coronadance

"coronadance" is Ballet Pixelle's story of COVID-19, its transmission, its effects on our lives, and its final demise.

It is a story of hope.

The performance has real life and second life video, music, real life photos, live and programmed dancers. Markus J. Buehler, a professor at MIT, created this original music based on the structure of the virus itself!

We are all in this together.

Second Life Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Hitomi Tamatzui

Crew:

Ballet Mistress: Aiyana Tripsa
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen
Set Engineer: Inarra Saarinen
Sound Engineer: Aiyana Tripsa
House Manager: Dawn O'Hanlon
Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Giselle

"Giselle" is Ballet Pixelle's version of the beloved classic.

As the ballet begins, a nobleman named Albrecht is busily wooing a young, beautiful peasant girl named Giselle. Albrecht leads the young maiden to believe that he is a farmer named Loys. Giselle falls in love with Albrecht, unaware that he is already betrothed to Bathilde, a noblewoman herself.

Giselle returns to meet Albrecht and finds him wooing Bathilde. Giselle realizes that Albrecht has been deceiving her, that he is actually a nobleman and already engaged. Horrified and weak, Giselle goes mad and dies of a broken heart.

The second act of the ballet takes place in a forest beside Giselle's grave. The Wilis, ghostly women who have died of false love, calls upon them to accept Giselle as one of their own. When Albrecht arrives, Giselle (now a Wili herself) and the Wilis force him to dance until death. Giselle, finally free, leaves with the Wilis.

NOTE: This story was partially rewritten by Inarra Saarinen. In the original Giselle's love saves Albrecht from death.

Second Life Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Dalton Rhys
Hitomi Tamatzui
Luci Yokosuka
Moe Celisis
Olah Simone
Patros Zifer
Skip Flossberg

Crew:

Ballet Mistress: Aiyana Tripsa
Rehearsal Assistant: Moe Celisis
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen
Set Engineer: Skip Flossberg
Sound Engineer: Aiyana Tripsa
House Manager: Dawn O'Hanlon
Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Logo: Moe Celisis
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Hausos

This piece was created during an NES artist-in-residenc in Iceland in 2019.

Original music composed for this ballet and performed by Silja Ros, Iceland.

Stillness. Movement. The glaciers show us patience. The geysers give us conviction. The mountains guide us with strength. The volcanoes teach us passion. The Nordic Lights paint our world with color. Light. Dark.

We become the glaciers and mountains silent and strong. We live as the geyser and volcano with conviction and passion. We believe in ourselves and dance with energy and power. We see our world in color. Show us the way.

Second Life Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Darcy Rhys
Luci Yokosuka
Moe Celisis
Skip Flossberg

Dancer in Physical Reality (Performance, in Iceland)

Anna Stefansdottir

Dancers in Physical Reality (Rehearsals in USA)

Aurielle Lesea
Bernice Toy
Emily Miller
Florina Petcu
Janessa North
Lesea Aurelle
Rowena Ona

Crew:

Ballet Mistress: Aiyana Tripsa
Rehearsal Assistant: Moe Celisis
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen
Set Scriptor: Skip Flossberg
Sound Engineers: Aiyana Tripsa, Skip Flossberg
Ushers: Dawn O'Hanlon, Dominic Dogg
Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Photographer: R.C. Mariner
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Logo: Moe Celisis
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Circus Morphus

Circus Morphus" is an upside-down view of reality where the animals run the show and the showgirls are in wagon cages, Fellini characters dance on spinning gears, an aerialist falls and comes back to perform again as a shade, clowns mirror dance with the sky above, dolls break apart and exchange body parts, and ringmasters and Ringmistresses duel with their dancing!

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Darcy Rhys
Fauve Aeon
Hitomi Tamatzui
JadeEast2
Luci Yokosuka
Moe Celisis
Olah Simoni
Skip Flossberg

Crew:

Ballet Mistresses: Amelie Dibou & Aiyana Tripsa
Rehearsal Assistants: Patros Zifer & Moe Celisis
Set Design: Sebastian Saramago & Inarra Saarinen
Technical Coordinator & Set Scriptor: Tik Merlin
Wardrobe Mistress: Fauve Aeon
Lighting Technician: Taff Nouvelle
Sound: Aiyana Tripsa, Skip Flossberg, Willis Rossini
Ushers: Dawn O'Hanlon, Dominic Dogg

Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Logo: Moe Celisis
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Princess Hyacinth

BALLET PIXELLE TOO
- a division of Ballet Pixelle

A poor, young girl lived in the highest high floor in a thin house on a canal in the city called Retsma. She was so young and so ancient. Her body was scrawny and skinny and she had worn red hair that straggled to her knees. Her big dark eyes were sunken in their sockets. She had no name.

The years just passed and passed with nothing in them or in-between them.

She could see the birds flap back and forth in the sky and hear them calling to each other: caw-caw, caw-caw. Coming to the meeting! Seagulls, green and tan mallard couples, and black water coons all swam coming and going to important destinations in the canal's dark waters.

