Downtown Dance Conservatory to present Cathedrals of Winter

Gadsden, AL:  Relax for the evening with beautiful, romantic, eclectic, and all original neoclassic and contemporary ballet works just in time for the holidays from Downtown Dance Conservatory. Cathedrals of Winter brings a mixed repertory program with a play on blanc ballet style featuring all new and exciting choreography performed by the Downtown Dance Upper School Youth Ballet featuring the Downtown Dance Artists. The production takes the stage for two performances on December 13^th and 14^th, at 6:30 PM, at the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center.

The concept of the ballet incorporates three different divisions of work based on the symbolic concept of a cathedral. A cathedral draws on strong architectural traditions and symbolism, which were intended, whether one thousand or one hundred years ago, to affect a visitor’s sensory experience.   The meaning of Cathedral as a “seat” or “house” divides the production into three portions: mind, body, and soul. The Cathedral of Mind portion includes the debut of new work, Venus in Retrograde, an eccentric cerebral ballet on heartbreak and stream of consciousness set to Mozart's Symphony no. 40 in G Minor choreographed by Linze Rickles McRae. A portion of this work was recently accepted to be performed through an adjudicated process at the Alabama Dance Festival in January 2014.  It will also be performed in March 2014 in St. Paul’s Church Covent Garden in London, England and in Paris, France.

The second portion, The Cathedral of Body, includes contemporary works highlighting the human experience from artists including Woodkid, Mogwai, Feist, Zoe Keating, and Tori Amos backed by a hand painted view of the New York City skyline in winter. The third and final portion embodies the Cathedral of Spirit.  With the backdrop of a handpainted European Cathedral, the pieces take on the ethereal quality of classical ballet set within a sacred space to folk, chamber choir, and other holiday classics.

Instructors and soloists, Laura Cornwell and Krystin Baird, have also worked in staging the new works to be presented.  Downtown Dance Artists presented as soloists are Michelle Minogue, Morgan Henegar, Paloma Starr, Lennon Baxter, Madeline Haynes, and Erin Snow. The Downtown Dance Upper School Youth Ballet are  Level  I:  Leila Acheson, Tobi Akisanya, Karli Ann Allred, Carli Astin, Emma Billingsley, Sarah Clayton, Riley Collier, Lindsey Cotton, Camilee Downey, Alyssa Floyd, McCain Foster, Emma Kamran, Kate Kiani, Kara Livesay, Emma Catherine Martin, Azalea McRae, Drew McNair, Abby Claire Morrison, Maddie O’Barr, Callie Robinson, Morgan Strain, Karley Wood. Level  II:  Rebecca Ayres, Sydney Barkley, Caitlyn Clem, Sara Catheryne Freeman, Catherine Haynes, Lila Johnson, Lilly Grace Keene, Mary Margaret McCartney, Azalea McRae,  Abby Nelson, Madison Nelson, Casey Rickles, Anne Roberts, Kate Snead. Level  III:   Maggie Ayres, Emily Bryant, Savannah Day, Courtney Faulkner, Parker Jarecki, Brynn Morton, Alexis Nail, Claire Parnell, Lynden Phillips,  Elyssa Simpson, Emily Snow, Sara Catherine Wills.

Proceeds of Cathedrals of Winter benefit the dancers of DDC's European performance tour of England and France in March 2014. Tickets are $12  for all tiers. They are available now through www.wallacehall.org, and at the front desk of the Hardin Center for Cultural Arts.