Momentum

Momentum is performed by American Midwest Ballet, the professional dance company serving the Omaha region. This program places the company in three distinct works: the true-story ballet A Light in the Dark, the Cuban-inflected Habaneras, the Music of Cuba, and the newly created Danse Macabre! by American Midwest Ballet artistic director Erika Overturff.

Momentum is American Midwest Ballet’s “bold menu of brilliant dance,” a varied program chosen to show ballet’s range in storytelling, style, and tone. A Light in the Dark follows Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan in an inspiring, critically acclaimed work by Ann Reinking and Melissa Thodos; Habaneras, the Music of Cuba offers a colorful, sweeping portrait by modern master Frank Chaves; and Danse Macabre! adds a delightfully dark, unexpectedly joyous new piece by Erika Overturff.

For Omaha dance fans, Momentum is a compact way to experience American Midwest Ballet beyond a single full-length story ballet. The program moves from real-life resilience to Cuban musical color to a playful brush with the macabre, giving both first-time viewers and regular balletgoers several entry points into the company’s repertory.