She tasted nothing in her mouth but stillness. She smelled nothing but emptiness.

She could hear the clang of the clock tower every hour and count its gongs as it called its song to other church steeples. Gong -- it's the time! Gong -- spread the word!

It was always gray and whispering a thin cold rain from the sky. She was cold, chilled to the bone, always so cold. It felt like skeletal fingers on her skin.

She wrapped her threadbare, faded shawl around her bony shoulders and shivered.

As she lay her head on the old wood windowsill, and felt its worn scratches against her cheek, she fell into a soft dream.

As she drifted into sleep, she saw the dappled green and yellow autumn leaves barely holding on to black, rain-soaked branches -- but she also saw bitter winter snow falling sideways, and then the rising of spring tulips, and summer hyacinths in her dream. She saw purple and lavender hyacinths spreading their star leaves to the warm sun. And she became one. Princess Hyacinth.

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Hitomi Tamatzui
JadeEast2
Luci Yokosuka
Moe Celisis
Patros Zifer
Skip Flossberg

Crew:

Ballet Mistresses: Amelie Dibou & Aiyana Tripsa
Rehearsal Assistants: Patros Zifer & Moe Celisis
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen & Tik Merlin
Technical Coordinator & Set Scriptor: Tik Merlin
Lighting Technician: Taff Nouvelle

Music Engineer: Skip Flossberg
Music: Claude Debussy (under CC 3.0)
Poster: Alphonse Mucha

Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Thanks to Diboutanicals for the Tree Avatar & Flower Emitters.
Thanks to Pixellations for some of Noname's costumes.

Desperate Dance

It's not a new story, but a current one. Modern cities: silicon towers where a farm village once stood. Modern man: scurrying about growing virtual potatoes. What will change the story of civilization the next time? And what will the next phase be?

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Hitomi Tamatzui
JadeEast2
Jaicya Albright
Moe Celisis
Olah Simoni

Crew:

Story, Animations & Choreography: Inarra Saarinen

Ballet Mistresses: Amelie Dibou & Aiyana Tripsa
Rehearsal Assistants: Patros Zifer & Moe Celisis
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen
Set Engineer: Tik Merlin

Music Composed By: Camille Saint Saens

Music Performed By: Kevin MacLeod
Usher: Sheya Firecaster

Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon (French: Le Voyage dans la Lune), alternately Voyage to the Moon, is a 1902 French black-and-white hand-colored silent science fiction film. It is based loosely on two popular novels of the time: Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon and H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon.

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Deyna Broek
Emmalee Streeter
Fauve Aeon
Luci Yokosuka
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Choreography & Animations by: Inarra Saarinen
Additional Animations by: Amelie Dibou
Ballet Mistresses: Amelie Dibou & Vivienne Darcy
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen
Costume Designer: Vivienne Darcy

Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Movie by: Georges Méliès
Music composed by: Claude Debussy (Acts I, II, III)
Arranged and performed by: Ed Chang (Acts I & III) & Gary Daum (Act II)
Music Composed and performed by: Schizoidal (Act IV)

Chimera

Chimera is a Greek mythological character, a fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of the parts of more than one animal, usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail that might end with a snake's head.

The term chimera has come to describe any mythical or fictional animal with parts taken from various animals, or to describe anything composed of very disparate parts, or pereceived as wildly imaginative, implausible, or dazzling.

In a new approach for Ballet Pixelle, the audience becomes part of the performance through a combination of theatre in the round and a "traveling" audience who move from set to set along with the dancers

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Deyna Broek
Emmalee Streeter
Fauve Aeon
Luci Yokosuka
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Choreography & Animations by: Inarra Saarinen
Additional Animations by: Amelie Dibou
Ballet Mistresses: Amelie Dibou & Vivienne Darcy
Set Design: Inarra Saarinen
Costume Designer: Vivienne Darcy

Web Manager: Aiyana Tripsa
Playbill: Espresso Saarinen
Financial Manager: Calia Cachin
Artistic Director: Inarra Saarinen

Music by Space Galaxy
ACT I: Air (Music: "Sans Souvenirs")
ACT II: Fire (Music: "Free Mind")
ACT III: Water (Music: "Some Melancholy")
ACT IIV: Earth (Music: "Dance of the Elves")

Ballet Bhutan

Presented to a live audience in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

1. Taktsang and The Tigress
2. Trraditional Dance
3. Masked Dance (Four Stags; Sha Tsam)
4. Traditional Dance (Bumthap)
5. Masked Dance (Black Hat; Shana)
6. Traditional Dance (Mountain)
7. Masked DAnce (Terrifying Deitites; Tungam)
8. Thondrel Unveiling

Cast:

Jaicya Albright: Tigress, Goddess
Emmalee Streeter: Dancing Lady
Patros Zifer: Guru, Archer
Shy Corina Jackson: Dancing Lady

Crew:

Choreography & Animations by: Inarra Saarinen
Stage Manager: Patros Zifer

Evening at the Ballet

This celebration of spring has 9 lively and colorful old favorites as well as a group of new soon-to-be favorites. This is classical and neo-classical ballet at its best!

