Enjoy a vibrant mix of dance works and musical compositions from Ballet to the Blues, featuring classics and new creations performed by Alchemy Ballet Academy and Company dancers alongside acclaimed guest artists.
“Gala Americana's” dynamic offering of arts and entertainment includes the premier of "M," a choreographic tribute to Marilyn Monroe; an original ballet in homage to America's long-standing love-affair with rock-and-roll; and a performance by D.C.’s own Michael Rossi and dance troupe Fidgety Feet, accompanied by popular singers Jess Eliot Myhre and Willie Barry.
New work will be unveiled by the formidable Fredrick Davis, a former principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and the subject of the Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary, “From the Streets to the Stage: The Journey of Fredrick Davis”. Davis will pay tribute to the legendary Phil Wiggins with the premier of his choreography to Wiggins’ harmonica recording based on Blues Master Sylvester Weaver’s “Guitar Rag.” Wiggins, who passed away earlier this year, has been described by The New York Times as the “virtuoso of Blues harmonica.”
The audience also will be treated to a Neoclassical ballet , titled “Eternal Brilliance,” along with “The Story of Everything,” a Contemporary ballet. Also on tap is Jessica Brown’s choreography to chart-topping soul singer Roberta Flack’s “Tryin’ Times.”
Acclaimed tap dancer Baakari Wilder, winner of the Bessie Award for his lead role in a Broadway musical, will perform with members of The Chesapeake Sheiks.
Alchemy Ballet Academy and Company, and non-profit parent organization Artists in Motion, pride themselves on cultivating excellence and artistry in ballet, while also celebrating diverse traditions and genres of dance and music. Working behind the scenes at Alchemy, a Vaganova-based ballet school and company, are Academy Director Marianna Rozanova, former professional ballerina with the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Company Director Ivan Semirechenskiy, a former professional dancer of international renown and executive at Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
Discounts are available for United States veterans and active U.S. military personnel, adults age 65 or older, children 12 and under, and groups of 10 or more.
The event is presented by Artists in Motion and Alchemy Ballet, with support from ArtsFairfax.
More info about Artists in Motion and Alchemy Ballet:
www.artistsinmotion.org
www.alchemyballet.org
