Longtime dancer
and choreographer Lynn Parkerson founded Brooklyn Ballet, in
Brooklyn Heights, in 2000. The organization began an active schedule
last season, including an educational outreach program, "Elevate,"
in five Brooklyn schools.
On April 4, Parkerson’s company will perform "Mystery Sonatas,"
inspired by the works of 17th-century composer Heinrich Biber
as part of the 92nd Street Y’s Harkness Dance Center series.
"I’ve worked on this piece for two years and shown parts
of it before, but this is the first time we’re doing the entire
hour-long piece [for an audience]," Parkerson explains.
"The Q&A session afterwards is a way for me to get valuable
feedback. I hope to premiere the whole piece in Brooklyn next
season."
Parkerson is the first to admit that Biber’s music might seem
a strange choice.
"For a long time it had not been played, and then slowly
people started to become interested in it again," she says.
"It’s an odd piece of music. There are 15 sonata sections,
each with a different tuning, so a new arrangement was needed
so that the modern violin would not have to be tuned each time."
(Gil Morgenstern performs the demanding violin parts.)
Brooklyn Ballet performs "Mystery Sonatas" at the 92nd
Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., in Manhattan, on April 4 at 3
pm. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit www.92Y.org.