Convergence Ballet presents Artistic Director Ian Parsons’ Choreographic Debut: ‘The Space Before’
Convergence Ballet enters a new artistic chapter this spring as newly appointed Artistic Director Ian Parsons makes his Phoenix choreographic debut with The Space Before, an evening of transformative ballet on April 26 at 6:00 PM at the Dorrance Theatre, 2835 E. Washington.
The mixed repertory program marks Parsons’ first full evening of choreography for Phoenix audiences and features a dynamic range of works including two world premieres, alongside an acclaimed contemporary piece by legendary Canadian choreographer Peggy Baker.
Described as an evening of metamorphosis, The Space Before moves through contrasting emotional landscapes, from driving neoclassical movement to intimate lyrical reflection, culminating in a theatrical and joyful finale where The Beatles collide with baroque ballet.
“I am honored to have the privilege to present this mini-window into my artistic past and present,” says Parsons. “Peggy’s teaching and mentorship have been a pivotal part of my development, so it seems only fitting that we should give Phoenix audiences a taste of her beautiful work in this way, as we launch Convergence Ballet into a new and exciting chapter that I feel very lucky to get to lead.”
One of the key works in the program is Baker’s 5 views of the temple garden, set to Karen Tanaka’s Questions of Nature. Baker is one of Canada’s most acclaimed contemporary dance artists who has performed with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and collaborated with artists including Mikhail Baryshnikov. The work holds special meaning for Parsons, who performed in the original cast while training at Canada’s National Ballet School, where Baker served as artist in residence.
Parsons’ own choreography forms the emotional arc of the program. My Soul Return’d to Me (First Movement) is a powerful neoclassical work for seven women en pointe set to music by Dinuk Wijeratne.
The program continues with a distilled duet from Parsons’ larger work Carved Within the Pulse, set to music by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
The evening’s emotional centerpiece is The Field, Before It Spoke, set to Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Six Studies in English Folksong. This world premiere was originally presented in workshop form during Assemblé Internationale 2023, an international gathering of leading ballet schools hosted by Canada’s National Ballet School. It now appears in Phoenix as a full ensemble piece exploring longing, memory, and transformation.
The program concludes with With a Little Help from the Static, a playful world premiere in which a teenage boy’s Beatles record bursts into life, transforming his bedroom into a surreal world where baroque ballet and pop music collide.
Convergence Ballet dancers performing in The Space Before include Ashlyn Hall, Julie Rose Zukaitis, Alexander Patrick-Rolando, Natalia Rengifo Chacón, Natasha Rader, Samantha Gray, Sunny Hsieh, Mary Jane Girard, Matthew Mendez, Madeline Coury, Katelyn Beaulieu, and David Maurice.
The Space Before will be performed for one night only on Sunday, April 26 at 6 pm at the Dorrance Theatre in Phoenix. Tickets are $45 and are on sale now at convergenceballet.org.
Image courtesy Convergence Ballet Company