St. Louis Blues - Call It Love! at Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center

This powerful collection of ballets explores the intersection of classical technique, modern rhythm, and emotional depth. From Gen Horiuchi’s St. Louis Blues, a vibrant tribute to the roots of American jazz featuring live music and vocals, to the kinetic energy of Peter Martins’ Hallelujah Junction and the bold, theatrical flair of The Chairman Dances, both set to the driving scores of John Adams—each work pulses with musical innovation. Adding to the program’s richness, Christopher Wheeldon’s hauntingly beautiful Liturgy offers a meditative pas de deux that is both intimate and transcendent.

ST. LOUIS BLUES
Choreography by Gen Horiuchi
Music by TOYA after W. C Handy

Choreographed by Gen Horiuchi, this classical ballet with the soulful rhythms of W.C. Handy is back by popular demand. After a successful run in Tokyo, the ballet returns featuring live music by New York-based composer Toya and his jazz band. Dynamic and expressive, this production celebrates the spirit of American jazz and features incredibly talented vocalist Denise Thimes.

HALLELUJAH JUNCTION
Choreography by Peter Martins
Music by John Adams

Martins’ Hallelujah Junction is a living locomotive of propulsive vitality, set to a pulsing John Adams score. The work centers on delayed repetition between the two pianos, creating an effect of echoing sonorities. There is a constant shift of pulse and meter, but the main rhythms are based on the rhythms of the word “Hal-le-LU-jah.”

THE CHAIRMAN DANCES
Choreography by Peter Martins
Music by John Adams

Combining the vocabulary of classical dance with a suggestion of traditional Chinese lyric gestures and pageantry, The Chairman Dances builds on the repetitiveness of its minimalist score and boldly colorful staging.

LITURGY
Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon
Music by Arvo Pärt

Choreographed by Tony Winner Christopher Wheeldon (Carousel) in 2003 for New York City Ballet, this pas de deux has a mystical quality as the male and female dancer separate and return to one another with increasing intensity. This piece is physically demanding with difficult and intriguing partnering that can take the audience on a journey both spiritual and profound.

Category:  Arts | Performing Arts | Ballet

Time:  13:30 -  15:30