View from the stage-right wings (upstage is left, audience to the right) toward the end of "our yoke" by Sidra Bell and Owen/Cox Dance Group.
Marian Faustino (red leo), Ophelia Brian (black), Cortney Taylor Key (white leo, on floor) and Omar Humphrey (right).
Störling Dance Theater
Wylliams-Henry Contemporary Dance Company
Owen/Cox Dance Group
Kansas City Ballet
Also links to other JCCC events pictured on this site
NDP September 2014
NDP September 2015
Jonah Bokaer April 2016
NDP At DanceUSA June 2017
NDP September 2017
NDP September 2018
NDP September 2019
COVID 2020- all online
NDP September 2021, stills only
Companies in program order |
Störling Dance TheaterPronounced "sterling" as in sterling silver (Swedish). "Womb Wit and Wisdom"Choreographer: Carolyn Dorfman Dancers:
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Wylliams-Henry Contemporary Dance Company"Breath""1 - Moonlight" Choreographer: Ronen Koresh Dancers:
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Owen/Cox Dance Group"our yoke""1 - human cost" Choreographer: Sidra Bell Dancers:
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Kansas City Ballet"Amor Brujo"Choreographer: Irene Rodriquez Dancers:
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| Lighting Design: Burke Brown Artistic Advisor: Michael Uthoff |
| All works were commissioned by the Midwest Trust Center (formerly Carlsen Center) of Johnson County Community College General Manager Emily Behrmann |
Dancers:
Shannon Benton,
Katrina Clarke,
Laura Fiatte,
Beret Holaday (replaced due to illness)
by Grace Sutherland,
Breanne Lane,
Heidi Loubser,
Ashley Moehlenhoff,
Jillian Sivewright,
Alexandra Smith,
Andrea Wolfe
Carolyn Dorfman - notes in dress onstage with her dancers for Womb Wit and Wisdom - Storling Dance Theater.
"1 - Moonlight" - "2 - Crash" - "3 - Hold On"
Choreographer: Ronen Koresh
Dancers:
David Calhoun, Caroline Dahm, Jeremy Hanson, Katie Johnson,
John Swapshire IV, Hannah Wagner, Ashlan Zay
Jeremy Hanson, David Calhoun, Carolyn Dahm, Ashlan Zay, Hannah Wagner, John Swapshire
Notes: Ashlan Zay, David Calhoun, Carolyn Dahm, (back) Roni Koresh, (hidden) Jeremy Hammon, John Swapshire, Hannah Wagner
Jeremy Hammon (front) and David Calhoun (above and below)
David Calhoun, Carolyn Dahm, Jeremy Hammon, Ashlan Zay
Hannah Wagner and John Swapshire
Hannah Wagner and Katie Johnson
David Calhoun, Ashlan Zay, Carolyn Dahm, John Swapshire, Hanna Wagner, and (hidden behind Hannah) Jeremy Hanson
Notes: (Left-to-right) Dancers Jeremy Hammon, Ashlan Zay, David Calhoun, Carolyn Dahm, Katie Johnson, John Swapshire, Hannah Wagner and
choreographer Ronen Koresh (right) during dress.
"1 - human cost" - "2 - quagmire" - "3 - Hiss" - "4 - Lattice"
Choreographer: Sidra Bell
Rehearsal director: Gilbert Small
Dancers:
Ophelia Bryan, Marian Faustino, Omar Humphrey,
Sam McReynolds, Blake Miller, Cortney Taylor Key
Cortney Taylor Key
Omar Humphrey
Cortney Taylor Key
Blake Miller with a few dancers
- (on the right) Marian Faustino, Ophelia Bryan. (behind, L-R) Sam McReynolds, Cortney Taylor Key
Ophelia Bryan and Omar Humphrey
Mark Miller and Sam McReynolds
Sam McReynolds
Marian Faustino
Notes onstage in dress with rehearsal director Gilbert Small (right)
Artistic advisor Michael Uthoff (white hair) talks to dancers. Right of him is Owen/Cox artistic director Jennifer Owen, then rehearsal director Gilbert Small.
In the pit is JCCC video setup with tracks for left-to-right camera on dolly and leaning over the pit is lighting director Burke Brown (at right).
Various translations for the original story and concept: "Love bewitched," "Love, the Magician", sometimes called "Wedded by Witchcraft"
Choreographer: Irene Rodriquez
Dancers:
Candela: Amaya Rodriguez
Jose: Kevin Wilson
Carmelo: Humberto Rivera Blanco
El Destino (Fate): Liang Fu
Candel's Father: Andrew Rossi
Jose's Father: Jared Brouillette
Lucia: Heather Nichols
Lucia's Husband: Cameron Thomas
Village citizens:
Kaleena Burks, Amanda DeVenuta, Georgia Fuller, Taryn Mejia,
Emily Mistretta, Heather Nichols, Gavin Abercrombie,
Joshua Bodden, Angelin Carrant, Javier Morales,
Cameron Thomas,
Paul Zusi
Young Candela: Tess Gottschall
Young Jose: Elise Pickert
Young Carmelo:, Nile Clipner
The pledge to unite the children, Candela and José, in marriage when they grow up. (Tess Gotschall and Eise Pickert) - L-R: on chairs
In the middle, Candela and Fate, crossing
Carmelo
(Humberto Rivera Blanco)
Candela: Amaya Rodriguez (front) - and -
El Destino (Fate): Liang Fu
El Destino (Fate), Liang Fu
Danza Ritual del Fuego (Ritual Fire Dance) floor to standing: José (Kevin Wilson), Candela (Amaya Rodriguez), El Destino (Fate)
(Liang Fu) -
Invoking
a spell to cast out the haunting specter of José to the other world.
