Uncorked! at the Abbey

You guys. This event is so special. Not only for those who love the ballet, but those who may not know much or have a strong appreciation for this art.
What a lovely night. I walked in not really knowing what to expect besides a great performance from an amazing company in one of my favorite Orlando venues. However, they blew me out of the water.
We had the chance to experience a run through of rehearsals for an upcoming show and also heard the director’s feedback. They also walked us through the story that was taking place. So, if you aren’t very educated on what the story is behind some pieces, this is a great insight to that.
Afterwards there was an open Q&A with the ballet cast and the audience. They were very lovely and I forget they are so young. WOW! To be that talented at that age. Amazing.
I do love me the Abbey too so this venue is perfect for this intimate setting. Definitely check this out — it hapens a few times a year and the next one is schedule for Spring 2016.
Gentlemen, what a great date night option!

What a cool and unique night out Uncorked turned out to be! I’ve seen the Orlando Ballet a few times, but never in such a small setting. Add in the behind-​the-​scenes look at how they put together their performances, and this was truly something I had never seen before.
The performance started with a fun dance number with the whole company. The director then went into their upcoming ballet, Swan Lake, and had the two leads demonstrate a number of pieces from that ballet. He gave an overview of the story and showed us how the dancers tell the story through dance. I loved that the swan was communicating her story through her arm gestures. it was really cool, and something I may not have understood if it wasn’t pointed out to me.
Another highlight of the evening was when two dancers were asked to perform existing choreography to a new music track. The finished product was beautiful!
We also saw a dance that is in development for Battle of the Sexes. It was interesting to see them working on new a piece right in front of us that will end up in an actual show. I’m curious to see the final product. The evening ended with Q&A with the dancers.
There was so much good stuff, I can’t wait to go back to see a full performance soon.
The ballet performance, and the creativity of the event alone make this a solid 5 stars. The venue was very nice, but small. Since I am pretty short I had a lot of trouble seeing the stage. I was a few rows from the back and I really couldn’t see anything going on below the waist of the performers onstage. Obviously this took away from the experience, but it’s kind of my fault for not grabbing a set sooner. I’d strongly suggest getting there early to get seats in the front. If you still can’t see there were cocktail tables on the side, and I noticed a few people standing there watching.
Our tickets included one drink ticket, as well as appetizers from Maxine’s on Shine (Maxine’s son was serving, he did a great job!). Unfortunately, the woman sitting next to me didn’t stop at the one free drink. She was very, very drunk. She and her date were talking loudly and in and out during the performance. It was really distracting, and I wish one of the employees would have done something about them. When we left she was still sitting at the bar. Yikes.
We valet parked for the event, which was awesome. You receive a text after you park with a link to request your car when you are ready to leave. This was really convenient, and I didn’t have to wait long at all for the car. I loved that service.

What a great way to kick off 2015 being an Elite! This was an amazing event and I had no idea what to expect. This was my first visit to the Abbey and it will not be my last. Love the location. They offer valet parking in front or you can park on the side streets. The inside of the Abbey is absolutely gorgeous! For this event we were given 1 complimentary glass of Wine of our choice. Maxines on Shine catered with small bites which were pretty good. The bar/​lounge area is completelty seperate from the performance area which is nice. They have bar top tables and stools or nice comfy sofa and chairs to lounge in before a performance or event.
Tonights Uncorked! was for the upcoming ballet Swan Lake. We literally got to go behind the scenes and watch the dancers rehearse different scenes within the ballet. The dancers were all from the Orlando Ballet and I have to say that they were all fantastic! I have a new found respect for their stamina and artistic ability. They also rehearsed a scene from another upcoming ballet called Battle of the Sexes which looks to be more contemporary. I must say that I am getting
my tickets very soon to see both!
Honestly before attending tonight I didn’t understand ballet. I knew that there was a story behind each production and tonight they explained what the movements and gestures meant regarding the story line. It was excellent!

Uncorked! is an absolutely breathtaking look behind-​the-​scenes of the Orlando Ballet. After seeing the Nutcracker in December, I jumped at the chance to attend this event.
It was my first time at the Abbey, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The venue itself is quite intimate size-​wise with a bar and some couch seating in the main area, then the stage off to the right behind some dividers. The seating is all on the same level, so close to the front and centered seemed like the best place. Near-​front and far left was also excellent, as I learned yesterday.
Robert Hill, the artistic director, introduced us to the company and gave us a brief overview of upcoming performances and productions. We then had the privilege (and I mean, privilege) of seeing several segments from the upcoming Swan Lake. David and Chiaki danced beautifully; I was pretty much in awe of Chiaki’s grace, as well as seeing the transition between Odette (white swan) and Odile (black swan).
Side note: Did you know that dancing the dual role of Odette/​Odile (White Swan/​Black Swan) is seen as a rite of passage for a ballerina?
I was somewhat familiar with the story coming into this evening, but witnessing the nuances of the choreography and styling up close was eye-​opening. Robert was tweaking the performance as they went along, as well as explaining to the audience members what was happening in the story. Having context deepened my appreciation for what I was seeing, and I would love to someday see workshops or events structured around the story of a ballet and explaining what is happening on stage.
The choreographic process was on full display with the next two performances when we saw a piece in its beginning stages for Battle of the Sexes being explored and added to by Arcadian, dancing with Telmo. Then, we saw Arcadian and Bri (???) perform a piece that is being transposed from one song to another. Seeing Robert work with the dancers on how to style to the new song while keeping the same choreography was illuminating.
The Q&A session at the end was informative. I think the highlight was Kristen fulfilling her dream of dancing with the Orlando Ballet, but I also enjoyed hearing Robert’s story, who is dancing in the company, and how they structure their work week and rehearsals. I also learned that Orlando has one of the best ballet school’s in the country.
I would love to attend again and highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in dance and ballet, the arts, and the cultural scene here in Orlando. I love finding things that surprise me, and this was one of those gems.
Wine is also a bonus, but the dancing was so good, I almost forgot to mention it.

