Tagged: dance

As a soloist with the Royal Ballet and a principal dancer with the London Ballet Festival, Helen Starr danced many of the lead roles in classical ballets. But she didn’t dance the role of Juliet to Sergei Prokofiev’s score until 1985 when her husband Alun Jones, then artistic director, choreographed his version of the ballet in Louisville.

Now retired from the company, Jones and Starr return every five or six years to stage the version of Shakespeare’s tragic love story that they created together. They open another production this weekend in the Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall.

On our audio diary series The Big Break, our apprentices gear up for audition season. Louisville Ballet trainee Claire Horrocks explains why January kicks off her least favorite time of year, while Actors Theatre of Louisville apprentice Samantha Beach explains the audition showcase the apprentices host for casting directors and agents during the Humana Festival. 

If you’re used to only seeing the Louisville Ballet dance in Whitney Hall or the Brown Theatre, the upcoming Choreographers' Showcase is a chance to see the company in a whole new light as it premieres new work in its intimate, informal studio on East Main Street.

Twelve new pieces choreographed by members of the dance company will make their debuts. Choreographers' Showcase runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with performances at 8 p.m. Space in the studio is limited, so advance ticket purchase is recommended (call the Ballet box office at 583-2623).