Ballet Rocks puts a new spin on ballet with live bands

Ballet Rocks will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Capitol Theatre, Davenport. Tickets ($18, $15, $10) can be purchased at the Augustana College Box Office. (309) 794-7306. See Friday's Life section for Julie Jensen's advance review of the show.

By Jason Tanamor

Checking out live music usually involves hanging out in a smoky bar among boozy fans as the sound rips from old speakers.

Visiting the ballet is typically accompanied by a trip to a gorgeously restored theater, among well-dressed patrons sipping wine.

This weekend, the two worlds collide with Ballet Rocks, a new program from Ballet Quad Cities featuring music by the local bands The Metrolites and Einstein's Sister.

"It's ballet set to rock and roll music; all the music is live music and performed by local musicians and bands," said Joedy Cook, executive director of Ballet Quad Cities.

The concept for the show came from a meeting Ms. Cook and the ballet's artistic director, Johanne Jakhelln, had with Dispatch and Rock Island Argus Entertainment Editor Sean Leary. Mr. Leary, an associate producer on the project, suggested the idea of them choreographing a ballet to the music of the two bands, and then facilitated the meetings between the ballet and the groups.

"It had never been done before in the area, and I knew the bands involved had the talent and the material to pull it off, so I thought it would be a great idea," Mr. Leary said. "I've seen rehearsals for the show and it's really cool. Both the ballet and the bands have done a tremendous job. I think people, both traditional ballet fans and fans of the bands, are going to be very impressed."

The project began moving forward over the summer and rehearsals started in September.

"Once Johanne got the music, she spent a lot of time listening to it, talking back and forth with the band members about what would work and what wouldn't," Ms. Cook said, adding that while the show doesn't have one big storyline, there are several smaller pieces that do follow a story.

"A couple pieces have their own story lines," Ms. Cook said. "One has props from a grocery store, like shopping carts. Johanne likes to use props. She's very good at taking unusual items and using them effectively on stage."

With Einstein's Sister's music being "Beatlesque pop" and the Metrolites offering a "lounge noir" sound, the ballet has a wide variety of music to choose from. The one thing that's guaranteed though is that it will be different.

"I just want to let audiences know how entertaining ballet can be," Ms. Cook said. "People have a preconceived notion that ballets are stiff, filled with tutus and classical music. But that's not the case anymore."

Copyright 2005, Moline Dispatch Publishing Co.