Jacobs School Of Music Ballet Theater Brings ‘Ainadamar To Life Through Dance
Ainadamar is a job unlike any other. The production abandons the traditional orchestral score in favor of electronic music and flamenco rhythms, accompanied by a classical orchestra. The music creates stylized movement to tell the story of Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca, using dancers from the Jacobs School of Music's theater department to bring the piece to life.
Back from the winter break, the dancers started training with the famous choreographer Rosa Mercedes. The initial rehearsals consisted of abandoning the ballet movement and completely mastering the new style. Trey Fredin, an IU freshman, said it was hard to ignore his instincts at first, but not impossible.
"In ballet, we always have a pull-up mentality in the way we move," Ferdin said. "Being more free was a big thing for me."
The musical language of the piece is expressed in stylized movements and dance sequences, creating a unique visual experience for the audience and allowing the dancers to experience something new in the flamenco environment.
Related : [ COLUMN: 'Gossip Girl,' Like Serena, Had to Go ]
"I really like to push myself and get out of my comfort zone," Ferdin said. "It's an exciting way to do more than ballet."
Sophia Long, Jr. at IU, said she used her past ballet experience to adapt to a completely different dance form, transitioning from stiff limbs to a smoother level of flamenco-like movements.
"I borrowed a lot from the Spanish of The Nutcracker," Long said. "There were many stylistic things, many ballets, which I also use here."
Although the dancing styles are different, small things like the way the hands are held or the upright posture are familiar to both ballet and flamenco, and allow Long to convey the passion necessary to dance flamenco.
About the topic : [ On January 28th, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will celebrate its 100th anniversary ]
"I'm dancing the Marian Comedy, where this statue comes to life," Long said. "It's a very soft lyrical piece, but unlike ballet it has to be intense."
During the week of January 23rd, the dancers combined their work with the artists to start the final construction of Ainadamar. A distinctive feature of the work is the merging of the performer and the dancer into a single moving whole. Aram Hengen, a fellow at IU, said the combination of the two methods is dramatically different.
"You want to get into the choir," Hengen said, "They're actors and they're incredibly theatrical, so you want to get into their role."
Performances will be February 3-4 and February 10-11 at 7:30 pm at the Center for Musical Creation, tickets can be purchased on the Jacobs School of Music website.
