Skylar Campbell Dance Collective is set to captivate audiences with their highly-anticipated Houston debut, Rebirth. This showcase promises an unforgettable evening of world-class ballet and live music, exploring themes of rejuvenation, awakening, and personal growth.
For the first time in Houston, dance enthusiasts will be treated to an evening of premieres by renowned dance innovators, including Alexei Ratmansky, Guillaume Cote, and Kristina Paulin. Additionally, four brand-new creations by Julia Adam, Robert Binet, Connor Walsh, and Jack Wolff, commissioned exclusively for SCDC, will make their world premieres, promising an evening of groundbreaking performances.
The artist lineup includes exceptional talents from Houston Ballet, featuring Skylar Campbell, Zoe Lucich, Melody Mennite, Jackie Oakley, Gian Carlo Perez, Jack Wolff, and Chae Eun Yang. Joining them are esteemed artists from the National Ballet of Canada, Ben Rudisin and Chelsy Meiss, creating a synergy of unparalleled talent on stage. The evening will also feature live music by local Houston-based chamber group Monarch Chamber Players Yvonne Chen and Tonya Burton.
You can take advantage of this special event as Skylar Campbell Dance Collective aims to enrich the Houston arts community, taking center stage for a night of artistic brilliance of dance and music.
PROGRAM
THE DYING SWAN
Choreography: Mikhail Fokine
Music: Camille Saint Saëns, Le cygne from Le Carnaval (des animaux)
Costumes: Irina Dvorovenko
Lighting Design: Michael Jarett
Lauren Lovette
It has been 115 years since Anna Pavlova first performed her famous swan solo. Now a celebrated part of ballet history, The Dying Swan was originally inspired by the ballerina’s visits with swans in public parks and Lord Tennvon’s poem of the same title. Pavlova had recently become a ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre when she asked choreographer Mikhail Fokine to create a solo for her as a pièce d’occasion. At a Mariinsky ballet gala in 1905, their collaborative piece debuted and The Dying Swan was born.
WONDERLAND
Choreography: Penny Saunders
Music: ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ arranged by Penny Saunders
Costumes: Pacific Northwest Ballet
Lighting Design: Michael Jarett
Elle Macy
Dylan Wald
VOICES
Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky
Music: Selections from "Voices and Piano", featuring the voices of Bonnie Barnett, Forough Farrokhzad, Setsuko Hara, Agnes Martin, Nina Simone, and Gjendine Slålien
Costumes: Keso Dekker
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
Laruen Lovette
Set to six excerpts from experimental composer Peter Ablinger’s "Voices and Piano", all featuring recorded speech by notable women with accompanying solo piano, Ratmansky’s newest ballet for NYCB features character-rich and technically demanding solos for ten dancers.
TSCHAIKOVSKY PAS de DEUX
Music: Peter Illyitch Tchaikovsky
Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust
Costumes: Philadelphia Ballet
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
Sydney Dolan
Ashton Roxander
The performance of Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, a Balanchine Ballet ®, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style ® and Balanchine Technique ® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.
THIS BITTER EARTH
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Max Richter, Clyde Otis, and Dinah Washington
Costumes: Reid Bartelme
Lighting Design: Mary Louise Geige
Lauren Lovette
Andrew Veyette
TRAVELER PART III
Choreography: Ariel Rose
Music: ‘False Alarms’ written and performed by Josiah Johnson
Costumes: Jackie Oakley
Lighting Design: Michael Jarett
Mira Nadon
Andrew Veyette
Elle Macy
Ashton Roxander
Created for SCDC in 2020 as a part of 3 part film series. Traveler was nominated by 2021 Canadian the International Fashion Film Festival, in the dance category.
TRAVELER PART II
Choreography: Ariel Rose
Music: Max Richer, Autumn Music II, Arranged by: Elizabeth Andrews (Violin) and Rachael Kerr (Piano)
Costumes: Jackie Oakley
Bed Rudisin
Jackie Oakley
Created for SCDC in 2020 as a part of 3 part film series. Traveler was nominated by 2021 Canadian the International Fashion Film Festival, in the dance category.
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Choreography: Siphe November
Music By: Nicholas Britell, Agape, Arranged by: Elizabeth Andrews (Violin) and Rachael Kerr (Piano)
Costumes: Siphe November
Siphe November
World Premier, Created for SCDC in 2021
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Choreography: Kristina Paulin
Music: Korngold, Suite from the incidental music for violin & piano, Op. 11 Vivaldi, Concerto For Violin, Strings
Masquerade, Scene in the Garden, Allegro Molto
Costumes: Carrie Barbour
Skylar Campbell
Jack Bertinshaw
Jackie Oakely
Clare Peterson
World Premier, Created for SCDC in 2021
Featuring dancers Ben Rudisin, Jackie Oakley, Calley Skalnik, Hannah Fischer, and Skylar Campbell, choreographed by the young talented Ariel Rose, of Miami City Ballet. Two songs from singer-songwriter Josiah Johnson's brand new debut solo album Every Feeling on a Loop, are featured, along with a mesmerizing original adaption, of Autumn Music II composed by Max Richter, exclusively recorded for this creation and performed by renowned Canadian violinist Aaron Schwebel.
Filmed in three rich and symbolic locations across Toronto, by acclaimed Canadian photographer/videographer Karolina Kuras, and edited by KWCreative, a dynamic film making duo of ballet dancers (Emily Kikta and Peter Walker) of the New York City Ballet.