Convergence Ballet to Present THE SPACE BEFORE Featuring World Premieres by Ian Parsons

Convergence Ballet will present THE SPACE BEFORE on April 26 at 6:00 p.m. at the Dorrance Theatre in Phoenix, marking Artistic Director Ian Parsons’ choreographic debut with the company.

The mixed repertory program will feature two world premieres alongside existing works, offering a range of styles from neoclassical ballet to contemporary dance. The evening will also include 5 views of the temple garden by Canadian choreographer Peggy Baker, set to music by Karen Tanaka.

“I am honored to have the privilege to present this mini-window into my artistic past and present," said Parsons. "Peggy's teaching and mentorship have been a pivotal part of my development, so it seems only fitting that we should give Phoenix audiences a taste of her beautiful work in this way, as we launch Convergence Ballet into a new and exciting chapter that I feel very lucky to get to lead.”

Parsons’ choreography will form the core of the program, including My Soul Return'd to Me (First Movement), a neoclassical work for seven women en pointe set to music by Dinuk Wijeratne, and a duet from Carved Within the Pulse, set to music by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The evening will also feature the world premiere of The Field, Before It Spoke, set to Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Six Studies in English Folksong, expanding on a work first presented in workshop form at Assemblé Internationale 2023. The program will conclude with the world premiere of With a Little Help from the Static, a work that blends classical ballet with music inspired by The Beatles.

Performers will include Ashlyn Hall, Julie Rose Zukaitis, Alexander Patrick-Rolando, Natalia Rengifo Chacón, Natasha Rader, Samantha Gray, Sunny Hsieh, Mary Jane Girard, Matthew Mendez, Madeline Coury, Katelyn Beaulieu, and David Maurice.

Program

The evening’s repertoire will include:

5 views of the temple garden
Choreography by Peggy Baker; music by Karen Tanaka

My Soul Return'd to Me (First Movement)
Choreography by Ian Parsons; music by Dinuk Wijeratne

Central Duet from Carved Within the Pulse
Choreography by Ian Parsons; music by Ryuichi Sakamoto

The Field, Before It Spoke (World Premiere)
Choreography by Ian Parsons; music by Ralph Vaughan Williams

With a Little Help from the Static (World Premiere)
Choreography by Ian Parsons; music featuring selections inspired by The Beatles

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