Dancing Dream
Large ensemble cast set to bring Shakespeare’s classic to life at the Rose
By Augusta Olsen
Ballet Nebraska has enjoyed a dreamlike first season, so there is no better way to conclude it than with a magical production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Shakespeare praises the lunatic, the lover, and the poet in the final act of the play for their imaginative abilities. Surely, the dancer must be added to this list.
Ballet Nebraska Artistic Director Erika Overturff became familiar with this ballet version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” when she danced with the Montgomery Ballet in the early 2000s. There she danced in the original production choreographed by Oskar Antunez.
The story is ideal for translation to ballet, with its gossamer fairies, royal Athenians and comical actors. Antunez’s choreography impresses with its ability to relate the intertwining tale of forest enchantment without words.
“The dancing creates the characters,” said Overturff, who in addition to directing the performance will share the lead role of Titania the fairy queen with Ballet Nebraska dancer Natasha Grimm. “Actually, it is a great way to tell a Shakespeare story. The movement, the gestures and the music are universal,” said Overturff. “There is a lot of comedy in this ballet, in line with Shakespeare’s original story.”
Equal to the comic relief in this production is the beauty it brings to the stage. The costumes for this production are a labor of love, created by Debbie Overturff. With over 80 ballet students, community actors and dancers enlisted to complete this large ensemble cast, the elder Overturff has made close to 100 costumes, with the help of Mona Schlautman, who designed the Athenians’ costumes.
“Some of the costumes, the principal fairy costumes I made for Montgomery Ballet when they first did this production” said the elder Overturff. “Those took months and months just to do those four fairies and Titania,” she said, describing the technique for hand-painting and hand-dyeing the silk costumes. Montgomery Ballet has loaned those original costumes for this production, which eloquently portray the fairies Cobweb, Moth, Peaseblossom and Mustardseed.
“My inspiration for the costumes was the forest and nature,” said Overturff. “When I was working on the gnomes, I did a little research to find what a gnome is all about. I found they were a little creature that lives in caves or tree stumps, so I wanted to make them like little rotund, dwarf-like people. They are hunters and gatherers, so they all have parts of their costumes like berries or nuts, things they might find on the forest floor. I used real nuts and branches on their costumes, so it really does pull in nature,” she said.
Also new for this production are the firefly costumes which incorporate small lights sewn into the costume to illuminate their performance.
The costumes and training provided for the 80-some ballet students in the performance come at no cost to the students, as an anonymous donation to Ballet Nebraska covered much of the production costs. Ballet Nebraska invited community members to audition for the production earlier this spring, fulfilling an aspect of the non-profit organization’s mission for community outreach. Thus many students have enjoyed the opportunity to learn about Shakespeare and professional dance onstage. There are several tribes of magical characters represented by the students, including changelings, fairies, fireflies, sprites, gnomes and baby gnomes.
Matthew Carter, ballet master of Ballet Nebraska, dances the part of Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and the personal joy and playfulness he brings to his role is matched by the generous leadership he has offered these little creatures as he guides them through the forest play.
Carter is also the co-director of Motion 41 Dance Studio, located at 120th and Center streets. His studio has donated the rehearsal space for the production, and the gentle but compelling instruction he has shared with the young dancers in training is as endearing as the character Puck himself.
So, in many ways Ballet Nebraska has brought “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to life for our community this spring. Sasha York will dance the part of Oberon, the fairy king. York, who always displays impressive athleticism in his Ballet Nebraska performances, says, “I think my personal favorite thing are the jumps. It’s fun. I look forward to doing something different. When the girls dance, they are very intricate. I like it when the guys come out and it’s bam, pow!”
York, 24, moved to the United States from Russia when he was 11, and began studying ballet when he was 12 in Flint, Mich. “The first year, there were four or five guys in my class, and it was fun. Over time, some of the guys started leaving, and I started taking it more seriously,” he said.
York danced with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and the Omaha Theater Ballet before joining Ballet Nebraska last year.
Grimm will play the part of Titania, the fairy queen, in Sunday’s performance. Grimm, a 22-year-old Council Bluffs native, is one of few company members originally from the Omaha area. Grimm also serves as an inspiring role model for young dancers. She began her ballet training at the age of 14 at the Omaha Theater Ballet, and was hired as a professional dancer with the company at age 19.
“I had been doing jazz, tap and gymnastics,” said Grimm of her early years, but she feared it was too late to start ballet training as a teenager. “My mom said, ‘It’s never too late.’”
“I worked my butt off,” said Grimm of her rapid advancement, and onstage, her technical ability is matched by a charming sense of grace and ease.
In addition to working as a professional ballerina, Grimm teaches jazz and lyrical ballet classes at Motion 41 Dance Studio, as well as Pilates and Zumba classes at Prairie Life Fitness Center.
Grimm says the hardest part of being a professional ballerina is the lay-off between productions. “You have to go in and take classes and stay in shape so you don’t get injured when starting rehearsals,” she said. Rehearsals for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” ran from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at least five days a week, “basically it’s a nine to five job,” she said of preparing for a new production.
“It’s been so great and exciting, from the beginning of the season to the end,” said Grimm of her first year with Ballet Nebraska. “I’m on cloud nine. We are lucky to have such a great company that works hand in hand.”
Erika says it was a happy coincidence that “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was also selected to be performed at Shakespeare on the Green this summer. She says Ballet Nebraska will collaborate with the outdoor theater series to present a portion of the ballet at Elmwood Park during the popular Shakespeare festival later this summer.
Also, Ballet Nebraska has just announced community auditions for their 2011 production of the “Nutcracker.” which will take place at Motion 41 Dance Studio on July 16, ensuring that the dream of dance will continue for many people in Omaha.