Photo Courtesy of Joel Myers
SMOOTH MOVES. Choreographer and producer Joel Myers will bring his A-game to the stage for “The Joel Show IV: A Choreographic Showcase,” presented by MLK Ballet on July 25-26.
MLK Ballet’s MOVE! series will present “The Joel Show IV: A Choreographic Showcase,” featuring collaboration performances with MotoPony’s Daniel Blue on July 25 and 26.
MOVE! is an ongoing series of dance performances showcasing many different styles. Not too long ago, a few Tacomans decided Tacoma needed more dance. With this desire and a little faith, MLK Ballet was born, a non-profit, tuition-free dance studio for all ages. With a few investors on board and a growing number of class sizes, funds were needed and thus MOVE! was the answer. MOVE! has seen it all from classical to contemporary, modern, and even a little burlesque, minus the nudity of course, and each time audiences have been amazed. Finishing up its recent show with the introduction of MLK’s new contemporary ballet company, MOVE! is no longer something you can afford to miss.
Joel Myers is the producer and choreographer presenting “The Joel Show IV: A Choreographic Showcase.” He is currently a principal artist with Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater, where he has spent the past four seasons performing the work of Byrd as well as the choreography of Merce Cunningham, Gus Solomans, Jr., Zoe Scofield, Oliver Wevers, Kiyon Gaines and others.
The showcase will have five brand-new works by Myers, all choreographed over the past few weeks. Dance performances will range from dramatic to humorous. Two will have live music, one by Blue and the other with pianist Monty Carter playing Prokofiev. The other music in the show will include the Bell Orchestre, Wax Tailor and Paul McCartney. Performers of note will be Danny and Sylvian Boulet, who both danced with Spectrum Dance Theater last season, Kimberly Frankle, who will be a sophomore at The School of the Arts in Philadelphia this fall, and Heather Arneson from Tacoma City Ballet.
Performing locally at Seattle’s Moore Theatre as well as New York’s Dance Theater Workshop, Italy’s Spoleto festival and commissioned work for Notre Dame University and Duke University, Myers received the majority of his training at the Evergreen City Ballet (ECB) under founding Artistic Director Wade Walthall. With ECB he had the opportunity to perform principal roles in Walthall’s “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” “Giselle,” “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.” He has performed as a guest artist with Seattle Opera, Ballet Bellevue, DASS Dance in New York and Olympia’s Ballet Northwest. Myers has also taught and choreographed for the school at Spectrum Dance Theater, ECB, the Northwest School, Tacoma School of the Arts, MLK Ballet, Harbor Dance and for his own annual “Joel Show” workshop.
“The Joel Show IV” will be held in the ballroom at Tacoma City Ballet, 508 Sixth Ave. Show times are July 25 at 7 p.m., and July 26 at 2 p.m. There is no wheelchair accessibility. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for customers 18 and under, and are available online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/70101. A portion of all proceeds will go to support MLK Ballet’s tuition-free dance programs.
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