photo by Duane Rieder
“In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” will be showing at Benedum Center Oct. 23-25. Shown here are dancers Nurlan Abougaliev (left) and Elysa Hotchkiss (right).

As curtains rise at the Benedum Center, guests will be entertained by three diverse pieces, showcasing contemporary styles and ending with an upbeat western ballet.

“I think people should realize how great the ballets are and how much work has been put into them,” said Cooper Verona, Pittsburgh ballet theatre corps de ballet member, in a phone interview Friday afternoon. “They’re each like a feat in themselves and I think that we do them all very well even though they are very, very different.”

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) will be starting its 2015-2016 season with a mixed repetory on Oct. 23-Oct. 25.  The ballets include “Sinfonietta,” “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated,” and “Western Symphony.”  

“I’m excited about the whole program because I love all three pieces for different reasons,” said Terrence Orr, artistic director of PBT in a phone interview Friday afternoon. 

PBT’s artistic director, Terrence Orr, has been with the company for 19 years.  Previously, Orr danced with San Francisco Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre, where he also became a part of the staff and ballet master.

The company has been working and preparing hard for the season’s opening performance since the beginning of August. 

“Sinfonietta” was choreographed by Jiří Kylián and will be played by the orchestra. Orr said 12 extra brass instruments were added to the section for this piece.

“It is a very powerful, dynamic ballet,” said Orr. “It’s one of my most favorites I have ever seen…it’s really a wonderful ballet.”

“In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” by William Forsythe is an electronic score. Orr explained it’s very contemporary and having the opportunity to perform a Forsythe piece is prestigious. 

Verona expressed this to be his favorite piece out of the reparatory.

“[In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated] is such a physical ballet and the most demanding, for me,” Verona said.

Originally from Connecticut, Verona trained at North Carolina School of the arts and Houston Ballet school before joining the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT). This is the start of his 5th season with PBT.  

Closing the show will be “Western Symphony” by George Balanchine, and the boys wear studio shoes like cowboy boots and the girl’s tutus will encompass the western theme.   

“It has a lot of songs… that are very hummable and popular American songs,” said Orr. “This closes up the program with a little bit of dessert and some fun.”

Orr believes the three pieces are brilliant works by each of the choreographers.

“I’ve wanted to do them for a long time… they go together; they’re very different from each other,” Orr said.

As a dancer, Verona enjoys the opportunity of what the mixed reparatory has to offer and will be performing in all three pieces as a member of the corps de ballet.

 “It’s really fun all in one night to be able to do three different, very distinct styles,” Verona said. “They’re all just amazing ballets on their own and to have them all three in the same show is really unbelievable.”

Casey Landon, Point Park dance major with a jazz concentration, has been to performances put on by PBT before, such as last year’s performance of Sleeping Beauty.

“To have that big corps Ballet Company is good for the city, it attracts people,” said Landon in an interview Monday morning in Lawrence Hall lobby.

Verona has worked with students at Point Park before and shared some advice he found is useful for young dancers. 

“Always have fun with it… sometimes it’s hard to remember you are doing something that you love and it might be really hard physically… and not get too serious or caught up into it,” Verona said.

Landon utilizes the performances as an opportunity to learn from the dancers.

“Really any live performance for a dancer is good to see… the more you see the more you know,” Landon said.

Pleased with the work put into the production, Orr believes this program will be talked about for a long time.

“I think [the audience] is going to walk away realizing that it’s is really incredible and I think they will be stimulated by it,” said Orr. 

PBT’s season opener, Mixed Repetory #1, will be at the Benedum Center from Oct. 23-Oct. 25.  For more information on tickets call 412-456-6666 or visit website www.pbt.org.

photo by Duane Rider
Artists Amanda Cochrane (left) and Yoshiaki Nakano (right) perform in “Sinfonietta,” a contemporary ballet piece.

photo by Duane Rieder
JoAnna  Schmidt dancer in “Western Symphony” showcases the old western theme.