Experience the magic of innovation and artistry with Saint Louis Ballet up close and personal at The Grandel on May 17! This intimate performance brings audiences closer than ever to the power of dance, featuring brand-new ballets. Highlighting the evening is a premiere by renowned NYC choreographer Danielle Diniz, whose work has captivated audiences from Jacob’s Pillow to Off-Broadway. The program also showcases original works by Saint Louis Ballet’s own Gen Horiuchi, CiCi Houston, and Christine Settembrino, ensuring a night of fresh, dynamic, and unforgettable performances.
Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to witness the future of ballet—secure your seats today!
Las Flores
Choreography by Danielle Diniz
Music by Fandango III
Fandanguito and Danzon No. 2
by Arturo Marquez
Program Notes:
"Inspired by the magnificent melodies of Arturo Marquez and my Latin heritage, this piece displays a combination of ballet technique and traditional elements of Mexican culture via the complex beauty and refinement of orchids. These flowers flaunt stunning differences through color, texture and winding shapes, meandering through trees and neighboring blooms, creating stories of their own and boasting varying personalities. I've always been particularly taken with them and as there are about 30,000 species worldwide, it has been equally exciting and enlightening pairing those stemming from Mexico (12% of the world's population) with this music and dancers' unique qualities and characteristics."
"Please immerse yourself in how the "Dancing-Ladies," "Wildcats" (along with Queen's-wreaths) and "Stone Lovelies" showcase their individuality while finding power in the picture of the collective, allowing their relationships to grow and thrive."
Le Reve
Choreography by Gen Horiuchi
Music by Joseph Morra
Program Notes
Originally choreographed in 2009 the story of Le Reve is about a woman who has lost the love of her life but as she walks through this new life without him she feels his presence around her always.
Original music by Joseph Morra, Joe worked with Gen Horiuchi on the music for many of his ballets early as a director having known him from Horiuch's days in New York City when dancing in New York City Ballet.
The Nest
Choreography by CiCi Houston
Music by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Preludes for Piano, Op. 3, No. 2, op. 23, Nos. 4,7, and 5
Program Notes:
This ballet utilizes the common ballet barre as broadly symbolic of the external things we cling to in an effort to find our self-identity. Just as a dancer clings to a barre because so much of their sense of self is connected to the fact that they are a dancer, so it is with most people - they "are" their career, their family, their beliefs, their hometown, etc. As the ballet progresses, they start to explore beyond the linear focus of the barre.
Rachmaninoff's Preludes for Piano have long been a favorite of mine. The piano somehow fills the space as though it were a full orchestra, not a single instrument. The hardest part was narrowing down the options - not only which preludes made a cohesive score, but then, there are so many options of how to move to such layered work! The immense music clearly needed a large, powerful cast, a serene pas de deux, and I knew from the start that I would conclude with Op. 23 No. 5 - my personal favorite, which is, as they say, a total "banger" of a tune.
A Night to Remember:
Prom 1962
Choreography by Christine Settembrino
Program Notes:
This piece is dedicated to my dad, who raised me on his incredible taste in music. From The Rolling Stones to Simon & Garfunkel, from The Doors to Queen, he always had the right album on hand to help survive a road trip or accompany household chores on a Sunday afternoon. One of his albums included songs by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which provided the inspiration for the music of this piece. If you look carefully, you may even catch a few nods the The Blues Brothers, one of his favorite movies!
