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Founder of CT Ballet Cites Oddfellows Playhouse as Inspiration

Brett Raphael, the founder and CEO of Connecticut Ballet , based in Hartford, provides Middletown Patch an inside scoop on the free public performance of the Summer Dance Caravan at Middlesex Community College Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. in an exclusive Q&A session.

Q: What pieces will be performed for the Summer Dance Caravan Middlesex Community College performance? What should spectators expect?

A: Our repertoire is broad, it is not just classical, so we are putting together a program that is appealing to almost anyone who enjoys dance. The Summer Dance Caravan features dramatic, classical and contemporary ballet — featuring "Paquita," a Spanish-style classical ballet, "Indian Summer," a dramatic piece taking place on the eve of the stock market crash in 1929 and "Pulse," a contemporary piece featuring Japanese music.

Q: I consider Middletown a community arts Mecca, so to speak, with so many nonprofits aiming to provide the surrounding area with ease of access to the arts, but I must ask: Why Middletown? A: My absolute passion for dance and ballet drove me. I think I was destined to create a vehicle to both choreograph and produce. I danced with the company myself. It was a vehicle for me to work with others and bring into being a larger institution. Through years and years of nonstop work and dedication, Connecticut Ballet was founded. 

Thankfully, a lot of people have supported us along the way: from the PTO mom who wants bring us into her school to private donors and corporate entities who want to put their name on a residency or program, we have been very fortunate.

As I stopped performing principle dance, my focus shifted to the organization and our connections. I still have the newspaper clipping over 20 years ago about Oddfellows Playhouse receiving a major state capital grant to renovate the building. I was truly inspired by their commitment to the arts. As I have watched other models grow, things come and go, but I hope that others see our model and become inspired to have a festival in their town.

Q: What are your day-to-day responsibilities as the artistic director and CEO?

A: Every day is literally different. I have many hats and I am currently in the process fundraising, casting and auditioning, planning, and finalizing arrangements with Bushnell and Stamford Center for the Arts. It really never ends, but the immediate priority now is providing the public the highest quality performances possible, and that is what we are offering in Middletown.

Bushnell Park to Host Hartford Symphony's Picnic In The Park: A ...

HARTFORD, July 25, 2011 – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will share their talent and passion for music with the community of Hartford at the Hartford Symphony’s Picnic In The Park on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. in Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford. Led by the HSO’s new Music Director, Carolyn Kuan , this free, outdoor concert will showcase the many musical styles of the HSO, including classical works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Shostakovich; an operatic selection featuring Yale Opera Program alumna Amanda Hall; a new arrangement from the HSO Jazz and Strings; solo beatboxing by Shodekeh and special guests; selections from the UCONN “Pride of Connecticut” marching band and drumline; a violin concerto performance by HSO Artist-in-Residence Sirena Huang; members of the choirs of the Greater Hartford Arts Academy and Simsbury High School, and more.

Carolyn Kuan says, “I’m inviting the entire community to come and enjoy my first concert with the HSO as Music Director. Hartford Symphony is a fantastic orchestra and this will be a blockbuster concert not to be missed.  When has a 17 year old prodigy violinist, a beatboxing virtuoso, UCONN’s “Pride of Connecticut Marching Band, the talented choirs of Simsbury High School and Greater Hartford Arts Academy, and more all come together in one performance?  And what better way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon than to relax with family and friends and hear some great music in Bushnell Park?”

“We can’t wait to share the passion and energy that Carolyn Kuan has for making music,” says Hartford Symphony Interim CEO Carrie Hammond.  “We thank Mayor Segarra and the City of Hartford for their support in presenting this free performance, and we hope to have a park full of people to welcome Carolyn to our community.”

Mayor Pedro E. Segarra welcomes Maestra Kuan and applauds this community concert.  “What a great way to celebrate our parks, our history, our world renowned orchestra, and our city’s bright future.  Music is the international language and I can’t think of a better way to bring people together.  This sense of unity and collaboration is symbolic of what we’re working towards with iQuilt—to knit together our arts and heritage with our open space and network our cultural pathways.  The season is truly getting off on the right note!” said Mayor Segarra.

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