Pennsylvania Ballet Presents “Director’s Choice” Mixed Bill, May 8-11 at the Academy of Music
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) April 09, 2014 -- Pennsylvania Ballet presents Director’s Choice, a mixed bill inspired by the Company’s intrepid leaders, May 8-11 at the Academy of Music.
“This program features a work by one of our Company’s former Artistic Directors, a World Premiere from one of our founder’s protégés, and a piece fairly new to our repertoire that has quickly become an audience favorite,” Artistic Director Roy Kaiser says. “It’s a fresh program with roots in Pennsylvania Ballet’s great tradition – perfect for our 50th Anniversary Season.”
Former Artistic Director Robert Weiss’ Grieg: Piano Concerto receives its Company premiere on Director’s Choice. Created in 2011 for Carolina Ballet, where Weiss is now director, Grieg: Piano Concerto is romantic and pure, with 21 dancers and a sheer white curtain floating across the back of the stage. Pennsylvania Ballet will be just the second company ever to present this work.
Award-winning choreographer Trey McIntyre creates a World Premiere for this program. Mr. McIntyre’s early dancemaking was showcased at the Carlisle Project, created by Pennsylvania Ballet founder Barbara Weisberger. To date, he has crafted a canon of more than 90 works for some of the world’s most revered companies. His new piece for Pennsylvania Ballet is for six dancers, set to the music of Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson, with hand-painted costumes designed by Andrea Lauer based on the paintings of Francis Bacon.
Also on the program, Christopher Wheeldon’s compelling and intimate After the Rain showcases inventive partnering and heartfelt emotion. The first section of this piece features three couples. The second, most-identifiable part is a pas de deux. The ballerina is dressed in a pink leotard and her partner is bare-chested. At times they are close and tender with one another, while at other times they are separated and searching for one another, all set to the moving music of Arvo Pärt. Premiered to great acclaim on Pennsylvania Ballet’s stage in 2013, Wheeldon’s After the Rain is one of three ballets featured in the nationwide broadcast, Pennsylvania Ballet at 50, a WHYY production for PBS airing Friday, May 2 at 9 p.m.
This series is among the final performances by Principal Dancer Julie Diana. After a remarkable 21-year career, Ms. Diana retires from the stage this spring. In Philadelphia, Ms. Diana’s final performance will be in After the Rain alongside her husband, Principal Dancer Zachary Hench on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11 at 2 p.m. She also will join the Company on its tour to The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC this June with George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. An accomplished writer, Ms. Diana plans to focus on her writing and spend more time with her young family upon her retirement.
Ms. Diana will reflect on her performance career and upcoming chapter at the next Conversations with Pennsylvania Ballet – a free, public discussion series – on Monday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia City Institute Library at 19th & Locust Streets.
Tickets to Director’s Choice at the Academy of Music are on sale now, with prices ranging from $30-$125. Tickets are available online at paballet.org, by phone at 215.893.1999, and in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office.
Director’s Choice performances at the Academy of Music:
Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 11 at 2 p.m.
Toast the performances with a FREE Pre-Show Talk on Friday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at Broad & Locust Streets, open to all Director’s Choice ticketholders. Sip a complimentary cocktail and get behind-the-scenes stories from the rehearsal studio.
Connect with us! Follow Pennsylvania Ballet on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to go behind-the-scenes anytime, day or night.
Pennsylvania Ballet’s 2013-2014 Season sponsors include DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, The Sporting Club at the Bellevue, and US Airways.
Pennsylvania Ballet receives support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts – a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency – and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.
About Pennsylvania Ballet
Founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the nation’s leading ballet companies. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the Philadelphia holiday tradition, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. For more information, visit paballet.org or call 215.551.7000.
Online Press Images Library:
The media is invited to download high-resolution photos from the 2013-2014 Season at:
https://www.paballet.org/13-14-press-images
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Marissa Montenegro, Pennsylvania Ballet, +1 (215) 587-6923, [email protected]
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