Anchorage audiences have enjoyed Niki Maple's performances with the Alaska Dance Theatre for several years, including a solo part in "Spirit -- The 7th Fire of Alaska" this past February. This month she was appointed ADT's new performance artistic director, in charge of the troupe's company productions.
At the same time, Ilya Burov will joining the company as the Education Artistic Director, responsible for ADT's School of Dance.
Burov previously worked as the assistant ballet master with the Moscow Classical Ballet in Russia, wrote ADT Executive Director Kristin Vierthaler. He has performed with several national and international companies over the past 12 years, including the Bolshoi Ballet. For the past seven years he has worked as a teacher and choreographer with Festival Ballet Providence in Rhode Island.
Both Maple and Burov will contribute choreography as part of the job.
Stabenow headlines crime conference
Alaska author Dana Stabenow will be the guest of honor at the 2017 Left Coast Crime convention, scheduled for Honolulu, Hawaii, from March 16-19, 2017. The meeting of mystery writers and readers takes place each year in a different city in the Western U.S. It was held in Anchorage in 2001. Previous honorees have included J.A. Jance, Tony Hillerman, Sue Grafton and -- believe it or not -- Kinky Friedman, who writes as well as sings.
Stabenow will also be among the writers taking part in the North Words Symposium in Skagway from May 27-30 this year. The keynote author will be Mary Roach, who quirky nonfiction best-sellers include "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," "Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife" and, most recently, "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal." Local writers making presentations include John Straley, Seth Kantner and Christine Byl.
Dubus headlines Homer conference
National Book Award finalist Andre Dubus III will be the keynote presenter at the 2015 Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference from June 12-16 at Land's End on the Homer Spit. Other presenters include Alaska State Writer Laureate Frank Soos, Nancy Lord, Kim Heacox and Eva Saulitis, among others.
In addition to the talks and workshops, participants can sign up for manuscript reviews and editor-agent consultation. Evening readings open to the public are a popular feature. Registration is $400 at writersconference.homer.alaska.edu.
Chorus scholarship winners perform
The 25th Anniversary Recital by winners of the Anchorage Concert Chorus scholarship competition took place May 16 in the UAA Arts Building recital hall. First place in the college division went to Elijah Graham of Fairbanks, who took third place last year. UAA student Kaylee Miltersen was second and Jenna Bird placed third.
In the high school division, first place was won by Julia Woodring of Eagle River, second by Grace Christian student Joshua Roach and third by Stas Sobol. Each division came with awards of $750, $500 and $300 for first, second and third place.
In addition to the ACC winners, who had competed earlier that day, the program included the winners of other local music competitions, including the Alaska chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Alaska Piano Competition, the Alaska chapter of the Music Teachers National Association, the Alaska Sound Celebration Sing for Scholarship Competition and contests sponsored by the Anchorage Symphony, Alaska Youth Symphony and Anchorage Civic Orchestra.
The repertoire ranged from operatic -- Graham closed the evening with "Che gelida manina" from "La Boheme," Miltersen did Juliette's "Poison" aria from Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" and Bird performed "Caro nome" from "Rigoletto" -- to lieder and musical theater. Highlights from the latter category included Amanda Boger's poignant "Still Hurting" from "The Last Five Years" and Jenna Breunig's polished "Mira" from "Carnival." A particular pleasure was hearing West High senior Luke Honeck's delivery of "Il mio tesoro" from "Don Giovanni."
Instrumental pieces included Harrison Greenough in a movement from the Serge Koussevitzky Concerto for Double Bass, Naomi Endres in the finale of Ney Rosuaro's jazzy Concerto for Marimba and Remy Libbrecht in oboe variations on the popular tune "Carnival of Venice."
Space prevents me from commenting on each of the 20 winners who presented a piece during this remarkable annual event, but two people deserve special applause. Ten-year-old Alexandra Guerra, who won first place in the elementary school division of the AKNATS competition, delivered a big-voiced and mature reading of Giulio Caccini's art song "Amarilli" that made my jaw drop. And Janet Carr-Campbell, who had spent most of the day accompanying one contestant after another, came back to provide the accompaniment for at least 10 of the winners, skipping from Schubert to Puccini to jazz to theater as comfortably as if she were changing shoes.
The performance was dedicated to the late Janet Stotts, director of the Alaska Children's Choir, who has been the teacher of many previous participants in this event, including Guerra.
Creative Writing Contest winners
I've been asked to remind readers that all of the UAA/Anchorage Dispatch News 2015 Creative Writing Contest winners can be read online at adn.com/section/we-alaskans.