Fort Wayne Ballet brings some of the most pivotal moments of ballet history to life in Ballet Russe Reimagined, a three-part series at Pearl Street Arts Center. 

If you missed the first performance in March, don’t worry. There are still two more chances for you to see some of the most iconic choreography in ballet history.

Your next opportunity will be April 11-12 when Rite of Spring and Serenade will be showcased. The final installment of the series will feature Serenade and Light Rain at Pearl Street Arts Center, May 9-10. 

History of Ballets Russes

Before something can be reimagined, it must first be imagined, which brings us back to Paris in 1909, where the iconic Ballets Russes was formed. 

Impresario Serge Diaghilev devised the avant-garde Ballets Russes (the French plural form of the name) that became one of the most influential catalysts of performing arts. With music, costumes, and sets created by geniuses such as Igor Stravinsky, Coco Chanel, and Pablo Picasso, innovative choreography and compelling compositions created a sensation that reignited the public’s passion for the art of dance, shaping the artistic and popular culture of the time. 

“The time period that Ballets Russes was formed in was truly one of the most influential eras for ballet in America,” Fort Wayne Ballet Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown said. “Much of the work done by Ballets Russes laid the foundation for what ballet would become in this country.” 

Ballets Russes was known for ground-breaking repertoire, and, in this series, Fort Wayne Ballet bring to life reimagined versions of two of the ballets from that era. The series ends with two ballets created post-Ballets Russes era, ushering dance into the 21st century.

Premiere Works

Of the four incredible ballets that are part of this three-part series, two are world premieres created just for Fort Wayne Ballet: David Ingram’s Les Sylphides and Mark Godden’s Rite of Spring. The others include FWB’s debut of George Balanchine’s masterwork Serenade and the return of a beloved audience favorite, Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain. 

“Fort Wayne Ballet is proud to have two outside choreographers come to Fort Wayne to create works specifically for our company in the Ballet Russe Reimagined program,” Gibbons-Brown said. “Working with choreographers of this caliber is an excellent opportunity for our dancers, and also speaks to the high level of skill our dancers have.”

David Ingram, assistant professor of dance at Butler University, was a student of Gibbons-Brown and has performed with Fort Wayne Ballet in addition to choreographing original works for the company. 

Les Sylphides, reimagined by Ingram, appeared in the first weekend of performances in March. 

“David has choreographed numerous works on our dancers,” Gibbons-Brown said. “Our audience loves him and his work. We are excited to have him return home.”

The other world premiere in this program is Godden’s take on Rite of Spring, which appeared in the March production, as well as the upcoming show.

Godden, a former soloist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, is a resident choreographer with the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. He has choreographed for companies all over the world such as the Compania Nacional de Danza (Mexico), Northern Ballet Theatre (U.K.), and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (Canada).

According to FWB’s website, Rite of Spring was choreographed in 1913 by Vaslav Nijinsky. It was immediately controversial, featuring jarring music by Stravinsky (now considered one of the most important pieces of music of the 20th century) and a depiction of ancient pagan rituals which infamously incited a riot in the audience. 

Inspired by Stravinsky’s score, Godden has reimagined the plot of Rite of Spring to portray the myth of Prometheus. 

From the Vault 

FWB also had the opportunity to work with Rebecca Metzger, the Balanchine Trust répétiteur, to stage Balanchine’s Serenade in March, as well as in the upcoming show. 

Metzger spent a significant part of her impressive professional dance career at School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet, founded by Balanchine, where she performed a variety of corps, soloist, and principal roles during her career. Now, as a répétiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, she has enjoyed the opportunity to work with companies and schools all over the world, sharing the work of this great master. 

“In order to perform a Balanchine ballet, you must work with a répétiteur from the Trust,” Gibbons-Brown said. “Répétiteurs like Metzger not only teach the choreography but make sure that it is being executed as Balanchine would have wanted. There is a great deal of emphasis placed on maintaining the integrity of the original choreography.” 

Balanchine is widely regarded as the most influential choreographer of the 20th century. 

He was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, then studied at Imperial Ballet School in Saint Petersburg and danced with the Maryinsky Theatre Ballet Company. In the summer of 1924, Balanchine left the Soviet Union for Europe, where he was invited by impresario Diaghilev to join the Ballets Russes. 

Balanchine’s first ballet in the U.S. was Serenade with music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which is why it is included in this program. 

Similarly, Light Rain, which will be a part of the May 9-10 shows, comes from the vault of the Arpino Trust, which holds the works of Gerald Arpino. 

Arpino, a co-founder of Joffrey Ballet, created Light Rain in 1981, and it “represents the youth and energy of the dancers it was created on,” according to the Arpino Foundation.

According to FWB’s website, “The energetic and dynamic ballet showcases the evolution of neoclassical ballet nearly 50 years after Serenade premiered and remains the most requested work in the Arpino Foundation.”