Visitors to the Huntington Museum of Art’s The Wide Reach of the Bauhaus exhibition now through Jan. 10, 2021, can see a video presentation of The Charleston Ballet performing an original work inspired by Oskar Schlemmer’s ”Triadisches Ballet.” For a two-week period beginning November 23 everyone can view The Charleston Ballet’s performance on the Huntington Museum of Art’s YouTube Channel.
Because of COVID-19, a planned Charleston Ballet performance in HMA’s Grace Rardin Doherty Auditorium had to be canceled.
“We began preparing our part of the Bauhaus project about 18 months before the exhibit opening date. First asking Matt Jackfert to create an original score, then beginning the discussion and experimentation part of the costume design,” said Artistic Director Kim Pauley. “Part of the choreography was created over Zoom while we faced about 7 weeks away from the studio late spring. Everyone involved agreed this project was unlike any other project they had participated in. It was gratifying to see every part of the project come together.”
Costumes created and executed by Patti Boley, Tammy Madden, Kim Pauley, Elaine Baldwin, Mary Anna Ball, Melinda Miesner and Brigette Madden for the performance are on display in The Wide Reach of the Bauhaus exhibition. Assembly of the costumes took place over a couple of months in two locations. The costumes and The Charleston Ballet performance on DVD have been well received. “One of the goals for this project was to show the effect of the Bauhaus on art forms such as modern dance and music in addition to visual art,” said HMA Senior Curator Chris Hatten. “The result of this partnership with The Charleston Ballet has been incredibly successful and The Charleston Ballet deserves a great deal of credit for all their hard work and dedication.”
The Wide Reach of the Bauhaus exhibit at HMA celebrates the influence of the Bauhaus School founded by Walter Gropius, who along with his partners at The Architects Collaborative, designed the addition to the Huntington Museum of Art that opened 50 years ago.
This exhibition is supported, in part, by a gift from the Saint John’s Trust, in Memory of Anna Virginia Morgan.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
This program is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
For more information on The Charleston Ballet, visit thecharlestonballet.com or call (304) 342-6541.
For more information on the Huntington Museum of Art, visit hmoa.org or call (304) 529-2701. HMA is fully accessible.