Author Archives: Scott

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About Scott

A cultural thinker with a life long interest in the arts and humanities: theatre, music, architecture, photography, history, urban planning, etc.

Ballet Arkansas Master Class by Christopher Ruud

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FBLOGO 2Ballet West Principal Artist Christopher Ruud will teach an open master class for intermediate and advanced dancers this evening, September 12th. The class begins at 7:00pm and will conclude at 9:00pm. This is the second class in Ballet Arkansas’ Master Class series. Son of respected dancer and choreographer Tomm Ruud, Christopher is proud to be responsible for his father’s works. Christopher has set and performed his fathers ballet’s, such as Mobile, for companies including Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet Co. and now Ballet Arkansas.

During his time in Arkansas, Mr. Ruud will be setting Mobile on the company to be performed in Ballet Arkansas’ spring concert, Spring into Motion, at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in April 2013.

The master class will be offered at the Ballet Arkansas Studio at Shuffles and Ballet II.  There is a $25 class fee or a $15 observer fee. Space is limited, please email us at info@balletarkansas.org to reserve your spot.

A native of San Francisco, Christopher began his training at the San Francisco Ballet School. There he studied for seven years before training at the University of Utah Ballet Department. Christopher joined Ballet West in 1998, was promoted to Soloist in 2001 and Principal in 2004. Since joining the company Christopher has toured throughout the United States and abroad including multi-city tours in China and in Scotland at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Some of his notable roles include Petruchio in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew, the Second Pas de Deux in Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Prince Seigfried in Swan Lake, Christopher Bruce’s Ghost Dances, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet .  Christopher has performed the principal roles in multiple versions of such classics as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella , Don Quixote and Le Corsaire Pas de Deux.  He has also danced leading roles in works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Antony Tudor, Val Caniparoli, Hans van Manen and Nicolo Fonte.

Christopher’s favorite Balanchine credits include Liza in Who Cares?, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream,  Serenade, Melancholic and Sanguinic in The Four Temperaments, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, El Capitan in Stars and Stripesand the principal in Theme and Variations. Recently he has had works created on him by Nicolo Fonte in The Immeasurable Cadences Within, Helen Picket in But Never Doubt I Love and Charlotte Boye-Christensen in Row.

Little Rock Responds to September 11

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The Little Rock arts and culture community responded to September 11 as all sectors did.

Two of the groups in particular come to mind. When airspace was closed on September 11, several flights were grounded in Little Rock. The passengers on those planes became unexpected visitors to Little Rock.   The Arkansas Rep had opened its production of You Can’t Take It with You on Friday, September 7. The show was already scheduled tonbe dark on September 11, but on Wednesday, September 12, 2001, the performances resumed. That night the Rep offered these unexpected Little Rock guests free tickets to the performance.  Seeing a play which was both heartwarming, comic and full of Americana was the perfect balm for audiences who were weary, confused and nervous in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Also on September 12, 2001, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presented a previously scheduled concert with Michael Bolton.  He had been traveling by bus so was able to get to Little Rock.  His concert was cathartic for the 2000 plus attendees at Robinson Center Music Hall. It offered not only a communal experience but also a welcome break from 24 hour coverage.  Three days later, on September 15, the ASO kicked off its MasterWorks series.  As has been tradition since the days of Francis McBeth as conductor, that first concert of the season began with the National Anthem.  The audience and musicians gathered and sang and played with unprecedented gusto that night.

REEL CLASSICS WITH THE REP: HENRY V

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On the heels of the opening of Henry V, the Reel Classics with the Rep series returns tonight.

The monthly series showcases films which share connections with productions currently on stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Tonight’s film is the 1989 version of Henry V.  Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, the movie also boasts an acclaimed cast of British stage actors including Sir Derek Jacobi, Alec McCowen, Ian Holm, Richard Briers, Robert Stephens, Robbie Coltrane, Christian Bale, Geraldine McEwan, Judi Dench, Paul Scofield, Michael Maloney, Richard Easton and Emma Thompson.

The program begins tonight at 6pm with a discussion of the Rep’s production led by members of the Rep’s staff.  Following that, at 6:30, the film will be screened.  It takes place at Laman Library.

