Founded in 1972 under artistic director Yvonne Choteau, Oklahoma City Ballet has served as the state’s professional ballet company for half a century, partnering with renowned performers from across the globe including Oklahoma’s own Maria Tallchief. With fantastic dancers accompanied by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, productions such as Alice (in Wonderland) and The Nutcracker are set to explode with raw talent. Performances at the Civic Center Music Hall are just the tip of the ballet iceberg, as many other events for children and raising special awareness are included in the season’s highlights.
This 50th anniversary season began with Ballet Under the Stars at Scissortail Park, which was a free performance for the public to enjoy. Marketing manager Lestari Kusumawardani said, “My favorite aspect of this outdoor ballet [is that] we get to reach our community, and it brings out people that wouldn’t normally go to our performances at the Civic Center. We want everyone to be able to have access to ballet.”
On top of this, OKC Ballet has worked toward creating new opportunities for children to meet dancers and take a behind-the-scenes look at basic ballet classes. The Dancing for Parkinson’s in-person classes are another project of Oklahoma City Ballet, in partnership with the Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma. The hour-long classes aim to “improve mobility and balance [to] guide participants through different dance movements by sitting, standing or moving across the floor.”
With a program centered around a communal appreciation for the art of ballet, attendees at any of the Civic Center performances are encouraged to “go wild” for the dancers. Visit okcballet.org for a full list of upcoming shows, and prepare to clap and cheer while supporting the fabulous dancers of the Oklahoma City Ballet. You won’t want to miss out.
