Dance Kaleidoscope Announces 2011-12 Season Happy 40th Birthday DK!

Dance Kaleidoscope Announces 40^th Season

Indianapolis: Press release

With its 2011-12 season, Dance Kaleidoscope will turn 40.  Founded in 1972 as part of the Young Audiences program, DK is Indianapolis’ professional contemporary dance company.  Reflecting on the number of years DK has been in Indy, artistic director David Hochoy says with a smile, “Life begins at 40!”

The first concert of the season will be The Four Elements (Redux) in October on the IRT Main Stage.    This piece premiered in 2005 and quickly became an audience favorite.  The powerful section, Earth, will remain in tact.   Water, Air and Fire will be reworked by David Hochoy.  

Just before the Super Bowl comes to town, DK will offer an energetic party of a concert called Super Soul.  Featuring the music of Motown, Super Soul will run for the first two weekends of January on IRT’s Upper Stage.

In March, DK will return to IRT’s Main Stage to present its tribute to William Shakespeare called All the World’s a Stage.  The program will include a world premiere of Romeo and Juliet, using Tchaikovsky ‘s soaring music. 

Celebrating Indiana’s own Cole Porter, DK will present the full evening audience favorite, COLE! On IRT’s Main Stage. 

Tickets and season subscriptions are available at 317.940-6555. 

Summer Staycation

For light fun this summer, see DK’s concert, Summer Musicals/Elvis Sizzle.  The first act will be sections from Mad for Musicals, followed by sections from The Elvis Project.  The show will run July 7-10 on IRT’s Main Stage. 

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer, music, restaurant and theater critic. Catch her as Indy’s Arts & Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC and follow her on Twitter @ejmusgrave1 and Facebook.


Gotta Go is published in the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, Indiana Weekender, New Palestine Reporter, Pendleton Times Reporter and Fortville-McCordsville Reporter.

Indianapolis CIty Ballet: An Evening With the Stars 2010

An Evening with the Stars 2010

Indianapolis City Ballet’s An Evening with the Stars danced its way onto the stage at The Murat Theatre this weekend. Principal dancers from around the globe, China, Japan, Australia, Russia, Mexico, Brazil and the United States were brought together for one night, to share their talent and passion of ballet.

Miguel Quinone-Caught

Contemporary to traditional and signature pieces were showcased, including a return of last year’s most popular dancer, Miguel Quinones. Quinones’ Caught once again received a well-deserved standing ovation. The David Parsons-choreographed piece delighted the audience with its special lighting giving the appearance of the dancer flying without wires.

Other dancers receiving a large portion of the accolades were Daniil Simkin in Les Bourgois, music by Jacques Brel, in Act II, and Ivan Vasiliev. Compared to famous ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, Vasiliev performed two numbers, Flames of Paris and Don Quixote Pas de Deux, both with Natalia Osipova.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a syndicated columnist, travel writer and theater critic. Catch her as Indy’s Arts & Entertainment Adviser on 93 WIBC and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and at gottago.us. Comments can and questions can be sent to elizabeth@gottago.us.


Gotta Go is published in the following newspapers: South Sider Voice, Indiana Weekender, West Side Community News, New Palestine Reporter, West Indianapolis Community News, Pendleton Times Reporter and Fortville-McCordsville Reporter.

The Indiana Ballet Company: Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera was performed this past weekend at the Madame Walker Theatre by The Indiana Ballet Company. Converting Phantom to a ballet production was an interesting concept, and accepting the invitation, I was sitting dead center.
The love triangle between Christine (Tuesday Mayhew), Raoul, Ballet Master (Ogulcan Borova) and Phantom (Sergey Sersiev) begins in Act I with only Christine aware of the masked one’s presence. Unable to resist his charm, a spell is cast upon her, causing confusion for Raoul, who cannot understand the power of the Phantom. In a moment of weakness, Phantom allows Christine to remove his mask, horrifying her by the sight of his disfigurement, and she runs.
In Act II, the three principals dance through a Spanish Masquerade Ball, and Phantom declares his love for Christine. Making her decision to stay with the Phantom, the ballerina is left alone as
Phantom vanishes, unable to face his fear of love, leaving behind only his mask and cape.

Powerful and moving are the best descriptors to this switch in the familiar story. Sersiev wraps the Phantom character in his own cape of dark sensuality. Watching him dance is an intense assault of the senses, holding your attention raptly, breathlessly waiting for his next move. Able to sense his vulnerability, fear and desire, the audience members are left feeling awakened in their own frailties.

Alyona Yakovleva, IBC’s founding director, has set a mission for the classically trained company to connect with the Indy community, with each of its artists living and working in Indiana, year round.
Nutcracker will be the next venture for the company on December 11 and 12 at the Madame Walker Theatre.
Photos: Polina Pesherov
This post was originally published under "Gotta Go" in the West Side Community News in Indianapolis, and the West Indianapolis Community News.