What began as an idea to foster creative development across two iconic organizations – NBT and Cirque du Soleil – quickly grew into one of the most talked about annual events in Las Vegas. In 2017 we celebrated 10 years of A Choreographers’ Showcase and all the variety and craziness a decade can encompass.
Author: Gary Leffler
The State of the Arts
NBT’s Artistic Director Roy Kaiser recently joined other local arts leaders on KNPR’s State of Nevada public affairs program, hosted by Rachel Christiansen, to discuss the current state of the arts community. The segment features the dean of UNLV’s College of Fine Arts Nancy Uscher, Nevada School of the Arts CEO Patrick Duffy, noted jazz trumpeter and founder of the Jazz Outreach Initiative Kenny Rampton, and NBT’s own Roy Kaiser, discussing the role of innovation and collaboration in today’s new world. Despite the unique challenges facing each organization and the arts community as a whole, the panel is in agreement that the enduring resilience of artists and arts organizations will be the key to a bright future beyond the pandemic.
Behind The Scenes: The Current
Krista Baker, Choreographer and NBT Company Artist, celebrated the World Premiere of her latest work, The Current, this past February at The Smith Center. Krista’s fresh, dynamic vocabulary and brilliant ensemble work is a joy to be swept up in. Enjoy this look inside the studio at the creative process behind The Current.
Behind The Scenes: Makeup Magic
In 2014 NBT staged a delightful production of Coppelia, the comedic story of a mysterious doll maker and his mischievous creations. The broadly comedic characters required broadly comedic expressions. In this behind the scenes segment NBT Wardrobe Manager and Makeup Artist Christopher Larson shows us the secrets behind transforming performer Gene Lubas into the eccentric Dr. Coppelius.
Students Energize The Smith Center Stage
One of our favorite highlights each year is when our GO-MOVE-DANCE!!! students perform on stage at The Smith Center in the Future Dance Spring Concert. They absolutely fill the building with their energy, enthusiasm and love of dance. Here’s a look back at the 2015 concert, because we can never get enough of these smiling faces.
NBT’s GO-MOVE-DANCE!!! program is a residency program that coincides with the school year offering students 28 weeks of free, in-school dance instruction to 16 underserved Clark County schools. Students learn a variety of dance disciplines, from ballet to jazz to hip-hop. Classes are taught by qualified Future Dance Teaching Artists, who follow a detailed curriculum.
Behind The Scenes: Beauty & The Beast
In 2018 NBT delighted Las Vegas audiences with a gorgeous presentation of Lew Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast. Enjoy this look behind-the-scenes with Repetiteur Leslie Young and NBT Company Artist Sergio Alvarez as they talk about the challenges of the choreographic lifts and emoting through all that beastly fur.
You’re Invited to Dance On with NBT
From NBT Artistic Director Roy Kaiser
Friends of NBT,
I hope today finds you well and safe as we all continue to navigate and adapt to the changes around us. I’m delighted to be able to connect with you once again.
You’ve probably noticed a new tag line appearing on some of our recent materials, a lively invitation to Dance On with NBT. And while that sounds like a completely appropriate thing to do with a ballet company, what does it actually mean?
Dance On with NBT is a new paradigm being embraced by everyone at NBT as we make our way through these challenging times. While we know in our hearts this quiet period for us is only temporary, we also know that our survival and prosperity rely heavily upon our ability to find partners as determined as we are to ensure NBT emerges from this current crisis with renewed strength and passion.
And that’s where you come in. We can’t think of a better partner for this dance than you – our fans, our supporters, our cheerleaders. You are the reason everyone at NBT works as hard as they do each and every day. And there’s no one we’d rather lock arms with to Dance On towards tomorrow.
As you Dance On with NBT we will humbly ask you for help with the most pressing need currently facing us: financial support. Maintaining a world-class arts organization is an expensive and extraordinary challenge in normal times, let alone our current world. Projections show NBT will suffer a $2.6 million loss of revenue in the wake of the pandemic. That impact is staggering, but we know we are resilient, particularly with partners like you at our side.
With your support, our Company Artists will return to the rehearsal studio and the stage as soon as we’re able to safely do so. And as we prepare to resume classes in our affiliated Academy with limited sessions both in person and virtually, your support will keep students safe by helping us cover the increased costs of reopening our building. With your assistance, we can also continue to provide opportunities to thousands of Clark County students through our life-changing Education and Outreach programs. At a time when their education is more precarious than ever before, your contribution has never been more meaningful.
While we work together diligently to build our future, we will be sharing with you some new and innovative ways to enjoy our art form. If you haven’t already, please visit our new NBT@Home page filled with content from NBT’s past and present, available for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Plus, in the coming weeks we will be announcing new initiatives that will take you inside the world of NBT in entertaining and distinctive ways.
But for now, we invite you to Dance On with NBT and help ensure our ability to work tirelessly for you, to make Las Vegas a more joyful place to live, grow and prosper.
-Roy
Serenade choreography by George Balanchine. ©The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Virginia Trudeau.
Insights: Until December
In 2018 NBT featured a World Premiere work by choreographer Matthew Neenan entitled Until December. In this Insights session, Mr. Neenan and NBT Artistic Director Roy Kaiser talk about the creative process, their lifelong friendship and the moments of serendipity that without which Until December may never have come to be.
NBT’s Insights programs are educational pre-performance discussions offering patrons an opportunity to further engage with the ballet they are about to see. These informative discussions are hosted by special guests with unique points of view on the upcoming performance and are augmented with multi-media presentations, Q&A sessions and more.
The Making of a World Premiere
Renowned choreographer Nicolo Fonte created a World Premiere work for NBT in 2019, Crane/ing. In this feature story Mr. Fonte and NBT Artistic Director Roy Kaiser talk about the creative process, the interplay between choreographer and dancer, and the vital importance new works play for a ballet company’s repertory.
Virtual Summer of Dance
Each year ANBT’s students are able to continue their dance training through the summer. ANBT’s Summer Programs include two Summer Prep Weeks, in which students in Pre-Ballet 1 through Ballet C2 can get back in shape, and then two weeks of Summer Intensive when students continue their training with instructors who know them, their history, and the progress they have made.
This summer ANBT embarked upon its first ever Virtual Summer Intensive with students connected to instructors remotely. It was a tremendous success as students logged in, danced on and never wavered from their dedication to excellence.
