Seattle choreographer and dancer Kate Wallich premieres her Industrial Ballet performance this Saturday night at the Moore Theatre. Cock & Swan's Johnny Goss will provide the show's electro-industrial music.
Described by The Seattle Times as "Black Swan meets Nine Inch Nails," the recital aims to be unlike any other ballet performance. Inspired by '80s and '90s industrial rock, the large-scale production will feature numerous dancers from Seattle's Velocity Dance Center.
Celebrating its 20th year as an institution, Velocity wished to stage an extraordinary, engaging production for seasoned ballet fans and newcomers alike. The troupe has been in rehearsals for the showing since last month for what will be a one-night engagement.
Artistic director Wallich is no stranger to staging challenging pieces. Having previously produced such unusual works as Tennis Court Ballet, the choreographer spoke to DancePulp about her enthusiasm for initiating envelope-pushing dance performances in new arenas:
"I'm excited about the dance world taking on new formats for presentation and distribution. Touring is expensive and difficult, creating high budget pieces that last for such short runs, limiting opportunity for exposure and time for a work to live and breathe. In thinking about longevity of work and sustainability of the people in this form, personally I am excited about how works can manifest in different genres."
Musician Johnny Goss will be composing and performing the show's score. The music will be performed live along with the dancers. Goss, of Seattle rock duo Cock & Swan, described to KEXP his method of beginning a musical idea:
"Usually we start with rhythm or theme. We often come up with an idea like 'How jerky can a drum beat be?' and try and push it as hard as we can without hurting the listener's feelings."
Industrial Ballet's inception was a comment from a software engineer on introducing those unfamiliar with ballet to the art. Thus, the performance has been uniquely designed for the novice ballet fan.
Industrial Ballet's sole performance is this Saturday, March 26 at 8 p.m. at Seattle's Moore Theatre. Tickets are available from the Seattle Theatre Group.
© 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