José has been cheating with Lucia. The cheating José is done in by
Lucia's husband.
Finally, El Destino (Fate) allows Candela and Carmelo
(Amaya Rodriguez and Humberto Rivera Blanco) to be together.
Choreographer Irene Rodriquez coming out for bows with Liang Fu (Fate)
Bows: Irene Rodriguez, choreographer, is in print dress left of center.
| Synopsis of "Amor Brujo" - copied from the program, written by Irene Rodriguez | ||
When my esteemed Mr. Michael Uthoff contacted me to propose the creation of a work for the Kansas City Ballet, the fascinating and haunting story of "El Amor Brujo" immediately came to mind, of which I had always dreamed the creation of my own version. This work has been choreographed and performed on multiple occasions by theater and dance companies of different styles and has also had successful film versions. In addition, his wonderful music has been part of the repertoire of countless orchestras around the world. "El Amor Brujo" is a performance ballet-pantomime that was commissioned in 1914 as Gitanerfa (gypsy piece) by Pastora Imperio, an acclaimed flamenco gypsy dancer, to the world-renowned Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946). "El Amor Brujo," considered one of the best works of Spanish music of all time, was composed in 1914-15 and Falla repeatedly transformed the work with different orchestral formats until a second ballet version (1925) featuring an expanded orchestration. The libretto, written by Marfa de la O Lejårraga, was attributed for years to her husband, Gregorio Martinez Sierra, and was written in Andalusian, a dialect of the typical Andalusian Spanish spoken by gypsies. The version of "Amor Brujo" I have created for the Kansas City Ballet tells a gypsy story in 10 scenes about an Andalusian woman named Candela. Her father, when she was a child, and as gypsy tradition demands, arranged her marriage to José; that they should marry as soon as they reached adulthood. Except Candela has always been in love with another: Carmelo. The expected wedding day arrives and during the ceremony, Candela discovers that José has been cheating on her the entire time with another gypsy woman named Lucia, whose husband, full of anger, ends José's life in front of the bride's eyes. After this event, Candela goes completely mad and begins to see the tormenting specter of José everywhere, until she decides to invoke the spirit of fire ("Danza Ritual del Fuego"/"Ritual Fire Dance," the most magical moment of the work) with a spell that will permanently cast out the specter of José to the other world. This creation has been especially exciting for me, as it is the first ballet company in the United States for which I have choreographed a work of this magnitude, and for which I have also been the architect of the adaptation of the original libretto and the musical selection. This will also be the first commissioned work and performance of the 2021-2022 Season of the Kansas City Ballet and the first one performed in an indoor theater after the lockdown. I would love to dedicate it to the 106th Anniversary of the world premiere of "El Amor Brujo" (Lara Theater, Madrid, April 15th, 1915). I hope this "Amor Brujo" bewitches you and captures you like it did with me. - Irene Rodriguez |
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Spaced, assigned seating
with masks and limited to 200. Total seating capacity is 1,341 divided into Orchestra (directly in front of camera), Tier (right at back), Balcony (above tier) and Box (directly above camera and in the same arrangement directly across). Emily Behrmann, director Midwest Trust Center (formerly Carlsen Center ) at JCCC is giving the welcoming speech and introduction to the show. One of the four camera positions is next to the doorway at right, paired with one on the other side, one in the pit moving left and right on dolly tracks and one at back of the house high near control booth.
Emily Behrmann. executive director Midwest Trust Center, checking time, about to give the welcome
and introduction (just priot to the photo above)
Artistic advisor Michael Uthoff at pre-performance talk Saturday.
Choreographer Carolyn Dorfman ("Womb Wit and Wisdom" - Störling Dance Theater) at pre-performance talk Saturday.
Irene Rodriguez ("Amor Brujo" - KC Ballet) at pre-performance talk Saturday.
Lightboard. Burke Brown (white shirt) lighting designer for New Dance Partners.
Left to Right: Jennifer Owen and Brad Cox (Owen/Cox Group), choreographer Carolyn Dorfman (Störling, "Womb Wit and Wisdom")
with Gilbert Small, rehearsal director for Sidra Bell, choreographer for "our yoke" performed by Owen/Cox.
Class before Friday Dress - Ophelia Bryan dancing with Owen/Cox Dance Group
Class before dress Friday.
Costumes for "Amor Brujo" backstage
Sam McReynolds carries Cortney Taylor Key in Owen/Cox's "our yoke" by Sidra Bell
Cortney Taylor Key in Owen/Cox's "our yoke" by Sidra Bell