Symphony 4: The Magic of Cirque & Symphony
Symphony 4: The Magic of Cirque & Symphony
Saturday, March 4, 2023, 7:30 pm
WK Kellogg Auditorium
Mary Pat Letourneau, contortion and acro dance
Sierra Kathryn, silks
Andre Moraru, hand balancing and acro dance
Liv Morrow, lyra and silks
Ron Oppenheimer, flying pole and straps
Katherine Rodge, lyra
Alysha Shah, hoops
Your Battle Creek Symphony reaches new soaring heights as the magic of cirque returns to the WK Kellogg Auditorium. Seemingly impossible combinations of strength and acrobatics on aerial silks, straps, flying pole, and lyra are choreographed to—and over—live symphonic music, turning the concert into a three-dimensional entertainment extravaganza.
Online ticketing is closed but tickets are available at the door!
- The Battle Creek Symphony joins forces with internationally renowned cirque performers (think "Cirque du Soleil")
- The program combines a moody French jazz esthetic with covers of popular rock songs, was designed to
- Eight cirque performers will perform eleven different acts, including contortion, hand balancing, acro dance, flying pole, lyra, and aerial silks
- Music Director Anne Harrigan will be performing on one of the acts.
Sample Videos of our guest artists and music
Guest Artists
Mary Pat Letourneau, Contortion and Acro Dance
MP (Mary Pat Letourneau) is an award-winning choreographer and performance artist with 8 years of experience performing nationwide as a contortionist, pole artist, aerialist, and dancer. In this capacity, she toured the United States working for various entertainment companies and performed in three long-running hit resident shows at the prestigious Faena Hotel in Miami Beach.
She currently performs in Tryst Cabaret at Faena Theater, specializing in combining the element of fire with contortion and pole and has created a duo act with hand balancer Andrey Moraru.
Ron Oppenheimer, Flying Pole and Straps
In 2019 Ron graduated from École nationale de cirque in Montréal specializing in Chinese Pole and Aerial Rope. He discovered an approach to circus that combined his dance background with his circus technique in order to create fluid movements and blend the two together. He also focuses on Flying Pole, Aerial Straps, and Acro-dance.
Since graduating, Ron has worked with Cirque Éloize, as well as participating in multiple circus festivals and live television shows including Georgia’s Got Talent. He played the male lead, Romeo, with a Chinese Pole solo in Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil. Ron now specializes in Flying Pole and Chinese Pole, as well as Aerial Rope and Straps. He has different acts on various disciplines and is always excited to perform them as well as to be involved in creations for different productions.
Liv Morrow, lyra and silks
Liv Morrow is a contortionist, aerial performer, and painter based in Kansas City. Originially from Tennessee, she began dance and gymnastic classes at four years old. After graduating with a B.F.A. in painting from East Tennessee State University in 2008, she joined Pendulum Dance Theatre in Portland, Oregon. With Pendulum, Liv trained with world-renowned Mongolian contortionist Tsengelmaa Byambadorj and rhythmic gymnastics coach and Kooza choreographer Alixa Sutton. Pendulum booked Liv for special events for Cirque Du Soleil, Intel, and the Portland Art Museum. She has toured with Aerial Experience Productions and Celebrity Cruises. In the summer of 2012 Liv, was featured in the World Expo in Yeosu South Korea. She has performed internationally with Quixotic. Liv performed for the 2019 season in Antalya, Turkey with Allstars USA at Maxx Royal Resorts.
Andre Moraru, Hand Balancing and Acro Dance
Andrey Moraru studied at Kiev State College of Circus and Variety Art in Ukraine. During his 4 years there, Andrey was taught by Vitold Kuvshinov, a renowned balance teacher. In 2005, Andrey immigrated to the United States. He was invited to join “Le Reve” an aquatic show at “Wynn Las Vegas Hotel”. After leaving the show he toured all of United States with different companies which include Cirque Productions, Cirque De La Symphonie and Quixotic. His European credits include Flic Flac, Palazzo and Festival “Mondial Du Cirque De Demain”.
Katherine Rodge, lyra
Katherine Rodge is a multi-apparatus aerial artist, flow performer and fire eater based out of West Michigan. She took the leap into the circus arts via a beginner aerial silks class at a local studio in early 2017 as a fun, alternate fitness activity and it was love at first climb. Since then, she has dived deep into the world of circus spending time exploring a variety of aerial apparatuses and ground acts in order to diversify as a performer.
In 2020 she took an aerial teacher training hosted by Nimble Arts and New England Center for Circus Arts, which ignited a love for teaching and began her journey an instructor in the circus arts. Currently, Katherine is the co-owner, marketing director, and instructor at Great Lakes Circus Center, a circus arts focused studio located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Sierra Kathryn, silks
Sierra Kathryn began her career in performance arts at the age of twelve with community theater and school plays. Now, she has almost seven years of experience in contemporary circus theater on aerial silk, performing and teaching with multiple studios in Kentucky, Michigan, and Illinois, including but not limited to SORA Contemporary Circus and the Black Circus Alliance Midwest. She is a Racial Equity Analyst during the day which extends into a personal passion to increase equity in circus arts. Her grant work in rural Kentucky helped expand access to circus arts in the area, and she now operates a mission-driven circus project in Grand Rapids – CIRQUE BOUCLÉ - that seeks to increase diversity and representation in circus with free classes, performances, and career exploration in aerial arts for BIPOC youth.
Alysha Shah, hoops
Alysha Shah is a movement artist in many rights: her love for embodied movement started in 2011 when she first felt the feeling of 'flow state' with the hula hoop. She's dedicated her life to the pursuit of expression and sharing with others through teaching and performing. She's trained in aerial silks, fire dancing and other creative forms of dance and movement. She teaches Aerial Silks at Midwest Movement Collective & performs throughout the Midwest with her company Grand Rapids Entertainment Group.
It never ceases to amaze her that there are so many ways to express ourselves and move our bodies! She believes movement is the key to learning about life and how to move through it.
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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE (COVID-19)
The Music Center is currently open and resuming all activities. We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously and follow the CDC and State of Michigan safety guidelines. While we understand some may wish to adhere to their own interpretation of protocols, you will be required you to comply with safety postings in our building in order to participate in our classes and lessons.
