The Ballet Theater of Maryland will present Momentum at Maryland Hall (February 25-27) and the PGCC Center for Performing Arts (March 12). This mixed repertoire production includes an excerpt from Grand Pas Classique by Paquita, a cover of Forever You by BTM founding artistic director Edward Stewart, world premieres by Lindsey Bell and Isaac Martinez, and The Little Slippers, the original adaptation from a Ukrainian story by Roman Mykyta.

According to Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch, “This year, Momentum is an opportunity to celebrate the past and present of the Ballet Theater of Maryland’s repertoire. We’re thrilled to bring back an Eddie Stewart play that hasn’t been performed since his tenure as director. , I am thrilled to have our company dancers Lindsey Bell and Isaac Martinez and former BTM dancer Roman Mykyta stage world premiere works created especially for our company.”

Bell’s piece, Sanctuary in Chaos, delves into the sense of inner peace found amid the chaos of life and is set to music by Dmitri Shostakovich. Constellations, by Martinez, features music arranged and performed live by violinist Daniel James Fecteau. Mykyta’s The Little Slippers, with music by Tchaikovsky, is a comedy adventure based on a short Ukrainian story by Nikolai Gogol. In Ukrainian and Russian literature, Gogol occupies the equivalent place to Poe for the development of the genre of romantic horror, though undermined by familiar humor and the cast of bright, non-neurotic characters. In Mykyta’s simplified adaptation, Vakula, a blacksmith, ventures on a wild adventure to prove himself to his sweetheart Oxsana; along the way, he will fight the devil and meet Catherine the Great.

Mykyta says: “I am delighted to participate in Momentum for a second year. In placing this ballet on current dancers, my goal was to showcase the company’s range – technically, dramatically and artistically. I am thrilled to bring a new narrative of ballet to the stage; my goal is to offer a new look at timeless traditions. On the other hand, I am also happy to offer the public an image of Ukrainian culture; I believe that music, dance and folklore can reach the soul.”

Experience the Ballet Theater of Maryland’s Momentum at Maryland Hall on Friday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday February 26 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, February 27 at 2 a.m. In accordance with Maryland Hall rules, members of the public will be required to wear a mask. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $28 each for in-person tickets and $25 for the virtual livestream. Next month, catch Momentum at the PGCC Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, March 12 with tickets starting at $15. At this time, PGCC requires customers to wear a mask and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result. For more information, visit balletmaryland.org/momentum.