Published February 23, 2024

SNB Creates New Choreography in Collaboration with the Steinway Piano Gallery

by Rosine Bena

Ballet is an art made BY people; OF people, and FOR people. The choreographer is much like a painter who creates an image through the use of paint and brushes. The choreographer uses space as the canvas and creates the image with dancers’ bodies. 

Watching a choreographer create a new work is exciting, inspiring, and exhilarating. 

Right now, SNB is housed at the Steinway Piano Gallery and Music School until the renovations of our new home at 500 East Moana Lane in Reno are completed, and it is an amazingly beautiful experience to see new original works by eight different choreographers being created in this elegant shared space as SNB prepares for our annual Brew, Brats & Ballet (BBB) program. Each choreographer has magically inhabited the Steinway Gallery, and each choreographic piece is completely different in style and content. 

Jennifer August has done an emotionally beautiful modern piece, The Imposter, to the music of Julian Scherle about the inner critical voice that is inside each of us. Jen told me, “I am constantly bothered by this extremely critical voice inside my head whom I have named ‘Bruce.’ I wanted to create a work that depicts the struggle of dealing with the inner critic within all of us.” 

Oliver Adams has taken a completely different path. Oliver said, “Jump in the Line is a playful dance with lively, upbeat movements to capture the carefree spirit of the song. The audience should feel like they have been transported to a tropical island with the energetic, calypso inspired choreography.”

Alexander Biber has choreographed what he calls, “a silly piece for the sake of being silly.” Biber’s piece is an entertaining short story ballet based on the fable of The Frog Prince. 

Sara Weir is a principal dancer with SNB and this is her first piece of choreography. She has chosen to create a lyrical neoclassical style ballet to the inspiring music by Jerome Kern arranged for solo piano by Ronald Williams that will be performed live by her husband, pianist Jayson Weir. 

SNB soloist Anthony McMenamy decided to join forces with another SNB company dancer, Karrina Ferris, to create a very contemporary choreographic piece about embracing the now in our lives. Anthony told us, “ I have grown up with and enjoyed dancing with Karrina for years, and I thought it would be an uplifting and gratifying experience to create a choreographic work together.”   

Veteran Choreographer and Founder of the UNR Dance Program Barbara Land has chosen to choreograph to the music of Schindler’s List. Her piece is about experiencing faith on a higher level. Barbara said, “ I love choreographing on the SNB dancers because I always feel supported. The dancers really get me.”

Ananda Bena-Weber contributes two wonderful contemporary ballet pieces to this year’s BBB: an excerpt of her audience-acclaimed full-length story ballet, Dracula, which premiered in October of 2023. It will be repeated by audience request in October of 2024, and a new piece inspired by the collaboration between SNB and the Steinway Piano Gallery and Music School. Ananda heard the talented pianist Albina Asryan, and she said that they “immediately felt a great spiritual and artistic connection.” This piece will be presented as a duet between dancer and musician. Ananda will dance a solo as Albina plays the solo piano. 

My contribution will be very classical this year with two small excerpts of our full-length story ballet, Sleeping Beauty-A Fairy’s Tale that will be presented this summer in Reno, Carson and Lake Tahoe.     

Being at the Steinway Gallery has not only inspired us, it has made it possible for us to use talented musicians playing live on our 2024 BBB program. This experience proves that joining together creates better art and a better world, and this is only the start for us. SNB is on a grand new adventure, creating the Northern Nevada Performing Arts Collective with Steinway Piano Gallery and Music School; Sierra School of Performing Arts; Silver State Story Tellers (filmmakers); T&L Media (arts marketing); Dr. Jayson Weir; Dance PT Carri Cameron and Healthy Performers Nevada; Satori Dancewear, and local visual artists from the community - all under the same roof.  

SNB will perform Brew, Brats & Ballet (2024) at 7:30 PM on April 20, 2024 at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City and on May 3, 4 at 7:30 PM and on May 5 at 2 PM at the Reno Little Theater. Join us to see a diverse, eclectic, exciting program of brand new short choreographic works introduced by the choreographers themselves. 

For tickets or information about SNB, the SNB Academy and the Northern Nevada Performing Arts Center, visit www.sierranevadaballet.org or call: 775-360-8663.

The Arts Are Stronger Together by Rosine Bena — January 19, 2024

SNB Collaborates with Arts Organizations to Create a Performing Arts Hub in Reno by Rosine Bena — December 15, 2023

SNB’s Holiday Peanutcracker Brings the Community Together by Rosine Bena — November 3, 2023

SNB Presents a Tale of Horror in the Spirit of Halloween and Burning Man by Rosine Bena — September 22, 2023

SNB Presents Dracula the Ballet, a Brand New Production! by Rosine Bena — August 18, 2023

Preparations Underway for SNB Historic Event by Rosine Bena — July 14, 2023

SNB is the Only Company in the World Authorized to Perform The Last Unicorn by Rosine Bena — June 9, 2023

ART In The Family by Rosine Bena — May 5, 2023

SNB Presents an Eclectic Brew, Brats & Ballet by Rosine Bena — March 31, 2023

A Labor of Love by Rosine Bena — February 24, 2023

A Strong Spirit of Collaboration is Evident in the Reno Arts Communityby Rosine Bena — January 20, 2023

The Peanutcracker: The Story behind the Story by Rosine Bena — December 16, 2022

A Tale of Two Sugar Plums for Sierra Nevada Balletby Rosine Bena — November 11, 2022

Dance Theatre of Harlem Returns to Renoby Rosine Bena — October 7, 2022

Ballet Training Can Greatly Enhance the Child Birth Experience by Rosine Bena — September 9, 2022

SNB’s Swan Lake: The Product of a Devoted Arts Communityby Rosine Bena — August 12, 2022

SNB Presents Swan Lake with an International cast of Professional Dancers by Rosine Bena — July 15, 2022

SNB Performs Swan Lake at Eldorado as Part of Artown  by Rosine Bena — June 17, 2022
 

Swan Lake: A Life-Changing Experience by Rosine Bena — May 20, 2022

SNB Presents the Popular Brew, Brats and Ballet in Reno and Carson Cityby Rosine Bena — April 22, 2022

Regional Dance America Presents Inaugural Festival in Renoby Rosine Bena — April 1, 2022