In advance of its 2017 summer residency at SPAC, New York City Ballet left the stage, temporarily, to create an amazing and unique video series. At locations all across Saratoga Springs and Troy, dancers were captured performing routines in less traditional settings; the result is bound to catch your eye.
Two worlds collide in the eight-video “NYCB x SPAC” series as polished dancers trade in pointe shoes for sneakers and perform short pieces at some of the region’s iconic locations, including Saratoga Lake and the Rack Track. SPAC will be releasing the video series on its website and social media channels one-by-one leading up to the opening of NYCB’s summer residency on July 5.
Meet the Multi-Talented Team
Emily Kikta and Peter Walker – the directors and co-choreographers of this project – are both videographers and members of NYCB’s corps de ballet. The pair recently described their excitement behind the project in a statement saying, “We are very excited to share our approach to capturing dance on camera and highlighting how Saratoga inspired our work… We hope these videos convey the special connection and rich history New York City Ballet shares with SPAC.”
Kikta, Pittsburgh, PA native, joined NYCB in 2011. Her videography talents blossomed with her film studies at Fordham University where she began to collaborate with Walker and other dancers in producing site-specific dance videos – similar to the ones in this new series. Walker, a Fort Myers, FL native, has been with NYCB since 2012 and recently choreographed his first work for the company.
SPAC is delighted to partner with this dynamic duo to showcase the beauty of dance in a new, unique way. SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol expressed her interest in the project in a statement saying, “Dance is one of the purest and most powerful forms of artistic expression. Connecting the art form with natural environments and apart from the formality of the stage, places it in a fresh, interesting and more approachable context.”
NYCB Returns to SPAC July 5
With this unique and locally-filmed project, audiences can get excited for the 2017 residency of NYCB at SPAC, taking place from July 5-15. For the next several days check out SPAC.org, their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages to catch a glimpse of this amazing project.
