Ballet Arizona Showcases Homegrown Choreographic Talent

For the first time, Ballet Arizona is presenting the work of its own dancers. Between May 22 and June 1, the company will perform an evening of premieres choreographed by current BA dancers. The evening is the brain-child of Ballet Arizona director Ib Anderson who is letting his dancers loose in the studio.

Four dancers are showing work in an evening titled Innovations. Nayon Iovino, Myles Lavallee, Astrit Zejnati and Tzu-Chia Huang have brought a distinct dynamism to this unique program. Leading up to the week-long run of performances, Ballet Arizona filmed the choreographers at work in the studio. In a series of behind-the-scenes clips, each choreographer talks about his or her work, providing insight into the rehearsal process as well as a peek into the studio.

Less surprising than the program itself is the choreographic gravitation toward more contemporary forms. One choreographer, Astrit Zejnati, mentions this tendancy saying, “I went specifically with the neo-classical style, thinking that my fellow dancers were going to go more with the contemporary, so I just wanted to give a little more diversity in our performance.”

Watch the behind-the-scenes footage here.

Photo courtsey of Ballet Arizona