‘Of Gravity and Light’

Tickets are on sale for “Of Gravity and Light’ – a Ballet Des Moines production created by composer Beau Kenyon.

Kenyon, a 1998 graduate of Creston Community High School, has spent his career collaborating with other visual and performing artists to bring his ideas to life. “Of Gravity and Light” is no exception.

“Of Gravity and Light” is a contemporary ballet in two parts featuring nine dancers, nine musicians and choir.

Presented by Ballet Des Moines, Kenyon’s “Of Gravity and Light” investigates the science of the solar system through music, contemporary ballet and video projection while relating it to joy, wonder and loss. Concepts like lunar eclipse and gravity invite audiences to contemplate the expansive universe they live in and how they relate to it and to each other.

“Scientifically, it’s such a beautiful concept,” Kenyon said. “But in terms of a metaphor, of the sort of relationships that we experience in our social lives – not just in love, but loss – the push and pull we experience, was just a really effective metaphor.”

Kenyon said work on creating “Of Gravity and Light” started a year ago after Ballet Des Moines CEO Blaire Massa – a friend and college of his – asked if he’d ever consider creating a project with a space theme.

“I’m like, ‘Blair, I’ve been thinking about thinking about this for so many years,’” said Kenyon. “I’ve been exploring ways to interpret both science and literature through music for many decades.”

Kenyon said it had been years since he had come across poetry by Pablo Neruda, whose poetry inspired the concept of the ballet.

“He was writing short-form poetry about creating stars and thinking about the universe, thinking about the solar system,” Kenyon said.

What drew Kenyon to an extraterrestrial-themed ballet is that space, like a performance, has much in terms of beauty, depth movement and layers to appreciate.

“There’s so many things to learn about and look at,” said Kenyon.

To prepare for the project, Kenyon said spent a lot of time reading and researching the science of the solar system.

“I really fell in love with the relationship between the moon and the Earth,” he said of what inspired the ballet’s first act,” he said. “The second act is really about the relationship of the sun as the anchor, or the heart, of our solar system.”

“My hope, and the way I intended to build it, is that it sparks curiosity, that as people are watching, they feel like they’re actively participating. They’re curious about what is going to happen next and there’s a sense of wonder and curiosity experience throughout,” said Kenyon. “I hope that when they leave they feel a greater sense of connection to other people who are in the audience ... and continue to want to have experiences like this.”

“Of Gravity and Light makes its world premier April 22 at the Des Moines Civic Center. Tickets are available at www.balletdesmoines.org.