Agon & Orchis Coming

In less than a few weeks, the Festival Ballet Providence will have a special performance. They will stage a groundbreaking ballet by Balanchine in the 1950s, Agon; and a groundbreaking ballet by Victor Plotnikov in 2013, Orchis.

Agon and Orchis Push the Envelope

Both creations push the envelope in their unique ways. This is a special event for me. Orchis is based on and will feature my dried orchid flower photographs, along with the great dancers of the Festival Ballet. I named the collection in honor of this event, The Orchis Collection which you can see on a dedicated portfolio page. I am enormously pleased to have my photographs at the genesis of this project. As I said in the opening text of the bound folio of The Orchis Collection:

“This collection of photographs may be a metaphor of aging and eventual death, and how graceful and dignified it can be. It is also significant for having sparked the creation of art in movement, the ballet Orchis. Seeing the dancers move gracefully as the choreography echoes the photographs in the Orchis Collection is truly gratifying.”

The performance will be on March 8, 9, and 10, 2013, at the Vets in Providence. Tickets are available for purchase and you can save 15% by using the following code which FBP was kind enough to extend to my photographer friends: BALANCHINE. Use it at the time of purchasing the tickets online. Keep in mind that there are three performances, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at different times. Make sure to purchase your ticket for the right date.

Good Seats at the Vets

Here is a little hint for “good seats,” the orchid photographs projected to the large screen will have the best views from the main level, as close to the front as possible. Try to avoid if you can the balcony, the side orchestra, and side mezzanine. You will see why when you attend the performance. You are attending, right?

The Orchis Collective

At its genesis and an integral part of the performance, the whole ballet being inspired by a collection of photographs may very well be a first. The creative vision to bring multiple art forms together belongs to Misha, the artistic director of the ballet. Thank you, Misha, for making this event possible. And the choreographer Victor Plotnikov, composer Sonya Belousova, stage designer Alan Pickart, costume designer Beth Bentley, and the acclaimed glass artist Toots Zynsky round-up what I will call The Orchis Collective.

Come and enjoy photography as it merges with other art forms, see you at one of the performances.

Addendum: The seating chart on the ticketing site is small and difficult to decipher, here is the link for a larger one. Also, note that if you pick up the ticket in person you will avoid the $7 per ticket “convenience charge.” That is a bit steep, and a couple of feedbacks I got confirmed that.