The Tulsa Ballet is touring and in New York. For some reason it feels really good to be exporting culture from Tulsa to New York and Europe. I'm guessing for many of the people who see them in New York and abroad the Tulsa Ballet does as much, if not more, to support the image of our city than all the marketing dollars we throw out there.
NEW YORK -- When you think of Tulsa, Okla., a ballet dancer on pointe may not be the first image that comes to mind. Yet Tulsa Ballet has established a foothold amid the oil rigs and cattle ranches. Indeed, the story of this company of 29 dancers is the story of ballet in America.
When the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo toured cross-country in the 1940s and '50s, the excitement it generated led to a school and then a company taking root in the local Oklahoma soil. Ballet Russe artists Mocelyn Larkin, a Native American ballerina, and her Polish husband, dancer Roman Jasinski, founded the Tulsa Ballet in 1956. For years, the company remained a cultural outpost -- a speck of classical dancing on a distant horizon.
Under the direction of Italian ballet master Marcello Angelini since 1995, Tulsa Ballet has continued to grow, acquiring a contemporary repertoire and -- shades of the Ballet Russe -- beginning to tour internationally. The company will make a stop next week at the Joyce Theater in New York. As a cultural ambassador, the company has strong, local support: Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry plan to attend opening night at the Joyce.
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http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ticket/index.ssf/2009/08/geographic_leaps_joyce_theater.htmlTULSA BALLET (Monday through Thursday) A rare chance to see Kenneth MacMillan’s “Elite Syncopations” comes with a welcome New York visit by the Tulsa Ballet, in a program that includes Nacho Duato’s “Por Vos Muero” and “This Is Your Life” by the Korean choreographer Young Soon Hue. The company, directed by Marcello Angelini, has a reputation for acquiring a diverse and interesting repertory; here’s your chance to see a sample of it. (Through Aug. 15.). Monday through Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 8 p.m.; Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea , (212) 242-0800, joyce.org. (Sulcas)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/arts/dance/07dance.htmlTULSA BALLET
For regional ballet companies, a season at the Joyce is a rite of passage and a recognition of success. Tulsa Ballet last visited New York twenty-five years ago; since then it has changed leadership and retooled its repertoire, to reflect an interest in contemporary dance and Europe. The company performs Kenneth MacMillan’s “Elite Syncopations,” from 1974, a playful little dance-hall number set to Scott Joplin rags; “Por Vos Muero” (1996), by the theatrical Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato; and “This Is Your Life,” a series of tango-inspired vignettes by the relatively unknown Korean-American choreographer Young Soon Hue. (175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St. 212-242-0800. Aug. 10-12 at 7:30, Aug. 13-14 at 8, and Aug. 15 at 2 and 8.)
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/dance/2009/08/10/090810goda_GOAT_danceSomething in Italian
http://www.balletto.net/giornale.php?articolo=2421