Momentum with Rhapsody in Blue - American Midwest Ballet

When you think of ballet, you think of grace, elegance, authentic beauty in motion perfectly describes this area’s American Midwest Ballet Company.  Their final performance enraptured the audience this past Sunday at The Iowa Western’s Arts Center with a compilation of dances telling stories through movement.
Beginning each selection, a short video clip explained the choreographer’s motivation while also interacting with the featured performers in a rehearsal.
Connemara (Rock Pool) choreographed by Erika Overturff is inspired by a painting at Joslyn Art Museum by artist May Stevens.   The ballet featured dancers demonstrating the movements of flowing water in their costumes, movements, and scenery to create a gorgeous, relaxing feeling of flowing and constantly changing in unison and an ever  transitional sweeping of air barely touching the fluidity of the dancers.
French Songs, choreographed by Matthew Lovegood featuring the music from Joseph Canteloube’s selections of “Chants d’Auvergne” featured dancers Amaris Sharratt and Ryan Christopher guides the audience through this unique area demonstrating the uniqueness of the people through the countryside while a budding attraction between two individuals is beautifully exemplified.
“At Last’ with Etta James magnificent voice was choreographed by Frank Chavez featuring Katherine Eppink and Cameron Miller.  This selection was truly artistic in expressing the song and attracting another’s love.   One complaint about this selection was that it didn’t last longer.   This exemplify love, lust, creativity, artistry and the incompleteness of never having enough.
Death and the Maiden is Franz Schubert’s composition for string quartet with costumes from the Joffrey Ballet and guest choreographer Mariana Oliveira with featured dancers Alexandra Hoffman, Anders Southerland and Brian Bennett along with the company dancers.   Wow!   This selection was the epitome of darkness with veiled dancers and the encroachment of death.  The beauty and brutality truly made this selection an odd combination that was exquisitely meshed together.
Group Therapy created by Harrison McEldowney as the choreographer featured four troubled couples expressing their problems through the medium of dance.  From uncontrollable passion, to a smoking addiction, through being exhausted and yes, even being too clingy to wanting no affection.  How can these four overcome their problems?   Could a group therapy with no spoken words by the answer?
“Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin was beautifully choreographed by Erika Overturff expressed her vision of Gershwin’s hypnotic music.  With numerous combinations of blues the beauty and artistry of the company dancers perfectly exhibited the momentous creativity of the selection.
These are words from the American Midwest Ballet, “Our work is beyond words.  Our art form embodies the joy and struggle of the human experience.  Through dance, we make you think, we uplift you, and we inspire you!”
A great performance makes time stand still leaving an audience wanting more. These words perfectly exemplify these two glorious hours of music in dance.  You don’t want to ever miss any performance of American Midwest Ballet.