Ballet Arizona honor film icon with Hollywood-themed ballet performance
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Ballet Arizona celebrates cinematic classics with the production of ‘Moving Movies’ Feb. 15-18, 2024, at Symphony Hall.
Performed with live music accompaniment by The Phoenix Symphony, Ballet Arizona will travel back in time to 1950s and 60s Hollywood with a unique dance experience that takes ballet from the stage to the big screen.
Written and choreographed by Resident Choreographer Nayon Iovino, ‘Moving Movies’ will feature a new full-length story ballet about a director of a famous movie studio who gets abducted by an opportunistic villain, according to a press release.
In typical old-Hollywood fashion, this celebrated director is held hostage and forced to create an Oscar-worthy script for the villains to produce, until he is rescued by the ‘hero’ of the story, the release states.
This ballet will feature celebrated music scores such as “James Bond Suite — Orchestra Medley,” composed by John Barry, and “West Side Story Overture,” composed by Leonard Bernstein.
Other famous scores include “Morning Promenade” from the Charlie Chaplin film “The Kid,” “Orchestral Suite” from the film “La Dolce Vita” composed by Nino Rota, and “Amarcord” from the film “Amarcord,” both composed by Nino Rota and directed by Federico Fellini.
“This show will be a homage to all the classic films that we know and love,” said Ms. Iovino in a prepared statement.
“Through an original story, we will connect all these movies together – and the dance will be fun, exhilarating and original. One of the most exciting parts of the show is that we are integrating an interactive experience between the dance and the massive LED screen. It will be a first in any story ballet ever made.”
Ballet Arizona honor film icon with Hollywood-themed ballet performance
‘Moving Movies’ will take audiences on a cinematic journey through some of the biggest films of all time, featuring powerful music and stunning visuals that will entertain the senses.
“Nayon has proven his talents in the many years he has been choreographing, earning him this role,” said Ib Andersen, Ballet Arizona’s artistic director. “I’m looking forward to seeing how Nayon is going to challenge himself with his choreography and what direction he will go with it, because it is a journey.”
‘Moving Movies’ is produced by Joan and Charlie Berry, Goodmans Interior Structures, and Salt River Project. Ballet Arizona’s opening night series sponsors are F. Francis and Dionne Najafi of Pivotal Foundation.
