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CRICKETS TAKE FLIGHT ATOP TRAMPOLINES. Spiders spin silky threads. Red ants juggle kiwis and corn and a dragonfly balances along the slender stalks of a plant.

Together, the graceful actions of all this energy in motion depicts an ecosystem bursting with life and the basis of the Cirque du Soleil show “OVO,” which takes the stage for six performances at the Times Union Center Jan. 29 – Feb. 2.

“I find the show very colorful and great for all kinds of audiences, especially for kids,” says Alexander Grol, who in his guise as a beetle in OVO’s Russian Cradle act has a unique point-of-view of the awestruck “insects” whose intense curiosity is heightened when a mysterious egg appears, representing the enigma and cycles of their lives.

“The show is quite good in its balance of the different things and I’ve heard people saying some very nice things about many of the different acts,” Grol says. “There are very strong acrobatics and when I have overheard people talking about their favorite acts, it’s usually about the slackwire performance, which is absolutely insane. There are very few people I’ve ever seen who can do that kind of act. Top-of-the-notch acrobatics,” he says. “Personally, I like what I do! I would say it’s my favorite, haha.”  

Grol’s job description of his role in the flying act segment?  “I throw and catch people for a living,” he says, with a laugh. “I’m the one throwing and catching the acrobats.” 

Originally from Kiev, Ukraine, Grol was born into a traditional circus family. “Much of my life has been on the road, from the time with my parents when I was a boy. I grew up quite fast and they kind of integrated me into the show, which was the Moscow State Circus, traveling the U.K. for a while. That was the first circus I started in.”

He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2008 with the stage production of “Zaia,” which was based in Macau and represented the company’s first resident show in Asia. In 2011 he joined “OVO.” He says he’s on the road with the show a few months at a time, interrupted by occasional two-week breaks, and when not performing he enjoys reading, keeping in shape and exploring cities where the tour takes him.

“Every time we move to a different city, we have a day or two to go out and explore,” Grol says. The loudest crowds?  Latin America. “We had full houses every day and they were screaming their heads off! That was fun.”  He is partial to the west coast – California and Oregon specifically, the rich landscapes of Colorado, and the cultural sophistication of Japan.

OVO, which first premiered in Montréal in April 2009, celebrated its 2,000th show in February 2015 in Fukuoka. “Japan I like very much. The politeness is one reason.  And it’s super-clean there; neat and tidy. I found it very different from the rest of the world.”

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The name OVO, which means “egg” in Portuguese, represents a timeless symbol of the life cycle and birth of numerous insects and depicts the underlying thread of “OVO” the show – which marks the 25th live production from Cirque du Soleil.  With an international crew representing 17 nationalities, “OVO” has visited more than 30 cities in six different countries as a Big Top show before transforming in an arena show in 2016.

The seeds of Cirque du Soleil were first planted in the early 1980’s, when a troupe of performers took their talent to the village streets on the shores of the St. Laurent River near Quebec City with a crew jugglers, dancers, fire breathers, and musicians. In 1984, the show traveled on a province-wide tour and three years later crossed the Canadian borders for the first time, with a tour of the U.S.

Today, it sites its headquarters – “a laboratory of imagination”- in Montreal where 1,300 artists hailing from 55 different countries form the current Cirque du Soleil team. Since 1997, all shows have been created at Cirque du Soleil’s International Headquarters.

One wing of the headquarters includes three acrobatic training rooms, a dance studio, a studio-theater, and a gym where preparatory training – which can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months – is conducted before joining a shows cast.

Each individual show features anywhere from 50 to 100 artists. The cast is nearly evenly divided between those who come from sports disciplines such as rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics, those from circus arts disciplines, and those who come from various artistic backgrounds such as dance, music, physical theatre and street arts.

Every year the costume workshop uses more than 6.5 kilometers of fabric from around the world to create intricate stage outfits and sets, and the musical score is written by company composers, creating shows that feature original music

Cirque du Soleil “OVO” will perform the following dates at Times Union Center, 51 S. Pearl St., Albany:   Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 pm; Friday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, Feb. 1 at 4 pm and at 7:30 pm; Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1:30 pm.  Ticket prices range from $38 adult/ $29 child to $129 and are available at the arena box office, or online at ticketmaster.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Singer-songwriter, actress, and activist Holly Near performs at Caffe Lena Sunday, Jan. 19.

