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Nearly unique in the ballet world and the exciting wild card of the season, Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis International Choreographic Competition presents world premieres by three outstanding young choreographers selected from a large international pool of applicants. Each choreographer submits a video of past work and a proposal for a new dance to be created in Milwaukee. Those chosen have three weeks with the dancers to fashion something great.
This year’s choreographers come from three continents. Riccardo De Nigris, from southern Italy, studied at La Scala in Milan and danced professionally in Texas and the Czech Republic before joining Ballet Augsburg in Germany where he’s danced work by Milwaukee Ballet Artistic Director Michael Pink and many other greats. Garrett Smith, born in Utah, has an impressive résumé of work in many cities and countries and now dances with the Norwegian National Ballet; he’ll make a new work for Salt Lake City’s prestigious Ballet West this year. Matthew Tusa, from Australia, danced professionally in Germany and Spain and with the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm before joining Ballett des Hessischen Staatstheater in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he currently dances and choreographs.
“These are three extremely talented guys with enough creative energy to fill the Pabst Theater 10 times over,” says Pink about this year’s group. “Prepare yourself.”
A panel of distinguished out-of-town artists serves as judges. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second and third place. More important, the winner returns next winter, seasoned by this experience, to make a second new work with the dancers. Each audience member also receives a ballot to cast as they leave the theater. Votes are tallied after the last performance and the Audience Favorite receives a small cash award and the pleasure of that title.
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Pink views the competitive aspect of Genesis as secondary, a fun distraction as he puts it. His purpose is to bring exciting contemporary ballet thinking from around the world to town. It’s one of the ways he keeps his excellent dancers here and the company vital and internationally significant.
Milwaukee Ballet presents Genesis at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 5-7 and 1:30 p.m., Feb. 8 at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. Call 414-902-2103 or visit milwaukeeballet.org.
