Celebrating James Sewell Ballet’s 30th Anniversary - One Year Later - at The Cowles Center

Via a September 23 Press Release:

James Sewell Ballet’s 30th Anniversary Retrospective delights in past company favorites while bringing new contemporary ballet work by Resident Choreographer Da’Rius Malone to The Cowles Center on October 16 and 17. The production celebrates James Sewell Ballet’s (JSB) 30th anniversary a year and a half after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the company’s commemorative tour. Audiences can see the magic during an in-person or livestreamed performance from the Goodale Stage. Tickets range $20 - $35, fees included.

Eve Schulte, JSB’s Executive Director, shares: “We made it to six of our planned 2020 tour locations before lockdown. Our final performance before entering the void of COVID was March 13, 2020, in St. Cloud, with a cheerful and immediately distanced audience in the beautiful Paramount Center for the Arts. The past 18-plus months have changed us in so many ways, and the program has evolved to highlight both joy and catharsis, including an exciting new premiere from company member Da’Rius Malone.” 

The company is known for its distinct and compelling choreographic voice capable of producing cutting-edge productions which combine theatricality with grace and expanding notions of what ballet could or should be.

James Sewell Ballet’s 30th Anniversary Retrospective will be anchored with Made in America, a work from 2000 that pays homage to some of the vast history of American music and musical culture, a fitting end for an evening whose themes explore reflection, remembrance, and the passage of time. Da’Rius Malone’s work, /kənˈsəm(p)SH(ə)n/, explores the “anger and frustration” which came with the combined grief from the pandemic and police brutality in the recent past. Malone was recently announced as JSB’s inaugural Resident Choreographer, a promotion you can read about on jsballet.org/press. Live music will accompany select works throughout the evening.

JSB will offer a Meet the Artist Q&A for all attendees after the Sunday, October 17 matinee performance. Other community engagements are pending. Learn more and purchase tickets.

HEALTH & SAFETY AT THE COWLES CENTER

Masks are required at all times in The Cowles Center’s hallways, common/shared spaces, and theaters. Anyone attending an event or performance in our theaters (the Goodale Theater & TEK BOX) will need to show proof of a full course of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to entry. We respectfully ask that anyone who is feeling ill or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to please stay home. Please visit thecowlescenter.org/visit to review our full health & safety information. 

ABOUT JAMES SEWELL BALLET

James Sewell Ballet was founded in New York City by James Sewell and Sally Rousse and brought to Minnesota in 1993. Combining their expertise, vision, and chutzpah, James and Sally envisioned a close-knit company of dance artists willing to challenge their physical limits and expand their notions about ballet. Decades later, the embodiment of the original vision is a professional company of dancers performing innovative work that explores the technical boundaries of ballet.

ABOUT THE COWLES CENTER

The Cowles Center is a dance and performing arts hub that promotes movement and growth for artists through supportive programs and spaces; engages audiences through dynamic performances; and educates learners of all ages through robust and inclusive education initiatives.