EMAV 10 Bites: Benjamin Tucker, Dancer & Choreographer

In every neighborhood, there is someone who makes the Arts a part of their life, and our community. You'd be surprised to discover how many different people use the arts to improve the quality of life in our hometown. EAT MORE ART! VEGAS will feature them regularly in our series "10 Bites."

What kinds of art do you enjoy, create, or perform in?

Ever since my first class, I have always loved dance. The discipline of a ballet class and the comradery I feel with the other dancers in the room is something very special. I also love the creative process of choreography. With my company Ballet120, we have a strong focus on the creation of new work and I love the collaboration that thrives in that environment.

Why do you do it?

As a dancer and performer, I did it because of the challenge, both physically and mentally. Now as the director of a company, my inspiration comes from all the dancers. Their work is incredible and my job is to make sure it is seen. I believe there is a place for dance and ballet here within the greater Las Vegas community and my goal is to make it an integral part of our community.

Ballet 120 collaborated with Henderson Symphony Orchestra and the City of Henderson in Oct 2020

What’s your favorite production/performance experience so far?

To date, my favorite experience has been when Ballet120 performed our first ever live-streamed show at The Space lv in October of 2020. When the pandemic hit, it obviously changed everyone's world. And the dance community was no exception. I am very proud we were able to find a way to evolve and keep going.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist, or what do you do when you are "at work?"

I enjoy refurbishing vintage bicycles and have had that as a side job throughout my dancing career. I enjoy the restoration of it. Taking something that might be viewed as worthless and transforming it into something seen as beautiful is something I take pride in.

What is an Arts experience that you will never forget or a memorable response to your work?

A response that I've often heard after a Ballet120 performance is how people are stunned at the versatility of the dancers. The dancers often go from one extreme in the art form to the next in a "gala style" show. I take that as a huge compliment and something I strive for within building a show and the choreography I choose.

What would you be doing if you weren't performing, creating, or enjoying the Arts in Las Vegas?

This is the hardest question because quite frankly I'd be lost without all of these aspects of the arts. I guess I would put more time into bicycles. Perhaps I would travel more.

Name something you love about Las Vegas, and why.

I love the possibilities that are here. Las Vegas is a constantly evolving city. I feel I have a lot of freedom here when it comes to creating new work and finding performance spaces. As an example, Ballet120's upcoming show is going to be at MEET Las Vegas. MEET isn't a performance venue per say but everyone there has been beyond accommodating and so supportive in making the performance happen. I don't know if you find that in other cities.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Some of the best advice I received in my career was being told not to be afraid to try new things/ don't back down from uncharted territory. If it doesn't work out, it's ok. Then you know for next time and you can change course. But you'll never know unless you go for it. That has been hard to live by but when I'm able to, I'm able to live without regrets.

What superpower would you have and why?

Anyone who knows me knows I am perhaps the biggest Superman fan of all time! If I were to have a superpower, I would pick to the ability to fly. I think flying would make me better at dancing, allowing me to turn more and jump higher.

@ballet120 - ballet120.org - info@ballet120.org

What future projects are you looking forward to?

I am most looking forward to Ballet120's upcoming show at MEET Las Vegas. This is the largest undertaking for the company to date and it is going to be a full evening celebration of live performance, which is something so many people have been craving.

Click here to get tickets to Ballet 120 at MEET on May 21st: A unique dance experience that you will not get anywhere else in Vegas!

Are you a local artist of any discipline? Do you work with a company as a designer, stagehand or administrative staff? Do you love to experience it as the audience? We'd love to get your 10 Bites to share. Fill out a form here, and you might be featured in a post!

CHECK OUT OUR 10 BITES FEATURE GALLERY HERE

#Theatre #TenBites #VisualArts #vegasdance #EatMoreArt #vegasculture #vegasmusic #VegasIsVegasArts

Vegas City Opera Announces “Unconventional” 11th Season

Part-one of the Ring saga debuts December 12th, 2020.

Vegas City Opera (VCO) continues their mission to offer opera and classical music to the public “in fresh and exciting new ways”, dedicating their new season to the voices of the community.

In a press release, the Artistic Director for the alternative, immersive operatic company, Skip Galla Katipunan, shared that the company has “always been inspired by our community and invested in our artists”.

"This pandemic has led us all to dig deep into our creative wells, where we have crafted a grippingly innovative season like you've never seen before,” Katipunan said. “We will use every tool at our disposal to be there for you and for each other, as we find new and enriching ways to connect again through the arts."

After a successful summer of Wine Wednesday Facebook Live concerts with over 10,000 views, and hiring more than 25 local artists, VCO’s 11th season launches with a new approach to Richard Wagner’s The Ring Cycle - a German epic drama presented in four parts, also known as Der Ring des Nibelungen, or The Ring of the Nibelung.

