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Arts Eclectic turns the spotlight on happenings in the arts and culture scene in and around the Austin area. Through interviews with local musicians, dancers, singers, and artists, Arts Eclectic aims to bring locals to the forefront and highlight community cultural events.Support for Arts Eclectic comes from Broadway Bank, The Contemporary Austin, and The Blanton.

'Everyone can relate to love': Ventana Ballet and Austin Camerata's 'Variations on a Love Theme'

“This show feels really special to both us at Ventana Ballet and also Austin Cammarata because it sort of sparked our partnership in a way,” says Ventana founder and director AJ Garcia-Rameau. “We get to select music and we get to tell these stories. And everyone can relate to love, whether you're in a romantic relationship, a friendship, with a child, with a parent, with a friend. It's a great way to engage the audience accessibly to music and dance just inches away from you.”

Ventana Ballet and Austin Camerata are bringing back their Valentine’s show Variations on a Love Theme this February; it’ll be mostly the same show they’ve done in years past, but with a few new surprises. “Every year – well, every Ventana Ballet show – I like to add a couple of different Easter eggs, something new for people to experience but also hold true to the tradition of previous shows. I mean, there is something great about learning repertory, which means learning the pieces we did last year. And there's also something great about creating something new. Instead of having dancers come in and portray the [character the] way that last year's dancers portrayed the character, we get to sort of morph the piece so that those dancers can portray their version of the characters.”

Variations on a Love Theme will present several love stories through music and dance, including some favorites from years past and some new pieces for 2025. “The love stories that we're presenting this year include the love of the past, the quest for love, the forbidden love, the lifelong love, the love of passion and the love triangle,” says Garcia-Rameau. “And then this year we're adding two new stories: the quarreling love and the mother's love. I'm really excited about those two pieces because they're also new pieces of music that we're adding to the program.”

Another change this year is that there will be not just dance from Ventana and music from Austin Camerata but also spoken word poetry.

“Yeah, it's our little Valentine's tradition,” Garcia-Rameau says, “We always start our season in January. I love opening our season every year with this series of love stories. It's just so romantic. And you don't have to be, you know, there with a partner or anything. You can come by yourself or [make it a] Galentine's event or whatever. But it's just such a lovely way to spend the evening and start the year off… immersing yourself in dance and music and love stories.”

 
'Variations on a Love Theme' will run February 14 - 16 at First Street Studio Theater

Mike is the production director at KUT, where he’s been working since his days as an English major at the University of Texas. He produces and hosts This Is My Thing and Arts Eclectic, and also produces Get Involved and the Sonic ID project. When pressed to do so, he’ll write short paragraphs about himself in the third person, but usually prefers not to.
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