What do you get when you mix twenty-three prominent ballet dancers, seven spectacular jazz musicians, and the gorgeous Balboa Theatre in Downtown?… A swinging good time! Eight to the Barre is a concert of world premiere dances, Jazz/Swing musical pieces, and performance fusion that will surely delight San Diego audiences. The clever name of the presentation comes from eight beats to a musical measure, and barre, referring to the form of physical movement greatly derived from the artform of Ballet.
San Diego favorite, Sue Palmer & Her Motel Swing Orchestra, will be headlining the musical aspect of the evenings. The “Queen of Boogie Woogie”, as she is known around town, partners with San Diego Ballet Artistic Director, Javier Velasco, to bring a unique experience to audiences of all ages.
“Preparing for Eight to the Barre has been probably the most unusual engagement I’ve ever had. I am totally used to playing for Swing dancers and know the genre, but it is a different story to be in a Ballet on stage situation. Back in January, my band recorded a number of tunes, and I ran them by Javier Velasco, the artistic director of the ballet. He liked all the selections – he is a dream to work with. Now we are all in the midst of fine tuning the show details,” explained Palmer, who considers witnessing dancers interpret her songs as her favorite part of the process.
Audiences experiencing Sue Palmer’s performance and energy for the first time, will surely be mesmerized, and regular fans will be delighted to enjoy their unique style, but this time intertwined with joyous forms of classical dance.
When asked about any challenges in her career as an openly Gay artist, Palmer stated, “I have to say I was lucky enough to come out as a lesbian, at a time (1972), when, at least in my circles, it was relatively easy, compared to many people. The best musician in my family was my sax playing Auntie Arleen and her partner, vocalist Sally Davis. They were “characters”, mostly because of the musician part, but also gay. They were fun. Also, my brother Glenn Palmer, was Gay and a ballet dancer. He died in the AIDS epidemic in 1988. So, even though my parents didn’t really approve of me being Gay, they were kind of used to it. Music was a much more healing part of our lives. Also, the women’s community and the Gay community were very instrumental in providing me with a safe space to perform and practice my craft, when I was starting out. So, for me, it was almost an advantage to be Gay. I had more trouble with misogyny than homophobia,” she expressed, while thanking the San Diego LGBTQ+ community for the constant support of her career. “We have one of the very best Gay communities in the world. Artistically and politically, we are a force in the world. THANK YOU for cherishing me,” she added.
The two-part program is a testament of the San Diego Ballet’s commitment to create vibrant and groundbreaking work that will move audiences, both classical dance and Latin/Jazz music lovers. Velasco has worked with prominent San Diego artists including commissioned works by composers Charles McPherson and Gilbert Castellanos, as well as works by Kamau Kenyatta and Blues singer, Candye Kane. The tribute to some of Music’s greatest, such as Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman, is arranged in Opus…Swing! as a classical concerto. “Opus…Swing! was one of our first non-story ballets, and it was our first melding of Jazz and Ballet. It helped build and define the style of the Company and many elements of the original work still echo in the work we do today,” explained Velasco.
“This program gets at the heart of what makes San Diego Ballet special and a true hometown Company. We are coming full circle with the restaging of Opus…Swing! and my creative collaboration with long-time friend Sue Palmer and I know the program will have meaning as well as enjoyment,” added Velasco.
Eight to the Barre is presented by San Diego Ballet with two performances May 20th and May 21st at the Balboa Theater in Downtown San Diego.
Tickets:
May 20, 8pm – ticket link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0A005D2A8B2C1532
May 21, 2:30pm – ticket link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0A005D2A8B5E1545
Additional info: https://sandiegoballet.org/shows/jazz-and-dance/
Sue Palmer’s website: https://www.suepalmer.com/
