Choreography in FUNDING THE ARTS

Above you'll see Ezlimar Dortolina and Jose Edwin Gonzalez, our Guest Artists, who will play the leading roles of "Lu" and "Robby." FUNDING THE ARTS is a challenging piece to choreograph as the movement is so dependent on both the script and the video.  As the score has been compiled in short sections, the dances are very brief, and often serve the purpose of furthering the plot. The choreography itself a mix of original dances, staged movement, and "quotes" from the classics. For instance, in the first scene, two dancers are backstage, about to perform SWAN LAKE's "Black Swan" Pas de Deux.  They walk onto the stage, arguing in movement, when suddenly they see a dead body under the upstage curtain.  They try to remove the body, but the ballerina doesn't want to get her tutu covered in blood. The curtain goes up, and the ballet begins.  A few phrases of Petipa's choreography are danced, when something else unexpected happens, taking the performance off in a entirely different direction. The fun of choreographing this piece is the variety of characters and movement styles, the plot twists, and the opportunity to put an entirely new spin on traditional ballet music -- while following the storyline.  For instance "Arnie's ballet" (set to the waltz in the Third Act of "Coppélia") is supposed to be an entry in a choreography competition -- a terrible first attempt at choreography by a novice choreographer, using every cliché in the book. But the arrival of an unexpected character who makes his way onto the stage and into Arnie's ballet, changes it into something else entirely.  (By the way, tickets go on sale April 9th, so be sure to visit Theatermania.com to reserve yours!) --Felice Lesser