Leaps and lessons

Upcoming programs at Tulsa Ballet and Portico Dans Theatre share the art and craft of dance

The art of dance in Tulsa ranges widely in size, scope, intention and inspiration, from individuals making experimental works to renowned institutions presenting the world’s creations. But dance is a craft as well as an art. It doesn’t just happen—it takes time, money, savvy, and practical vision. 

Two programs over the next several weeks offer the chance to see the development of this model. And both invite us, as all dance does, to see ourselves through the prism of the moving body. 

The first program is courtesy of Tulsa Ballet, which has been bringing the classical and the cutting-edge together since the 1950s. Tulsa Ballet’s “Masters of Dance” program, March 18-20, features three works that Artistic Director Marcello Angelini says epitomize where the company stands at this moment in its history: Jiri Kylian’s mysterious “Petit Mort,” Yuri Possokhov’s sparkling “Classical Symphony,” and a sexy beast of a ballet by Christopher Bruce called “Rooster,” set to music by the Rolling Stones.

“Masters of Dance represents the masters of choreography that populate our repertory and are influencing the growth of the field,” says Angelini. “People like Kylian, who created a new vocabulary of dance and inspired other great masters like Nacho Duato. People like Christopher Bruce, who revolutionized dance in the UK and, as a result, in the entire European continent. And people like Yuri Possokhov, who has in my opinion found the right recipe to make classical ballet as fresh and exciting as it was 150 years ago.”

These works are vibrant and vital—and they’re helping cement Tulsa Ballet’s reputation as an internationally recognized center of dance. (Among other indices: more than 1200 dancers from around the world auditioned for a spot in the company this year.) After these performances, Tulsa Ballet will take this same program on tour to Italy, where ballet began in the 15th century, and which nourished Angelini’s own aspirations as a young artist. 

“Tulsa is making great strides to become a celebrated entity around the world,” he says. “This is necessary for us in order to grow as a city, as recognition brings tourism, new businesses, it helps retain top talent, it helps with maintaining local talent in our state, and it improves the economic standing of the community. When we travel outside our community, we make a statement that ballet is what we do, while Tulsa is who we are.”

While Tulsa Ballet makes a large-scale impact both at home and abroad, Portico Dans Theatre focuses on building local creative energy. Portico’s new Choreographic Artists Mentoring Program (C.A.M.P.), pairs teenagers with choreographic advisors who guide them through the process of creating a dance, including budget training, goal-setting, advertising, costuming, music selection, technical cues and choreographic tools. 

The young dancemakers’ works will premiere April 8 and 9 at Tulsa Ballet’s Studio K, a theater constructed for the purpose of presenting new work. 

When Portico director Jen Alden moved to Tulsa from Oregon nearly a decade ago, she observed that young dancers were unfamiliar with the business side of their art. 

“I feel business acumen is such an important aspect of being a professional dancer that I decided to implement this program within PDT,” she says. “Our mentoring program bridges the gap between the dance studio/performance training [and becoming a] professional artist.” 

Alden says the program was inspired by the training offered in the Artist, Inc., program through the Mid-America Arts Alliance and by the mentoring example of Amy McIntosh, the former head of the dance department at ORU, who passed away last spring.

One of the young choreographers taking part in this first year of C.A.M.P. is Griffin Massey, a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School, who says dance is critical to his ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. He’s creating the “Twos” for “Ones, Twos, Threes”—a duet for a male and a female dancer about a breakup, set to music by Adele.  

“I think this is a special program,” Massey says. “[Not everybody] gets to work with an experienced choreographer. We get to sit down with them and give them our ideas and they give us ideas as to what to do, so that our vision comes across onstage, instead of us just hoping it will.”

For more from Alicia, read her article on Tulsa Project Theatre's production of 'Rent.'