By Randi Bjornstad

Eugene Ballet continues its 2021-22 season with Heaven and Earth, borrowing the name from the title of a percussion piece composed by Pius Cheung, an internationally known percussionist and composer who also is a member of the faculty of the University of Oregon’s School of Music and Dance.

Links to examples of his composition and performance can be seen online at https://music.uoregon.edu/people/faculty/pcheung.

This performance of Cheung’s Heaven and Earth will be danced to new choreography by Suzanne Haag, Eugene Ballet’s resident choreographer. The music will be performed by OrchestraNEXT’s percussion ensemble, with Cheung and Eriko Daimo, known internationally for her marimba virtuosity, performing on stage together.

In addition to her international performing career, Daimo is a faculty member and director of marimba studies at New York University Steinhardt and at The Juilliard School’s pre-college division.

But that’s just the first of three pieces on the program.

Another is Age of Innocence, described by Eugene Ballet in announcing this show as “a fiercely emotional and physically demanding work.” It was created by guest choreographer Edwaard Liang, artistic director of BalletMet.

Liang danced with the New York City Ballet Nederlans Dans Theater and also performed on Broadway in Fosse, a Tony Award-winning musical that ran for 1,093 performances from 1999-2001. Since turning to choreography more than a decade ago, he has created dances for ballet companies throughout the United States as well as interntionally, for Shanghai, Singapore, and several premier Russian companies.

The third work on the program is another piece by Haag, titled Conduct.

Eugene Ballet’s artistic director, Toni Pimble, describes the lineup as “diverse in origin, theme, and style” as well as challenging, sure to “inspire, delight, and stir the emotions.”

Eugene Ballet: Heaven and Earth

When: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 17, 2022

Where: Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Center (7th and Willamette streets), Eugene

Tickets: $15 to $60, available at the Hult Center box office, 541-682-5000, or online at hultcenter.org

 

 

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