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NYC Ballet Copland

I went to the New York City Ballet last week based on some photos I saw of the costumes--luscious colors, pure clean set, beautiful figures seeming to fly through the air. The program was Copland, a full ballet choreographed by Justin Peck, dancer, director and resident choreographer for the NYC Ballet. It was inspired by and set to compositions by the wonderful music of Brooklyn-born, American composer Aaron Copland and includes vibrantly colored sets by artist Jeffrey Gibson.

Peck knows the the dance world from all angles, affiliated with the NYC Ballet since 2006 as a dancer for the company and choreographing his first ballet in 2008. Alastair Macaulay, the chief dance critic at The New York Times, described Peck in an article as "the third important choreographer to have emerged in classical ballet this century."

Those of us lucky to live in New York City and vicinity have one more chance to see Copland this season, on Wednesday February 17th at 7:30pm at Lincoln Center. Words that come to mind are exhilarating, fresh, and joyful. An antidote to our world right now and a cold winter's night...

Below are a few of Copland's most famous compositions that Peck drew on for this ballet:

Fanfare for the Common Man

Simple Gifts

from Rodeo

from Billy the Kid

Ballet 422 is a documentary of a behind the scenes look at Justin Peck and the New York City Ballet in action. Available on tubi, amazon, etc.

Clarinet Queen of New Orleans

Queer Eye is one of those television shows on Netflix that just expounds good, in a world that is intent on spreading the bad. And lucky us, a new season is out of the Fabulous Five for our enjoyment and inspiration.

One of the new episodes in Season 8 features the legendary street musician Doreen Ketchens, official Queen of the Clarinet from New Orleans. You just have to listen to her play to realize she is the real thing, rivalling the best of the best of the jazz musicians of our time. When home in New Orleans, Doreen can often be found on Royal Street performing for tourists and other French Quarter strollers but she is also an international attraction at festivals and concerts throughout the world and has performed for four United States presidents. She is also one of the first female bandleaders in New Orleans, and also a musical educator to boot. No wonder the city of New Orleans has celebrated her with a honorary degree.

Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark

The town of Gilleleje, the town most known for standing up to the Nazis

**Henny Sinding Sundø was behind the rescue of over 300 Jews.**

The Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in downtown Manhattan has a current exhibition (October 2023-ongoing) entitled Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark. The show is geared to young people and makes use of state of the art technology: talking holograms and creative storytelling that bring this important chapter in history home to viewers of all ages. We get to know enactments of children affected by the German occupation, their personal experiences and how they survived during that time.

In this day and age where anti-semitism is on the rise all over the world, I think this is an important show that illustrates how, despite enormous risk, neighbors mobilized to create one of the most effective—and exceptional—examples of mass resistance and escape in modern history. It is the curators' hope to help young people make connections to their own lives and reflect on the dangers of prejudice.

Click here to listen to some real accounts of survivors during that time.

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About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.