Newly-formed Copper Coin Ballet Company to present 'Rockballet' in Springfield
The newly-formed Copper Coin Ballet Company will be giving more than its 2 cents' worth to dance performance on Saturday.
Prominent members of the local dance community founded the troupe in February. Longtime notable ballet figures Grace Luttrell Nanavati, Julie Ratz, Ronda Brinkman and Gina DeCroix Russell, with an experienced team of area artists, formed the new group to reimagine the context and potential for dance and artistic collaboration.
The company's name honors Springfield’s original regional ballet company. Mildred Caskey began the Copper Coin Regional Ballet in 1959 to foster dance and elevate standards of regional performing dancers as a pre-professional performance opportunity.
CCBC's inaugural performance of "Rockballet" continues its creator’s vision in a new dance troupe and a new venue. CCBC Artistic Director Julie Ratz created this contemporary dance performance to rock music with various themes since 1994. This event features live music by the band Downstate and will take place at the Springfield Muni, featuring the music of Queen.
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Ratz is building upon 30 years of experience as an artistic director.
“There is a lot of accumulated knowledge that goes into presenting a show like this,” she said. “I have designed a light plot, set, and called cues but also hung and focused lights, cut gels, spiked marks on the stage. I have designed costumes, but I have also bought the material, sewn and fitted them. I have laid the dance floor and hung the drops, but I have also plotted their design. I have taught the dancers and choreographed their pieces. I have selected music but also edited it.
“I have hired guest artists,” Ratz continued, “but also driven them to the airport at four in the morning. I have rented the truck, loaded the sets, ordered the dry ice, booked the venues, budgeted the costs, raised the funds, thanked the sponsors. The list goes on. Putting on a show like this takes the ability and willingness to do these things, but it also takes the intelligence to surround yourself with a team of people that are experts in their field. We are a team of the best and brightest in the area.”
The show will include the company’s 30 dancers and three guest dancers. Two of the guests are Ratz’s former students but all three are professional dancers doing CCBC a favor in performing as Ratz said they believe in the new troupe’s mission. “As a new company our challenges are those same challenges that face any dance company — mainly audience development and fundraising. Our opportunities are much greater. We have a clean slate upon which to build something the community can get excited about and be proud of.”
Performing "Rockballet" to live music is no easy feat. “Performing these songs is one thing,” said Ratz, who believes Downstate, led by Damien Kaplan, has the talent to arrange the music and perform it. “But accompanying dance adds another level of difficulty. Choreographers have created their works to a specific recording of the songs. Many have edited the music to better suit the piece. Damien has to arrange the music to exactly match. The dancers have been rehearsing to recorded music, and their spacing and timing are perfected to each song. Thirty dancers are not easily adapted to a riff or even an extra note. Downstate has a huge task watching and accompanying the dance while performing each song. The members of Downstate have decades of experience playing live and accompanying musicals and dance performances.”
In addition to music and dance interpretation, Ratz said “Just like any artistic appreciation, each member of the audience will interpret the performance according to their own experiences and observations. I hope they will leave excited and uplifted, with a deeper appreciation of local artists.”
More about 'Rockballet'
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Muni, 815 East Lake Shore Drive, Springfield
Tickets: Reserved Tickets: $20, General admission (Lawn Seating): Adults $13 not including service charges or discounts for seniors (65+), students, military, and EMS/first responders. Proof of eligibility required at entry.
Visit https://coppercoinballet.org
Editor's note: This story has been updated to show the correct time of the show.