​Nathan Powell

Music: Sulkhan Tsinstadze

Choreography: Nathan Powell

Costume Design: Nathan Powell from Ballet Idaho

Created for: Ballet Innovations, Ballet Idaho’s dancer choreography workshop.

Premiere: March 9, 2012 Esther Simplot Performing Arts Academy, Boise, ID (first 3 sections)

Dancers: Heather Hawk, Angela Napier-Gibson, Jessica Sulikowski, Graham Gobeille

Restaged: Anchorage Ballet Spring Celebration

May 12, 2012 Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Anchorage, Alaska (pas de deux)

Dancers: Jessica Sulikowski, Nathan Powell

Restaged: Ballet Montana’s Voices in Hand.

July 27, 2012 Myrna Loy Centre, Helena, MT (full ballet)

Dancers: Holly Curran, Lauren Stenroos, Megan Steffens, Jesse Campbell

 

This ballet originated at Ballet Idaho for Ballet Innovations and was originally called Spring to celebrate the end of winter in Idaho in 2012 (I changed the title to Zinzkaro, which is Georgian for the word spring, when I took the piece to Alaska.) I had found some wonderful music by Sulkhan Tsintsadze who was a Georgian Composer that I felt I must choreograph to. My motivations were warmth through movement and the rebirth that happens every spring. I originally choreographed the piece with three sections, the opening, pas de deux, and finale. The pas de deux was a little different. While searching for costumes I found these two giant sacs made of stretchy material big enough for a person to fit inside. This gave the dancers a more literal way of dancing the rebirth of spring all while making some visually stunning lines. Because of time restraints, I was only able to choreograph one section of the pas de deux for Ballet Innovations. Luckily I was asked to bring some choreography to dance for Anchorage Ballet’s Spring Celebration and had time to create the second half of the pas. Later on I was asked by the director of Ballet Montana to choreograph for their production in Montana in the summer and immediately thought of expanding Zinzkaro to a decent length. I was able to add three more sections, clean up and modify some of the choreography to my liking. Overall the process that has allowed Zinzkaro to be developed has strengthened me as a choreographer.