Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet
Events Are:
The Curve (Video Above)
When: Tuesday, January 30th, 7:00 pm
Where: Loomis Chafee Hubbard Performance Hall, 4 Batchelder Rd, Windsor, CT, 06095
No Registration necessary for this FREE event!
Iraqi composer and multi-instrumentalist Ameen Mokdad was trapped in hiding under the brutality of ISIS for two years in Mosul. During that time he survived and told his story by writing an extraordinary repertoire of music… in secret. He arranged it for a collaborative album with Cuatro Puntos Ensemble. It was recorded with Ameen playing violin & various Iraqi percussion instruments, reciting his own Arabic poetry, and singing. These 19 songs form a soundscape that transverses a range of emotions: fear, defeat, hope, and rebirth.
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THE CURVE has had live performances around the world since its creation in Mosul, Iraq. The album has enjoyed truly international status, with appearances in films, airtime on NPR, and streaming success that puts it in the top 7% of all albums on Spotify. Now, after battling visa issues for 5 years, Ameen Mokdad joins Cuatro Puntos Ensemble and Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet LIVE AND IN PERSON to tell his story live to American audiences for the first time.
Living Stories
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When: Friday, March 8th at 6:00 pm, Saturday, March 9th at 1:00 and 6:00 pm
Where: Wadsworth Mansion, 421 Wadsworth St, Middletown, CT, 06457
Register below for these FREE performances!
A collaborative performance of live music, poetry and dance bringing the stories of displaced youth to life.
Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet is creating a new work with the Cuatro Puntos Ensemble and Narratio, a refugee youth organization that supports creative expression for displaced populations. Fellows from the Narratio Fellowship Program will be telling their stories through poetry set to music by Iraqi composer Ameen Mokdad and visualized through choreography by ECB Artistic Director Elisa Schroth.
A series of FREE performances will be presented at Middletown’s Wadsworth Mansion.
Friday, March 8th, 6:00 pm at the Wadsworth Mansion -- Register Here!
Saturday, March 9th, 1:00 pm at the Wadsworth Mansion -- Register Here!
Saturday, March 9th, 6:00 pm at the Wadsworth Mansion -- Register Here!
Earth Day Extravaganza
When: Saturday, April 20th, Time TBD
Where: Riverfront in Middletown
Ekklesia will be collaborating with Dimensional Dance of Hartford, CT to present a series of dances in celebration of Earth Day! Dancers will perform outside in front of the river in Middletown! This performance is free and open to the community.
In this event, Ekklesia will be performing our work Body and Land.
Body & Land is a four part dance work that follows the path of the four seasons. ECB has worked with local composer, Scott Simonelli who blended his musical composition with that of Vivaldi. Through this combination of modern and classical music, there is a parallel of how the seasons have changed drastically from Vivaldi’s 18th century world to our 21st century reality. Pairing these timelines together helps us recognize the changes in climate that the world is experiencing today. The modern musical interpretation reflects these changes season by season. Winter has sounds of cracking glaciers, Spring calls attention to fierce flooding, Summer depicts destructive forest fires, and Autumn explores turbulent winds and hurricanes.
The work uses dance - an embodied art form - to compare the effects of climate change on both human bodies and the body of the earth. This work is meant to encourage us to feel these changes on both an intellectual and a visceral level, and also to give voice to the people who are affected most.
Professional/Collegiate Summer Dance Intensive
When: July 29th through August 2nd, 2024
Where: Ekklesia studios, located at 381 Main St, Middletown
Register here!
Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet Professional & Collegiate Summer Ballet Program provides an opportunity to train alongside our professional company. You will experience the opportunity to learn the company repertoire in addition to a new work from our Artistic Director, Elisa Schroth. This program is focused on advancing your strength, technique and artistry with theological discussions around the art we are making and how it connects to the mission and vision of Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet.
Ekklesia Pre-Professional Summer Dance Intensive
When: August 5th through August 9th, 2024
Where: Ekklesia studios, located at 381 Main St, Middletown
Register here!
Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet Pre-Professional Summer Ballet Program provides unparalleled training by our prestigious faculty and guest faculty. As a summer student, you will experience a program focused on the whole dancer while advancing your strength and technique. Our program is designed to nurture dancers spiritually, mentally as well as physically.
Build your confidence as a dancer through our comprehensive curriculum that brings together the finest in technique and artistry. Class Offerings include: Ekklesia repertoire, pointe, variations, modern, partnering, contemporary, and more! The program ends with a performance on the final day.
The Youth Intensive is for dancers ages 12 through 18 (or Ekklesia Ballet 5 and up).
The Junior Intensive is fro dancers ages 9-11 (or Ekklesia Ballet 3 and 4).
Community Engagement
Ekklesia aims to be an active participant on our community. See below for all the ways we are creating community connections through art and dance!
Middletown Arts Connect Dance!
Ekklesia is excited to announce the expansion of our FREE Middletown Arts Connect After School Program! This program is open to students ages 7-11 at MacDonough Elementary School. Students will get homework help and a healthy snack from 4:00-5:45 pm, and then have a fun, introductory, high-energy dance class from 5:45-6:45. Through this program, we aim to introduce more students to the power and fun of dance!
This semester, we will be expanding this program to meet on both Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students will take ballet class on Tuesdays and Jazz class on Thursdays.
The Tuesday program starts on January 9th, and the Thursday program starts January 25th.
Donate: Click here to donate to Ekklesia!
As a non-profit dance company, Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet is dependent upon the support of its community. By joining our sponsorship program you can become a part of the Ekklesia community and help ensure the Company’s growth and success. Every donation is special and significant, and it helps sustain the Company's future. Please consider donating to Ahavah our annual benefit performance and/or joining our Sponsors of the 2023-2024 season!
