A new ballet by Sasha Janes premieres this week at the Spring Ballet from the Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater. Dancing colors, provocative music and beautiful staging will be on display. The performance is on April 3rd and 4th at 7:30pm, and on April 4th at 2pm at the Musical Arts Center
Colors will be on display in the world premiere of Sasha’s Jane’s One, a ballet set to selections from Color Music by composer Michael Torke. Janes is professor of ballet at the Jacobs school, and says the piece will be challenging for student performers. It was also a challenge to choreograph.
“This music was introduced to me by Timothy Muffett, who's the artistic director of the Chautauqua School of Music. In Chautauqua and I was doing a new piece up there and he suggested this piece of music, “Ecstatic Orange,” from Michael Torkey's album, “One,” which is just one of five movements on that album. And it was a piece he suggested because it's very challenging for a young orchestra to play. When I listened to it, I was like, this isn't something I would typically choreograph to because it doesn't have those sweeping melodies and it's not romantic. in a traditional sense of ballet, but I thought it'd be tremendously challenging as a choreographer to try and take it on board.”
You can listen to professor Sasha Janes in conversation with Christopher Burrus above.