 "Photo: Courtesy of wolftrap.com")
In the world of performance, it is fairly uncommon to find rock music fans and ballet enthusiasts at the same event. However, the Columbia City Ballet will do just that in three performances on April 3 and 4.
The Hootie and the Blowfish Ballet, choreographed by Executive and Artistic Director William Starrett is not only inspired by, but will feature live performance by South Carolina's native rock group Hootie and the Blowfish at the Koger Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday with an additional performance at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The event, which is a collaboration of both South Carolina's premier professional ballet company and the renowned recording artists, will interpret some of Hootie and the Blowfish's most meaningful songs and convey how the music transformed from four USC freshmen playing at frat parties into a worldwide sensation.
"There is real meaning behind their music so I wanted to express them to people and bring them out through dance," Starrett said.
The Columbia City Ballet, founded in 1961, currently employs 32 dancers who train to perform more than 80 times a year.
Starrett said the idea to collaborate with the band has been on his mind for a long time. Other than showcasing the music and dancers, his aim was to bring a positive light to South Carolina as a whole.
"South Carolina has recently been getting a bad rap with the economic troubles, controversy over the flying of the confederate flag and publicity of the state's poor academic standing," Starrett said. "Because both organizations are such positive things, I felt it was important to bring them together to create something good for the state, through such tough times."
Hootie and the Blowfish is commonly thought of as an overnight success story.
In 1986, after lead vocalist Darius Rucker and guitarist Mark Bryan met in a dorm bathroom, they soon recruited bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, to form the band, which got its name from the nicknames of two college friends. When their soulful songs including "Hold My Hand" and "Let Her Cry" debuted in 1994, the band raced to the top of the Billboards charts and became an international sensation.
Starrett said he was forced to put the project on hold because of the bands seemingly hectic schedule.
"I was afraid to approach them," he said. "They were so unapproachable, so I put it off and then I met Soni at a bar in 5 Points and let him know I wanted to collaborate."
After another meeting at a local Starbucks, Starrett told the band his plan.
"I laid it all out there and told them I wanted to tell their journey and their climb to success," he said.
With a plan in place, an open casting was held and three different sets of dancers were chosen to play the band members; Four boys to play the band as young men, different dancers to play them in their college years and finally four other dancers to play them in the present.
"My first reaction was 'How in the world is that going to happen?'" company member Kathryn Smoak said. "My second thought of course, was that it was the coolest thing in the world."
Although many of the members originally thought that the ballet would be much more challenging than their regular shows, this proved not to be the case.
"The hardest thing was just learning all of the brand new choreography," said Smoak, who has been a member of the Columbia City Ballet for over 10 years. "It was much more fun than challenging."
Starrett said he understands this is a new concept for typical ballet and rock concert goers, but said he worked very hard to keep the performance as diverse as the two groups.
"The incredible thing about dance and music is that each person's experience is meaningful and their own," Starrett said. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and only the first 6,000 people are going to get to see it. The only pressure on us is to make the dancing as good as the music is."
To reserve a ticket, call (803) 251-2222.
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