Momentum Preview

Appalachian Song:
Music Inspires Stories in Dance

Blending the region’s Scots-Irish heritage and the beautiful but sometimes harsh environment of the mountains themselves, the distinctive traditional music of Appalachia tells vivid stories of love, humor, heartache, loss, and perseverance.

That music and those stories inspired AMB artistic director Erika Overturff when she created Appalachian Song. First performed in 2017 as part of a collaboration with Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum, it returns this fall to help open our sixteenth season with Momentum.

“These songs do such a powerful job of storytelling…”

“What I did was start with joyful, high-energy music that celebrates life,” Erika said. “Then, there are transitions through humorous moments, love, heartache, and even deep loss and grief – but also perseverance and hope, and finding love again, and finally back to celebrating being together in the joy of life.

“These songs do such a powerful job of storytelling that weaving them together echoes what our lives are like. That makes this ballet relatable to everyone.”

Experience the emotional power of these stories brought to life in dance. Get your tickets to Momentum, at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center October 18 and 19!