Q&A with fall ballet artistic director Michael Vernon

Michael Vernon, the chairman of the IU Ballet Department, is the artistic director of the department’s upcoming production, “A Choreographer’s Evening.” He offered insight into the technical aspects of the production, as well as the
emotion displayed through dance.

IDS What went into planning this production?

Vernon I have ideas up to two years out, so this one was planned at least 18 months ago.

IDS Could you talk a bit about what audience members can expect from “The Baker Dances,” which will premiere at
this performance?

Vernon In what Josh (Bergasse) has choreographed, he has used three pieces of David (Baker’s) music. So he’s used three sections from three
different musics.

None of the sections are related. They’re not related musically, and they’re not related choreographically. Josh, in fact, has done three different ballets and put it under one roof of David Baker, under one title. That’s what’s so interesting about it. You’ll actually be seeing three short ballets — all to David Baker, all choreographed by Josh Bergasse, all with a different look, all with a different feel.

IDS Will there be breaks in-between the shifts in music, or does the performance all flow together?

Vernon There are tiny pauses, but not more than 15 seconds. Just for the musicians to change or turn the pages, for the dancers to take a bow. Basically, they run on. There’s no big pause.

IDS What about the other two choreographers’ — Balanchine and Tharp — performances? What can viewers expect from those?

Vernon George Balanchine is famous for his visualization of the music. He has — and I put this in italics — he’s modernized classical ballet. He’s made it very fast, very dynamic, very precise, very exciting.

Basically, what you’re seeing is a visualization of the music on stage. His ballets really move. As a young person would say these days, they really rock. They really go somewhere.

Twyla, her movement is what we would call contemporary ballet. It is definitely based on ballet, but it is a much more contemporary approach. That is a really hard thing for the dancers to learn because her movements themselves aren’t related. She’ll do one movement, and then do another unrelated movement.

Normally in ballet, one movement leads to another — like I’m talking, one sentence or phrase leads to another. Well, she dances in disjointed phrases.

It’s very, very interesting. It’s mesmerizing.

IDS What is the difference, in your opinion, between a vocal performance and a performance like ballet? What are the differences in the way the messages display themselves?

Vernon If we talk about opera, opera is very static, so it’s a much more intellectual approach, but still the music inspires you. This is just more immediate. Personally, I think dance relates better to a younger audience.

It relates to everyone, but I think young people should come and see the ballet because they will relate more to it. The performers are being themselves 99 percent of the time, so they’re displaying the same emotions that other undergraduates are feeling.

IDS So, in your opinion, dance is easier to relate to for a contemporary audience?

Vernon Exactly. There are contemporary operas. I don’t want to get the opera department into a tiff, but I think more of ballet is relatable to younger people, just because of the age you have to be as a dancer.

Whereas a singer can be mature in her 40s, a dancer’s career is over at 40. That’s one of the biggest contrasts between most art forms and ballet. Artists can go on until they’re 80 or 90, and so can composers, but dancers can’t.

IDS What can someone who is unfamiliar with ballet learn from “A Choreographer’s Evening?”

Vernon Ballet is art, and art exists for a reason. Art has been around, I guess, since the beginning of time. It started as a record of what people are doing, and it has become something that we learn about ourselves from.

When you listen to music, whether it’s classical music or rock music, whatever your personality, it touches something. Somehow, you understand. You have a kinship with it. All art is the same, and ballet is the same, too.

I think ballet is very special because it’s very physical. It’s about people — people in space and people dancing with each other and people relating to each other. There’s always something to be learned and something that can be recognized.

You don’t need to be told a story. Dance should speak for itself. Dance is its own language. ...This evening will make people wish they were dancers.