Scene - Blogs - A last blast from ballets past

A last blast from ballets past
Published: 4/21/2008 3:18 PM
Last Modified: 4/21/2008 3:18 PM

One of the things that comes from doing a particular job for nigh under two decades is an acute awareness of the passing of time.

The weekend mail delivered an announcement that Willy Shives is retiring from dancing.

Shives was a principal dancer with Tulsa Ballet from 1986 to 1992, and he, along with his wife Evie Pena-Shives were audience favorites.

Shives joined Tulsa Ballet about the time I started writing about dance and other artistic things around time. I interviewed him a number of times and reviewed him even more, and still remember the elan he brought to his performance, especially in such Americana ballets as "Rodeo," "Billy the Kid" and "The Filling Station."

After leaving Tulsa Ballet under less-than-pleasant circumstances, the Shives moved to Pittsburgh, where he danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, then to Chicago, where Shives was a leading dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.

Shives will give his last performance on May 25th as part of the American Moderns program the Joffrey Ballet will present at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago.
I won't be able to attend Shives' last dance, but I can still say "all the best, Willy, to you, Eive and the girls."

Reader Comments

1 Total

Show: Newest First

Learn About Our Comment Policy

Karen (5 years ago)

Willy and Evie Shives are on my list favorite dancers and it seems odd that enough time has passed that they could be retiring. They will always be that cute, talented young couple in my memory. Good luck to them for the future!

1 comments displayed

To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.

To sign in to your account, go to tulsaworld.com/signin.
To activate your print subscription for unlimited digital access and to post comments, go to tulsaworld.com/activate.
To purchase a subscription, go to tulsaworld.com/subscribe.

ARTS

James D. Watts Jr. has lived in Oklahoma for most his life, even though he still has people saying to him, "Don't sound like you're from around these parts." A University of Oklahoma Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Watts has received the Governor Arts Award, Harwelden Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Beth Macklin Award for his writing. Before coming to the Tulsa World, Watts worked for the Tulsa Tribune.

Contact him at (918) 581-8478.

Subscribe to this blog

Archive

Past Articles By James D. Watts Jr

2/15/2013		'Concept/OK' exhibit ends Saturday
2/14/2013		Symphony to host piano soloist
2/14/2013		Broadway tours bring 'Shrek,' improv musical to Tulsa area this weekend
2/14/2013		Arts roundup: Improv reigns at several upcoming theater events
2/14/2013		'Lion King' returns to Tulsa PAC June 4
2/12/2013		Review: Signature Symphony reprises '100 Years of Oklahoma Music'
2/11/2013		Tulsa Symphony's concert salutes diverse American music
2/10/2013		Cherokee artist weaves messages into baskets
2/10/2013		Tesla Quartet set for Tulsa residency next week with variety of activities
2/10/2013		Jim Murphy wins 2013 Anne Zarrow Award
2/10/2013		LBJ chronicler Robert Caro to speak at TU on Tuesday
2/9/2013		Theater review: Playhouse makes "Barefoot in the Park" believable

James D. Watts Jr's Blog Archive:

2/2013	1/2013	12/2012	11/2012	10/2012	9/2012
8/2012	7/2012	6/2012	5/2012	4/2012	3/2012
2/2012	1/2012	12/2011	11/2011	10/2011	9/2011
8/2011	7/2011	6/2011	5/2011	4/2011	3/2011
2/2011	1/2011	12/2010	11/2010	10/2010	9/2010
8/2010	7/2010	6/2010	5/2010	4/2010	3/2010
2/2010	1/2010	12/2009	11/2009	10/2009	9/2009
8/2009	7/2009	6/2009	5/2009	4/2009	3/2009
2/2009	1/2009	12/2008	11/2008	10/2008	9/2008
8/2008	7/2008	6/2008	5/2008	4/2008

Your bookmark will appear on your Profile page. Please give it a title, and short description so that visitors to your page will understand where the bookmark leads.
Bookmark Title :

Bookmark Text :