I made my debut with the Orlando Ballet. Dreams can come true!
I had a ball at Uncorked. The talented dancers of the Orlando Ballet were amazing. They dance with grace and elegance. It’s amazing to see them dance so unclose. The Abbey is such an intimate setting. The dancers are right there.
The ballet was practicing for Swan Lake. They showcased some of the pieces. They walked us through the choreography and they even cleaned some of the moves.
During the Q&A I asked if I could dance with the ballet and they ushered me right on up. I got to waltz with one of the male dancers.
I would like to thank Robert Hill for allowing me to live out a dream and make my debut as an Orlando Ballet dancer. It was a great experience. I appreciate the opportunity. It made my night!

Uncorks was SUCH a great experience! Having seen the Orlando Ballet before on the big stage, it was a great change getting an intimate glimpse into what the rehearsal and creative process is like for existing ballets like Swan Lake or newly created ballets like a preview of what they are coming up with for the future Battle of the Sexes.
What blew me away was the technical eye the director had, tiny details were caught and corrected and it really drove the point home how ballet demands perfection. And to learn that he was hired by Mikhail Baryshnikov when he danced was so impressive! The Q&A with the dancers was a fun way to end the night and it was a delight to see all the personalities behind the disciplined dancers.
All in all, a great event and a great reminder to hit the gym, ha!

Just so you all know — I sent my wedding thank you cards out late too… Yep, that;s me — I live by the grace of the saying «Better Late than Never»!
I didn’t have ANY idea what to expect for this event. Actually, I was thinking that it was going to be a truncated version of some ballet. I thought «OK, I hate the ballet (I grew up in NY and we went to the ballet every year so I am not talking about hating see Swan Lake at my little cousins Prep School — I saw THE Ballet!) but it’s Orlando and it’s trying to become a cultural mecca — so let me go support this.
Wow! Was I ever surprised at what the evening turned out to be!
Robert Hill, the Artistic Director of the OB walked us through what it is like to be a dancer in the OB. He selected 3 dancers and anointed them the choreographers for a piece of music that they hadn’t yet heard. The 3 briefly listened to about a minute of music and then were told to pick some dancers and go off and create a dance scene for the music.
One by one the choreographers came out with their hand picked troupe and got to listen to the music again, for another minute, and then proceeded to put together a dance routine right in front of us. We got to see how hard it is to create steps that line up perfectly with the music count. We got to see how hard it is for the dancers to learn a new complicated routine that is in the choreographers mind and has to then be translated to the dancers body motion and steps. Of course the dancers made it seem much easier than it is. Their professionalism and dedication to the profession that they love is obvious.
During the Q&A portion we learned that these dancers only have contracts for about 40 weeks out of the year. So they have to find work the other weeks. Most of them have to work second jobs during the season while they are hard at work practicing and/​or performing. We were all shocked to learn how much ballet shoes cost and how many pairs they go through.
After watching all three choreographers bring their troupes out and create art to music, Mr. Hill brought all three groups out and had them string together the routines. It was flawless — at least to the audience — and thoroughly enjoyable.
Mr. Hill said they hope to bring more of these sessions to the public. If they do — DON’T miss it. I plan on going again. The whole time I sat there I kept thinking «OH my mother would love this. My son would be fascinated and how hard these athletes train. My friend would be amazed at how the …» And did I mention I hate the ballet … I guess not as much as I remembered.
Great night — Thank you OB and Thank You Unilocal for continuing to bring us the things in our own backyards that we didn’t even know were there.

5 stars because WOW!
I didn’t know exactly what to expect going in and I was blown away! The Abbey played a perfect backdrop to an intimate look into a dancer’s life.
Robert Hill, Orlando Ballet’s amazing director, was on hand to talk to the audience (all of us with wine glasses in hand) and to call out 3 dancers to make immediate, instant choreography for music they hadn’t heard before. We really got to see an inside look at the process of the choreographer as well as the dancers in learning the routines.
The dancers also performed small vignettes from other shows including the upcoming Vampire’s Ball (which I’ll definitely be attending!).
Finally, there was audience Q&A where we learned that many of the dancers have to take other jobs to support themselves (one gets up at 4am to work at Starbucks before heading to the studio to rehearse all day). Hearing from these athletes was so wonderful and made me feel so much more connected to the company.
At the end of the evening many of the dancers stayed to indulge us creepy fans. We had some great conversations and I left feeling excited to work out my budget so I can become a season ticket holder.
This is an arts org that elevates Orlando and I’m happy to support it! (And these wine events are an added benefit!)

After a rather rough day at work, I discovered it was raining excessively all throughout the drive home to Jazzercise. From Jazzercise, I had to speed change and then dart back out, drive through traffic to get to the Abbey, but you know what; It was totally worth every single second. Nothing beats an evening filled with music, dance, humor and a glass of Feudo Zirtari Syrah, so drinkable, so delicious.
Not only did we enjoy a wonderful show but we were also able to get a whole new perspective on what a dancer has to go through to really pursue what they love, some of them taking on multiple jobs and do additional exercise apart from all the hours they dedicate at the barre. These dancers work very hard to put on a good show, and their hard work and dedication shines through when they perform. Wonderful!