ACT I:

Couleurs de la Danse: Vert, Rose, Violet

Spanish Dance from The Nut

Dance For Me

ACT II:

Dance of the Violet

ACT III:

Archidance: Act II Requiem

Giselle: Act II - Apparition of Giselle

Cygnets from Swan Lake

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Aiyana Tripsa
Deyna Broek
Jaicya Sung
Luci Yokosuka
Nark Chaffe
Patros Zifer
Skippy Flossberg
Tinka Bondar
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Choreography & Animations by: Inarra Saarinen
Music for Dance For Me composed & performed by Kurt Bestor
Music for Requiem composed & performed by Kurt bestor

Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistresses - Amelie Dibou, Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Blanche DuBois
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Set Design - Leko Littlebird, Tik Merlin
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Lighting Technician - Taff Nouveau
Theatre Build, Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Ushers Coordinater - Anaid Daviau
Ushers - JoshR Woodrunner, VeryVicki
Webmaster - Aiyana Tripsa
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Rhapsody in Red

A set of sensuous and dramatic movements to music.

Music composed by Alex de Ravenswood

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Aiyana Tripsa
Deyna Broek
Emmalee Streeter
Luci Yokosuka
Patros Zifer
Shy Corina Jackson
Tinka Bondar
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Choreography & Animations by: Inarra Saarinen
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Theatre Build, Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Ushers Coordinater - Anaid Daviau
Usher - VeryVicki
Photographer - ActionJackson86
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Webmaster - Aiyana Tripsa
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Ballet Burlesque

Seven elegant and classy dances of a slightly sexy nature!

1. "Cabaresque" DANCE   (Music: "Last Days of Burlesque" by The Womb?)
2a. "Trapeze Stripper" (1901) VIDEO
2b. "Victorian Burlesque" DANCE   (Music: Batty McFaddin)
3a. "Sally Rand" (~1930) VIDEO
3b. "I Left My Heart in Paris" DANCE   (Music: "Non, je ne regrette rien" Performed by Edith Piaf)
4. "Afro Burlesques" VIDEO
5a. "Strip Queen" AUDIO by Rae Bourbon (~1930) from "Ladies of Burlesque"
5b. "Yummy Me" DANCE   (Music: "Love Me Like Candy" by Rebecca Klyer Downs)
6a. "Blaze Starr Burlesque Queen" (~1950) VIDEO
6b. "Les Bonaportes" DANCE   (Music: "Warriors Dance" by Schumann Performed by the U.S. Marine Band)
7a. "A Burlesque Translation of Homer" (1797) AUDIO & SLIDESHOW by Thomas Bridges; G.G. and J.Robinson
7b. "Baroque Burlesque" DANCE   (Music: "Air on the G Strong" by Bach Performed by U.S. Air Force Band)
8a. Photo Slideshow PHOTOS
8b. "Drive Me Crazy" DANCE   (Music: "Auto Erotic" by Debbiezo)

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Aiyana Tripsa
Angelina Kitaj
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Nark Chaffe
Patros Zifer
Tik Merlin
Tinka Bondar
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistresses - Amelie Dibou, Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Blanche DuBois
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Set Design - Leko Littlebird, Tik Merlin
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Lighting Technician - Taff Nouveau
Theatre Build, Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Ushers Coordinater - Anaid Daviau
Ushers - JoshR Woodrunner, VeryVicki
Webmaster - Aiyana Tripsa
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

  Media/Publicity Inquiries: inarra@balletpixelle.org

Watch Video

En Passant

This is the story of being human and conscious versus machines and automation. It is the story of what kind of "piece" or character you start out with and the many different moves, or decisions, you make in life. The choices of courage, working together, as well as rashness and lack of foresight, all change the game. Sometimes a bold move takes someone out of the game entirely and they are gone.

Here the black pieces are moving automatically, programmed. The white pieces are the virtual dancers, run by real humans, of Ballet Pixelle.

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Alessandra Eberlain
Amelie Dibou
Dubhna Rhiadra
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Nark Chaffe
Patros Zifer

Sherainbow Merlin
Tik Merlin
Tinka Bondar
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Story, Choreography, & Animations by Inarra Saarinen
Music Composed & Performed by Solary Clary

Set Design - Leko Littlebird
Scriptor - Tik Merlin
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Costume Mistress - Blanche DuBois
MC Coordinator - Tinka Bondar
Ushers Coordinater - Anaid Daviau
Usher - Alexa Sideways
Theatre Build, Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Company Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistresses - Amelie Dibou, Vivienne Darcy
Rehearsal Assistants - Patros Zifer, Tik Merlin
Animations Assistant - Amelie Dibou
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin

Playbill - Espresso Saarinen
Machinimatogrpher - Pia Klaar
Photographer - Leko Littlebird
Writer - Gershom Wycliffe
Artistic Director - Inaara Saarinen

Les Couleurs de la Danse

A ballet about color...and dance. There is no story, there is only movement.

