In just a few weeks, on January 29, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company will arrive in Kansas City to be a part of Johnson County Community College’s genre-studded Performing Arts Series. The 41-year-old organization is hailed as one of the most reputable modern dance companies in the world. Founder Lar Lubovitch also has been recognized as a leading international choreographer, and his works have received acclaim for their outstanding musicality, complex structure, and realistic points of view. For more information and tickets to this upcoming show, visit http://www.jccc.edu/performing-arts-series/index.html or call 913-469-4445.

Fast-forward a month and a half: March 10 through March 13 at the Lyric Theatre, Kansas City Ballet will host their winter program, Giselle, which cannot be missed. This two-act, quintessentially romantic ballet is haunting yet beautiful. With a setting that moves from the peasant town of Giselle’s childhood to a forest full of virgin spirits, the story is one of innocent love, unrequited love, and true, undying love. To ensure tickets to one of the four performances, call 816-931-2232 or go online to www.kcballet.org.

April is a busy month for dance, beginning with another JCCC series event: The Joffrey Ballet. Founded in 1956 by Robert Joffrey, this is one of the top ballet companies in the country, if not the world. Currently under the artistic direction of Ashley C. Wheater, the company continues to excel at the professional, academic, and educational levels. Referred to as “America’s Company of Firsts,” the Joffrey Ballet was the first company to appear on television, the first to dance at the White House, the only dance organization to be featured on Time magazine’s cover, and the first company with its own blockbuster movie (Robert Altman’s The Company.) To catch their one-night performance at Yardley Hall, call 913-469-4445 or log onto http://www.jccc.edu/performing-arts-series/index.html.

For their spring show on April 29 and 30, Owen/Cox Dance Group will combine creative juices with newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble for what’s sure to be a stimulating and amusing night to remember. Both groups are known for their fresh perspectives, unique interpretations, and adeptness at collaborating with other artists. On the musical menu are selections by Jacob TV, Hyekyung Lee, and Louis Andriessen, which are bound to produce sensational movement works by Jennifer Owen. Don’t wait too long to get these tickets, as the group routinely performs to full houses at Union Station’s H & R Block City Stage Theater. Visit www.unionstation.org to reserve your seats.

Another timeless, full-length ballet will be featured this spring as part of the Harriman-Jewell Series. The Russian National Ballet Theatre, returning to Kansas City for the fourth time, will present Romeo and Juliet at the Folly Theater on April 30. The company, initially titled the Soviet National Ballet, was formed in the late 1980s and still features original company members from the prestigious Russian schools in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Riga, Kiev, and Warsaw. The 50-member, internationally recognized company has been under the artistic directorship of Elena Radchenko, former principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, since 1994. In addition to Romeo and Juliet, the program will include Chopiniana, choreographed by Mikhail Fokine in honor of Frédéric Chopin. Please call 816-415-5025 or log onto www.hjseries.org for tickets.

To close out their 54th season—their last at the Lyric Theatre—Kansas City Ballet will present their spring program, Moves, May 5 through May 8. The bill of the program includes Jerome Robbins’ Moves, which originally debuted in 1959 but will be a premiere for the company. By staging the piece a cappella, Robbins goal was to eliminate instrumental music and allow the audience to completely focus on movement and the dancers’ relationships with one another. Also included in the program is The Catherine Wheel Suite by Twyla Tharp and Mercy of the Elements, a world premiere by Artistic Director William Whitener. His new work will include live accompaniment to highlight Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s eccentric score, chosen because of its unpredictability and rare instrumental groupings. Contact the box office for tickets at 816-931-2232 or order online at www.kcballet.org.

Closing out the spring dance line-up May 13-14 is the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. The local ensemble is known for works based on social issues or pieces that challenge nontraditional themes. Director and co-founder Mary Pat Henry, in addition to the company’s other choreographers, often adds elements of music, projection, and props to the dancing. As of now, the company has not posted the program selection for their 20^th-anniversary spring performance but the show will be at UMKC’s White Recital Hall. Check www.wylliams-henry.org for more information and order tickets online at https://tickets.cto.umkc.edu/public/load_screen.asp or by phone at 816-235-6222.

Top Photo: Lar Lubovitch Dance Company

By Laura Vernaci

Dance Contributor

Laura Vernaci is a Kansas City native who has always been passionate about the arts, particularly dance. She began dance lessons at the young age of five and hasn't stopped since. She trained at the Kansas City Ballet where she became a serious dancer and learned about a professional company. 

She attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she majored in dance. She transferred to Truman State University in Kirksville, MO in 2006 and received a degree in Journalism in May 2008.  Laura spent the 2008-2009 in Duluth, MN dancing professionally for the Minnesota Ballet. She performed in productions such as, "The Nutcracker," "Cinderella" and "Coppelia" as well as world premier ballets created on the company.

She recently moved back to Kansas City and is excited to combine her experience in writing with her passion for dance. In addition to performing and writing, Laura also enjoys teaching dance and choreographing.