Connecticut Ballet dancing under the stars in two free outdoor shows in Hartford-area parks
Connecticut Ballet is having a ball outdoors with its latest touring “Ballet Under the Stars” program. Two performances are happening in the Hartford area: on July 28 at Burr Mall next to the Wadsworth Atheneum and on July 30 at West Hartford’s Elizabeth Park. Both shows start at 6:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
One of the big misconceptions about ballet, says Connecticut Ballet’s artistic director Bret Raphael, is that’s an elitist art restricted to white European cultures. “Ballet represents all dance,” he says, noting traditions of ballet in Africa and elsewhere.
The “Ballet Under the Stars” shows prove that ballet is not intended for some rarefied, restrictive audience, Raphael says.
“It’s such a beautiful thing to welcome every single person” to the free outdoor performances, which happen around the state every summer. “People are dancing in the aisles and calling out to us. You don’t see that at The Bushnell.”
A performance in Westport on Tuesday attracted 1,000 people, Raphael says.
The company travels with a 24-by-30-foot stage platform that allows for a backstage changing area. The lighting for the shows is mainly provided by the sun; the performances start at 6:30 p.m. and last about 90 minutes, so sundown is an added special effect.
Two of the four pieces in the program are classics from the Connecticut Ballet repertory, and the others are new works the company commissioned.
“A Piece That Might Never Happen About a Peace That Might Never Happen” was created by the Portland, Oregon-based choreographer Carlyn Hudson for Connecticut Ballet’s virtual “Digital Dance” series. Hudson has said the piece is about “the importance of being heard.”
“Panchama” was commissioned by Connecticut Ballet from New York choreographer Yamini Kalluri. She is a professional dancer in the classical Indian Kuchipudi style, and Raphael says the choreography also reflects Kalluri’s interest in American modern dance pioneer Martha Graham. “Panchama” features five female dancers. Raphael notes that “the number five is very important” in the ancient Indian Sankskrit language and in the works of philosopher Alan Watts, who introduced many concepts of Indian literature and thought to mainstream mid-20th century America.
The Spanish-themed dance “Paquita” was first done by Connecticut Ballet in 1981, the year the company formed and had its acclaimed debut at the Jacob’s Pillow dance venue in Massachusetts.
“Threads from a String of Swing” is scored with big band music.
The “Ballet Under the Stars” series has been around for years and was originally known as “Ballet Caravan.” Connecticut Ballet has been able to keep the series going in recent years even despite the pandemic, with the 2020 program moved from summer to fall to accommodate the change in public gathering protocols. It was in 2020 that “Ballet Under the Stars” first performed in Burr Mall, also known as Alfred E. Burr Memorial, near the Wadsworth Atheneum on Main Street.
Raphael says that for Connecticut Ballet, “this coming year is a real comeback of a sort.” This includes an increase in the number of performances the company — which has its school and studio space in Stamford but has always maintained its main office in Hartford — will be increasing the number of performances it does at The Bushnell. There will be a full announcement about the ballet’s expanded local presence later this year.
“Ballet Under the Stars” can be seen July 28 at 6:30 p.m. (rain date July 29 at 6:30 p.m.) at Alfred E. Burr Memorial, 570 Main Street, Hartford; and July 30 at 6:30 p.m. (rain date July 31 at 6:30 p.m.) on the John G. Martin Foundation stage in the Elizabeth Park Conservancy, 1561 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford. Free. Masks are optional but encouraged. connecticutballet.org.
Christopher Arnott can be reached at carnott@courant.com.
