Oberon's Grove: Rehearsing for Columbia Ballet Collaborative

On Sunday, April 8th, Kokyat and I stopped by the dance studios at Barnard College where two choreographers for the upcoming performances by the Columbia Ballet Collaborative were putting finishing touches on the works they are presenting. The performances will take place on April 13th and 14th at the Miller Theater.

Kimi Nikaidoh (above), a radiant dancer who is now expanding her choreographic horizons, has strung together some classic rock hits for an exhilirating large-ensemble work. When we walked into the studio, Hoyt Axton's Joy to the World was playing. My initial thought was 'not another pop/rock ballet!?' but Kimi's choreography and the verve of the young dancers soon swept away any doubts. The piece in infectious, and I wondered if any of these kids had heard any of these songs prior to dancing to them.

Dan Pahl is the lone man in this ballet and he dances up a storm, both in the group passages and in an emotional solo (above) to Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone. The ballet opens with Stevie Wonder's Very Superstitious, proceeds thru Ain't No Sunshine, then on to Cat Stevens' setting of an old Gaelic folk-tune Morning Has Broken (lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon) and winds up with Joy To The World.

Eleanor Barisser

Hana Goldstone

Hannah Rosner

Dan Pahl & Evelyn Crabtree-Hannigan

Gretchen Schmid

Evelyn Crabtree-Hannigan, Katherine Bergstrom

Hannah Rosner, Gretchen Schmid

The line-up

You Kyung Kim, Sarah Esser

Celebratory circle

After Kimi ran the whole piece for us, the studio was taken over by Anne Milewski Cary.

Like Kimi, Anne is a beautiful dancer in her own right and I really enjoyed watching her demonstrate (above, with dancer John Poppe). The piece she has created for the Collaborative is set to music of Karl Jenkins; this composer's works seem to me eminently suitable for dancing. The pacing for this ballet is lively and it has a formal feel; the well-structured choreography gives the young dancers ample opportunity to shine.