through 15 at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater. Marking its fourth year, the November 24 performance will be a special sensory-friendly version presented in cooperation with the Autism Action Partnership to help make the Nutcracker experience accessible to more families, Overturff said.
Additional highlights will include taking The Nutcracker on tour to Spirit Lake, Iowa, and hosting the company’s spectacular Nutcracker Gala at the Hoff Center, she said.
Alice in Wonderland, created by internationally experienced dancer, teacher, and choreographer Kennet Oberly [1957-2016> will close the season April 12 and 13 at the Hoff Center and April 26 and 27 at the Orpheum. First staged for AMB in 2013, Oberly’s Alice combines favorite characters and scenes from Lewis Carroll’s classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The result, Overturff said, is an inventive and intriguing interpretation that combines lively action, dreamlike wonderment, and whimsical humor.
Tickets for all three productions are on sale now; information is available at the AMB website.
