Sarasota Opera is Looking for Dancers!

Sarasota Opera Announces an  Open Dance Call for upcoming Winter Opera production



A scene from the 2003 Sarasota Opera production
of The Pearl Fishers

Sarasota Opera will be hosting an open audition for dancers for their upcoming 2013 winter season production of The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet. Director/Choreographer Keturah Stickann is seeking 2 male dancers who are mature, athletic, possess a deep sense of theatricality and are 16 years of age or older. Ideally these dancers would have a modern background with a strong classical base, and an easy knowledge of partnering technique.  The men should be comfortable lifting women as well as each other. 

The ideal candidate must possess a modern background with a strong classical base and an easy knowledge of partnering technique.  The men should be comfortable lifting women as well as each other.    

Rehearsals will begin on or around Friday, January 18, 2013.  There will be 9 performances total.  The performance dates are February 16, 19, 21, 24, 27 and March 1, 8, 16, 22.  Dancers cast in the production will receive an honorarium of $2,000.00

This opera was last presented at Sarasota Opera in 2003 and every performance was sold out! 

Male dancers who want to be considered for The Pearl Fishers should contact Rob Holland, rholland@sarasotaopera.org (941.366.8450 x 537) ASAP.



Director/Choreographer Keturah Stickann

 Keturah Stickann will be making her Sarasota Opera debut as the director and choreographer for the 2013 production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. 

Ms. Stickann’s directing and choreographic credits include Glimmerglass Opera, Knoxville Opera, San Diego Opera, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Central City Opera, Envision Arts San Diego, Opera Theatre Saint Louis, Florida Grand Opera, Virginia Opera, Melange Dance, Opera Pacific and DePaul Opera Theater.  She has assisted and choreographed for, among others, Lillian Groag, John Copley, Mark Lamos, Michael Hampe, Lotfi Mansouri, Robert Driver, Harry Silverstein, for whom she choreographed the 2001 revival of Kurka’s The Good Soldier Schweik at Chicago Opera Theater, and Leonard Foglia, for whom she is the assistant director and choreographer on the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick (Dallas Opera, State Opera of South Australia) as well as the world premiere of To Cross the Face of the Moon (Houston Grand Opera, Theatre du Chatelet).

Trained as a classical and contemporary dancer, Ms. Stickann has performed with Cerulean Dance Theatre, Malashock Dance, The Wally Cardona Quartet, Colleen Halloran Dance, and Danny Grossman and Dancers.  In addition, she’s captained and been a principal dancer for Chicago Opera Theater, working with choreographer Daniel Pelzig on Death in Venice and Akhnaten, with which she also traveled to the Opera National Du Rhin in Strasbourg, France.  She was also the assistant choreographer and principal dancer for the Andrew Sinclair/Zandra Rhodes production of The Pearl Fishers which premiered at San Diego Opera, then traveled to Michigan Opera Theater, and New York City Opera.

Ms. Stickann is also a sought-after movement and acting coach for young singers and actors.  She’s trained and coached performers at The La Jolla Playhouse Theater Conservatory, The San Diego Opera Summer Singers Workshop, the Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artists Program, Emerald City Opera, Stephen’s College, and DePaul University, among others.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Ms. Stickann studied ballet and theater at Stephens College while still in high school, and spent her summers at DanceAspen, The State Ballet of Missouri and the prestigious Rep/Etudes Project at Jacob’s Pillow.  She received her B.A. in dance education and choreography from Columbia College Chicago, and was a 1997 nominee for the Princess Grace Award for excellence in the arts.