Colorful full length works for adults and children of all ag

Set to the Aaron Copland music score of the same name. Catanach presents a ballet to raise the question: Is there a bad kid? After two years of researching the legendary Billy the Kid. Catanach came to the realization that society still needs to take a new responsibility towards helping young people, by not letting them think they have only one choice. “Live by the gun,” not for power but for survival. “Run with a gang,” not to glorify or put down gang life, but make people aware of why these chosen families exist. Catanach follows the legendary outlaw from his humble beginnings in the Irish slums of New York City to his demise in the Ft. Sumner, New Mexico.

Set in the New York’s Lower East Side, retelling the traditional Nutcracker tale in the neighborhood’s diverse cultural vernacular and remaining loyal to Tchaikovsky’s original music. In the story little Clara lives with her mother in a housing project, and helps her mother run the household of her spoiled, “not so nice” aunt who moved up in the world by marrying a jeweler. Clara’s kindness at a holiday party takes her on a special evening of dreams which leads her to a hip-hop battle of hood rats and toy soldiers, the Land of Snow and finally to the Land of all that is Sweet, where she learns that her mother, who in real life takes care of her by working as a maid, is really the Sugarplum Fairy who reins over all that is good in the Land of all that is Sweet.

This creation was conceived by Daniel Catanach to bring a contemporary version of a classical opera to the stage through the media of dance, theater, film, photography and music. With a storyline which is loosely based on the opera, Carmen, by Bizet, Daniel Catanach has invited many artists to collaborate on the theme and variation of the original story, the look and style of the presentation, and a new score loosely based on Bizet’s original one. 

As a cultural exchange between UBT and the New Orleans Ballet Association and the New Orleans Recreation Department UBT was re-invited in 2004 for a 3 week residency to create this original work. The Kid from Elysian Fields was created by Catanach in New Orleans, with the help of local artists and dance students from New Orleans and set to a score of local musicians of New Orleans. It tells the story of a teenager whose life represents children who grow up exposed to life’s harsh realities on a daily basis. Drugs, the absence of adult mentors and financial hardships are only a few. He places the story on a corner near Elysian Fields Avenue, which offers the choice of two roads to travel. Storylines were based on writings by the participating New Orleans dance students who have grown up around similar situations. Collaborations with local choreographers and musicians have allowed Catanach to infuse the ballet with authentic cultural flavors of New Orleans.