Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's STORYTELLING IN MOTION Opens This Week

Performances run October 7 – 9 at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center.

By: Oct. 03, 2022
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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's STORYTELLING IN MOTION Opens This Week

The curtain will rise this week on Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's (PBT) 2022-2023 Season opener, Storytelling in Motion, running October 7 - 9 at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. This production highlights a mixed repertoire of internationally-acclaimed contemporary pieces, including Nacho Duato's Duende, Helen Pickett's The Exiled and the world premiere of Catharsis, a new piece by PBT's own principal dancer Yoshiaki Nakano. These unique, innovative performances will inspire audiences with thought-provoking movement and narration that will push the dancers out of their comfort zones with dynamic choreography.

Nacho Duato's Duende was inspired by Debussy's ethereal score, particularly the way the composer transformed the sound of nature into music. "The audience is invited to surrender themselves to the fantasy world and be transported to a dimension where the ordinary laws of human life lose their power and significance," Duato says. "In a playful way, the ballet also investigates the means of expression of the different meanings of the word that gives it its name: having duende could be taken to mean having personal charm or magic in flamenco art," Duato explained. His choreography visualizes forms, creating a sculptural piece in which physical movement and sound are one.

Helen Pickett's award-winning piece The Exiled is an innovative work of art and a departure from traditional ballet. It takes the form of a dramatic story told within the confines of a single room. The front wall is plexiglass, which creates an uncommon, disruptive barrier. The Exiled features narration as well as choreography from the dancers. The premise of the story centers around three strangers destined to spend eternity together, while two Proprietors function as the story's narrators, curators and instigators, creating a cat-and-mouse dynamic between the characters. The Exiled was created to "investigate the concepts of containment: limited space to move and negotiate and the physical responses to the forced confines, which included an actual wall to bump up against," Pickett explained. Audiences will be entranced by the exploration of human choices and morality in the captivating story that is Pickett's The Exiled.

In place of Goyo Montero's previously noted Alrededor No Hay Nada, audiences will experience Catharsis, the world premiere of a brand new work by PBT's own Principal Dancer Yoshiaki Nakano. Nakano choreographed this neoclassical piece specifically for Storytelling in Motion, highlighting the dancers' skill and athleticism. Catharsis portrays a landscape recognizable to us all - from the isolation of feeling unseen and unknown by another, to the intimacy and joy of deep emotional bonds. The work includes four movements that unfold in a journey from dark to bright. Audiences will experience the transformative power of human connection in Catharsis.

Visit here for full casting information. Find a full list of performance times at pbt.org/StorytellingInMotion.

Tickets for Storytelling in Motion start at $29 and are available at pbt.org or by calling 412-456-6666. Groups of 10 or more save at pbt.org/groups. The Sunday matinee will feature audio description. Additional accessibility services are available. Please contact accessibility@pittsburghballet.org for more information.




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