Near’s discography spans five decades and includes arguably the greatest cover version committed to vinyl of Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty,” which Near performed as a duet with the Weavers’ Ronnie Gilbert.

Tidbit to impress your friends: Near (playing the role of student body president Phyllis Goldberg) debated David Cassidy (playing the role of Keith Partridge) when the two opposed one another in  a campaign for student body president, during an episode of “The Partridge Family,” which aired in 1973.

Near’s show at Caffe Lena begins 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $35 general admission, $32 cafe members, $17.50 students and kids. A pre-show talk takes place 6 p.m. with a $5 admission.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – MLK Celebration Weekend, celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., will take place Friday, Jan. 17 – Monday, Jan. 20, at a variety of venues in Saratoga Springs. All Martin Luther King Saratoga celebration weekend events are free and open to the public. Reservations, where requested, are to ensure seating availability, and can be made via: www.mlksaratoga.org. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17

6:30 p.m.
Opening Reception at The Win Room 
Holiday Inn, Broadway

7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 
5th Annual Dr. King Challenge with Azzaam Hameed R&B Ensemble, featuring Annette Harris. Reservations Requested.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sunrise Movement Workshop & Hub Meeting 
Frederick Allen Lodge, 69 Beekman St. 
National youth-led movement to address Climate Change and political action.

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Conversations In Freedom

Black Stars and Black Diamonds with Penny Meacham, Donald “The Soul Man” Hyman, and Sister Amelia, with danceuse, Estreja Turner. 
Caffé Lena, 47 Phila St. 
An hour of story and songs quilted together for a deepening look into America’s Black working class in the early 20th century. Family Program. (Produced by The PAD).

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Whitewashed: A Racism Project. Creative Action Unlimited
Caffé Lena, 47 Phila St.
An original documentary theater performance based on Black history, current events, and the personal experiences of the cast. Note: parental discretion advised (graphic themes and content).

6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Yaddo Presents: Writing Across Boundaries: Violence, Race, Religion and Beyond, with Uwem Akpan. 
Spring Street Gallery, 110 Spring St.
Uwem Akpan is the author of the acclaimed short story collection, Say You’re One of Them, which won the Commonwealth Prize, the Open Book Prize, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and was named an Oprah Book Club selection as well as one of Entertainment Weekly’s “Best of the Decade.” Reservations Requested. 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
A Joyful Noise!
Presbyterian New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St.
Gospel music director Garland Nelson will lead this soul-cleansing, spirit-raising program along with gospel choir, Lena’s Inspirational Voices. 

4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Workshop – Farming While Black: Ending Racism and Seeding Sovereignty 
Presbyterian New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St.
An interactive, illuminating, and energizing program with multi-talented performance artist and farmer Amani Olugbala of Soul Fire Farm. Reservations requested. 

6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
All Are Welcome Here Community Dinner
Presbyterian New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St. 
Join us in breaking bread together and sharing in the company of old and new friends. Bring a dish to share if you can. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 20

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Morning Of Service, Community Volunteer Projects.
Dutcher Community Room, Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St.
Registration at 9:15 a.m.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Dr. King Community Commemoration Program
Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Ave. 
Hosted by Garland Nelson, MLK Saratoga’s Co-chair. 

Keynote: Climate Justice: Democracy In Action Aaron Mair, Former Director of Sierra Club. 

Songs, Sharings & Social Action with Dr. Mary Nell Morgan, Kathy Johnson of Better Angels, Joseph Jakob … and more. Followed by “If It Melts, It’s Ruined!” Ice Cream Social, sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s of Saratoga Springs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Performing Arts Center resident companies — New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center – return this summer to present a 2020 season highlighting a continued commitment to SPAC premieres of both new and classic works and a landmark celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

New York City Ballet returns from July 14 – 18, with its roster of more than 90 dancers under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, led by Music Director Andrew Litton.