Act I: Vert, Rose, Violet

A dashing and strong danseur in green with his vibrant dreen ballerina. A quick and jazzy danseur in red with his fleet-footed and daring red ballerina. And a study in femininity and grace -- the lavendar ballerina.

Music by Gideon Freudmann
"Denmark" (2010)
Performed by The Portland Cello Project

Act II: Corelli Solos

Then, a solo ballerina in white with lace daintily follows the lines of the baroque violins.

Music by Arcangelo Corelli
Trio Sonatas Opus 2 (1685)
Sonata in E♭ major (No.11)

1. Preludio. Adagio
2. Allemanda. Presto
3. Giga. Allegro

Act III: Rouge

And finally, red passion erupts!

Music by Tomaso Albinoni
Concerto for Two Oboes in F Major Number 3
1. Adagio
2. Allegro

Performed by Advent Chamber Orchestra
Roxana Pavel Goldstein, conductor
Humbert Lucarelli and Edino Biaggi, oboes

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Cecilia Mistwalker
Dubhna Rhiandra
Hiroki Kimono
Luci Yokosuka
Patros Zifer
Sherainbow Merlin
Skip Flossberg
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy
Xanthi Oridium

Crew:

Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistresses - Amelie Dibou, Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Blanche DuBois
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Photographer - Leko Littlebird
Set Design - Leko Littlebird, Tik Merlin
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Theatre Build, Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Ushers Coordinater: Anaid Daviau
Ushers - Alexa Sideways, Tatiana Kurri
Webmaster - Skip Flossberg
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Corelli Solos

A solo dancer in white delicately follows the lines of the baroque violins. Music by Arcangelo Corelli Trio Sonatas Opus 2 (1685) Sonata in E♭ major (No.11) 1. Preludio. Adagio 2. Allemanda. Presto 3. Giga. Allegro

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Luci Yokosuka
Patros Zifer
Sherainbow Merlin
Skip Flossberg
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistresses - Amelie Dibou, Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Blanche DuBois
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Theatre Build, Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Webmaster - Skip Flossberg
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Immortal Waltz

A story about how life is movement. And we dance and live an immortal waltz.

What is life? Isn't it movement? A constant cycle of movement, no movement, movement... through the ages. From dance to dance...

ACT I: The Cemetery
We see an old lady sitting in a graveyard watching herself lying in a grave. Suddenly, the dead lady vanishes and the living one begins moving. Then other dead people begin to appear and move bringing themselves to life.

ACT II: An Alive Space
The people, now alive, create a strange dance party of wild and wonderful characters. They live on through dance!

ACT III: The Same Space
Margaret, the lady in Act I, performs her dance of dreams. What does she dream? Has it kept her alive all these years?

ACT IV: The Cemetery
After this time, each person ceases movement and disappears until we are left at the beginning with the old lady and her dead self. The cycle is complete for this time but will continue again.... Everything is tilted just a little out of the ordinary in this world where a waltz is immortal and eternal.

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Cecilia Mistwalker
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Patros Zifer
Skip Flossberg
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

MCs: Cecilia Mistwalker, Marsden Tomorrow, Patros Zifer, and Skip Flossberg
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Blanche DuBois
Set Builds - Amelie Dibou, Tik Merlin
Theatre Build & Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Webmaster - Skippy Flossberg
Facebook Manager - Marsden Tomorrow
Ushers:Alexa Sideways,Anaid Daviau
Consultant, Japan - Asami Larsson
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Music :
The Scream thanvannispen Than van Nispen t.P. 2007 - Licensed under Creative Commons Sampling Plus

White Out (Shades of the Moon Mix) Sackjo22 2009 -
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Coventry Carol (Lully Lullay) kthugha 2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Margaret's Lullaby SackJo22 Featuring: Speck, Abstract Audio, Admiral Bob, WIM, Sandyrb 2011 - Licensed under Creative Commons Sampling Plus

The Sigh thanvannispen Than van Nispen t.P. 2007 - Licensed under Creative Commons Sampling Plus

Archidance

In Ballet Pixelle's continuing exploration of the similarities, differences, and interactions of digital, virtual, and physical movement and dance, we have simplified movement into its basic architecture. And brought digital, virtual, and physical dance together in one ballet.

How is dance constructed? What is its architecture? Form, color, shape? Moving steps, turns, jumps? High, low, and medium height movements? Sharp, flowing, dropping movement? Let's look at the present, past, and future of dance and see how one influences the other.

ACT I:

We look at these influences and the formal notation of a current ballet. The dancers learn from Labanotation, a graphical language that is actually used to record and reconstruct dances.

