By Mark Ambrogi
The Central Indiana Dance Ensemble will be giving audiences a sneak preview of a dance, which group members will perform at the Regional Dance America National Festival.
The Carmel-based pre-professional ballet company will present Mixed Rep at 4 p.m. March 12 at Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre in Carmel.
Vicki Burdick, a CIDE board member in charge of marketing, said the dances being performed include a mixed repertoire of pieces from modern to classical. Many of these dances have been choreographed exclusively for CIDE by nationally celebrated choreographers Eddy Ocampo, Derek Reid and Ashley Walton. The national festival for dancers will be held May 2 to 6 in Phoenix.
“The chance to work with these type of choreographers is an amazing experience for the dancers,” CIDE Artistic Director Suzann DeLay said. “Of the three pieces, one of them has been selected to go on to our national festival.”
CIDE will perform “ATOMOS,” choreographed exclusively by Ocampo, at the national festival. The eight-minute piece includes 11 CIDE performers.
The other two pieces that were adjudicated but not selected for the national festival will be performed at Mixed Rep, too.
Burdick said the national festival gives the CIDE the chance to perform in front of nationally recognized choreographers and ballet directors from across the U.S.
“It gives us the opportunity to showcase what we’re doing here in Indiana,” Burdick said. “It gives our seniors an opportunity to dance in front of different universities, so if they want to dance, it gives them the chance to perform in front of those people. Some of these colleges use it as a scouting tool for talent. It also allows other dance companies the opportunity to scout talent for their companies, their training and their summer intensive programs.”
In addition to the national festival pieces, CIDE will present excerpts from the classic French ballet, “Paquita” during the Mixed Rep production.
“This gives our dancers a chance to learn and interpret a very renowned piece,” DeLay said.
There will be a silent auction, starting at 2:30 p.m., at Mixed Rep to raise funds for the Phoenix trip.
For tickets, visit thecenterpresents.org.
