September 6, 2023

Dance Speaks: New Dance Partners

Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director Devon Carney invites Dance Speaks patrons to join him and guest choreographer Gina Patterson in an engaging conversation inspired by the ballet. Get a sneak peek beforehand of a company rehearsal and gain inside information about the production. The program includes an audience Q and A.

Meet the Choreographer

GINA PATTERSON

A 2021 Bogliasco Fellow, Gina Patterson has won such honors as the Choo San Goh Award, a nomination for an Isadora Duncan Award, the Hubbard Street 2 National Choreographic Competition, New Choreographers on Pointe, the National Choreographic Initiative, and a commission by The Cowles Center / SOLO Commissioning Program, funded by the McKnight Foundation. Many of her works for companies have been generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

During her 25-year career as a principal dance artist, Patterson danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet Austin, Ballet Florida, and as a guest artist in North America and Europe. She has been a prolific creator since 1998, making more than 120 works. Multi-disciplinary, full-evening productions include “Liquid Roads” for MADCO, a contemporary adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” for CoDa21, and a one-act “Hansel and Gretel” created for the Croatian National Theatre.

Patterson often addresses social issues, as with her “Anne Frank’s Diary,” “72 Steps” on women’s suffrage, and “It Is” as part of Freedom: A Civil Rights Project and Olin Library at Washington University in St. Louis. Her work encompasses concept, direction, and collaboration, appearing in the repertoire of companies such as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Smuin Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Austin, Richmond Ballet, Dayton Ballet, BalletMet, and DanceWorks Chicago, and presented internationally in Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Spain.

New Dance Partners

September 15-16, 2023
Yardley Hall in the Midwest Trust Center

The annual festival of contemporary and modern dance is back and will feature four world premieres by four local dance companies.

Tickets