ACT II:

We see key figures in the construction of dance through the ages, including physical dancers mixed with our virtual dancers.

ACT III:

We work with spheres, cubes, and triangles. We can see animated dancers -- who are not real people at all -- and our virtual dancers who are real people from all over the world -- Canada, England, Estonia, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and all time zones of the United States and Hawai`i, dancing together in the future of the art.

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Cecilia Mistwalker
Deyna Broek
Dubhna Rhiadra
Luci Yokosuka
Lucia Tophat
Neena Botanical
Patros Zifer
Sherainbow Merlin
Skip Flossberg
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Tinka Bondar
Vivienne Darcy
Xanthi Oridium

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music by Kurt Bestor

Ballet Coordinator, Ballet Mistress (Euro) - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistress, Animations Assistant - Amelie Dibou
Costume Mistress – Blanche DuBois
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
MC Coordinator – Skip Flossberg
Photographer – Leko Littlebird
Set Design – Leko Littlebird
Set Build - Tik Merlin
Sound Coordinator – Willis Rossini
Theatre Build, Roadie, Playbill – Espresso Saarinen
Usher Coordinator – Anaid Daviau
Webmaster – Skip Flossberg

Prayer of the Children

This ballet was choreographed for the Missing and Exploited Children Benefit held on May 25, 2011.

"Prayer of the Children" tells the story of children all over the world who are lost, abandoned, with no where to turn, and no way to get home. They even pass each other.

Where are they?
Do we know?
How can we save them?

Prayer of the Children

Can you hear the prayer of the children?
Bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room.
Empty arms with no tears to cry,
turning heavenward for the light.

Cry Jesus help me to see the morning light one more day,
but if I should die before I wake, I pray my soul to take.

Can you feel the hearts of the children
aching for home for something for something of their very own
reaching hands with nothing to hold on to,
but hope for a better day a better day.

Cry Jesus help me to feel the love again in my own light.
but if unknown roads lead away from home
give me loving heart away from harm.

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for the silence of the shattered world,
angry gongs preach the gospel full of hate
blood of the innocent on their hands.

Cry Jesus help me to feel the sun again on my face
for when darkness clears I know you're near bringing peace again
Can you hear the prayer of the children?

- Kurt Bestor

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Cecilia Mistwalker
Deyna Broek
Dubhna Rhiadra
Luci Yokosuka
Lucia Tophat
Neena Botanical
Patros Zifer
Sherainbow Merlin
Skip Flossberg
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Tinka Bondar
Vivienne Darcy
Xanthi Oridium

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music by Kurt Bestor

Ballet Coordinator, Ballet Mistress (Euro) – Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistress, Animations Assistant - Amelie Dibou
Costume Mistress – Blanche DuBois
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Machinimatographer – Geoffrey Unsworth
MC Coordinator – Skip Flossberg
Photographer – Leko Littlebird
Set Design – Leko Littlebird
Set Build >- Tik Merlin
Poster Design – Cecilia Mistwalker
Sound Coordinator – Willis Rossini
Theatre Build, Roadie, Playbill – Espresso Saarinen
Usher Coordinator – Anaid Daviau
Webmaster – Skip Flossberg

Watch Video Act I

Watch Video Act II & III

one nine four two

This ballet is based on a true story.

Lidice is a village in the Czech Republic just northwest of Prague which was, as per orders directly from Heinrich Himmler, randomly chosen to be completely destroyed by German forces in reprisal for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in the late spring of 1942. Their orders were to make an example of a village. The town was destroyed, the people killed, graves dug up, flowers planted, and the name of the town was taken off all maps...

Lidice Shall Live!

ACT I: Before (Anywhere)
Woman
Man
Marriage
Child
Family

ACT II: During (Prague)
The invasion

ACT III: After (Everywhere)
Remembrance

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Cecilia Mistwalker
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Patros Zifer
Skip Flossberg
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music by Ron Nordmann
Violinist - Paul johnian

MCs:Cecilia Mistwalker, Marsden Tomorrow, Patros Zifer, Skip Flossberg
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Vienne Darcy
Set Builds - Amelie Dibou, Tik Merlin
Theatre Build & Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Webmaster - Skippy Flossberg
Facebook manager - Marsden Tomorrow
Ushers:Alexa Sideways,Anaid Daviau
Consultant, Japan - Asami Larsson
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Avatara

What if a real world dancer could dance in a virtual world?

What movements would be the same or different?

What kinds of different beings could she be?

What would be the same? And how would that dancer be changed after her experience?

In our ballet, we explore the merging of the physical world and the virtual world.

ACT I:

Scene 1 - Ava & Tara (Pas de Deux): Our real life dancer takes on an avatar, or representation of herself in the virtual world, named Ava, and dances with Tara (a virtual dancer).

Scene 2 - Virtual Dancers: Ava dances with the Ballet Pixelle company of dancers in the virtual world.

