Bloom, a world premiere created by New York-based choreographer Rena Butler, is the fourth work featured in Mercurial Landscapes, which just wrapped at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. A piece created by women for women, it explores the pressures facing women - to be all and do all for all in their lives and society. 

“Bloom is an ode to the collective experience women have had since the beginning of time - the pressure to perpetually make ourselves smaller for societal norms: a man, a lover, our families, our peers, or our careers,” Butler said. With costume designer, Asha Ama, who’s a Cincinnati native and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, she brings her unique blend of artistry, innovation, and cultural heritage to the stage.

Choreographer: Rena Butler

Company: Cincinnati Ballet

Dancers: Lenai Wilkerson, Melissa Gelfin, Minori Sakita, Katherine Ochoa, Tatiana Melendez, Maine Chernjavsky, Sirui Liu, Maizyalet Velazquez, Samantha Griffin, Julia Gundzik, Bella Ureta, Nikita Boris

Lighting Design: Julie Ballard

Costume Design: Asha Ama Bias Daniels

Sound Design: Darryl J. Hoffmann