Ballet Misha, the New Hampshire-based professional dance company directed by Amy Fortier, along with guest dance companies GalaKtica and N’Squared Dance, will present “Danse Nouveau VI,” a concert of new choreographic works on March 26 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Concord Audi Theatre.
The exciting program of new pieces is choreographed by eight New Hampshire resident choreographers: Ballet Misha director Amy Fortier, Mari Frederique-Streitburger, Alyssa Desruisseaux, Lauren Elrick, Olivia Cline, Tina Kim Philibotte, N’Squared Dance co-director Zackery Betty-Neagle, and GalaKtica director Yeric Valentino.
This annual concert of new choreography started with Ballet Misha’s first performance in 2009 and was a yearly production until the interruption of COVID-19.
“Our last choreographic concert was March 14, 2020, at the Concord Audi; just one day before the stay-at-home order began,” said Fortier. “We left the theatre that night nervous about the impending pandemic, but we never guessed it would be over four months until we would see each other again.”
It is a familiar tale, but Ballet Misha went through months of dance classes and rehearsals via Zoom. Fortier explains that she kept her school running with all of her faculty teaching from their living rooms, watching her dancers rehearse in tiny boxes on her laptop, suffered the disappointment of a recital held on Zoom, and a Nutcracker canceled at the eleventh hour in December of 2020 after Ballet Misha had rehearsed for months.
Ballet Misha began performing again, mostly outdoors, in the summer of 2021, and this March marks their first repertory concert in a theatre since the pandemic began.
“We are very excited and grateful for this concert,” Fortier said. “As dancers and choreographers, we process and cope with the world through our art form. Having this concert to prepare for and work towards has given us hope, focus, and stability in an uncertain and unstable time.”
Ballet Misha will perform a new Tango-inspired ballet entitled ‘Milonga’ choreographed by Fortier.
“This piece has been really fun to create. I adopted some traditional Tango movement and adapted it to ballet pointe work and partnering,” Fortier said.
The company will also perform a contemporary ballet entitled ‘Twinning Wisp’ set to contemporary music and choreographed by Alyssa Desruisseaux.
“This piece feels very fresh and exciting. Ballet is such a longstanding and historic dance form that it is always interesting to see it juxtaposed to current music,” Fortier said.
Lauren Elrick, a Ballet Misha company dancer and choreographer, is excited to perform this new work.
“I’m a classical ballerina at heart, but over the past few years, I have really grown to love the contemporary side ballet can also offer. This piece combines ballet with edgy contemporary and jazz elements that allows me to let go and just have fun,” Elrick said.
Ballet Misha will also perform modern and lyrical works, and host two guest companies in the showcase.
“Ballet Misha feels very fortunate to perform alongside such talented dancers and choreographers again this year,” said Fortier on having N’Squared and GalaKtica guest perform with her company. “Our apprentice company is also performing, and it is such a valuable experience for them to share the stage with professional dancers and choreographers.”
Ballet Misha is named in memorial of Michele ‘Misha’ Leslie, an amazing dancer and dance teacher, founder of the Dimensions in Dance school, and a lifelong friend and mentor to Amy Fortier. Michele lost her battle with cancer in 2007 at age 56, and Amy started Ballet Misha in 2008 to further Leslie’s efforts to bring quality dance training and performance opportunities to N.H. Ballet Misha has brought professional dance performances all over the state for over a decade.
The two performances at the Concord City Audi, located at 2 Prince St., Concord, are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on March 26. Tickets are $25, and are available at balletmisha.com, or at the door. Call 603-668-4196 or visit balletmisha.com for more information.