Dance Alive National Ballet rides into a different realm with “Horse of a Different Color”

Press release from Dance Alive National Ballet

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Celebrate diverse ancestries with Dance Alive National Ballet as it debuts its newest contemporary show.

The Company is proud to present Horse of a Different Color on February 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Gainesville.

Tickets cost between $27 and $49, with discounted rates for children, students, and seniors.

“Bathed in the glow of ancestral diversity, Horse of a Different Color ranges from honoring those who
arrived at Ellis Island to the spiritual world of the Siberian taiga. The dance is contemporary in form but
timeless in range,” said Executive Artistic Director Kim Tuttle. “The dancers LOVE this program, and feel very privileged to dance it.”

Riding off into a different realm, Dance Alive presents contemporary themes and contemporary dance. The overarching theme is effortless diversity — of dance styles, choreographers, dancers, and cultures, both ancestral and present. In the case of “One Day…Everything,” we see stories based on immigrants who came through Ellis Island to find a better life in America, and in “Otyken,” the spirit of indigenous Siberian peoples is brought to life through dance. Fellow company choreographers Ani Collier, Jose Ramos, and Tales Ribeiro are showcased in unique and individual works, and resident composer Stella Sung’s extraordinary music is matched by the awe-inspiring video by Lisa Mills in Resident Choreographer Judy Skinner’s ballet, “One Day….Everything.” Company costume designer Chris Takashima raises the bar with her extraordinary nod to the Siberian culture in Artistic Director Kim Tuttle’s “Otyken,” with a backdrop created and painted by artist Catherine Bloomfield, while light designer par excellence, Bob Robins, paints the entire stage with dynamic looks throughout the evening.

This program, a feast for the senses, is revealed through the extraordinary dancing of the DANB Company dancers, award-winning artists who come from all over the world, bringing their unique and special talents to their every move. A palette of diversity and achievement through art.

Events surrounding the performance include:

• An opportunity during intermission for audience members to visit the “Ellis Island Museum,” read stories of local families, pin ancestors’ locations on a world map, experience immigrant activities, and much more.
• Enjoy a talkback following the performance with choreographers, designers, composers, and dancers.

Tickets to see Horse of a Different Color are available for purchase in person at the Phillips Center box
office, by phone (352.392.2787 or 800.905.2787) or online.