Rise, WAAPA’s mid-year dance season performed by 2nd year Dance students, is a perfect program of classical and contemporary dance staged in the Geoff Gibbs Theatre from June 14 - 17.
Former Australian Ballet principal artist Leanne Stojmenov is collaborating with WAAPA Classical Dance Coordinator Kim McCarthy to restage a popular staple of the classical ballet repertoire, Les Sylphides. This exquisite ballet will be performed to live accompaniment by WAAPA’s repetiteur, pianist Gennaro Di Donna.
Set to the evocative music of Frédéric Chopin, Les Sylphides is described as a ‘romantic reverie’. This one-act ballet consists of several sylphs (elemental spirits of the air) dancing with a young man, a ‘poet’, in the moonlight. With no real storyline, the ballet is simply suggestive of a romantic mood.
The Rise program also features a new contemporary work choreographed by WAAPA dance alumnus Kynan Hughes, Memento mori. Hughes has performed and toured around Australia and internationally with companies and choreographers including Leigh Warren and Dancers, Dance North, Sydney Dance Company, Buzz Dance Theatre, Natalie Weir, Rafael Bonachela, Emanuel Gat and Kenneth Kvarnstrom.
Memento mori explores the nature of inevitability, impermanence and chance.
“Once we come to know what we and the world around us are really like, we will be utterly transformed,” says Hughes.
From a much-loved example of classical dance to an exciting new contemporary work,
Rise promises something for all lovers of dance.
Performances will take place in the Geoff Gibbs Theatre from June 14-17 at 7.30pm, with a matinee on Thursday, June 17 at 2.00pm.
Tickets can be purchased here.
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