Missouri Contemporary Ballet (Columbia, MO)
www.missouricontemporaryballet.com

Meet the Artist

Missouri Contemporary Ballet (MCB) is a professional dance company that is committed to creating dance entertainment through the art of contemporary ballet. MCB creates exciting, edgy, hip entertainment to make the experience of live dance an artful and joyful event for all ages.

New and emerging choreographers are given the opportunity to set new works on the MCB company dancers in a professional atmosphere. We provide educational and outreach performances to schools, retirement homes, and organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club throughout Missouri. MCB maintains a full season of performances at diverse venues within Columbia, as well as a commitment to touring throughout Missouri and nationally.

“Perhaps more than MCB's previous shows, "Thirst" hinges on teamwork. Each of the dancers — six company members and three apprentices — is a cog in an elegant machine, moving with impressive synchronicity and cohesion.”
- Karen Pojmann, Columbia Daily Tribune

"Mareck Grundy’s choreography was engaging and executed with precision and force." – Laura Vernaci, Kansas City Journal of Performing Arts

Touring Programs

Program A – Journey In
Breaking Patterns – A comedic ballet. Classical movement intertwined with the slapstick role of a man who just wants to be in a ballet.

Cari�o – Danced to the Spanish guitar music of Rubin Romero, this piece travels through the four themes of love: lust, obsession, attachment, and entanglement. Inspired by the work of anthropologist Helen Fisher.

Twisted - A light and fun ballet based on the favorite family game Twister. This piece was one of the first dances choreographed for MCB in 2006.

Journey In – A full company piece exploring the life journey of Artistic Director Karen Mareck Grundy. Grundy states, “Journey In is based on the various pathways of my life which led me to where I am today. Section one introduces the audience to the different characters which had specific impacts on my career. Section two focuses on my loves and friendships. Section three is a celebration of where I am now.” Grundy worked in collaboration with Kevin Mileski, a musician from Chicago, on an original composition for this piece.

hand in hand – Expresses the importance of non-conformity in the arts world. As an artist, in this case a dancer, you need to maintain your pure creativity and aesthetic.


Program B - Connectivity
Falling Apart – Explores how a dancer’s body starts to deteriorate and sometimes how the mind can follow close behind. Danced by five women to electronic style music, this piece shows the power and pure athleticism of the MCB females.

Hold On – A suite of three short works; a romantic duet entitled “Someone New,” a solo entitled “Missing You,” and concludes with a trio entitled “Hold On.” The music was composed by Travis McFarlane for MCB, utilizing his grandmother’s poetry in the lyrics.

hand in hand – Expresses the importance of non-conformity in the arts world. As an artist, in this case a dancer, one needs to maintain a pure creativity and aesthetic.

Unbreakable Code – The drive of the string quartet music is the sole inspiration for this piece.

Tango de Muerte – Set to different styles of tango music, this dark piece tells the story of a man and woman’s unfortunate fate and their crossing into the afterlife. Choreographed by guest artist Tiger Martina.