Arts Alive San Antonio

Ballet San Antonio was lucky to close its season in February before anyone yet suspected that, barely a month later, all arts organizations would be closing and cancelling shows. And it used lockdown time productively to hire a new artistic leader, build a new rehearsal studio, get ready to open its own dance school, and plan a 2020-21 season. Not bad!

So, here is what to expect next fall and spring. The fall season will open with “Don Quixote” the ballet based on parts of Cervantes’s classic novel “Don Quixote de la Mancha,” which keeps on being reinvented by contemporary choreographers. In fact, BSA itself opened its 2016-17 season with the same story choreographed by the then-artistic director Willy Shives. The upcoming version is the work of Patrick Armand, the current director of the San Francisco Ballet school who originally created the “Quixote” choreography for the ballet of the National Theater of Croatia.  

The holiday season is, of course, reserved for “The Nutcracker,” which will again be whipped into great shape by the husband-wife duo, Easton and Haley Smith, the choreographers of previous productions of the Christmas classic. The season will close with “Cinderella,” choreographed by Edwaard Liang, who was also in charge of “Romeo and Juliet” this past season.

And here’s dance that you can enjoy this weekend, specifically Saturday, June 20^th at 2 p.m. It’s a short performance that we have wanted to see in years past but it required going to the airport to see it. This year, however, this unique performance will be live-streamed!!

Are you mystified? Good! We are talking about the Annual Summer Solstice Dance that dancer Catherine Cisneros has choreographed and performed for the past 18 years. Once a year, she transforms a bit of the airport’s real estate into a stage to perform her solo dance within the lighted squares of the solar sculpture “Passing Light” by Christopher Janney, which is a permanent part of the San Antonio Airport. The sculpture incorporates large plexiglass panels in the ceiling that project a grid of colors onto the passageway surface below. It so happens that once a year at 2 p.m. on the summer solstice, the lighted grids align with the painted grids on the floor for a very short moment as the sun passes directly overhead. Cisneros, who is the artistic director of URBAN-15, choreographed a dance piece that makes use of the changing colors in that unique spot, offering it as a kind of ceremonial ritual reminiscent of ancient traditions of Egyptians, Mayans, Incas and Celts. So, celebrate the summer solstice with Catherine Saturday. To watch: https://www.facebook.com/URBAN15/

Some popular music venues have reopened, too, and that includes the County Line off I-10 West. Next in line to perform live in front of a live audience June 18 is singer/songwriter Jade Marie Patek, the country/Americana songstress with an eloquent voice who was named the Female Vocalist of the Year 2019 by Texas Regional Radio. She will be followed by the Brandon Michael Band on June 25. The series continues through July 30.

Gemini Ink, the literary organization, has rolled out some fun virtual workshops for young people in two age groups: 8-12 and 13-18. “Perfect for young restless minds!” say the Gemini Ink folks. You can sign up a child for just one session to begin with, and then decide whether to continue or not. All classes will be available via Zoom. Poetry & Collage workshops for the younger set are scheduled for June 23, 24 and 27. A Map to Poetry Workshop, for the older group, will be offered June 22 and 24. For more info call 210-734-9673 or email Florinda Brown at fbrown@geminiink.org

Youth interested in theater will find a bunch of online summer camp choices at the Public Theater of San Antonio. There’s something for all ages. To see what’s offered and to register go to https://www.thepublicsa.org/public-prep Here are some sample offerings: 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse; Adventure on the High Seas, and All About Animals. Interested?

And there’s a promising and intriguing announcement from the Classic Theater of San Antonio. Since its performance venue is small and intimate, making social distancing impossible, the Classic has decided to move its shows outdoors. We think that’s a great idea. No specific information was given but stay tuned!

At this time when nonprofits of all types are struggling, arts nonprofits may learn a few fundraising strategies from the Eskin Fundraising Training webinars. All are free. Next up: June 24, Making the Virtual Major Gift Ask, featuring Marv LeRoy, founder & CEO of the Institute for Philanthropic Excellence; July 1, Non-profit Staffing, with Sally Bryant, CEO of the Bryant Group; July 8, Boards Stepping Up to the Challenge, with Abbie J. von Schlegell, principal of her namesake company. For more info visit www.eskinfundraisingtraining.com. 

Event cancellations: Cine Festival 2020 has been cancelled. Organizer, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, has partnered with Eugenio del Bosque, a longtime film programmer and arts administrator to start planning for the 2021 fest. The San Antonio-based Cine Festival is the longest-running Latino film festival in the U.S. The organizers have already started hosting some virtual screenings, hoping to be able to shift to theater screenings when the Guadalupe Center determines it is safe to do so.