Scene 3 - Caterpillars & Butterflies: Fantasy can be danced in the virtual world. Dancers can crawl and hover and fly!

Scene 4 - Suitcases: Have you always wondered about the most efficient way to move and travel? It's easier than you think in the virtual world.

ACT II:

Scene 1: Metal Aliens - One can dance as anything in the virtual world - especially something surprising!

Scene 2: Pas de Quatre - Ava becomes more and more of a virtual dancer. In fact, who can tell the difference? Here Ava and Tara dance with two danseurs in a Pas de Deux of virtual beauty.

Scene 3: Orange Aliens - Some objects can dance in virtual reality too. Let's see what kind of different movements these orange aliens can do!

Scene 4: Ava & Tara (pas de deux) - Ava and Tara dance a Pas de Deux of farewell, and will leave her avatar in the virtual world, and become her physical self again. But what memories does she keep, and what new ideas does she have?

Cast:

AbaBrukh Aabye
Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Cecilia Mistwalker
Desiree Lurra
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Marsden Tomorrow
Patros Zifer
Tik Merlin
Tinka Bondar
Sherainbow Merlin
Sherrell Hird
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen

Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Costume Mistress - Vienne Darcy
Set Builds - Amelie Dibou, Tik Merlin
Theatre Build & Roadie - Espresso Saarinen
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Webmaster - Skippy Flossberg
Ushers:Alexa Sideways,Anaid Daviau
Consultant, Japan - Asami Larsson
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Degas Dances

The time is the turn of the century, The subject is the ballet. The view is painting. Edgar Degas, known for his paintings of ballet dancers, has given us a window in which to see ballet at this time of history. But what is behind the paintings?

Let us explore how one art influences another. See what Second Life and our virtual world can do for movement. Degas' paintings come to life!

ACT I: Ballet Class

Scene: "Foyer de Danse à l'Opéra de la rue Le Peletier", 1872 (oil on wood)

We see what really was behind Degas' painting of "The Opera Dance Studio on the Rue Le Peletier"?

ACT II: Dress Rehearsals

Scene 1: "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen", 1921

[Wax sculpture of Marie van Goethem - - modeled in 1880, exhibited in 1881 (the only sculpture Edgar Degas ever exhibited since all others were deemed unsuitable)]

What was Degas famous "Little Dancer" based on? What would happen if she could dance today? Does the standing statue yearn to dance with her dancing older sisters?

Scene 2: A triptych of three Degas paintings

On your left is Degas' "Two Dancers on the Stage", 1874; in the center is "L'Etoile (La danseuse sur la scene)", 1878 (pastel on pink paper), and on your right is "Blue Rehearsal", 1875 (gouche and pastel on canvas).

What if they could all dance together?

ACT III: The Performance

Scene: "Les danseuses en violet les jupes, les bras levés", 1900 (pastel, chalk & charcoal on tracing paper)

And finally, after the ballet classes and the rehearsals, we see the result of all of the work: the performance.

Here we see "Two Dancers in Violet". And a miraculous mixture of a Second Life dancer in the movie of the painting dancing with a live Second Life dancer!

Cast:

AbaBrukh Aabye
Amelie Dibou
Aiyana Tripsa
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Neena Botanical
Sherrell Hird
Skippy Flossberg
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music by Kurt Bestor

MCs - AbaBrunkh Aabye, Sherrell Hird, Skippy Flossberg
MC Coordinator - Skippy Flossberg
ound Engineers - Willis Rossini, Neena Botanical
Costume Creator - Amelie Dibou
Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Set Consultant - Mark Cassini
Roadie & Build - Espresso Saarinen
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Living Goddess

This is a ballet based on the real story of the "Living Goddess", or Kumari Devi, who is worshipped in Nepal. She is chosen based on several physical, emotional, and astrological different attributes and then, in a secret ceremony, the goddess Durga comes into her body and she becomes he embodiment of Durga. From then on, she leaves her family, and stays in her temple, Kumari Che, except for 13 days when she leaves for festivals which she attends in her golden chariot. She always wears red, and does not wear shoes or walk while she is the living goddess. When she reaches puberty, a new living goddess is chosen and she becomes mortal again and returns to her family.

ACT I: Outside of Kumari Che, the temple of the Living Goddess

Kumari Devi rises from a white lotus flower. Devotees come in to honor her and receive a flower from her that blesses them. She walks on a white silk path towards her chariot. The worshippers are dancing around her in jubilation. She passes through into Kumari Che and appears briefly into the top center window.

ACT II: ACT II: Mt. Everest in the land of the Gods

Kumari appears on a cloud as her mortal self and then suddenly transforms into Durga, goddess of both creation and destruction. Bishamon, the god of war, fights with Durga. The goddess Kisshoten brings love. And the green Tara god and goddess provide the bridge to immortality.

