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Richmond Ballet Announces its 25th Professional Season in 2008-09

4/11/2008

RICHMOND BALLET
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2008

Media Contact:
Aaron Sutten
(804) 344-0906 x244
asutten@richmondballet.com

Richmond Ballet became the first truly professional ballet company in the Commonwealth in 1984, making a dream become a reality. Continuing to surpass expectations under Stoner Winslett’s unwavering leadership, the organization has unearthed even more untapped potential every year since that first season. Richmond Ballet celebrates a quarter of a century of “awakening and uplifting the human spirit” as a professional company this coming season. As the company reaches the 25-year milestone, the 2008-09 season draws on the Ballet’s celebrated past and much anticipated future by presenting beloved classics and world premieres. The popular Studio Series returns with four unique programs showcasing Richmond Ballet’s vast talent. Studios 1, 2 and 3 pair world premieres with popular pieces from the repertory built by the company during its 25 years, and Studio 4 closes out the Season with an acquisition from a dance legend: the first performance of George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments by Richmond Ballet. A treasured fairytale unfolds just in time for Valentine’s Day as Cinderella loses a slipper and finds love in the enchanted setting of The anniversary season would not be complete without The Nutcracker to brighten the holidays with 12 performances at

Richmond Ballet’s 2008-09 Season

“Celebrating 25 Years of Professional Dance”

Studio 1

September 16 – 21, 2008 Studio Theatre

· Jardin aux Lilas by Antony Tudor

· World premiere: Choreographer TBA

Celebrate the genius of choreographer Antony Tudor during the 100th Anniversary of his birth with Richmond Ballet’s production of Jardin aux Lilas (The Lilac Garden). In the piece, which renowned dance critic Robert Greskovic credited with giving rise to the “psychological ballet,” a young woman about to enter a marriage of convenience longs for the true, passionate love she has found with another man. Live violin and piano add to the depth of Tudor’s drama, a compelling and emotional creation set to the glorious music of Ernest Chausson. Richmond Ballet brings this tale of four lovers, mismatched by societal forces, to the Studio Theatre stage along with the season’s first world premiere.

Single Ticket Prices $15 - $28

Performances:

Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 19 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 20 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 21 at 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.

Studio 2

November 11 – 16, 2008, Studio Theatre

· Ancient Airs and Dances by Stoner Winslett

· World premiere: Choreographer TBA

Studio 2 pairs another exciting world premiere with the first piece choreographed for Richmond Ballet’s professional company by Artistic Director Stoner Winslett. Ancient Airs and Dances debuted in 1986, two years after the dream of a building a professional company in became a reality. In this ballet, set to Italian and French lute songs orchestrated by Respighi, four couples gradually shed the masks of custom and form, exploring the true and essential emotions that reach across the generations and bind all of mankind together. This journey is powerfully expressed through Winslett’s lyrical choreography.

Single Ticket Prices $15 - $28

Performances:

Tuesday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, November 14 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 15 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.

The Nutcracker with Symphony

December 12 – 23, 2008, Richmond's Landmark Theater

Sweets Parties

Saturday, December 13 at 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 20 at 4:00 p.m.

Monday, December 22 at 4:00 p.m.

Cinderella with Symphony

February 13 – 15, 2009, Richmond’s Landmark Theater

Choreographer: Malcolm Burn Music: Sergei Prokofiev

Dreams magically transform into reality with one enchanted night at the ball, and a girl with a kind and gentle spirit who is forced to work in the family kitchen finds her happily ever after. Prokofiev explained that what he wished to express in the music of Cinderella was “the poetic love of Cinderella and the prince, the birth and flowering of that love, the obstacles in its path and, finally, the dream realized.” Richmond Ballet Artistic Associate and Ballet Master Malcolm Burn, who performed as a dancer in four different versions of the ballet, takes inspiration from Prokofiev’s compelling score to choreograph a unique telling of a centuries-old story that still touches our hearts today.

Single Ticket Prices $18 - $110

Performances:

Friday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 p.m.

Studio 3

March 24 – 29, 2009, Studio Theatre

· Djangology by Val Caniparoli

· World premiere: Choreographer TBA

Jazz meets ballet in one of the most popular works in Richmond Ballet’s repertory. Inspired by and staged to the music of Django Reinhardt, Djangology heats up the stage with soulful sizzle and light-hearted fun in a work created for the company by noted contemporary choreographer Val Caniparoli. The dancers let loose in this playful and unpredictable ballet that has them strutting to Georgia on My Mind, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and many more. If the saucy rhythms of Djangology aren’t enough, the excitement of another world premiere will satisfy any dance lover’s appetite for entertainment.

Single Ticket Prices $15 - $28

Performances:

Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 27 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.

Studio 4

April 28 – May 3, 2009, Studio Theatre

· The Four Temperaments by George Balanchine

· Vestiges by Colin Connor

Inspired by the Medieval belief that the balance of four different humors determines a person’s disposition, The Four Temperaments is one of George Balanchine’s earliest experimental ballets. A new addition to Richmond Ballet’s repertory, the piece fuses classical steps with an angular style to music by Paul Hindemith. Balanchine’s iconic ballet is paired with Vestiges, the third of Colin Connor’s four works commissioned by Richmond Ballet. Dancers illustrate through expressive movement how, in a moment of lucidity, we can recapture the source of our power and grasp our natural elegance and the immediacy of what surrounds us. Set to Michael Nyman’s haunting music, Vestiges is a thought-provoking piece that’s even more relevant today than when it was first conceived in 2000. Studio 4 offers a stimulating conclusion to the anniversary Season that will leave audiences anxiously anticipating Richmond Ballet’s next 25 years.

Single Ticket Prices $15 - $28

Performances:

Tuesday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, May 1 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 2 at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.

Visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.richmondballet.com

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Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia, is dedicated to the education, promotion, preservation and continuing evolution of the art form of ballet. Ballet strives to keep meaningful works of dance alive and to produce and foster new works that remain true to these values. Now in its 25th professional Season, Ballet's mission is to "awaken and uplift the human spirit, both for audiences and dancers."

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For further press information contact:
Aaron Sutten, Director of Marketing and Communications
EMAIL: asutten@richmondballet.com; CALL: (804) 344-0906 x244