Ballet Nebraska opened its premiere season on Saturday, October 2, 2010, at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater with a production of Swing, Swing, Swing!

Students from area schools enjoyed preview performances on Thursday, Sept. 30, and Friday, Oct. 1, at the IWCC Arts Center in Council Bluffs.

About the production:

• Choreographer: Harrison McEldowney
• Ballet Master: Matthew Carter
• Scenic Designer: Kathy Voecks
• Costume Designer: Mona Schlautman
• Lighting Designer: Michael Arch
• Music: Various musical artists from the 1930s and 1940s
• Presented with the support of the Iowa West Foundation, the Nebraska Arts Council, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment

Download a copy of the program (PDF format, 9.5mb)

Gallery of production photos (on Facebook)

About the music:

The Orpheum Theater production featured live music by the DoyleMusic Combo: Doyle Tipler (leader, trumpet), Ken Janak (saxophone, clarinet), Suzie Mertz (vocals), Jeff Scheffler (guitar), Mark Haar (bass) and Carlos Figueroa (drums.)

Summary:

It was a time like no other – when young G.I. Joes and Rosie the Riveters gave their all to save the world… then threw away their cares to the beat of big bands and the exhilaration of swing dancing.

Master choreographer Harrison McEldowney expertly brings the Swing Era to life in this high-energy showcase for the multi-talented dancers of Ballet Nebraska, backed by live onstage jazz from the sizzling DoyleMusic Combo.

It evokes the spirit of the war years through dance vignettes that range from rollicking, to elegant, to poignant, to romantic. You’ll be swept away as a guy, a girl, and their friends flirt, kick up their heels, fall in love, and most of all… Swing, Swing, Swing!

Media Coverage:

A sampling of media coverage of the production –

In a review published on October 3, Omaha World-Herald correspondent Kim Carpenter wrote that “Ballet Nebraska’s first season is off to a swinging start”:

Most impressive was the sheer physicality of the show. The company demonstrated an acrobatic athleticism that provided the audience with a new way to experience — and appreciate — the physical demands of ballet.

Council Bluffs Nonpareil reviewer Loyal Fairman called the production “an exhilarating night of dance.”

Television station KPTM previewed the production in its 9 pm newscast of October 1, featuring video from the Friday school performance:

World-Herald staff writer Rhonda Stansberry profiled the company’s origins and its upcoming production in a story published on September 30.

Artistic director Erika Overturff and dancers appeared on television station WOWT’s Heartland Focus program on September 4 to talk about the company and demonstrate some moves from Swing, Swing, Swing!: