la___B___a___l___l___e___t. Wanted Your Press Releases. Thirtieth Anniversary Season [2007-2008] The WORLD PREMIERE of Viktor Plotnikov’s Cinderella VMA Arts & Cultural Center,  1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence Friday October 19, 2007 at 7:30 pm Saturday October 20, 2007 at 7:30 pm Sunday October 21, 2007 at 2:30 pm Festival Ballet Providence Announces 2007-08 Company Roster Providence, RI – Festival Ballet Providence artistic director Mihailo Djuric announces the roster of 23 Company Artists, including ten men and thirteen women for the company’s 30th Anniversary season (2007/2008). Returning to the company are Ashleigh Andries, Alexander Akulov (Russia), Ilya Burov (Russia) Erica Chipp, Roger Fonnegra (Venezuela), Courtney Fraga, Leticia Guerrero (Venezuela), Mark Harootian, Elizabeth Jessee (Canada), Lauren Kennedy, Gleb Lyamenkoff (Bellarus), Eivar Martinez (Venezuela), Lauren Menger, Henry Montilla (Venezuela), Heather O’Halloran, Vilia Putrius (Lithuania), Jennifer Ricci, and Davide Vittorino (Italy).  Ms. Menger has been promoted from apprentice to Company member.  Milica Bijelic, former principal at the National Ballet and Opera of Belgrade will return for her sixth season as Ballet Mistress. In February and March of 2007, Mr. Djuric and Ms. Bijelic auditioned more than 155 dancers from over twenty countries for positions with the company, and have hired five new dancers.  They welcome new company members Joo-Hee Baek (South Korea), Christine Blanck, Nathan Powel (Canada), Järvi Raudsepp (Canada/Estonia), and Fan Shi (China).  Jolanta Valeikaite, former principal dancer with the Lithuanian National Ballet, Bonn Ballet and Essen Aalto Theatre Ballet, will join the artistic staff in a half-time position as Company Teacher and Ballet Mistress.  Mr. Djuric noted, “I saw many talented dancers this year, and have chosen from them five dancers who I feel will greatly complement the existing roster of dancers.  Each has the potential to grow tremendously during there time here, and I look forward to seeing what they can become.  While it’s a group that’s young and from a broad span of training and nationalities, each one is talented and will add something special to our performances.” Ms. Baek received her professional training as a scholarship student at the Novosibirsk National Ballet Academy in Russia from 2000 to 2004, returning to her native South Korea to join the Korean National Ballet in 2005.  Ms. Blanck received her early training in Connecticut and recently graduated from the University of Utah’s strong ballet program, where she was a member of the Utah Ballet and the Character Dance Ensemble.  Mr. Powell trained in his hometown of Regina Saskatchewan before heading to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. On graduation in 2006 he joined Northern Plains Ballet.  After training for 9 years in Ontario, Canada, Ms. Raudsepp joined the Estonian National Ballet in 2003.  After two seasons there, she danced with Orlando Ballet and then Ontario Ballet Theater. Mr. Shi graduated as a ballet major from the Shanghai Dance Academy in 2006, and spent the last year as an intern performing with the Shanghai Ballet Troupe. Not returning from the 2006-2007 roster are Carolyn Dellinger who has retired from dancing; Maxime Podshevalenko who has joined the Kirov Ballet; Vanessa Widmer, who will be attending college; and Nikki Cuozzo, attending University of Connecticut.  Company member Heather O’Halloran will miss much of the season in anticipation of the upcoming birth of her first child. The dancers will begin the season officially August 28, 2007, rehearsing with Viktor Plotnikov as he creates the company’s season opener, the world premiere of his Cinderella. (October 19-21, 2007 at VMA Arts and Cultural Center). For full biographies and headshots of the dancers, and additional information about the company and its 2007-2008 Season, visit www.festivalballet.com. ## The Festival Ballet Providence and the Festival Ballet Providence Center for Dance Education are together a not-for-profit arts organization whose EIN is 05-0377245 and whose Rhode Island Corporate ID number is ND-27-137. 2007/2008  Festival Ballet Providence Company Roster Alexander Akoulov [] Ashley Andries, (apprentice) []  *Joo-Hee Baek [] *Christine Blanck (apprentice) [] Ilya Burov [] Erica Chipp  [] Roger Fonnegra [] Courtney Fraga [] Leticia Gerrero [] Mark A. Harootian [] Elizabeth Jessee [] Lauren Kennedy [] Gleb Lyamenkoff [] Eivar Martinez [] Lauren Menger  [] Henry Montilla [] Heather O’Halloran  [] *Nathan Powell (apprentice) [] *Jarvi Raudsepp (apprentice) [] Vilia Putrius  [] Jennifer Ricci *Fan Shi  [] Davide Vittorino [] * Denotes new dancers this season FESTIVAL BALLET PROVIDENCE’S PRODUCTION OF THE NUTCRACKER Festival Ballet Providence Artistic Director Mihailo “Misha” Djuric announces open auditions for its annual holiday production, The Nutcracker. Children from the greater Providence area and surrounding communities are offered the opportunity to perform with Festival Ballet Providence’s professional dancers on the magnificent stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Auditions will take place Sunday, September 16th at the Festival Ballet Providence studios, 825 Hope Street on Providence’s East Side. Festival Ballet Providence’s The Nutcracker has become an annual holiday tradition for thousands of families throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.  As noted by the Providence Journal, “Festival Ballet Providence’s The Nutcracker  remains the same – excellent”.  With colorful costumes and scenery, a cast of over 100, giant mice and toy soldiers, and Tchaikovsky’s memorable score, this colorful production enchants audiences young and old.   The magic of The Nutcracker is an unforgetable part of Christmas in Providence.  Those participating in the performance have the unequaled experience of performing on the PPAC stage, for a combined audience of over 12,000. For more details about Festival Ballet Providence auditions or its Center for Dance Education, please call 401-353-1129 or send e-mail to info@festivalballet.com. To purchase tickets for The Nutcracker, call the PPAC box office or go to www.ppacri.org. # Up CLOSE on HOPE, Program I Festival Ballet Providence, 825 Hope Street Providence November  3,10, & 17, 2007 at 7:30 pm November 4, & 11, 2007 at 6:00 pm Fresh, bold contemporary repertory, including world premieres. This award-winning program offers dance so close you can touch it, and the chance to meet the dancers and the choreographers. The Nutcracker The Providence Performing Arts Center,  220 Weybosset Street, Providence Friday December 14 at 7:30 pm Saturday December 15 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm Sunday December 16 at 1:00 and 6:30 pm For tickets call 401.421.ARTS or visit www.ppacri.com Masters of Motion A memorable program with stunning choreography and heart-felt themes. Viktor Plotnikov’s Coma, Agnes De Mille’s Rodeo, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading VMA Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Avenue of the Arts Friday February 8, 2008 at 7:30 pm Saturday February 9, 2008 at 7:30 pm Sunday February 10, 2008 at 2:30 pm Free Pre-Performance chats Saturday and Sunday, 45 minutes before curtain. Single tickets available August 1 www.tickets.com, or the VMA Box Office, 401.272.4VMA Call Festival Ballet Providence for further details, 401.353.1129 *Subscribe to all three VMA performances and save 33% of the ticket price! Up CLOSE on HOPE, Program II Festival Ballet Providence, 825 Hope Street Providence March 8, 15, 22, 29, 2008 at 7:30 pm March 16, 2008 at 6:00 pm Fresh, bold contemporary repertory, including world premieres.  This award-winning program offers dance so close you can touch it, and the chance to meet the dancers and the choreographers. Ticket price of $40 includes wine and hors d’oeuvres at intermission. Call 401.353.1129 to order tickets. Swan Lake, choreographed by Mihailo Djuric and Milica Bijelic, after Petipa/Ivanov. This iconic work from the classical repertoire is not to be missed! VMA Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Avenue of the Arts Friday April 25, 2008 at 7:30 pm Saturday April 26, 2008 at 7:30 pm Sunday April 27, 2008 at 2:30 pm Free Pre-Performance chats Saturday and Sunday, 45 minutes before curtain. Tickets $17 to $62, discounts available for children, seniors, groups and family-four packs Single tickets available August 1 www.tickets.com, or the VMA Box Office, 401.272.4VMA Call Festival Ballet Providence for further details, 401.353.1129 *Subscribe to all three VMA performances and save 33% of the ticket price!   School Day “Discover Dance” Programs for school groups, social service agencies and senior centers. October 20 — Cinderella December 14 & 17 — Nutcracker April 25 — Swan Lake See Community Outreach section of this website, or call Mark for details, 401.353.1129 2006 - 2007 Season Archive.

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Luna Negra Dance Theater On the Rise  Photo by Audia, featuring the artistic and admistrative team. After the flurry of activities that came with the Spring Season, summer is a good time to reflect and reminisce. And for Luna Negra Dance Theater, it's been quite a ride! The company was founded in 1999 by Eduardo Vilaro with a budget of $10,000 and an office in his spare bedroom. Now, eight years later, it has ten full time dancers, a strong Board of Directors, an administrative staff of four, and an astounding success record for a company of this size. In 2005, the company performed at the Harris Theater to a sold-out house and has conducted collaborations with such world renowned artists as Peruvian singer Susana Baca. Artistically, Luna Negra has built a strong and unique repertory of works by contemporary Latino choreographers, including Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, Bessie Award winner Pedro Ruiz, Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago veteran Ron De Jesus and Venezuelan master choreographer Vicente Nebrada. The company has garnered incredible critical acclaim from audience members and critics alike, highlighting the deeply emotional impact of Luna Negra's work. "Your work touched a place so deep in my soul. I felt like I'd come home" said an audience member at our 2006 fall concert." Another friend shared this story with us: "During the first piece, I could hear some noise coming from [my friend's] direction, and I looked over and he was just weeping, and wiping away tears. At the end, I asked him why he was crying, and he said, 'I love my culture.' I know that feeling of being in a theater, and then seeing a performance that touches the deepest part of who you are, and you just shed tears of gratitude." Click here for more...

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Blogs: Dance Blogs - Blog Flux Blog Directory Great Dance Weblog Downtown Dancer » Blog Archive » Dance blogs in the press BOTW Blog Directory > Arts > Performing Arts > Dance Blogs ... dance blogs Ballet blogs Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - theatre: From ballet to the BNP Great Dance Weblog	Kim Eun Hee Dance Company (Seoul, Korea): A beautiful pas de deux, Burying Together, by choreographer/artistic director Kim Eun Hee, uses a mix of Korean traditional music and contemporary styles. Performing for the first time in Houston, Kim Eun Hee is a celebrated Korean choreographer with her own characteristic moods, intensity and style of movement. Kim founded her dance company in 1996 and has continuously created her fascinating experimental choreography. The most distinctive characteristics of Kim's dance style are speed and explosive strength that has no equal in the Korean dance scene. BJM_Danse/Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal (Canada): Newly named, the company is expanding its horizons with a new artistic orientation.  Capitalizing on its wealth of skills and experience, BJM_Danse offers an original mix of dance styles that is vibrant, accessible and interfused with elements of the avante-garde.  Premiering in Houston at the 2007 Dance Salad Festival will be selections from Aszure Barton’s uniquely beautiful new choreography, Le Chambers de Jacque, withmusic by Gilles Vigneault, Antonio Vivaldi, and Les Yeux Noirs. At the heart of this piece are the dancers as individual spirits; Barton is interested in creating a projection of the dancers’ internal landscape, and examining the animal that lives within us all. Also premiering in Houston will be selections from Rodrigo Pederneiras’ (director of Brazil’s Grupo Corpo) dynamic choreography, MAPA with music by Marco Antonio Pena Araujo and UAKTI.  He created this choreography as an homage to the fruitful artistic collaboration he developed with this composer. Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genéve (Switzerland): One of the best-known companies in Europe, now under Artistic Director Philippe Cohen, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genéve performs regularly in Switzerland and abroad and collaborates with some of the best choreographers of our time.  They will be presenting La Pluie, choreographed by Annebelle Lopez Ochoa – a searing pas de deux by two of their principal dancers, with music by Hildegard von Bingen, and J. S Bach. Thoss-Tanz Kompanie (Germany): German choreographer Stephan Thoss will again this year present a wonderful work for Dance Salad Festival, called Teufel/Engel (Devil/Angel). This playful work shows the temptation of both the Devil and an Angel to be more human like by falling madly in love with each other. Last year choreographer Thoss was the Artistic Director of the Ballet Staatsoper Hannover. He has now been appointed the Artistic Director of Wiesbaden Opera House Ballet Company.NND/Galili Dance (Groningen, Netherlands): Based in the Netherlands, Israeli Itzik Galili delivers powerful and pioneering original works that elicit dramatic expression and skilled movement from his dancers. With more than 55 creations to his credit, he is reaching ever wider European audiences. Dance Salad Festival will present a pas de deux from For Heaven’s Sake, originally presented at the Holland Dance Festival in 2001. The piece speaks out strongly against violence, particularly in his native Israel and throughout the Middle East. Performances in Europe have been accompanied by Palestinian musicians that take a collective bow in arms with the Israeli and European dancers. During the week of Dance Salad Festival, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Houston International Dance Coalition host a Choreographers’ Forum where audiences have the opportunity to hear from creators of some of the most innovative and popular dance in the world. Wednesday, April 4, 2007 will mark the event for the upcoming season. Also during that week, master classes will be held in various locations throughout the city so that students and professionals alike can learn from these master choreographers. Dance Salad Festival is a curated international production with performances by companies in the United States and around the world chosen solely for their excellence, an event that can be seen only in Houston. Classical, modern and contemporary dance share the Dance Salad stage to form a magnificent mélange of styles and traditions. Members of some of the world’s best  dance companies come to Houston to participate in the Festival which also includes a full week of education and outreach activities culminating in three nights of performance. Each night’s production is different yet is designed as a coherent, expressive performance which interweaves with the others to create a compelling whole. Many of the pieces are performed twice in the three-day format. This multicultural presentation has received international recognition for its quality and innovativeness and has consistently been a source of cultural pride for many foreign communities that are represented in Dance Salad Festival. Community outreach programs include lectures, demonstrations and exhibits. The Festival also invites students from across Texas and the Mexican border to participate in a Master Class Series and lectures presented by the internationally acclaimed artists. The involvement of the artists in the community serves as an introduction to the various countries and cultures, thus fostering understanding and mutual respect. Houston’s Consular Corps is a community partner and many members serve as sponsors and hosts. Director Nancy Henderek strongly believes that through the arts we can build bridges between different cultures. Dance Salad Festival has been praised by local, national and international publications. Dance Magazine said: "Producer Nancy Henderek’s eye for some of the best international dance is unparalleled….(Dance Salad) could wind up as the premier contemporary dance festival between the East and West coasts." In a recent special section of The Houston Chronicle entitled "Houston’s Ultimate People," Nancy Henderek is described as a "one-woman United Nations."   For up-to-date information and photo gallery visit www.dancesalad.org Media Contact: Julie Lambert 713.355.9011 (off) 713.294.9034 (cel) goodthinker@houston.rr.com http://www.severaldancerscore.org

	From Australia ... Recommended ... Are You A Young Dancer Preparing for Pointe Work Or A Teacher Of Ballet?      Asheville, NC, Australia. ( SANEPR.com ) A fantastic new resource in the education of young dancers was launched this week - and promises to put specific exercises and testing tools essential to a dancers safe progression into pointe shoes, once exclusively available in private therapy sessions with a Specialized Dance Physical Therapist, within the reach of every young dancer. Called “The Perfect Pointe Book”, this innovative dancing companion was designed by Lisa Howell, a Dance (Physiotherapist) Physical Therapist based in Sydney Australia. Her company, Perfect Form Physiotherapy has developed a unique system of preparing girls for the demands of pointe work, which will enable any aspiring dancer to dramatically accelerate the development of the mobility, strength and knowledge needed to progress on to pointe shoes safely. Lisa is a respected practitioner, well known in local dancing circles for her dramatic results with young dancers and professionals alike. She is passionate about the education of dancers and their relationship with their own body, not only to prevent injury, but to extend the boundaries of what each dancer believes is possible. The ‘Perfect Pointe Book’ is a 124 page downloadable ‘e-book’ manual. It takes the girls systematically though a series of tests and exercises, organised into four easy stages, and is rapidly finding its way into the eager hands of the worldwide online dance community. Each stage has at least two tests for the dancer to complete, with clear photographs and a check-list to ensure all parts of the test are performed correctly. The tests are followed by detailed descriptions of what each weakness identified may mean, and a program of exercises, all beautifully illustrated, that address each of these areas. The focus is on education, including the anatomy of each area, as well as exactly why strength in that area is so vital. “It is one thing to know that you need to ‘be strong enough’ to progress onto pointe shoes; it is completely something else to know exactly how to test for specific weaknesses and the correct strengthening exercises for each of those weaknesses. This guide is the first that allows young dancers, and their teachers, to work out exactly where their weaknesses lie, in order to make their training exercises as targeted, and therefore as effective, as possible. This book provides those much needed tools in a fun, easy to read, interactive format!” said Lisa Howell. Lisa has also created a FREE weekly Dancers Newsletter, to answer any specific questions dancers may have in relation to pointe work, or any other dance related topics. “’The Perfect Pointe Book’ is the first product of a series designed to educate dancers as they progress through the grades and vocational training on their way to pursue dance as a profession. My aim is develop a comprehensive system that educates dance students through fun and interactive courses and products, so that they can enjoy long careers, avoiding many of the easily preventable chronic injuries that plague many current professional dancers.” Lisa enthused. “Often dance teachers find the specifics of training the foot strength needed for pointe difficult as it came naturally to them. However for many people, the isolated strength needed in the feet must be specifically trained, especially as many children who grow up in cities spend little time bare foot on different surfaces, which naturally trains the tiny intrinsic muscles of the feet. Gaining strength and awareness of these muscles early in their dance training is absolutely priceless in its power to reduce blisters, pain and injury en pointe,’ said Lisa. Feedback from dance students and teachers alike has been astounding in the short time this book has been available to the public. " The Perfect Pointe Book fills a wide gap in the education of ballet students in many countries. Lisa Howell is well qualified to answer all the "questions you have always wanted to ask" about pointe work and gives generously of her knowledge in terms which everyone (teachers, students and parents) can understand. The best thing about this book is that shows the student how best to prepare for pointe work and how to improve and maintain their strength for further training. This book can be highly recommended as a tool for teachers as well as students of classical ballet. " volunteered Jane Allyn (ARAD, Former Soloist and Company Teacher, now Co-Director of Ecole Ballet Studios, Sydney, Australia ) To learn more about ‘The Perfect Pointe Book’ and Lisa’s FREE Dancers Newsletter, visit her website: www.theperfectpointebook.com

Blake Dalton and Kim Kleiber

Several Dancers Core and Emory Dance Program offer Spring Fieldwork Workshop for Independent Artists Atlanta—January 4, 2007— Several Dancers Core and the Emory University Dance Program, in conjunction with The Field (New York,) offer local area independent artists the opportunity to grow their work in the Spring 2007 session of Fieldwork. Consisting of 10 weekly sessions, artists of all art forms — visual, music, literary, dance and performance — engage in facilitated performing & viewing of works-in-progress. The Wednesday night sessions, facilitated by storyteller, Ann Ritter, will begin February 21, 2007 and will be held at the Several Dancers Core Studios in Decatur from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.. The ten weeks of workshop sessions will conclude with an open public performance, on April 29, 2007 at 7:00 p.m., showcasing works developed through the feedback process at Emory’s Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. The cost for the ten-week session is $50. The Fieldwork workshop is a rigorous workshop designed to help artists gather information about their art. Each week artists can show developing work to and receive feedback from their peers in a supportive environment. This open but demanding critical process creates an ongoing forum in which artists examine art, and challenge themselves to become as expressive as possible in whichever discipline they work. Fieldwork discussions use a specific, facilitated feedback structure that gives the artists information about how their work is being perceived. “Viewers act as a blank slate—giving gut reactions to the performance. In this way, the artists quickly learn whether or not their intentions are being communicated.” (Atlanta Press) The workshop will be facilitated by storyteller and long-time Fielder, Ann Ritter. Ann is a performer, business woman and mother who lives in Decatur. She is a five-semester veteran of Fieldwork and sits on the boards of Beacon Dance Company and Friends of Theatre at Emory. She has performed with Beacon Dance and has developed autobiographical solo pieces. She is currently at work on a performance piece based on the life of Georgia novelist, Flannery O’Connor. Fieldwork in Atlanta is a part of The Field Forward Network; a program designed to bring The Field (NYC) to cities in the United States and abroad. The Field offers programs that help independent artists create new artwork, manage their careers and develop long-range strategies for sustaining a life in the arts. The idea to expand Field programming to cities outside New York sprung from conversations between Sue Schroeder, artistic director of Several Dancers Core, and Steve Gross, Co-Director of The Field NYC in the early 1990s. As a Field site, Several Dancers Core provides The Field’s programming for artists in our communities. These programs are one of the three core activities of SDC, who besides professional dance performances and community outreach programs, continuously seeks initiatives to enhance the personal and professional experiences of artists in general and dancers in particular. For more information about The Field, go to www.thefield.org. For more information on Fieldwork, please call Several Dancers Core at (404) 373-4154 or please visit us at www.severaldancerscore.org..

	Antojito (Sampling): Preview of New Work Join us at the Joffrey Ballet Studios for a sneak preview of CUGAT! , Tango Vitrola and a chance to discuss with the artists Thursday, October 4 at 6:45pm - FREE Photo by Audia, featuring Vanessa Valecillos and Ricardo J. Garcia. Where: Joffrey Ballet Studios 17 North State St. 19th Floor Chicago, IL 60610 Space is Limited! RSVP Required. Entrance to the building is by invitation only. Call Kirsten at 312-337-6882 by Oct 3rd to RSVP. CUGAT!, a new work by Eduardo Vilaro is an homage to Mambo king Xavier Cugat, one of the greatest Latin musician of all time. It is set to mambo tunes made famous by Cugat, which will be performed live by the Angel Meléndez & The 911 Mambo Orchestra on October 19 and 20 at the Harris Theater. You will also see excerpts of Tango Vitrola by Alejandro Cervera, set to early recordings of tango music from the 1920's. COMING SOON! Don't miss this fiery and passionate evening of contemporary dance fused with TANGO SALSA MAMBO! Friday, October 19 at 8:00 pm Saturday, October 20 at 8:00 pm with LIVE MUSIC Tickets $25-55 Harris Theater for Music and Dance Learn more about the performance Luna Negra Dance Theater takes a fresh look at Latin dance with works that explore and deconstruct Latin dance movements into innovative and original contemporary works. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lighting Sponsor B__o__s__t__o__n    B__a__l__l__e__t Announcements and Events: Boston Ballet Blogs: BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Online Living   This blog has an interesting program feature attached. WBUR’s News and Arts Blog » Blog Archive » “Royal” Bostonians WBUR’s News and Arts Blog » Blog Archive » Cuban dancers.   New Visions March 1 - 4 Performance dates and times: Thursday, March 1 at 7pm Friday, March 2 at 8pm Saturday, March 3 at 2  8pm Sunday, March 4 at 2 & 7pm An evening of ballet that will have you on the edge of your seat: a breathtaking world premiere by Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo; Christopher Wheeldon’s award-winning Polyphonia; and the return of Val Caniparoli’s exhilarating Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. Polyphonia (Company Premiere) Music: Gyorgy Ligeti Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon Costumes: Holly Hynes Lighting: Mark Stanley World Premiere Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Choreography: Jorma Elo Costumes: Charles Heightchew Lighting: Mark Stanley Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion Music: Béla Bartók Choreography: Val Caniparoli Costumes: Robert Glay De La Rose Lighting: Mark Stanley Works by three of today's best choreographers showcase the richness of contemporary ballet. Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia, choreographed for New York City Ballet (NYCB) in 2001, is an homage to George Balanchine, an abstract, neoclassical leotard ballet danced by four couples and performed to piano music by Gyorgy Ligeti (1923-2006).  In The New York Times, Anna Kisselgoff concluded her review of Polyphonia with the words, "A major ballet." She acknowledged its debt to Balanchine but added, "The piece is rich and spare at the same time, familiar in tone but inventively unpredictable." Wheeldon's distinctive artistry is unmistakable: in the novel partnering, in the sculptural quality and unforgettable shapes of some of the movement, in the way he uses the upper body – in basically every aspect of the piece. Ligeti's best-known works are the compositions included in the soundtracks of 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut, three films by director Stanley Kubrick. His oeuvre embraces everything from folk music to pieces so avant-garde that Wheeldon believes they're "unchoreographable." For Polyphonia, Wheeldon selected 10 works from among Ligeti's folk tunes, Musica Ricercata, and two books of etudes for piano. Wheeldon was so invigorated by the composer's music that he has since created two more ballets to Ligeti: Continuum for San Francisco Ballet, and Morphoses for NYCB, where he is the company's first-ever resident choreographer. Wheeldon was formerly principal guest choreographer for Boston Ballet, where his work included Corybantic Ecstasies, The Four Seasons and Firebird. On the heels of his world premiere Carmen, Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo creates another much-anticipated new work for Boston Ballet. In just a few short years, Elo has become one of the most sought-after choreographers in this country and abroad. His Plan to B brought audiences to their feet when Boston Ballet presented the world premiere in 2004. Since then he has created ballets for New York City Ballet and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and recently received a commission from American Ballet Theatre for a piece to premiere in October. "It is a pleasure to have Jorma returning with another new ballet," said Mikko Nissinen. "He has such a rich imagination and is so very creative; I can't wait to see what he does next." Val Caniparoli's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion was one of the major hits of Boston Ballet's 2003-2004 season. In the Patriot Ledger, Iris Fanger called the ballet "a fast-paced, abstract work brimming with energy and lots of steps to keep up with the driving tempos of Bartok's music." Performed by 12 dancers to Béla Bartok's score, the ballet, like the music, is intense, rhythmic and complex, challenging the dancers with fast, intricate footwork. Sonata was the first work created by Caniparoli for Boston Ballet; he had another big success that same season when the Company danced his full-length Lady of the Camellias. His signature work, Lambarena, joined Boston Ballet's repertory during the 2005-2006 season. Caniparoli's ballets have been performed by more than 35 companies throughout the world, and he is currently resident choreographer for Tulsa Ballet. All Contents © 2006 Boston Ballet  Credits | Privacy Policy.  Tickets: www.telecharge.com  1-800-447-7400 .   Vibrant Dance, Unconventional Instruments and Tribal African Customs from Peru Today, approximately one-third of the South America’s population is of African descent, yet there are few opportunities for Afro-Latinos to explore their African heritage. To promote the rich and vast history of Afro-Latinos, Afro-Peruvian theater group Teatro del Mileniopresents Atlanta audiences their hit dance theatre production Karibu.  Combining vibrant theater, dance and music through unconventional art forms and instruments, Karibu defies the marginalization of cross-cultural history among Afro-Latinos by celebrating the power and value of their culture. All performances of Karibu are performed at 7 Stages Theatre from March 8-11, 2007; performances are conducted in Spanish with English supertitles.   “Teatro del Milenio understands that people throughout the African Diaspora can trace back their roots through the history of music and dance,” says Luis Sandoval, director of Karibu.  “We are pleased that 7 Stages Theatre can provide us the opportunity to share the depth of the rich and unique history of African people in Latin America to emphasize the unique role they bring to all the cultures of the world.”   Info:   All performances of Karibu, take place on the Mainstage at 7 Stages Theatre, located at 1105 Euclid Avenue in Atlanta’s Little 5 Points. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by calling 404-523-7647 or by visiting www.7stages.org.

MARK MORRIS’S WORK IN HIGH DEMAND FROM BALLET COMPANIES By: MMDG Praise for Morris’s ballet choreography…"…Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, a work that reinvented the classical idiom and sealed Morris' reputation as a master choreographer." (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) A prolific choreographer for his own company, Mark Morris continues to receive recognition for his work in opera and ballet. Following his Metropolitan Opera debut earlier this year and his work being featured in the season repertory of the world’s best ballet companies – American Ballet Theater, Dutch National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet (SFB) – this season resumes bringing Morris’s work to ballet audiences all over. As part of SFB’s 75th Anniversary Season, Morris has been commissioned to collaborate with the composer John Adams on a new work. The work will premiere in San Francisco in April 2008. SFB will also perform Morris’s acclaimed Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes (January 31, 2008) as part of their home season. This season, The Washington Ballet will premiere their first Morris work – Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes - (January 30, 2008) in Washington, D.C. Ballet British Columbia will premiere A Garden (February 14, 2008) in Vancouver, British Columbia.