This production is condensed into “the highlights of theme, story, and leitmotif, as the Gods, Heroes, Valkyries, and Rhinemaidens scour the Las Vegas Valley on their quest for possession of the ring.”

The Ring - Filming at the Fashion Show Mall

The new 3-hour long Ring saga will be unveiled as part of two online watch party events with the first installment of Das Rheingold & Die Walküre, December 12th, 2020 at 6:00pm, and Siegfried & Götterdämmerung, January 2nd, 2021 at 6:00pm.

Audience members purchased advanced, tiered tickets which allowed them varying degrees of involvement with the production including performers arriving on their doorstep to “Ring” the bell to film a section of the digital broadcast..

The ticket tier packages still available are as follows:

VALKYRIES: $40 per household. Includes invitation to BOTH digital performances with cast and crew. Official Vegas City Opera RING movie credit.

RHINEMAIDENS: $25 per household. Invitation to one digital performance with cast and crew.

A moment of The Ring on location at a community member’s pool.

Dennis Doubin.

Along with the new season, Vegas City Opera announced a new Music Director in their recent release - Grammy Award winning pianist and conductor, Maestro Dennis Doubin. A familiar face at companies like the San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, and Opera San Jose, Maestro Doubin is also a Las Vegas local and supporter of the arts community.

“Vegas City Opera is just what this town needs to push the innovation and accessibility of classical arts, as well as shape our future operatic professionals,” Said Doubin. “Their dedication to local singers’ development and financial support has been their main focus through the pandemic.”

Three new concerts are also on offer in 2021 as part of the Voices of Women Concert Series, with Dr. Richard L. Hodges returns to direct the series. In February, The Women of the Black Panthers will premiere, followed by Women with Drive in March, and Harriet Tubman, Conductor of Freedom premiering later in June for Juneteenth (June 19th, 2021).

Dr. Richard L. Hodges.

“Dr. Hodges will create and adapt music and story-telling into new productions for the stage, as we proudly celebrate these women and especially women of color with an in-depth look at their influence and shaping of our nation and our very own state of Nevada.”

Tickets to this series will be free, and the productions will be presented at the Summerlin Library & Performing Arts Center, and West Las Vegas Library during their respective runs.

The first-ever operatic presentation to be shown at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts (COVID conditions permitting), Gaetano Donizetti’s The Daughters of the Regiment is prospectively scheduled for March 19th and 20th, 2021 as a ticketed in-person and live-stream event. L.A. Opera’s Dennis Doubin will conduct the 90-minute comedy where “you will be whisked away to gay Paris in this hilarious love story, complete with vocal fireworks and a vibrant new book, in English with enough French to make it fancy!”

This production features operatic legend and Vegas local, Luana Davol, as the Marquise of Berkenfield; Athena Mertes as her daughter; Ryan Glover, as Tonio the peasant-turned-officer; and Nathan Van Arsdale who plays Sulpice, leader of the regiment.

VCO’s final offering of the season is 2020: The Song Cycle, in May 2021. Their first collaborative composer presentation, the production includes selected original submissions from Nevada artists that touch on “the challenges and changes arising from the ashes of 2020.”

“From coronavirus and quarantine to the 2020 presidential election, with cancel culture and worldwide #BlackLivesMatter protests, this landmark year is just begging for the arts to come forward and give it a voice,” says the press release. “Vegas City Opera wants to be that voice, to uplift our community and hold up our very own local artists by pushing them and supporting them to develop and create this collaborative work.”

Those who wish to learn more about the production or view the submission guidelines can visit vegascityopera.org/2020-the-song-cycle.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, VCO relies on donations to cover their expenses and productions, and keep artists employed. The ensemble’s statement expressed that it “hopes to provide a nurturing environment in which performers can take chances and flourish in their craft, all the while sharing the excitement and vibrancy of contemporary opera with audiences of the Las Vegas Valley, tirelessly working toward a future where our communities embrace and seek out the opera arts.” You can help support them and the work they do in the community by becoming a donor.

You can also follow VCO on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or check out their website to learn more and purchase tickets to their upcoming productions.

#EatMoreArt #CreateOurRecovery

The LAB LV Keeps the Show Going While Addressing the Struggle of Local Artists

The LAB LV's Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu opens outdoors Oct 15th

Pass Over features Jamey Clay-Brown and Jason Nious.

Being quick to adapt to change is vital in the arts community, and The LAB LV is no exception, as they have found ways to continue performances with the purpose of increasing representation of marginalized people while allying with other groups to generate support for the arts.

The LAB LV is an accomplished experimental and interdisciplinary performance ensemble, founded in October 2015. Made up of multiple art styles and disciplines, the company works to create opportunities that are both artistic and community-focused. Their mission is to “provide incomparable experiences for audiences by presenting strong, provocative work in unconventional settings, encouraging community dialogue and growth,” and strives to be a platform for artists from diverse cultures and their communities, (The LAB LV).

