Past Performances - 2008

Passion at Play
July 25 & 26 at 8:00 pm
July 26 & 27at 2:00 pm

Passion at Playis the latest creation from the cutting-edge mind of ARE Artistic Director David Justin. Fresh off the heels of a well-received performance at Big Range Dance Festival and 15 nominations from the Austin Critics Table, Austin's most original arts organization presents another ground-breaking performance featuring principal dancers from the San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Twyla Tharp's "Movin’ Out."

The audience will travel the globe on an emotional journey with jazz-influenced composer Michael Torke in the vibrant and sassy new work, “Speed Dial,” the playful, romantic Spanish flavor of "Valses Poeticos," the British elegance of "The Dance House," and the American reinvention of the classic "L'Apres-midi d'un faune" by ARE's own David Justin.

In this concluding show of its third season, ARE will produce two world premieres, three Texas premieres, and present international dance stars Tina LeBlanc and Joan Boada of the San Francisco Ballet, Michelle Gifford of the New York City Ballet, Anna Laghezza of Miami City Ballet, Griff Braun and Eric Otto of the American Ballet Theatre, and Laura Feig, recently from Twyla Tharp's award-winning "Movin’ Out." These premier dancers will partner with Austin-based, world-class musicians Karla Hamelin (cello), Aurelien Petillot (viola), Richard Kilmer (violin), Amra Catovic (flute), Alan Olson (clarinet), Graeme Francis (percussion), John Carroll (trumpet), Yu-Hsuan Liao (piano), and Carla McElhaney (piano).

SPECIAL EVENTS

Feast on the Arts
Monday, July 14, 2008
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Patrons of Vin Bistro and American Repertory Ensemble are invited to dine with Artistic Director / Acclaimed Choreographer David Justin on his birthday. The evening will be filled with talk about the state of the arts in Austin and Texas, dialogue on making art from the inside out, music, and insights into ARE's upcoming performances Passion at Play, July 25- 27. (this event is FREE, patrons are encouraged to enjoy the fine wine and dinner menu of Vin Bistro)

Inspire Your Passion
Friday, July 25, 2008
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Patrons of American Repertory Ensemble may enjoy a pre-performance reception at Vin Bistro and still get some of the best seats in the house. At this gathering you can enjoy wine selected by the sommelier to compliment your theatre experience, hors d'oeuvres, and rub elbows with Artistic Director David Justin and some of the artists before they get to work presenting Passion at Play (begins at 8pm). $65 (wine, hors d'ouvres and your theatre ticket, pre-sales only please)

Seriously Passionate Event
Saturday, July 26, 2008
6:00 - 7:30 pm
For the seriously passionate. ARE and Vin Bistro are pleased to offer you this opportunity to take a culinary journey that reflects the performance you are about to see. Imbibe on special wine selections from Vin Bistro's sommelier, enjoy a gourmet meal that follows the foods of the regions represented in the show, and soak in an atmosphere of anticipation as you talk with Artistic Director David Justin and some of the artists before they go to work presenting Passion at Play (begins at 8pm). $150 (includes one gourmet meal, wine pairings, your theatre ticket and reserved seating, pre-sales only please)

Big Range Dance Festival
June 13 & 14 at 8:00 pm
June 15 at 6:00 pm
The Off Center [2211-A Hidalgo Street, Austin, TX]
Tickets: $15
For more information, visit Spank Dance Co.'s website

David Justin's new work, set to György Sándor Ligeti's Solo Cello Sonata, is an exploration of internal dialogues. A collaboration of artistic voices, a solo dancer (Rosalyn Nasky, pictured above) and the media are driven in real time by the nuance of the Solo Cello Sonata. Sound is picked up through an instrument mic and directed to a software program that produces real time imagery of the performance based on prescribed parameters of tone and tone clusters, timbre, volume, octave, tempo and rhythm complexity. Concepts of transitory youth and rooted wisdom battle for prominence in our daily expressions of life. The artists respond by deciphering the conversations with a willingness to look at hard truths with clarity. In this moment we find the strength of our inner voice.

40th International Choreographers' Showcase
May 28 & 29, 2008
Montenegrin National Theatre
Podgorica, Montenegro
For more information, visit the Dance Forms Productions website

Winter's Tryst
January 2008 Performance Series

Winter's Tryst Performance
Friday, January 18 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, January 19 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
McCullough Theatre, UT Performing Arts Center [map]
Tickets: $22 general/$15 UT staff & faculty/$12 students & seniors
Buy Tickets Now

Featuring an internationally-renowned roster of dancers and musicians, the theme of Winter's Tryst is people coming together and, on occasion, moving apart. On the program is a new piece by choreographer David Justin set to a Liszt piano solo about seeing each other through the disguises we wear; the smoky sounds of Kurt Weill in a pas de deux (duet) by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon; another pas de deux for two men choreographed by James Kudelka about love, lust, patience and dignity; Bach, Ligeti, Arvo Part, Hywel Davies, John Cage, as well as a few surprises. Not only is ARE one of only four companies in the world allowed to perform Kudelka's Soudain l'hiver dernier, but Kudelka also specifically requested that David perform in his piece! Deborah Jowitt of the Village Voice calls Kudelka's piece "extremely moving" with "famously heart-penetrating music." As always with an ARE concert, you can expect to move through the full range of the emotional roller coaster.

• Press release

Many thanks to our Winter's Tryst supporters:

This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.