Michelle Wiles was a member of the American Ballet Theater in New York City for 15 years before she formed her own dance corps and brought it to Park City two years ago.
She said she enjoys combining classically trained dancers with live music and unlikely performers, such as jazz musicians and FlexN dancers - a style of street dance from Brooklyn.
On Sunday, Ballet Next will perform a mixed bill at the Park City Eccles Center at 3 p.m. One of the dances, “Surmisable Units,” involves five dancers and two pianos.
“We're all dancing around these two pianos,” Wiles said. “We're under the pianos, we're in between the pianos and it's one pianist playing the two pianos. So, it's quite a feat for the pianist.”
The second piece is her own choreography and is a world premiere called “Night Realms.” It will be danced to a collection of impressionist piano music.
Another piece is called “Different Homes,” danced to the music of Benjamin Britten.
"It's solo cello music,” she explained. “It's some of the best music that's been written for cello. And the interesting thing about this pas de deux is you think of a pas de deux and you think of two people holding hands. Right? And in this one, the challenge was to create a pas de deux where we never hold hands, but we partner with our four arms are where we connect in the elbows and creates this interesting dynamic. I never knew we could figure out partnering that way.”
Tickets to this show are available online from Park City Institute.
On Wednesday, March 29, Ballet Next will perform "The Sleeping Beauty" at the Santy Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
“There’s a dress rehearsal on Monday, March 27, from five to eight,” Wiles said. “And I'm opening it to the community, so anyone can come and watch the dress rehearsal at the library, Santy auditorium. The next day, March 28, at 10:30 a.m., we are going to have schools from all around Park City, come and attend the morning performance. And then Wednesday evening, March 29, at 6:30, we're going to be doing a show and it's open to the community.”
Youth Services Librarian Katrina Kmak will narrate the production using a puppet. A string quartet, including a harp and a flute, will perform the music. No tickets are needed for Monday’s dress rehearsal – it’s first come-first served.
