Expect An Unexpected Night Of Cirque Dances With Troupe Vertigo And Utah Symphony

Watch the fused elements of cirque acrobatics and classical dance, as Troupe Vertigo performs alongside Utah Symphony on April 19 & 20 7:30 PM at Abravanel Hall. This surprising and delightful night of entertainment will feature orchestral favorites including Ravel's Bolero, Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story , and Gershwin's Cuban Overture. Tickets, priced from $18 to $69 ($15 for students), are available for purchase through www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

The Los Angeles-based theatrical circus company, Troupe Vertigo, creatively combines aspects of circus, dance, and theatre into a captivating experience for their audience members. Since Aloysia Gavre (Cirque du Soleil) and her husband Rex Camphuis (Pickle Family Circus/ Film & Theater Producer) founded the group in 2009, Troupe Vertigo has graced the halls of theatres, concert halls, festivals, and special events. Their involvement with world-class symphonies brings in a variety of music and dance-loving audience-members. After one Troupe Vertigo performance, one Los Angeles Times reporter described, A crowd came not knowing what to expect but left astonished.

The ballet Bolero is Maurice Ravel's most famous piece, and was originally composed for the Russian dancer Ida Rubinstein in 1928. To Ravel's surprise, the ballet received buoyant praise after its premiere and quickly gained traction from orchestras that wanted to play the piece. Though Bolero is rarely set as a ballet, Ravel envisioned the backdrop as a busy factory to reflect the mechanical nature of the piece. In its legacy, Olympic ice skaters Torvill and Dean used Bolero for their record-breaking routine in 1984, and at least eight different production companies have incorporated the piece into their movies.

The musical West Side Story premiered in 1957, at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, telling the story of two rival gangs with two star-crossed lovers in the midst of them. The Symphonic Dances were first performed on February 13, 1961, emulating the rivalry between the two gangs, a dream-like sequence of unity, the gang's competitive nature, and then the romantic meeting of two lovers, which led to the finale of death and tragedy. Though Bernstein is known for his accomplishments with the New York Philharmonic and his numerous American compositions, West Side Story is regarded as one of the world's most renowned and beloved classics.

George Gershwin's success comes from both his popular and classical works of pop songs, creative film scores, musicals, and orchestral music. After vacationing in Havana, Cuba, George Gershwin felt inspired from the sights, sounds, and movements of Cuban culture and thereafter composed Cuban Overture. Gershwin played around with the popular song Echale Salsita" as its main theme, while combining aspects of Caribbean rhythms, Cuban native percussion, and colorful techniques. Exploring the romantic dances, vibrant music, and colorful culture, Cuban Overture remains in the hearts of many as a cultural taste of life in Cuba.

Tickets, priced from $18 to $69 ($15 for students), are available for purchase through www.utahsymphony.org or by calling (801) 355-2787. Tickets increase $5 on the day of the performance.

To post a comment, you must register and login.