Ballet nourishes my soul. The movement and the music speak to me. Watching the dancers look so effortless, while knowing the years of work that went into every movement – it moves me immensely. The fluidity and exactness of every measured step pulls me in like nothing else can.
New works of ballet are a vision of life like no other. They keep the dancers and the audience engaged in the art form while not growing weary of the predictability of it. Newness is not always greatness; but newness can always stretch us as participants and as onlookers.
The New Works Fund of The Chamber Dance Project is searching for that stretch. Bringing works by young choreographers and composers keeps the company relevant. What we discover may be great or may be just wonderful. No matter what we discover, we know that a new work in ballet will certainly move us in a way that no other art form can.
I love the ballet and I love the act of going to the ballet. Once there, I know I will see something important. The well known choreographers never fail to please, however, it is the newcomers that really keep ballet alive.
Deborah H. Downey is the chair for the New Works Fund, which supports contemporary voices in music and dance for Chamber Dance Project. For more information on the Fund.
