Lake Tahoe Dance Collective Spring Repertory Season

Lake Tahoe Dance Collective returns to the stage to present its Annual Spring Repertory Season, with special guests SOLI Chamber Ensemble.

The performances on June 10th and 11th will feature the world premiere of Quatour pour le Fin du Temps (Quartet for the end of Time), played live by SOLI Chamber Ensemble, which was conceived by LTDC Artistic Director Christin Hanna and choreographed by herself and three collaborators, Holly Curran, Traci Finch and Damien Johnson, and was created in an artist residency bubble in Petaluma in February.

“When we were closed down again in November, I was desperately searching for what I could do to bring the girls back together,” said Hanna, “and I started seeing all these dance residencies happening throughout the country. I visited my aunt’s property and realized that her barn could be our dorm, and the stage could be set up in her field. So we all quarantined, tested twice, and spent three beautiful weeks together creating this beautiful work.”

The music, Quatour pour le fin du Temps, premiered in 1941. Messiaen wrote the piece while a prisoner of war in German captivity and it was first performed by his fellow prisoners. It is generally considered one of his most important works, and was the driving force for the four collaborating choreographers, who share a history of dancing neo-classical ballet to contemporary composers as former members of New Chamber Ballet in New York City.

“Stephanie Key, of SOLI Chamber Ensemble, shared this work with me a few years ago, and I knew I wanted to make something to it but was unsure when the timing would be right – it’s a lot to chew on.” says Hanna, “and when we had the idea for the residency it came to me as the most natural thing in the world. The work is reflective of Messaien’s isolation and fear, but also of hope and light, in an unimaginable time in history. Through the last year we have all experienced this range of emotions, and it is a rare opportunity to be able to create something so timely.”

The other half of the program will feature LTDC’s dancers in classical variations they have learned in class since being back in-person in the studio since March. Selections from Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire and more will be presented by these dedicated dancers. A special treat will be our youngest dancers in two selections from the ballet Coppélia.

On Saturday, June 12th, SOLI Chamber takes the stage for their own concert, featuring works by composers John Williams, Chick Corea, Kinan Azmeh and Aaron Jay Kernis.