[An Appalachian Ballet Troupe is also Tusking] The Daily Times
Posted: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 6:30 pm
By Steve Wildsmith
http://www.thedailytimes.com/enterta...da2329627.html
'BLUEJEAN' LADIES: The dancers of Appalachian Ballet Company prepare for the kickoff to its 45th season
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“Kylie and I really sat down and started talking about the demographics — who comes to the ‘Bluejeans’ show? Who enjoys it the most?” she said. “We started talking about the age of our patrons and what they like, and we came up with a genre of ’70s and early ’80s songs. We’ll be featuring
Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and Carole King and choreographing dances to four songs from each artist.”
The highlight, she added, will be the percussion-driven Fleetwood Mac hit “Tusk,” first released in 1979. At almost six minutes long, it’s a demanding piece set to African dance routines that will feature virtually every member of the company.
“It’s the one I’ve had the most fun with, and the one the girls have had the most fun with,” she said. “They literally can’t do it more than two times in a row, because they’re so worn out after it’s over.”
Before “Tusk” wraps up the program, however, it will open with King’s “I Feel the Earth Move,” which will allow the dancers to improvise and create their own movements; other King works on the program include “You’ve Got a Friend,” choreographed by Berry; and “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman,” made famous by Aretha Franklin and choreographed as a solo for dancer Koura Wright. Another solo, choreographed by Berry, will feature Arbor Phillips dancing to Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” which is designed as a tribute to victims of Alzheimer’s.