The Rep’s production, directed by Robert Hupp and starring Avery Clark in the title role, continues through Sunday, September 23.

Sculpture Vulture: Interdependence

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The Sculpture Vulture returns today with a visit to the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.  Mark Leichliter’s Interdependence: Encircling the Future was installed near the entrance to the airport in 2004.

This sculpture greets visitors to the airport whether they are departing or arriving.  It was commissioned by the Airport Commission to be a focal point with the existing airport as well as play a pivotal role in any future expansion.

Leichliter is a member of the National Sculptors’ Guild.  He has several other installations in Little Rock.

The three rings represent the world, the nation, and the individual; the complex intersections between the rings symbolize the vital and undeniable interconnections between these three elements, as well as underscoring the strength that exists when these facets all work together cooperatively.

The sculpture is fabricated from cold-rolled A36 steel with the base and first ring being 12 gauge (.105 inch) and the remainder 14 gauge (.075 inch). It is finished with a baked-on powder coat by Cardinal Industrial Finishes, product RD03. The sculpture is 16 feet tall, 11 feet 8 inches wide, and 2 feet 10 inches deep.

 

Little Rock author Frank Thurmond book signing

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Frank ThurmondLittle Rock author Frank Thurmond will have a book signing today. For those not in Little Rock for the Razorback game, they should journey to That Bookstore In Blytheville for his 1pm book signing.

Thurmond will be signing copies of his new book entitled BEFORE I SLEEP: A MEMOIR OF TRAVEL AND RECONCILIATION, published by Et Alia Press. The book is available locally at the Clinton Museum Store, Wordsworth Books, and the UALR bookstore. It can be ordered online through Amazon.com.

After growing up in Little Rock, Thurmond has now returned and is an instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  In addition to being an author, he is a classical guitarist.

The Band of Brothers: HENRY V at Arkansas Rep

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The Arkansas Repertory Theatre kicks off its 37th season with William Shakespeare’s Henry V.  Directed by Producing Artistic Director Robert Hupp, this production is the first of Shakespeare’s History plays to be produced at the Rep.

The production reunites Hupp with actors Avery Clark and Nikki Coble from the Rep’s widely acclaimed production of Hamlet in 2010.  The cast is an amalgam of seasoned Rep veterans and newcomers.  It includes Jason Collins, Jason Guy, Peter Leake, Joe Menino, Irungu Mutu, Richard Prioleau, Paul Romero, Mitch Tebo, Ed Lowry, DC Wright, Bill Jones, Sheila Glasscock, Fang Du, Ashton Crosby, Michael Bartholmey, Nate Washburn and Andrew Curzon.

Other members of the creative team include scenic designer Mike Nichols (beginning his 30th season at the Rep), costume designer Marianne Custer, lighting designer Michael J. Eddy, props by Lynda J. Kwallek and sound designer Jim Spencer.  Ellen Mandel returns to the Rep as composer of the show’s original score.

Henry V runs through September 23.

On September 10, the “Reel Classics with the Rep” series at Laman Library will feature the Kenneth Branagh film version of Henry V at 6pm.

The Rep will also host a Student Actor Workshop with the cast from 1pm to 4pm on September 15.  This workshop for high school and college students ages 15-22. The Student Actor Workshop will cover on-stage combat, blocking and dissecting the language of Shakespeare’s Henry V for a modern audience. The workshop will be led by professional actors Avery Clark and Nikki Coble who play the roles of Henry the Fifth and Katherine in The Rep’s production of Henry V.The workshop is free and space is limited. 

Farewell Glen Campbell

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Delight native Glen Campbell is playing his farewell Little Rock concert tonight at Robinson Center Music Hall.

Glen Campbell will bring his Farewell Tour to Little Rock this fall. He is known for hits like 1967’s “Gentle on My Mind,” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, as well as the 1975 single of the year “Rhinestone Cowboy.”  He also hosted a highly acclaimed (and rated) TV show in the early 1970s.

Campbell disclosed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in June of 2011 prior to announcing his farewell tour.

Campbell, who has won eight Grammy Awards, learned of his diagnosis roughly six months prior to his public announcement.