People & Places: Fundraiser to help send Osage Ballet dancers to D.C. to perform 'Wahzhazhe' at Smithsonian
BY DANNA SUE WALKER World Staff Writer
Thursday, February 07, 2013
2/07/13 at 4:16 AM
Here comes a great charity auction that will also help fund a group of local ballet dancers journey to Washington, D.C., to perform at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian the week of March 18.
The Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa is teaming up with Randy Tinker Smith, the creator of the Osage Ballet "Wahzhazhe," for the auction, which will be held from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. March 5 at Harwelden and will feature the works of such artists as Anita Fields, Tom Fields, Loren Pahsetopah, Harvey Payne, Susan Shannon, Tony Tiger, Julie White, Joe Don Brave and more. Master auctioneer Jay Litchfield will lead the bidding.
Other auction items will include an authentic Osage skirt donated by Bob and Chris Suffante, Dell Besse boots, and exquisite turquoise jewelry.
The Washington, D.C., trip is also being sponsored by Spyglass Energy, Osage LLC, Osage Foundation, John Moncravie, Osage Tribal Museum, Encana and Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa.
For other donations or to sponsor a dancer, please send a check to the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, 2210 S. Main St., Tulsa, OK 74114
"Wahzhazhe" is the creation of Tinker Smith (Osage/Cherokee), who fulfilled a personal dream by bringing this contemporary ballet production to the stage in August 2012. The ballet was choreographed by Jenna Smith (Osage/Cherokee) with the help of Roman Jasinski as artistic adviser.
To help make this a realization were music composer Lou Brock (Osage) and Dr. Joseph Rivers (University of Tulsa), music arranger/orchestrator/composer, who developed the music.
The ballet brings together unique and diverse qualities of Oklahoma history and culture; a reverence for classical ballet that was the legacy of two famous Osage ballerinas, Maria and Marjorie Tallchief; and the richness of Osage traditional music, dance and textile arts.
The creative set designs transform the stage into an accurate depiction of Osage lifestyles, and the costumes are created to appear as the traditional tribal clothing that was worn during the past 200 years.
Original Print Headline: Event helps get ballet to D.C.
Associated Images:
Randy Tinker Smith (left), R.L. Woody Baldwin and Sandra Jamison gather at Harwelden ahead of a charity auction March 5 to help fund a group of local ballet dancers' journey to perform at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
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