Milwaukee Ballet Live and Kicking May 14, 2009

Milwaukee Ballet’s commitment to presenting works that would not be seen in Milwaukee otherwise is fulfilled with Live and Kicking (May 14-17), a performance of three pieces each with its own different landscape.

Margo Sappington’s Common People returns featuring the vocal musings of William Shatner and music by Ben Folds in a performance that is both comical and sensual. In 2007 Mr. Shatner hired a local film crew to chronicle the creation of Milwaukee Ballet’s Common People, the ballet that grew out of Shatner’s widely acclaimed album “Has Been”. William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet premieres at the Nashville Film Festival in April.

Included in the performance is Gustav’s Rooster, an abstract work from San Francisco Ballet choreographer Val Caniparoli, set to the music of Swedish rock band Hoven Droven. Live and Kicking also features a world premiere by Canadian choreographer Mark Godden, hailed for “lofty moral and aesthetic striving and down-to-earth humor fused in unlikely and satisfying ways.”

Official Website: http://www.milwaukeeballet.org/performances/live-and-kicking