The Company will present four captivating programs including the full-length story ballet Swan Lake, marking its fourth appearance at SPAC and the first time since 2006, an evening dedicated to 20th Century Masters highlighted by Merce Cunningham’s Summerspace, returning for the first time since 1967, and a program showcasing three SPAC premieres, including Lauren Lovette’s The Shaded Line, a new work by Justin Peck set to a commissioned score by composer Nico Muhly, and the SPAC premiere of Balanchine’s Haieff Divertimento from 1947. The annual New York City Ballet Gala, on Saturday, July 18, will showcase Jerome Robbins’ In G Major, and Balanchine’s The Man I Love Pas de Deux from Who Cares? with music by George Gershwin. 

Specifically, NYCB will perform:

– Swan Lake at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 14 and Friday, July 17, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 18.

– SPAC’s 20th Century Masters program will pay homage to iconic choreographers Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine, and will stage 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, and 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 16.   

– SPAC Premieres – which including new works by Lauren Lovette, Principal Dancer with NYCB, and Justin Peck, NYCB Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor – will stage 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 16.

SPAC’s NYC Ballet Gala, the finale to New York City Ballet’s 2020 residency, will take place 8 p.m. Saturday, July 18.

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The Philadelphia Orchestra’s three-week residency runs Aug. 5 – 22 and will feature thirteen SPAC premieres including the East Coast premiere of the Triple Concerto by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts composed for the genre-crossing ensemble Time for Three, and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in concert conducted by Marin Alsop. SPAC’s popular “Cinema Series” will return to delight audiences of all ages as the Orchestra accompanies, live to picture, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony 30th Anniversary Edition.

Highlighting the Orchestra’s residency is Beethoven 2020, a season-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. The festival will include an unprecedented four-night traversal of all nine symphonies alongside four New York premieres by contemporary composers in dialogue with Beethoven under the baton of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Aug. 12–15). Superstar soloists performing with the Orchestra include violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Steven Isserlis, and pianist Jeremy Denk for Beethoven’s Triple Concerto (AUG 7), and pianist Jonathan Biss in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto (Aug. 20).

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center returns Aug. 9 – 25 to the Spa Little Theatre with an exploration of Beethoven, his influences, and the composers who were inspired by his work. Curated specifically for the SPAC residency, the six programs will feature 19 works that have never before been performed by CMS at SPAC. In addition to performances by David Finckel and Wu Han, Co-Artistic Directors of CMS, in residency for all three weekends, audiences will experience the SPAC debut of the critically acclaimed Calidore String Quartet, works never before performed at SPAC by female composers Joan Tower and Amy Beach, and debut appearances by cellist Inbal Segev and violinist Francisco Fullana.

Tickets will be available online at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at: www.spac.org. Prices vary. For specific performance details and ticket prices, go to spac.org.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Following on last season’s success of the debut professional production of Agatha Christie’s The Stranger, iTheatre Saratoga will stage the world premiere of Christie’s The Man in the Brown Suit, adapted by Mary Jane Hansen.

Anne Beddingfeld’s whole world is turned upside down when her father dies. She accepts an opportunity to relocate to London, redefine her life, and experience the freedom she has longed for. But she may have found adventure beyond her wildest dreams. When a man dies in front of her, Anne finds parallels between the accident and another suspicious death. The clues take her all the way to Africa, accompanied by an eccentric cast of characters, where a revolution is simmering, and danger is waiting around every turn.

Performances: Jan. 24, 25, 31 & Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 26 & Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. At Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway. Tickets: $15 students / $25 adults. Ticket Link: https://dameagathac.brownpapertickets.com/.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – New for 2020: Saratoga Arts presents a new group of Art in Public Places exhibitions on view for the month of January. 

Works include: Frozen, photography by Susan Meyer at Saratoga Springs Public Library; photography Molly Bingham in Saratoga Arts’ Members’ Hall Gallery; Sculptural Painting, mixed media works by Betsy Masters Cannon at The Saratoga Springs Train Station; Life, acrylic paintings by Ya Li at Clifton Park – Halfmoon Public Library (Site A); Heaven and Earth, paintings by Marina Petro at Clifton Park – Halfmoon Public Library (Site B); Oil paintings by Jim Brearton at Saratoga Springs Visitors Center; The Places I’ve Been, Paintings by Caitlin Sweet at Saratoga Community Federal Credit Union; Harbors, acrylic and water based oil paintings by Neil Muscatiello in The Reception Area Gallery at Saratoga Arts.

