The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center is your source for culture, arts, and entertainment. The WMPAC is located in Big Sky’s Gallatin Canyon, at Big Sky’s Ophir School campus. The Center’s namesake, ski movie icon Warren Miller, and his wife Laurie spend half of their time in Big Sky. The Arts Center was named in honor of Miller in part due to his involvement in the community, and also because his legacy demonstrates a bridge between skiing and the arts. Here’s a look at some of the exciting events taking place in the coming weeks. So Percussion will take place Saturday, January 16th at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $20-$45 and are on sale now.
Praised by the New Yorker for their “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam,” So Percussion has redefined the modern percussion ensemble as a flexible, omnivorous entity, pushing its voice to the forefront of American musical culture for over a decade. So’s adventurous spirit is written into the DNA passed down from composers like John Cage and Steve Reich, as well as from pioneering ensembles like the Kronos Quartet and Nexus Percussion. So Percussion’s career now encompasses 16 albums, touring throughout the USA and around the world, a dizzying array of collaborative projects, several ambitious educational programs, and a steady output of their own music. When the founding members of So Percussion convened as graduate students at the Yale School of Music, their initial goal was to present an exciting repertoire of pieces by 20th century luminaries such as Cage, Reich, and Iannis Xenakis.
An encounter with David Lang, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and co-founder of New York’s Bang on a Can organization, yielded their first commissioned piece: the 36 minute, three movement the so-called laws of nature. Since that first major new work, So has commissioned some of the greatest American composers of our time to build a new repertoire, including Steve Reich, Steve Mackey, Paul Lansky, Martin Bresnick, and many others. Visit sopercussion.com/ to learn more. Volo by Diavolo will follow on Saturday, January 23rd at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $20-$50 and are on sale now.
Diavolo reinvents dance, re-imagines theater, and redefines thrills. Theatergoers around the world are always wondering what sort of wizardry Jacques Heim will conjure up next for his daring troupe of performers. Diavolo takes movement, athletics, and daring to the extreme, creating abstract narratives through surreal tableaux in which inspiration thrives. Volo is the new performance ensemble of Diavolo. Its repertoire features an eclectic selection of Diavolo’s shorter pieces and smaller structures, specifically designed for intimate venues. The members of Volo are trained as performers and educators who offer performances and residencies built around the Diavolo aesthetic: Architecture in Motion. Artistic Director Jacques Heim has been a transformative choreographer for over 20 years. He founded Diavolo in 1992 and has directed the Company’s work ever since. In addition to his work with Diavolo, Jacques has worked extensively for other companies in dance, theater, TV, and special events worldwide. Most recently, Jacques worked with Guy Caron and Michael Curry as consulting choreographer on Ice Age Live!, a “mammoth” arena show which had its world premiere at London’s Wembley Stadium in November 2012 and is now touring Europe.
For Cirque du Soleil, Jacques choreographed KÀ at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. He was invited to be a Creative Director for the Opening Ceremony of The 16th Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China. In 2005, Jacques was the Artistic Director for the Taurus Stunt Awards and returned in 2007 to stage a movement/stunt piece, “The Car”. With Center Theater Group, Jacques created choreography for the stage play, The Stones. On television, his work has appeared on BBC America’s Dancing with the Stars and Bravo’s Step Up and Dance.
The primary mission of the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center is to establish and maintain a clear and stable artistic infrastructure to grow a community of confident performers and inspired audiences. The WMPAC is a collaborative initiative of the Big Sky School District #72, the Friends of Big Sky Education (FOBSE), and the Big Sky community. Along with national acts, the WMPAC hosts art events and education within the local community, including The Big Sky Community Theatre program for all area adults with a passion to perform and the Big Sky Community Chorus for those who enjoy singing. Ophir School students also benefit; during the school day, students fill the center with their ideas and talents under the supervision of a faculty of drama, visual arts and music professionals. The WMPAC presents a 9-Event Winter Season from the last week of December through the last week of March to synchronize with the ski season in Big Sky. Acts vary in disciplines and come from all over the world. Thanks to generous sponsors and heavy underwriting, these performances serve the entire community on a regular basis. The second addition to their main programmatic arm is the Big Sky Conservatory, which takes place in the heart of summer. To purchase tickets to any of these and other events, or for more information, visit warrenmillerpac.org/. •
