Challenge is opportunity.
The Going Solo series is our latest – and perhaps most adventurous – move in our ongoing commitment to find innovative ways to share the magic of dance with our community.
In this groundbreaking series, we challenge American Midwest Ballet company artists and guest choreographers to create solo dance works that reflect their personal visions, ranging from original responses to this unique period in time to the exploration of existing works that challenge their growth as artists. The company provides studio work space and mentorship for our artists.
Then, documentary filmmaker Lance Glenn produces videos of selected works, combining behind-the-scenes insights with a unique visual interpretation of the finished performance.
As each work is complete, we premiere it right here, as well as on YouTube and Facebook. Organize an online watch party now for the next film of the Going Solo series!
Inspired by Johannes Vermeer’s painting Girl with a Pearl Earring, this film depicts a young woman who seems to revel in the possession of a precious jewel… until…
As part of Going Solo: The Guest Series, the choreography for this film was created by Omaha-born and Omaha-trained ballerina Sandra Organ Solis, the Houston Ballet’s first African American dancer to attain the rank of soloist. Solis later went on to found her own company, Earthen Vessels. One of her dancers there was AMB’s Amaris Sharratt, whose uncanny resemblance to the girl in Vermeer’s painting helped inspire this work.
“This past year circumstances have kept me at home with my son, Rory,” said Erin Alarcón of the inspiration behind this film. “One night I was on Instagram while putting him to bed, and he turned my face and said, ‘hi mommy.’ I put my phone down and really took in that moment of rocking my son to sleep and the beautiful simplicity of it. That night made me re-examine… how in an effort to capture memories, edit those memories and caption those memories, we can miss out on enjoying the memories.
“There is a wonderful freedom and beauty in surrendering to the present moment.”
- Erika Overturff – AMB artistic director; choreographer and dancer, A Year I Won’t Forget
- Lance Glenn – Filmmaker
- Seneca Montgomery – Choreographer, Order in the Chaos
- Kogan Murphy – Choreographer and dancer, Tomorrow
- Kelsey Schwenker – Choreographer and dancer, Denouement Escapade
- Anna Swenson – Dancer, Order in the Chaos
Pithos
Choreographer: Claire Goodwillie
Performer: Alyssa Grimsley
Filmmaker: Lance Glenn
Premiere: October 23, 2020 – 7 pm CDT
The box seems so small… so delicate. Surely there could be no harm in opening it…? This fateful moment of decision in a young woman’s life has come down to us through almost 3,000 years of poetic history as the story of Pandora’s Box. Choreographer Claire Goodwillie has chosen it as the basis for her “Going Solo” work, a short storytelling ballet in the classical style, danced by Alyssa Grimsley.
Rendezvous
Choreographer/Performer: Matthew Lovegood
Filmmaker: Lance Glenn
Premiere: October 9, 2020 – 7 pm CDT
The bar is empty and so is your glass. Give up and go home, or give the evening one more chance? Choreographer/performer Matthew Lovegood’s wry, jazzy style and Lance Glenn’s dynamic direction take full advantage of the vintage-contemporary vibe of the filming location: the McCormick’s 1894 event space at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center.
It Starts with a Step
Filmmaker: Lance Glenn
Premiere: October 2, 2020 – 7 pm CDT
In 2009, dancers of the Omaha Theater Ballet were called into a meeting and told the company was being disbanded and their jobs eliminated. The future of professional dance in Nebraska seemed very much in doubt. But dancers of the company came together, made their own plans, and — less than a year later — staged the debut performance of the company that became today’s American Midwest Ballet.
Documentary filmmaker Lance Glenn had unique backstage access to the entire process, blending it with insightful interviews to tell the inspiring story of artists who refused to give up.
Remembering Swing! – Featurette for It Starts with a Step
Filmmaker: Lance Glenn
Premiere: September 23, 2020 CDT
On October 2, 2010, the brand-new ballet company that would become today’s American Midwest Ballet took the stage for the first time ever at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater, in Harrison McEldowney’s exhilarating Swing, Swing, Swing! In this featurette, cast members look back on the uncertainty and excitement that led up to that memorable evening.
Trailer – It Starts with a Step 10-Year Anniversary
Filmmaker: Lance Glenn
Premiere: September 16, 2020 CDT
React. Respond. Be part of the program.
With each new episode, you’ll be invited to send in your reactions, comments, and questions. We’ll collect them and respond in periodic dance chat sessions, featuring artist interviews and additional insights. Email your questions and comments to goingsolo@amballet.org
“The public health situation is a challenge for everyone. We’re turning it into an opportunity for our dancers to showcase their creativity and individuality, and for our viewers to experience dance in an exciting new way.”
– Erika Overturff, artistic director
Going Solo is the centerpiece of AMB Interactive – our new online platform for bringing the beauty, athleticism and energy of dance to you wherever you are! This curated collection of dance-at-home classes, original online programming, and education resources is provided free of charge as part of our commitment to share the magic of dance with our community.