Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Concert Hall, March 30 and 31, 2012
Order tickets online or at 402-345-0606.

Following Friday night’s performance, join Ballet Nebraska for a Patron Reception in the Joslyn Art Museum’s exquisite Fountain Court. Enjoy a tasty bite and a chance to celebrate with the cast! Reception tickets are available for $25.

On tour: The Beatrice Area Arts Council will present Momentum on Sunday, April 1, at 7:30 pm at the Hevelone Center in Beatrice. Tickets will be available beginning March 19 at all Beatrice branches of Security First Bank.

About Momentum:

Come see what moves us! This appealing mixed-repertory program offers a diverse collection of short dance works in a variety of styles, making it both an ideal introduction to ballet for first-timers and a fascinating showcase for experienced dancegoers.

Momentum will feature these works:

Cleopatra: Erika Overturff’s new ballet gives a dramatic glimpse into the life of one of history’s most compelling and intriguing personalities: Cleopatra, the last ruler of classical Egypt. Famous both for her beauty and her political adeptness, this central figure in a star-crossed clash of empires makes a fascinating subject for Overturff’s interpretive skill. This work, part of an ongoing collaboration between Ballet Nebraska and Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum, was inspired by Joslyn’s exquisite touring exhibition To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum(on view through June 10, 2012).

DanceSport: Created by nationally-renowned choreographer and showman Harrison McEldowney, DanceSport is a riotously witty look at the intersection between competitive sports and professional dance, complete with hilarious play-by-play commentary!

Bacchanale Variations: Matthew Carter’s Bacchanale Variations is a work for four women, danced on pointe to the music of Charles Gounod. “It is all about beautiful music, glamorous ballet dancers and virtuoso dancing,” said Carter. Mr. Carter serves as ballet master and company dancer for Ballet Nebraska.

The Dying Swan: This poignant solo was created for the iconic ballerina Anna Pavlova by Mikhail Fokine, the first great ballet choreographer of the 20th Century. Set to Camille Saint-Saëns’ cello solo Le Cygne from his Carnival of the Animals, it was first presented in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1905, and became Pavlova’s signature dance; she went on to perform it some 4,000 times.

Love Games: This lively new contemporary work is performed to upbeat drum music and was created for Ballet Nebraska by Chicago choreographer Monique Haley, who describes it as “the flirty tug of war we play when we are falling for someone.” Originally from Washington D.C., Ms. Haley performed for nine seasons with the nationally acclaimed River North Chicago Dance Company.

Perpetuum Mobile: Jeff Satinoff’s Perpetuum Mobile is a solo for a male dancer.  “I loved the music and wanted the movement that I made for it to reflect its sensibility on stage,” said Satinoff. “The story is the movement language that I made for it.” A prolific choreographer, Mr. Satinoff has created more than 40 ballets for dance companies and schools across the U.S.

Americano: Erika Overturff’s light-hearted retro duet about a young Italian beau and his American sweetheart is performed to the Neapolitan song Tu vuò fà l’americano (rough translation: “You’re just an American wannabe.”) Erika originally performed a version of this duet with Creighton women’s basketball coach Jim Flannery for the Youth Emergency Services’ Dance for a Chance benefit last August. Written in the 1950s, the lyrics blend swing and jazz styles in a tale of a young Italian man who dreams of living the way he thinks Americans live: drinking whiskey and soda, smoking Camels, dancing to rock ‘n’ roll, and playing baseball. The duet features Ballet Nebraska’s own Italian dancer, Alberto Liberatoscioli.