In the August 17th edition of ClevelandClassical.com…
Ballet has been a rare commodity in Cleveland since Cleveland Ballet closed shop in 2000. Dance had been a staple at Blossom from the opening of the Cleveland Orchestra’s summer music center in 1968 until it suddenly disappeared from the menu after 1988. But this Saturday and Sunday, the art form returns with high-profile — and high-energy — performances of five works by the celebrated Joffrey Ballet.
Founded in New York by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the company later established an outpost in Los Angeles and performed on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts before deciding to decamp for Chicago, where they now occupy opulent office and rehearsal space in the Joffrey Tower in the Loop. The Joffrey last visited Blossom in 1972 and 1979, so this weekend is an exciting opportunity for the company’s many fans.
It’s also an exciting moment for assistant conductor Tito Muñoz, who is making his ballet debut as the entire Cleveland Orchestra shoehorns themselves into the Pavilion’s orchestra pit, opened up for the first time in a quarter-century. What’s it like to conduct ballet compared to conducting a symphony? And what do assistant conductors do, anyway? Visit the web site to read our interview with Tito Muñoz.
For a further glimpse of what’s in store, check out this video in which Joffrey artistic director Ashley C. Wheater and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon talk about Carousel (A Dance).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giSedzwOfiw&hl=en&fs=1&]
It’s time for the locusts to sing their late summer songs — and time for singers to think about getting themselves in gear for a new season. The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus seems to be well-supplied with women, but are looking for a few good men for 2009-2010. Auditions are on August 25. Two local amateur choruses can use both men and women, and there are no auditions required. Choral Arts of Cleveland and the Western Reserve Chorale both begin rehearsing in September for their fall concerts. Read about all three of these opportunities today on the Notice Board.