ACT III: In front of Kumari Che

Kumari Devi has grown into adulthood so a ceremony takes place where she transforms back into a normal human and we see the new (young girl) Kumari Devi sworn in. A grand festival takes place celebrating the Kumari and Durga. We see the devotees dancing and dancing honoring this wheel of life. But the pattern repeats itself over and over. A Kumari is chosen, grows up, amd a new one is chosen. Over and over. Reliance on rtual. At what cost? What does being a goddess mean?

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Aiyana Tripsa
Brie Mimulus
Deyna Broek
Luci Yokosuka
Marlena Petrov
Sherrell Hird
Skippy Flossberg
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music Composed & Performed by Solary Clary

Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Costume Mistress - TheAbsintheFairy
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Public Relations Coordinator - Kae Sura
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
MC Coordinator & Webmaster - Skippy Flossberg
Machinimatographer - Aiyana Tripsa
Mistress of Ceremonies - Sherrell Hird
Builds & Scripts - Amelie Dibou
Builds & Scripts - Mo Hax
Theater Builds & Scripts - Espresso Saarinen
Usher Coordinator - Anaid Daviau
Usher - Adele Halcali
Consultant - Asami Larsson
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Shuzenji

Set in Edo-era Japan, "Shuzenji" tells the story of two lovers. It is an original work created by Ballet Pixelle founder and director Inarra Saarinen, with music by the popular Japanese composer Solary Clary.

ACT I -

Tokai and Sakura are locked in an embrace. Suddenly, Tokai is surrounded by four enraged Oiran, or courtesans. They are jealous of the love between Tokai and his lover, Sakura. He tries to fight back, but in a jealous rage they kill him. Sakura sees his death and his spirit leave his body. He has become a yurei -- a spirit that is tied to the place of a violent death.

ACT II -

Sakura knows Tokai's spirit must still be at Shuzenji. Her deep love for Tokai calls his spirit and he transforms into Tokai in human form! They dance in love and delight. Now Tokai's spirit is free and he can leave the place of his death, Shuzenji. However, Sakura cannot bear to lose him again. She kills herself to become a ghost herself and join him in the afterlife.

ACT III -

Now that Sakura and Tokai are released from their earthly bonds, they unite in the spirit world -- a place of unlimited souls. Surrounded by Obake women, they marry in the spirit world and are together forever in unending love. This is the tale of Shuzenji.

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Deyna Broek
Lina Lageos
Neena Botanical
Pyper Dollinger
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music Composed & Performed by Solary Clary

Ballet Coordinator - Vivienne Darcy
Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin

Set Consultant - Mark Cassini
Machinimatography - Halden Beaumont
Theater Builds & Scripts - Espresso Saarinen
Usher - Mariel Voyunicef
Consultant - Asami Larsson
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Les Fleurs Rose (Je t'Aime)

"Les Fleurs Rose" ("Je t’Amie") is a unique Ballet Pixelle performance dedicated to love, and to lovers of ballet, and is performed in three acts:

ACT I: "Le Ballet Francais"

ACT II: "Les Fleurs Rose"

ACT III: "A French Can Can"

Cast:

Aiyana Tripsa
Amelie Dibou
Vivienne Darcy
Tatiana Kurri
Neena Botanical
Marlena Petrov
TheAbsinthe Fairey

Crew:

Story, Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen

Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Public Relations Coordinator - Kae Sura
Theater Builds & Scripts - Espresso Saarinen
MC - Skip Flossberg
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Phylogeny

Phylogeny is an original virtual ballet presented with live original music in colaboration with Indiana University / Purdue University, Indianapolis. Premiered April 22, 2008.

Synopsis -

It is the beginning of time. We see beings fly and soar in the air and crawl and tumble on the ground. They are not animals, but humans. Then, as their dance and the mysterious music continues, they transform into bears. Then the bears transform into dragons. Who has evolved from whom? A different view of who was first and phylogeny -- the development of the species.

The Place: The universe

The Time: The beginning

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Neena Botanical
Pyper Dollinger
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music composed by Douglas Anderson, performed live by IUPUI Telematics Ensemble, Scott Deal conducting

Ballet Mistress - Amelie Dibou
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Costume Designer - Savannah McMillan, Spirit
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Set Design - Inarra Saarinen
Set Build - Mark Cassini & Tik Merlin
Machinimatography - Halden Beaumont

Photographer - Mariel Voyunicef
Theater Builds & Playbill- Espresso Saarinen
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Special thanks to Kristin Story (Maya Debevec) and Scott Deal of Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis and the other artists and techs there for asking us to join in this exciting venture!

The Nut

A slightly abridged retelling of "The Nutcracker." It is called "The Nut" because it is the dancing "Nut" or essence of the Nutcracker.

ACT I - Clara's Bedroom, Christmas Eve

Clara plays and dances with the Nutcracker doll that she was given for Christmas. Then she dreams of the Nutcracker growing larger and becoming a real Prince. She and the Prince dance a dreamy pas de deux.

