There will be music, dance, and lots of celebration as New Ballet presents two evenings of contemporary works this weekend.
The company’s 8th annual “Fast Forward” event, presented at San Jose’s Hammer Theatre Center, will feature dance works created for the troupe’s corps dancers under the direction of company founder and director Dalia Rawson.
World premieres by seven choreographers are on the program, including a new work by Julio Hong set to music by jazz great Arturo Sandoval. Additional choreographers represented include Rawson, Laura Burton, James Kopecky, Deborah Le, Niamh Rollins, and Mariana Sobral.
Founded by Rawson in 2016, New Ballet is the resident ballet company of the Hammer Theatre. She says this year’s participants will perform an array of works danced to live music played by the South Bay-based Top Shelf Big Band.
Rawson says that company productions often showcase timeless ballets — in May, she’ll present “Swan Lake” — but her “Fast Forward” focuses on new works and has produced surprising results.
“These are choreographers from around the country and around the world, and those who are homegrown,” said Rawson of the program, adding that companies don’t always have the opportunity to get choreographers and dancers in the same room. “It’s a time to engage new choreographers who are interested in pushing the boundaries.”
It’s a great opportunity for all involved; for the choreographers, she said, “it gives them the experience of working with the dancers and seeing their work put onstage. It’s a great experience for the dancers as well, to expand their artistry and bring the choreographers’ vision to life.”
The new work by Julio Hong is of particular interest. In a recent phone call, the Montreal-based choreographer, who trained at the National Ballet of Cuba, has created works fusing contemporary ballet, modern and Latin dance. His dances have been featured in shows by a variety of ballet companies as well as Cirque du Soleil.
Hong says his choreography is often inspired by his Sino-Haitian-Cuban heritage.
“That made me who I am today,” he says. “And it was classical ballet that ended up aligning everything for me.”
His new work, titled “DDDD,” features music by Sandoval, a Cuban trumpeter and 10-time Grammy Award winner who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 from then-President Barack Obama. Danced by the entire company, Hong says it offers a gorgeous vision.
“It’s a beautiful panorama of the Cuban scene, and of Cuban culture — just the whole Latin jazz world,” he said. “It’s classical ballet, and we’re adding a jazz band — like the Tropicana, the Copa Cabana.”
Unlike Hong, not all of the New Ballet members have name recognition, but Rawson says she won’t be surprised if that changes.
“Each one of them is unique,” she says. “They’ve danced. They’ve choreographed. And they all have real talent.”
Contact Georgia Rowe at growe@pacbell.net.
NEW BALLET
Presents Fast Forward
When: 7 p.m. March 21, 2 p.m. March 22
Where: Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose
Tickets: $17-$50; $136 premium; newballet.com