For immediate release
KALEIDOSCOPE, step into a world where the arts are alive
April 10th, 2025 – Ventana Ballet & Austin Camerata announce their third presentation of KALEIDOSCOPE, an annual collaborative project that is uniquely different each year. The performance takes place five times at the beginning of May this year, with a VIP Opening Night experience on Thursday, May 1st and four more performances Friday, May 2nd through Saturday, May 3rd at KMFA’s thoughtfully designed Draylen Mason Music Studio.
KALEIDOSCOPE is not just a performance; it's a vibrant celebration of the new & the now in the world of dance & music. This event embodies the spirit of modernity & accessibility in the arts, presenting a unique fusion where contemporary musical compositions meet cutting-edge dance choreography. We invite our audience to step into a world where the arts are alive, evolving, & directly engaging.
“KALEIDOSCOPE gives us a powerful, outstanding example of showing by doing, and it announces to the world that strong, multiform dance is here to stay in Austin,” wrote CTX Live Theatre’s Dr. David Robinson of the 2023 program.
This year, Ventana Ballet & Austin Camerata are excited to feature the multi-instrumental quartet, Invoke, “...versatile and musically adventurous, way more than classical...” (Capital Gazette).
“Classical music is not just a relic of the past– it's a living, breathing art form that we're excited to showcase via a program of living composers. And what makes these composers particularly great is that their music pushes forward ingenuity without sacrificing approachability,” said Daniel Kopp, Austin Camerata’s Artistic Director.
This year's program features 5 new dance works by 5 local ATX choreographers: AJ Garcia-Rameau, Navaji David Nava, Meggie Belisle, Jordan Miller, & Calvin Hilpert. Each choreographer receives the opportunity to work with their cast over the course of 7 weeks.
"These dancers are electrifying. They breathe color and life into the choreography, taking risks in the transitions. The end result is going to be stunning," exclaimed AJ Garcia-Rameau, Ventana Ballet’s Director and Founder.
Doors open 30 minutes before show time, where guests can enjoy refreshments from the "colorful" signature cocktail bar in the beautiful KFMA lobby. Inside the Draylen Mason Music Studio, dancers and musicians perform just inches away from the audience in this intimate experience.
“The Draylen Mason Music Studio was built for music and has perfect acoustics. The choice of live music in this studio was an extravagant gift to the audience,” shared Dr. David Robinson of CTX Live Theatre.
Location: KMFA Classical, 41 Navasota St. Austin, TX 78702
Tickets: https://kaleidoscope2025.eventbrite.com
Performance Schedule (5 shows):
Thursday, May 1st - VIP Opening Night
7:00pm ~ Pre-Show Reception, featuring colorful cocktails and small bites
7:30pm ~ VIP Opening Night Performance
8:30pm ~ VIP Champagne Toast & Artist Talk-Back on Stage
Friday May 2nd & Saturday May 3rd
6pm & 8pm ~ Doors open for pre-show reception, featuring complimentary bar of colorful cocktails
6:30pm & 8:30pm ~ Performances
Presenting Artists:
Producers:
AJ Garcia-Rameau, Daniel Kopp
Choreographers:
AJ Garcia-Rameau, Navaji David Nava, Meggie Belisle, Jordan Miller, Calvin Hilpert
Dancers:
AJ Garcia-Rameau, Rachael Hanlon, Rachel Cox Culver, Kanami Nakabayashi, Aidan DeWitt, Kayla Hoover, Elaine Fields, Meggie Belisle, Hannah Requa, Penelope Morejon Molina, Connor Timpe
The Musicians of INVOKE:
Karl Mitze, Geoff Manyin, Zach Matteson, Nick Montopoli
About Ventana Ballet
Ventana Ballet is a professional dance company based in Austin, TX, specializing in contemporary ballet dance performance. The word ventana, meaning window, embodies the company’s organizational mission and vision, seeking to provide artistically relevant, technically proficient, and publicly accessible dance performance and education opportunities to the community. Ventana Ballet’s mission is to inspire, entertain and educate audiences through disciplined and innovative approaches to presenting next-generation choreographic works. More information about Ventana Ballet can be found on the company website at VentanaBallet.com.
About Austin Camerata
Austin Camerata is a music non-profit whose mission is to enrich the city of Austin by introducing new audiences to the world of chamber music through creative concerts, artistic collaborations, and community outreach. More information about Austin Camerata can be found on the company website at AustinCamerata.com
For more information:
Contact Name: AJ Garcia-Rameau
Phone Number: 512-522-1655
Email: info@ventanaballet.com
Website: www.VentanaBallet.com
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