Tulsa Ballet getting hype in New York

[cannon_fodder]

The Tulsa Ballet is touring and in New York.  For some reason it feels really good to be exporting culture from Tulsa to New York and Europe.  I'm guessing for many of the people who see them in New York and abroad the Tulsa Ballet does as much, if not more, to support the image of our city than all the marketing dollars we throw out there.

NEW YORK -- When you think of Tulsa, Okla., a ballet dancer on pointe may not be the first image that comes to mind. Yet Tulsa Ballet has established a foothold amid the oil rigs and cattle ranches. Indeed, the story of this company of 29 dancers is the story of ballet in America.

When the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo toured cross-country in the 1940s and '50s, the excitement it generated led to a school and then a company taking root in the local Oklahoma soil. Ballet Russe artists Mocelyn Larkin, a Native American ballerina, and her Polish husband, dancer Roman Jasinski, founded the Tulsa Ballet in 1956. For years, the company remained a cultural outpost -- a speck of classical dancing on a distant horizon.

Under the direction of Italian ballet master Marcello Angelini since 1995, Tulsa Ballet has continued to grow, acquiring a contemporary repertoire and -- shades of the Ballet Russe -- beginning to tour internationally. The company will make a stop next week at the Joyce Theater in New York. As a cultural ambassador, the company has strong, local support: Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry plan to attend opening night at the Joyce.

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http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ticket/index.ssf/2009/08/geographic_leaps_joyce_theater.html

TULSA BALLET (Monday through Thursday) A rare chance to see Kenneth MacMillan's "Elite Syncopations" comes with a welcome New York visit by the Tulsa Ballet, in a program that includes Nacho Duato's "Por Vos Muero" and "This Is Your Life" by the Korean choreographer Young Soon Hue. The company, directed by Marcello Angelini, has a reputation for acquiring a diverse and interesting repertory; here's your chance to see a sample of it. (Through Aug. 15.). Monday through Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 8 p.m.; Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea , (212) 242-0800, joyce.org. (Sulcas)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/arts/dance/07dance.html

TULSA BALLET

For regional ballet companies, a season at the Joyce is a rite of passage and a recognition of success. Tulsa Ballet last visited New York twenty-five years ago; since then it has changed leadership and retooled its repertoire, to reflect an interest in contemporary dance and Europe. The company performs Kenneth MacMillan's "Elite Syncopations," from 1974, a playful little dance-hall number set to Scott Joplin rags; "Por Vos Muero" (1996), by the theatrical Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato; and "This Is Your Life," a series of tango-inspired vignettes by the relatively unknown Korean-American choreographer Young Soon Hue. (175 Eighth Ave., at 19th St. 212-242-0800. Aug. 10-12 at 7:30, Aug. 13-14 at 8, and Aug. 15 at 2 and 8.)

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/dance/2009/08/10/090810goda_GOAT_dance

Something in Italian

http://www.balletto.net/giornale.php?articolo=2421

[Wilbur]

Anything that promotes Tulsa or Oklahoma that is not cowboys and indians related is great by me!

[TheArtist]

I do need to go see and support our ballet more,,, but we all know how hard it is to get to them, what with all the weaving around and through all the oil rigs and cattle ranches. 

We truly do have a wonderful ballet company. Its rare to see this level of artistry here and many of the people in Tulsa dont realize how good they have it, if they go. I have a friend who studied ballet and was telling me how well respected Tulsas ballet is, especially in this part of the country. You watch our ballet then go see something in Dallas or Fort Worths Ballet. They look like a bunch of stumbling amateurs compared to ours. I started appreciating ours more once I had seen what else there is in the region. You notice the difference right off.

Tulsans don't have to travel all the way to NY or Boston or Paris to see some of the best of this art form. We have it right here. More people here should avail themselves of this rare treat.

[FOTD]

I do need to go see and support our ballet more,,, but we all know how hard it is to get to them, what with all the weaving around and through all the oil rigs and cattle ranches. 

We truly do have a wonderful ballet company. Its rare to see this level of artistry here and many of the people in Tulsa dont realize how good they have it, if they go. I have a friend who studied ballet and was telling me how well respected Tulsas ballet is, especially in this part of the country. You watch our ballet then go see something in Dallas or Fort Worths Ballet. They look like a bunch of stumbling amateurs compared to ours. I started appreciating ours more once I had seen what else there is in the region. You notice the difference right off.

Tulsans would have to pay a lot of money and travel to bigger cities like NY, Boston, Paris, etc. to see the kind of artistry and talent we have right here under our noses. 

Take a lesson here Arteest....It takes years and years of community support to get this accomplished. It must continue which becomes harder and harder with all the mish mash of fruity new ideas for Tulsa. Watch out....without Mista Kavisto this blessed Tulsa Crown Jewel gets shaky because too many other artsy groups are competing for the same dollar.

Support TBT. It's better entertainment than anything you will see in an Arena. The Kavistos did a wonderful thing contributing studio K as did all the old school post WWII families who constantly supported the Jasinski's goals.