Not Your Grandmother’s Ballet!

Things are quieting down at the State Street Ballet studios after an intense weekend of Evenings performances. Evenings is the in-studio performance series performed and choreographed by State Street Ballet dancers.

These programs are a great way to see a different side of our dancers, from their creativity in their own choreography to their versatility as they tackle different styles of dance rarely seen in tradition ballet performances.

One patron said approvingly, “This is not my grandmother’s ballet.” State Street Ballet prides itself on preserving the classics while also creating a series for new and cutting edge work like our Evenings series.

Dancer, Katie McDermott talks to us about her experience performing in Evenings

How do performing pieces choreographed by fellow dancers differ from what you are used to doing in a more traditional performance setting?

Working for your peers is an interesting experience. I am performing pieces that my friends choreographed so I feel a lot of pressure to do a great job for them. Evenings is especially physically difficult because we put everything together in a week or two. Practicing 5 different pieces that use polar opposite techniques can be taxing on the brain to learn and the body to practice.

How do you compare performing at the studio to performing in a theatre like The Granada?

I love inviting people in to our studio to let them see the behind the scenes of where we practice. As a performance venue I am very comfortable in the studio but I also get more nervous for Evenings performances.

Why is that Katie?

The studio is a smaller more intimate experience. Being able to see and hear everything happening in your audience is nerve-racking. At a big theatre like the Granada I feel less connected to the audience, but in the studio it is so up close and personal.

Tell me what you feelings about the Evenings program?

Evenings is an opportunity for all of us to be doing what we love during the off-season, and it feels great to be trying out different styles of dance. It is amazing to me that given the opportunity to choreograph and perform whatever inspires us, the program is so diverse. I suppose that just further highlights how individual we all are.

Our next Evenings performance will be scheduled for November 6, 2010
Want to hear more? Make sure you are on our email list and become our friend on facebook.