Saratoga Arts’ Art in Public Places Program features monthly or bi-monthly exhibits of artists’ work in various locations around the region. The goal of the program is to present original artwork in easily accessible spaces throughout the Saratoga Region. Participation in the APP program is a benefit open to all members of Saratoga Arts from new and emerging artists who might be presenting their first exhibition to veteran artists with lots of experience presenting exhibitions.

Photos by Super Source Media, LLC.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College presents Mary Weatherford: Canyon–Daisy–Eden, from Feb. 1 through July 12, 2020. The survey of the acclaimed artist’s career draws from several distinct bodies of work made between 1989 and 2017. 

Over the last three decades, Mary Weatherford has developed a rich and diverse painting practice, from her early 1990s target paintings based on operatic heroines, to the expansive, gestural canvases overlaid with neon glass-tubing that brought attention to Weatherford’s practice in the 2010s. As constant experiments with color, scale, and materials, the works in the exhibition reveal the continuity of Weatherford’s preoccupation with memory and experience, both personal and historical.

The exhibition continues the Tang’s tradition of showcasing career-spanning surveys of important women artists. Recent exhibitions have introduced to new generations and audiences the work by influential artists such as Ree Morton, Dona Nelson, Alma Thomas, Corita Kent, and Nancy Grossman.

 A career-spanning catalogue will be published in conjunction with the exhibition and will include an introductory essay by co-curator Bill Arning, an interview with the artist by co-curator Ian Berry, and writings by Elissa Auther, Nick Debs, Arnold Kemp, Rebecca Morris, Michael St. John, Margaret Weatherford, and others.

Mary Weatherford: Canyon–Daisy–Eden is presented by the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College. The exhibition is organized by guest curator Bill Arning and Tang Teaching Museum Dayton Director Ian Berry in collaboration with the artist. The exhibition will travel to SITE Sante Fe in New Mexico and be on view from Oct. 16, 2020, through Feb. 8, 2021. The Tang Teaching Museum: Admission to the museum is free (donation suggested). Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. For more information, go to: tang.skidmore.edu.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In late December, Saratoga Performing Arts Center was awarded $2 million in funding through the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative with a $1. 5 million grant from Empire State Development (ESD) and $500,000 from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. 

The news was shared by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo as part of the 2019 REDC Awards, which granted $761 million in funds throughout New York State. 

SPAC’s awarded funds have been allocated to rehabilitate the Roosevelt II Bathhouse, an 18,000 square foot space that has been vacant since the 1980s and mirrors the Roosevelt Baths & Spa, operated by the Gideon Putnam Resort. In collaboration with the Saratoga Spa State Park and as part of SPAC’s mission to establish the venue as a unique international cultural destination, the project will provide a full-functioning year-round creative and maker space where art across multiple disciplines will flourish. 

“SPAC’s vision for the future includes an expansion of programming that will include the visual arts, the culinary arts, theater, and health and wellness in cooperation with COESA — in addition to our vibrant performing arts season. This new year-round space will restore a historic Park building that has been abandoned for decades, creating a community hub that will celebrate art in all its forms, while also providing vital learning and rehearsal spaces,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC’s President & CEO, in a statement. 

Designed to expand opportunities for the community with educational, creative and cultural enrichment programming, the restored building will feature a black box theater, an art gallery, a rehearsal and learning space, and a teaching kitchen that will be operated by SPAC in collaboration with the Saratoga Spa State Park. COESA is slated to utilize 2,700 square feet of the building to provide retreat experiences and classes with offerings that include personal well-being, leadership, meditation, professional wellness training, and work-life balance. 

This upcoming renovation follows Governor Cuomo’s announcement of the $9.5 Million visitor services improvement project at SPAC, which is slated to be unveiled in the spring of 2020. These projects follow the 2019 renovation of the amphitheater ramps, made possible by a $1.75 million allocation from NYS Parks. The projects are all part of SPAC’s mission to rejuvenate its physical campus for future generations.