Ground and Sky: An Ephemeral Premiere Explores Forces that Bind and Free Us

On February 2, 2025, an audience at the Gordon Center for the Performing Arts will witness the premiere of an extraordinary collaborative work, created live by some of the region’s most accomplished ballet dancers, modern dancers, and improvisational musicians. The work, entitled Ground and Sky,

celebrates gravity and flight, the powerful forces all dancers harness to create their art. This event marks the second creative collaboration between two companies that are pillars of Maryland professional dance. Baltimore’s Full Circle Dance Company has created work, across 25 years, grounded in history, social justice, and challenging real-world issues. With a rich 46-year history, Ballet Theatre of Maryland is the state’s premiere ballet ensemble, and its work features both classics and innovative pieces that stretch the

boundaries of the art form.

For the February 2 performance, each company will present works from its repertoire, creating a diverse program that highlights the strengths of both. And in the new collaborative work Ground and Sky, dancers from both companies will share the stage with violinist Melissa Hullman and percussionist Christopher Payne, whose musical composition, created specifically for this occasion, will include responses to the dancers in real time. A small number of young dancers, drawn from each company’s school, will enrich the visual and kinetic tapestry. For the youth artists selected to participate in Ground in Sky, it will be an opportunity to work creatively with others from different training backgrounds and communities. They will learn about artistic cooperation and innovation while gaining performance experience alongside

professional dancers. Because the piece brings together so many artists and includes elements of improvisation, Ground and Sky will be a wholly unique audience experience.

Full Circle Artistic Director Donna L. Jacobs and Ballet Theatre of Maryland Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch both relish the opportunity to reunite their companies on the Gordon Center stage in a work of innovation and exploration. This is their second collaboration supported by a Maryland State Arts Council Touring Grant. “These companies work so well together,” says Jacobs. “There is such generosity of spirit and mutual respect among our dancers, and they are always ready for a challenge.” Kelsch adds, “This collaboration has already proved fruitful and artistically energizing, and I cannot wait to share Ground and Sky with a new audience.”

Performance Details

Ground and Sky

Ballet Theatre of Maryland & Full Circle Dance Company

Sunday, Feb 02, 2025

4:00 pm

Gordon Center for Performing Arts

3506 Gwynnbrook Avenue

Owings Mills, MD 21117

Tickets

About the Artists

Genre-spanning violinist Melissa Hullman has been invited to share the stage at such diverse venues as the Kennedy Center, Canadian Music Week, the World Bank, Bethlehem Musikfest, Maryland Artscape, and Brooklyn's Jalopy Theatre. At home playing notes on the page or off the cuff, her musical collaborations range from classical solo, chamber, and orchestral playing to tango, jazz, folk, free improv, and Balkan, African, and Indian music. Her ongoing solo project series  VIO/LUMINA 

plays on the edge of possibility by using improvised and composed solo works to illuminate the current state of violin playing as an art form, fusing the depth and breadth of music now with the brilliance of the classical tradition.

Multi-faceted drummer and percussionist Christopher Payne fuses ethnic hand percussion, orchestral percussion, and drum set to create soundscapes across a multitude of musical genres. He has performed with jazz luminaries Charlie Haden, Bob Sheppard, and Slide Hampton, as well as rock legend Mike Garson (David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins), and has toured with the Grammy nominated band DeVotchka, the ska-punk band Streetlight Manifesto, and the Arabic orchestra MESTO. Christopher was a faculty accompanist at The Colburn School, The California Institute of the Arts, and Los Angeles City College, and has worked with an array of choreographers, including Holly Farmer, Julie Bour, Heidi Duckler, John Pennington, and Jessica Kondrath.

The Ballet Theatre of Maryland, under the direction of Nicole Kelsch, is Maryland’s premier professional ballet company. Located in Annapolis, MD, the company provides audiences with over 20 full-length performances each season in both classical and contemporary ballet. Along with a trainee and apprentice program, the BTM Conservatory of Dance offers training and education to aspiring dancers of all ages. BTM believes in the power of dance to inspire and enrich lives, which is why the company partners with numerous local community organizations to make dance accessible to all regardless of background or socioeconomic status. Through these collaborations, the company continues to inspire and uplift diverse audiences across the state.

Full Circle Dance Company, under the direction of Donna L. Jacobs, is a multiracial professional ensemble that performs exciting choreography from a variety of modern dance traditions. Based in Baltimore, the company draws on the diverse backgrounds of its dancers and works in a collaborative spirit to create meaningful dance with universal appeal. Founded in 2000, the company’s signature way of working involves exploring a theme for up to a year, commissioning work from multiple choreographers on that theme, creating opportunities to involve members of the community in the creative process, and presenting the new works together to offer audiences varied perspectives on each topic. Full Circle has extensive experience incorporating community groups into its creative process and has given workshops at Roland Park Elementary Middle School, Irvine Nature Center, Maryland School for the Deaf, and Baltimore City Cancer Program as well as public workshops at its home studio. Full Circle is in residence at The Morton Street Dance Center. The important partnership between school and company creates opportunities for professional dancers to share their knowledge with young dancers in training.

For the Media:

To arrange media interviews with the artists or to attend a rehearsal preview, please contact fullcircledanceco@gmail.com.