SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Arts has announced that its Executive Director, Dr. Joel Reed, will retire at the end of March 2020.

Reed was appointed to his current position at Saratoga Arts – then known as the Saratoga County Arts Council – when its founder Dee Sarno retired in January 2007. Reed began working for the organization in June 2003 as its Associate Director after moving to the Saratoga Springs area from Syracuse. Saratoga Arts has seen significant organizational growth and presented a series of new programs since Reed joined the organization, while developing its traditional strengths in community arts education and exhibiting the work of regional visual artists.

During Reed’s tenure, Saratoga Arts took on new projects including: its adoption in 2009 of First Night Saratoga from the YMCA of Saratoga Springs; the commissioning and installation in Saratoga Springs’ High Rock Park of Tempered By Memory, the large-scale sculpture created from World Trade Center Towers steel; the expansion of the regrant program it offers in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts, from $51,230 for projects in Saratoga County to $123,010 which will be awarded this year for arts programs in Saratoga, Fulton, and Montgomery Counties; the continued growth of its education program, which offers classes, workshops, and school break program for over 1200 artists of all ages annually; and the development of programs with regional health centers to facilitate the acquisition of significant art collections by local and regional artists.

Saratoga Arts’ Board of Directors is engaged in a search for its next Executive Director; more information about the position and how to apply can be found at www.saratoga-arts.org/join-our-team. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The second annual BallsFest Pajama Party will take place at the Adelphi Hotel downtown, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8. 

BallsFest, a major non-profit created by Frank DeBlasi in response to his battle with testicular cancer, provides yearly programming to families affected by childhood and young adult cancer. 

 Once families receive their diagnosis, BallsFest gets to work. They partner with the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer at Albany Medical to provide year-round support through therapeutic activities for children in treatment, providing a fun distraction and relief to the stress they’re facing. Perhaps most importantly, these activities give children a chance to socialize with each other and form connections. 

BallsFest also hosts activities outside of the hospital. According to Angie Silipigno, BallsFest Executive Director, “families come together and have fun away from the hospital to gain support from a group of people who really understand what they’re going through.”

The funds from the Pajama Party’s ticket sales — as well as donations made at other events throughout the year — are used to purchase the materials needed for said hospital visits and activities. BallsFest also uses the money to cover all the costs associated with community-based events so that everything is free for families. During the holiday season, the organization also uses some of the money to put together Thanksgiving Bags. BallsFest seeks sponsorships throughout the year for assistance in funding these programs.

“We want to be able to always say yes when a need comes up,” says Silipigno. “Versus no, that the resources aren’t available.”

According to Silipigno, last year’s event had a great turnout. “I think the comfort level of people in their pajamas tied into the energy level,” she says. “The dance floor was full of people.”

Tickets cost $100, and the purchase includes food prepared by the Adelphi’s chefs, as well as an open bar. Silipigno promises a few surprises built into the night. Tickets can be purchased at: ballsfest.org/tickets/pajamaparty20.

Photos by Lydia Huibregtse.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —  Nacre Dance Group is pleased to announce the second annual Empire State Youth Dance Ensemble (ESYDE) performance at the Spa Little Theater on February 29 at 2:30 and 7 p.m. 

Nacre Dance Group’s mission is to elevate dance through education, performance and opportunity.  This program of Nacre Dance Group provides pre-professional training and performance opportunities in classical and contemporary modern dance to a select group of talented teenage dancers in the capital region.

The performances slated for February 29 (2:30 and 7 p.m.) at the Spa Little Theater in Saratoga Springs will showcase dancers from three area dance studios:  Dance Force in Schenectady; Dance with Ginny Martin in Glenville; Isabelle’s School of Dance in East Greenbush; as well as additional area dance students selected through an open audition process.

