Choreography Elevated

Published February 17, 2023

Choreography Elevated

During the past holiday season, I watched one of my favorite old-time movies, White Christmas. This 1954 film stars Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. Crosby and Kaye’s characters in the movie bring their popular variety television show to a remote Vermont inn to help a retired general and his failing Pine Tree Ski Lodge. One of the numbers in the variety show is called Choreography. It’s a marvel to watch Kaye, Vera-Ellen and fellow dancer John Brascia perform this entertaining and complex number.

So, what exactly is choreography? In dance, it is the art of designing particular movements. These movements are deliberate and follow a specified sequence.

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s artistic director Alexander Van Alstyne does all original choreography for all of his productions. When the dancers step onto the stage at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, every movement they make – from the steps they take, to a tip of the head, or the extension of a hand – is scripted by Van Alstyne. He and his co-director, Miriam Allen, want to make sure that when an audience sees one of their ballets, their creative artistry is apparent on the stage.

Even in ballets that are performed in almost every city in the country, such as The Nutcracker, changes are made by Van Alstyne and Allen. While the general storyline may be similar to other productions, the choreography is not. As an example, in the famous Waltz of the Flowers, they have the dancers form a connected pinwheel that is always a crowd pleaser. Van Alstyne changes the choreography of return shows like The Nutcracker every year as he doesn’t want the audience to get tired of the same dance numbers. This keeps his dancers on their toes (pun intended) as each year they must learn the new steps and movements.

Before choreographing The Little Mermaid a few years ago, the music needed to be selected. The Disney score wasn’t available but there were two other versions of music that were written specifically for a ballet. One was very dark and intense, and Van Alstyne wanted to appeal to adults and children; so he settled on a lighter score written by Leo Delibes for the ballet Sylvia.

With the music secured, the choreography begins. Van Alstyne creates movement to the music that translates to a beginning, middle and end of the story.

“I try to create an emotional attachment for both the dancers and the audience,” Van Alstyne said. “For “The Little Mermaid, the choreography needed to make the dancers appear as if they were underwater.”

He worked with Allen to ensure that all hand movements were similar to fins, and leg movements like those of a mermaid’s tail.

“We work off each other as we create the choreography,” Van Alstyne said of his collaboration with Allen.

This coming April, A.V.A. Ballet Theatre and the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra will be presenting Frozen at the Pioneer Center. They last performed this production to Sergei Prokofiev’s moving score in 2016. Van Alstyne wants to change everything about his choreography for the upcoming production and has even selected new music. The spring rendition of Frozen will include music from Prokofiev, music from Leo Delibes, and even a little Disney.

While Van Alstyne wants to keep the classic style of this ballet – with the conflicting forces of good and evil – he has numerous changes in mind for the upcoming production. In his rendition, when their kingdom becomes trapped in a perpetual winter, Alana joins forces with mountaineer Kai to find Alana’s sister, Snow Queen Ella, and break the icy spell. This classic story is filled with mesmerizing dance, intrigue, and is fun for the entire family. Jason Altieri will be conducting the orchestra.

Van Alstyne says when his choreography pulls the audience into the story, he has succeeded in achieving his wish for the production. He said, “When someone in the audience or a cast member gets a tear in their eyes or a smile on their face, I know I have done my job.”

I’m looking forward to this April at the Pioneer Center when I expect he will fulfill his wish.

Steve Trounday is a board member at A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be performing Frozen April 22 and 23 with the Reno Phil.