Open Stage will return to The J on Sunday, June 15, at 2 p.m. at The Lewis & Shirley White Theatre after a three year hiatus.
Open Stage, which is coordinated by The J’s Encore Dance Program, is a choreography festival for contemporary dancers and dance companies in the Kansas City area. The event is designed to present selected short works, each no longer than 10 minutes, from 12 choreographers and companies.
According to Leigh Murray, the show producer for this year’s Open Stage, guests can expect to see a wide variety of performances.
“This concert will feature different styles of dance, including ballet, modern, tap and jazz, as well as an engaging use of music and props,” Murray said. “There will be 12 featured works of varying lengths, with a short intermission.”
Some of the show’s choreographers, including Livia Noorollah, have close ties to The J. Noorollah began dancing with Encore when she was two years old and is currently training at the Kansas School of Classical Ballet. She began choreographing her own solos as a freshman in high school and will share a group piece through the song “Soul Meets Body” by Death Cab for Cutie.
Livia Noorollah will be presenting a dance piece at Open Stage at The J .
“The piece ‘Soul Meets Body’ is about how dance, very similarly to Judaism, is a bridge between the physical and spiritual world, using physicality for an elevated purpose,” Noorollah said. “There are Jewish and Christian dancers in this piece demonstrating how dance is a universal point of connection and friendship. Throughout, there are simple moments of interactions between the dancers that are meant to ground the piece amongst the escalated segments of choreography.”
Choreographer Liat Roth will bring a choreographed piece titled “I Would If I Could,” based on a rendition of “Bei Mir Bist Du Shein,” a Yiddish song composed by lyricist Jacob Jacobs and Sholom Secunda in 1932. The song, the title of which translates to “To me, you're beautiful,” was a hit in Nazi Germany until, as Roth says, “news broke that the song was really written by a Jew, and stark embarrassment and immediate prohibition ensued.”
Roth continued, “I suppose I’m guilty of the same dark humor that permeates my tribe, so I can’t help but laugh at the history of this song. In a world endlessly plagued by antisemitism – from Hollywood producers deeming this or that “too Jewish” all the way to the height of Nazi evil – this song did more than exist. It expanded, branching through countless covers and iterations and blossoming throughout the world.”
Not all pieces have Jewish ties, but many were choreographed to address larger issues.
Suzanne Ryan-Strati’s piece, “{un}natural,” features a soloist, Seattle artist Janae Walla, moving like a bird. Walla exhibits elements of beauty through traditional modern dance technique, with tension in the body and isolation, demonstrating elements of normalcy between living things among man-made materials. The idea of cohabitation is echoed by the soundscape of a helicopter, which emphasizes both flight, a birds-eye-view and an element of man-constructed materials.
According to Ryan-Strati, her family has always been passionate about humanity and human rights.
“‘{un}natural’ was inspired by a photograph of children in the Philippines walking or floating in polluted water sifting through rubbish for something salvageable to sell,” she said. “Instead of acting out the photograph, I focused on the larger lens — unnatural co-habitation between life and man-made materials. There is an overarching theme which has existed in faith and history surrounding the impact of human choices on one another and reflects on the difference between responsibility and observation.”
Organizers say Open Stage is important for a variety of reasons.
“Open Stage at The J is an opportunity to present different dance styles to the community and students that attend The J,” Murray said. “With a large youth dance program, it is a great opportunity for young dancers to see professionals in their field for inspiration and motivation. The performance is also a chance to showcase up-and-coming artists, many with ties to the Jewish faith, in a family friendly performance.”
Tickets and event information can be found at TheWhiteTheatre.org or at The White Theatre Box Office (5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park, KS 66211). Box office hours are Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and an hour before opening on show days.