Ballet Theatre of Maryland Celebrates Valentine's Day With MOMENTUM: A MIXED BILL

Each year, Ballet Theatre of Maryland presents Momentum: A Mixed Bill, a mixed repertory performance that platforms world-premiere works with both classical and contemporary movement. As the company prepares for this year's Valentine's Day weekend performances, there's something special happening in the studio: every piece is choreographed by a current professional dancer of BTM.

 According to Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch, who curated the evening of works, this is the first season that the entire show has been created in-house. She says, "We treasure the guest choreographers who have worked on past Momentum performances, and the energy they bring to the studio is always very exciting. That said, an important component has been to foster choreographic talent within our company. There's a unique benefit to having choreographers who know their fellow dancers so well: because they watch each other in rehearsal each day and have spent years supporting their fellow dancers in performance, our choreographers may recognize qualities or talents that an outside eye doesn't immediately see. This brings an intimacy to the rehearsal process as well as an unforgettable synchronicity to the stage. We're excited to share that with our audience members this February."

 Pieces range in length from five to twenty minutes, with each work using the powerful language of dance to communicate something new. Momentum strips ballet down to its essentials, providing audience members with an experience both visceral and personal. In this performance, BTM invites audiences to absorb, reflect, and be inspired by what they see onstage. 

This year's Momentum will feature works by principal dancers Karissa Kralik and Diego Sosa, soloists Michael West Jr. and Cindy Case, demi-soloists Hannah Hanson and Mimi Hardin, and corps de ballet members Karen Fleming and Ellie Goods. The evening will include audience-favorite music such as Vivaldi's "Winter" and the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, but also a brand-new composition: Sosa's choreography, "Las Alas del Mainumby", is set to a specially commissioned score by Edgar Torres that evokes Paraguayan musical colors and natural landscapes.