ArtPlay’s whimsical ballet “Play” explores playground rules

Using both modern dance and ballet, “Play” expresses the importance of playtime as children and asks the question, “At what age did we stop playing?”

An ensemble of ArtPlay students and professional dancers will explore the playground’s rules of engagement in an original contemporary ballet, “Play.”

asc_play_sArtPlay will present “Play,” with two shows at 1 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2013, in the Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Set to several movements from the Camille Saint-Saëns musical suite “The Carnival of the Animals,” this whimsical contemporary ballet explores the engagement that everyone learns on the playground as children. Tickets are $10 adults; $8 children.

The ballet will be performed by an ArtPlay Studio Ensemble and choreographed by ArtPlay Teaching Artist William-Michael Cooper. Using both modern dance and ballet, “Play” expresses the importance of playtime for children and asks, “At what age did we stop playing?” The dancers soar, leap and explore early-childhood movements through the voice of dance, all while examining the unique human relationships that are built when we are allowed to pretend.

As part of its outreach mission, ArtPlay will present “Play” as a Meet the Artist School Show for hundreds of local schoolchildren at 10 a.m. Monday, April 22, in the ASC’s Jemison Concert Hall.