The Richmond Ballet came to campus on April 24, providing the campus community with an opportunity to see a fine arts performance in the Goode Center. According to their website, the Richmond Ballet is the state ballet of Virginia dedicated to “awakening and uplifting the human spirit through the promotion, preservation, and continuing evolution of dance.”
The company choreographed dances to music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Michael Nyman and David McAlmont.
Sophomore Oliver Hewitt, a student at Virginia Wesleyan University, attended the event with friends.
“The ballet was a beautiful balance of contemporary art and the traditional elegance of ballet,” said Hewitt. “I really enjoyed each story and found myself and my guests holding our breath in awe at the performers’ grace and strength.”
The ballet performed a number of diverse dances that were intended to convey the human experience.
According to the description of the event included on the VWU website, “George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante captivates audiences from start to finish with its sparkling swiftness and precise execution. Ben Stevenson’s Three Preludes explores the evolution of a couple’s love in an intimate ballet setting. In an excerpt from Colin Connor’s Vestiges, two dancers display their undeniable connection, reminiscent of a moth to a flame.”
This performance is just one event in a lineup of the Virginia Wesleyan University Concert Series. Some of the previous performances include the Virginia Chorale Concert, the Tidewater Classical Guitar Showcase Concert and more.
The next show in the concert series, titled “Duo Amaral,” will take place on April 29 and is put on by Tidewater Classical Guitar. Tickets are free to students and are discounted for educators, other students and military.
To learn more about the Virginia Wesleyan University Concert series, visit https://www.vwu.edu/the-arts-at-virginia-wesleyan/virginia-wesleyan-concert-series.php.
By Katie Yeager
kayeager@vwu.edu