ACT II - A Mystical Castle

Clara finds her Nutcracker has become the Prince of her dreams. And she has become his Princess. She dances with joy. Then they watch and see mysterious dancers in the castle. Arabian dancers appear. A Russian man begins to dance. Even snowflakes are dancing!

ACT III - Clara's Bedroom, Christmas Morning

The characters from her night dance through Clara's sleep. Clara awakens to find she is no longer a Princess, and the Prince is again a Nutcracker doll. Was it her dream? Her imagination? Or was that really a magical castle? She knows that whether it was real or not, she will have this night forever.

Cast:

Alina Mikadze
Amelie Dibou
Boaz Sands
Deyna Broek
Jie Loon
Lina Lageos
Misty Gentil
Neena Botanical
Pyper Dollinger
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann
Music Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Music Performed by Orchestra of the Ballet Theatre, Moscow

Costume Designer - Savannah McMillan
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Sets and Lighting Design - Inarra Saarinen
Act II Set - Cyanide Seelowe
Set Manager & Architect - Mark Cassini
Lighting Architect- Espresso Saarinen
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Roadies - Espresso Saarinen, Mark Cassini
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Windows

Windows are openings that allow us to see a glimpse of a person's life; to be a bit of a voyeur for a moment in time. "Windows" allow us to look into a person; their heart and soul, dreams and hopes, failures and disappointments.

In the first act we see a shadow of a mature woman, alone with only her thoughts of past love and lost dreams -- one of many in the city. In the second act, we see teenagers flirting and vying for attention and love -- one wins, one loses. And in the third, and old couple, who know each other too well, who try to rediscover their lost love. Do they?

ACT 1 - THE CITY

Jane is in her 40s and lives in a apartment in the 1950's. She comes home exhausted and undresses while thinking. What does she have? She performs a sexy dance for an imaginary man in a chair. She tries on different looks and poses. Then she cries in the chair and cries to the heavens. Has she loved?

ACT 2 - THE DINER

Two teenage girls and one teenage boy are dancing. The First Girl dances for the Boy, then the Second Girl dances. Each girl dances for the Boy, each girl vying for attention and love. Who is the victor in love?

ACT 3 -
Scene 1 - The Apartment
Scene 2 - The Park

An old couple are in their apartment together, but in different worlds. The Old Man is drawn to his wife, but the Old Woman knits and sees nothing. He remembers when they were young and in love. Do they rediscover their love? Come. Let's look through some windows...

Cast:

Amelie Dibou
Boaz Sands
Deyna Broek
Jie Loon
Lina Lageos
Misty Gentil
Neena Botanical
Pyper Dollinger
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy

Crew:

Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Original Music Louis Volare

Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Set Design - Inarra Saarinen

Set HUD Architect - Mark Cassini
Financial Manager - Calia Cachin
Lighting Design - Inarra Saarinen
Lighting Architect- Espresso Saarinen
Props Mistress - Chryssie Bunnyhug
Roadies - Espresso Saarinen, Mark Cassini
MC - Mark Cassini
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen

Olmannen

"Olmannen", an original three-act story ballet, was Ballet Pixelle's first production and played to a packed SIM. Original animations and choreography and original music were created.

"Olmannen" is the story of a couple in love, how evil in many forms can divide, and how true love can overcome. It is the story of souls fighting for love. Centuries ago, Namon agreed to become a Devang to save his one true love, Seraphette, from evil. Namon has waited centuries for her soul to be reborn to reclaim their love. But now that she is reincarnated, Seraphette has changed. Can Namon still love the new Seraphette? Can Seraphette possibly accept the love of Namon, a creature of the Overworld?

ACT I: (The past) The Ice Garden

Namon and Seraphette are happy and together as lovers, bound together by idealized love. However, they become threatened by evil. In order to save Seraphette from this evil, Namon battles the Devangs and agrees to join them. Seraphette eventually dies a broken-hearted, old woman.

Act II: (The present) The Public Alley

Seraphette, dispirited and despairing, has been reincarnated as a dancerwho performs with tarts in public alleys. Namon has waited for Seraphette to be reincarnated and he returns to find her again. However, Seraphette has only a vague memory of him and Namon has to fight to remind her oftheir love. Finally, he reveals himself to her and she falls in love with him again.

Act III: (The future) The Mystical Garden

Their true love allows Namon to be released from evil and Seraphette to return from her despairing life. Sprites herald their return. They reunite forever in the mystical garen and ascend into "Olmannen", happy in their realized and true love

Cast:

Amber Shablin
Alina Mikadze
Amelie Dibou
Chryssie Bunnyhug
Ssaspriina Sismondi

Crew:

Animations, Choreography by Inarra Saarinen
Music by Alazarin Mondrian

Stage Manager - Cyanide Seelowe
Sound Engineer - Willis Rossini
Theatre design - Veronica Duvall
Theater Build - Espresso Saarinen
Artistic Director - Inarra Saarinen