This August, Grand Rapids Ballet’s Summer Series sees the venerable organization—Michigan’s only professional classical ballet company—performing in Petoskey, at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts; outside Grand Rapids’ Peter Martin Wege Theater as part of the third annual Summer Dance Festival; and at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, in an effort to celebrate dance in an accessible, community-driven way.
“When we get opportunities to spread the love of dance, we take them,” said Meghan Dolata, Marketing Director of the ballet. By performing at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts, two benefits are secured: an expansion of the ballet’s network and an opportunity to perform for people who might never travel to the Grand Rapids area. The program will include Jump Cut, choreographed by Penny Saunders, and Le Grand Jazz!, choreographed by Darrell Grand-Moultrie.
By performing outdoors as part of the Summer Dance Festival, the ballet instantly removes, as if with a wave of a wand, barriers that might prevent people from seeing ballet: cost (the festival is free); formality (you don’t have to give two seconds’ consideration to what you’re wearing; it’s August, and hot); time constraints (you can arrive partway through a performance without getting glared at); and more. Plus, there’ll be food, wine, and beer for sale.
“The summers in Michigan are so beautiful,” Dolata said. “Taking advantage of that allows us to cultivate more of a festival vibe.” And, as it’s a festival, other acts will be performing, too, showcasing the broad range of dance; as of this writing, 15 acts were lined up, and more additions were possible. “Dance is about much more than ballet,” she said. “There are all sorts of ways to move.”
The ballet’s had a longstanding partnership with Frederik Meijer Gardens. The August 27 performance will include Le Grand Jazz!, a high-energy, lively work set to classic and contemporary jazz, as well as additional pieces. “To have a performance there is always so special,” she said. “It’s a thrilling evening. We all look forward to it.”
Performing outdoors is not the same as performing indoors. An elaborate set that works well inside might not work at all outside; lighting elements, so effective indoors, might be lost in bright sunlight. The ballet carefully considers how best to take advantage of each venue’s opportunities in order to present work that’s beautiful, moving, and exciting.
“Our dancers work tirelessly day in and day out to put on the best performances possible,” Dolata said. “It’s important for us to showcase how versatile dance can be, and the summer series allows us to do that.” She’s proud to be in Grand Rapids: proud of what a great city it is, and how focused it is on the arts. She sees the ballet’s role within the city to spread joy; in particular, to spread it through dance and opportunity.
To those who’ve never seen a live performance, she encourages them to give it a try. “There’s nothing quite like a live performance,” she said. “You get to see these dances in real time—you get to feel their passion, even their connection to each other.” Her voice grew warmer as she described how powerful and uplifting those moments are. “They’re dancing and moving and creating right there in front of you. It’s like a picture coming together.”
Grand Rapids Ballet
grballet.com
Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Aug. 17
Summer Dance Festival, Aug. 23-24
Frederik Meijer Gardens, Aug. 27
