Wendy Whelan. Photo by Nisian Hughes.
Word went out today that due to a recent injury, the Kentucky Center is postponing the April 9 performance dancer and native Louisvillian Wendy Whelan in her “Restless Creature,” an inaugural work for her New Works Initiative. The performance was scheduled for the Brown Theatre.
The Kentucky Center announced it will contact ticket buyers and soon announce the date for a rescheduled performance.
On her blog this week was an entry with a link to a press release about the postponement of upcoming engagements that would give Whelan, 46, more time to heal from hip surgery she had last August just after “Restless Creature” premiered at the legendary Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in western Massachusetts.
The response for “Restless Creature” — which includes four duets each with a young choreographer, Kyle Abraham, Josh Beamish, Brian Brooks, and Alejandro Cerrudo — received encouraging reviews.
According to the recent press release, Whelan had the surgery after having trying to cope with severe pain that came after she slipped after a ballet class the previous September. Doctors had found she had a “complex labral tear” and estimated six months of recovery time.
“I have worked diligently following my surgery to meet my deadline for being rehearsal ready, but I simply need more time to strengthen and heal,” Whelan wrote. “I have to honor my body’s wishes. I know I will continue to make progress, and I hope to bring these wonderful new pieces of choreography to life very soon with the physicality they both deserve and require to be shown at their absolute best.”
Choreographer Adam Hougland with Wendy Whelan rehearsing for the premiere of his “Rite of Spring” with the Louisville Ballet. Photo by David Michalek.
Whelan left Louisville in her teens to student at the American School of Ballet and went on
to become a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, where she has danced for 29 years. But Whelan has maintained strong ties with her family and her hometown including making guest appearances with the Louisville Ballet in the past decade.
Whelan began working with upcoming choreographers after becoming a muse for Christopher Wheeldon, who featured her in several highly commended works. She then developed a reputation for experimentation via her collaborations with a range of choreographers outside of the company, among them William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, Twyla Tharp and Shen Wei. In 2009 at the Louisville Ballet, she premiered in a new work developed for her and the company by its principle choreographer Adam Hougland to Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.”