Cast and directors of The LAB Lv's "The Royale." 2019.

Kate St-Pierre, Artistic Director at The LAB LV, shared that the company is very selective of the stories that are told by their ensemble.

“We want the stories that we share to be inclusive and center marginalized voices/BIPOC,” St-Pierre said. “We want to increase accessibility to the theatre in as many layers as we can identify which historically has had limited access.”

The layers of particular focus, St-Pierre shared, include the cost of going to the theatre, the casting of those in the productions, and the representation in the stories that are told. They also put a lot of focus on having representation in the company itself by making sure that their board of directors has women and people of color at the helm.

Sabrina Cofield as Queen Titania at the Lab's "Midsummer" at Super Summer Theatre, 2019.

“We are very ensemble-driven, and strive to create challenging opportunities,” St-Pierre said. “Some of these kinds of stories are ones that might make some people or artists uncomfortable but it makes room for growth - as audience members, as actors and artists, and as a community.”

The COVID pandemic has shut the doors on many production companies, including The LAB LV as they work to tell stories and facilitate conversations that need to be shared in our community.

“If we are going to put on a live production at this time, there has to be a valid reason for it,” St-Pierre said. “It has to be a necessary commentary and a community dialogue, as we want to create an opportunity for that dialogue to cover important issues - like the election coming up.”

She went on to say, “I like to consider our shows as the inciting incident. If the performance can create an energy and excitement within the audience, how can we channel that into an action? How can we as a theatre company be as specific as possible with what that action is,” she said. “Is it to get people to vote? To understand Black Lives Matter? What’s the action we want to incite through this performance.”

A scene from "Dance Nation", pre-COVID 2020.

For now, St-Pierre said that the company is “taking it one day at a time” and that she “couldn’t be more proud of the cast” for all the work they’ve done, how they’ve responded to the pandemic, and for the productions they are working on in the near future.

She said that the company “pivoted - the word of 2020”, and redirected their energies into how they could continue their work for and with the community in a constructive, responsible manner, offering an online play-reading-series over the summer with award-winning playwrights, working on new unproduced plays with Las Vegas artists.

“Many of these plays had never been read out loud before. Actors got to work with a new script, and playwrights had their works read out loud for the first time,” St-Pierre said. “It was a really wonderful opportunity to work with people from all over the world.”

Besides the readings, the company itself has been doing frequent private readings together as an ensemble to keep their connection going when they can’t meet up to practice in person.

“At this time we have no intention to create a performance on Zoom,” St-Pierre said. “There would have to be a really good reason to do so, just like when we do live, public performances. There’s a lot of disconnect on Zoom.”

The LAB LV is planning an in-person community dialogue/performance October 15th - 17th, and the 22nd - 24th, with a play called ‘Pass Over’, by Antoinette Nwandu. Reservations are available through The LAB’s website.

St-Pierre said she is excited to have such esteemed experts moderating the community conversations including the ACLU, Professor Frank Rudy Cooper of UNLV’s Boy School of Law, and Keisha Weiford (MS,LMFT).

With no commercial event work available for artists and no additional funding to support the arts community during the public health crisis, the situation is dire.

“It’s been a struggle. The state hasn’t given any consistent guidelines to keep actors safe and employed, nor have they provided actors and artists any financial help,” St-Pierre said. “Many actors are not receiving unemployment and can’t pay their bills. Production companies and artists can’t pay the leases on their spaces or studios.”

The issue at hand is bigger than simply getting back to producing shows to some degree, as St- Pierre said that the performing arts community and art community in general needs massive funding, especially from the government, sharing how the arts are always overlooked, and especially during times like these.

“It’s devastating,” she said. “It’s only going to get worse if we don’t start working on a solution.”

St-Pierre went on to say that while she doesn’t believe now is the time to do performances inside, there are opportunities for socially-distanced, masked, and limited capacity outside events. That way actors and artists can get back to work and get paid.

“People that own or rent their spaces are desperate, they have to pay their overhead without having any work while trying to figure out how to survive and stay healthy.” (#MaskUp!)

“We’re a family here. And it’s terrifying to see this happen to our community,” she said.

Here in Las Vegas, the world-renowned creative community brings in a massive amount of tourism for the local economy and many industries were bailed out with programs like the Small Business Payroll Protection Program. St-Pierre believes it’s only fair that the arts community is also taken care of out here but that “the government has left the las vegas arts community behind.”

St-Pierre called various groups in the performing arts community together to form the Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada, or PALSNV for short, to improve conditions for the region’s nonprofit and event-related small businesses. The group is currently made up of over 20 organizations that are looking to improve cooperation among partners and advocate for equitable regulations at both the state and local level.

“We want them to know that we are here, and that we are ready to work with them in a safe capacity,” St-Pierre said. “We have a wonderful, vibrant community here. We must find ways to protect and still support ourselves, somehow.”