Each studio will represent a piece of choreography that transports the audience through the early years of modern dance to current contemporary work.The program includes modern dance classics Air for the G-String (1928) by Doris Humphrey and Floor Plastique by Ted Shawn. For the 2020 season, Nacre has been working with the American Dance Legacy Initiative’s Repertory Etude Project  (Rhode Island) to present “Rooms Etude” and “Battleworks Etude.” Etudes are short dances based on signature works of American choreographers. The Rooms Etude (arranged by Lorry May) is based on Anna Sokolow’s masterpiece, Rooms. This piece is a study in character and intention and provides dancers with many of the tools of the actor. Battleworks Etude (Choreography by Robert Battle, arranged by Erika Pujič) is a powerful tour de force that includes movement elements from four of Robert Battle’s signature works–Flock, Jewel Lost, The Hunt, and Rush Hour—representing the early years of Battleworks Dance Company (2002-2010). 

Nacre Dance Group builds new traditions in dance by showcasing contemporary choreographers of today. Students have been working with choreographers Anthony Alterio and Na’Keisha Barber on new choreography that bring a neo-classic style to the stage.  Anthony Alterio holds an M.F.A in Dance from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI and is Assistant Professor of Dance at SUNY Fredonia. Na’Keisha Barber attended Slippery Rock College, PA and is an independent choreographer based in NYC.

Tickets are $20/general admission; $15/students and seniors and can be purchased at nacredance.org/tickets  For more information, please contact Beth Fecteau, Artistic Director, at 518-817-3833 or Nacredance@gmail.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caffe Lena founder and owner Lena Spencer and legendary 1980’s Capital Region band Blotto are among the 2020 inductees in the recently created Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame.

The “Eddies” were created in 2019 by Jim Murphy and Salvatore Prizio of Schenectady-based Proctors Collaborative to celebrate professionals working in the area’s music scene. “Eddies” is named for Thomas Edison, who conceived the phonograph and relocated his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady. 

Lena Spencer was founder and owner of Caffe Lena from 1960 until her death in 1989.

Blotto was active 1978-1984, in addition to subsequent reunions. They sported pseudonyms on recordings and on stage; their songs were played on radio’s “Dr. Demento Show” and the video for “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard” was played on MTV’s first day on the air in 1981. 

The induction ceremonies will take place at Universal Preservation Hall, on Washington Street in Saratoga Springs on March 9. The venue is slated to have its grand reopening 10 days earlier. UPH will also site the Eddies Hall of Fame and will feature a plaque with the likeness of each inductee, as well as videos about all who are enshrined. Future plans include exhibits of local music memorabilia.

The induction ceremony includes a dinner and live music. The event is open to the public; tickets are $50 and are available at universalpreservationhall.org

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Twenty-four musical groups – 16 of whom will be staging Saratoga Jazz Festival debut performances – will appear at SPAC in June. 

The two-day lineup includes: Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Kool & The Gang, Ranky Tanky and Tiempo Libre, Taj Mahal, Drummer Omar Hakim’s “supergroup” Ozmosys, and “centennial celebrations” of the music of Charlie Parker and Dave Brubeck – the latter featuring performances by the Brubeck Brothers with Mike DeMicco and Chuck Lamb. 

The 43rd annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival takes place Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28 at SPAC. 

 Nile Rodgers & CHIC, who headline Saturday night’s event pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like “Le Freak,” and sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times.” A typical CHIC set includes mega-hits written, co-written and/or produced by Nile Rodgers, including “Get Lucky” (Daft Punk), “Like A Virgin” (Madonna),
“We Are Family” (Sister Sledge), “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie), “Upside Down” (Diana Ross) and many others. 

Sunday’s amphitheater headliner Kool & The Gang are best known for their hit singles “Celebration,” “Cherish,” “Joanna,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Too Hot,” “Hollywood Swinging,” “Ladies Night” and “Fresh.” 

Acts will be staged during the daylong shows both inside the amphitheater, and atop a second outdoor performance space, known as the Charles R. Wood “Jazz Discovery” Stage. 

Founded in 1978 by jazz impresario George Wein, Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival is the fifth longest-consecutive-running jazz festival in North America. 

 Tickets are currently on sale to SPAC members. Tickets of the general public will be available online at www.spac.org beginning Feb. 11. Prices vary. For ticket information, and a full lineup of artists, go to: www.spac.org.

{loadmoduleid 268}

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.”

{loadmoduleid 268}

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.

{loadmoduleid 268}

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.